Chapter 7: The Wolves Among Us
A/N: At long last, fall is here, pumpkin things are everywhere, and chapter 7 has finally arrived!
This chapter includes some dialogue and action straight from Shadow of Ronin, which belongs to Lego and its writers. The chapter title is shamelessly inspired by the videogame The Wolf Among Us. I haven't played it, but I have been reading Fables, the comic series its based on (if you're a fan of re-imagined fairy tales and Once Upon a Time, this series does a better job than the show.)
With that out of the way, I hope you all enjoy the chapter!
They were surrounded, several rough, dangerous-looking men with various weapons pressing in on them. Pythor kept his expression neutral, refusing to show any unease. After all, Lloyd seemed completely relaxed, and he trusted the boy's judgment.
"I take it these are the friends you told me about?" Pythor asked, as the group suddenly broke into genuine grins, some moving forward to clap Lloyd appreciatively on the shoulder.
"Yep!" Lloyd replied, smiling broadly himself.
This was going to be a strange day indeed, Pythor decided.
About two weeks ago
"So, tell me about this Rako." Pythor and Lloyd were in the former's kitchen, having since cleaned up all signs of the fire after Clouse had vanished. Pythor prepared food while Lloyd sat at the nearby table. "I already know you have a tendency to find strange friends—and stranger adventures—so this should be good. Especially if you're not going to help me cut vegetables."
"You told me you were taking care of dinner!"
"Well, you certainly didn't offer." Pythor kept quiet for a moment before turning around to catch a look of mock outrage on Lloyd's face and chuckled. "Calm down, Lloyd. I don't need you unleashing your elemental power and destroying my humble abode. Or worse, all my hard work in the kitchen!"
Lloyd rolled his eyes. "I can cut the vegetables, you know."
"No, no it's far too late for that now. These vegetables are my burden alone to bear. I wouldn't dare trouble the fabled Green Ninja with such trivial matters. All this now-loyal servant to Ninjago needs is, perhaps, a small story to help pass the time?"
Lloyd laughed. "Okay, okay, you win. I won't help you with the vegetables and it's all your fault. Happy?"
Pythor deftly diced a pepper. "Go on…"
There was a long pause from Lloyd, and when he finally spoke, it was in a much more serious, subdued tone. "I met Rako before me and the team went to Chen's island for the Tournament. At the time, we all thought Zane was…well…dead. And we took it hard. Everyone went different directions, but I stayed a ninja because what else was I going to do? Go to school?" He snorted. "Besides, we have a duty to Ninjago, and it didn't seem fair to Zane to abandon it. But with all the guys quitting, it made me start to doubt myself.
"The whole 'strange adventure' thing started when I just wanted to go for a walk and try to figure things out. I got captured instead."
"Lloyd, this is an unhealthy habit you're developing."
"Ha ha. Really funny, Pythor. At least my captors weren't Serpentine this time."
"Touché. So who was it, then?"
"Wolves. Well, not exactly wolves. More like werewolves, I guess. People who can turn into human-like wolves."
"Werewolves."
"Yep."
"Werewolves." Pythor snickered.
"Says the snake with arms."
"You wound me, Lloyd."
"Do you want to hear about Rako or not?"
"And now you're adding salt to the wound…"
"No, because you're the one with the salt. Since you made such a fuss about making dinner."
Pythor turned, one hand clutching his heart. "And now you're going for the kill! Who knew the Green Ninja was so cruel?"
Lloyd tried to keep a straight face at that. "You brought this upon yourself."
"You pitiless fiend!" Pythor swayed and braced himself against the counter with his free hand. "How can you stand to look at yourself in the mirror?"
"Pretty easy. Just like this." Lloyd stood up, but by now his façade had cracked and he was laughing as he sat back down.
Pythor smirked and turned back to the broccoli he was working on. "So far you haven't mentioned Rako. Is he one of these…werewolves?"
