Hey guys back again with a new chapter at last, so real quick I just wanted to clarify that these flashbacks will be broken up into three parts because oof it's a lot. So right now we are on part 1, hope y'all enjoy. Also since Jasper is basically a fictional race of wolf that I made up on the spot I really don't feel the need to include the part about wolves and dogs being colorblind. I mean it's a fanfic at the end of the day so...let's just say because Jasper's breed isn't even real that he can just see color. Okay. We good? Awesome!
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Falling Toast: Omg thank you so much for noticing, I've been trying to add more content into each chapter just so I don't feel rushed to crank out a new one the next day because I feel like I haven't added to the story in any significant way. I was really excited to write this chapter cause I've been going through some stressful stuff with school recently so I feel like this will be a good way to just vent my emotions lol.
Phetiamwantip : Thank you! Also yeah, strap in. It's about to be a …...time.
Chapter 28
"Ok, fine. Let's hear it. Tell me why that b**h abandoned me."
Jasper's irises seemed to shrink and widened all at once as he braced a broad palm flat against the bedroom wall and drew in a hasty breath.
As Lloyd mindlessly stared on in a mixture of confusion and curiosity, a significant thought crossed his mind. Was this not okay to just ….listen in on...should.. he even be here? In this room? If the tables had been turned….oh wait they had been, a long time ago.
'That's right I've seen him. He waits for you-'
"It wasn't like that. She didn't-she would never," Jasper abruptly spluttered, defensive obvious in his inflection as his words dragged Lloyd back to the present. "I.. look...ok...ok, I guess we should start at when Master and I left the shop..."
ForgottenFamily
Jasper did not like humans.
Well most humans.
Well, more specifically any human that wasn't his master, Elizabeth.
Master Elizabeth was everything and he was her most loyal, truest, protector.
That was why when a pair of gargantuan footsteps came creeping into the storage room that night the wolf didn't hesitate to come barreling towards the intruder at full speed.
To his infinite surprise however, the trespassing steps were none other than Master Elizabeth's herself. Jasper recognized her scent immediately despite the thick coat cloaking her from head to toe. Master always smelled like Black tea.
It seemed Master recognized him too -no thanks to Greta (the only other human being Jasper could build up enough effort to tolerate for more than just food) and her stingy principles regarding the purchasing of more than just two lanterns to keep the shop lit up at night-because within a second, she was on her knees, stretching out a comforting hand towards his fur.
The wolf sensing an unspoken order hastily sat back on his hind legs as he allowed his master's petite hand to graze his fur.
"Good boy." Elizabeth whispered, her voice uncharacteristically soft against the deafening silence of night. "We'll need to be quiet okay, can't wake up Greta."
Jasper tilted his head in confusion. What was Master talking about?
The wolf didn't have much time to think before Elizabeth's hand was on the back of his neck and he was being coaxed towards the storage door, all but ripped off its hinges as the night's thick mist came creeping through it like a horde of little clouds.
Jasper could only let out a guttural whine as he watched the fog begin to lap at his heels like one of those horrid alley cats.
"Shh, it's okay boy." Elizabeth comforted as her hand momentarily tightened against his fur before it abruptly released.
Before Jasper could have time to mourn, his gaze was suddenly pulled back towards Elizabeth as she began approaching the gaping doorway.
The ravenette woman leaned out just enough for Jasper not to feel the need to grasp the lower ends of her cloak between his jaws and save her from disappearing to the swirling misty void.
Then she turned her gaze side to side, further befuddling Jasper's confused wolf brain before blindly reaching out a hand behind her, obviously signaling for the wolf's presence.
Jasper cautiously crept towards the hand until it delicately rested on top of his muzzle. Elizabeth let out a low sigh (could've been a chuckle) ,gave his nose a little scratch, then without a word stepped outside.
From there everything seemed to be lost in a blurry haze of excitement as the wolf's basic instincts took over and before he knew it, he was out the door as well, wasting no time following the sound of his master's retreating footsteps.
ForgottenFamily
"I didn't know why we left that night and..at the time I didn't really care all I knew was that wherever Master went I would be there, by her side….so I was and we traveled all over Ninjago together, sleeping outside most nights, hunting for food, sometimes going days at a time without rest. It ...it wasn't easy on Master I knew that, and I was so worried most nights I hardly ever went to sleep before her ,but you know I think it all made her stronger and I think that was what she wanted. Everyday she trained with those wind powers and everyday I could tell she was getting stronger."
