Daybreak
The clouds above the Dark Island were beginning to thin by the time Zane woke up the next morning. His throat felt raw as sandpaper as he sat upright and jerked his head around, reprimanding himself for falling asleep in such an open area. Any stone warrior or slave could have seen him from a mile away while he laid unconscious on the large, open beach.
He groaned and got to his feet, not even bothering to try and get the sand out of his hair and clothing. He felt lightheaded and dizzy, and a throbbing ache in his skull made him feel more than a little sick.
He swayed unsteadily on his feet and grimaced when he felt a huge lump on the back of his head from when his head had hit the Black Bounty's railing the night before. That explained the wicked headache...
He felt a warm breeze tousle his hair, and he noted that his cloak must have fallen off sometime before he fell into the water because it was not around his neck anymore. Not that he would need it in this climate, though. Sweat beaded at his forehead as he took a tentative step forward, testing his weight on one damp leather boot.
Water. He needed water. Not the salty stuff behind him, but fresh water; preferably from a stream, not a lake or bog.
He wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead and peered into the trees. Of course, the intense heat told him that there would be no glacier springs, such as there were near his hometown in the Northerns. Perhaps there would be swamps and marshes here on the island, but finding a clean lake was a near impossibility.
He ran into the trees, stopping about a hundred yards in. He took off his shirt and carefully opened his panel. He had been concerned that the fall might have damaged the gasket on his panel's seam, allowing moisture to pass through, but was relieved to find that he was still dry.
He flipped a few switches; turning on his location, weapons, and other various gadgets. He shut the panel again, put his damp shirt back on, and held up his arm.
A large black bird landed on Zane's arm within a few seconds and let out a chirp, cocking its head to the side, as if to ask the question: 'Why did you leave me alone for so long?'
Zane stroked its head affectionately and gave it a weak smile. "I missed you too, my falcon friend." He spoke for the first time since the night before, voice weak and hoarse. "Where is the eagle?"
The falcon blinked, and a holographic image of a map was suddenly projecting from its eyes. The map was zoomed out completely, showing both Ninjago and the Dark Island.
Six dots pulsed on the map. Three were over the ocean, two were on the Dark Island, and one was on Ninjago Island. The three that were over the ocean were green, orange, and silver. The gold dot was blinking in the Northern realm, and the red and white dots were on the Dark Island.
The green and orange dots were practically on top of each other, moving steadily toward the Dark Island at a perplexingly fast pace. They were about halfway across the ocean. The white dot was his falcon, and the red one belonged to Kai's bird, which Zane had fashioned to look like a grey hobby. The silver one was near the shore of the evil island, about five miles out to sea.
"Pixal..." Zane touched the silver dot, and his finger went straight through the holograph. The silver light was the eagle. The orange light was Nya's black palse, and the green one was Prince Lloyd's osprey.
Zane stared at the red light for a long moment, considering his options. Pixal's eagle would begin making its way home once it realized that its master was not coming back, so Zane did not worry himself over her bird. Kai was his main priority. Wherever Kai was, Cole would be as well. And wherever Cole was, there would have to be water. It was only logical.
He took a deep, raspy breath of the thick, humid air, doing his best to stay calm. The problem with his very logical plan was that Kai's strobing red light was at least thirty miles west of where he stood. It would take him several days to reach Kai, under the assumption that he stayed in one spot.
And so therefore, his plan was illogical. He needed water now, not in a few days. He could not possibly travel thirty miles under this burning sun without any nourishment. So... He needed a new plan.
Just start walking, he finally decided. Travel west, hope to find some water along the way.
It was then that another thought hit him. He looked up at the trees and squinted, holding up a hand to shield his eyes from the sun. He had heard of fruit trees in tropical climates that were filled with sweet water... What was it called? Cocoa beans? He shook his head. No, it was something different. Coconut, perhaps.
Yes, that was it. A hard, round brown shell, white flesh, and a clear sweet liquid in its center. 'A marooned man's best friend,' that's what all the sailors from the Southern realm always said.
He could see several of these fruit-bearing trees all around him. The problem was that each of these bulbous clumps of coconut were still green and fairly small, not very good for anything.
Zane sighed wearily and shook his head, dropping his gaze to his feet. He blinked stars out of his vision and squeezed his lids shut tightly, scratching a spot on his scalp where the sand was irritating him as he considered his options. Just his luck to come at the time of year when all the fruits were out of season.