"Yeah, but it's a little complicated. Like I told Clouse, all the wolves were under a spell when I showed up. It trapped them in their wolf form and forced them to obey the enemies who'd snuck into their camp. Except for Rako. The main guy who took over the wolves, Sirk, forced Rako to actually cast the spell on the wolves. Sirk made sure all the wolves knew Rako did it and that Rako couldn't turn into his wolf form."
"So they all blamed Rako? As far as schemes go, that's actually not a bad idea."
"Really, Pythor?" The Anacondrai could practically hear Lloyd rolling his eyes.
"Continue, continue." Pythor waved his hand.
Lloyd sighed. "Yes, they blamed Rako. They thought he'd betrayed them to Sirk. And Rako was kept away from the others whenever he wasn't needed, so he couldn't try to get their trust back. Plus, Sirk and his men forbid Rako from saying exactly what happened."
"And when you say 'forbid'…"
"They didn't use magic on Rako, but they…" Lloyd hesitated. "They hurt him. They wore him down with words and…and pain, just enough so he'd be scared of fighting back."
Pythor glanced sharply at Lloyd. The boy looked decidedly troubled. Pythor sighed, set down his cutting knife, and slithered over to join Lloyd at the table. "Unfortunately, fear and cruelty are powerful weapons, Lloyd."
Lloyd nodded. "I know. Those were the weapons of the Overlord too."
Pythor cringed. "…Yes."
"But that's the thing," Lloyd continued. "As strong as fear is, hope's stronger. And that's what Rako had, still inside him after all that. Hope that one day he'd find a way to break the Curse he put on his friends. Hope that he could undo the wrong he'd done, even if it wasn't really his fault. Hope that maybe if he could save them, his friends would forgive him. He just didn't know how."
"And you helped him figure it out?"
"Kinda. I just gave him a nudge in the right direction; he did the rest. And then he, Layla, and I teamed up and broke the Curse. Sirk got away, though."
"Layla?"
"Oh, yeah, she's the one who kidnapped me. But she's not a wolf, just a mercenary who was working for Sirk. She didn't really want to work for him, but…" He shrugged. "She's pretty cool."
Pythor raised an eyebrow. "'Pretty cool'?"
"Yeah, her and Rako both. We make a good team." He paused. "Wait a moment. Were you suggesting—?"
"I suggested nothing, Lloyd. Just made an observation. But like I said," he continued before Lloyd could protest, "you have the strangest friends." He leaned back in the chair, considering Lloyd's story. "Why werewolves, though?"
"You're still going on about the werewolves?"
"Yes," Pythor huffed. "I've never heard of werewolves prowling around Ninjago. Where did they all come from?"
"Magic, I think. Their leader's the one who gave them the wolf form or something. They're all part of a group dedicated to dealing with some of the crime around Ninjago. But they stay out of sight because they don't want everyone to know about them."
"Hmm. Unlike you ninja."
"We stay out of sight! When we need to, anyway."
"My point exactly."
"And what's that supposed to—" Lloyd paused suddenly, sniffing the air. "Is something burning?"
Pythor leapt from his seat and hurried to the stove. The peppers and broccoli, which he'd been sautéing while prepping the last vegetables, had started to turn black—not yet smoking, but no longer edible. He quickly turned off the stove, yanking the pan to a different burner. "That was one of my favorite pans," he grumbled.
"Hey, Pythor?" Lloyd said from beside him.
"Yes?"
There was a long enough pause to make Pythor look at Lloyd. The boy had a mischievous light in his eyes and a cell phone in his hand. "I've got dinner taken care of."
Pythor sighed. "Why do I even bother going against you, Green Ninja?"
Now
After the men had found Lloyd and Pythor, two had offered to bring them to their camp. So here they all were, moving through an impressively well-hidden site. Pythor still couldn't tell if their escorts were werewolves—werewolves, really!—or not. One, named Jackson, had short black hair, a clean-shaven face, and wore a multi-pocketed khaki vest with a black long-sleeve shirt, pants, and combat boots. His counterpart, Akiva, had longer, slightly messy light brown hair and goatee, and wore dark clothes as well. Though each had a smart, observant look to him and seemed familiar with combat, Pythor couldn't find anything inherently wolf-like about them: no furry ears or glinting eyes or fangs in their smiles or clawed fingers; nothing canid in how they moved or talked, either.
