He couldn't really explain it...But looking back on that night, when he was struggling to keep Phillip alive and nearly drowning himself, that sense of mortal danger...
Don't get him wrong, he never, never wanted to go through such a horrible experience like that again, it would shake up anyone. It wasn't the heart-pounding fear that clogged his throat, or the exertion of his body and the fiery pain he went through...The feeling came from what came of that adventure. He had used his head, he had risked his life, he had nearly drowned, but he met success!
He had gone through a life-threatening crisis and not only lived to tell the tale, but saved somebody's very life because of it. The very thought of what he did sent an unexpected chill of excitement down his spine. Cole wasn't stupid; he didn't enjoy the reckless danger and want more of that, oh no. He wasn't being a foolish teenager and risking his life for something stupid, instead, he had fought through a life-threatening situation and pulled through for the good of another. He had saved someone's life, without any help! Because he had kept a cool head, used his mind and his stamina, he had saved his and Phillip's lives.
There was something right about that. He really couldn't explain it, but the thought of risking his very life for another's well-being appealed greatly to him. The satisfaction of knowing because of you, you saved someone's life, or helped a city, or somehow just made Ninjago a better place, it, well...it called to him. Something was calling to Cole, beckoning to him. There was some purpose out there for him, some purpose in life waiting for him...he could feel it.
Shauntel snorted, and the noise jolted him from his thoughts, bringing him back to reality. What purpose? There was no purpose, no job for Cole, he was just a spoiled brat running away from school with no idea what he wants to do. He was a mere wanderer, with no friends...He was alone.
Hours of riding through groves of trees and rolling green hills elapsed peacefully, broken by the cheerful chatter of the teenagers. Matilda occasionally snapped back at someone, once muttering something about the kids "chattering louder than starlings on a spring morning". They stopped for lunch around noon, during which Matilda conjured up a drink she called butterbeer. It could be described as "a little less-sickly butterscotch", looking as if it was made out of butter, sugar and water. It went well with a dish of left-over bulgogi.
It was around the afternoon when Liana claimed she could hear the rumble of city traffic, and several minutes later the outskirts of the little town Misawa came into sight. All four horses flicked their ears forward and began trotting eagerly across the wide, grassy field, leaving the trees far off behind. Traveler, Aquilla, Shauntel, and Bucephalus (Matilda's black stallion, that was the name she finally gave him,) headed toward the town in a row, swishing their tails and jostling the riders up and down in the saddles.
Cole was jolted up and down crazily in the bouncing saddle, landing on a certain area harshly over and over again. At first he couldn't understand how the other riders managed it, until he glanced over at Phillip. The curly-haired youth was rising and falling in the saddle easily with the beat of Traveler's hooves. He seemed to be acting on some sort of rhythm, so Cole studied the two out of the corner of his eye, trying to see how it worked.
It took a while, but he realized that the horses' forelegs were in a diagonal position to one another, each one moving simultaneously. Further scrutiny showed that Phillip was rising from his seat when the inside hind leg and the outside front leg were moving forward, then sitting down when the outside hind leg and inside front leg were moving forward. Cole wasn't sure how rising and falling repeatedly was supposed to make riding smoother, but he decided to give it a shot.
As Shauntel trotted merrily across the grassy hills, Cole listened to the beat of his hooves and watched the horse's legs and muscles moving at the base of the neck. Still grasping the reins, he laid a hand on Shauntel's chocolate-brown shoulder blades and felt the beast's warm body moving. He hesitated, then, when a leg stuck outwards, he rose in his seat, falling immediately when the leg drew back. The horse was so fast, how was he supposed to rise and fall so quickly?
Phillip saw what he was trying to do and called out. "It's all in the thighs! Rise and fall to the beat!" Cole glanced toward him, and the guy winked cheerfully at him.
By and by, Cole learned how to post, and once he got the hang of it, it became quite easy to ride in motion with his horse. His legs grew sore, but he pressed on. If Matilda, Philip, and Liana can do it, so can I. He thought with determination.
The group arrived at the outskirts of Misawa presently, and found a public traveler's stable which Philip liked to call a "horse hotel". They took the gear and bags off the horses, gave them a nice rub down, then set out for the midst of the little town looking for a place to eat, leaving the horses in charge of the barn care-takers.
