7
Tolan sighed as he pushed his way into his tent, and he froze when he saw a familiar face pouring water into the wash bin.
"What are you doing here, Hot-Stuff?" he demanded. Teag jumped and nearly lost his grip on the nearly-empty bucket. He spun, his eyes wide as if he had just been caught doing something wrong. Syn was laughing as she came over.
"Teag's just here for lunch," she offered, and Tolan frowned.
"Lunch? What—"
"He came over yesterday and I invited him back today," his wife explained. "It's been nice having some company, with you and Pip always gone. Not to mention, he's been a real help with the chores."
Tolan turned back to where Teag was standing, and the boy puffed his chest out a little. Tolan raised an eyebrow. "You don't say?"
"Here, Tol. He brought this by yesterday for you to look at."
He looked down to see Syn handing him a knife. He frowned at it, and he could tell Teag was frozen in anticipation. "You're still quenching too quickly," the man said at last, looking up. Teag's eyes flashed with irritation.
"I know…"
"And your folding is messy. You've got to keep a rhythm. This edge here is lumpy, which means you weren't brushing off the hot flakes…"
"Tolan!"
He looked up to see Syn raising an eyebrow. "What?" the guard demanded. "If I don't tell him what to fix, he's never going to get better." His wife continued to fix him with the look, and Tolan sighed. He tested the weight in his hand and finally turned back to the colorful-headed boy. "The weight's getting there. And it's pretty balanced, all things considering."
A small smile appeared on the boy's face, and he cleared his throat. "Do you think maybe you could show me how to make a better one tomorrow?"
"You want me to spend my day off with you in a sweltering forge? I already told you; weaponry goes beyond the basics I agreed to teach."
Teag was frozen, apparently not knowing what to say. There was a tension in the room now, and Tolan finally glanced back down at the knife in his hand. For the first time, he noticed the little insignia. It wasn't his; it looked like the kid had tried to create his own. After a moment, the guard sighed.
"Be there before the sun gets up," Tolan demanded. "When I arrive, the forge better be spotless, and the fire better be going."
Teag immediately straightened, a smile splitting across his face. Tolan tossed the knife onto the table and headed into the back to take off his weapons. Syn followed him.
"Atta boy," she teased, and he looked up to scowl.
"It's only because you fed him," he muttered. "You can't feed them, Syn, or they'll never leave."
"Mmm…all right," she said as she leaned in to kiss him. "Go ahead and blame me, if that makes you feel better."
He rolled his eyes, and his wife kissed him one last time. "Where is Pippa?" Tolan asked.
"She didn't ever come back from training—I'm assuming she spent the night at the fortress."
"I wish your brother would just bring her home every time instead of letting her weasel her way into fortress stays. I don't like not knowing where she is."
Syn smiled, but she was cut off from replying as someone cleared their throat. Tolan and Syn glanced over to see Teag poking his head through the back curtain. "Master Hershel just rode up...and he's got his serious face on."
"So, let me get this straight. There's a group of scary cloaked dudes after you?" Dune's expression was pinched as he sat on the ledge next to Pippa, and the girl rolled her eyes.
"They aren't after me, they're after my Uncle Hershel. Pay attention, Dune," she chided.
"Why are they after your Uncle?"
"Something about how he's finding the kids with powers." Her expression darkened. "But they better be careful. If they touch my Uncle Hershel, I'll destroy them. Nobody messes with my family. I would have taught them a lesson right then and there, if Uncle Hershel had let me."
"It's probably better that he didn't."
Pippa groaned loudly before turning to glower at her best friend. "You are a pansy," she accused. The nearly twelve-year-old stiffened in offense.
"You could have gotten hurt!" He pointed out. "Speaking of, aren't you supposed to be at the fortress right now? You said that Hershel grounded you."
"They're just being dumb because of the cloaked guys," Pippa sniffed. "They only said I had to stay at the fortress to stay safe, but I'm safe here, too. Technically I'm safe everywhere, cuz I can take care of myself, but the cloaked dudes would be making a serious mistake to come here where Iona could get ahold of them."
"Is that why you transported here instead of riding Baffa?"
Pippa glanced away. "That's part of it."
Before Dune could ask any more questions, there was the tell-tale squeal of three troublesome toddlers. Pippa looked down to see the Bentworth trio scrabbling up the rocky slope after her and Dune. "Go away, babies!" she yelled. "Scram! This spot is only for super cool older kids. And Dune."
"Hey!" Dune snapped in annoyance.
"Pip!" Tawn squealed in excitement, and she rolled her eyes as the two boys reached her. Rosa was slower, and Pippa watched as Haiven caught the youngest triplet before she could climb up to where Pippa and Dune were sitting.
"You should be watching them better," Pippa chided, and Haiven looked up to glower at the fluffy-haired girl. "This is no place for babies."
"Pippa, don't be rude," Dune whispered. Pippa didn't apologize, and Haiven finally glanced away from the challenging twelve-year-old to give a serious of whistles. The toddlers perked up, and they scurried back down the rocky slope as quickly as they scurried up.
Pippa watched Haiven and the three toddlers wander off with narrowed eyes. As they turned a corner, the girl snorted loudly. "I'm glad that Prince Theodynn isn't with her anymore."
"Oh, here we go," Dune muttered. Pippa ignored him as she kicked her legs where they were dangling over the edge of the ledge.
"Prince Theo needs someone who will adventure with him. He's super brave—he shouldn't be with someone who's afraid of her own shadow.
"Haiven isn't—"
"I'm just glad he came to his senses before they did something stupid like get bound," Pippa sniffed. "She's not his type at all."
"Neither are you," her friend pointed out, and Pippa stiffened. "Besides, Haiven is the one who broke it off. I heard Blist and Iona talking about it. They said that the Prince was going to propose." Dune shrugged. "They'd probably be bound right now if Haiven hadn't backed out."
"Even more proof that she's an idiot!" Pippa snapped, pushing herself to her feet. "Prince Theo is like the greatest, strongest, most handsome..."
"He's just a pale weirdo with a title," Dune countered. Pippa's eyes blazed as she whirled on him, and her friend had the wisdom to backtrack. "That's what Blist calls him!"
"He's perfect," Pippa growled. She began marching away, and Dune rushed to keep up.
"Where are you going?"
"The fortress," she snapped, waiting for Dune to apologize for being stupid and beg her to stay longer. However, the boy sighed instead.
