Author's notes:
For those of you who don't know: Yidhra is a character from Lovecraft mythology.
While I deeply enjoy the mythology, I don't plan to go that deep into it, so you don't need to know anything to understand the story. Though, knowing certain parts of it might help you uncover some interesting things.
Anywho.
The first three chapters are going to be setting up the basis with Lloyd. Late in chapter 3 to early chapter 4 is where I hope to enter into the first realm (at least that's the plan).
Cold.
Cold was all Lloyd could feel, the substance surrounding him was an almost gel-like ice - suspending him in it's firm hold. Lloyd was used to the cold, training with Zane ensured that he dealt with it enough, but this cold was unlike anything experienced from his nindroid brother.
He was unable to move his body, the substance was more viscous than tough, and in a way he was floating, but felt trapped, he couldn't breath, yet his lungs felt full. Strange, he mused. He contorted his fingers and joints in a desperate attempt to gain any range of motion from the consuming sludge. Only his eyes obeyed. They adjusted to their new setting and slowly revealed faint hues in the corner of his vision.
As his sight improved the dim shadows of light trickled into a cascade of illumination. Lloyd's vision had cleared now, though he started to wish it hadn't.
Bodies, countless bodies. Infinite bodies. All sharing residence with him in the substance. All frozen, some in a peaceful appearance of sleep, others quite the opposite. Lloyd's eyes were drawn to the man near the front of him, his arms twisted in ways they shouldn't bend, his face frozen in a contorted agony. His face…
Had it been possible, the chill going up Lloyd's spine would have rendered him even colder. He knew that face - Jay. Trapped in what could only be described as a maimed tangle of flesh. With subtly rising panic in his features, Lloyd tried desperately to reach out towards his wounded brother only to be reminded of the gelatin prison surrounding him. It can't, They have to be okay. his eyes darted about - searching for his other fellow ninja, praying that they might have escaped such a fate.
Of course they'll be fine. Just like when Zane was kidnapped and we saved him they'll save us.
He would have spared more time to worry but was given no reprieve as his eyes had caught one more shape. There was a figure, moving through the sludge effortlessly, only taking care to maneuver around the frozen bodies.The blurry being was seemingly donned in a black garment. The way it moved was strange, almost like a swaying stride and - as he noted - it was quickly approaching him.
The figure stopped before him. It was close enough to make out now as something not entirely human. She - at least he was fairly certain it was a she - was a dark-haired lady with almost a purple hue to the skin. She had teeth like the tips of a hundred swords showing from her mouth as she smiled a sickening grin. The most notable aspect were her legs, or - more accurately - her shimmering, serpent-like tail that took the spot where her legs should be. She was almost beautiful but in a terrifying way, the way that a lion is beautiful, a confident air of power and unspeakable strength. The lady arched herself downward, lowering her immense form to his height and stared into him with unreadable, piercing, violet eyes.
"You're awake." The serpent-lady stated as a fact, "I must commend you for coming to your senses, It's not an easy task. Although it is a futile one."
What are you? Awake from... what?, Hundreds of questions swarmed Lloyd's head, but there was one that took precedence over them all, Are they safe? Before he could do anything he had to know that his team was not dead - he needed to know if they escaped. He didn't want to accept it but if the state of Jay was anything to go by there was quite the possibility they might be… No, of course they were okay, they wouldn't be taken down so easily.
Despite being unable to voice his thoughts the lady answered. "Feeble human," her voice bellowed like a deep thunder, "They are all here and they are alive. I gain nothing from the dead, the living have more use. You needn't be so concerned." she paused for a second, and then smiled slightly "at least not about their physical appearance."
Lloyd's muscles tightened as much as they could in the thick substance. He saw the frozen screams of some of the people surrounding him. A strong mixture of concern and anger flooded his head.
