The First Deathbender (Deathbender Book 1)

Chapter 2

"That was amazing!" Katara said when we landed in her village. "Thanks!" I said. "I like to train Maya to do tricks like that."

Little kids swarmed around us. "Cool! Are you air benders?" They asked. Me and Aang both nodded and laughed.

Katara slid off Maya and Sokka jumped off Appa. Katara walked up the the people in her village and said, "These are the last two air benders. Aang and Kila. Aang and Kila, Village, Village, Aang and Kila."

We waved, but no one waved back. "Sorry," Katara said. "They've never seen any air benders before." Me and Aang smile warmly. Aang started to play with the kids as I followed Katara back to the water.

"So, your the only water bender here." I said. "It looks like me and Aang are the only air benders left. How did this happen? The war, and us being frozen for a hundred years?"

"The fire nation." Katara said. "They killed all the air benders in the beginning of the war. Then they gained more and more power, slowly taking over all other nations. They killed my mom."

"Was she a bender?" I asked.

"No." Katara said. "She said she was to protect me. They killed her."

I sat there in silence. Saying I was sorry just sounded pathetic. It never helped anyway. Instead I said, "Katara? I have to tell you something."

She looked up at me. "Aang will probably kill me when he finds out I've told you, but," I paused, unsure if I really wanted to tell her. "He's the Avatar." I whispered.

"What?" She said excitedly. "We have to tell everyone!"

"No!" I said. "That would be dangerous. They would kill Aang. The fire nation, I mean. Besides, Aang never wanted to be the Avatar."

"Why not?" She asked.

"Because then his old friends wouldn't let him play with them, since they saw it as unfair because he was the Avatar. But there's more. There's a second. A mistake. Someone who was never suppose to be born." I told her, looking away.

"Who?" She whispered.

"Me." I said, tears forming in my eyes. "They tried to kill me before I was born. That didn't work. They tried separating us at birth, but no one else would take me. When we were told, they tried to get me to kill myself so Aang could truly be the Avatar. I refused.

"They could have killed me so many times, tried to kill me so many times, eventually everyone started calling me 'The Mistake'. That's why I left with Aang. Aang was leaving because he didn't want to be the Avatar. I went with him, partially because he was my brother, but mostly because I couldn't stand everyone calling me a mistake, even though it was true."

We sat in silence for a few minutes. "You know," I said at last. "They have water benders in the Northern water nation. I bet if you came with us, we could find someone to teach you."

"I don't know. I've never left home before." She said.

"Kila's right, we could take you." Aang said, popping up behind us.

"Aang, I told her." I said. "About us. About why we left and what we are. I'm sorry, but I had to tell someone, and she's the only person other then you I trust."

"I know." He said. "I heard. I'm glad someone else knows, though." There he was again, being kind. I smiled and hugged him.

"So, you said you wanted to go penguin sledding?" Katara asked. Aang nodded, exited.

"Let's go then!"