Hello! This is my first fiction for Avatar: The Last Airbender. I'm not 100% comfortable with the whole "In Character" thing yet, but there will be canonical characters in this fiction, don't you worry! (Just not right now . . . if you want to see characters, check back around chapter 3-4 and probably around 7 when they're posted). "Prayer of the Refugee" is a song by Rise Against and my inspiration.
It was a peaceful village, tiny huts made of earth with thatched roofs stood in neat rows of two, transected by a lone road that stretched for miles in either direction. Farmland surrounded this tiny village and workers toiled in the sun as it reached its zenith, sweat dripping from their brows. Traders traveled up the main road, bartering with merchants and buying supplies for their next leg of their journey to the capitol.
Little kids ran up and down the streets, playing around as their parents bought food and supplies for the next week. One of these little kids stood in one of the empty fields, just out of the village proper, a group of other children, some older, some younger, stood in a semi-circle around him.
"Come on Kunwei!" an older, chubby boy shouted from the crowd, "Do some earthbending!"
His yell was greeted by other shouts of encouragement, most of the kids in the village were not earthbenders, and they had yet to see one older than eighteen. Kunwei was the youngest one in the village and with no proper teacher he had no clue what his powers could do.
"Alright!" Kunwei shouted loud enough for his peers to hear over their clamor, "Here it goes!"
He took up a stance he had seen from a earthbending scroll a kind trader had let him see and then sent a small boulder into the air, it traveled a few feet and landed with a thud on the grass. Kunwei panted a little after that, he had yet to learn the stamina and discipline needed to accomplish bending.
"That was awesome big brother!" a girl spoke up as she ran up and hugged Kunwei.
"Err, thanks," he replied as he saw all the other kids leave the area, except one who was walking towards them with a stony face.
"Hey Gang Chao," Kunwei said as he saw his older brother walking up, Gang Chao was tall, around six feet and he was the oldest sibling in the family, almost seventeen. He loomed over the two as he recited what their father had told him.
"Father wants to get back to the farm, come on, we need to go," he said as he picked up the sister, who squealed in amusement as she got a piggyback ride. Kunwei nodded and obediently followed his brother, "And Kunwei . . ." he said as he looked forward, hiding his face from the younger brother.
Kunwei looked up, "Yes brother?"
"I'll find an earthbending master for you, I promise," he said as he glanced back at his younger brother, a small smile on his face.
Kunwei smiled and ran to catch up with his brother's long strides, they reached the village where a crowd had gathered at the center, where town meeting were usually held. A man in black and red armor stood tall and imposing in front of the village elder and another man who looked to be a farmer.
The soldier in black armor had dark brown sideburns that knifed down his face and gave his face a ghastly skull like appearance. At his side were two men who wore masks that gave them the appearance of a skeleton.
"Fire Nation," Kunwei breathed and he ran up behind his brother and gripped onto his tunic.
Gang Chao glanced down at the little kid and then returned to look at the spectacle happening center stage. The little sister was forgotten momentarily as she clung to his back.
"Your village is in a location where many iron mines are. We ask for your surrender," the soldier said severely, "or else we'll burn this village to the ground with you in it. I'm very sure some of you don't deserve to die," he shot a meaningful glance at some of the toddlers who gathered around their mothers.
The village elder was adamant, "As long as the walls of Ba Sing Se stand, we will never surrender."
"Leave us, now," the farmer replied, his brown eyes glinting in anger.
His declaration was met by a smirk from the soldier, "I expected much," he said dangerously, he turned around and marched out with his soldiers, "Your loss."
The farmer who stood by the chief glanced over at the three siblings, "Gang Chao, get your brother and sister back home, I'll meet you in a little bit."
"Yes father," Gang Chao replied and he lowered his sister to the ground, "Come on, let's get back."
"You don't think the Fire Nation will really burn us all . . . will they?" Kunwei asked as they made their way to the farm, his brown eyes shined with worry as he fingered the frayed hem of his dirty tunic.
Gang Chao was silent for a moment before saying, "The Fire Nation are scum, they don't care about anyone else and that includes their lives. But I'm confident that dad and Chief Heng will manage to defend our village."
"B-but they looked so scary," the girl piped up, "I don't want to see them again."
