Avatar: The Last Airbender & The Legend of is owned by Nickelodeon & Viacom and created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko.
Written by Hyenaprince
Fire.
Air.
Water.
Earth.
The elders of my tribe often used to tell stories of Avatar Korra, and how she stopped ten thousand years of darkness from befalling the humanity. How she brought a new age to the world by leaving the Spirit World and Physical World connected. How she brought about change in the Earth Kingdom. One day, though, she disappeared. That was nearly fifty years ago. Her disappearance broke that balance, and sent the world spiraling towards war. Now, the nations search desperately for the new Avatar, to help restore order there favor. I just hope my brother won't lose his way.
Book One
Duty
Chapter Two
The Sandbenders
Poi and Hu sat on a bench, watching as Kim angrily bartered with the truck dealer. Every few moments steam would shoot out of her nostrils, causing the poor merchant to flinch every time. Poi hadn't seen her like this in a long time, the last time she reached "nose smoke" level was when she ran out off mousse the day of graduation. Hopefully this wouldn't get as bad as that. Could you eve set a desert on fire? Poi pondered this as she turned to Hu ,who was chewing on his nails.
"Your sure that was the Avatar?" she asked, tilting her head a little. Hu spat a nail before turning towards her with a grin.
"Of course darling, Ol' Hu never forgets a face, especially not the face of some one who gives me a bite to eat." Hu noted that his reassurance didn't do much reassuring, as the young girl looked more crestfallen then any thing.
"Whats the matter, darling? Don't believe me?"
"No, I do, I just... I didn't imagine the Avatar being a thief. I mean, the Avatar is supposed to be ultimate hero. Saving the world, bringing peace, you know. All of that romantic stuff. And here he is out here in the desert stealing from people who had never done anything to him. It just seems wrong."
"Hey now, life's hard out here in the desert. We all do what we have to in order to make it by. I don't mean to sound confrontational, darling, but have you ever been hungry? Ever been thirsty, and I mean really thirsty, mouth dry, your body shutting down 'cause it doesn't have the moisture to keep going?" The old man said, trying not to sound overly bitter. Poi looked down a little considering that, as it honestly had not dawned on her before.
"If it makes you feel any better, our boy is the good sort. Compassionate, smart, everything you'd want in a hero. Fed me when I was starving and had no reason to."
"So he's like a dashing rogue?"
"Yeah...sure, darling," Hu said awkwardly, not sure what that even was. Poi seemed content, however. Kim marched over towards where the pair sat, clenching the keys in her hand. Apparently she wasn't able to get as good of a deal on the this truck as she did the last. As she walked, she noticed a group of Sandbenders sitting on a skiff, watching her. They had been attracted by the commotion made when the truck was stolen, and Kim had kept one eye on them since then. Unlike the young men that stole her truck, they had a rougher look to them. Amidst theire wraps were small trinkets made of of animal bones and skins. They concealed their faces completely with their rags and goggles, and each man wore a the skull of some sort of serpent around their neck. Kim planted her feet and stared right at them, like she would at a snarling hyena-dog. After a moment they scattered, occupying themselves with the maintenance of their craft. With a grunt, Kim returned to Poi and Hu.
"Is a little compassion too much to ask, or is every person in this overgrown sand trap a scoundrel?"
"Hey!" Hu protested. Kim responded with a disgusted snort, obviously not caring about the offense.
"Why don't you make yourself useful and get some supplies? And do hurry up, I would rather find those thieves before nightfall."
"You mean the Avatar," Poi said trying to calm her friend down, reminding them of why they where here.
"No! Until I get my catgator boots and Blackstone-Moon designer purse back, they are thieves I will hunt down, no matter what!" Kim said, fist clenched, the smoke shooting out of her nose as the vein in her head looked ready to pop.
"How are we gonna find them?" Poi asked, trying again to get Kim back on track. Kim's eyes narrowed as her head turned towards the trail of discarded clothing and luggage that lead out of town.
"I don't believe it will be that hard."
Dust kicked up across the desert as the truck raced across the desert, a red dress flying off the back and fluttering in the air before it settled among the sand. Bayar drove the truck trying to keep it straight as he hunched over the wheel, both hands firmly clasped to it. Being behind this machine made him nervous, but to Shen's annoyance he wasn't willing to switch. The truck looked nice but the suspension was shot, causing them to bounce in their seats over the sands, their safety belts helping to keep them in their seats. Shen leaned against the car door, looking out the window at the vast desert, his foot tapping against the floor. Bayar looked at his brother, trying to think of something to say. Shen had been quiet the entire ride. It wasn't often Shen was in a bad mood, but Bayar had learned to be wary when he was.
"Well, it wasn't a total loss. The amount of wetlander crud in the back will probably bring in some decent scratch." The "pfft" sound Shen made told Bayar that wasn't the right thing to say. Shen angrily pressed on the radio dial, looking for something to drown his brother out. Each channel was mostly just static; the desert wasn't exactly known for it's reception. Bayar grunted as he hit the button, turning the radio off.
"Come on, Shen. You're acting like we've never done this before."
"We've stolen to survive, yeah. But this feels wrong, Bayar. Dad taught us better then this." Shen's words seemed to cut deep, causing Bayar to trip over his words angrily.
"If I wanted guilt-bending I would've stayed with Mother," he grumbled, keeping his eyes on the sand.
"Listen, Shen, it's not like they were starving. All that stuff in the back, they were loaded. They wont miss any of this. Like all wetlanders they have more then they need and more then they deserve." In all fairness to Bayar, the amount of luggage was egregious, even if they were on their way to misty palms, no one needed that much luggage. Noticing Shen's contemplative gaze, Bayar continued.
"Besides, we didn't just do this for us. You said it yourself: Azusa was too spooked to fly. Which was kinda your fault," he said with a shrug and a mater-of-fact tone, as Shen gave his brother a little glare.
"For a guy who complains about guilt-bending so much, you sure are adept at it." The comment elicited a chuckle from Bayar.
"I've wandered the desert for many years, honing my craft, taking all challengers on my quest to bend guilt like no one ever has."
"You still have a long way to go before you're on Mom's level."
"She's a prodigy. I can only hope match her through hard work, and a pouty lip." Bayar turned to give his brother a look akin to a scolded dog, eyes wide lip sticking out. The mere sight of the twenty-one year-old doing this with his beard and rugged features sent Shen into a fit of laughter which Bayar soon joined in on. The truck continued on until the sight of what appeared to be a big black stone appeared on the horizon.
The lack of wind was a double-edged sword. On the one hand, the dry heat was terrible. Not that Kim and Poi weren't used to heat-they thrived on it-but there was always a moisture to it, and growing up like they did there was always a pool or ocean to jump into when they got sick of air conditioning. But desert heat was different: It dried out their skin in minutes, and made Kim even more irritable.
On the other hand, the lack of wind meant the sand wasn't covering the trail of Kim's discarded luggage. Poi couldn't help but giggle at the site of her friend sitting in the passengers seat looking out he window with a pair of binoculars. She scanned the horizon for the merest hint of a trail, and Poi was proud of how Kim had only made them stop to go through a bag once. And to her credit the bag had contained one of the emergency kits Kim had the forethought to pack, though why Kim deemed a can of mousse as important as a first-aid kit and a flare gun was beyond Poi. The retrieval of Kim's hair mousse had put Kim in a slightly better mood, not enough for anyone else but Poi to notice, but it was progress. All the same, Hu had decided to ride in the back of the jeep, using the extra room to sprawl out. Kim didn't protest, as he had made her list by taking forever to come back from getting supplies, including a bag of dried fruit that stunk like rotten eggs; "Lèsè fruit," he called them. The further Kim could put herself away from the sight of the old man sucking the disgusting fruit off the pit and tossing it over his shoulder, the better.