It was slightly disorienting for Cole to return to civilization after spending so many days in the wild mountains. Everything was loud and harsh, cars rumbled like thunder, people chattered like a sea of crashing waves, and lights from buildings or bill boards stung in his eyes, making him blink blearily. Philip and Liana seemed to feel the same, wincing at the roar of a motorcycle or the honk of a car horn. Matilda, on the other hand, didn't seem perturbed by the brash town, only gazed coolly at her surroundings and glared at whoever stared rudely at her pointed hat and curious robes. After persistent coaxing and cajoling from the teenagers, Matilda reluctantly consented to eating dinner at a restaurant. The travelers found one called 'Global Kitchen'.
The restaurant wasn't fancy, it wasn't shabby, it was cute. Colorful Oriental tapestries hung down on the sides of the walls of the interior of the building, where polished tables and chairs sat in a large room adorned in cheerful red tablecloths and plump pillows. Nearby was a children's area, with a kindergarten slide, some toys and bean bag chairs, and on a little table sat a TV showing some cartoon about odd-looking characters with huge heads and bulging eyes.
The travelers ate for around half an hour, eating dishes such as fried rice, noodles, dumplings and whatnot. When it was time to pay the clerk Matilda rummaged through her little carpet bag, muttering. "Muggle money, Muggle money...No, not pounds, yen! Corpus bones! Forget it." She snatched a couple of golden coin with a little dragon figure on them, and tossed them on the counter before the clerk. "Two Galleons. Good enough for you?"
The clerk stared wide-eyed in shock at the gleaming gold, then picked them up. "Y-Yes," He stammered. "This will do j-just fine!"
Matilda snorted and led the teenagers out of the building. As they were walking through the doors Philip leaned over and whispered. "How much yen do you think those coins could get you?"
Cole shrugged. "Probably a few hundred or so." He grinned mischievously. "Makes me wish she'd lend us a few coins once in a while!"
Liana laughed softly ahead of them. If Matilda heard the boys, she showed no sign.
All four stepped out onto the sidewalk by a bustling street, with cars zooming to and fro with red and golden lights. Night was falling fast, and the streets were cast in shadow broken by street lamps, car lights, and shining windows from buildings.
Matilda gazed at the sky and narrowed her eyes. "Hmph...Let's head back toward the stables. We can sleep in the barn with the horses, where it's warm."
Philip raised an eyebrow. "Why can't we just stay in a hotel? You have gold coins."
"What, you think Galleons grow on trees?" She snapped.
The next morning found the bedraggled group riding away from the Yokai mountains and heading toward Misawa, a little city nearby Stixx. The rain had eased off by dawn, and was completely gone by morning, though the sky was still dark and cloudy, unwilling to let the sun shine yet. Phillip was back to his old self by morning, though he looked a bit pale, and refrained from using his left shoulder very much. He and Cole chatted and joked easily as they rode together, Matilda in the lead and Liana bringing up the rear. The land below the mountain ranges were smoother and had less trees, exposing the group to a slight breeze. Despite the cloudy day and the breeze, it wasn't very cold.
Sometime around noon, Liana nudged Aquilla over to Shauntel and felt for Cole's hands. He was toying with the rings Matilda had given him and didn't notice the girl until she had grasped his hands. He looked up into her scarred, cloudy eyes. Her gaze may have been sightless, but it seemed just as intense and powerful as any other's.
"You saved my brother last night, didn't you." It wasn't a question, merely a fact. Her small hands felt soft and warm on his own. Cole flinched slightly, for in truth he had never had a girl hold his hands before in his life, and the experience was strange.
There was a sweet expression of gratitude on her disfigured face. Before he rasp a clumsy answer, she squeezed his hands and whispered. "Thank you." With that, she nudged her black and white horse away from Cole and walked on as if nothing had passed in between them.
Cole felt his face grow slightly warm in embarrassment. He didn't really think about it as saving Phillip's life, he was just doing what he felt he had to. Liana made him sound like some sort of hero. He glanced down at the iron rings in his hands, still feeling Liana's presence. A strange, new feeling crept into him.
