Ninjago - Roots of Earth: Ep. 66/a: A Game of Cat and Mouse *** Boulders and rocks lay in enormous heaps at the walls, and the sides of the cavern were lined with rocky ledges and crevices, but the middle of the room was clear. Before the center was a huge boulder that stood high and mighty above all the others. An ancient, hollow tree trunk leaned against the side of the enormous rock, a perfect way for one to climb up if they wanted.
**** Many people dressed in animal skins stood facing the tall rock, both men and women, young and old, though there were no children. ***
What looked really strange about this gathering, though, was the fact that cats stood and sat among the people, clearly outnumbering them. Kai was astounded to see what looked like hundreds of cats gathered there; big cats, small cats, long-haired cats, short-haired cats, old cats, young cats, brown cats, orange cats, white cats, black cats, spotty cats, calico cats, tabby cats, tortoiseshell cats, cats, cats, CATS. The number was overwhelming. They flooded the floor, they sat on the boulders, they crawled up the rocks, they watched from the ledges, and they flicked their tails from the crevices.
1. This is going to be good! 2. Oooooohhh, very cool. 3. I wonder if there is a nursery? 4. AAAWWWWWWW!!!!!!!! I'm blinded by my love for cats, so I can't see them as threatening.
1. ^.^ 2. Thanks. 3. 4. Just you wait. It's about to get creepy.
Ninjago - Roots of Earth: Ep. 66/a: A Game of Cat and Mouse
“And I was there, when you grew restless Left in the dead of night And I was there, when three months later You were standing in the door all beat and tired And I stepped aside”
***
He pressed his ear against it and tried to hear if anyone was coming. Naturally someone suddenly opened the door, hitting the side of his head and sending him tumbling to the floor.
***
Neither man showed any sign that they heard him.
Still his captors were silent. They dragged him wordlessly down a shadowy, winding passage, lit by torches attached crudely to the walls.
***
What really disconcerted Kai, though, was the constant whispering he realized he could hear. Invisible eyes watched him from the dark tunnels and crevices, and he caught snatches of hushed mutterings and murmurs, but wherever he looked, he couldn’t see who was talking. For a second he thought it might have been the cats talking, but that was just ridiculous. Pull yourself together, man! he told himself. Keep a cool head and figure out what’s going on, and how to get out of here!
***
If Lloyd were in there, he probably would have sneezed himself to pieces.
1. Sinister. . . . 2. Funny! 3. Are they mute? 4. If only he knew! 5.
Nobody said anything about it; they just disappeared.
That's. Not. Right.
All those users. . . that fan art we loved to look at, those kids we hung out with, chatted with -- we even prayed for each other. . . they're all gone.
It isn't.
I still pray for all of you each night. The galleries closing doesn't have to stop that.
Ninjago - Roots of Earth: Ep. 66/a: A Game of Cat and Mouse
“And I was there, when you grew restless Left in the dead of night And I was there, when three months later You were standing in the door all beat and tired And I stepped aside”
Chapter 8: The Dark Sleep The first thing Kai was aware of was that he was lying on a icy, hard surface, and that he was cold. He blinked his eyes open blearily to find himself in a small, dark room. The only light came from a narrow shaft high, high above him, where faint, silver moonlight filtered down. He tried to move into a sitting position, but found that his hands were tied behind his back, leaving him lying uncomfortably on the stone floor. He shifted and realized that his whole body was sore, as if he had been dragged across the ground for miles. His head and face throbbed, and he licked his dry, chapped lips, where a small wound ached. The side of his chin nearby the wound was sticky and moist. With a low grunt, he forced himself into a sitting position, which made his head swim. Surveying his dark surroundings, he saw that the room was more like a cave; the rough, stone walls towered above to the narrow shaft, and the floor was uneven, sandy, and scattered with pebbles. An iron door stood off to one side of the circular-shaped room, which looked a bit odd in the bare, underground setting. “What happened?” He rasped out loud. For a minute he sat there, trying to regain his strength, then began scooting across the sand. His sore muscles protested, but he made his way achingly slow to the door and collapsed at its side. He pressed his ear against it and tried to hear if anyone was coming. Naturally someone suddenly opened the door, hitting the side of his head and sending him tumbling to the floor. “OW!” He exclaimed indignantly. Shaking