"You know, you really shouldn't be so mean to our guide. It's not like he did anything wrong," Poi said with a smile, deciding now was as good as any to try and get Kim to cool off; Couldn't have her meeting the Avatar breathing fire and shouting obscenities.
"I have been perfectly cordial, Poi, and it's not like he is helping us out of compassion. The Fire Nation has and is paying him handsomely for his assistance," she said, not bothering to stop her search through the binoculars.
"Still, it wouldn't hurt you to treat Hu better."
"What did every travel book say? 'When Sandbenders are around, watch your pockets and your luggage.' Lo and behold, who was it that stole our stuff?"
"The Avatar," Poi said pointedly. This got Kim to take her face away from the binoculars, and look at Poi.
"Are you gonna treat the Avatar as poorly as you do Hu? You think he'll appreciate you treating one of his people so poorly?" The question made Kim sigh, and Poi could practically see Kim's anger smolder.
"You're right. He's the Avatar and should be treated as such, even if he is a Sandbender."
"Kim, that's not really what I meant," Poi said with a nervous smile. Before she could press the matter, however, the Jeep shook as it rolled over something, a loud hollow echoing sound ringing out. Hu sat up, coughing hard, the sudden turbulence making him choke on a Lèsè. He spat it out quick and crawled forward, putting his head through the small open window that separated the bed from the driver's seat.
"What was that?" he asked, making Kim wretch and turn her head away. The foul fruit mixed with his breath created a stench that had even Poi breathing threw her nose.
"Just a rock I'm sure," Kim said trying her best not to sound too disgusted.
"You were watching with the binoculars, right?"
"Yes?" She said, raising her eyebrow, noticing an edge in Hu's voice.
"And you didn't see any rocks?"
"No, why?"
"Gimme!" Hu said, holding out his hand waving his fingers, nervousness clear in his face. Kim looked to Poi who gave a quick nod, and handed the binoculars back to Hu. He took them quickly and stood up, scouting the horizon. The tire tracks they left disappeared as something shifted beneath the sand.
"No no no no no! Darling, would you please put the pedal to the metal? We have to get out of here!"
"What? Why?" As if to answer her question, the desert around them exploded, sand shooting up like a fire hose high into the air. The entire ground shook as a horrific screech echoed across the sands. The sand beneath them receded like the tide a giant sinkhole growing in the middle of the desert, causing the jeep to tumble down the pit and land in a heap on its side at the bottom. The truck shook a little as Poi kicked open the door. She pulled herself up, groaning as she dragged a unconscious Kim with her.
"Kim! Kim, wake up!" Poi said, checking on her friend, examining the bloody gash on her forehead. Poi looked around for Hu, and found him frantically crawling up the colossal ditch.
"Hu! You've gotta help, Kim's hurt!"
"Run, you fool!" He yelled, not bothering to look back. Poi grunted, putting Kim completely over her shoulder as she reached down into the truck, grabbing the emergency pack. As she did, the ground began to shake again, something moving beneath the sand. Eyes going wide, Poi hoisted Kim up on her back and ran the best she could up the side of the crater, the grainy sand shifting beneath her feet. She heard a horrible crunching, and scraping of metal. Looking back over her shoulder she saw a giant pair of jaws surround the truck and drag it down.
Azusa wouldn't budge. No matter how hard Bayar and Shen pushed, she would not get on the truck. The brothers heaved against her weight, trying to push her up the ramp of sandstone they had made, but the beetle just sunk her claws deeper into the ground, her mandibles cracking stubbornly. With one more futile push the brothers broke off, each of them heaving heavily. Shen took off his hood to wipe the sweat from his brow, as Bayar collapsed, leaning against the unmoving beast.
"I've seen her fly on the edge of stand storms, and crash into air ships, but she won't get on a truck?!"
"Yeah, well, its not like you like riding on machines either," Shen spat, hands on his knees.
"Hey!" Bayar glared, before taking out his water flask and drinking greedily. With a big gasp of satisfaction, he handed it to Shen, who took a deep drink himself before walking around to the front of Azusa. Pouring some water in his hand, he held it out to Azusa's maw. The beetle clicked gratefully as she drank right out of his hand.
"Good girl, Azusa. Its alright, we won't make you get on the truck if you don't want." The comment caused Bayar to let out a loud snort. Shen rolled his eyes as continued to pet his oldest friend.
"There, there, Girl. Do you think you can-" Shen was cut off by the ground shaking and a loud screech that carried from far over the waists. The wings on Azusa's Back erupted as the panicked beetle took off into the air.
"That was a Yǐ shī! We need to get out of here Shen!" Bayar said shooting to his feet.
Shen nodded, frantic, blood draining out of his face, making him a sickly white. He ran over to where Azusa hovered, waving his arms to try and get her to descend. There was another loud screech and a pop, as Bayar and Shen turned to as a flair explode in the air in the distance.
"Bayar...there are people over there," Shen said eyes locked on the horizon.
"No, Shen. We are not going to risk our lives for a bunch of strangers," Bayar said, knowing what his brother was thinking. He shook his head profusely as he set to gathering up the what things he could from the stolen truck.
"Bayar, what if they're Sandbenders?"
"They aren't. No attentive Sandbender would get caught by a Yǐ shī, and they certainly wouldn't use a flare. So they're either a fool or a wetlander or both, and neither are people worth risking our lives over," Bayar said, waving his arm angrily, trying to get The beetle to descend.
Shen clenched his teeth, his body growing rigid. Once in his youth he had seen a Yǐ shī devour an entire flock of llamaboars. It was horrifying. The worst part was how, no matter how hard they tried, the poor creatures just couldn't get away. The sight of it still gave him nightmares, even to this day. The image of those hopeless animals raced through Shen's mind, and the thought of people being in that situation made him ill.
"Stay here then Bayar, I'm going to help," he said, beginning to walk forward.
"What, Shen!" Bayar ran in front him, surprised by Shen's tone.
"Shen, think."
"I have, and there's no reason to leave people to die like that. We were raised better then that." With that Shen pushed past his brother. They both looked up as Azusa flew down, landing next to Shen. She shook a little, still frighted, but lowered her head for Shen to hop on, with a nod of her large head. Without hesitation Shen hoisted him self up, taking a moment to look at Bayar, whose disapproval was evident. With a shake of his head Shen knocked on the beetle's shell , and the she beat her massive wings, launching into the air. Bayar stood there in the sand, alone, watching the pair fly of over the horizon.