"Probably best," he pointed out. "Otherwise your Uncle would come looking for you."
"Or my Dad," she reminded. "He's way scarier than Uncle Hershel."
"Mmmmmm..." Dune shrugged in a way that showed he didn't quite agree, and Pippa rolled her eyes.
"I probably won't be back for a while," she said haughtily.
"Okay."
She stiffened, glowering at her friend. He seemed confused by her anger. "You've got cloaked, dangerous guys after you. I think it's smart to lie low and..."
"You really are a pansy," she interrupted. Her hands lit up, and Dune watched with wide eyes as she transported.
Amber pulled off her dance bag, feeling more tired than usual. There weren't many people in the dorm hallways at this point, and she wiped at her face with a sigh. After classes, tutoring, and an evening city council meeting, she was eager to slip into bed—especially since she'd be up early the next day.
She nearly didn't notice the rose dangling from her doorknob, but it brushed her arm as she went to blearily push her way into her and Dani's dorm room. The Oni looked down in surprise. Had Colby left it for Dani? They were always doing stuff like this, but considering that she was pretty sure Dani spent the day with Colby today it seemed strange he would have left this for her. The red rose was tied with a ribbon, and Amber frowned as she noticed the note twirling from the bundle.
She lifted the card, her eyes scanning the words quickly in the dim light before widening in shock.
"Wait, you told him yes?" Dani stared from her bed, her mouth hanging open in surprise. Amber flushed as she made her bed.
"Why wouldn't I say yes?"
"He only asked last night—you've already responded?"
"I sent him a text," Amber said. "What's the point of having a phone if I don't use it to text people?" Dani didn't respond, but Amber frowned as she realized her roommate was feeling conflicted. What did Dani have to feel conflicted about? "What was I supposed to do? Turn him down?"
"No," Dani said carefully. "I just didn't know you liked Patrick like that."
"Like what? He's my friend—did you think we weren't friends?"
"I know you're friends," Dani assured. "But going to a formal dance together is gonna make it seem like you're more than friends." Amber stared blankly, and Dani sighed. "Are you guys dating now?"
Amber immediately flushed, finally catching on to what her roommate was insinuating. "It was an invitation to a dance, not a proposal! Patrick and I are friends, and he asked me to go to this dance thing, and so I said yes. We're dance partners in three of our classes—it's not like we haven't ever danced before."
"But school dances like this are different."
"Different how?" Amber shoved the last pillow into place, feeling irritated. "Why are you being so weird about this? Patrick asked me to go with him and I said yes. There's nothing more to read into about it."
"It's technically a date, you know."
Amber swallowed, the first nervous butterflies starting in her stomach. "Should I have said no?"
Dani shook her head, pulling her hair into a ponytail. "If you want to go to the dance with Patrick, then that's fine. Sorry to make it seem like life-or-death...I'm just wondering how Openheimer is going to react to this news."
"Why? This has nothing to do with M." Amber started packing her dance bag.
"You're right," Dani agreed. "If he wanted to go to the dance, he should have asked."
Amber frowned again. "I've done performances with M and Patrick, and neither of them have ever really cared about it. M won't care."
"But this isn't a performance," Dani tried.
"It's dancing, isn't it?" Amber scowled, tugging on her sneakers before she went to the door to leave for class.
"I don't like this," Tolan growled, shoving the last of their possessions into the cold stone room. He glowered at the walls, trying not to feel trapped. He had grown up at the central fortress, sleeping in barracks, but he preferred the tent lifestyle. It felt less restraining.
"It's just until we figure out who attacked Hershel and Pippa," Syn said carefully from nearby.
"I should have known this apprenticeship was a bad idea. It was only a matter of time before Hershel stumbled into more trouble and dragged Pip into it."
Syn shot her husband a reprimanding look. "Tol, this isn't Hershel's fault."
"He's the one who insists on throwing himself into dangerous situations. I knew that seeking out powered kids was going to come back to bite him."
"You know why he insists on helping them," Syn snapped, sifting through one of the boxes on the floor. "I'm not any happier about moving back into the Western Fortress, but I'm not mad at Hershel for keeping other kids from being used and abused, like we were as kids."
Tolan fell quiet, knowing there wasn't really a safe way to reply to that argument. Syn pulled out a few of Pippa's shirts before continuing softly.
"You always get like this when you're worried about Pippa."
"Get like what?"
"Just please keep your temper in check. It's not gonna make anything better for you to take your mood out on everyone," Syn tried. Tolan gave her a withering look, and she stood to give him a little smile. "Look on the bright side; living here, I'm closer to the school and you're closer to the forge. We won't have to travel so far to get to work."
"Our tent was closer to the Central Fortress, so it's actually going to take even longer to get to work." Tolan sighed, pushing his hair out of his face. "It was bad enough keeping the Freak out of trouble. Now I have to worry about everyone."
"That's why we're moving back to the fortress," Syn corrected. "So you don't have to worry about the rest of us." She kissed his cheek, though it did little to still the frustration swirling inside her husband. "Just relax, Tol. We've gotten through worse."
The guards pulled the doors to the school open, though Myrah barely noticed as she adjusted the scrolls in her arms. She headed down the hallway to her office, but as she pushed her way into the room at the end of the hall, she was surprised to see that someone was already inside.
"Theodynn! It's been a while since you've paid the school a visit."
The Oni Heir looked up and smiled, but it didn't look like it used to. Myrah studied him closely—it had been a few months since he had really looked like himself. In fact, Theo's expression seemed a little haunted, and it made the Western Leader uneasy.
"I'm sorry I haven't come to help out in a while," Theo offered. "It's just been a little busy lately."
Myrah came over to dump the scrolls on her desk. "Don't apologize. You have many responsibilities as the Heir of the Oni. Is there a reason you've come today?"
Theo shrugged, glancing away. "The schools are one of the only places I'm allowed to go without a bodyguard these days," he admitted, and Myrah didn't miss the bitterness in his voice. She wondered if he was really allowed to be here without a bodyguard, or if he was just saying as much so she wouldn't think it was strange that he had come alone. Theo looked around the room as he continued. "How are things?"
"I think we're finally getting to a point where we know what we're doing," the leader offered with a smile. "Now that we've been running a few years—and built this building specifically for education—people are taking this school project seriously. We have more candidates to teach than before, which means we can be a little pickier about who we choose."