That was most odd.
Lloyd had decided the best way to find Rako was to find the wolves. So he and Pythor had returned Wu's van from their grocery shopping trip, let him know Lloyd'd be with Pythor for a while, gathered some supplies, and left to track down the wolves. But of course the wolves had long since abandoned their former hideout, and with them being masters of concealment, Lloyd and Pythor couldn't just fly around on dragon-back expecting to stumble across them. They'd had to search on foot the old-fashioned way, and Pythor suspected they had only come across the camp because they'd been allowed to.
The camp itself seemed well-organized, dotted with tents and a couple more permanent structures and a few men and a couple women going about whatever activities they had. As their escorts continued forward, people kept greeting Lloyd. Pythor had to make an effort not to chuckle at Lloyd's embarrassment—apparently, after all these years, the Green Ninja still hadn't gotten used to praise for his heroics. For Pythor's part, he was mostly ignored aside from the occasional nod, but he didn't mind.
Their guides led them into a small wooden building in the shadow of a large hill. "Our leader's been keen to meet you," Jackson said. "He'll be here shortly."
"Is Rako around?" Lloyd asked. "I need to talk with him."
"He's out gathering plants or something," replied Akiva. "I'll let him know soon as he gets back though."
Lloyd nodded his thanks as they left, while Pythor looked around the room they were in. A table sat in the opposite corner from them, covered in various, labeled maps of Ninjago with some tack-marked maps also mounted on the wall around it. A door to the right led to a hallway. Some logs lay in an unlit fireplace across from it. On the back wall, a katana hung on either side of a black banner with a wolf's head crest in the center. Something about the symbol seemed familiar, but Pythor couldn't place it. He looked over at Lloyd instead.
"You seem to be enjoying yourself."
"Huh?" Lloyd started slightly.
"I mean, I never realized the Green Ninja had such a dedicated fan base!"
"Very funny, Pythor."
"But at least you're not trying to make up for your years in ego. Kai's bad enough from what I hear."
Lloyd tried to bite off a snicker. "Kai's not that bad—"
"Well, well. Look what the grundle dragged in," a voice cut in.
Lloyd and Pythor whirled to find a dark haired, pale-skinned man leaning against the wall: Shade, Elemental Master of Shadow. His arms were casually crossed across his black cuirass—which bore the same wolf symbol as the banner.
"Shoulda figured, though. Only the Green Ninja's stubborn enough to try to solve everyone's problems. I just wish you'd told me before the Tournament. Might of made things easier, huh?" He smirked and joined them.
"Shade? You're the leader of the Kage Brotherhood?" Lloyd shook his head. "I should've known—of course the Master of Shadow is in charge of a secret organization."
"Hmmph. Guess we're even then. And good to see you again, Pythor," he added.
What was that? People actually glad to see him? "Likewise," Pythor managed, not quite able to keep the surprise from his voice. "Seems it's a small world, eh?"
"Tell me about it. I heard you're looking for Rako?"
Lloyd nodded. "I haven't seen him or any of the other wolves in a while. With all the chaos from fighting Chen finally over, I figured I'd stop in, say hi."
A long pause for a moment. Then, "Kid, anyone ever teach you how to lie?"
Lloyd flushed. "Uh, they didn't offer any formal classes, but I kept getting points off for not doing it well." He shrugged self-consciously, not meeting Shade or Pythor's eyes. "They told me 'the mere twisting of one's words is an inadequate and feeble attempt toward true malevolence.' But I guess I'm kinda a slow learner."
"He went to a boarding school dedicated to training evil-doers," Pythor clarified, catching Shade's look of confusion.
"You—wait… What?" Shade glanced from Pythor to Lloyd incredulously, then burst out laughing. "You? Mister do-gooder? As a villain? That's…that's great."
"Yes, he was quite a handful back in the day. Especially if it involved taking candy."
