Since it seems unseemly that I should have but one story posted, so here we go. Young Garmadon and Wu always turns out well (I think. Hope.)
Hope you enjoy! Every read counts! :)
"Dare you to knock his hat off."
"What? Are you crazy?"
"Aw, c'mon, Wu, you're no fun!"
"Boys?" Wu and Garmadon's father turned to them and eyed them sternly, quieting them instantly. "We're almost there. What is it now?" A twinkle rose in the man's eye, making the children smile.
"Garmadon dared me to knock your hat off!" Wu declared, glaring at his older brother as if he had done him a serious wrong. "That's not in accordance with the ninja code of honor, father! Ninja are supposed to always be good and loyal!" Garmadon rolled his eyes and stuck out his tongue at Wu, who pretended to ignore him.
"I turn my back for two seconds and you two are bickering again… Is a walk to the village really too much for my sons to handle?" Thinking about training in the stuffy old dojo, both boys shook their heads. "No, no, father! We can handle it!" "Good," Their father responded, and he again turned to the road, walking stick beating a regular rhythm on the hard-packed earth of the trail. Garmadon and Wu lapsed into silence again, watching their sandals as they walked.
"Get the tea with the extra sugar, dad, please, will you? You promised last time! Look, it's really cheap!" The older boy begged and waved a pot of tea leaves in the man's face.
"Your teeth'll rot out if you drink that! Dad always gets the herbal stuff, right dad?" Shaking his head in amazement at the completely opposite personalities of his sons, the father winked at Wu. "That's right. But today we're getting something special, too."
"Is it the candy tea? Yes! Dad you're the best!" Garmadon jumped up and down, nearly upsetting a rack of spices, causing the tea merchant to glare at him.
"You want tea, you be good customer!" She snapped. "You break jar, you pay!" Garmadon quieted and glanced at his father. "We are getting the candy tea, right, dad?"
"No, son. Just a moment." The man stepped up to the counter and exchanged a quiet whisper with the lady who had just griped at Garmadon. Her face hardened at his words and she retreated into the back of the store, setting down a small pot of clearance tea leaves as she went. Instinctively, Garmadon and Wu turned to each other, confused.
"Father? What is she getting for you?" Wu asked nervously, stepping forward. "Oh, that? It's nothing?" The man laughed easily and the two boys felt their spirits rise a little. "She's getting me a special tea I ordered in from the Dark Island. Apparently they brew a nice cup!" Garmadon's eyes widened. "The Dark Island? Mega-cool, dad!" His father laughed again, then pulled out his money pouch. "It is pretty cool, son. Oh, and here. You and Wu can each get yourself one tea jar. One!" He added again when Garmadon again dashed for the candy tea rack. "Thanks, dad! You're the best!"
While the two boys compared tea flavors, wondering what 'warm and mellow citrus' or 'traveler's tea' would taste like, their father walked to the counter again and took the miniscule jar of tea leaves offered to him. Carefully he opened the porcelain lid and extracted a tiny note, read the characters quickly, then handed the jar back to the merchant. She accepted the jar without a word and busted back into the storeroom. Almost as soon as she had left the tinkling of shattering clay rang in the man's ears and he turned to see Garmadon and Wu standing over the fragments of what used to be a decorative teapot.
"Wu did it!" Garmadon said almost immediately, pointing an accusing finger at the boy, who shook his head.
"What! No, dad! Garmadon just picked it up!" Kneeling, the man swept the clay shards into his hands and laid them on the counter. "This will be going out of your allowances," He warned, and Garmadon groaned.
"Aw, dad, the new comic book is coming out this week!"
Soon the family was ready to purchase their items – candy tea for Garmadon, vanilla chai tea for Wu, and of course, the broken teapot. The merchant woman almost had a fit when she saw the broken fragments on the countertop.
"That was my most expensive teapot! Shipped straight from the outer regions, one-of-a-kind, original, family heirloom! My grandfather gave me that teapot!"
"Yeah… Sorry…" Garmadon added sheepishly, staring at his toes in embarrassment.
"We'll pay for all of it," The boy's father pulled out his money sack and took out many coins, but when she saw so the merchant softened.
"No… just the tea. Goodness knows that teapot's been here for ages. And…" As the man put the extra coins back into his bag the lady leaned forward and whispered, "Good luck," into his ear. Nodding solemnly, the father turned away and took his sons by the hand, careful of the tea jars they now held.
"Candy tea is the best, you'll see, Wu!"
"No way, I don't want to end up without any of my teeth! You're going to be like the old people that work the fields, the ones who have fake ones."
"Ah, you're just sour because you got a lame tea flavor."
"Am not!"
The man remembered the words marked on the paper he had read – battle summons. Summons for war. Watching his two sons run about the path before him, laughing and carefree, he smiled. I will do whatever I can to protect you. Even if it means going to war, I will always protect you. Always.
Candy tea is actually a thing, I looked it up just to check... The more you know, am I right?
You're probably tired of my saying this, but thank you for reading! You da bomb.