"What kinds of subjects are you offering?" the Heir asked as he sank into a chair. "Add any new ones lately?"
"The focus is still on reading, writing, and realm history," Myrah admitted. "Not to mention the healing arts, which Syn is still heading."
"That sounds pretty well-rounded," Theo mused. "I'm still trying to get Tala to offer history and healing at the education system she's set up, but she's barely willing to have reading and writing taught. It's turned into more of a skill school than anything. I guess it makes sense, since their economy is built around artistry and carpentry and all that. It just doesn't really feel like a school to me—it's more like she just took the apprenticeship system that the East already did and put them all in one building together and called it a school so that you wouldn't be the only one who had one.
Myrah smiled. "It's encouraging that other leaders are teaching their people to read," she tried gently. "You've made a great impact on the realm, Theodynn."
He looked away with a scowl. "Maybe." Silence fell, and Myrah tried to figure out what to say next.
"You never came back to the meeting a few days back," she pointed out. "Is everything all right?"
Theodynn sighed. "I just needed to clear my head," he admitted. "Which is also why I'm here, I guess. I'm sorry to show up and get in the way, I just needed to get out of the fortress today and Tolan wasn't around."
"He's busy moving into the Western fortress," Myrah admitted. "Don't worry about being in the way—this school was created by our joint efforts, Theodynn. You have every right to be here."
Theo looked up in surprise. "Tol and Syn are moving back into the Western Fortress? Why?"
"After the attack on Hershel, we thought it was best."
"The what?"
Myrah frowned, suddenly wondering if it was wise to catch Theodynn up on everything happening. It was clear that he had enough on his plate already, by the dark circles under his eyes.
"Hershel was accosted by men in cloaks a few nights ago, demanding he give up his attempts at saving powered children. He managed to escape unscathed, but given that Pippa was with him, we asked Tolan and Syn to move their family to the fortress until we can figure out who the attackers were and why—"
"Traders! It had to be!" Theo cut in, pushing himself to his feet. "They mentioned wanting powered children. They must be angry that we keep finding them and moving them to the village for safekeeping."
"You've been in contact with traders?" Myrah realized, watching the Heir closely. Theo glanced up and guilt flickered across his expression.
"Tolan and I have been doing our own research," he offered cautiously. "I can't rely on the reports from the south any more, and with Ottan turning his back on the slave trade that is still so obviously happening..." he trailed off, pushing a hand through his hair. "You can't tell my parents about it, though."
"How long have you been researching this?"
"Technically years, though we've been able to uncover more in the past few months," Theo offered, looking like he wanted to change the subject.
"I wondered if it was slave traders," Myrah mused. "Though I also feared they might be assassins sent from another province—I know the other leaders are angry that my husband is training every powered child we know of in the realm. Even if it is at the hidden village, I wouldn't put it past Ottan and even Tala to conspire against us because they think we're raising an army for the west."
"I've looked into Tala and the east as much as I could, but I haven't really found many links back to slavery. Not that there aren't crooks, but as far as slave trade goes, I'm finding most of it in the south and the north."
"Ymil's in on it too? Wouldn't have thought him capable."
Theo smiled a little. "I'm not sure if he has links to this new insistence for powered Oni. The slave trade in the north were mine owners sneaking slaves down into the mines and thinking they wouldn't be caught. Tolan and I cracked down on them a year ago, and we haven't really seen as much up there anymore. Ymil's a little easier to threaten than Ottan."
"Be careful who you're threatening, Theodynn," Myrah warned.
"'Threaten' isn't really the right word," he amended, though he heaved another sigh. "My point is, Ottan doesn't listen to a word I say, and slavery continues to hide out right under his nose."
"I wouldn't be surprised if he has a spoon in the pot," Myrah mused. Theo glanced up at her.
"That's what I think, too."
"So what's your next step?" Myrah urged. "How close are you to discovering these slave traders?"
"We uncovered a large ring of them hiding out in southern caves, and we managed to free the slaves we found there. There weren't any powered Oni, though, and I think the traders we took down were stooges. We haven't managed to catch anyone from the higher levels of command."
"So you believe this is a bigger operation than a few outlaws trying to get rich quick selling slaves on the side?"
Theo looked away, seeming conflicted. "I know it sounds like some big conspiracy," he muttered at last.
"Actually, based on what I've seen and heard, and know about the realm and the south, I think you're on the right track. Have you talked to your parents about this?"
Theo snorted bitterly. "I can't even get farther than 'there's still slave trade in the south.' Every time I try to bring it up, they assure me they'll take care of it and change the subject." The heir scowled. "At first, I thought it was because they didn't think I could handle dealing with it...but the older I get, the more it feels like they just think I shouldn't be allowed to do anything dangerous, whether I could handle it or not. Like they hadn't done just as many dangerous things by my age...my Dad especially."
"I'm sure they're just concerned about your safety."
"I wish they would be less concerned!" Theo snapped. "I know that everyone thinks I'm some pushover who can't handle myself, but I can. I'm not as naïve as I used to be. I know what I'm doing is dangerous—I'm not looking for some fun adventure or a walk in the park. I'm just not okay with sitting in a fortress all day for the rest of my life, delegating danger to the rest of the realm." He looked up at Myrah, and she was surprised by the anger in his expression. "Are you going to bring this up with my parents?"
"Not if you don't want me to," Myrah said, her mind working through what she had learned. "Do you really think Hershel's attack was part of this trader operation?"
Theo shrugged. "It would make sense if they were really targeting him for helping the powered kids. When I faced the traders, they talked about how there's a high demand for people who have unlocked their powers. What I can't figure out is who the traders are selling to. Do you think Ottan would go so far as to hire traders to collect powered kids for him?"
"He's known to take risks, but even then, he only takes ones that won't come back to bite him later. He isn't as sloppy or careless as Warrack was," Myrah mused. Theo nodded as he thought about it, and he finally stood.
"Sorry to interrupt your work with all of this. It just feels good to actually talk about it with someone who doesn't spend the whole conversation telling me why it's too dangerous to be asking these kinds of questions."
"Don't apologize," Myrah assured as the Heir headed for the door. "In fact, I'd appreciate it if you kept me in the loop about all of this."
Theo turned in surprise. "Really?"
Myrah smiled, but her gaze was hard. "If traders are the ones who dared target my husband, then I want to be involved in taking them down."
