Uncle? Gannu? The only uncles I have are David and Jimmy, and they don't look like this… unless I haven't met him before. But he called me Taeia! He must be confusing me for someone else.
"I'm sorry, but you must be mistaken. I'm not… from here." I looked around in confusion, emphasizing my point.
"But… you look just like her!" The man paused, peering at me closer. "Your hair is different though… more golden." Then he caught sight of my bloodstained clothes. "What happened to you! Are you injured?"
I looked down at my clothes that I had forgotten to change. "No I'm fine. This is someone else's. I work at a hospital."
Gannu considered this for a few moments. "Hmm… it must be." He sighed sadly, "I was afraid of this. Come on into the house, we'll have this cleared up in no time."
I allowed him to herd me gently toward the small farmhouse. "What is it? What's wrong?" We passed under the low wooden doorway, into the dark room. I couldn't see for a moment, as my eyes adjusted to the darkness.
"You are having one of your episodes again. I knew that bending would break you down eventually. I keep telling your teacher he pushes you too hard! Now we have no choice but to call for the doctor."
"Wait, what? Episode? Bending? Nothing's wrong with me! You have me confused for someone else!" I turned frantically, attempting to make my way back out of the doorway, but his wide frame blocked my exit. His eyes glinted dangerously, and he called over his shoulder.
"Bajan! Fetch the doctor! Taeia is having another episode."
A scrawny, tiny boy who looked to be about twelve ran across the doorway, shouted "Yes sir!" then kept running off the farm land and into the tall trees surrounding the clearing.
"Hey you can't keep me here. I can call the cops!"
"Taeia, just relax and be patient! The doctor will be here shortly and everything will be fine again. You'll see! Don't make me get violent, please."
I stood silently and warily, watching him to possibly lower his guard. Finally, I relaxed my body, allowing my shoulders to slump in dejection. Gannu saw this and took a concerned step forward, hand extended to reassure me. This way my opening.
Quickly, I spun around his outstretched hand and through the open doorway before he could even react. Once I was in the open yard I ran in the direction I saw the boy heading: if there's a doctor, there must be a town nearby where I could get help. But before I had gone even three yards the earth beneath me rumbled, rippled, and I sank up to my thighs in sand. I let out a nervous yelp.
"Taeia, I told you I didn't want to fight you. Just be calm, don't strain yourself."
"What did you do to me!" I nearly screamed at him, struggling to get free of the sand as I sank a bit lower, this time up to my waist. "Let me go! What are you doing?"
Gannu took a step closer, widening his feet into a martial arts stance as he raised his muscular arms. The sand around my waist rose up and covered my hands, despite the fact that I attempted to keep them free. I felt myself rising off the ground and the sand hardened, keeping my hands pinned to my sides until I was encased in rock protruding from the ground. I stared in shock.
"What… the… HECK?"
"Gannu! Gannu, sir!" Just then the boy who had ran off earlier arrived. "The doctor's not there! He's away on business for a long time!"
"What? No…" Gannu lowered his arms, thinking hard about something. He peered at me from the corner of his eyes. "If I let you go, will you promise not to run away or fight?"
At that moment I was too numbed by shock and weakened to do anything, so I nodded my head limply. Gannu made several strange gestures with his hands and feet, and the rock holding me in place again turned to sand and I collapsed feebly on the dirt.
Both Gannu and the boy stood in awkward silence for a bit, then Gannu extended a hand and helped me up, walking toward the house again.
"Sorry… but you forced my hand. What do you say to some tea and a dinner? We'll sort everything out afterwards."
"Sure…" I was still dizzy and confused. No one, except people in comics and movies, could control the rocks and earth the way Gannu had just done. It wasn't natural. I shook my head, trying to clear it of the faint buzzing and blurriness. Gannu helped me into a wide stone chair with soft green cushions while he went about setting water on to boil and the boy, Bajan was his name, started making something to eat that smelled delicious.
Once the food and tea was set in front of me I ate ravenously, strangely starved after my crazy experience. I pushed the chipped earthen cup away, and leaned back against the chair. Gannu, who had been sitting across from me during the meal, leaned forward.
"Taeia?"
I shook my head. "Kristen."
He sighed. "I suppose… the only choice left for us is to travel into Fire Nation territory to find a doctor."
I groaned in frustration. "When will you listen to me and believe that I'm not this Taeia person? I'm Kristen! I'm 18, live in Texas, work at a hospital, attend school, and I don't have episodes!" I glared at him angrily for a few moments, through the silence after my rant. "Listen… if I go to this doctor, and he says there's nothing wrong with me… will you leave me alone?"
