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Introduction[]
Three years have past since Avatar Aang defeated the Fire Lord and ended the Hundred Year War. But the world is not at peace. One hundred years of brutal fighting has left the world scarred and damaged. Because of the Earth Kingdom's focus on defending themselves, they had little attention for regional conflicts. In the Si Wong Desert, the sandbending tribes that have lived peacefully for centuries are at the brink of war. What will the future bring for these tribes, and with the world distracted, who will save the desert from war?
Previously on Sand Dunes:
The Hami tribe has struck the Gobi tribe! Mina was killed by Chief Ta-Min in battle, and Tio was injured. As battle rages in the Gobi Tribe, Mein speaks out and threatens his fathers authority. His father, in return has threatened Mein to a battle.
Chapter 6: The Pot[]
I got into a defensive position. My father had a look of fury on his face. He was sweating, his face was red, and he was glaring with rage. We stood there looking into each other's eyes. Then he lunged forward and sprayed razors of hardened sand at me. As the objects approached I dissolved them into sand and formed a large sphere of sand that I condensed into sandstone and sent it flying towards my father at a very high speed. I then ran forward towards my father. He waved his hand down splitting the boulder in half. He then formed several sand whips that came out of the ground. As I approached he used the whips to prevent me from nearing him. I created a high speed mini-tornado and sent it towards the whips. The tornado sucked the whips in and spun them around. I motioned my hands forward sending the tornado and whirling whips towards my father. He moved his hands upwards and a wave of sand about 20 feet tall formed and came speeding forward. It absorbed the tornado and came crashing towards me. I pointed my arms forward and parted the wave allowing myself to pass right through the massive wall. As I emerged, I formed several sandstone bricks and shot them at my father. He kicked and punched them causing them to crumble. He then formed a very large spinning, blade disk. He kicked it forward with both of his feet. As it came rolling in mid air towards me, I motioned my arms to one side and the disk followed. It came near my side and looped around my back, I then sent it back towards him. He dissolved it and yelled out.
"That's enough!" "Surrender now or I will kill you!"
"I wouldn't be the first child you killed today, Ta-Min!" I said
"You insulate child!" He yelled
He formed long spears of sand and lunged them at me. I formed a spherical shield around my body. As soon as the spears hit the shield they dissolved into sand. I punched my shield several times causing chunks to go flying towards my father. As they approached, he jumped spun around, and sank into the ground. I waited a few seconds. I channeled all my strength and focus. I felt him swimming through the loose sand beneath me. I kicked the ground with the bottom of my foot and sent several blades shooting trough the sand and towards my father. He erupted out of the sand a few feet away from me. As soon as he came up I shot a gust of sand, and it hit him dead in the stomach. He flew back and hit a wall. His body was cut and bleeding from my previous attack. He groaned of pain.
"He's not going to make it" I muttered
Then he flicked his hands and tried to harden my feet into the ground. I jumped and evaded his attack.
"Of course he did" I muttered again
My father turned the sand under him in to sandstone and lifted his arms up. The platform he created lifted up and he was hovering above the ground. He flew over to the heap of rubble. I created a funnel underneath me and lifted up off the ground. I moved over to where my father stood. I was waving my arms sending large slabs of sandstone and other pieces of rubble at my father. As I approached my father hit off of the platform and went flying towards the funnel that I was riding. He dove right through it and cut me off. I flew forward and hit the hard slabs of sandstone. I turned around and my father was holding a large cylinder of sand. It was obviously what was left of a support column. He began to move his hands in a chopping motion, and small fragments of the stone shot at me at very high speeds. I ran to the side. The fragments hit the slabs and it cracked them and they crumbled. The noise was loud and convulsive. He ran out of sandstone to bend so he picked up a large boulder. It was hovering a few feet above him, while he prepared to launch it. I looked to my side and saw a wood support covered in sand. I hardened the sand and sent the wood flying at my father. He could not deflect it with bending and it hit him square in the chest. He lost control and the boulder he was going to launch at me fell, crushing him.
I got up and walked over to the boulder. A small stream of crimson blood flowed down into the sandy mess. I put my hand on the boulder and felt for a pulse. A tear rolled off my face. My father, Chief Ta-Min was dead.
I walked to the highest point of the rubble. I stood and looked over all of the destroyed tribe. I saw where I left Mina's body, where I left Tio, and looked back to see my fathers dead body.
"My father, Chief Ta-Min is Dead" I said trying to be as loud as I could
Several people of the Gobi tribe cheered. The People of the Hami tribe all had looks of disbelief and horror on their face.
Quan yelled "Traitor!"
Some of the Hami men dropped their weapons and some grasped them a little harder.
