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Oct 19, 2021 16:14:12 GMT
Post by LordTigress on Oct 19, 2021 16:14:12 GMT
Kai jumped when Tinny Bird seemingly came out of nowhere beside him. “They found you out?” His voice was sharp.
“Good to see you, too, Bird,” Garagan retorted. “Sorta—I overheard that they were gettin’ wind of a spy infiltrating the castle and knew it wouldn’t be long before their own spies traced me. I meant to be back here by dawn, but,” he gestured to his ragged state, “got stuck in traffic, you could say.”
Tinny Bird strode up to him and shook his hand before clapping another hand on his arm. “Glad to see you still breathing, then,” he said solemnly.
Kai leaned over to Jukeni, who was still standing beside him. “Who’s this guy?”
“Garagan? Double-agent. He’s been helping out the rebellion for a couple years now. A spy in Lord Hälogen’s castle. He’s a Pingouser.” Jukeni wore a sullen expression that didn’t escape Kai’s notice.
He lowered his voice. “Don’t you trust him?”
“I don’t trust any Pingouser,” Jukeni muttered.
“All right, everyone, that’s enough gawking!” Bird called out to the increasing bystanders in the courtyard. “Let our old friend get some rest. Come.” He gestured to one of the main buildings of the castle, one that overlooked the overgrown garden. “You can sit down, someone will take your horse, and we can probably get the womenfolk to cook something up for you.”
“Very much appreciated, boss.” Garagan started following Bird to the tower when he saw Kai. He paused. “Gettin’ more recruits?”
Bird paused and looked at Kai. “Just him. Helped us out with a cargo ship the other day.”
“Hm.” Garagan grunted. “They get younger every month.”
Kai scowled. Before he could bluster a retort, though, the men were already on their way to the building. The small crowd was dispersing and Kaeden joined them again.
“Charming guy,” Kai commented.
Kaeden’s gaze flickered over to Jukeni. “Jukeni, you’re not letting your bad attitude rub off on Kai, are you?”
“So what if I am? You gotta be careful who you trust in a war,” Jukeni huffed.
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Oct 20, 2021 11:40:28 GMT
Post by LordTigress on Oct 20, 2021 11:40:28 GMT
Kaeden met Kai’s gaze and gave a little shake of his head. Kai felt it was more prudent to trust Kaeden on this, but he couldn’t help but bristle at the word “Pingous”. It’d been too soon since he watched those soldiers yank Nama and little Beenthina out of their beds and threaten them with their spears.
Still, something about Garagan caught his interest. “What’s he been doing in Hälogen’s castle?”
Kaeden glanced at Jukeni’s sullen expression. “His main purpose was to map out the interior—from barracks to secret passages—but we’ve heard word that he’s also spent some time eyeing the high officers and advisors of Lord Hälogen and keeping track of their armies. It’s difficult to get far into military secrets without getting caught, though, so it’s been a long process for him.” He frowned at the door Tinny Bird and Garagan disappeared behind. “Looks like he ran into trouble. He wasn’t supposed to come back for another couple of weeks.”
“So that’s what ‘fortnight’ means,” Kai muttered to himself.
“What?”
“Nothing.” Kai glanced around them. “Listen—you two were telling me about the kind of powers Hälogen has, back on the farm. One of you mentioned something about some ball or orb that has something to do with other realms. Can you tell me anymore about that?”
Jukeni gave him a blank look. “Why do you want to know about that?”
A sharp intake of breath had Kai and Jukeni looking at Kaeden. “You think there might be a way he can get you back to Ninjago.”
“What!” Jukeni looked over his shoulder and lowered his voice. “Kai—bad, bad idea. Even if, by some miracle, Hälogen could actually get you back to your world, he wouldn’t help you! You can’t trust him to do it, even by threat or bribery. The guy is a murderer!”
Kai crossed his arms. “I don’t care. My friends could be in danger. I’ll risk anything to get back to them. Besides, I think I can handle one potion-maker.”
“Uh-huh, and can you handle all the soldiers and guards and assassins along the way?” Jukeni retorted dryly. “Have fun with that.”
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Oct 21, 2021 15:33:35 GMT
Post by LordTigress on Oct 21, 2021 15:33:35 GMT
Kai blustered, “If I can take down an entire war balloon by myself, then I could sneak into that castle and make Hälogen send me back to Ninjago with one hand tied behind my back—!”