"I've almost got it!" Elizabeth shouted to herself for what must have been the fifth time in the span of one minute. Jasper watched with weary eyes as Master strained against the cast iron stones she had deliberately tied to her ankles. Beneath the shadow of her down turned palms the ground was a mess of flying leaves and dirt.
'Please, please be careful master.' Jasper desperately internally pleaded.
If Master could somehow hear his thoughts she paid no heed to them only offering an aggressive grunt to her loyal companion as a reply. Master's feet were firmly planted into the ground without so much as a single toe space left between them and the ground.
Master's neck and arms were bulging with strained veins forced to the edge of her increasingly reddening skin as she grinded her teeth together, as the cycling vortexes of air currents beneath her increased in strength.
Just then a flash of lightning streaked across the sky right before a flood poured from the heavens, drenching everything within it's reach- including Jasper and his master.
"ARE YOU SERIOUS!?" Elizabeth angrily gargled over the sounds of Jasper loud barking.
Still her wind refused to cease and neither did she. Jasper's attempts to lead her over to some tree or shrub for shelter were all brushed off without so much as an over the shoulder glance.
"Just a little longer Jasper, then we'll find shelter." Master grunted as she began to tremble against the torturous combination of pounding rain, wind, and stone assaulting her lithe form.
The wolf could only emit a throaty whine in response. Please let Master be ok, please let Master not push it too far, ple-
It was only when Jasper had dropped his head in his lull of defeat that he noticed the narrow ,but definitely there strip of air between the wind master's feet and the mud.
"We kept at it like that for a while until….one day we kinda got-"
ForgottenFamily
Lost
They were lost.
Jasper knew they were lost, because Master looked ready to set wrinkled parchment tightly clenched between her scabby knuckles on fire.
"That stupid, little, crooked, filthy, no good, swindling, WITCH!" Elizabeth suddenly shouted, causing Jasper to have to realign his walk pattern behind her, lest he face the wrath of a thousand nearby tree branches being tossed about in the wake of his master's furious wind.
"I can't believe I bought this map, we'd have better luck navigating these woods blindfolded Jasper!"
The wolf could only emit a brief growl as a sign of agreement. Humans were usually like that. tricky things with no sense of loyalty. He had smelled the lies radiating off that woman the second she approached them in the marketplace. He only wished Master possessed the same innate senses, otherwise they may not be wandering around in the middle of some forest with sunset fast approaching.
"It looks like we may have to make due with setting up camp tonight." Elizabeth reluctantly admitted with a sigh as her fury yielded to practicality and her winds eventually ceased their relentless torment of the forest floor as well.
"Alright well, no use moping about it. We'll just have to start again before sunrise…. Hey how about over , that looks like a good spo-"
Jasper froze and he was sure Master did as well because out of nowhere a loud, garish howl pierced the evening air like the sharpest tip of an arrow slashing the skin of its target.
In an instant the useless map was thrown at Elizabeth's feet as she bolted towards the direction of the cry, and in another instant the wolf was of course right on his master's metaphorical tail.
After a few long moments of the two darting through the crowded wood together, dodging many stray roots and branches along the way, Master Elizabeth's sprint abruptly ground to a halt, causing Jasper to slide along the damp forest floor like a boat as he forced himself to a stop.
There before the two stood a massive tree whose arms and roots seemed to stretch on for miles and…. on one of those arms there what appeared to be a fairly young man( a very dirty one, Jasper duly noted) hanging upside down by a length of rope tied around his ankles.
Elizabeth's eyes bulged. Jasper would be lying if he possessed a human mouth and said his did not as well.
The man noticed them immediately, going as far as to offer the travelers a friendly wave ( never mind the fact Elizabeth and Jasper had to tilt their heads to get the proper view) as he swayed against the gentle breeze like a forgotten wind chime.
"Oh thank the departed realm. I thought I'd burn my lungs out before someone found me! H-Hello there!" The man yelled whilst cupping his hands around his mouth, as if he were afraid they had somehow missed him. "Would you please be kind enough to help me down!"
For a moment Elizabeth simply stood there in a dumbfounded haze before it seemed to suddenly hit her, the man was in fact speaking to him.