Poi threw the flare gun in frustration as she continued to try and drag Kim up the narrow ditch wall. Kim was drifting in and out of consciousness, and was trying to move her feet, but it was a struggle nonetheless. The bottom of the pit shifted as a spray of sand shot up and buffeted both girls. Poi yelped as she covered Kim best she good to protect her. Poi hadn't thought sand would hurt so badly, but the tiny rocks cut into her side, taking a fair bit of skin with it. Poi growled, looking down at the the snapping jaws that waited patiently for the prey to fall. Poi took up a canteen of water from the now empty emergency pack and unscrewed the cap quickly. She swung the canteen in a circle over her head, water flowing into a solid tendril. With a snarl Poi snapped it like a whip, cracking the hidden beast in the mouth. The creature shrieked and retreated completely under the sand, buying them a moment of reprieve. With a twisting motion she sent the water into the ground, hoping mud would serve for better traction. Poi then set back to dragging Kim back up to safety, hoisting Kim's dead weight completely onto her shoulders.
"You know with all that dieting and exercise you do, you'd think hauling you around would be easier," Poi grunted as she strained to find her footing.
"Hey!" Kim protested woozily. Poi continued her trek up the ditch, her shoes gripping against the dirt. As they neared the ledge of the sand trap, Poi fought harder, stomach fluttering as thoughts of salvation raced through her head. These thoughts turned to cold fear as the Yǐ shī burst from the sand, a giant insect with a gaping maw framed by two huge pincers and two shiny black eyes. Poi screamed as the beast sucked at the sand beneath them, causing she and Kim to tumble towards its snapping mouth. The sun was suddenly eclipsed and the sound of thundering vibration filled the air, as another giant insect flew down and grabbed the girls with her many armored arms. Poi thrashed, believing she had traded one grisly death for another. The beetle wavered in the air, trying to keep its hold on her. Poi heard a voice telling her to stop, as the Yǐ shī reared up out of its pit, sand erupting from its mouth and hitting the flying bug. The beetle went tumbling towards the ground. Poi felt her slip out of its grasp, the sensation of falling filling her chest as she dropped through the air. Over the horizon came a man riding a wave of sand, moving his arms and legs on top of it as if her were running in a full sprint. He launched him self of his wave, sending it it forward to collide into the head of the Yǐ shī, making it recoil like it had just been hit with a giant fist. The man caught Poi in mid air, holding her close as they both tumbled in to the sand, the man taking the brunt of the impact. They rolled a ways before they came to a stop, Poi sat on top of her rescuer, groaning from the whiplash. Poi Looked down to see the her rescuer was looking up at her, face flushing scarlet. Poi flashed him a quick smile and rolled off him.
"Thank you fo-" She began, but was cut off as the Yǐ shī roared and crawled up from its trap. The beast was massive, hairs sprouted all over the its giant, brown, craggy body. A giant thorax that looked like a mountain connected to sharp long legs and a gaping maw. Its shining black eyes focused on Poi and her rescuer, and with a shriek it charged across the sand towards them. The man stood up, and the Poi couldn't help but notice how tall and well-built he was, muscles tight underneath his Sandbender wraps. He swung his arms in a windmill motion, bringing his right arm tight against his hip, and then he stepped forward, slamming his foot, and swung his fist out. The ground beneath him shook as a jagged column of stone shout out of the stand and smashed into the giant beast. The Yǐ shī roared, backing off a little. The giant's head turned to see the beetle from before flying by. With a screech, sand sprayed out its mouth, engulfing the beetle and sending it careening towards the ground.
"Shen!" The man took off in a sprint towards where the beetle went down. It took Poi a moment to realize that Kimiko was with the beetle, and took off after the running Sandbender. As they approached, Poi saw a young man crawl out from around the beetle, dragging Kim and resting her against the beetle tenderly. He looked up as the Yǐ shī stalked towards them, and planted his feet, not backing down. Poi saw him take a deep breath and swing out with his fist, as a spout of fire shot out of his fist. Poi was unimpressed as the flame ignited brightly, then flickered out of existence just as quick. Pretty pathetic all things considered. Poi saw the man shake his hand in frustration, ignoring the massive beast that was about to come down on him. Kimiko stood up shakily and pushed him out of the way quickly. Bringing her firsts together, Kim crouched down and thrusted her fist up in a ball of flame, fire shooting out around her as the projectile took flight and exploded against the beast's face, causing it to screech in pain and fear. Small fires stayed lit all over its head and abdomen, the sparse hairs it had burning like torches. The creature thrashed as it retreated to its hole, burrowing to get away from the flames. Poi saw Kim wobble and fall, and the young man she had just saved caught her before she hit the ground. Poi ran as fast her legs could carry her, as she approached she saw the young mans, youthful tan face was one of awe looking down at Kimiko.
Two children ran across the beach, their bare feet leaving prints in the sand as they chased each other. The sky was impossibly blue, as the waves slammed against the beach's shore repeatedly. The pale, wiry girl cartwheeled through the sand as the darker-skinned girl chased after her, cheeks red on her plump face.
"Kim, wait for me!" The plump girl whined.
"Nuh uh! You're too slow, Poi!" Kim said, as she ran towards a tall rock, and began to climb up it. Planting her feet at the top, the girl spread her arms, letting out a victorious roar.
"I'm Lord of the Mountain!"
"Girl, get down from there!" a voice shouted, as Kim looked to see a woman walking up to fetch them. Behind her sat Kim's parents, their faces in the shade cast by their parasol, as they sat at a table drinking tea.
"You can't make me! I'm The Undefeatable Red Dragon!" Kim shouted, letting out another little roar.
"You go Kimi!" Poi pumped her little fist, looking up at her friend.
"Poi!" The woman shouted, causing Poi to look down like a scolded dog.
"Sorry Mama." she said apologetically. The woman turned her head back towards Kim, who wasn't budging an inch.
"Girl, don't make me come up there after you."
"You will fall before the might of the Red Dragon!" Kim threw her head back and roared again this time a tiny spout of flame shout from her mouth. Kim's eyes went wide as she realized what she had just done. Finally, she was a Firebender.
Kim's eyes opened slowly as she awoke from her dream, the memory of it fading slowly. Staring up at a brown stone ceiling, as plain as one could imagine. A delicious smell wafted past her nose, making her stomach growl. Kim sat up slowly, her head throbbing as she did. She was inside a small stone hut, the windows no more than holes in the wall. From where she lay Kim could see the setting sun. Poi sat next to her, eating some form of stew. The smell made Kim's mouth water to the point that she could care less what was in it.
"Kim, you're awake!" Poi said, putting down her food quickly, and came closer to Kim's side, hugging her friend. The worry drained from her face and was replaced with Poi's usual wide grin. Kim smiled a little, as she raised her fingers up to the sorest part of her head.
"Poi, what happened? The last thing I remember was crashing, and...teeth."
"It was amazing! After the crash, it all seemed bad, and then they came and saved us. Well, they helped. You're the one who drove it away-That was awesome by the way-but it's the thought that counts," Poi said, letting loose the rush of information.
"What? Who helped? What's going on?"
"Kim, we found him," Poi smiled widely, looking around a little and leaning in.
"The Avatar," she said in a hushed tone, like this was some great piece of gossip. Kim's eyes went wide. She was prepared to scour the entire Si Wong Desert to find him, and here the Avatar just fell into her lap. It was too good to be true.