"Look, I know all of us have our differences but I can assure you, if we try, we can get over them and live together in harmony." My voice was trembling
"We can't keep fighting and killing each other. If we continue like this there will be no tribes left to fight for. The Gobi's, were wrong to steal our things. But we were wrong to kill their men. I know its about much more then that but to be honest it has always been situations like that. We are all at fault, and we all can forgive and move on. We all blame each other for our poor image, but the real reason our image is so poor is because we do things like this." I motioned to the disaster surrounding everyone.
"It will be difficult to rebuild but we will have each other. My father wasted so much life, time, and money on this war, and it for nothing. Lets all drop our weapons and go home. " I said as I walked down from the rubble.
Two men charged forward at me wielding spears. I was about to do something when a gust of sand hit them. I turned around and saw Tio. I walked over to him and I supported him. He had obviously broken his leg. I began to walk out towards the sailors. Everyone just stared at us as we walked by. As we got to the edge of the tribe a few men dropped their spears, or swords and followed us out. It took a while but almost everyone was on their way out in a few minutes. People were supporting the injured, and helping them walk. I stood their at the edge with Tio. Several men passed us by and hopped on sailors. Just about everyone was gone and then Chief Sha-Mo came up to me.
"Thank-You" He said wholeheartedly "You know you remind me of someone. You remind me of my daughter Mina"
I stood staring at him in disbelief. I then looked down towards the ground.
"Sir, your daughter she...she is dead"
"I know." He began to cry
"I'm sorry" I put my hand on his shoulder and then turned and walked away
I got on a sailor and we all headed back to the tribe.
It was a while before we got back. I don't think anyone said a word to anyone the whole time. When we got back I met with Master Won. I told him everything that happened, but I began to cry.
"It is okay Mein. It is okay to cry. You have been through so much." He said sincerely "I want you to know, I am proud of you. I am more proud of you then anything else."
"I killed my own father" I said shaking
"No. You may be his son but he was not your father." Won said
"Mein. You have done something that I thought was impossible. You brought peace to this desert." Master Won said
I stood up and bowed to him.
"Thank you" I said
I then walked away to my hut. I went inside and looked around. I went into my father's room. There was a chest on the side of the room. I went and opened it. I looked inside and saw a medium-sized, striped pot. With a small drawing of my mother tied on to it. I picked up the picture and turned it over. There was a note.
The Pot
Dear Mein, This pot was the pot I made and gave to your father when I first met him. We kept it when you were growing up. You used to play in it and get stuck. Nothing a little of your father's sand bending couldn't fix. But if you ever are having a hard time just look at this pot and remember the good times. The times of our family.
Love,
Your Mother
I walked out side with the pot and the drawing. I put the drawing in my pocket and set the pot down. I walked to the center of the tribe where most of the people were sitting.
"I know you are all wondering what's next. Well I don't know. I can't be your leader, nor do I think it's right that I would be." My head turned to Master Won.
"But I know someone who will do the job perfectly, and keep the peace."
I stepped down and walked over to Master Won.
"I think its time I stop calling you Master Won." I said "and start calling you Chief Won"
"Thank You Mein" He said
"I would be glad to serve you all as your chief" Won said "Unless of course there are any objections"
No one said a thing.
Quan stood up from the crowd.
"Chief Won, what would you like us to do?"
I walked away feeling hopeful.
I walked over to Tio who was sitting down in the rubble that used to be his hut.
"I'm leaving" I said
"Okay then leave I didn't ask you to come over here" He said
"No, I'm leaving the tribe, the desert"
"What? Why?"
"Everyone is confused about me, I served my purpose and now I must leave" I said
"Where will you go?" He said
"I'm going to head west. I want to start a new life, and where better to do that then the new cities in the United Republic" I said enthusiastically
"Good bye Tio" I said "I'm going to miss you"
Tio looked up at me his eyes watering
"Good bye Mein" He said and then covered his face
I walked back to the pot. I took the pot and bent a stream of sand into it until it was filled. I went back into my hut and grabbed some rope. I tied the pot to my back and set off to the front of tribe. I walked up to Chief Won.
"Chief Won, I'm leaving. I can't stay here after everything that has happened. There is nothing left for me here. All of my family is dead. I think its best for the tribe if I leave as well." I said looking down
"You will be missed Mein. You are brave and you are strong." He said "and you will continue to do great things wherever you go." He said
I bowed, but Chief Won didn't bow back. Instead he grabbed me and gave me a hug.
"Good Bye, Mein" He said
I walked out of the destroyed tribe. I turned around and looked at, for the last time the place I grew up in. Then I turned back around, with the pot on my back and just memories of this tribe. I then set off on my journey into the dessert and into the Sand Dunes.
The End
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