You have no idea how long I've been waiting for something like this.
The restaurant wasn't fancy, it wasn't shabby, it was cute. Colorful Oriental tapestries hung down on the sides of the walls of the interior of the building, where polished tables and chairs sat in a large room adorned in cheerful red tablecloths and plump pillows. Nearby was a children's area, with a kindergarten slide, some toys and bean bag chairs, and on a little table sat a TV showing some cartoon about odd-looking characters with huge heads and bulging eyes.
The travelers ate for around half an hour, eating dishes such as fried rice, noodles, dumplings and whatnot. When it was time to pay the clerk Matilda rummaged through her little carpet bag, muttering. "Muggle money, Muggle money...No, not pounds, yen! Corpus bones! Forget it." She snatched a couple of golden coin with a little dragon figure on them, and tossed them on the counter before the clerk. "Two Galleons. Good enough for you?"
The clerk stared wide-eyed in shock at the gleaming gold, then picked them up. "Y-Yes," He stammered. "This will do j-just fine!"
Matilda snorted and led the teenagers out of the building. As they were walking through the doors Philip leaned over and whispered. "How much yen do you think those coins could get you?"
Cole shrugged. "Probably a few hundred or so." He grinned mischievously. "Makes me wish she'd lend us a few coins once in a while!"
Liana laughed softly ahead of them. If Matilda heard the boys, she showed no sign.
All four stepped out onto the sidewalk by a bustling street, with cars zooming to and fro with red and golden lights. Night was falling fast, and the streets were cast in shadow broken by street lamps, car lights, and shining windows from buildings.
Matilda gazed at the sky and narrowed her eyes. "Hmph...Let's head back toward the stables. We can sleep in the barn with the horses, where it's warm."
Philip raised an eyebrow. "Why can't we just stay in a hotel? You have gold coins."
"What, you think Galleons grow on trees?" She snapped.
"I barely have enough Ninjagian currency as it is without giving away Sickles and Galleons! In case you haven't noticed kid, I'm not rich." She snorted in disgust and turned away. "Come on. We can take a short-cut through the alley ways."
They followed her into the shadows between the looming buildings, walking through mud and past heaps of garbage and trash bags. The smell of the nasty corridors was rank, and Cole grimaced. Because the light was so dim they kept accidentally kicking torn plastic bags and sofa cans. Philip asked if Matilda could do that light spell, but she replied that she didn't want anybody to see and try to attack them. The shadowy paths made Cole think of that night that weird cat had helped him escape. He wondered where the tabby was now.
It was when they were in the midst of the dark maze when Liana stiffened in front of Cole and cocked her head. He was thinking about cake and didn't see her stop until her loose silver-blond ponytail brushed against his face, making him blink and sneeze.
"Matilda, wait!" Liana called softly.
The witch snorted impatiently and said. "What is it? If we're going to get to Stixx we need to rise with the sun tomorrow, we can't stay up late."
"I thought I heard something...Footsteps."
She frowned. "Hm." With narrowed eyes she surveyed the shadows around around them, and the boys did likewise.
Faint movement from behind a large garbage bin caught Cole's eye. Furrowing his thick eyebrows he stepped toward the trash and muttered. "Hey...I saw--"
The breath was knocked out of him when an invisible force threw him against the brick wall behind him, stunning him. He was dimly aware of Liana shrieking and Philip crying out. Ignoring the throbbing in his back, he sat up and tried to breathe, his head spinning. Philip too was thrown against the side of a building and left gasping in shock and pain, while Liana lay by the foot of a fence by a heap of garbage. As far as Cole could see, nothing was there.
Matilda brandished her wand threateningly and gazed coldly into the shadows, her face pale and grim. She didn't light her wand, so the only thing allowing Cole to see was the faint, dirty glow of a nearby street lamp.
A tall, looming shadow stirred in the depths of the darkness. Silently a tall, aged man stepped forward with a cruel sneer on his face. He had gray, scraggly hair peeking out from a black pointed hat, a sparkling emerald strapped to the base fashionably. His robes were similar to Matilda's though they were a deep violet instead of a midnight blue. Brown, dusty trousers could be seen from the folds of his robes as he walked, as slow, easy, menacing gait.
