Starting with this chapter, I will be including some extra information in the time stamps. Along with the date, I will be including the location of the scene, including the realm in which the scene takes place. This will be helpful as from now on, there will be events taking place in two (and later, more) realms at once.
Enjoy the story!
WAR OF DARKNESS CHRONICLES
Book One: Changes
Part Three: Power
Chapter VIII: The Temple of Light
Eternal Gorge; Realm of Madness
Thursday April 26, 2018…
A lone figure stood staring into the abyss before her, clutching a long-handled iron hammer close to her face.
"After watching him for three years, I see our enemy has finally begun to move…"
Her voice was barely a whisper. Her skin was pale gray and without blemish, and she had long flowing black hair with white streaks. She wore a simple dark gray dress that went down to her knees and left her shoulders and arms exposed, and her feet were bare. Her eyes were darker than the word "black" would justly describe.
"Garmadon's prized pupil, the Green Ninja, will be seeking the only power in any of the Sixteen Realms that can bar us from completing our work. He has until November to find it."
She knelt down and picked up a fistful of dirt, letting it fall through her fingers.
"He will not undo us. I will make sure he knows whom he opposes."
As she stood back up, her face twisted into a sinister grin.
"It is time to fashion a crown, so that, when we meet, the Green Ninja will know he has seen the face of the Queen of Darkness."
Ninjago City; Ninjago
The size and technology of the Destiny's Bounty amazed its newest passenger, the Green Ninja.
The ninja had informed Mack about the ship's history while heading down to Ninjago City Harbor where it was docked. Mack was thoroughly impressed that the ninja had managed to turn an old pirate ship into a state-of-the-art hero headquarters.
Wu, Garmadon, and Misako saw no need to embark on this trip, so it was only the ninja who made their way to the Destiny's Bounty.
It was meant to be a quiet affair, but the ninja drew attention everywhere they went. At the harbor, many people were crowding around while the ninja boarded their ship.
Nobody had seen them in a week, and now they were inexplicably boarding their ship to leave? One can understand why people were interested.
Luckily, the Ninjago City Police set up a perimeter to give the ninja some breathing room to board the Bounty and be on their way. As a result, no one seemed to notice what may have looked like two Green Ninja's boarding the ship…
The Bounty was able to set sail without too much commotion, and the first step to opposing Rikayla's power was officially underway.
After an hour of sailing, everyone had settled in. Kai and Jay were on the deck sparring, Morro and Nya were entrenched in a respectful debate, Lloyd was reading (still feeling very weak), and Zane was in low power mode spending some time with P.I.X.A.L.
No one had seen Mack since setting sail; he was below deck. He had been uneasy all morning, so it was no surprise that he wanted to be left alone.
"We're about a half hour out from the Dark Island," Nya announced over the PA system after a long time of sailing.
She was on the bridge along with Jay and Morro.
"The PA doesn't sound below deck," Jay said.
"I'll let Mack know," Morro headed for the door.
Below deck, Morro found the Green Ninja meditating. His face looked distressed.
"Mack?" Morro knocked on the doorway.
Mack's eyes snapped open and he gasped. Morro approached him and took him by the shoulder.
"You alright?" Morro asked.
"I'm good," Mack replied. He was breathing heavily.
Morro helped Mack to his feet. "You sure?" he asked, squinting.
Mack nodded and took a deep breath. "I'm just fine. I was checking on my family on Earth."
"Are they alright?" Morro asked.
"Yeah," Mack sighed. "Rikayla knows who I am, but I don't think she knows my family. She spends too much energy watching me…"
Fear flashed across Mack's face almost faster than Morro could read it.
"I see," Morro nodded. He was unsure what else to say.
"Well," the Master of Wind settled, "I'm glad they're okay."
Mack smiled, "Thanks."
"Come on," Morro gestured to the doorway. "We're getting close to the island."
Eternal Gorge; Realm of Madness
A dark figure approached Rikayla, who was still staring into the Eternal Gorge.