Gang Chao gave her a reassuring smile, "I'll never let them get to you Yinling, not now, not ever," he reached down with a callused hand and ruffled her long brown hair, she growled at that act of condescension.
They walked up the long, dusty road to the farm, the place was in good repair, large fields filled with crops surrounded a small house made of clay bricks and wood shingles. Pig cows, pickens, wooly-pigs and pigsters were held in large pens, their cacophony of sounds met the trio as they walked to the house.
"Kunwei, would you mind feeding them please?" Gang Chao asked as they entered the house, "Quickly now, before dinner."
Kunwei nodded and ran off to do so, he went into the barn and got out the animal feed, placing it in troughs designated for each animal pen. The slop smelled disgusting to him but apparently the hybrid pigs liked it because they ate the mixture with gusto.
While the pigs were eating their dinner, the young boy went to the hay bales and began pitching piles of the grasses into pens, he leaned on the pitchfork when he was done, pleased with his work. He brushed the hay out of his long, black hair and put the pitchfork back in its spot.
As Kunwei left the barn, he saw Gang Chao drawing water from the well, Yinling was helping him with the buckets. Then he heard voices from the path up to the house, he looked in the fading light as his father and a merchant came up the path.
"I'm very sorry to hear about what happened to your cabbages in Omashu sir," his father said as they got within sight of the house, "I'm fairly sure we can supply you with more, we can discuss payment over dinner."
The old merchant nodded tiredly, "That would be nice," he said with a smile, "I would have gotten a good sale in if it weren't for the young man with the arrow on his head and a diabolical stone sled," the smile quickly disappeared.
The father had to suppress a chuckle, he paused thoughtfully, "A young man with an arrow on his head? You don't say . . ."
Kunwei had heard stories about the Avatar from all the merchants and travelers who made their way through the small village, he felt a smile tug at his face. So the world had hope after all, maybe the Avatar could save their village from the Fire Nation, if and when they attacked.
"Yeah, well at least Omashu paid me for damages," the merchant beamed, "Now what kind of cabbages do you have available?"
"Come to our store room," the father waved him to the building to the right of the barn, he spotted Kunwei, "Ah, son. Why don't you go and tell your brother and sister that we'll have a guest for dinner?"
"Yes sir," Kunwei responded, he ran to the house and opened the door, "Brother, dad says we have a guest for dinner tonight."
Gang Chao nodded, "Wash up for the guest, you look like you've wrestled a pig cow . . . smell like it too," he wrinkled his nose a little, Yinling sniffed the air like she smelled something bad.
"You smell worse than an ostrich-horse," she said as she pinched the bridge of her nose, Kunwei smiled a little as he went out to the well and washed up with a bucket of water.
"Thank you for the offer," Kunwei's father said as he shook hands with the cabbage merchant, the merchant just gave him a toothy grin.
He chuckled, "No sir, thank you for the cabbages! I hope the amount I paid was sufficient enough."
The father nodded, "Yes it was, it was very generous of you," he replied as he stared at the gold in his hands, it was enough to pay for the next month. He pocketed it and said, "Why don't you stay the night, sir?"
The beaming merchant only shook his head, "I better be going, my luck doesn't hold if I stay in any place for longer than a day. There's a village just up the road with an inn, I'll be fine," and with that, the merchant left the farm.
Kunwei watched the exchange, "Why didn't he want to stay dad? Isn't it rude to turn down an invitation?"
"Well, Kunwei, it is also rude to talk about people behind their backs," his father replied, "Whatever the reason he decided to leave after dark is his own. Now, clean up and get ready for bed my Pebble," he ruffled Kunwei's hair as he left to wash up.
The boy smiled as he saw the silhouette of his father make its way towards the well, Kunwei walked into the house and got into his sleeping clothes, which was basically another tunic and loose pants, then he laid down on his mat, pulling the blanket over him and falling into a deep, restful sleep.
Screams, yells, shouts. They all penetrated Kunwei's happy dreams, he felt himself being forcefully shaken from his slumber, he opened his eyes slowly and closed them as something thick stung them.
His sense of smell quickly caught up with his groggy brain, smoke, the thick blanket choking his senses was smoke.
"Kunwei! Wake up!" Gang Chao's voice ordered him in a muffled shout, "Get up or I'll have to drag you out of here!"