In an instant her stance straightened as a stone face expression took over her features.
"Don't worry sir. I'm the elemental master of wind. I should be able to get you down in no time." Even Master's voice sounded slightly deeper than before.
"Oh? That's..that's very nice, now if you look at the trunk you should be able to see where the bandits tied the end of the ro-"
"Just hold still sir you'll be on the ground in no time!" Elizabeth called out, as her legs abruptly shifted to bend at the knee granting her more leverage towards the ground as she raised her calloused hands into the air and began summoning a steady current of wind to swirl between her fingertips.
"Uh..wait, what exactly are you-"
"Just stay calm sir!" She yelled, once again cutting him off.
Jasper made sure to back up a few spaces behind her, knowing too well where this was going.
"I-I really don't think you have to do that!" The boy hastily spluttered as the wind sphere rapidly developed in size. Master paid the man's pleas no mind and after a tense beat of silence….she released the current directly towards the man.
In an instant the young man's terrified scream was drowned out as the entire branch he was hanging from came crashing directly towards the ground in a booming cathartic display of complete destruction.
Luckily for him, Master Elizabeth was generous enough to cast a spare burst of wind his way both to cut his feet free and in order to gently ease his free falling body away from the puff of dust, dirt, and scattered tree limbs that had been left in the wake of the branch's untimely end towards the far more cushiony wild grass where she delicately let him land on his apparently bare ( and even filthier feet).
"O-oh my!" The young man exclaimed his pitch reaching an octave that almost hurt Jasper's ears.
"Are you hurt?" Elizabeth immediately asked, her tone even despite the inkling of pride obviously trying to wedge itself through.
"Huh? Oh no,no I'm fine now. T-thank you so much for saving me," Now that the trembling stranger was much closer, Jasper was able to get a much better look at his appearance.
On top of the boy's head rested a mop of shaggy brown (no doubt bug infested) hair that fell to just above his ears before completely cutting off in a jagged tear very much unlike Master's own well trimmed bangs (though they had grown out quite a bit over the months they spent traveling). His attire was no more than an over sized washrag some humans may deem fit to call a shirt and a pair of dark blue pants with perhaps more patches than actual whole fabric and to make the boyish man's already strange appearance even stranger, on the left side of his worn pants there was a stout cylindrical wooden tube tucked inside. The dusty wood was splattered with a chaotic mess of colors ranging from an almost sickly lime yellow to a downright gaudy ruby vermilion.
"There's no need to thank me, I was simply doing my duty as the master of wind." Elizabeth quickly acquiesced.
"Oh wow!" The boy enthusiastically awed. " I never thought I'd get to meet an elemental master! I guess getting robbed turned out to not be so bad after all!"
"I'm very sorry this has happened to-"
"Yeah was up there for a few days you know, really thought I was gonna die from starvation or something." The young man explained with a nervous chuckle as he raised a grimy hand to scratch the back of his even grimier neck. "Thankfully since it's the rainy season I didn't have to worry about going dehydrated."
Were Jasper able to, he might have rolled his pure sapphire eyes at that. You'd think with all that rain the human's abominable stench might have washed away as well.
"Oh what a lovely dog you have there. Is it a boy or a girl?" The stranger suddenly blabbered, apparently noticing the wolf's lingering gaze.
Jasper let out a low growl. He did NOT appreciate being called 'dog'.
"He's actually a wolf." Elizabeth graciously corrected. "Well, to be precise a Nira wolf, very rare species ,but they're so old evidence of they're kind dates back to Ninjago's dark times." Master went out, not sounding the least bit smug and or long winded.
"Oh...that's ..fascinating." The man replied simply. "He sure is big."
Jasper's upper lip pulled back in a toothy snarl as his growling intensified to an audible hum when the foolish man reached out a filthy hand towards him, clearly intent on laying that mangy thing on his fur.
"W-wait don't!" Elizabeth clumsily stuttered after having immediately taken notice of the sudden development. The ravenette reached out a hand towards the stranger obviously hoping to pull him back before he did something stupid ,but before she could he was running his dumb human mouth again.
"Oh, wow. Silly me, I guess I should've offered these first huh?" The stranger obnoxiously snorted as he pulled his hand back (smartest move he'd made thus far) to rummage through one of his pant's thread bare pockets and fish out what appeared to be a….wait a minute, was that...oh yes it was, Departed Realm it was….FOOD!