The figure was one of darkness and had the appearance of a warrior. He wore black armor and a black helmet reminiscent of those worn by Roman soldiers in the realm Earth's distant past. He wore a scabbard on his belt which housed a double-edged broadsword.
The only colors on the figure were the deep red on the inside of his cape and crest of his helmet, and the burning purple of his eyes.
"My queen," the warrior bowed deeply. No mouth was visible as he spoke. "You summoned me?"
"Tenebris," Rikayla replied without turning around. "It is time to prove that you are worthy of serving me."
Tenebris hid his contempt at her condescending. He was no pawn, but he had to let her believe the opposite.
"By your graces," he fawned, "I will soon be seen as worthy to stand beside you."
Rikayla turned around and lifted her hammer into the air. A cloud descended from the sky and met the ground behind Tenebris. He turned around to see ten figures taking shape.
They were pitch black, completely featureless, and they carried black swords.
"These are the first soldiers of my army, created by the power of the Hammer of Night in my hand," Rikayla explained.
"You've finally done it, dark one," Tenebris gasped.
"Yes," Rikayla replied. "The Green Ninja and his new allies are moving toward the Dark Island; they have business at the Temple of Light. Your task is to lead these soldiers and ambush them when they are finished inside the temple."
"If they have business at this temple," Tenebris cocked his head, "shouldn't we try and stop them before they get there?"
The Queen of Darkness grinned. "Patience, Tenebris. I want to see what the fabled Golden Ninja can do at full strength.
"When you return from your mission, I will introduce you to some more of our allies."
Sensing Tenebris's confusion, she continued. "More warriors to aid you in leading the army I am creating."
Rikayla stepped closer to Tenebris. "Now, go. Ambush the ninja as they exit the Temple of Light—and focus your attack on the son of Garmadon. I will withdraw you when I have seen all I need to see."
Tenebris bowed. "As you wish, most gracious queen of the shadows."
"I will be watching to gauge the strength of our enemy, these soldiers, and you."
With that, Rikayla tapped the bottom of her hammer's handle on the ground, and Tenebris and the soldiers disappeared into a black mist.
The Dark Island; Ninjago
"Gentlemen," Nya addressed her fellow ninja, all of which had joined her on the bridge, "I present the Dark Island."
Nya had taken the Destiny's Bounty to the skies in order to avoid the rocks off the coast of the island and to get closer to the Temple of Light. It also afforded a great view of the island.
"What a beautiful shore," Mack marveled.
"Don't be fooled," Lloyd warned. "This place is deadly."
"Relax," Kai sighed. "The Overlord is gone—there's nothing to fear here anymore."
"Overlord?" Mack raised an eyebrow.
Lloyd began to explain: "He's an evil spirit who fought against the First Spin—"
"I know what the Overlord is," Mack interrupted. "But… do you mean to say that y'all fought it?"
"Y'all?" Morro asked Jay aside, to which the latter shrugged his shoulders.
"We can get into the Overlord story later," Lloyd said, not in the mood to stroll down memory lane.
"Very well," Mack resigned. "Even with the absence of the Overlord, I sense a mass of shadows that permeates over the island… A little caution won't hurt."
There wasn't room to land the Bounty in front of the temple, so Nya hovered above it and locked the controls.
"I've got a really long ladder I'm going to drop," Nya said. "It'll be a long climb down, but I think we can—"
"That won't be necessary," Mack interrupted. "Everyone, gather around. Make sure you're touching me—my arm, shoulder, back, whatever."
The rest of the ninja looked at each other but followed Mack's instructions. When everyone was touching the Green Ninja, everything went haywire.
The world swirled around them in a wash of brilliant colors. Everything calmed, and suddenly they were standing in the courtyard of the Temple of Light.
"What the—" Jay stammered. "Did we just teleport?!"
"Yep," Mack affirmed. "Soon, you'll all be able to do that."
Jay fist-pumped and exclaimed, "Awesome!"