"Come on, you guys," Lloyd grumbled, trying to hide a smile as Shade had to lean against a wall for support, unable to stop laughing.
"All hail the fearsome Candy Bandit!" continued Pythor. "We are but your loyal henchmen."
"Oh, now you're willing to work for me?"
"Maybe—" Shade managed between chuckles, "maybe you can recruit the Master of Earth. He likes cake or something, right?"
That was the final straw for Lloyd. He burst out laughing, Pythor joining a few moments later, and the three of them found they couldn't stop for a good long while.
"Hey boss, we're about to head your way. We're close to the monastery." Ronin's ear comm crackled to life, Shioru's voice as clear as though the gray-haired hireling stood in front of him.
"Good. Let me know when you're in place and don't forget to herd them outside. I'll take it from there, and you slip out with the rest. Don't get yourself caught."
"Relax, boss. We know the drill. See you on the flip side—with our pay."
"Job's not done yet," Ronin muttered as Shioru switched off. The mercenary-thief stood on part of the monastery's rooftop overlooking an entrance that led to its main training area. He'd spent the last couple weeks researching the ninja, working out the finer details of his plan, and mobilizing the resources he'd need to complete it. Part of it had included hiring Shioru and his men. Part of it had also included scoping out the ninjas' current base. After confirming his men would be in position today, he'd spent the early morning getting everything set up. Now, he just had to wait.
Ronin sighed and stretched, bouncing restlessly on his feet. A faint clanking noise sounded as the plates of his black armor brushed together. He'd commissioned it a couple years back to draw attention away from his more recognizable orange and green one. The helmet and face mask replaced his customary red conical hat and concealed his eyepatch. Though he preferred his other armor, he liked the sense of anonymity this one gave and its sleek, sharp style.
Everything was in place: explosive shurikens on his belt, grappling gun in its holster, flame thrower on his arm fully fueled. Glaive collapsed in its small sheath on the back of his waist. Explosive charges planted. The path he'd need to take clearly etched in his mind. His men on the way. Body taut with anticipation of the chase—and hunt.
Yeah, he hated waiting.
Still, he know the value of patience. And oh, did he have a show planned for these ninja with a finale that would keep them occupied for a while. He couldn't help but grin beneath his face mask. They'll never know what hit 'em.
"And then Jay shouts 'Agh! My pants!' because the snake bit them off! Which made for some great comic relief—even the cultists we were fighting thought so."
The story ran smoothly off Kai's lips, but Jay was less than impressed.
"That's not what happened at all!" the blue ninja exclaimed, shaking an indignant fist in Kai's direction.
Kai raised his eyebrows from across the monastery's living room where he stood. "Who's telling this story—me or you?"
"You! But you're telling it all wrong!" After all, comic relief hardly meant "let's make up embarrassing stories about Jay."
"Jay is correct," Zane cut in. "I was still Chen's captive when you first went to his temple."
Ah. The power of logic—which Kai is definitely missing right now. Jay smirked.
"And I doubt everyone was complementing you all the time, brother," Nya added before Kai could respond.
Teamwork, yes! Now for the grand finale, the main problem with Kai's story… "And most importantly," Jay finished, "Chen's snake only bit a hole in my pants." He turned around, pointing at the spot where that stupid snake had got him. "A ho-le in my pa-nts."
Nya facepalmed. "My hero."
Kai laughed. "I didn't see you correcting Chen or Clouse about that."
"That's because we didn't want them to find out!"
"Ahem."
Jay leapt in surprise as Sensei Wu seemed to materialize at the edge of the room. Oh great, I just stuck my butt out at Sensei. I bet that was all part of Kai's plan! I swear, if I get extra chores for this… "Heeey."
"It is time for training. I want to keep making sure you didn't get rusty during your recent…holiday." He glanced at Kai with a faintly amused expression before leaving.
"Tell one story…" grumbled Kai.
Cole jumped up from his chair, heading after Wu. "'Holiday'?" he scoffed. "I had to work in a noodle mine!"