Yet again the serpent seemed to understand him, "I will never comprehend why your kind are so concerned about their temporal form. You needn't worry about that. That is simply their vessel in the state of which I had taken them, some people needed a bit more physical... Convincing. Others were not even conscious when I swept over them. Do not fret. Their mind has long since traveled into the subconscious. They cannot feel the physical"
Lloyd gained slight relief knowing that his friends we're alive and couldn't feel the abuse done to their bodies - assuming that the lady was being honest with him, and he certainly hoped she was. Of course that would also mean that none of his team escaped and he wasn't quite ready to accept that. Though the hint at the subconscious only made him more trepidatious. He had to be forgetting something. Surely he would have remembered a giant serpent lady attacking the entire city.
Swept over us? Lloyd's head burned, What is she talking about? What am I forgetting?
Lloyd closed his eyes in reflection. There had to be something. His mind felt like it was on fire, digging up memories from the recesses as if they had been thrown into an incinerator. But he felt something, and with all his mental strength he gripped it, ignoring the burning heat.
It hurt to focus, but Lloyd had to know. The memory lit up like striking a match. The flame flashed.
And he remembered:
•ᕙᕗ•
"Kai!" shouted Cole, they we're rushing down the back streets of the city. They had to find out what was happening, but Kai was desperate, chasing any clue thrown his way with little concern for his health or safety. "We got to stop and think Kai! This lead could be wrong like the last ones. And even if it's right, what exactly do you plan to do? Barge in without a plan or any idea what's happening and just fix everything?" Kai gave him a look, half filled with frustration the remaining half had something else, pain or despair - Lloyd couldn't quite place it. Everything was falling apart.
Ever since 8 days ago the city was thrown into another crisis, yet this one was different. There was no known origin, no potential cure, no connection or prophecy. Only one thing was certain: If you fell asleep, you would not wake up.
It had started in the middle of the day - Lloyd shuttered to think what would have happened had it started during night when everyone was naturally asleep. Anyone who had slept fell into a coma-like state, unresponsive though alive. By the fourth day panic ran rampant. Soda, coffee, energy drinks, and the like all sold out. Theories rose up that it was some drug testing in the water or smoke that was hidden in chemtrails.
The sixth day was the worst.
The bodies of the sleeping had disappeared seemingly whisked away from their homes, the hospitals, everywhere. No one knew how they disappeared, cameras weren't working. People rushed for 24/7 hour surveillance on their family members and loved ones. Riots started in the streets from small groups of people remaining throwing blame to the government, the end times, or anything at all - desperate for someone to accuse.
It was useless. The guards themselves could only stay awake for so long. By the seventh day those still awake had exponentially decreased to alarming numbers and on the eighth day well... The Ninja encountered almost no one while traveling anymore.
"Cole," Kai responded, "We don't have time to think, how many more days do you think you can realistically stay awake?" Kai was speaking in reference to Cole, but Lloyd knew that Kai himself was struggling to fight off the constant wave of sleepiness just as much as everyone else. Of course he would never admit it himself.
Zane spoke up, "Perhaps it is a good thing that we keep attempting different options. Is it not better that we do something that might not work then do nothing? Standing still will only make you more tired". Thanks to Zane's mechanical body there were ways to reroute the power to avoid necessitating sleep. At least they would have someone who could carry on after they all succumbed to their weariness. Although the idea of being left alone without any of his family was not an idea that Zane could ever accept - he would do his best to keep his brothers alive.
Jay took his turn to speak, "I understand what you're saying Cole, I really do, but I can't sit still, figuratively and literally. I mean it, if I stop walking I'm done for." He drew his finger across his neck "Zip, donezo." His words took a more sorrowful tone, "think about it there has to have been hundreds of people taken, The only place they could fit that many people has to be near the center of the town. There's hospitals and hotels. Nya has got to be in one of them, right? Maybe there's some underground network or something, or maybe they're in one of the hospitals or hotels? Nya and Wu have to be there, I mean right...?" Jay was far too tired to even notice the unnecessary repetition in his statement. Or he was simply too tired to care.