A small piece of hard no doubt stale rabbit jerky to be more precise ,but still food nonetheless.
Jasper could have cried as he cautiously inched closer and closer towards the man's upturned palm. With less than a moment's hesitation the wolf sloppily snatched the jerky from the stranger's hand. If he had accidentally tore into the skin of the boy's hand -which was probably highly unlikely considering the thick layer of dirt and grime protecting him- then the young man should have known better than to offer something to such a vicious, fearsome animal such as himself.
As the hardened meat easily slid down Jasper's massive jaw and the boy was already assaulting him with demeaning phrases such as 'good boy', Elizabeth seemed to have suddenly stumbled across some sort of amazing epiphany based on the subtle gleam in her azure eyes.
"Um so, Sir sorry to be blunt ,but I was wondering if you happen to know where the nearest village i-"
"Oh my departed realm, do you need somewhere to stay for the night?!" The young man excitedly asked as he spun around to face Elizabeth. "Because well, we're really close to my village and...I..it would be an honor to house you at my humble estate! I could cook for you, maybe even give you some coin for your troubles!"
Elizabeth's azure pupils once again expanded as her jaw gaped open like a fish for a moment before she suddenly seemed to be able to process the boy's rushed offer and with great effort schooled her features back into a stoic frown.
"I'll respectfully accept your offer of gratitud-"
"Great! Follow me we'll be there in no time." The boy happily exclaimed as he turned in the opposite direction ,but not before first getting up close to the wind master and her wolf with a sickly sweet look in his eye.
"By the way would you mind terribly if I carried your things? You were such a good Samaritan to me I would be eternally grateful to begin paying you back for your kindness in this small way."
Elizabeth uncharacteristically flinched back, as her hands tightly wound themselves around the strap of her satchel securely hanging over her shoulder.
"That's..not nec-"
"Please?" The young man begged, his eyes seemingly widening on command as he wrapped his fingers together in front like a gesture of prayer. "I just want to repay my savior!"
Elizabeth bit her lip as she looked towards the ground whilst her hands continuously clenched and unclenched around her satchel strap.
"I...ok."
ForgottenFamily
Jasper generally thought humans walked pretty funny, what with their whole mind boggling two leg obsession, however this boy's walk looked even funnier than most. There was just something about the way his legs moved. The right one seemed normal enough, however the left one seemed almost like dead weight with such a strange stiffness the man had to swing it outward and back around in a small circle with each step, causing his whole body to minutely spring upwards like a human cockatoo.
"Are you sure you're not injured?" Master Elizabeth hesitantly asked, her eyes glued to the man's strange stride as well.
"It isn't from the fall, don't worry." The young man instantly replied, sparing them not so much as a backwards glance as he continued to hobble through the thick grass. "I, uh..broke my foot a while ago when I was helping my father with some farming stuff, should be healed in a few days then I won't have to wear this splint." That explained the stiffness.
"So…...what's your name?" The boy asked jumping topics faster than a Grundle. "Sorry would've asked earlier ,but I guess the excitement kinda got to me you know, I mean it's not everyday you meet an elementa-"
"It's Elizabeth." Master bluntly cut in." and If it's not too much trouble I ask for yours as well?" She hesitantly went on.
"Wow, look at the manners on you." The stranger responded with an amused chuckle. "Yeah of course. Name's Adam." The young man cheerily supplied with a toothy over the shoulder grin (at least his teeth were relatively clean).
Elizabeth hummed. "So, were you traveling alone?"
"Uh,Yeah."
Elizabeth nodded. "Do you think those bandits are still around here somewhere?"
For the fraction of a second, Jasper thought he saw the boy's edges of smile turn downwards and his palms shake slightly before it was all pushed away replaced with his ever friendly demeanor.
"Umm, I don't know to be honest. They took off that way ,but there's no telling where they were headed." Adam responded, sounding earnest. "Might've been a gang or something ,I'm not sure they kept their faces hidden so I wouldn't know." The young man's gaze turned back toward their path. "And If I'm being truthful here, I really care. They only stole some of my clothes and silver, not really worth the trouble to go after them."
Elizabeth hummed again. "Those criminals will face their own soon. I'm sure."
"You really think so?" The boy laughed again, this time sounding actually amused.