8
The doors slid closed silently, and Julien had to admit there were perks of living in a fully automated home. He headed for the stairs, hoping to make it to his room before either parent noticed him. Hopefully they were both out—between their jobs and their continued vigilante responsibilities, Zane and P.I.X.A.L were rarely...
"Julien? Is that you?"
The young man froze, cursing his luck silently before turning around. His mother was frowning from where she had come into the hallway, looking him up and down.
"I was not aware you were visiting Ninjago today," she pointed out before approaching for a hug. Julien embraced her quickly, the gears in his mind turning.
"It was a last-minute decision—the MIRI didn't have the resources to delve into my extended research project so we had to come back here to pay a visit to the Ninjagoan Robotics Foundation in order to get the parts I needed."
"We?"
Julien blinked, angry at himself for the slip-up. Of course his mother would pick up on the one word that could oust him. "My mentor Agatha came along to help me figure out what exactly I needed to acquire."
P.I.X.A.L took the information in stride, though she was studying him once again. "Are you leaving so soon? Perhaps we could have lunch together. Your father is out, but—"
"Agatha is waiting for me," Julien apologized. "I was not sure you would be home, and only stopped by to pick up a booklet of blueprints that I left behind when I moved to Metallonia."
"You are free to invite your mentor to lunch as well. It would be informative to speak with the professor guiding your education from the Metallonian side." P.I.X.A.L smiled, but she seemed strangely self-conscious. "We have not seen you for a while, Julien, and you have not written home for a few months. In truth, your father and I have been a bit concerned about the lack of communication. It is unlike you to be so distant."
"I am sorry," Julien offered sincerely, feeling a worm of guilt as he inched for the stairs. "I would love to bring Agatha over and introduce you, but I only had enough time for a quick visit to pick up the blueprints. We will not be in Ninjago for too much longer." P.I.X.A.L's expression clouded, and Julien spoke faster in an attempt to soften the blow. "I promise I will write more, it is just very busy at MIRI. The Metal Inquisition and Robotics Institution is far more didactic than I could have imagined—I am afraid that I tend to lose myself to the learning. I really must go, however—we have a tight schedule to upkeep."
"All right." P.I.X.A.L sounded resigned, but not angry. She reached out to push Julien's hair from his eyes. "We are proud of you, Julien. I am glad to hear that you are enjoying your schooling."
Julien smiled, trying not to squirm under his mother's calm green gaze. "Tell father that I send my greetings. I will try to make further time for a more social-based visit in the future."
"I will," his mother promised, but then P.I.X.A.L got a twinkle in her eye. "Did the facial hair come with the university experience?"
Julien flushed. "Everyone has facial hair these days," he managed. His phone began to buzz, and he pulled it out even though he already knew who it was. "This is Agatha—she must be wondering where I am. I have to go." Before his mother could ask or say anything else, Julien bolted for the stairs that led to his old room.
The crowds were faceless, and the sun was overly bright. They were chanting, but Theo still couldn't tell if the chanting was in his favor or against him. There was urgency and he stumbled backward on the balcony above the gathered crowds. His back hit the doors leading into the fortress, and he turned and caught sight of himself in the dark glass. His sash was gathered around his shoulders, his silver armband replaced by a circlet with a deep purple stone.
"This doesn't make sense," he murmured to himself. Despite the fact that the crowd was getting louder, he still couldn't understand what they were saying. Rather than face them, Theo pushed his way back into the fortress. "Mom? Dad? Amber?" His voice echoed off the stone walls, but there was no reply. Theo's heart began to pound—if this really was his coronation, where was everybody? Shouldn't his family be here? Or Tolan, at least? Perhaps they're out in the crowd, Theo mused, trying to keep himself calm. There had to be a simple explanation as to why he was so alone.
Theo headed back to the balcony, but suddenly he was outside in the courtyard. The crowd had vanished, and Theo relaxed as he caught sight of his family a few yards away.
"Where were you guys?" he demanded, but they didn't seem to hear him. His parents were talking with each other, with Amber laughing at some joke Theo couldn't quite hear. He frowned, unsure of why they were ignoring him. He started walking closer, but if anything, his family started getting farther away. "Hey!" he shouted, his irritation mixing with fear.
At his shout, Amber turned and waved. "Bye Theo!" she called with a smile, but Theo didn't return it.
"Come over here!" he tried, but aura winds were already whipping around her. With a final wave, she disappeared with a flash. "Wait!"
A shadow flicked across Theo, and he looked up to see the Earth Guardian flying above him. The large dragon landed next to his parents, and the Oni heir watched in shock as his parents boarded the dragon.
"Stop!" he begged. "Where are you going?" His parents looked up to offer the same overly large smiles.
"Stay put, Theo," his mother called.
"You're the Ruler now," his father added. "It's safer inside."
"I can't stay inside forever!" He argued, starting to run to try to reach the Earth Guardian. The dragon sprawled its wings as Theo finally managed to reach it, and its downward flap sent Theo flying backward. He grunted as he bounced across the dirt, landing face-down. Theodynn he pushed himself up with a groan, and he frowned as he realized he was somehow back in the fortress, staring at the large doors that led back out into the courtyard. The doors were open, and a lone figure stood in the bright sunlight, her expression hard as she studied Theo on the ground.
"Haiven?" he mumbled, pushing himself up. She scowled, and before Theo could say anything else, the grey-eyed Oni slammed the doors closed, landing Theo in pitch darkness. He ran for the doors, but they had disappeared. He felt around blindly in the blackness, but there was nothing to feel in the void. "Hello?" he shouted, and his voice echoed around him.
It's safer for you to stay put.
Surprisingly, the voice was Ashley's, and Theo turned in confusion. The red-head was standing behind a clearstone prison wall, smiling sadly. Theo tried to move closer, but he was stopped by something restraining his wrists. He looked down to see a pair of tight vengestone cuffs, and bile rose in his throat.
Just stay put, Theo. Leave it to us...you'll only make things worse if you try. Smoke was billowing into the room now, and Ashley was walking away. Theo shook his head, rage mixing with his fear.
"I can't stay put anymore!" he shouted, aura engulfing his hands and melted the vengestone cuffs away. It didn't make sense that he could use his power with vengestone on, but his mind wasn't in the right state to pick apart logic holes. His aura winds battled with the smoke and ash that was trying to choke him, and he closed his eyes and transported. When he opened his eyes, he was facing a large black gem in the middle of a cold room.