“If you’re that serious on getting to Hälogen,” Kaeden interjected quietly, “then perhaps you should take it up to Tinny Bird. You did him a great service by bringing down the war balloon and we’re all indebted to you. You’ll need backup getting into the castle, and he’s your best chance at providing it.”
Kai hesitated. “Would he even believe me if I told him I’m from another realm?”
“Probably not.” The dog-man shrugged his hairy shoulders. “You can skip a few details.”
Kai turned and let his gaze settle upon the door of the main house. “I’ll wait for him and Garagan to finish up. I don’t care how long it takes.”
* * *
“This is taking too long!” Kai groaned twenty minutes later.
“Garagan’s had a long journey and needs to rest, then to make his report to Tinny Bird,” Kaeden soothed. “Be patient. You just have to wait.”
“He probably thinks waiting’s beneath him,” Jukeni chuckled teasingly. He was sitting beneath the tree eating some kind of crunchy snack that resembled chocolate-brown potato chips. “Star Guards forbid if Kai the Fire Mage has to wait!”
Kai scoffed. “Whatever. I’m not waiting any longer.” He started toward the main house.
Kaeden’s ears twitched. “That’s not a good idea, Kai. You should wait for them to—”
“Hey, this is serious! I need to get back to Ninjago, and you guys need to win a war! We don’t have time to wait around!” Before Kaeden or Jukeni could stop him, Kai strode up to the door and—without knocking—walked in.
He found himself in a cool, dimly-lit room of stone. It was spacious with only a few pieces of rickety furniture decorating the otherwise bare chamber. A single narrow slot in the wall allowed in a slit of sunlight. On the opposite wall sat a chipped mantle where a small fire blazed. Tinny Bird and Garagan sat by it upon a couple of stools. Garagan was drinking bonig stew out of a bowl while Bird was saying something in a low voice. Both men stiffened and glared at Kai when he strode in.
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Post by LordTigress on Oct 22, 2021 3:53:29 GMT
“What is it?” Tinny Bird scowled. “This had better be important.”
Kai decided to dive right into it. “You guys want to invade Hälogen’s castle, right? You don’t have enough men to fight through all his armies, so you’ve gotta strike right to the heart. I bet that’s why you’ve got spies like this guy scouting the place. So you can find out how to get your army in.”
There was a long, cold silence. Tinny Bird’s jaw clenched while Garagan inspected Kai with obvious disdain. “Huh! You lettin’ baby-faced recruits walk in and tell your plans to you now, boss?”
Bird ignored him. His voice was cold. “How clever of you, Kai, to see the obvious. Now get out of here. If you were one of my men, I would have you on kitchen duty for a month for bursting in for no reason.”
“But it’s not for no reason,” Kai snapped. “I can help you guys get into his castle.”
Garagan’s gaze whipped back and forth between Kai and Tinny Bird. “Why’re you lettin’ the rookie talk like he owns the place? Ha, and you call me insolent!”
Bird sighed. He scowled at Kai for a moment before saying with a wave of his hand, “Show him your fire.”
Feeling a smile twitch at his mouth, Kai raised his fist and summoned a plume of flames. Garagan jolted up in his seat and stared slack-jawed.
“He’s a mage. He single-handedly took down an entire war balloon the other day,” Bird said, grizzled face impassive. “He has magical abilities I’ve never seen before. He can fly and knock out opponents without even touching them.”
Wait ‘till you see my dragon. Kai kept the thought to himself.
Garagan still looked at Kai with undisguised disdain. “Brilliant. So we’ got here an arrogant mage with a head as big as his mouth.”
“Takes one to know one,” Kai retorted.
“Oi!” Bird snapped. “That’s enough! Kai, if you want in on the rebellion, you’ve got to learn to work with other people. We appreciate what you did with the war balloon, but problems aren’t always solved by a one-man show. It takes teamwork.”
“I know all about team—!” Kai stopped himself.
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Oct 22, 2021 11:50:02 GMT
Post by LordTigress on Oct 22, 2021 11:50:02 GMT
Of course he knew about teamwork. It was just that his team wasn’t with him anymore. He was alone and had to fend for himself.