"Yes." Master's gaze flickered down towards the grass as her crossed arms tightened around her midsection. "Everyone faces the consequences for their actions. It's just a matter of when."
"Hmph, good moto." Adam sighed.
For the next few moments the three walked in relative silence save for the sounds of the busy forest surrounding them.
Then Adam stopped.
Elizabeth and Jasper looked at each other in surprise before Master quietly ground out,
"Adam?"
No answer.
Master furrowed a perplexed brow as she cautiously took a step toward the boy, Jasper following along all ,but tied to her side.
"Why did you st-"
The ravenette was unfortunately not allowed to finish that query because before she could there was an abrupt sharp snapping noise briefly followed by a high pitch scream and surprised bark and then she and Jasper were no longer on the ground.
They were in a tightly confined grey net (made of a strange feeling material the likes of which Jasper had never seen before), hanging halfway between the top of the tree and the grass from one of the random trees like a lifeless rattlebag.
Elizabeth's features turned pale with shock as she stared down at the somewhat distant ground whilst Jasper's mind whirled with outrage.
What?! How did this happen?!
Still clearly lost in the haze of shock, Elizabeth forced herself to inhale a few lungfuls of air as she continued to stare below. Then with practiced ease she stretched out a hand as best she could under the circumstances and closed her eyes in concentration.
Jasper waited patiently, any minute now Master would summon her wind and get them dow-
Suddenly the sound of an exasperated sigh broke the tense air like a nail against fragile glass.
"Sorry that ain't gonna work hun. Won that sh*t at a poker game. Guy said it's supposed to disarm you elemental freaks."
Far below them, Adam was casually staring up at them, his arms crossed in an almost...prideful stance.
"I think he said it was called, uh vangestone no wait, eh something like that"
With tremendous effort Elizabeth snapped her eyes open,shocked realization obvious in her azure gaze.
"YOU-"
"Yeah I tricked y'all." The wicked deceitful little human casually called up to them. His earlier childlike cheeriness banished completely from his inflection. "Guess Lady Luck's on my side today. Didn't really think I was convincing enough, good thing you're pretty dumb huh?"
"SHUT UP!" Elizabeth screamed back. "YOU LITTLE! I SWEAR, I'LL-" Master had to halt herself long enough to catch hold of her frustration and calm down long enough to speak normally.
After taking a moment getting her temper back in check, Elizabeth forced her features into a cool, calm expression as she turned her gaze downcast yet again.
"Ok! Listen, I don't know why you've done this ,but if you let me down now there is the smallest fraction of a chance that I might go easy on y-GET YOUR GRUBBY HANDS AWAY FROM THERE!"
Jasper growled in agreement as he angrily watched the disgusting liar rummage through Elizabeth's satchel, leaving gross dirt covered handprints everywhere.
"Huh? Did you say something?" The boy sardonically replied as he fished out a handful of silver and gold coins.
"Hmm, not exactly a mobster's daughter are you?" He asked with haughty amusement inspecting the money with flagrant disinterest. "Otherwise he might have given you some decent coin right? Nah I bet you're from a mining-no that's not right...ooh I got it,tea selling family! Well either that or you just really like tea, that would explain the smell." The young man mused, making an exaggerated fan gesture for good measure.
Jasper snarled a toothy howl. HE was one to talk.
"Well it's been fun ,but," Adam buckled the satchel shut before carelessly swinging it over his shoulder. "Afraid now I have to go."
"WHAT!? SO YOU'RE JUST GOING TO LEAVE US HERE TO DIE!" Elizabeth roared, her teeth looking close to breaking beneath the pressure with which she clenched them together. Her knuckles were no better, and..no less white.
Adam's small figure shrugged dismissively as he bent down by a random bush and pulled out what appeared to be a pair of wooden sandals. After taking less than a fraction of a second to slip them on, the boy was already walking away not bothering to so much as look back as he replied.
"I'm sure you won't die, just scream really loud and I'm sure someone will find you, I mean you found me after all."
For the rest of that night as they struggled and fought with all their might against the cursed net, Elizabeth would continually refuse to cease her verbal triad of horrendously unlady-like swears of revenge against the thief.
AnD thIs iS WhY wE DoN't lEt nO mAn HoLd OuR tHiNgS LaDiES! X3
Thank y'all for reading and being patient with me! Be sure to let me know what you thought in the comments. I'm always here for critique XD!