"Well, we're here," Lloyd said.
"I'll never get tired of visiting this place," Cole sighed, rearing back to look up at the temple.
"Nor will I," Zane agreed. "Although, I do hope that we can one day visit the Temple of Light for reasons other than our obligations as defenders of Ninjago."
The rest of the ninja nodded, and the group proceeded into the temple. Mack and Morro gaped at the temple's architecture; for everyone else, the Temple of Light was exactly as they remembered it.
"Well," Lloyd announced after a minute of admiration, "let's do what we came here for."
Mack nodded. "Today, we take the first step onto a path that will lead us to battle with Rikayla. In fact, you might consider this to be our declaration of war on the Queen of Darkness."
The rest of the ninja voiced their determination to begin this journey together.
"Let's do this," Kai exclaimed when everyone had calmed down.
Without another word, Lloyd used the last of his strength to bound into the air towards a wall and jump from that wall to strike the Bell of Peace.
He landed below the bell, barely able to stand. But this would not last.
Lloyd was bathed in light from the Bell of Peace and felt his strength return. Though beams of light did not fly around the room reflected and amplified by crystals this time, Lloyd's guardians knew what to do.
Kai, Cole, Zane, and Jay channeled their elemental powers into the bell, which redirected them into Lloyd. Mack and Morro stood mouths agape watching the display.
Everyone in the room was forced to shield their eyes as brilliant golden light emanated from Lloyd and filled the temple.
When the light dissipated, Lloyd was standing calmly in the center with his eyes closed, now adorned in the same golden garb he wore in his battle with the Overlord in Ninjago City.
"How do you feel now?" Mack asked with a smirk.
Lloyd returned the smirk. "Stronger."
Mack nodded. "Good. And the rest of you?"
"The power is gone," Cole replied. "But I feel… right."
"Balanced," Zane added. "The balance between us is restored."
"I'm glad this is done," Mack said. "But now the real work begins. We must return to mainland Ninjago; I have much to teach all of you."
Mack led the group out the doors of the temple, but he stopped them just as they entered the courtyard.
"Wait," he said.
"What is it?" Morro asked.
Mack looked around. The skies had blackened. "I sense something dark approaching."
Not a second after he had said this, several dark figures appeared seemingly out of nowhere.
One of the figures wore a helmet with a red crest. He seemed to be their leader, as when he yelled, "Attack!" his companions sprang into action.
The Green Ninja drew his sword, and the other ninja all drew their respective weapons just in time to defend themselves from the imminent attack.
There were eight ninja to ten attackers (not including their leader, who hung back from the fight), but the ninja had superior skills and defended themselves easily, even though they were stunned by the sudden attack. Things shifted when the attackers seemed to be focusing on Lloyd.
Lloyd found himself up against no less than five of the dark warriors. Mack rushed to help him but stopped when the leader of the warriors lunged at him, drawing his double-edged broadsword.
"Leave him!" Tenebris yelled. "She wants to see what he's made of."
"You serve Rikayla?" Mack asked calmly.
Tenebris snarled, "She believes I do."
Without any further delay, Tenebris engaged the Green Ninja in a fierce sword duel.
Their blades locked together, Mack asked, "Who are you?"
"I am Tenebris, appointed to lead Rikayla's army."
Golden light exploded from Lloyd and sent his attackers flying into the air. The warriors dissolved into black smoke upon hitting the ground.
"Your friend is powerful, as are you," Tenebris growled. "The queen will be pleased to have worthy opponents."
The Green Ninja did not have time to respond, as a terrible noise filled the air. It resembled the horns of destruction that once issued from the Celestial Clock.
The remaining warriors and their leader immediately stopped their attack and dissolved into a cloud that condensed and collapsed until it disappeared. The sky cleared, and it was as if the dark warriors had never appeared.
"What the heck was that?!" Jay cried.
"Yeah," Lloyd was a bit calmer than Jay. "What were those… things?"
"She's creating an army," Mack replied.
Morro blinked. "What?"