He took a breath and tried again. “Sorry,” he muttered. “Just— I can help. I know I can. I can help you get into Lord Hälogen’s castle.”
Tinny Bird’s gaze bored into him for a minute. Kai held his gaze. At length the short man muttered, “Well—something should be said for enthusiasm.” He shifted in his seat and spoke slowly. “Truth is, son, that we probably need you at this point… our forces aren’t as strong as I’d like, and the Pingousers are still picking us off. If we can take down the lead generals—or even Lord Hälogen himself—I think it could make an enormous difference in this war. Your fire magic could really help us.”
Garagan looked incredulously at Bird. “He’s practically a child!”
Bird’s impassive gaze turned to him. “He’s powerful and knows how to fight. He may be young, but it’s rather obvious he’s a warrior.”
“Ninja,” Kai corrected under his breath.
Garagan sniffed, “All that is wasted if he can’t follow orders.”
“True.” The dark look was back on Kai again. “Right, son—if you’re with us, you’re going to have to do everything I tell you. You’ll be one of us now—a soldier fighting for the rebellion. I must warn you, however. There is no turning back from this. If you join us, the Pingousers will make it their priority to take you out. If the rebellion falls apart, you may end up being pursued by their assassins all over the Western Isles. Are you prepared for that?”
Kai didn’t hesitate. “Believe me, I’m prepared.” He crossed his arms. “Bring it on.”
“You do realize,” Bird said as he narrowed his eyes. “That it also involves you obeying everything I tell you to. If you join my soldiers, I’m going to treat you like one of my soldiers, and you’re going to be thankful for it. You do everything I tell you to, on or off the battlefield. No exceptions. Do I have your word?”
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Oct 23, 2021 16:09:18 GMT
Post by LordTigress on Oct 23, 2021 16:09:18 GMT
Kai clenched his jaw. The rebellious fire in him wanted to refuse, saying that he could take care of himself. He didn’t want to take orders from the grumpy midget. However—lives were at stake. He had to get back to Ninjago, whatever the cost… even if it meant being bossed around a little.
“Fine,” he said.
Tinny Bird stood from his chair and approached Kai with startling speed. He held up his one hand. “I have your word?”
Kai sighed. “Yes, you have my word.” He shook Bird’s hand in the sideways Pawreles fashion.
“Good.” Bird smirked, placing his hook hand upon his hip. “I think you and Garagan will work well together.”
Garagan shot up from his stool. “What?”
“What!” Kai yelped.
“If your stealth skills are what you say they are, then you can help Garagan open the way for us from inside Hälogen’s castle. He knows all the ways, public and private, in and out of the place. And you’ve got magic fire and that Spinjitzu to help the two of you out if you get into a scrape.” He gestured to both of them with his hook, not stopping the little smile showing through his beard. “You’ll probably end up making a great team.”
Garagan and Kai both stared at Tinny Bird before furiously glaring at one another. Garagan muttered, “Didn’t think I was applyin’ for a babysitting job.”
“Didn’t think I’d have to look after senior citizens,” Kai shot back.
Bird chuckled grimly to himself. “Ohh, this should be fun.”
* * *
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Oct 24, 2021 15:31:46 GMT
Post by LordTigress on Oct 24, 2021 15:31:46 GMT
Chapter 96: The Dark Sleep Strikes Back
Eagle Talon tried to hide his limp, but he couldn’t help but wince every so often. Running and fighting barefoot in his human form in the warehouse had hurt his feet; the rough metal floors had not been kind. He wished human bodies had rough pads beneath their feet like cats did. I guess that’s why they always wear shoes, he noted wryly.
Cole didn’t say anything, but offered his shoulder to Talon. He accepted it gratefully. The two of them hobbled past the police officers—the blue-clothed humans were giving Talon suspicious looks—and out of the warehouse, along with the rest of the ninja team.
“Are you hurt?”
Talon realized that Mr. Brookstone—no… his father had been hovering close by and was now staring at him anxiously. He’s worried that I might be wounded, he realized. The thought felt so bizarre, out of place.
“I’ll be fine,” Talon responded. “Just my feet. Not used to running around as a human.”
“As a—” Lou looked confused for a moment, then gasped, “Oh! Right, right… of course, yes.” He looked uncomfortable.