Gannu looked down at his folded, weather hands, then up at me. "Very well. But only if he says there is nothing wrong." I nodded in satisfaction.
"So… what is this Fire Nation place? How far away is it?"
The old man raised his eyebrows in surprise. "You don't re-… you don't know? The Fire Nation has been at war with the rest of the world for almost one hundred years!"
It was my turn to look surprised. "Wow… but, why? Why doesn't someone stop them?"
Gannu shook his head. "Who knows why… you know how Fire Nation are. Stubborn, power-seeking, evil… Only the Avatar can stop them, and he has been missing for just as long." He leaned forward, conspiratorially. "Rumor has it that the Avatar has returned, and is mastering the elements! Soon, none will stand in his way and the Fire Lord will be defeated." Leaning back, satisfied with himself, Gannu folded his arms across his chest.
"Uh huh… What does the Avatar do that makes him so powerful?"
Another shocked look from my so-called uncle. "Why, he can control all the elements! That's what makes him so powerful. Instead of simply controlling the element of his nation, he has power over all!"
"Elements! What?" I was really confused. "Okay, start over. What is this element thing… is that what you did to me a little while ago? And how can this Avatar be over one hundred years old and still kick butt? Wouldn't he be really old?"
Gannu sighed in exasperation. "Each nation: Fire Nation, Earth Kingdom, Air Nomads, and Water Tribe, all control their specific element. I am an Earthbender… you- Taeia is as well. And the Avatar is reincarnated in a cycle from each of the different nations whenever he dies. Supposedly, the new Avatar is the last Airbender… the rest of his kind were killed by the Fire Nation."
"Interesting… but," I laughed faintly, "this is going to take a lot of getting used to. People- where I come from- can't do any of this 'bending' stuff." I suddenly yawned. "Oh…"
Across the table, Gannu rose to his feet grinning. "Come on, I'll show you your room. Tomorrow we will leave for the Fire Nation."
………………..
Nearly two and a half days of traveling later, and we had reached a popular Fire Nation port. To reach it, Gannu and I had traveled by 'Ostrich-horse' for part of the way, then we caught passage on a neutral trading ship passing between the watery divide between the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation territories.
"Now put this cloak on." Gannu handed me a long black cloak. I slid it on, covering my temporary Earth Kingdom attire and my blonde hair. "We can't be known as outsiders, otherwise…. Well, let's just not be noticed."
A nervous shiver ran through my body, and I pulled the folds of the light cloth closer around me. In the back of my –sometimes immature- mind, I noted that I liked the way the fabric of the cloak fell against me. ((Sigh)) So strange…
Shortly after this, the ship docked and Gannu led the way off the large wooden boat. I'd grown used to the entirely Asian culture, but was still unused to the idea of "bending". Yet when I stepped foot into the Fire Nation port, I couldn't help staring about me in awe at the change in styles. The Earth Kingdom was like its name- Earthy and humble. But the Fire Nation was ornate, gilded, and red. Everything was red, and gold.
I followed the black cloak of Gannu's through the bustle of sailors, buyers, and sellers. Despite the fact that I didn't think he'd ever been there, Gannu waded through the sea of people and finally entered a large building. I followed him inside, and instantly realized it was a doctor's office of sorts. If a very primitive one.
"Excuse me." Gannu addressed an elderly woman sitting on a mat in the corner, grinding herbs of some kind. The lady looked up. "Where can we find the doctor?"
"Aah you missed him by about a day. He went further inland to check on a patient. You know… if you leave now you can catch him. It's only another day's journey."
Gannu sighed in frustration. "Very well."
"Here, I'll draw you a map."
The old lady grabbed a sheet of parchment and a charcoal stick, and began drawing as Gannu leaned over and watched. I took this opportunity to look around the room at the medical supplies. I recognized a few of the utensils, but none of the actual medicines.
"There you are, all finished. Ahh I see the young miss has an interest in medicine?"
"Huh? Oh… um, yeah I work in a hospital." The elder's interest was peaked and she looked about to say something when Gannu moved forward.
"Thank you ma'am for the map, but we'd best be on our way."
The two of us left the port, following the lady's directions for the rest of the day. I thought working at the Gap, and my camping background was hard on the feet, but walking all day long non-stop was definitely harder. I kept my mouth shut, and didn't complain though, so I was proud of myself. After setting up camp and sleeping that night, we set off again the next morning, following a long stone road. By mid morning, we could see smoke from the cooking fires of a small village in the distance. Finally, we'd reached the Fire Nation village where I could find the doctor who would solve most of my problems. Or, so I thought.