"Take me to him," Kim said, beginning to get up. The more serious than usual tone in her voice told Poi not to try and argue with her. Helping her up, Poi gave one more look at the now-healed gash on Kim's head. Though she was never the best healer, she figured that she did a decent job at taking care of Kim's wound. Kim held up her hand to decline when Poi went to take her arm over her shoulders. Walking out of the sandstone hut, she shivered. Now that the sun was no longer shining down on them it was cooling off rapidly. Kim looked around seeing that their hut was one of many, outside of each one stood a small stands, each one unique-looking, adorned with feathers, and trinkets, animal bones, and woven idols. Sandbenders walked about, attending to their chores, and lighting torches, preparing for the night to come. Two playing kids ran by, chasing an armadillodog. Seeing the outsiders emerge from the hut caused them to stop and stare. Kim stared back at the children, they were dressed head to toe in the typical sand bender garb, drab gray and brown baggy clothes, their heads, hands and feet wrapped in bandages. Kim tilted her chin up a little and walked past them, heading towards the main part of the village. Poi flashed the kids a friendly smile and followed after quickly, the children watching them both as they went. As they walked more Sandbenders stopped to look at the outsiders. Kim raised her chin, walking like they weren't even there, while Poi was content to go the exact opposite route and wave to them, being as friendly as approachable as she could. Not all of those looks were of curiosity and suspicion; some of those eyes were full of hostility if not outright hate. Both girls waded through such stares like they were just part of the scenery.
"Isn't this place amazing, Kim? So rustic. And their clothes are so different than any thing I have ever seen, I mean look at those pants!" Poi said, drawing attention to the baggy, loose-fitting pants that was apparently the style.
"Poi! You're being rude." Poi responded to the reprimand by giving Kim a small catlike smile. Kim huffed a little before continuing.
"Tell me about the Avatar and these Sandbenders we're guests of." Poi let out a loud "hmm" in response, tapping her finger against her chin.
"The Avatar is named Shen. He saved us. Well they both saved us, then you saved him. Anyway, he seems cool. When I wasn't getting interrogated by his brother and the village leaders, he asked me all sorts of questions, mostly about you."
"About me?" Kim raised her eyebrow.
"Yeah, he was quite taken with how you blasted that beast." Kim couldn't help but smile at that a little. Seeing Poi's sly smirk made her change the subject quickly.
"You mentioned others?"
"Yup, the tribal leaders, called 'shamans'. They're all women as far as I can tell. And the Avatar's brother, he caught me when I was falling," Poi said, looking down and smiling a little.
"What do you make of them?" Kim said not noticing.
"Oh, he seems nice, kinda quiet and-"
"I meant the shamans."
"Oh, well, if I'd use a word to describe them it would be..."scary". You'll see, we're here," Poi said, nodding to a large dome-shaped building. Kim nodded, dusting off her clothes and adjusting her collar, making sure she was presentable.
"Alright Kim, this is it. Try and keep your temper and be nice," Poi said, giving her hands a supportive squeeze, and flashing her typical smile. Kim returned the smile, then walked in through the door. Sitting inside were two young men and a older woman. They were dining on a dinner of bread and water, opposed to the stew that Kim had seen Poi eating earlier. The food was spread out between the three of them, as they sat cross-legged in the sand. The way the two young men sat suggested a deference to the woman, beyond her simply being the leader of the village. Kim knew she was in good with the theatrics earlier, but in order to really sell this she had to make a good first impression. Kim looked towards the older young man. Even sitting, she could tell he was tall, and he was well-built, his muscles showing under his traditional Sandbender garb. His reddish brown hair was wild and unkempt, matched by his full beard. Kim hated beards, but she wasn't about to show her distaste in front of the Avatar. Kim fell to her knees and bowed low, years of proper etiquette showing as she did it perfectly.
"I am Kimiko, I come representing the Fire Nation. It is an honor to serve you, Avatar Shen," Kim said, voice measured and perfect. When no answer came, she looked up. The man she had bowed to was rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly, and was biting the top of his lip trying not to smile. Out of the corner of her eye she saw that Poi was hiding her face in both her hands. It dawned on Kim that she may have made a tiny huge mistake. With a cough the Elder woman caught Kim's attention.
"Child, this is the Avatar," she said raising her arm to gesture to the other young man, who Kim had barley noticed up till now. He was young, about Poi's age from the look of him, and he had the same reddish brown hair as his brother. While his brother's hair was wild and unkempt with a full beard, his was short and and manageable with a clean shaved face, assuming he could grow facial hair in the first place. The boy flushed from embarrassment as Kim realized she was staring. Kim quickly shifted her legs and gave the same bow to his brother, both to show the proper respect as well as to hide her own scarlet face.
"Apologies. I..." Kim tried to think of an excuse, but she couldn't find any thing that didn't sound insulting.
"We welcome you formally, Kimiko and Poi of the Fire Nation. We don't usually welcome outsiders amongst us. But seeing as you saved the lives of one our own, we are bound by tradition to give you food, water and shelter, the three pillars of life. I am Shae, one of the Shamans of the Stormbreaker tribe. I have been chosen by my fellows to receive you and talk with you, as is our custom when talking with outsiders. These are my sons: The oldest, Bayar," Shae said, gesturing to the taller man, who had manged to smother his amusement, and was now looking at Kim with suspicion like his fellows outside had.
"And this Is Shen," Shae said, as if she were presenting livestock for auction rather then her own flesh and blood. Though she was in her graying years, Shae was still quite beautiful, face like polished porcelain. She wore simple jewelry, rings, bracelets, earnings and nails. Nothing worth much as far as Kim could tell, they seemed more ceremonial than decorative. Shae's pale green eyes she shared with her children seemed to never blink as she watched Kim and Poi like an owl eyeing a mouse.
"How fares your wound? We offered to have one of our healers treat it, but Poi insisted that with a little water she could see after you."
"Because we have so much to spare," Bayar said, not bothering to hide his bitterness. The look Shae shot him caused him to avert his gaze, quieting him for now. Kim's eyebrow arched up just a little.
"I thank you for your hospitality. I imagine that resources must be sparse in the deser," Kim said delicately. Apparently not delicately enough, as Bayar took the opportunity to pounce again.
"What? The wetlander thinks we can't provide for our selves?" He said, leaning forward on his knuckles with a growl. Kim met his eyes, sneering a little. She couldn't help but notice his resemblance to a gorilla in this position.
"Bayar, if you speak out of turn again you will be excused from this meeting. This is not a martial matter," Shae said, voice like steel. This cause Bayar to relent, leaning back, a pout on his face. With a small satisfied nod, Shae turned back to her guests.
"Thank you for your concern, but it is simply a way of life here. Our tribe is one of the oldest to walk the sands, and with our longevity we have gained a larger population then most Sandbender tribes. As such, any and all resources we have must be shared and used cautiously," Shae said, with the same matter of fact tone she seemed to have about everything. Kim nodded, noticing Shen bite his lip and turn his attention towards his hands. Kim recognized the the burns around his fingers and knuckles.
"But now, that begs the question of what two wetlanders, in the company of an exile of the Ghost Dog clan, were doing out here in the Si Wong," Shae continued, eyes looming down on Kim. Kim was used to powerful personalities like Shae from years of dealing with the Fire Nation social elite. Still, Shae was impressive in how much power she seemed to wield just from her posture alone.
"As I'm sure Poi has told you, and as you can guess, Shaman Shae, we came looking for the Avatar. We learned that he was here in the desert, and we came to find him."
"Why would the Fire Nation have such an interest in the current Avatar, seeing as he is a citizen of the Earth Federation?" Shae said stroking her chin.
"So, you consider yourself alligned with the Earth Federation and not the free states?" Kim asked, and noticed that her question got an amused snort form Bayar and a grin from Shen. Had Shae been the type, Kim had a feeling she would be enjoying her confusion as well.