Cole voiced a small grunt. Talon swiveled his head to see his brother was gritting his teeth. “What’s the matter?”
“Nothing.” The hand not supporting Talon reached up for the straps holding his leather breastplate together and wriggled at them—he was trying to loosen it.
“Your shoulder,” Talon realized. “The one I—” He stopped himself.
“The one that was bitten, yeah,” Cole muttered. “It’s just chafing a little.”
“Take a break, son. I’ll help your brother.” Before he knew what was happening, Lou had taken Talon’s arm and wrapped it over his own shoulder, so that he supported Talon’s weight. Cole gave a small sigh of relief and flexed his arm slowly, then started loosening the straps of the breastplate.
Eagle Talon wasn’t sure what to feel about being in such physical proximity with his father. Of course, they had hugged just minutes before, but still. He had only just met him. “Where are we going?”
“To the Bounty,” Lou responded. “I’m sure Wu or Misako will have something to fix up your feet.”
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Oct 24, 2021 18:19:04 GMT
Post by LordTigress on Oct 24, 2021 18:19:04 GMT
Before Talon could say that shifting into his feline body and washing his feet himself would probably be fine, they were approaching the loose crowd of villagers and miners chattering excitedly amongst themselves. One of the miners approached them. “Ninja!” he cried, wearing a broad smile. “Thank you so much! You’ve freed us!”
“All part of the job, Shiro,” Cole replied with a tired but satisfied look. He waved at the other miners and villagers who were shouting their thanks. “We’re glad to help. You guys were awesome in there.”
Shiro approached Cole and shook his hand heartily. “All thanks to you still, for encouraging me! I thought I would have to go on living under the oppression of those cats, and watch my children become slaves for them, too. But now,” he gestured to the people, “we’re free!”
“Our pleasure.” Lloyd came out of nowhere, seemingly. He must have finished up talking to the leader of the police. Misako followed her son closely. Jay, Nya, and Liana were trailing behind—Nya was still leaning on Jay, looking as if she were suppressing some grimaces of her own. Glad I’m not the only one hobbling around like an invalid, Talon thought thankfully.
“But look—if the Moon Tribe warriors ever try to bother you again,” Lloyd was saying to Shiro, “you’ll give us a call, right? These cats are dangerous.”
“Don’t worry, Green Ninja.” Now the leader of the police had joined them. Talon stared at the way his bushy gray face-fur bounced as he spoke. “I’ll station some of my men here for the time being, and we’ll get some telephone poles and computers up and running soon. We’re not going to lose any more villages.”
“Thank you, Commissioner.” Lloyd nodded at him. He cast a look at all the police cars and military vans. “Will your men be able to handle all the prisoners?”
“Of course they will. Master Wu and Mrs. Garmadon gave us the scoop on these creatures,” the Commissioner rumbled. “We’ve got handcuffs, muzzles, thick leashes, cages, blindfolds, shock collars, tranquilizers—even a few cattle prods, in case the bigger ones get rowdy.”
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Post by LordTigress on Oct 25, 2021 0:42:00 GMT
Eagle Talon allowed himself to look back at the open doors of the warehouse. The coil of dread returned to his stomach; his tribe-mates were being shoved, carried, and tossed into the big vans roughly. Huge nekomata growled and screamed through their muzzles. Groups of men tugged them along on thick leashes. Smaller bakeneko were shoved into metal cages; some caterwauled and hatefully clawed at their captors from the bars while others merely curled down into a corner and stayed there. The flashing red and blue lights from the police cars made the scene look like it came from some one of Talon’s nightmares, where everything felt distorted and feverish.
He recognized some of the cats out there: Alder Wing. Razor Blossom. Wolf Paw. Even in his human form, he could smell blood, anger, and fear. Mostly fear. Moon Tribe cats had never been captured by humans before. Only destroyed. What would the humans do with them?
He half-expected that voice to come back—the one that would chant Traitor, traitor in his head for hours on end. He had betrayed his tribe and given them over to the humans.
Yet… the voice did not come. Despite the sick feeling in his stomach, there was also a strange sensation of… peace, or— not really peace, no… acceptance, perhaps. As if his conscience had finally decided that siding with the ninja was the best way for his soul to find peace. His heart went out to his tribe-mates, but he knew who he was fighting for now.