his head in a feeble attempt to rid himself of the painful throbbing, he looked up and inspected the two men who came in. They both were barefoot and wore ragged animal skins, though one man’s torso was bare, showing off strong pectoral muscles. He had long brown, scraggly hair that fell to his shoulder blades, sharp cheek bones, and a hard-faced expression. The other fellow looked a few years younger than him, with wild, shorter blond hair, bright blue eyes, and what looked disturbingly like a horse’s tail braided into a belt around his waist, holding up a tunic-like covering for the legs. “Watch it, brick-heads!” Kai snapped, still feeling his head throb. Neither man showed any sign that they heard him. Instead, they silently grabbed him by the arms, forced him to his feet, and began dragging him out of the cave into a long, dark tunnel. “Hey!” Kai protested and wriggled in their iron-grips. “Let go of me! What’s going on?” Still his captors were silent. They dragged him wordlessly down a shadowy, winding passage, lit by torches attached crudely to the walls. Kai flexed his stiff fingers and tried to produce fire, but to his dismay, all he could produce were feeble sparks. He realized his body felt drained of energy, as if he were hungry or dehydrated. His captors—whoever they were—must have done something to him to prevent him from using his powers. As he was forced down the hall, he was aware of passing by other doorways and tunnels leading elsewhere into darkness. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw movement. He turned his head, and with a start realized that they were being followed by several cats. They seemed to have come out of nowhere, eerily watching the group and once in a while twitching their tails as they padded through the shadows. He couldn’t get a good look at them, but he thought it was really creepy how the felines followed soundlessly, eyes gleaming with malice. “Where are we going?” He demanded. Still no response. Further and further down they went, following the dark, winding passage. They took a few turns and side entrances, but other than that they traveled in a pretty straight direction. Only several minutes passed by, but to Kai it felt like hours. Waiting to see what would happen to him was tormenting, and the cats following them in the shadows weren’t helping ease the tension. There was a foreboding air of menace in the tunnels; it emanated from the people dragging him, the cats, and even the underground network itself. It felt as if there were an enemy hiding behind every doorway they passed by. What really disconcerted Kai, though, was the constant whispering he realized he could hear. Invisible eyes watched him from the dark tunnels and crevices, and he caught snatches of hushed mutterings and murmurs, but wherever he looked, he couldn’t see who was talking. For a second he thought it might have been the cats talking, but that was just ridiculous. Pull yourself together, man! he told himself. Keep a cool head and figure out what’s going on, and how to get out of here! Finally the two silent men lead him into a wide cavern, its ceiling stretching hundreds of yards above his head and disappearing into shadow. Many flickering torches lined the walls, giving the huge room a dark, fiery feel to it. Boulders and rocks lay in enormous heaps at the walls, and the sides of the cavern were lined with rocky ledges and crevices, but the middle of the room was clear. Before the center was a huge boulder that stood high and mighty above all the others. An ancient, hollow tree trunk leaned against the side of the enormous rock, a perfect way for one to climb up if they wanted. This cavern was far from empty. Many people dressed in animal skins stood facing the tall rock, both men and women, young and old, though there were no children. What looked really strange about this gathering, though, was the fact that cats stood and sat among the people, clearly outnumbering them. Kai was astounded to see what looked like hundreds of cats gathered there; big cats, small cats, long-haired cats, short-haired cats, old cats, young cats, brown cats, orange cats, white cats, black cats, spotty cats, calico cats, tabby cats, tortoiseshell cats, cats, cats, CATS. The number was overwhelming. They flooded the floor, they sat on the boulders, they crawled up the rocks, they watched from the ledges, and they flicked their tails from the crevices. If Lloyd were in there, he probably would have sneezed himself to pieces.
Kai, keeping a cool head? That'll be a first. This poor boy always end up in cult gatherings xD
1. This is going to be good! 2. Oooooohhh, very cool. 3. I wonder if there is a nursery? 4. AAAWWWWWWW!!!!!!!! I'm blinded by my love for cats, so I can't see them as threatening.