"Child, we Sandbenders owe our allegiance to no one but eachother and the sands themselves. The Earth Federation may claim to own these lands, but that claim is as flimsy as the maps they draw their lines on. Were they to try and press the matter, they would have to come out here and put us under their boots. An impossible task, I assure you. Why, when the "Great Uniter" was doing her "uniting" all she could be bothered to do was place a garrison at Fort Bosco and declare us part of her Empire. The Federation barely manages even that level of involvement, so long as raiding parties avoid the major supply lines." Shae's words caused her sons to sit up straighter, pride clear on their faces.
"So, you bear no love for the Earth Federation. This is good. I believe we can help each other in that case," Kim said, seeing an opening.
"Child, you mistake my words. Just because we have no interest in what the Federation has to offer, doesn't mean we want any part in the shadow games your nation plays with them. Like all outsiders throughout history, you have wandered into our sands for your own gain," Shae said, her brow furrowing just enough to show her displeasure.
"Shen is the Avatar. He will need instruction in Firebending and Waterbending; you have one of each in front of you. I noticed the burns on Shen's hands. He's been trying to learn on his own. That's very dangerous, for himself and others."
"I'll say," Bayar said, crossing his arms, shrugging when he saw Shen glare at him.
"And it's not a simple matter of him not doing it ether. I don't know what it's like for Earthbenders, but when you can't control your bending bad things can happen, whether you are trying to bend or not," Kim said, noting a intrigued look on Shen's face.
"And what would you ask for return for this tutelage?" Shae said, her clawed finger tracing her jawline.
"Just for Shen to accompany us to the Fire Nation, meet with our leaders. The world is on the brink of war. A war that will make The Hundred-Year War and Kuvira's Unification look like a dispute over Pai Sho rules. It is the Avatar's responsibility to intercede."
"Responsibility?" Shen said speaking for the first time, a frown on his face.
"Any responsibility I have is to my tribe. The Fire Nation? Pfft, just another place that doesn't know or care about us, or what we go through. My people need me here," Shen said, crossing his arms staring right into Kim's eyes, not to dissimilar from his mother.
"I agree," Shae said, nodding to her son.
"Shen may be the Avatar, but he is a Sandbender first and foremost. We will look to the spirits to help in his training. Whatever problems the world past our sands have is not our concern."
"But-" Kim began but was swiftly cut off by Shae raising a finger, the gold glittering just a bit.
"I'm sorry, Child, but as Shaman I have spoken, and in our tribe that means there will be no more discussion," she said, leaning back almost looking down her nose at Kim. The sight made Kim's blood pressure rise, as it was a look she gave others in Edokai all to often. Before Kim let her anger get the best of her, she felt a hand rest on hers. Kim looked over to Poi, who shook her head simply. Kim let out a quiet sigh and stood up bowing to Shae and then the Avatar. Shen looked down, seemingly regretting his previous outburst.
"It is our custom to keep you 'til morning, and then we will send you and your guide on your way with as much food and water as it will take you to reach the nearest town."
"Thank you Shaman Shae. Where is Hu? If you don't mind me asking," Kim said, placing her hands behind her back and clenching them, doing her best to smolder her anger.
"As an exile we cannot allow him into our midst, but he was given food and water and allowed to stay on the outskirts of the village." Kim nodded at that and after another quick thanks turned around to leave. Poi followed after giving a quick bow of her own. Kim gave one last look back to Shen as she walked out the door, their eyes meeting for a moment before Shen looked down. Kim left the hut and looked up at the night sky. She snorted, steam shooting out of her nostrils, causing Poi to step back. Kim may have lost this one, but she was not leaving this desert without the Avatar.
Hu sat on a relatively flat dune, looking down at the village, popping another lèsè fruit into his mouth before tossing the pit over his shoulder. The Stormbreaker village reminded him of his own, even though it had been years since he had seen it. The people living on top of each other, the flocks of livestock, the shaman seeing every thing you tried to hide. They had taken one look at him and pegged him for an exile. Shen and Poi had gone to bat for him, but they still weren't willing to let him stay in the village proper. Hu appreciated the gesture, even though he had done nothing to deserve it, which is why he was gonna feel kinda guilty about what happened next.
"What took you boys so long?" Hu said, looking over his shoulder. Rising up out of the sand like came a group of Sandbenders, thick goggles attached to their heads, each wearing the skull of a snake around their neck. They were dressed for battle, their bandages wrapped tight, and knives on their belts. There leader stepped forward holding a leash that was attached to a long slender canine, with scales and a head more similar to viper. When Hu made eye contact with it, the beast hissed, a hood unfurling from its neck, it baring its long needle-like teeth. The Sandbender leader caressed the Viperhound's head, making it heel. He was a tall, lanky man, his face completely concealed by the wraps he wore.
"Apologies. It took us time to gather our warriors and find your trail," the leader said, with a deep but smooth voice as he held up a lèsè pit. He dropped it and Hu's feet, and helped himself to one of the foul fruit in Hu's bag as he walked forward to look out at the village. Crouching down, he watched the village move in the night while popping a fruit into his mouth under his scarf.
"You better not have brought us out here for nothing, Exile. It would be very painful for you." Hu responded with a guffaw.
"Do I look like an idiot to you? Don't answer that. I told you: Two wetlanders worth their weight in ransom, and a kid that would be worth more this entire sun-cursed desert. I'm sure you know the reward the Feddies have put out for anyone who finds the the Avatar. And I will lead you right to them," Hu said, crouching next to him to look out at the village, a grin spreading to his face.
"Kim, if you keep pacing like that your gonna bury yourself knee-deep in sand," Poi said, watching Kimiko walk back and forth in their guest hut. Poi could see Kim was trying to wrestle her anger down and keep calm.
"We are so close, but these people are so untrusting, and stubborn! Don't they care about the world? They live in it! Who do they think they are, that shaman and her gorilla of a son?!"
"Kim, did you notice how he didn't talk much?" Poi said looking down at the cloths she had managed to barter for in the little time shes been here.
"I barely noticed him before he bit my head off for suggesting his brother act like a real Avatar," Kim said, stopping to look at Poi, her mind starting to work.
"We read all these stories, watch all those movers about the past Avatars: Korra, Aang, Wan. They all had these larger-than-life personalities, and here our Avatar is this unassuming little twig boy," Kim said, covering her mouth while she thought.
"He reminds me of you, Kim," Poi said, resting her elbows on her knees and placing her chin in her hands. Kim looked at her incredulously eye brow arching up to the ceiling.
"Me?"
"Yeah, well not 'you' as in 'Kimiko the the rising star of the Fire Nation' and 'Undefeatable Dragon Queen' rawr, rawr, rawr," Poi said, clenching her fingers barring her teeth to make a point. The memory of her childhood alter ego caused Kim to blush furiously.
"I mean the youthat always sat so politely at your mom's dinner parties, and never talked out of turn. The you that would always smile and nod until some said something that made you mad and then you'd explode on them. I think if that Kim tried talking to the Avatar we would make some progress," She said with a smile, and Kimiko looked at her appreciatively.
"Say I can get the Avatar to hear me out. It's gonna be impossible to actually get him to listen with that gorilla hanging off his back."
"Bayar?" Poi asked with a chuckle and a mischievous grin.