Lou helped Eagle Talon to the Destiny’s Bounty, which had been parked in the middle of the clearing where the mining activity would take place during the day. Cole followed them closely along with Lloyd and Misako, who were finally getting past the crowd of people shouting their thanks. Jay, Nya, and Liana, Talon noticed, had slowed their pace so that they wouldn’t get too close to them.
Talon gave a pained grunt as his father helped him sit down on the deck. Lou grimaced when he saw Talon’s blistered feet.
“Misako, do you have anything we can put on Talon’s feet?” Cole asked. He was rubbing the area where his shoulder and collar bone met. Talon caught a glimpse of the soiled bandages.
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Post by LordTigress on Oct 25, 2021 3:07:17 GMT
Misako cast Eagle Talon an uncertain look. “I’m sure we have something.”
“I can just shift into my cat body and—” Too late. She was already heading below deck. Talon slumped.
“Well,” Nya grunted as Jay helped her sit down, away from Talon. “Compared to everything else, I’d say that this was a pretty successful mission.”
“And we actually caught some of the bad guys this time, too! That’s a first,” Jay quipped wryly.
“Zane’s lead actually helped out a lot,” Liana added thoughtfully. “We found out that the Moon Tribe is capturing villages—if they’ve gone after ones other than Oxstone—and we found out where they get their clearstone for their weapons.”
Lloyd chimed in. “Not to mention that they’ve have been developing war-cycles. Lots of them.”
“War-cycles?” Jay echoed flatly. “Is that what we’re calling them?”
“Yeah, what the heck do they need war motorcycles for, anyway?” Cole crossed his arms. “I thought they were just going to overrun Yōkaiville and the surrounding populated areas, for extra hunting territory. Those are tiny places—do they really need war machines for that?”
Jay interjected with, “Am I the only one kind of freaking out that the cats have evolved enough to build their own freaking armored motorcycles here? Because, uh, last I checked, that’s not normal cat behavior.”
Cole barked a laugh. “Just another day in Ninjago.”
Misako returned with a jar of something white, creamy, and smelly. Talon grimaced yet followed her instructions and smeared some of the stuff on his feet. To his surprise, the stinging blisters soon began to feel better. He sat with his legs out and heels up, almost like an idle child.
In that time, Zane and Wu had finally joined the rest of the team. Wu informed them that Zane’s uncle had been taken to the Ninjago City hospital under police protection; he hadn’t appeared to be injured, but the police wanted him under medical care in case there had been some internal damage. Zane wore a sober expression and didn’t seem particularly keen on joining in his friends’ chatter.
“What now?” Liana asked, clipping her nunchucks back onto her belt.
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Post by LordTigress on Oct 26, 2021 3:29:53 GMT
Lloyd’s eyebrows scrunched as he thought out loud. “Thanks to this discovery, we now know that the Moon Tribe’s been using slave labor for a long time now—”
“It’s crazy how they were able to do that right under our noses,” Nya commented.
“That and more, water-lily,” Talon muttered.
Nya cast him a cold, haughty look while Lloyd ignored them both. “—and they’ve got war motorbikes, so we’ll have to be prepared for a large army… that and the fact that we still don’t know where the last moonstone is, we’ve got our hands full.”
Liana pulled out her necklace from the folds of her gi and started playing with it. “It’ll just stress us out if we try to figure out where the moonstone is. What we really need to do is find out what the Moon Tribe’s next step is and how we can stop them.”
“It will not be enough to simply foil their next plot,” Wu interjected warningly, leaning on his staff. “To keep the weed from blossoming, you must nip it in the bud. Hit the heart of the Moon Tribe, confront Black Blood, destroy their sacred moonstone, and end this war once and for all. That is where the rest of the army will be hiding.”
Uneasily, Eagle Talon cleared his throat. “Uhh… actually, hitting the hideout is probably not the best idea at the moment.”
Jay rolled his eyes and scoffed. “Predictable. You just want to protect your tribe.”
“It’s not that!” Talon stood—forgetting the bottoms of his blistered feet were smeared with lotion. He yelped and grabbed onto the rail, nearly slipping. “You don’t understand—Black Blood is sending our army to attack Ninjago City! Soon!”