"Kai, Jay," Cole spoke up again, absent-mindedly picking at the skin on his left arm - pinching to keep him awake, "I know you both care for Nya, she's my friend too. We all want to track down whoever took her and find out what happened, but do you really think they could have gotten away with hiding them in such public places for so long? I know you're tired and it's hard to think straight, but I think that if we try to put our energy towards something else it might be more useful. Now if-"
"Hissss sss HhiSsaSsA!"
Cole was abruptly cut off by a thunderous sound - a intertwined symphony of a serpent's call and screeching banshee. The ninja immediately stood to attention. After experiencing the Great Devourer and Pythor, they were well aware an angry snake was no laughing matter.
"BOOMHS!"
A trail of wreckage burst through the building to their right. As if a train had rammed through the decrepit apartment complex. Yet there was nothing, no figure or creature.
A strong 'Swoosh' was heard. Like the sound of a tail whipping through the air. None of them could see where the attack was coming from, certainly not Zane, who was instantly entwined within the impossibly strong muscles of the creature's invisible tail and thrust backwards into the heavy concrete facade of the building behind him. The force rammed into his center, colliding him against a nearby building at rapid speeds. He was unable to move or act.
Lloyd, Kai, Jay, and Cole could only stare in horror. His systems had been forced into emergency idle - essentially the equivalent of being unconscious.
Of being asleep. Lloyd noted internally. For the sake of his friend he certainly hoped that despite Zane's special programming to make him more human, his form of sleep did not coincide enough to afflict him to the same state of constant unconsciousness.
Not a moment was given to reflect as in an instant the blue clothed ninja was pulled from the ground by what only could have been some form of hands - based off of the dexterity. His arms pulled taunt apart from each other. And they twisted, They were revolving in a fashion never meant for a human. He was raised upwards, screaming, his elbows snapping as his femur punctured through the skin. He was discarded onto the ground as he fell unconscious.
And in a similar fashion so were the rest taken. Cole was thrown into the ground but was still awake, something to be said for his endurance and resolve. It was no matter though as the being seemingly held at his throat depriving him of breath until he at last succumbed to his tired body. Kai was rendered helpless as he was torn apart with invisible fingernails - luckily from watching the others he quickly let himself give away to sleep ceasing the torture faster.
Lloyd ran. Bolting out of the alley and down inside a building to his left he hurried through the infrastructure desperate to escape. He had to escape to save his friends. He had to.
A booming cackle was heard through the air. The creature merely knocked the refuge down with a satisfying swing from its mighty tail. Lloyd was crushed under debris but still breathing. still awake. The throbbing pain in his heart was overwhelming; he wouldn't let his teammates' suffering be in vain. Though trapped and unable to move he looked up with determination.
But he was so tired. He couldn't think.
His eyes were red from being forced open and he trembled against the fallen debris.
He just had to stay awake.
He just had to stay awake.
And everything went dark.
•ᕙᕗ•
The memory had burned across his mind forming a numbing sensation as it met with freezing sludge outside of him. He finally had a face to place as his attacker. The being who hurt his friends, his family.
Who even are you, why are you doing this? Lloyd bore his eyes into hers. He thought the words with blazing spite.
"Now that is a good question, probably the first one you've asked. I'm called many things: 'Yee-Tho-Rah', 'Lull of Madam Yi', 'The Lady beneath the 70 steps', but you may call me by my birth title - 'Yidhra, the Witch of Dreams'." She swept her tail between her left and right in amusement, "Consider me having divulged that piece of information as a reward. Most of those I take are never granted the chance to even see my visage. My interest in you has waned, you may have woken but now it's time for you to go back to sleep. Farewell strange man"
Panic continued to swell in his blood but Lloyd could do nothing; his eyes grew heavier as if they were being tugged downwards by tiny invisible hands. His muscles felt almost gooey like the slushy substance surrounding him. The strangest part was that he couldn't even tell his mind was going, till he was
going,
going,
gone…