"Leave him to me."
"This is all your fault, Shen," Bayar said grumpily, as he carried two big buckets of water over his back, each hanging of a wooden rod.
"I know," Shen responded as they walked through the village, carrying a bucket of his own, filled with food.
"I told you not help the exile."
"I know."
"Told you not to help the wetlanders."
"I know."
"I told you were shouldn't bring them back here."
"I know." Shen let out a huge sigh. Their mother was mad, they could both tell, she would wait until they're guests were gone and then she would release a wrath comparable to a sandstorm on them. Worst of all Shen couldn't help but feel disappointed by how the meeting went. Shen meant what he said, the He had no intent in leaving the village, or getting himself involved in the the wetlanders war. But at the same time this might be his only chance. Shen sighed again looking down at his burnt hands shaking his head, the wight of the buckets not helping. As a preview to their impending doom, Shae had ordered them to feed and water all the livestock. Bayar had grumbled as they walked through the village, all things considered Shen had expected Bayar to be on his back allot more over this. But ever since they rescued/were rescued by the girls, he had been pretty relaxed for Bayar, the meeting notwithstanding.
"What makes you think you wetlander's can just walk around our village how ever you like?" Shen looked up to see Shǎguā and Gahri cornering Poi. Poi was wearing a pair Sandbender pants, wide and baggy, along with a shell around her neck.
"But we're guests, I'm just looking around," Poi said, backing up a little.
"Where did you get those clothes? Did you steal them?"
"Of course not! I bought them fair and square," she said angrily. Shen was about to say something when Bayar set down his buckets and marched over to the group. Grabbing the two Sandbenders by their collars, he threw them backwards, making them land flat on their backs.
"Bayar, what in the name Rahasa are you doing?" Gahri protested.
"What are you doing? The shamans welcomed them as guests for saving Shen's life, wetlanders or not. You dishonor us all by treating them so poorly."
"But Bayar, she-" Shǎguā began, but was cut off by barging marching up to him and leaning over the smaller man eyes wide.
"Are you saying we shouldn't keep to our traditions, Shǎguā?" The tone in Bayar's voice suggested that there was only one right answer. Both gulping, Shǎguā and Gahri shook their heads and began to skulk off, tails in between their legs. Shen shook his head disapprovingly at them as they passed by him.
"Thanks for your help, Bayar," Poi said with a big grin, taking him in a big hug that made the young man sputter and turn red, much to Shen's amusement. Poi waved her hand quickly as Bayar stumbled through a response. When she saw that she had Shen's attention, she began to point. Looking in that direction, Shen saw Kim standing in an alley, waving him over. Shen looked back at Poi suspiciously, but her big smile made it hard for him to believe this was some sort of trap. Taking his moment, Shen walked over to where Kim stood waiting.
"Hello, Avatar. I think it's time we talked, just you and me."
Bayar finally manged to pry himself from Poi's grasp. She smiled up at him, her freckled, round, brown face the picture of innocence. Her clothing, however, was a different matter. Bayar could understand why Gahri and Shǎguā had taken such offense. She didn't wrap her feet and wore only loose-fitting shoes, and so her ankles where bare. To Bayar's chagrin, that was the least-scandalous part of her appearance, as her midriff was bare, with a red shell across her chest revealing the bra beneath under her arms. This left her arms, shoulders, hair and neck completely bare. Bayar had never seen any one dress so, and seeing her so up close made him feel uncomfortable. Taking a big step back Bayar held his hands up trying to put on a friendly enough smile.
"N..No problem. Those two sun-baked idiots always need some one to keep them in line. Now if you'll excuse me, Shen and I have a task to see to." Bayar turned to Shen, but his brother had disappeared. Looking around, Bayar said neither hide nor hair of him.
"Oh come on!" He yelled, and-in frustration-kicked over a bucket of water. The sight of the precious liquid going to waste made him slam his hand into his forehead. With a little giggle, Poi walked over to where the water had spilled. Planting her feet Poi made a fist and pulled backward drew up from the sand floating in the air, after a moment Poi dropped the water in the bucket and turned to Bayar with a grin.
"Uhh, thanks," Bayar said, a bit dumbfounded. He had never seen Waterbending before, but Poi's stance and movements almost seemed like Earthbending to him.
"No problem," Poi said, picking up one of the buckets. She held it in front of her legs with both hands eagerly.
"So where are we taking these to?" Bayar blinked at that question, completely dumbfounded. Deciding it as best not to press the issue, he picked up the bucket and lead her towards the flocks. While they walked, Bayar watched the strange girl beside him. She walked as if she didn't have a care in the world. Not in the usual "The world belongs to me" way Bayar saw in most Wetlanders; this was different. Even children weren't so happy. They arrived at the dunes where the llamaboars grazed, they were penned in with solid sandstone walls. As soon a Bayar lowered a section of the wall with the stomp of his foot poi rushed in.
"Look at them, they are so cool!" she said, falling to her knees to pet one. Llamaboars were shaggy creatures, with short legs that some how manged to carry their fat bodies. Their necks were long, with sharp tusks jutting out of their mouths. Poi ran her fingers through their fur, petting it behind the ears, and the animal responded by nuzzling her liking the attention. Bayar looked at one of the llamaboars standing next to him and raised his eye brow at it. The beast returned the look. Bayar reached out to pet it, and the animal responded by snapping at his fingers, making him jump back. Shaking his head, he went to Poi's side. The girl looked up at him, taking her attention away from the animal that was nuzzling her chest.
"I never thanked you properly for saving me," she said, giving a softer smile. Bayar rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly before sitting down next to her.
"Don't thank me, thank Shen. I was gonna leave you two but he convinced me," he said, feeling a little pang of guilt for his actions.
"But you came in the end. That's all that really matters," she said, not missing a beat, causing Bayar to stare at her like she had two heads.
"You can't be real," he said, and she merely shrugged in response.
"I've never met a wetlander like you, usually they're all like your friend. Rude, arrogant, looking down their noses at us."
"Kim's not... Okay, she dose those things, but she's not always like that," Poi said, coming to her defense, but Bayar looked unconvinced.
"You mind if I ask you something?" Poi asked. Bayar simply shrugged.
"Why don't you and your people just leave the desert, if it's so bad out here?"
"Why don't your people leave that frozen wasteland I've heard about? Isn't it night there all the time?"
"Frozen what? No," Poi said, blinking.
"It's not night there all the time?"
"No. I mean, yeah, it's not night all the time, but I'm not from any of the Water Tribes."
"Sorry, I just assumed."
"Well, my mom and dad were, but I was born and raised in the Fire Nation."
"Oh. Which tribe were they from, then? North or South?"
"Neither."
"What?" Bayar asked, getting confused.
"My family comes from an island not that far from the Fire Nation. My ancestors settled there in ancient times, and nobody else set foot there until after the Hundred-Year War started."
"Huh." Bayar said, nodding and following best he could.
"I know what you're going to say and I told you, whatever problems you wetlanders have are none of my business. The best I can do is hope you put the Earth Federation in their place," Shen said, walking briskly towards his hut.
"Sounds like you have your own issues with the Federation," Kim said, following along, hands behind her back.
"I'm not gonna talk about that."
"No need. Your mother and brother made their views very clear, and it was clear that they make the decisions for you." Her comment made Shen stop and turn to look at her.
