Chapter 10 Last Trials
What on earth could we build to get up to the ceiling? I was at a complete loss. Jay was walking over to the nearest pile of stuff.
"I grew up in a junk yard," he started saying, "I've watched my dad build things for forever. I think I can build something that can get us up there."
I was doubtful. Jay wasn't the brightest or best wizard in our group. Not to make him feel bad, but I didn't really trust something built by Jay.
"You think?" I asked, uncertainly.
Jay didn't turn around, and continued looking for something. "Well, yeah. My dad was showing me the blue prints for this jet he was making over break. It didn't look that complicated. I'm sure I can rebuild it. There's so much stuff here…" He pulled out a piece of metal. "See! This will be part of the wing."
I wasn't convinced. "Are you sure?"
Jay glared at me. "Of course I can make it! We can do it. We have to!"
This overly positive attitude was worrying me. I had never seen him like this.
Jay hung his head and added as an afterthought. "Maybe." He sighed and dropped what ever it was he was holding. "I have to try," he whispered at last.
My heart clenched. He was just doing his best and I totally knocked him down. I picked up the piece of metal.
"So, what else do we need?" I asked Jay.
"Well, we'll need a power converter, compressor, a turbine, some thrusters and some more metal for the body for starters," he replied.
I had no idea what half of this stuff was. "I'll grab some metal and you can grab the engine parts," I said.
Jay nodded and we split off in the massive room of junk. I grabbed as much metal as I could carry and dropped it off by Zane and Cole. They still looked dead to the world. I paused for a few minutes before going back for more stuff. I went back and forth until I was too tired to carry any more.
I sat down and watched Jay work. He had a small, organized pile of equipment next to my mess. He scoured the junk piles for hidden gems, sometimes climbing to reach certain parts. Jay was persistent. I could give him that.
After a while, he was ready to start assembling. The engine was first. I didn't understand any of it, but Jay seemed to know what he was doing, so I left it up to him. I would probably get in his way.
An hour past. Then two. I yawned. Jay's blue kimono was soiled by grease and oil from the engine. Although it was coming together, I could tell he had a long way to go. It was probably close to midnight by now. Maybe I could close my eyes. Just for a little bit…
"It's done!" Jay announced.
I woke up with a start. I rubbed my eyes and looked at the shamble of a jet. I had no idea how this was going to fly. The wings were bolted together, and the body was a jumble of metal. The cockpit was a mess of wires and controls. The jet also included four seats and seatbelts for each.
"Are you sure about this?" I asked.
"Of course! Now hop in," Jay replied. I clambered over the side and slid into a seat. I noticed Cole and Zane were still out of it. I hoped they would wake up soon. I jumped out and pulled them in with me. I buckled us all in and prayed that we would make it out alive.
"Alright," Jay said. "Now to power her up!"
I watched as he closed his eyes and scrunched his face together. Sparks began to build up in his hand. At last, he opened his eyes and threw the lightning into the wires. The electricity sparked for a while, and then died out. I looked at Jay, who laughed awkwardly.
"Now to power her up," he said again. This time, he rubbed his hand against his scarf. Blue light began to build up. His hand moved faster and faster creating more and more sparks. Jay pulled his hand away from his scarf and began to concentrate again.
Actual bolts of lightning were shooting out of his hand. I ducked to avoid the energy. I couldn't believe that a physical action like rubbing could help unlock elemental powers. I would have to try that some time.
This time, the engine started up without any problems. "Hang on!" Jay cried. He pulled down on the throttle and we started rising off the ground. We started moving faster and faster. The wind roared in my ears.
My stomach lurched. I couldn't look down. Instead, I looked at the gray door that was getting closer and closer. I couldn't believe it. We were going to make it!
Wait, how were we getting through the door? I didn't think we could hover and pull it open. My eyes widened. We kept getting closer without any sign of stopping.
"Jay?" I called.
Jay's hair was whipping wildly. "Hold on tight!" he called over the wind. I closed my eyes. Jay was going to fly us right into the door. I grabbed his seat and hoped that we wouldn't die in the process. The nose of the jet collided with the ceiling. The door shattered into a million pieces. I let go of the chair and covered my face.
Pain flared in my arms. I flung forward, only to get pulled back by my seatbelt. Bits of shrapnel punctured me. I groaned. I was hurting. Bad. But at least I was alive. I opened my eyes. The jet was ruined. Zane and Cole were bleeding from several cuts. I had to undo their seatbelts. After I made sure they were all right, I looked around for Jay.
I didn't see him anywhere. "Jay?" I called. "Jay!"
No answer. Oh no. I scrambled over to the remains of the cockpit. Jay had bashed his head into the dashboard. Blood was oozing out of a cut in his forehead.
I shook him gently. "Jay. Wake up." No response.
I rolled him over and checked for a pulse. I breathed a sigh of relief. It beat faintly. He wasn't dead. My arms were still sore, but I managed to drag him over to Zane and Cole. Now that my friends were okay, time to assess the situation.
I was alone in room with a massive hole in the floor with no sign of an exit. This place wasn't as fancy as the last two. The only decoration was a table with a bunch of pots on it. I walked over there, and to my surprise; they were all ceramic tea pots like the one Mistaké liked to brew in. They were different sizes, but all in the same style. In front of the center pot, there was a note. I picked it up and started reading.
Two of us will help you, whichever you would stumble upon,
Two among us seven will let you move on,
Two among our number hold only nettle wine,
Three of us are killers, waiting hidden in line.
Choose, unless you wish to stay here for evermore,
To help you in your choice, we give you these clues four:
First, however slyly the poison tries to hide
You will always find some on nettle wine's left side;
Second, different are those who stand at either end,
But if you would move onwards, neither is your friend;
Third, as you see clearly, all are different size,
Neither dwarf nor giant holds death in their insides;
Fourth, the second left and the second on the right
Are twins once you taste them, though different at first sight.
I read the note again, then looked back at the table of teapots. This stuff was way beyond me. I was terrible at logic puzzles. "Grrrahh! Zane, where are you when I need you?!" I yelled.
He would probably be able to solve this with no problem, but he was still out cold from helping me. I sighed. I guess I was on my own. Let's see… two of these are wine right? So then the pot containing the wine should smell. Wine had a distinct odor. Karin had it every night at dinner, so I had gotten used to the aroma. I leaned down to sniff a pot, then drew back suddenly. What if the smell of the poison kills me?
But the point of the test is to drink the correct liquid, then sniffing it shouldn't have too bad an affect right? I certainly hoped not. In my science class back in Ninjago city, we smelled chemicals by using our hands to waif the aroma to our noses. I was going to have trust that would protect me. I whiffed all seven pots. Only two reminded me of wine: the third from the left and the end pot on the right. So now I had five more options.
How could I eliminate them? The first clue said that there was poison on the left of the wine. So that meant the second and sixth teapots were poison. Now what? I guess I could read the riddle again and see if it held any other answers. The ones on the end were different, but they wouldn't help me move forward, so if one is wine, the other has to be poison.
Um… neither the dwarf nor the giant hold death. Well, the biggest pot here in spot number three is a wine. Number five is unidentified. I smiled. Yes! That means it must be a move forward. It was really small though. There would be barely enough for two people. I was going to have to find the other one.
Okay. I know all the others, so that means that number four must be a move forward. I grinned. I did it! And I didn't need Zane after all. I was going to have to thank Karin for drinking so much wine. I grabbed the two forward teapots and ran back to my friends.
"Guys, get up. We're moving on the to the next room!"
Nobody moved. I tried shaking them. Still nothing. I put down the pots.
Time to get creative.
To be continued...Please drop a review!