1. ^.^ 2. Thanks. 3. 4. Just you wait. It's about to get creepy.
Ninjago - Roots of Earth: Ep. 66/a: A Game of Cat and Mouse
“And I was there, when you grew restless Left in the dead of night And I was there, when three months later You were standing in the door all beat and tired And I stepped aside”
***
He pressed his ear against it and tried to hear if anyone was coming. Naturally someone suddenly opened the door, hitting the side of his head and sending him tumbling to the floor.
***
Neither man showed any sign that they heard him.
Still his captors were silent. They dragged him wordlessly down a shadowy, winding passage, lit by torches attached crudely to the walls.
***
What really disconcerted Kai, though, was the constant whispering he realized he could hear. Invisible eyes watched him from the dark tunnels and crevices, and he caught snatches of hushed mutterings and murmurs, but wherever he looked, he couldn’t see who was talking. For a second he thought it might have been the cats talking, but that was just ridiculous. Pull yourself together, man! he told himself. Keep a cool head and figure out what’s going on, and how to get out of here!
***
If Lloyd were in there, he probably would have sneezed himself to pieces.
1. Sinister. . . . 2. Funny! 3. Are they mute? 4. If only he knew! 5.
(In general) Thank you! 1. Rather so, yes. . . 3. Nah, just not the talkative type. 4. hehehehehehehehe
All those users. . . that fan art we loved to look at, those kids we hung out with, chatted with -- we even prayed for each other. . . they're all gone.
It isn't.
I still pray for all of you each night. The galleries closing doesn't have to stop that.
I still do, too. There are just some things and people that I will never let go.
* * * What really disconcerted Kai, though, was the constant whispering he realized he could hear. Invisible eyes watched him from the dark tunnels and crevices, and he caught snatches of hushed mutterings and murmurs, but wherever he looked, he couldn’t see who was talking. For a second he thought it might have been the cats talking, but that was just ridiculous. Pull yourself together, man! he told himself. Keep a cool head and figure out what’s going on, and how to get out of here! Finally the two silent men lead him into a wide cavern, its ceiling stretching hundreds of yards above his head and disappearing into shadow. Many flickering torches lined the walls, giving the huge room a dark, fiery feel to it. Boulders and rocks lay in enormous heaps at the walls, and the sides of the cavern were lined with rocky ledges and crevices, but the middle of the room was clear. Before the center was a huge boulder that stood high and mighty above all the others. An ancient, hollow tree trunk leaned against the side of the enormous rock, a perfect way for one to climb up if they wanted. This cavern was far from empty. Many people dressed in animal skins stood facing the tall rock, both men and women, young and old, though there were no children. What looked really strange about this gathering, though, was the fact that cats stood and sat among the people, clearly outnumbering them. Kai was astounded to see what looked like hundreds of cats gathered there; big cats, small cats, long-haired cats, short-haired cats, old cats, young cats, brown cats, orange cats, white cats, black cats, spotty cats, calico cats, tabby cats, tortoiseshell cats, cats, cats, CATS. The number was overwhelming. They flooded the floor, they sat on the boulders, they crawled up the rocks, they watched from the ledges, and they flicked their tails from the crevices. If Lloyd were in there, he probably would have sneezed himself to pieces.
Kai, keeping a cool head? That'll be a first. This poor boy always end up in cult gatherings xD
Being kidnapped by cats is also a first. *gasp* You're riiiggghhhht!! What is with that?! Poor Kai.
![[derp]](http://storage.proboards.com/6672327/images/YqNTPqyQUocVMYXZgUAI.png)
![[lenny]](http://storage.proboards.com/6672327/images/7elNEqtPK2hcSAiIMFNh.png)
![[uni]](http://storage.proboards.com/6672327/images/mPKcREJAtrpeAXSOgaOH.png)
![[vel]](http://storage.proboards.com/6672327/images/cyXKurnjCGgIOKlavpXP.png)
Poor Kai. 