"Bayar is my brother. I follow his lead, but he doesn't make decisions for me. He's not Kahn yet." Shen couldn't hide his bitterness in that last part.
"Kahn?"
"The Kahn is the man the shamans choose to lead us in war and trade," Shen said with a sigh.
"Bayar is next in line, after the current Kahn decides to step down. Every one knows it's coming soon."
"And then you'll be further in his shadow," Kim said bluntly, causing Shen to growl. Kimiko put up her hands in mock surrender.
"I'm just commenting on what I see."
"What does an outsider know, anyway?" Shen marched away angrily, going around the side of the hut. Kim got a kick in her step, knowing she had him right where she wanted him.
"Listen, Avatar. All i'm saying is-WHAT IS THAT THING?!" Kim said jumping back as she she rounded the corner and saw Shen approach a Beetle the size of a tuck. The insect jumped itself, startled by Kim's outburst. Shen quickly went to her side, petting behind her horn.
"HER name is Azusa, and she's beautiful, yes you are," Shen said, planting a kiss on her shell.
"I...I'm sorry, I've just never seen a bug that big," Kim said, staring at her eyes wide, looking a little pale. The sight of Shen nuzzling the insect like it was a kitten made her stomach queasy. Shen looked at Kim, noticing Kim's change in composure.
"She won't bite, you know. She only eats plants and fruit. You want to pet her and see?"
"I..I don't know. You sure she's not...hostile to strangers?"
"Course not, she loves people," he said with a smile, holding out his hand to beckon her over. Kim bit her lip, looking at the bug warily, but approached slowly. Azusa watched her with her big black and gold eyes. Slowly she raised her hand up and touched Azusa's horn. Azusa clicked a little and tilted her head bumping Kim's hand against the place she preferred to be pet.
"G...good girl," Kim said, stroking the beast slowly. The sight made Shen grin.
"See? Shes's a big sweetheart," he said with a nod, and for the first time he saw Kim smile, just a little.
"Listen, Avatar: Ignoring the everything else, I remember when I first learned that I could Firebend. To suddenly have that power at your finger tips. The urge to learn to harness it, to see what your limits are and surpass them; It's like a thirst to explore a side of your self you never knew, and you're so much older. You've spent your entire life as an Earthbender, thinking you had a handle on that, to the point that it must feel mundane, and now you have something new to learn," Kim said, watching the curiosity and eagerness creep back into the young man's eyes.
"I can help." Shen bit his lip. He was considering it, she could tell.
"But what about my people? I have to do right by them. I owe you for saving my life, but I can't..." Shen said, clenching his fists, strengthening his resolve. Kim grit her teeth; There needed to be something she could do to convince him. Azusa stood up suddenly, letting out a clicking hiss. Kim backed up, worried that Shen was about to sick his beetle on her. When Shen turned swigging his arms into an upper cut. Out of the ground shot out a Sandbender holding his ribs. Before the man hit the ground, another sand bender jumped out of the ground. Planting his feet then man spun kicking a wave of sand at Shen. Shen swung his arm in another uppercut motion bringing up a wall of sandstone. As the Sandbender readied another attack, a ball of flame impacted across his chest, sending him flying back. Kim blew the smoke off her knuckles as she scanned for another opponent. Shen walked past her, rolling the unconscious Sandbender onto his back.
"Sand Serpents," he said, standing up and spitting.
"What?" Kim said, still on her guard.
"Honorless cowards that love attacking from underground. But why would they...?" Shen trailed off as the screams and yells erupted from further inside the village. Shen's eyes went wide as he ran towards the chaos.
"Wait!" Kim tried to call to him, but he wasn't listening. Kim saw Azusa bury herself in the sand until only her shell was showing. With a shake of her head Kim turned to follow after Shen, trying to catch up.
Shen ran as fast as his legs would carry him. As he ran, he saw his people fighting Sand the Serpents popping up everywhere. Shen slid to a stop as he saw a Serpent walk out of a hut, carrying a box. With a growl, Shen snapped out a kick, a whip of sand nailing the serpent in the torso making him keel over and drop the box. With a swing of his arm another wave of sand shout out from the ground knocking the man into the wall. Shen broke out int a run again coming towards the middle of the village. Scanning the area, he saw Kahn fighting three Serpents all by himself. Despite his lack of a leg, the old man held his own, dodging with with precise movements. A serpent spun his arms, bringing sand up from the ground, solidifying it into a rock and launching it towoards Khan. Planting his crutch into the dirt, Kahn swung his remaining leg breaking the attack into pieces, and then bending it into a makeshift leg. Planting his feet, Khan twirled his arms, raising sand around him, swirling it into a miniature sandstorm around himself. The Serpents launched their attacks out at him, waves of sand dispersed amongst the storm and the rocks went flying off in different directions. A wave of rocks flew out of the storm along the ground, engulfing the Serpents. The sandstorm dispersed, the falling to the ground like rain revealing a out of breath Kahn.
"You've still got it!" Shen said, smiling as he came up to him, patting Khan on the back.
"Wheres Bayar?" Kahn asked, looking around.
"Don't know. Where are the Shamans?" Shen said.
"They don't deem this a big enough threat to get involved yet," Kahn said with a shrug. This elicited a roll of the eyes from Shen.
"Shen!" They all looked up to see Hu coming towards them.
"Hu?" Shen asked, looking worried as Hu ran up to him and put his hand on his knees to catch his breath.
"I saw the attack start. They're heading for your water supply, you've gotta hurry!" Shen grit his teeth and turned to look at Kahn, who nodded to him and put his hand on his shoulder.
"Go! I'm gonna get everyone together and push back theses pigdogs," Khan said with he fire of a man half his age, and Shen grinned, nodding in response before looking to Hu.
"I've got your back, Shen. It's the least i can do for you," Hu said, with a smile that Shen returned as the two took off. They ran through the sands, seeing Serpents take what they could and disappear beneath the sand sin some place, while in others the Stormbreaker people fought back the invaders. Shen saw the water hut: A small building that sunk into the ground. Outside the hut, the guards were on the ground, not moving. Shen ran to them to check their pulses and sighed in relief. Shen ran up to the hut looking inside, but was shocked to see that the tanks were all untouched. Shen turned to face Hu, who had taken a big step back. Shen looked confused as a hand burst out from the ground, wrapping around his ankle stopping him in his tracks. Shen saw figures move under under the ground towards him, and bursting out of the ground came three Serpents. At once the three swung their arms, sand rising up from the ground and wrapping around Shen, constricting him tightly.
"Hold him tight," the leader said walking forward, taking Shen's chin in his hand and looking him over like he was livestock. Shen glared back at him defiantly teeth gritting.
"Are you sure this is him?" The serpent leader said, looking back at Hu.
"Absolutely," Hu said with a smile, and he shrugged when Shen looked at him.
"Sorry kid," he said, rubbing his hands together.
"I really do appreciate everything you've done for me. Nothing personal, you know. It's an armadillodog-eat-armalidillodog world out there. You understand."
"I trusted you!" Shen spat.
"And thats my fault?"
"Enough," the serpent leader said, giving Shen a small slap turning to his men.