"I sensed Rikayla's power in them," Mack said. "I think she created those shadow beings to serve as her soldiers. And she sent them here to attack us, or to test us...
"She knows what we're up to."
"How?" Lloyd asked.
Mack sighed. "She's been watching."
"Watching?" Cole gasped.
"Like, tracking us?" Nya asked.
"I briefly mentioned this to Morro earlier," Mack began to explain, "and I was going to talk to you all about when we got home.
"She can see across the Ethereal Divide just like I can; but because of the power afforded to her by residing in the Realm of Madness, she can do it more often—almost continually. I fear she watches my every move."
Kai was exasperated. "How are we supposed to defeat her if we can't go anywhere that she can't find us?"
The other ninja looked panicked as well.
"Relax," Mack held up a hand to appeal for calm. "As we become stronger together, we might be able to block her gaze.
"But, that aside for now, we just have to do what we can with the hand we've been dealt. Perhaps with enough training and preparation, we will be able to change that hand."
"For now, we have to get back to Ninjago and start training," Lloyd said. "So that we can change our hand."
The ninja boarded the Destiny's Bounty and started back toward Ninjago, where they would begin to seek the power needed to challenge the Queen of Darkness.
Eternal Gorge; Realm of Madness
"My queen…"
Tenebris and the remainder of the soldiers he led against the ninja each fell to one knee before their ruler.
Rikayla chuckled lowly, her backs to her warriors, staring into the Eternal Gorge as always.
"I knew you would not disappoint me," she said.
"With respect, dark one," Tenebris tried to keep from snarling, "these soldiers were no match for the son of Garmadon. He shredded them like the ocean shreds a piece of paper."
Tenebris winced as Rikayla wheeled around. But instead of becoming angry, she only grinned.
"Walk with me, Tenebris."
Rikayla took Tenebris to the top of a cliff overlooking a vast plain, where hundreds of the dark warriors were training.
Rikayla held the Hammer of Night above her head and hundreds more soldiers appeared on the plain.
"I told you I would create an army," Rikayla scowled. "They will get stronger every day until the final battle."
She approached Tenebris until her face was only a few inches from his. "Now, never doubt my power again."
"Of course," Tenebris fell to his knees and bowed his head, quaking at the display of power he just witnessed. "Forgive me, dark queen."
"He will earn your forgiveness," a new voice spoke behind Tenebris.
A new voice finished the first's sentence, "as we have earned your favor."
"Stand, Tenebris," Rikayla ordered. "Meet two of my most loyal allies."
Rikayla introduced Tenebris to Scio and Dubito, twins who would serve as scouts in the new army. They were absolutely identical except for their eyes: Scio's were green while Dubito's were yellow.
They wore sleeveless military uniforms. Every scrap of their clothing and every inch of their skin was as black as charcoal. The scouts were of lean, muscular forms and both carried twin short swords.
Tenebris did not ask the twins' origin, nor did he want to know. Any creature genuinely loyal to Rikayla must be truly corrupt, he thought.
"More of our allies will arrive soon," Scio informed Rikayla.
Dubito finished: "We are blessed that you keep us close to you—they have to travel much farther than we did, crossing the Hills of Insanity."
"When do you expect they will arrive?" Rikayla asked.
"Ferra moves swiftly, Scio replied. "She should arrive tomorrow, if not later this evening."
"Magno and Bruta move slower," Dubito continued. "I would expect them within the week."
"Well," Rikayla sneered. "Magno and Bruta are much… bigger."
"Stronger," Scio grinned.
"Harder to take down," Dubito smirked.
Rikayla and her scouts began to chuckle, which led to a mad cackle.
Tenebris looked on, asking himself why he had agreed to help this mad woman, wondering what he would see when the rest of Rikayla's allies arrived.
I think that's going to wrap it up for 2021; I hope you're enjoying the story so far, and I greatly appreciate your interest in reading it.
We'll be back in 2022.
Have a merry Christmas and a happy New Year!