This got his attention, the boy rose from the bed quickly, "Brother! What's going on?" his frantic questioning had caused his mouth and lungs to fill with smoke, resulting in a coughing fit. He felt a wet cloth clamp itself over his mouth and nose.
"Breathe through this," Gang Chao said through his own cloth, it explained why the voice sounded so muffled, "The Fire Nation are attacking. Quickly now, we have to go!"
"But my shoes! My clothes!" Kunwei protested, he looked around in fear at his small room with all its belongings. He'd have to leave them behind?
Gang Chao dragged him out of the room, "There's no time for that Kunwei, we have to leave now."
They ran outside to where twenty or so villagers had arrived, almost all of them were men but there were two or three women with their children. All of them were covered in soot and minor burns, the village elder was nowhere to be seen. Kunwei saw the reason behind the smoke, the fields were burning, with bright red fires that engulfed the once green bounty.
"They attacked us in the middle of the night, those scum," one of the men said, his hands were balled up into fists that shook with rage.
Another one, who carried a pitchfork, joined in, "They most likely have killed our chief," he said harshly as he hefted the weapon, "Let's show them our village won't be taken quietly!"
A lot of the men gathered there yelled in unison, except for Kunwei's father, "I'd advise we escape, and quickly, before they find us. We can go to the next village for help."
"No! I'm tired of living under fear, we'll live free or die trying," the villager yelled as he hefted his pitchfork into the air, "And if you won't join us, then we'll have to force you."
The father glared, "What are you saying Huang? That you'll attack me, a defenseless man of your own country, to kill yourself in a stupid conquest?"
"You aren't entirely defenseless," Huang sneered, showing a lot of missing teeth, "Your son can earthbend."
Kunwei was suddenly standing in a circle of villagers as they stared down at him, Gang Chao bristled but his father stood in front of the terrified boy, "No," he said evenly, "You will not drag my son into this mess, he barely knows the art. Out there he'll do more harm than good . . ." his shoulders sagged a little, "I'll fight for the village, just don't take him."
Huang nodded, "Then let's go," he said coldly as he nodded to the rest of the men, "Women and children will be left behind."
As the men marched out, the father knelt down to Kunwei and Yinling, "I love you both more than all the stars in the sky and all the rocks on the earth. Be strong my pebble and my shining star," he stood up and looked at Gang Chao.
"Father! I can fight!" Gang Chao began, his hands balling into tight fists, his knuckles cracked, "Just let me fight in your stead!"
"No son," his father replied forcefully, "you need to help your brother, sister and the rest of the villagers escape. Take the path to the river and head upstream until you get to Tu Zin, there should be a road headed towards Ba Sing Se from there."
Gang Chao nodded, "I'll miss you father," he said as he grasped his father into a firm hug, "Please be okay, please come back."
The man did not respond as he picked up his own weapons and left with the other men, Gang Chao quickly went to the house and grabbed a small pack, he tossed it to Kunwei, "Put it on," he said as he went back into the house and donned his own sack, he exited the house and saw what remained of the villagers standing there.
"Come on! We need to go!" Gang Chao said as he pointed to the path that would take them to the river and to safety.
The villagers seemed unsure, "My husband said to stay here," one of the women said, "I'm not leaving until he comes back," she hugged her children closer.
"Are you all stupid? The Fire Nation's going to kill all of us!" Kunwei shouted as he glanced fearfully at the burning fields.
"Kunwei!" Gang Chao's voice snapped and he glared coldly at the boy, "Let's go," he said and left, his hand grasping Yinling's. He heard Kunwei's last desperate plea for the other villagers to join them before he heard the scuttle of footsteps behind him, notifying the eldest brother that his brother had joined him.
Gang Chao closed his eyes as he walked down to the river, he hoped the darkness would hide the tears that threatened to roll down his face. Where they were going wouldn't be a place for tears or crying.
Hope you enjoyed it! Next chapter coming soon, after I study for World History (and I've seen the name "Gyatso" in the textbook . . . along with other Avatar names, it's kind of awesome). Thank you to WindSurf for helping me gain the sufficient amount of confidence to post this fiction. I will probably write faster if you give me reviews for motivation, but it's okay, I usually check the "hits" page anyway.