Matilda's brown eyes glimmered with a deep dislike, and her jaw clenched. "Sidicles." She spat. Her grip on her wand tightened.
"Ravencroft." The gray-haired man sneered. "Thought you could hide here, did you? Thought you could escape your kinfolk in this stinking realm?"
Her eyes narrowed. "How did you get here?"
He paused in his slow stride. "It was no small feat of magic, I'll admit. It took many days and many nights to come here and find you."
Cole groaned softly and slowly sat up, feeling his back throb from the impact.
Philip sat up and said. "Is that another witch?"
"Not witch, warlock!" The man snapped. "Seriously, that's the third time today somebody called me a witch!"
Matilda rolled her eyes disdainfully. "What rich bozo are you working for now, Sidicles? Surely my sister isn't still angry about that Ender Rebellion incident, is she?"
"Actually, she is." Sidicles curled his lip, exposing yellow teeth. "Infuriated, to be quite honest. It's your fault Solorae was defeated, you know, and she doesn't take betrayal like that lightly."
"Hsst...I'm not getting into this ridiculous conversation again. What do you want?"
The man's beady black eyes gleamed dangerously. "It's not I who wants something...It's your sister. She wants you."
The next morning found the bedraggled group riding away from the Yokai mountains and heading toward Misawa, a little city nearby Stixx. The rain had eased off by dawn, and was completely gone by morning, though the sky was still dark and cloudy, unwilling to let the sun shine yet. Phillip was back to his old self by morning, though he looked a bit pale, and refrained from using his left shoulder very much. He and Cole chatted and joked easily as they rode together, Matilda in the lead and Liana bringing up the rear. The land below the mountain ranges were smoother and had less trees, exposing the group to a slight breeze. Despite the cloudy day and the breeze, it wasn't very cold.
Sometime around noon, Liana nudged Aquilla over to Shauntel and felt for Cole's hands. He was toying with the rings Matilda had given him and didn't notice the girl until she had grasped his hands. He looked up into her scarred, cloudy eyes. Her gaze may have been sightless, but it seemed just as intense and powerful as any other's.
"You saved my brother last night, didn't you." It wasn't a question, merely a fact. Her small hands felt soft and warm on his own. Cole flinched slightly, for in truth he had never had a girl hold his hands before in his life, and the experience was strange.
There was a sweet expression of gratitude on her disfigured face. Before he rasp a clumsy answer, she squeezed his hands and whispered. "Thank you." With that, she nudged her black and white horse away from Cole and walked on as if nothing had passed in between them.
Cole felt his face grow slightly warm in embarrassment. He didn't really think about it as saving Phillip's life, he was just doing what he felt he had to. Liana made him sound like some sort of hero. He glanced down at the iron rings in his hands, still feeling Liana's presence. A strange, new feeling crept into him.
You have no idea how long I've been waiting for something like this.
Matilda brandished her wand threateningly and gazed coldly into the shadows, her face pale and grim. She didn't light her wand, so the only thing allowing Cole to see was the faint, dirty glow of a nearby street lamp.
A tall, looming shadow stirred in the depths of the darkness. Silently a tall, aged man stepped forward with a cruel sneer on his face. He had gray, scraggly hair peeking out from a black pointed hat, a sparkling emerald strapped to the base fashionably. His robes were similar to Matilda's though they were a deep violet instead of a midnight blue. Brown, dusty trousers could be seen from the folds of his robes as he walked, as slow, easy, menacing gait.
Matilda's brown eyes glimmered with a deep dislike, and her jaw clenched. "Sidicles." She spat. Her grip on her wand tightened.
"Ravencroft." The gray-haired man sneered. "Thought you could hide here, did you? Thought you could escape your kinfolk in this stinking realm?"
Her eyes narrowed. "How did you get here?"
He paused in his slow stride. "It was no small feat of magic, I'll admit. It took many days and many nights to come here and find you."
Cole groaned softly and slowly sat up, feeling his back throb from the impact.
Philip sat up and said. "Is that another witch?"
