Categories > Cartoons > Avatar: The Last Airbender > Keepsake
Chapter IV
0 reviewsGenerations prior to Souzen's War, a teenage girl finds herself on her first assignment as the Avatar.
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Keepsake
Chapter IV
"Oh wow, we're already here." Tashi peered over Pema's side, astonished that the trip had passed so quickly. Snapping the reins, he guided the beast to the ground.
"Why are we stopping at Si Shen's temple?" Kyoshi looked over the side as she held the edge of the saddle.
"We don't know how much ground the raiders covered since Yeshe and I last saw them, so we're better off stopping here and scouting ahead. That way we won't overshoot," he explained as his mount slowed, her paws scraping heavily against the dry soil as she slid to a halt.
"It's so..." the Avatar dropped from Pema's side, studying the temple with an inexplicable nervousness.
"Dead," Tashi tapped the glider to the ground, allowing it to fan out. "Here; you explore the temple a bit, get a feel for it. I'm going to go scout ahead, see if the raiders are in sight."
"Right..." she nodded unsurely, disliking any "feel" that the temple might inspire.
"If anything gets out of hand, just hop on Pema and get out of here," he grinned, taking a running start with the glider.
"What about you?" she peered towards him.
"I'll be fine!" Tashi reassured her, leaping into the air as the wind pushed up against the glider, enabling him to slip through the sky.
Kyoshi nodded gently, turning her attention toward the temple.
The ground was nearly white, parched of any nutrients. Thin graves penetrated it, tiny inscriptions lining each as they reached to the sky. At the center stood a lavish shrine, a set of golden bars imprisoning a finely carved statue.
The statue itself was terrifying, possessing the body of a deer with dragon's scales beneath finely decorated cloth. Its head was that of a goat, staring serenely forward.
A cold shiver ran through her body, her heavy boot stepping back against the hard ground. The sound of Pema growling broke her concentration, turning quickly to observe that which had disturbed the creature. Her eyes went wide, her hands tracing down slowly toward her fans.
A wave of raiders rushed toward them, their small frames visible on the horizon as their cries and thunderous footsteps grew in volume.
Far ahead of the group was Tashi, a horrified expression filling his face as he glided toward them quickly. Dipping toward Kyoshi he spun the staff in his hand as he slid along the ground.
"Before you say or think anything, I think it's important we establish that this wasn't my fault," he motioned his thumb over his shoulder toward the impending villains.
"They were closer than you thought, I take it?" Her wrists moved quickly, the fans unfolding as she took her stance.
"Kind of, yeah." He turned, gripping his staff as he prepared. "Any ideas?"
"What do you mean?"
"You're the Avatar, didn't one of your past lives deal with something like this at some point?!"
"It's not like I can talk to them!" She protested, wishing this had been the first time she had found herself explaining the fact.
"Okay, fine then! So what do we do!?"
"I don't know...Guard the temple!"
"Right," he nodded, looking toward the ground before them. "Make a wall."
"What?"
"Make a wall to keep them back!"
Kyoshi nodded, her stance widening as she faced toward the incoming raiders. Taking a mighty step forward, she lashed her arm out to the side as a thick slab of earth rose from the ground like a mighty wave. Stepping to the opposite side she brought up another, moving quickly to widen it.
Tashi leapt to the top of the powerful barrier, rearing his staff back over his shoulder. Glaring towards a barrage of arrows, he whipped the staff out against the sky. A powerful blast of air tore through it, rendering the arrows little more than slivers of wood as they rained down harmlessly upon the ground.
A thin film of sweat covered Kyoshi's face, her teeth clenching as she moved quickly to surround the entire temple in one solid earthen wall. Her attention darted back periodically to the airbender, ensuring his safety as the defenses around the temple grew.
Pema growled loudly, leaping over it in a powerful bound. Turning, she slapped her tail heavily to the ground. A strong gust of wind took a small unit of raiders off their feet, launching them back. The powerful beast brought her tail up again, repeating the motion to deter the enemies.
Deflecting the approaching arrows, Tashi unleashed a low growl. Bringing his hand up to his shoulder he tore off his mantle, allowing it to flutter slowly to the ground. Beneath it was a dark sash with a large wooden bead clasping it, the symbol of the Air Nomads etched in deeply. Sweat fell to the earth beneath him as his arms whipped from side to side, wind tearing from his staff to meet the arrows above.
The Avatar breathed deeply, the two ends of the wall meeting with one another.
The front section of the wall began to crumble, the enemy ramming into it.
"Kyoshi!" Tashi yelled out, clenching his teeth as the warriors grew nearer. His knees bent, leaping into the air as he felt the wind wash over his body, pulling toward his staff sharply before he descended. He slammed the glider against the ground, a fierce spike of wind launching a mob of raiders away in a powerful blast.
The air bison turned rapidly, her limbs knocking villains away as her tail continued its barrage against the ground, knocking those within its path back.
Their leader grinned as he pushed through the small section of wall they had penetrated, recognizing the temple before him. His grip on his axe tightened, his eyes going wide with excitement.
"No no no!" The airbender glared as he lashed the glider out horizontally, driving back another wave of invaders. Leaping high, he turned to witness the lead raider rushing toward the shrine, cackling proudly. "No!"
Kyoshi rushed forward, her eyes going wide as she watched the conqueror bring the weapon over his shoulder.
The sound of shattering stone cut through the air.
Pema snorted loudly, shaking wildly from side to side in protest. Her body shivered with terror, growling as she lowered.
Tashi's jaw hung open, the glider slipping from his grip.
Terror gripped the Avatar's body.