The humans all stared at him—even Little Leaf. “Wait—I thought they were just going to take over their old lands,” Lloyd stammered.
“That was the original plan. But she changed her mind. She’s angrier now.” Talon spoke quickly. He wanted to shove the words out of his mouth as soon as he could. “She wants to show the world how powerful the tribe is. So she’s going to send a huge army to attack Ninjago City and take down as many humans as possible. And—” He hesitated. “Wolves. She’s going to ally the tribe with wolves, and use them in the attack.”
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Oct 26, 2021 20:53:59 GMT
Post by LordTigress on Oct 26, 2021 20:53:59 GMT
A stiff silence followed his words. “When will the attack take place?” Cole asked quietly.
“The day after tomorrow. And tomorrow’s nearly here, judging by the sky.” Talon glanced up briefly at the darkness slowly drifting away by the weak light of dawn.
Most of the members of the ninja team shared horrified looks with one another. Jay, however, burst out a spout of sarcastic laughter. “Ha! Yeah, right—cats working with wolves to attack Ninjago City. Sounds like something from one of Kai’s fangirls’ trashy fan-fictions.”
“He just wants to distract us from fighting the Moon Tribe,” Nya muttered.
“No, it’s true!” Talon snapped. He could feel his face burning. “On my ancestors, I swear it! If you don’t believe me, then— then—” he blustered, “then one of you can look into my mind and see if I’m telling the truth! Cole told me Matilda’s been teaching you.”
Jay and Nya each gave Cole accusatory glares. He glared back, undaunted. He started to speak, but Liana interjected gruffly. “Fine. I’ll do it.”
When silence followed, she shrugged. “I’m the best one at mind-bending, besides Matilda, and she’s not here to do it.”
Talon felt a stab of guilt, but didn’t have time to let it fester. Liana approached him. Scowling, she found him and laid a hand upon his forehead. He wrinkled his nose against the stench of sweat and blood that came from her.
“This won’t hurt, will it?” Mr. Brookstone piped up, looking anxiously at Eagle Talon.
“No, Dad, it won’t hurt him.” Cole’s voice came out sharp. “Just give her a moment.”
Liana muttered softly beneath her breath, but Talon heard her just the same. “I wish it would.”
A prickling sensation along his scalp made him stiffen. He waited as patiently as he could, standing at an awkward angle while leaning against the rail for balance. Faint images of the meeting in the caves with the sorcerers flickered before his vision.
Liana inhaled sharply. Stepping back, she murmured, “He’s telling the truth. Black Blood really is going to ally the Moon Tribe with wolves and attack Ninjago City.”
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Oct 26, 2021 21:34:14 GMT
Post by LordTigress on Oct 26, 2021 21:34:14 GMT
Uneasy mutters spread among the team. Nervous, Little Leaf scuttled closer to Lou while Lloyd waved his hands at his teammates for silence. “All right—new plan. We’ve got to warn the police and help them prepare the city for attack. If this attack will be anything like all the other villains we’ve faced, we’ve got to be prepared and to get the people out of way of harm.”
“Ninjago City! Always Ninjago City!” Jay muttered, exasperated. “I swear that place has a curse! Nearly every time, the villain’s got to attack there, of all places! And here I was thinking Black Blood was finally going to be at least a little original—!”
“I will tell the Commissioner,” Zane said. He’d seemed to finally snap out of his thoughts. “We should waste no time in flying to Ninjago City and warning the people.”
Misako frowned. “We won’t be able to get there by at least tomorrow…”
“Which is why we should leave now.” Wu nodded to Zane. “Go warn the police. I am sure they will catch up with us soon enough. Everyone else, get your wounds treated. Nya, will you be able to fly the Bounty with that foot?”
“I’m not sure…” she replied ruefully.
“I can do it,” Jay volunteered.
“I’ll help,” Lloyd chimed in.
“Me, too!” Little Leaf blurted.
“Does she know how to fly the Bounty?” Jay gave Lloyd a funny look.
Leaf pursed her lips stubbornly. “No, but I can learn!”
“All right, let’s get to it,” Cole said matter-of-factly. “Ninja, go.”
