Chapter 7- The rose

Cole fell to his knees, the air roughly forced out of his body. As the queen squeezed the petals, he felt a pressure growing around his body, pressing harder and harder. Any time now, all of his ribs would snap, and his punctured lungs would drag him down into the neverending darkness of death. If he could, Cole would have laughed. One of the heroic ninjas that had saved the city of Ninjago on more than one occasion, defeated by an enchanted rose. Life really did know how to write a good twist.

Suddenly, the pressure stopped.

The black ninja gasped for air, but got onto his feet as quickly as he could. Every part of his body was shaking, yet Cole was determined not to show any weakness. Not in front of this woman. Something told him that would be one of the worst mistakes he could make. And in a world where all of the rules were different, all Cole could do was trust his gut.

"So. . . this rose." Nadya's smirk was gone. For a brief second, Cole saw fear and confusion coating her dark brown eyes. Then it was gone. "It's connected to you? I must say that's pretty handy. You'll be easier to control than I thought."

"Don't get your hopes up," Cole scowled. "I'm not going to allow you to push me around. I can take a lot of punishment. You can't break me."

"Is that a challenge?" Once again the queen smiled, the purple scales cloaking her cheeks glinting in the soft sunlight. "I love challenges."

Then you're going to love me sweetheart Cole thought sarcastically, but his mouth wouldn't form the words. It was probably for the best anyway. No need for him to get punished for not knowing when to shut up.

"We're taking him to the castle." Nadya stated. Two of the guards let go of the carriage, grabbing Cole roughly by his muscled arms. The silver metal dug into his sides, but the black ninja refused to complain. If she wanted a challenge, she was going to get one.

The queen stepped back into her carriage, now being carried by four men instead of six. They seemed unaffected by this, lifting the carriage effortlessly, without so much as grunt of exertion. Inside the carriage, the queen whipped out a small silver mirror. Green sparks swam through it, distorting Nadya's reflection.

"Show me the prophecy." Now that she was alone, her voice sounded different. It was softer, younger. Not a feared ruler, but a frightened girl.

Once again, sparks filled the mirror. Then the image of the rose, Cole's rose, which sat on the seat beside her, appeared. "One man, one rose. Both tied up through the law of blood."

In a blur of colors, the image changed. And image of Nadya herself, her brown eyes brightened with tears, the scales upon her cheeks dripping with blood, as if she had clawed at them, wishing to rip them out of her skin. "One woman, One curse. Both tied up through the law of souls."

The imaged changed again. This time, a whirlwind of rain flickered to life inside the glass. Lightning flash, and dim figures could be seen shaded against the background. As always, it was too dark to see clearly. Nadya frowned, nearly pressing her face against the mirror, wanting to unravel every clue it left behind. "One will break the other's curse."

Sparks lit up the image, erasing it and replacing it by something else. It was a cave, lighted with candles. Nadya focused, but nothing knew jumped out at her. "One will wash the other's sight."

The queen sighed, leaning back against the seat as the last image appeared. A gentle green light, illuminating a world of darkness. "One woman, One man. Both tied up by his bloody knife."

Nadya analyzed the words, trying to find answers. There was nothing. The only thing she knew, was that the man, Cole, was important. If she was hearing the prophecy right, he'd be the one to break her curse, ridding her of the unappealing scales that rested on her otherwise soft skin.

Nadya didn't like the idea of her fate being entwined with someone else's. But as long as she gained the one thing she wanted the most, she could care less about how destiny worked. One thing was certain, However.

When Cole served his purpose, there would be no reason to keep him alive.


The march to the castle was tiring, and by the time they stumbled through the gates, Cole's feet had swollen twice their normal size. His mind was now on autopilot, blank, each limb moving automatically. They marched past the gates, then stopped before the castle's large doors. Cole blinked a couple of times, returning to reality. He tried to stretch his tightened muscles, but the guards were holding him far too tightly. So the black ninja bit his tongue, not wanting to be Nadya the satisfaction of seeing him in pain.

She stepped out of the carriage, then nodded at the guards holding Cole, signaling for them to follow her. They did, never pausing, not even when Cole's legs gave out in the middle of the stone staircase. Once they got through the doors, they let go of Cole, and the ninja crumpled onto the floor. All of his strength had gone out.

The guards marched outside again, closing the door behind them. Nayda mumbled something under her breath, then pressed her cold index finger against Cole's forehead. The ninja flinched, a strange feeling coursing through his body. The queen smiled. " There we go. You're truly my prisoner now."

"Don't get your hopes up. You're going to have to chain me down if you really think I'll listen to you. You don't have your little guards anymore." Cole struggled to get to his feet, then walked towards the door. "I'm leaving. I'd love to try to see you try and stop me."

Cole pushed open the door. Nadya didn't move.

"Close the door," She ordered. "And step back in."

Cole couldn't help it. His arm moved without permission, shutting the door in front of him. He stepped back to where he had been a few seconds ago. Looked down at the queen, confusion fear and anger swirling through his grey eyes. It was just like dealing with the Hypnobrai all over again. Will stripped from his body, forcing him to do things he'd rather not. It was nauseating. But at least his thoughts were still his.

"I'd think twice about trying to disobey me," Nadya smirked, turning away. "I'm more powerful than you think. And I've still got plenty of tricks up my sleeve. Now follow me."

"Fine," Cole hissed, following reluctantly, his muscles moving despite his brain's orders. "You can control me with whatever mumbo jumbo magic you have. But why? If you're all high and mighty, why not just kill me?"

The queen was silent for a couple of seconds, calculating what her answer should be. She couldn't give anything away. Couldn't admit that she needed him for whatever plans destiny had in store. That would make her vulnerable. She couldn't have that. "You're in no position to question my motives."

Cole rolled his eyes. The little queen was getting on his nerves. "Gee, really? I hadn't noticed."

The halls seem neverending. Dark red carpet covered most of the floor, strange stains splattered here and there. Torches flickered here and there, giving the castle and uncomfortable amount of darkness. The place was spooky. And empty.

"So you live here alone?" Cole ventured, trying to accumulate as much information as he could.

Nadya stayed quiet.

"Are you going to answer any of my questions?"

Nothing.

Cole sighed, peeking out of a window. For a brief second, he could see the outside world. A large forest, spreading through must of the land. A couple of a villages could be seen, spread in random places. As his footsteps carried him away, Cole was banned from the outside world once again.

The queen finally stopped, pushing a creaky door open. Inside it was a small room, with a wooden bed filled with straw and a small candle pathetically trying to light its surroundings. Nadya turned back to face Cole. "This is your room. You'll stay here, unless I tell you otherwise. Understood?"

The magic forced Cole to step forward. He looked back at Nadya, slightly annoyed. "Yeah yeah."

"Good," With one last smile, the queen slammed the door shut.