"And I am made of titanium," Zane huffed. "I do not rust."
Jay chuckled as they followed Cole. "You know he means he wants to test our skills, bolt-brain."
They filed out into the outdoor training arena. Hopefully Sensei would let them at least use weapons or maybe even Spinjitsu this time, since he was still on his "no elemental powers" kick. Jay glanced around the arena and frowned, nudging Kai. "Where's Lloyd? Why doesn't he have to practice?" Lloyd had been gone for the past couple weeks.
Kai paused mid-step. "Uh, you know why, Jay."
Ohhhhh. I'm an idiot. "Oh. Right. Sorry." Wu hadn't talked much about why Lloyd had left or what he was up to: "Lloyd needs some time to find his inner self and expand his training." Which the team had translated to Lloyd's really upset about his dad and needs some space.
It was still hard for Jay to wrap his head around Lloyd not being able to handle his dad's banishment. True, if that had been Jay's dad… well, he'd much rather not think about it. But the thing was, Lloyd had made it through so many other stresses and bad turns of luck without cracking. Heck, the kid'd been the only one to keep it together after Zane's "death." And somewhere along the way, Lloyd had turned into their leader, sense of direction, encourager. Yeah, it was a lot to put on anyone's shoulders, but Lloyd had done so well for so long, it was easy to forget he actually had his own problems. Or that they could overwhelm him, same as anyone else.
Or that green was just a color, not a mark of invincibility.
"Lloyd has left us for a time," Wu said as Jay fell in next to Kai. "When he is truly needed, he will return. Until then, you will have to train harder to make up for his absence."
Okay, so Lloyd might not be around for a bit. He could accept that. But did they really have to have the extra training? And did Kai and Cole have to look quite so excited? Jay groaned.
Apparently not only did they have to be so excited, but so did everyone else, because suddenly Wu gave a disapproving clear of his throat while the others glared at him. "…yeah!" Jay quickly corrected. "I was saying 'Aw yeah!' like I was excited. Woo-hoo?"
Fortunately, Zane kept an awkward silence from forming. "Will we be training against each other today, Sensei?"
"No you will not, Titanium Ninja!" a familiar drawl cut in from across the arena. There stood a man in brown robes and outrageous hairdo: Dareth. "You will be training against—" He paused, and endeavored to copy one of the ninjas' training stances before wobbling and losing his balance. From the doorway behind him, several men in karate uniforms of their own rushed out. "—me! The brown ninja! Or more specifically, my brand new class of adult students!"
The men moved smoothly through several positions with an impressive ease, far better than Dareth. Then again, Jay reflected, it was too easy to outdo Dareth.
"Pretty good, huh?" Dareth continued, sauntering past the students to stand before the ninja. "And they're really quick learners—it's almost like they've been trained in martial arts." He ended with a casual somersault and raised an eyebrow at his audience.
Wu frowned, eyes narrowing. "Dareth, are these the students you told me about?"
"Yeah, why?"
"Destroy the ninja!" one gray-haired man suddenly shouted, brandishing a staff. The other "students" followed suit with their own staffs.
Dareth glanced over his shoulder. "Oh, eggrolls."
Jay couldn't agree more.
A/N: So. There be werewolves. And Pythor will just have to accept that. I'm still debating on Shade's organization being the "Kage Brotherhood" (kage means "shadow" in Japanese - real original, I know), but I guess we'll roll with it for now, especially since the name isn't a huge plot point.
Many thanks to my beta, Astrid16, for bearing with me on this chapter and suggesting to change my summary of Rako's backstory to a dialogue between Lloyd and Pythor - which jumped from a couple paragraphs to a couple pages! No thanks to Pythor for trying to steal the show again, but I suppose that's to be expected. ;P
Chapter 8 is in the works already, so hopefully it'll get posted sooner! You'll get to meet Rako, have your first glimpse of the Cursed Realm, and see some SoR action in earnest.
As always, I'd love to hear what you all thought of the chapter, and thanks to those of you who've been reviewing!