He could not remember the last time that he had eaten a tropical fruit, such as mango or coconut. It had been at least fifteen years since anyone in the Southern, Middle, or Northern realms had served the tropical fruits within their homes. The Dark Island used to be a region of Ninjago, governed by the former lord of the beautiful island named Keitorin, until the Overlord had attacked with his store warriors and taken over, renaming the region as the Dark Island.
A sharp snapping sound to his left made Zane jerk his head and jump in surprise. His hand instinctively went to his side before he remembered that he had no sword. He took a step backward, hoping beyond hope that he was not about to meet a stone warrior.
"Who are you?" He snapped. "Come out where I can see you."
As if in response, a small white bird flew over to him and landed at his feet. Zane stared at it in surprise for a long moment. This bird was obviously tame. He knew it could not be robotic, because he had helped his father build them all himself.
But if this bird was a pet, then where was its master?
"Where are you?" Zane snapped again harshly, sliding one foot behind the other in a defensive position, hands up near his chest. "Show yourself!"
"Goodness," a voice spoke behind him. "You don't need to shout. I'm not that old, you know."
Zane whirled around, inhaling a sharp gasp when he saw that the person was standing with no less than six paces between them. He was almost like a phantom; silent and terrifying.
"Who...who are you?" Zane asked after regaining his composure. He stared at the figure in front of him, recognizing the man, but unable to put his finger on the name.
The man was tall, in his early fifties. His bright green and gold flecked eyes sparkled with amusement, although Zane did not understand the joke that this man obviously had running through his head. His wrinkled hands held an intricately carved staff that he held more for show than because he actually needed it. He was bald, save for a single greying shoulder-length braid.
His long, neatly combed white beard moved with the shake of his head. "You don't recognize me, Zane?" He asked. "That's to be expected, I suppose. I was your age the last time we met." He laughed lightly. "My, how time flies. You're a little bit late. Kai landed with the Black Knight at dusk last night. You were supposed to be on that boat too, you know. Bailing out on us now?" His eyes lit up as he waited for Zane's reaction to his pun.
His bony shoulders shrugged after an awkward moment of silence, sending a ripple through his white tunic. His booted feet shuffled in the sand as he took a step forward. "It can't be helped, I suppose," he said. "The Blue Knight and the prince are on their way as well, but you already knew that. They are with Nya right now, on that mechanical beast you helped her create. They'll be here in a few days."
So that's how they were moving so fast over the water, Zane thought. No ordinary floating ship can move that fast.
"How would you know that the Blue Knight is with them?" Zane asked. "In fact, how do you know any of this information?" He couldn't get the fact that this old man knew his name out of his head. That he knew about the prophesy was even more unnerving.
The old man looked mildly shocked. "You really don't recognize me?" He asked. "I'm the king's brother, Prince Wu."
Zane's eyes widened as he looked the man up and down. Of course! How had he forgotten? Twenty years ago, the braid had been blond, and his face had been clean-shaven. His body had been a bit more toned, but that was to be expected. Wu had been about thirty-four the last time they met.
It didn't help that Wu was also supposed to be dead.
Zane dropped to one knee and dipped his head respectfully. "Your highness," he said. "Please forgive me. I should have recognized you."
Wu covered the distance between them in a few long, sprightly steps. "Stand up, Zane." He said. "I forgive you. It's the beard, isn't it?"
Zane got to his feet and looked at the man in the eyes. Green and gold eyes, a trait that ran through the Garmadon family. He nodded to the white bird on the ground. "Is that yours?" He asked, effectively avoiding the beard question.
Wu nodded once. "Your father made it for me in secret, and gave it to me a few days before the accident."
Understanding filled Zane's eyes. "So it was staged?" He asked. "That accident years ago had been...planned?"
Wu nodded. "I can give you explanations later, my lord." He said, tracing a few glyphs into the sand with the end of the staff for his own amusement. "Follow me to my home. You will have a few days to freshen up before you continue your journey."
Zane hesitated. "But what about Kai and Cole?" He asked.
Wu looked up from his writing and gave him a reassuring smile. "They are lucky to have a friend as loyal as you," he said. "Don't worry yourself over them. There is nothing you can do to help them until the Blue and Green Knights arrive with the maps." He turned slowly and began walking away from the beach. "Follow me, Zane."
Zane took a step forward. Could he trust this man?
He shook his head to clear it. Of course he could trust Wu. The man was a little eccentric, but he had a good heart. There was no reason not to follow the king's brother into enemy territory.
Irony was cruel that way.