He stumbled backward, and a hand grabbed his arm. He whirled to see Amber standing next to him, but her smile was too cruel to be his sister. "You can't do this by yourself," she murmured, and Theo balked. Amber's form shifted until Evynn was standing, glowering at him. "You need me. You're too weak to solve a problem on your own...last time you tried, you died."
"I don't need you!" Theo screamed, his fists charging with power. Evynn's eyes flashed purple, but before she could unleash any attacks, two katanas sliced through the Ancient Xinta's form, causing Evynn to dissolve into dust. Theo froze, and suddenly Tolan was in front of him, scowling as he shoved his weapons back into their sheaths.
"What are you doing here?" the guard demanded.
"I don't know!"
"I told you already, Freak...you can't go off on your own. You'll never survive without me. You're lucky I got here when I did, or—"
"I could have handled it!"
"Like you did last time?"
Theo stiffened with anger, but suddenly the world around them shifted again. They were in the caves in the south—the same place that he and Tolan had taken down the traders a few weeks earlier. However, rather than being empty, the caves were full of people. The slaves were as faceless as the crowds, still chanting that word that Theo couldn't make out. He stared at the chained crowds in horror, lurching forward to free them, but a hand grabbed his shoulder.
"Absolutely not," Tolan growled. "We need to get you to safety—this cave is coming down."
Theo frowned, but a rumble echoed down the hallway, and the slaves' chanting became more urgent. Theo tried to pull out of Tolan's grasp, but further hands were grabbing onto him.
"Theo, you have to get out of here!" his mother begged.
"It's not safe," his father agreed.
"If the caves are coming down, then we have to save those Oni!" Theo argued, fighting them off as best as he could. "Let go—we have to help them!"
"We'll help them," his mother assured. "You need to stay where it's safe."
"The more you try to help, the more they'll get hurt, Freak."
"That doesn't make any sense!" Theo roared. Pieces of rock were falling from the ceiling, and Theo finally broke free of their hold. He rushed to the aid of the screaming slaves, blasting rocks out of the way. However, the cavern full of prisoners was getting farther away. "I'm coming!" he promised. "I can help you, just wait—"
A kick from the side caught him unawares, and Theo slammed painfully into the cavern wall. The air left his lungs, and he was dimly aware of the crashing sound of the walls caving in. He pushed himself up, his heart failing as he watched the cavern holding the slaves collapse. "No!" he tried, but the call came out weak and strangled from the dust and lack of air. Someone was laughing, and he turned to see Ottan watching him with glittering eyes.
"You're forgetting your place, Theodynn."
"I knew it was you," Theo choked, glowering at the fur-clad leader.
"You couldn't even finish a pit fight, and you expect me to respect you?" Ottan sneered. "Get back to your fortress, boy."
"Those slaves..."
"You couldn't help them, but they didn't ever believe you could, anyway," the leader tsked. "But at least now you can plan their funeral. You always were good at planning useless events..."
Theo lit his hands full of aura, but then the cavern he and Ottan were in shuddered violently. There was a crack, and Theodynn looked up just in time to see the large boulder bearing down on him. His mind screamed at him to do something, but in the moment, all he could do was watch.
The boulder hit and Theo bolted upright in a cold sweat. He gasped in the darkness of his room, aura, papers, and debris swirling around his bed in a cyclone.
Teag's tongue stuck out as he used the charcoal pencil to sketch onto the parchment. The strokes began overlapping, and he sighed before scribbling over the sloppy drawing.
The door to the forge banged open, and Teag jumped as he looked over. Tolan stormed in, tossing his work satchel to one corner as he ripped a leather apron off the wall. "Why isn't the forge lit?" the man demanded, and Teag stared.
"Because you weren't coming in today, and you said I'm not allowed to use the forge by myself," the boy pointed out before sliding off his seat to head over to the fire. Tolan didn't answer, moving to a bin of weapons. The guard pulled out a sword and threw it on the table, causing Teag to jump. Great. He's in one of his moods.
"Why haven't you polished this yet?"
"You never asked me to polish that."
"This bin is for weapons in need of final polishing—you haven't touched them. You're not winning points by loitering, Hot Stuff."
"How was I supposed to know what that bin is for?" Teag grumbled, filling the fireplace with wood.
"No backtalk," Tolan snapped as he stormed over and shoved the boy out of the way. "I'll light the fire, you go catch up with your slack."
Teag scowled as he watched Tolan send a blast of aura into the fireplace. "I could have done that," Teag muttered. The guard didn't even turn as he pointed to the sword on the table.
"Polish it, Hot-Stuff, or forget about ever coming back into my forge."
Teag rolled his eyes before trudging over to the table. Silence fell as Tolan stoked the fire and Teag worked on the broadsword. The boy's annoyance slowly faded as he got lost in the repetitive work of polishing. He paused as the polishing stone scraped over the insignia embedded into the sword, and Teag reached out to rub a finger along the symbol. It was both simple and complex, and Teag sighed.
"What's all this trash?" Tolan snapped, and Teag glanced over to see the guard scowling at the charcoal-scribbled parchment. Teag dropped the whetstone so he could head over to the desk.
"Nothing," he muttered, trying to gather the sheets.
"So you just felt like wasting my parchment?"
"I wasn't wasting—"
"Then what is all of this?" Tolan asked, picking up one of the pages. Teag grabbed it from the man's grasp, his face burning.
"You said I couldn't use your insignia," he pointed out defensively. Tolan raised an eyebrow.
"So, these scribbles are your sad attempt at making your own?"
Teag's grip on the papers tightened, and he didn't reply as he shoved past the guard to get to the forge. The boy didn't even bother looking at the pages again before throwing the lot of them into the forge's fire.
"Now you've really wasted the parchment," Tolan reprimanded, but Teag ignored him as he began stoking the fire. Sparks shot out from the burning paper, swirling a moment in the air before fading to ash. Teag continued stoking, ignoring the burning inside as he tried to throw his anger into causing the fire next to him to grow stronger.
"Do you think this is anywhere near polished enough?" Tolan demanded, lifting the broadsword off the table. Teag scowled, sweat dripping down his forehead.
"If you want to make something, you need me to stoke the fire," he pointed out.
"I need you to listen," Tolan snapped. "I can stoke my own fire—I was doing it on my own before you ever got here, Hot-Stuff, and I'll be doing fine after you're gone."