The teammates dispersed. Zane ran lightly down the gangway and headed back to the police vehicles clustered at the warehouse. Misako took Nya and helped her limp downstairs below deck, Wu following. Jay and Lloyd shared a nod and headed up to the cabin—though not without Jay glancing back at Eagle Talon with another bitter look.
Little Leaf looked quickly at her brothers and father—Lou gave her a little nod—and she quickly joined Lloyd and Jay, already asking questions about how the ship worked.
“Does it hurt, son?”
Talon realized that Lou was talking to him. He turned to see his father still looking at him, wringing his hands together. “The— the mind-bending magic.”
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Oct 26, 2021 23:46:22 GMT
Post by LordTigress on Oct 26, 2021 23:46:22 GMT
Once again Talon felt surprised at how much concern his father was showing over him. “No—it just tickles a little, at most.” He grimaced. “I mean— it can hurt, but—”
“But I’m not one of your bloodthirsty sorcerers. I’ve got more honor than that.” Stiffly, Liana turned and headed to the stairs. “Goodnight.”
Cole started, “Liana—”
“Goodnight.” She stopped. She didn’t turn back to them, but Talon noticed that she reached up to tug on her ponytail.
At length she said, “I’m not mad at you, Cole. I’m sorry for acting like a jerk. But I just can’t,” she spat out the word, “I can’t trust Eagle Talon ever again. Not after everything he’s done.”
Bad feelings often had a way of coming in through his stomach, Talon noticed. This time it felt like a heavy rock. Clenching his fists, he stared at his feet. Lou laid a hand on his shoulder. It comforted him more than he expected, despite the bad feeling.
“Goodnight.” She walked unsteadily downstairs.
Cole sighed, then gave his brother a rueful smile. “It’ll get easier, I promise.”
Talon didn’t feel so sure about that.
* * *
Her long, elegant katana of clearstone slashed this way and that through empty air. Little mushrooms and other fungi clustered in a ring of faint, glowing green around the little cavern, staving off the pitch-black night of the nearly-airless tunnels. Bare feet padded lightly as she stepped in and out of different stances: spread apart, defense. Close together, preparing for offense. One foot forward, the other directly behind it, offense. Her dark robes of night-like blue, violet and green moved and shimmered like shreds of liquid silk with every new stance and slash. Her long, ink-black hair had been tied into a loose ponytail, exposing her white throat and green feline eyes.
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Oct 27, 2021 16:17:47 GMT
Post by LordTigress on Oct 27, 2021 16:17:47 GMT
Mist Rise sat with both his tails tucked neatly above his paws, watching Black Blood practice. He wasn’t sure why she felt the need to practice using a human weapon, since she was already lethal enough as a sorcerer, but there was no questioning the queen. He waited in silent agony to deliver his report before escaping her presence as soon as he could. He couldn’t walk into a room with her without an involuntary shudder—not since she’d taken Lion Claw’s claws.
Though he attempted to look cool and collected as he always did, his pelt kept prickling; he could almost feel the silent anger emanating from Black Blood. Her movements were quick and powerful, perhaps not as slow and precise as they should have been. Ever so often her lips would twitch. Mist Rise couldn’t tell if she wanted to smile or to snarl.
Abruptly her sword arm dropped to her side as she whirled around on him. “What?” she demanded. “Why are you just sitting there, watching me?”
Mist Rise made sure his voice wouldn’t shake. “You told everyone you were not to be disturbed when in training.”
“Pfft.” Fire turned to ice again; her eyes dropped from his and went back to the transparent blade. She flexed her wrist idly. “What is it?”
“Thought you’d like an update on the warriors.” Mist Rise spoke quickly. “They’re ready, even the students. I’m allowing them to rest tomorrow so that they’ll be in top condition for the attack the day after.”
“The attack… yes… when the stone paths and metal dens of their city will flood and run red…” Her voice came out like an early winter breeze; soft and quiet, but cold.
“The ninja won’t know what hit them,” he responded, hoping to raise her spirits.
Her knuckles turned white around the hilt of her sword.
“The ninja.” Her eyes flashed at him. “I want them to hurt. Merely attacking their city isn’t good enough. I want them to be writhing before we even get there. I want—!” She broke off, breathing heavily.
Mist Rise realized he was breathing shallowly, but he couldn’t seem to find the nerve to take deeper breaths. He waited, motionless.
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