"Lets get this little pay day to the skiff." Seeing a flick out of the corner of his eye he jumped back as a big ball of flame flew past him, separating him from Shen. They all turned to see Kim launch herself at them, her leg snapping out in a kick as another fireball blasted at them, causing two of the enemy Sandbenders to scatter and one to raise a wall to defend against her. Using the distraction Shen, broke the sand he was encased in, arms exploding out. Ripping his ankle free, Shen kicked the sand, sending his attacker flying before he rolled to his feet next to the his comrades. Kim slid to Shen's side as they both took up a stance, facing down their enemies. The Sand Serpents spread out slowly, surrounding Kim and Shen, who quickly put their backs together. Shen was happy to see that some combat tactics are universal. The Serpents moved to strike, but jumped back as a wave of sand lashed out at them. Shen grinned as he saw his brother enter the fight. Bayar slid at them, riding on the sand like as if it were a wave of water, swinging his arms over his head and bringing the sand above his head. He planted his feet and solidified it into a boulder, and launched it at the Serpents, making them scatter. Amidst the confusion, Shen saw Poi dash between them, heading full speed at a Serpent. The Sandbender turned to Poi, lashing out with a lash of sand, but she ducked, sliding under the attack and past him foot-first. The Sandbender rounded on her, but stopped when he saw she was in front of the water hut. Poi slammed her feet and raised her arms, both in a wide stance, as the water behind her shot up out of the barrels. The Sandbenders eyes went wide as Poi stepped forward, slamming her foot down, swinging her elbow out at him, and slapping her hands together as she did. The water mimicked her movement as it swung out at the sand bender like a fist, sending him stumbling back. Desperately the serpent kicked out at her, sending a stream of sand towards Poi, who took a step back and slapped her hands to her chest, bringing the water she had just launched out at him back to her, intercepting the sand and making mud splatter across the ground. Before the Serpent could plant his foot to launch another attack, Poi reeled back and brought her remaining water down at him like a hammer pounding him into the ground, ending the fight.
A few feet away Bayar had taken on a different Serpent, head on. The Serpent swung out sand at Bayar, who simply smashed it out of the way with a swing of his powerful arms. The rival Sandbender spun, bringing up as much sand as he could from the ground to bring it down on Bayar as he finished his rotation. Bayar let loose a cocky grin as he swung one arm, deflecting the sand off to his side. Before it even hit the ground, he brought it back up, smashing it into the Serpent's side. As the serpent hit the ground, Bayar stepped forward before sliding his foot back and opening, his arms wide. A hole underneath he serpent opened up, then closed as Bayar crossed his arms, burying his opponent up to his head.
Turning his head, Bayar saw Kim dogging rocks with impeccable grace. Kim danced around the streams of sand, moving inches away form the hostile earth. Kim snapped out a kick, letting loose a fire ball, and with the slightest of turns she retracted her leg and thrust it back out as fast as she had retracted it, letting loose another fire ball. In response, the Sandbender planted his feet and raised a wall up to defend himself from the flames. He looked up as he saw flames rain down at him from above. Rolling out, he saw Kim lunge at him, her fist carrying a flame meant right for his face. Rolling out of the way again, the the Sandbender thrust both his fists forward, a stone pillar launching out. Kim stepped back, placing one foot on on the incoming rock and pushed off it back flipping in the air and landing on her feet. Spinning on one foot, Kim brought her other foot up above her head, a flame sprouting out of it as she completed her turn and brought it out, launching a large wave of flame towards her enemy. The Sandbender tried to bring up another rock wall to defend himself, but was too slow. The flames hit him dead on, lighting part of his robes on fire making him land in a unconscious, smoldering heap.
Shen looked at Kim, impressed, but it was short-lived as he turned his attention back to the Serpent leader, barely having time to dodge his projectile. The Serpent leader poured on his attack furiously, the sand beneath him blasting out of the ground like shots fired out of a cannon. Shen swung his arms, deflecting one attack then the other before drawing his arms all the way back and creating a wall for defense. Shen brought another lash of sand out and turned, bending it to fly around his cover to where his enemy stood, feeling his location through the vibrations in the sand. The Serpent leader stepped backwards at the last second, guiding the sand around him in a circle much like a Waterbender. He bent the sand into a perfectly round boulder and launched it at Shen with a firm thrust of his fist. The wall shattered on impact, knocking Shen several feet. Shen groaned in pain, breathing heavy, as he looked up to see the Serpent leader approach.
"And here I thought the Avatar would put up more of a fight," he said, raising a Boulder above his head to bring down on Shen. Shen grit his teeth, swung his fist out, and a flame shot forth. It wasn't a big or powerful flame, but it going off right in the Serpent leader's face was enough to cause the big man to drop the rock and stumble back, grasping at his eyes. It was all Shen needed as he swung his leg, kicking low and bringing up a lash of sand that took his enemy's feet out from under him, causing him to land flat on his back. Shen swung his arm to his chest, wrapping the serpent leader in sand, and twisted his hands, grinding his chi and solidifying it into the most solid rock he could. He brought his fist to his side tightly, looking into the the Serpent leader's eyes before thrusting his fist out. The Serpent went sliding across the ground as the rock he was embedded in was sent crashing into a hut, bringing it down around him completely.
"How's that for a fight?" Shen said as he stood up, looking at his beaten enemy with a stern look and then turned, shaking his head in a disappointed manner. Scanning the area, Shen saw Hu trying to crawl away. With a flash of anger, Shen slammed his foot and a plate of sand appeared beneath Hu. Before he knew what was happening, the plate folded up, sandwiching Hu between its sides and turning him around to face Shen's angry face. He gulped as Bayar, Poi and Kim came to stand by Shen, each with a face of equal disappointment.
"Heh...Can't blame a guy for trying."
Shen sat on a dune, his head resting on his knees, as he looked down on his village, the sun rising behind him. Most of the Sand Serpents ran off taking what food and water they could, which-for thieves like them-was more then his tribe could afford to lose. The shamans had already sent a messenger to the Serpent's village, hoping to try and ransom the captives and their Khan for some of their supplies, but the Serpents weren't exactly known for their loyalty. All this had happened because Shen had trusted some one he shouldn't have. All this had happened because of him. Shen didn't bother to look as he felt someone come up behind him. He already knew who it was.
"I'll never let anyone say wetlanders aren't brave. Coming to ask me to leave again after all this is proof of that," Shen said coldly.
"I won't pretend I didn't contribute to this in some way," Kim said, sitting down next to him. Shen didn't respond. Kim looked at him; she knew what she had to do to get what she wanted, and she was gonna hate herself for it.
"They came here for you. The Serpents that got away knew you were the Avatar. More of them will come. Your village will be a target for others looking to capitalize off of the reward for finding you. It won't be long before the Federation sends people to track you down, wanting to get you on their side." Kim watched as Shen's hands tightened around his pants, now was the time to strike.
"I can help, not just with training, but with your tribe," she said slowly as Shen's head turned to look at her.
"How?"
"I told you, I came representing the Fire Nation. We can give your tribe everything they could possibly need: Food, water, medicine, supplies to build a lasting infrastructure. All I ask is that you come to the Fire Nation, see whats going on with the world." Kim didn't break eye contact with Shen, but she did hold her breath. After a moment, Shen slowly held out his hand. Kim eyed it warily before exhaling and holding out hers.
"Don't make me regret it," Shen said, squeezing her hand hard, his eyes icy with his warning. Kimiko didn't flinch, but she hoped he wouldn't all the same. With a brief nod of agreement they broke their hand shake, and both turned to watch the village move below them.
To be Continued.