Teag stiffened, his eyes flashing as his stoking slowed. Tolan gestured for the boy to come back to the table, and Teag exhaled slowly as he left the fire. He grabbed his whetstone tightly, not even looking at Tolan as he began to polish the sword once again. He hadn't gotten more than two or three strokes in before Tolan was snorting again.
"You call that polishing?"
"That's it!" Teag snapped, aura whipping through the forge as he looked up to glare. "If you do so well without me, polish it yourself." The child chucked the whetstone before storming from the forge, slamming the door behind him.
The Western Fortress Forge was located near the fortress, but wasn't actually part of it. Frond-covered trees grew between the forge and the stronghold, and Teag kicked one of them as he passed. He could feel the aura swirling inside, and he tried to keep it at bay. However, it was hard not to react when the anger inside was turning to fear.
Had he messed up his chance? What if Tolan kicked him out? If Hershel's own brother-in-law couldn't even stand to teach Teag for longer than a few weeks, how would he ever find a mentor who would put up with him?
"What are you doing here?" a voice demanded, and Teag looked up to see Pippa hanging from the branches of one of the trees. She was scowling down at him, and Teag scowled back.
"Am I not allowed to walk outside anymore?" he asked dryly.
"Aren't you supposed to be working?" she sniffed. "My Dad's taking the time to train you, and you dare play hooky."
"What are you doing here?" Teag snapped back, his fists tightening. "Hershel didn't feel like dealing with your harassment today?"
"I don't harass Uncle Hershel," she snapped, her eyes flashing. "I'm his apprentice."
"Sure, kid."
Pippa puffed up in anger as he went to walk past, and Teag rolled his eyes as the girl dropped from the tree to dart in front of him. "I am his apprentice!" she shouted at him, and Teag scoffed.
"He literally trains a half-dozen kids in the same stuff he trains you, including me. So what makes you so special, huh? I don't see any apprentice tattoos."
Pippa blinked, and Teag went to walk around her again. However, the girl whipped out her sword and pointed it at the boy. "Take that back!"
"Take what back? The truth?" He snapped. "Fine, Pip-squeak. You're real special and one of a kind. He's training you because he really sees something in you. Is that what you want to hear?"
"You stupid…"
"Pip-pip!" A small voice cut off Pippa's insult, and Pippa and Teag glanced over to see her cousin coming over. The child's smile was as big as ever, and when he caught sight of the dreadlock-headed boy, Raiyn clapped. "Teag!"
Teag scowled at the toddler, but he hesitated before snapping Raiyn. Pippa saved him from further interaction with the little Oni as she scooped her cousin up.
"C'mon, Raiyn," she said with a sniff. "We don't associate with rabble."
Teag snorted, but she had already stalked off with her cousin in tow. "This whole family is insane," he muttered before stalking off on his own.
9
M watched as Amber ate the overpriced hamburger, her eyes scanning the grassy area outside of the restaurant's outdoor seating. Nearby, a family was having a picnic and the children were arguing over who would get to fly the kite while a person walking their dog slipped past. Amber was smiling, and M. wondered if being able to sense feelings made people watching more interesting.
"How are we splitting the check today?" the waiter asked, and M. went to reach for his wallet. Before he could say anything, however, Amber looked over to smile at the server.
"Two checks. I had the Ninja-burger with cheese," she offered, and M frowned as he watched her hand the waiter a couple of bills. M's credit card had been en route, but he froze as he studied the Oni. She didn't seem bothered as she turned back to watch the victorious kid sprinting away from his brother with the kite.
"What did you order?" the waiter prompted, and M. sighed.
"Large spaghetti. The tip's on me," he muttered, passing the card over. The waiter nodded and took the payments inside to process. M. poked at the few remaining meatballs on his plate as he studied the Oni sitting across from him. Her hair was pulled back, but her horns were as prevalent as ever, tipped with more dangling jewelry. It seemed that the piano wasn't kidding about making one in every color—the firey orange beads tied in perfectly with the long-sleeved tee Amber was wearing. Both made her eyes pop more than usual. M. cleared his throat, causing Amber to look over. "What color are you wearing?"
Amber blinked before glancing down. "Oh, this is just something my Grandpa Lou got for me. He said it..."
"No," M. cut in, feeling stupid. "Sorry, I meant what color is your dress going to be?" The Oni looked lost now, and M. felt the color rising up his neck. "I know it's still a few weeks off but the sooner I know what color you're wearing the sooner I can get my tie and stuff. If we even want to match...we don't have to."
"Are you talking about our performance at the Ninjago City Hall? Because I thought we agreed we'd just borrow tango outfits from Professor Snyder."
M rolled his eyes in an attempt to hide his embarrassment. "No, Amber, I'm talking about the Spring Formal that's in a couple of weeks. What were you planning on wearing?"
Amber's stare became uncomfortable, and he was beginning to question whether the Oni actually blinked when she finally swallowed the last of her hamburger. "Um...I haven't picked something to wear to that, yet."
M shrugged. "No rush. Maybe we could hit the shops together."
"We could," Amber said carefully, and M started to feel a flash of unease at the way she was pushing her hair out of her face. "But you wouldn't have to, since you don't need to match me."
"So, you're not keen on matching after all?" He forced a chuckle. "Probably would make it feel too much like a performance, huh?"
"No, it's just I'm going to that Spring Formal dance with Patrick."
It was M's turn to stare, and he wondered numbly if she could feel the way his heart dropped to his shoes. After a few horrible seconds of silence, M. forced a laugh. "Oh, I get it—the Piano put you up to this."
Amber's expression clouded. "What?"
"She told you to say that, didn't she? She's making it so you won't agree unless I do some fancy, over the top ask."
"This has nothing to do with Dani," Amber argued. "Patrick asked me to go the dance three days ago, and I told him yes."
"You aren't kidding?"
"Why would I be kidding?"
M's denial melted in the flames of sudden anger, and he resisted the urge to kick the table. "Why would you do a stupid thing like that?"
"Agreeing to go to a dance with someone who asked me? What's stupid about that?" Amber demanded. Her tone was becoming defensive, and her eyes seemed more fiery than normal as she scowled across the table. M. scowled back.
"Because we were already going!"
"Since when?"
"Since...it should have been obvious!" M. snapped. "Because we're..." He trailed off, and Amber narrowed her eyes.
"We're what?"
