Avatar; The legacy Of Genji

Chapter 1: The Isolated Stretches

          The static from the radio made it impossible to hear, and Genji wished more than ever he had a television. He casually flicked it before he stared out into the vast desert before him. He was expecting a sand-sailor to pass by the windows of his hut any minute now. He was expecting a girl in particular; his best (and only) friend Karia. Of the many Si Wong villages, Karia's parents owned the Misty Palms Oasis while Genji was stuck in such a small village, only merchants seemed to know about it.

          Whenever anyone came through Xiangcun they always commented on how it was like walking through the "100 year war". There were no sato-mobiles or modern buildings. The only technology they had was a radio (that never seemed to work) given to them by Karia. Genji fiddled with linen straps that covered his body to protect him from the brutal sun. Karia he thought to himself. It was safe to say there weren't many children around his age (17) living around him. Of course their were teens in the Hami tribe in the desert, but his mother would never let him go anywhere near there settlements.

             Once during a particularly bad sand storm he and his mom had no choice but to seek refuge in the closest establishment; The Misty Palms Oasis. That's when he met Karia. The two stayed up talking for hours about their dreams to leave the desert and made plans that day to explore the world together. Karia seemed to know everything about anywhere and anyone, but she was determined to see it all for herself.

"Expecting someone?" His mother asked, breaking him away from his thoughts.

"No" he lied, heat rising to his cheeks.

"That's too bad, I think I just saw Karia outside."

He looked up to see a girl with big brown eyes and Auburn hair run over to him. She immediately squeezed him in a hug, which he happily returned.

"Finally, I was wondering when we would be able to eat" he said smiling and she glared at him as the two went to her sailor to unpack.

The only way his village got food was from merchants like Karia, otherwise they'd have to be traveling nomads. Against her parents wishes, Karia always brought food and other goods to Xiangcun. It wasn't to far from the Misty Palms Oasis, but there was always the risk of being robbed.

" Are you gonna listen to avatar Jian's speech?" She said pointing to the static radio.

Genji grunted as he helped unload the last crate of papaya.
"Atleast try to anyways."

"Well maybe there's a way you could see his speech in person" She said looking up at him hesitantly.

Genji froze.
"What do you mean?". He turned to see her walk into his hut and he followed in as she spoke.

"Well my dads sick and I need to deliver something to Ba Sing Se. I was hoping you could come. Ba Sing Se is kind of a far trip from here and it could be dangerous. I don't know I'd feel safer if you came."

       Genji was ever so thankful for his face coverings because he had turned crimson.
" I would make her feel safer?" he asked himself.

"Karia you know I want to, but my mom would never let me."

She looked dejected and sighed

"I know but someone has to deliver this, and it has to be me. But if I go alone, I'm gonna get robbed, what am I gonna do against a team of benders?"

Genji offered a sympathetic smile. He knew Karia was a non-bender, and how much she wished to be one. He also knew she knew nothing about her ancestry and wouldn't even know what nation she belonged to, and what element she'd even bend. Just then Genji's mom walked in and Karia turned to her.

"Please Ms you have to let Genji accompany me, he's a talented bender and this could be a dangerous export."

He could tell she immediately regretted saying "dangerous export" because she knew nothing mattered to her more than her son. His mom bit her lip before she nodded. Genji was taken aback. He had begged his mom millions of times to leave and she had never said yes. Now for Karia to ask once and get a yes after a second felt surreal .

"Ba Sing Se isn't too far, and I would love for you to see the avatar in person. The roads to Ba Sing Se have improved, and if you stay close to the main path you should be able to avoid the Hami." His mother looked at him before wrapping her arms around him.

Karia and Genji made eye contact through the hug, their smiles growing broader.

"Ba Sing Se is only 4 hours away, we'll be back by nightfall" Karia said, as she dragged Genji to her sand sailor.

He had remained quiet, still in shock he was actually allowed to go. Once on the sailor she put away her fan that was used to make the sail move. She sat down on the floor smiling giddily.

"We won't be needing technology anymore, Genji take it away." and he sand bended them away from his home and to Ba Sing Se.

———-—-

"What are we delivering anyways" Genji asked.

    It had been nearly 4 hours and the sun was starting to set. So far they had no signs of trouble but Genji was still on edge. Living in a desert, making a profit was hard. Nothing grew here but Cacti and the occasional Buzzard Wasps hive, where the honey was said to medicinal. The only way he and his mom survived was through trading Cactus Juice, a product exclusive to the desert , and a drink that had became a party favorite when his mom was young.

    If you couldn't grow anything you had to resort to stealing and scavenging. Then you would trade whatever you found to the merchants in Ba Sing Se, who didn't care where anything came from.

       The most notorious tribe for stealing was the Hami. His old tribe. He didn't remember living their much. All he knew was that his Dad had stolen something that ended up getting him killed. That's when he and his mom left joined the small community of Cactus farmers in Xiangcun. His mom never let him go to far in fear from getting robbed or worse if he came in contact with the Hami. Yet here he was traveling to Ba Sing Se with a crate full of goods.

"I'm not sure. It must be important though" Karia said quietly.

   He was in the front of the sailor, bending the sand, but he turned back to look at her. He noticed her voice seemed to falter. He gave her a look and she sighed shifting her weight from the crates she leaned against.

"I'm scared Genji. The crates have air nomad artifacts. I-I'm not sure how Dad got a hold of them."
She looked down at the crate and pulled out a necklace of some sorts with 4 charms each of them displaying the emblem of each element .

  Genji bit his lip. Even after the return of the Air nomads nearly 37 years ago, finding artifacts were scarce. This made them not only rare but valuable. If you came across one, the chances are it was not given to you. It was most likely stolen.

"It has an charm of each element . Maybe its not." But Karia shook her head.

"I've read about this before Genji, they're meditation beads, something only airbenders had." He was noticing her eyes starting to water.

"I'm scared Dad got these off some pirates, he knows better than that. When we first got on the sailor I saw them. I should've said something but we had already left your village and I really wanted us to go to Ba Sing Se, I'm so sorry Genji." She finished not looking at him.

       They were nearly there, but the thought of traveling with air nomad artifacts did make him feel uneasy. He gave her hand a squeeze.

"We're practically already here Karia, and I'm sure whoever your dad got those beads from probably found them near the temples" he lied.

She offered him a smile the stood up composing herself. She gently placed the beads back in there crate, before tapping him on the back and pointing to the walls in the distance. He looked up to see the massive walls of Ba Sing Se.