Sins of the Father

Part 1: Noatak's Sickness

"Wake up, Noatak! Today's the day!"

Noatak sat up and yawned. Next to him was his little brother Tarrlock looking more excited than he had ever seen him.

"You're only coming to help Dad with the fish," said Noatak. "I don't think that you should ne this excited."

"I know, but I am always so sad when you and Dad go without me. Now I can go too."

"Well, we better get dressed and have breakfast first."

They did exactly that and their mother kissed them both. Their father was waiting outside with the boxes of fish.

"Okay. Each of you take two boxes and follow me."

Their father was a cold man. He kept to himself and did not say much, but it was still obvious that he cared for his family.

Noatak and Tarrlock each picked up two boxes. Their father made a living by selling fish at the market. Noatak could see that Tarrlock was struggling with the two boxes.

"Don't worry," he said. "I'll take one of them." Tarrlock was grateful for that. Despite being twice as enuthusiastic as his brother, Tarrlock was still only half his brother's age.

The extra box slowed Noatak down, but he did not mind. His brother was happy and that was what really mattered to him.

The market was not far away, but it took longer than necessary because they kept meeting people who knew their father and wanted to say hello. Despite keeping to himself most of the time, their father was liked by the locals.

Most of them would ignore the two boys, but one old woman looked at Noatak and said, "You certainly seem like your father in everything except appearance. I bet you will be just like him when you grow up." She was not the first person to tell him that. Multiple people had told him how much he reminds them of his father, including his mother. Although he never showed it, he hated the idea of being like his father. He loved his father, but his father was not a man whom people respected. The locals liked him well enough, but the people in higher positions would mock him, especially the benders since he was not one himself. Noatak did not want to grow up to live a life like that. He did not think he would though because of the sickness he suffered from which his father never had.

Eventually, they reached the market and their father started setting things up and telling the boys what to do. When they had finished he was expecting customers to start coming, but instead Noa came over with his three children.

Noa was the leader of the police force of the Northern Water. He was known as the Masuku and was supposed to be a protector of the people. Instead, Noa liked to show others that he was above them, especially nonbenders like Noatak's father. He was a skilled bender since childhood and he never let anyone forget it.

"Good morning," he said.

Noatak could see the anger in his father's eyes, but all he said was, "Good morning," in the most polite tone he could fake.

One of Noa's children then saw Noatak and Tarrlock and said, "Look, Dad. Noatak is here. And he brought his brother. Can we go play?"

"Of course," said Noa, knowing fully knowing what his daughter meant by "play".

"Should I go too?" asked the youngest. Noatak often forgot about him because he rarely said anything and when he did it was always quiet.

"I don't care. Just don't get lost or your mother will be crying all month."

Knowing he had no choice, Noatak followed Noa's children and Tarrlock followed him to where people could not see them.

Kanna and Malina were twin sisters of the same age as Noatak. They were just like their father in personality and the fact that they were great waterbenders. Their brother Haru was completely differant. He was more like their mother, a nonbender from the Earth Kingdom whom Noa had met while in Republic City. Haru's skin was light enough to pass for a citizen of the Earth Kingdom and he was a nonbender. It was common knowledge that Noa despised his son.

The twins looked at Tarrlock and said, "So, you're Noatak's brother?"

Tarrlock was visibly scared. He nodded.

"Do you know who we are?"

Tarrlock shook his head.

"Oh. Well, we know you're brother very well. We often play with him over here. He never resists and I hope you are the same."

Noatak stepped between them. "No! He's just a little kid. Just leave him."

They looked at him for a second before one of them said, "Fine. We're in a good mood so we won't do anything to your brother, but we'll have to do twice as much to you."

Then they started playing. It was the usual stuff. They would knock him around with snow and hit him with water.

"Stop it!" yelled Tarrlock, but Kanna and Malina just laughed at him.

"We'll stop if you can make us," said one of them.

"Just leave it, Tarrlock," said Noatak. "We can't do anything."

"No!" he shouted. He then began to wave his arms around in a way that Noatak recognised and it made him sick.

Tarrlock bended some snow at Malina. She turned around and stared at him.

"That little brat just threw some snow at you, sis," sais Kanna. "He clearly doesn't know who we are."

Malina started to walk towards him slowly. "Well, our father is a great waterbender. Some people say that he's better than that Katara woman. We are even better than he was at our age. I am going to prove it to you."

Without thinking, Noatak bended some snow at her. At least he meant only bend some. He ended up bending a lot. Malina was then stuck face down in a mound of snow.

Kann just stared at her sister in amazement at what just happened. Noatak then bended some water out of the snow and used it to trip Kanna so so she was also lying on the ground.

That was when the sick feeling in his stomach began, but it did not matter right now. He turned to Tarrlock. "Let's go!" he said, but when he turned around their father and Noa were already there. They had heard Kanna scream and came running.

Noa looked furious. Noatak was expecting that, but the look on his father's face surprised him. Rather than being angry, he had a smirk. At first Noatak thought it was pride. That would have made sense since it was common for parents to feel proud when finding out that their child is a bender. This was something differant though. When Noatak looked in his father's eyes, rather than seeing pride, he saw something much darker.