"Not witch, warlock!" The man snapped. "Seriously, that's the third time today somebody called me a witch!"
Matilda rolled her eyes disdainfully. "What rich bozo are you working for now, Sidicles? Surely my sister isn't still angry about that Ender Rebellion incident, is she?"
"Actually, she is." Sidicles curled his lip, exposing yellow teeth. "Infuriated, to be quite honest. It's your fault Solorae was defeated, you know, and she doesn't take betrayal like that lightly."
"Hsst...I'm not getting into this ridiculous conversation again. What do you want?"
The man's beady black eyes gleamed dangerously. "It's not I who wants something...It's your sister. She wants you."
Matilda snorted disdainfully. "And you, a loyal follower, traveled all this way to retrieve me just to please her? Very admirable, I'm sure."
Sidicles's lip curled. "That's exactly what I plan to do. You're going to come along with me, no fuss about it."
"Oh?" Her head cocked in a haughty manner, lips thin. "And just how do you plan on doing that? I can beat you in a one-on-one battle, you know I can. What makes you think you can bend me to your will?"
The warlock reached into the folds of his dark purple robes and withdrew a small bottle. Inside was a dark, muddy, sickly green liquid, glistening in the dim light of the street lamp. He held out the bottle and waved it in the direction of where Philip was standing.
"You'll come with me, with no wand, back to where you belong, and I won't throw this on your little friends."
Matilda stiffened. "You pour one drop on any those kids, and I swear to my ancestors I'll--!"
"Tut-tut! I wouldn't use that attitude if I were you, Ravencroft." Sidicles sneered. "Edith just wants a little chat...That's all."
The witch glared dangerously at the warlock, fingering her wand. "She'll get nothing out of me. And you won't take me."
Cole wished he hadn't left the scythe with his backpack at the barn. He pushed himself off the ground and clenched his fists.
Sidicles's eyes narrowed to a slit. "Very well. It's your choice." With that, he suddenly flung the tiny bottle at Philip, who had been watching with wide eyes. The glass shattered against the brick wall close to Philip's head, and the dark liquid splattered on the youth, staining his worn jacket. Something sizzled like barbecue, and the teen cried out in pain.
Before the warlock could attack Liana, Cole sprinted forward and knocked the man down, giving him a swift punch to the jaw and clawing at his robes. The wizard's robes tore in Cole's hand; he had ripped off a pocket. Sidicles cried out in shock, then swore as he wrestled with the burly teenager.
"I'll fix you, you mutt!" Sidicles growled as he attempted to push away Cole's hands pinning him to the dirt. The struggling warlock attempted to free himself, but the boy's grasp was much too strong.
Matilda bent over and grabbed Sidicles's shoulder, wand aimed at his head. Before she could cast a spell, though, the man elbowed her in the side of her face, sending her staggering back. Cole had him pinned to the ground, struggling to keep the wriggling man there.
Sidicles snatched something from the folds of his robes, then smashed a little bottle over Cole's head, stunning him. A dark color compound of blue and gray liquid spilled over his hair and head, dripping onto his eyes. It didn't hurt, so Cole prepared to punch the guy in the jaw again. He swung back his arm, then felt his muscles tense up. His body suddenly felt very stiff, very stuffy, as if he had been filled up with warm cotton. He tried to move, and he did...slowly. His movements were slow and smooth, and he couldn't make them go as fast as he wanted to. Cole was shocked to realize that he was stuck in literal slow-motion.
The wizard cackled and shoved the teen away, gripping another bottle of dark liquid. He tossed it in Liana's direction, but missed. The girl flinched when the little bottle shattered on the ground a few feet away from her, then began to grope around the ground in front of her, looking for a weapon.
Wiping away a cut bleeding on the side of her head, Matilda cried out a spell and a burst of light danced in the warlock's direction. He dodged the crackling fire in the nick of time, and scrambled to his feet. Cole tried to grab his legs and pull him down, but he was simply too slow.
Sidicles threw a potion bottle at Matilda, but a burst of white flames from her wand made it shatter in mid-air. He began to back away anxiously, finally realizing that this wasn't such a good idea. Matilda headed toward him, robes flapping wildly with her powerful stride, brandishing her wand.
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