"Partners!" M. managed. "Patrick is the hick farm boy you dance with because you have to, for classes. For everything else..."
"You didn't tell me that you wanted to go with me!" Amber cut in. "How was I supposed to know you even wanted to go?"
"I shouldn't have had to tell you!"
"What, so I'm supposed to read your mind?"
"You act like that isn't something you can do!"
Amber pushed herself to her feet, her eyes flashing. "I can tell you're angry, but that's about it," she pointed out. "Though I don't get why, since you had plenty of time to ask if you had wanted to go."
"So that's what this is? Some kind of petty revenge or ploy or something?"
"Why are you making this so complicated?" Amber demanded, her voice rising. By now, the picnicking family had started to stare. "He asked me, so I said yes."
"I was going to ask you!"
"But you didn't!" Amber snapped. "He did!"
"So, that's what all this falls down to?" M. asked, standing as well. "At least invite me to the hick wedding!"
There was a whip of wind that M. wasn't sure was natural, and Amber's fists clenched as they glowered at each other. M. didn't even realize that the waiter was standing next to the table watching until he spoke.
"So...any desserts tonight?"
"No!" M and Amber yelled together, and the waiter put his hands up as he scowled. M turned back to yell further, but the Oni had already collected her purse. "Where are you going?" he demanded. "I drove!"
"The school isn't that far," Amber snapped. "I'm not driving with you if you're going to be like this."
"Like what?"
"It's just a stupid dance, M!" she said. "Grow up!"
He opened his mouth for some cutting come-back, but he couldn't think of anything. He watched as the Oni stalked off, disappearing around the corner of the building.
"I think your girlfriend just broke up with you," the waiter muttered, and M stood and slammed the chair into the table.
"Shut up."
Teag brought the bucket of water into the tent, dumping it into the wash basin without looking over at where Iona was scolding Summer for something or other. The small child was always getting into trouble, and Teag didn't think the Xinta had even noticed him until Iona was calling over to him.
"So...back so soon? You lasted longer than I thought you would out in the real world, if it's any consolation."
The dreadlocked boy stiffened, not replying as he pushed his way through her embroidered curtain door back outside. His emotions were swirling inside, and it was all he could do to keep them in check. Bad enough he came back a failure—he didn't need to lose control and make everyone think he was even worse off than he was.
Teag made it back to the well, and he stared down the length of it, wondering who else he could bring water to. He wanted to stay busy to keep his mind off of things, but he wasn't really wanting any more snarky comments about his return. After a moment, he tied the rope and dunked the bucket back into the depths before heaving it back to the surface. Inna intercepted him on the way to Haiven's house.
"Jaim was right! You are back!" she pointed out excitedly, and Teag didn't answer as he shoved past her. She didn't seem bothered by his lack of reply as she followed behind. "You're back for good, right? I can't stand being the oldest with all the littles now. It was better when we had each other, don't you think?"
Teag rolled his eyes, wanting to point out that Inna might as well be one of the littles, even if she was a year older than him. She was always crying and nagging everybody—it drove him nuts. He kept his temper in check as he continued to cart the bucket. No need to start her waterworks now.
"It's been lonely since you left, though Jaim and Jasper are basically Dragon Watch now. Did Iona tell you? I saw you go in there."
"We didn't talk," Teag growled. "I'm not really in a talking mood."
"Do you want to me to help carry that? It looks heavy."
"Look, why don't you go find Luz? She likes to talk."
"We're not friends right now," Inna said breezily, pushing her stick-straight hair from her face. "I caught her flirting with Dune."
"You all have terrible taste," Teag muttered softly. He had finally reached Haiven's house, and Inna seemed to realize where he had been heading.
"Iona said that we're not supposed to bother Haiven," she reminded. "She's still upset about the Oni Prince."
"I'm not planning on bothering her," Teag pointed out. "But you should definitely go find something else to do, if you're worried about someone getting on her nerves."
Inna finally seemed to pick up on Teag's insinuation, and she stiffened. Her eyes flashed with aura and then tears, and she stuck her nose in the air before stalking off. Teag rolled his eyes again before pushing his way into Haiven's house.
The colorful light of the home always caught him off guard, even though he had been in there many times. He had spent a lot of time in Haiven's home—often doing chores there as an excuse to have some peace and quiet away from the other powered children that were always trying to pull him into their baby games. He looked around at the brightly colored scarves, the ones over the window making the sunlight turn warm orangey red on the cavern walls. After breathing deeply, Teag headed for the basin in the corner. At the sound of the water rushing into it, the bedroom curtain rippled and Haiven came into the front. Her expression was pinched with confusion, but it cleared as she caught sight of Teag. He glanced over and then glanced away. He didn't offer any explanation for his appearance, but Haiven didn't ask for one. It was one of the best things about her—she wasn't like all the other adults, who forced him to talk about his feelings. Silence didn't bother her.
Haiven made her way over as Teag set the bucket down. The chore was completed, but he wasn't sure he wanted to leave yet. He continued to stare at the basin, and he felt Haiven tug at one of his dreadlocks. He glanced back at her and she smiled softly, rubbing the parts of the locks that had grown out and were thus not wrapped in thread.
"I didn't have any," he mumbled, and she guided him over to the soft chairs next to her masses of cloth and thread. There wasn't as much as there used to be—the silent woman had started sending her wares to the east to be sold. Teag wondered if she was doing it any more—he had heard it was the Prince's idea to ship out her embroidered art, and from what he had heard, the relationship hadn't ended on good terms.
For the next little while, Teag and Haiven sat in silence as she added new thread to his locks, keeping them securely separated from one another. He stared at the wall, the lack of movement causing him to have too much time to go over everything that had happened. He wasn't sure how much time had passed before Haiven finished wrapping, and she stood and tugged him to his feet. Teag obliged, and the silent woman disappeared into her bedroom before returning with a small mirror. She offered it to the boy, who studied himself for a few minutes before looking back at her.
"Thanks. It does look better now." He tried to hand her back the mirror, and she shook her head and gestured for him to keep it. For a moment he frowned as he looked back down at it, but then the realization dawned. "The Prince gave you this...didn't he?"
Haiven's expression clouded, and he knew he was right. Rather than argue that she should keep it, Teag nodded his thanks and slipped the mirror into his pocket. Haiven watched and then made a few quick gestures. It had taken a while to get used to the way that she talked, using her hands or facial expressions to convey certain questions, but as she gestured to him and made a motion by her mouth, Teag shook his head.