The conqueror stepped back, trembling as he gazed upward.
Before them stood Si Shen, the spirit of death.
Chapter IV
"Oh wow, we're already here." Tashi peered over Pema's side, astonished that the trip had passed so quickly. Snapping the reins, he guided the beast to the ground.
"Why are we stopping at Si Shen's temple?" Kyoshi looked over the side as she held the edge of the saddle.
"We don't know how much ground the raiders covered since Yeshe and I last saw them, so we're better off stopping here and scouting ahead. That way we won't overshoot," he explained as his mount slowed, her paws scraping heavily against the dry soil as she slid to a halt.
"It's so..." the Avatar dropped from Pema's side, studying the temple with an inexplicable nervousness.
"Dead," Tashi tapped the glider to the ground, allowing it to fan out. "Here; you explore the temple a bit, get a feel for it. I'm going to go scout ahead, see if the raiders are in sight."
"Right..." she nodded unsurely, disliking any "feel" that the temple might inspire.
"If anything gets out of hand, just hop on Pema and get out of here," he grinned, taking a running start with the glider.
"What about you?" she peered towards him.
"I'll be fine!" Tashi reassured her, leaping into the air as the wind pushed up against the glider, enabling him to slip through the sky.
Kyoshi nodded gently, turning her attention toward the temple.
The ground was nearly white, parched of any nutrients. Thin graves penetrated it, tiny inscriptions lining each as they reached to the sky. At the center stood a lavish shrine, a set of golden bars imprisoning a finely carved statue.
The statue itself was terrifying, possessing the body of a deer with dragon's scales beneath finely decorated cloth. Its head was that of a goat, staring serenely forward.
A cold shiver ran through her body, her heavy boot stepping back against the hard ground. The sound of Pema growling broke her concentration, turning quickly to observe that which had disturbed the creature. Her eyes went wide, her hands tracing down slowly toward her fans.
A wave of raiders rushed toward them, their small frames visible on the horizon as their cries and thunderous footsteps grew in volume.
Far ahead of the group was Tashi, a horrified expression filling his face as he glided toward them quickly. Dipping toward Kyoshi he spun the staff in his hand as he slid along the ground.
"Before you say or think anything, I think it's important we establish that this wasn't my fault," he motioned his thumb over his shoulder toward the impending villains.
"They were closer than you thought, I take it?" Her wrists moved quickly, the fans unfolding as she took her stance.
"Kind of, yeah." He turned, gripping his staff as he prepared. "Any ideas?"
"What do you mean?"
"You're the Avatar, didn't one of your past lives deal with something like this at some point?!"
"It's not like I can talk to them!" She protested, wishing this had been the first time she had found herself explaining the fact.
"Okay, fine then! So what do we do!?"
"I don't know...Guard the temple!"
"Right," he nodded, looking toward the ground before them. "Make a wall."
"What?"
"Make a wall to keep them back!"
Kyoshi nodded, her stance widening as she faced toward the incoming raiders. Taking a mighty step forward, she lashed her arm out to the side as a thick slab of earth rose from the ground like a mighty wave. Stepping to the opposite side she brought up another, moving quickly to widen it.
Tashi leapt to the top of the powerful barrier, rearing his staff back over his shoulder. Glaring towards a barrage of arrows, he whipped the staff out against the sky. A powerful blast of air tore through it, rendering the arrows little more than slivers of wood as they rained down harmlessly upon the ground.
A thin film of sweat covered Kyoshi's face, her teeth clenching as she moved quickly to surround the entire temple in one solid earthen wall. Her attention darted back periodically to the airbender, ensuring his safety as the defenses around the temple grew.
Pema growled loudly, leaping over it in a powerful bound. Turning, she slapped her tail heavily to the ground. A strong gust of wind took a small unit of raiders off their feet, launching them back. The powerful beast brought her tail up again, repeating the motion to deter the enemies.
Deflecting the approaching arrows, Tashi unleashed a low growl. Bringing his hand up to his shoulder he tore off his mantle, allowing it to flutter slowly to the ground. Beneath it was a dark sash with a large wooden bead clasping it, the symbol of the Air Nomads etched in deeply. Sweat fell to the earth beneath him as his arms whipped from side to side, wind tearing from his staff to meet the arrows above.
The Avatar breathed deeply, the two ends of the wall meeting with one another.
The front section of the wall began to crumble, the enemy ramming into it.
"Kyoshi!" Tashi yelled out, clenching his teeth as the warriors grew nearer. His knees bent, leaping into the air as he felt the wind wash over his body, pulling toward his staff sharply before he descended. He slammed the glider against the ground, a fierce spike of wind launching a mob of raiders away in a powerful blast.
The air bison turned rapidly, her limbs knocking villains away as her tail continued its barrage against the ground, knocking those within its path back.
Their leader grinned as he pushed through the small section of wall they had penetrated, recognizing the temple before him. His grip on his axe tightened, his eyes going wide with excitement.
"No no no!" The airbender glared as he lashed the glider out horizontally, driving back another wave of invaders. Leaping high, he turned to witness the lead raider rushing toward the shrine, cackling proudly. "No!"
Kyoshi rushed forward, her eyes going wide as she watched the conqueror bring the weapon over his shoulder.
The sound of shattering stone cut through the air.
Pema snorted loudly, shaking wildly from side to side in protest. Her body shivered with terror, growling as she lowered.
Tashi's jaw hung open, the glider slipping from his grip.
Terror gripped the Avatar's body.
The conqueror stepped back, trembling as he gazed upward.
Before them stood Si Shen, the spirit of death.
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