"No, I haven't eaten, but you don't need to feed me." He glanced down at the floor. "I'm not hungry."
Haiven waved off the last part of his sentence before heading for the kitchen. Teag felt uncomfortable, wondering if he should just leave while he could. However, a knock sounded on the stone doorframe, and then the curtain began to move. Teag turned, expecting Iona or even Inna, but he froze as Hershel came into the room. The boy felt the blood drain from his face, and he wished he could have dove behind the pile of fabric before the healer's brown eyes caught sight of him.
"I'm glad you're still here," Hershel said simply, and Teag's hands shook as he tried to think of what to say.
"I'm doing chores."
Hershel smiled. "I don't doubt that you are." He glanced up to nod at Haiven, who had come into the room. "I've got to borrow Teag for a moment, if that's all right."
Haiven gestured for him to go ahead, and Teag scowled.
Traitor.
Hershel had turned his attention back to the boy, gesturing for Teag to follow him outside. Teag wished he could say no, but the fight left him as resignation took its place. He sighed and followed Hershel out into the blinding sunlight in the alleyway.
"I was hoping that you had come here," Hershel was saying. "You're safer in the village than out on your own."
"I can handle myself," Teag muttered. "Isn't that why you trained me?"
"Did you walk here?"
Teag shrugged, staring at the ground. He felt Hershel's hand rest on his shoulder and resisted the urge to smack it away.
"It's dangerous for powered Oni to travel by themselves, Teag. If you ever want to visit the village, I'm happy to..."
"Just get to the point already!" Teag snapped, furious at himself for his eyes filling with tears. "Your brother-in-law fired me, and I'm a lost cause. Stop beating around the bush and trying to make it seem like it's okay for me to be a failure!" Hershel seemed surprised by his outburst, and Teag pushed Hershel's hand away at last. "You should be spending your time with the projects who actually have promise," he snapped. "The ones who don't get kicked out all the time and make you look bad."
"Hey." Hershel's tone became stern, and he put both hands on Teag's shoulders as he turned him around. "Teag, you aren't a project."
"Of course I'm a project!" Teag yelled, turning to face the man at last. "I'm a volatile, explosive kid that you tamed and tried to reintroduce into society and you failed! You don't care about me...you don't care about any of us! We're just freaks of nature that you want to hide away from the rest of the realm, until we can conform to—"
"That's not true," Hershel's expression was pinched, and his brown eyes flicked across Teag's face. "I didn't bring you here to hide you...I brought you here to protect you."
"From who?"
"I don't know," Hershel admitted. "But whoever they are, they attacked me earlier this week."
The confession took Teag off guard. "What?"
"I was attacked this week by people who were threatening me for helping powered children. I don't know who they were, but the experience confirmed my worst suspicions." Hershel's grip tightened on Teag's shoulders. "There are people in this world who would use you, Teag. I can't let that happen."
"Like that guy who broke your legs?" Teag muttered. Hershel's eyebrows rose in surprise, and Teag wiped at his nose. "Tolan told me."
"Of course he did," Hershel murmured, his expression hard to read. The thought of Hershel's brother-in-law made Teag squirm, however, and he broke eye contact with the healer.
"I'm fired, aren't I?" he muttered, trying to keep the tears at bay. "Not even your brother-in-law can put up with me. That's got to mean that I'm a lost cause."
"You aren't fired," Hershel said in surprise. "Did you think you were? Is that why you came back here?"
Teag risked looking up again. "I threw a rock at him! Of course I'm fired!"
Rather than look angry, Hershel's expression became amused. He chuckled as he finally released Teag's shoulders. "It wouldn't be the first time Tolan's had a rock chucked at him, I'm sure."
"I lost my temper, and I stormed out. Didn't he tell you? Isn't that why you're here?"
"I'm here because Pippa and Raiyn mentioned seeing you heading north yesterday, and I was worried about where you were going." Hershel shook his head. "I can't believe you walked all the way here. You would have had to spend the night someplace."
"Not my first time sleeping under the open stars," Teag muttered.
"From now on, I want you to tell me if you want to come here. It's not that I don't think you can handle yourself...but there are dangerous people out there, Teag. I barely made it out of an ambush unscathed."
"You don't have powers. I do," Teag pointed out before he could help it. He regretted it the second Hershel's expression clouded, but then the man nodded.
"That's true...but if you were to use them, you'd become a bigger target than ever."
"Well, I shouldn't have to worry about all of that here," Teag muttered. "The Hidden village is the safest place ever, remember?"
"Are you planning on staying here?" Hershel seemed genuinely surprised, and Teag scowled.
"Did you miss the part where I threw a rock at your brother-in-law?"
"I think you'd be surprised to find that Tolan doesn't really hold grudges for things like that," Hershel pointed out. "Look, if you don't want to work under him anymore, I understand. I was a little worried about this when he first told me that he was going to train you."
Teag felt his heart drop to his feet. "You knew I was going to mess it up?"
"Not you. Tolan can be a stubborn, hoofer-mannered idiot sometimes. Whenever he gets under a lot of pressure, he tends to take it out on those around him. I knew it was only a matter of time before he started taking things out on you."
"Because he hates me."
"He doesn't hate you," Hershel corrected gently. "He hates everything else—he hates that he has to live in the fortress again, and he hates that there's some unnamed force that dared attack me and Pippa."
"They attacked Pip too? I'm surprised there's anything left of them."
Hershel smiled. "Tolan and I didn't really see eye to eye when we first met...or for years afterward. It took us a while to really come to understand each other, and I've discovered that he's driven by the need to protect the things and people he cares about. When he feels like he's failed in that protection in some way, he's hard on himself...which means he's especially hard on those around him."
"He doesn't have to be such a jerk," Teag snapped, folding his arms. "It's not my fault he has to move or that someone attacked his daughter."
"You're right," Hershel pointed out. "That's why I won't blame you if you don't want to continue to train under him. I'm sure we can find you a less...hot-blooded mentor."
Teag scowled at the ground, but Hershel didn't say anything else. It seemed the healer was waiting for Teag to come to a decision. The boy finally sighed. "You're sure I'm not fired?"
"I would be extremely surprised if you were."
"Fine. I'll go back to the west," Teag muttered. He finally glanced up. "But can we eat first? Haiven promised me lunch."