Weaken

Kai sat next to the fire, hands out to accept its warmth. The tongues of smoke danced with the wind, only to be swept away by the black shadows of the leafless trees.

Thoughts of his sister and her illness kept him from falling asleep like his companions. Were they too late? Was she already dead? He would know tomorrow when they reached Sheshin, but it was impossible to not think about it.

He pulled his cloak close. More for comfort than anything else, because it wasn't all that chilly. The ground wasn't frozen, and some of the hardy plants, like cranberry bushes, were still clinging to their leaves.

Cole slept with his head on Kai's lap. He hadn't meant to, but Kai knew it had been days since Cole had last slept, and he had been unable to keep his eyes open when they tied up the horses. It could hardly be helped when he'd crashed in Kai's arms.

Kai didn't mind. It kept them both warm. And it made Kai feel good, knowing that Cole trusted him enough to see him like this. Vulnerable. Unprotected. No mask to hide his true self.

Seeing Cole's sleeping face was like looking into his past and seeing a sliver of what once was. Seeing his brow unwrinkled, unmarred by the memories of a life he hadn't wanted or deserved. Seeing his mouth loose instead of pulled into a thin, disagreeable line. His shoulders relaxed instead of hunched as though he was carrying the weight of the world.

"Do you hear that?" Kyle asked.

Kai gasped at the sudden noise. "I thought you were sleeping," he said. He looked over his shoulder at where the young mercenary sat under a tree.

"I don't need sleep," Kyle said. "But did you hear that?"

"No...I don't think so."

Kyle pointed to the road, which was hidden behind a thick copse of trees. "Someone's running this way."

Kai thought he could maybe hear it when he strained his ears.

"I'm going to check it out." Kyle stood. "Whoever it is has left the road and is coming for us. If I-"

"Hello?" A familiar voice echoed in the shadows, breathless. "Is someone there? I see a fire."

Kai held up a hand, indicating for Kyle to stand down. He called out as quiet as he could, not wanting to wake Cole. "Zane, is that you?"

"Kai?" Zane stopped when he came into view, face a mess of confused emotions. "What are you doing here?"

"I was about to ask you the same question."

Kyle settled himself against his tree with a groan. "So I can't kill him?"

"No." Kai gestured to the fire. "Come sit down, Zane. It's uh...been a while. Five...six days?"

"Six days, yes." Zane dropped next to the ground next to Cole.

"Six days." Kai whistled. "Who knew so much could happen in six little, innocent days?"

"Indeed. So..." Zane poked Cole's shoulder. "You two have gotten...close."

"Their relationship is new, then?" Kyle said. "That explains their needless embarrassment."

"Oh, for the love of..." Kai swatted Zane's hand away. "Don't wake him up, okay? He's been a bit...needy. Especially since Hagar died yesterday-"

"I thought she was already dead," Zane said.

Kai blew air through his lips. "Long story, okay? But seriously, don't wake him up. He needs rest."

"Okay. Sorry." Zane put his hands close to the fire. "So...besides Hagar dying again, and that new shady guy behind us, what's new?"

"Hmm." Kai turned his head, exposing his earring. It glinted reddish-gold in the firelight. "We found a cure for the disease. Kind of. I don't know. It's in my blood, and it healed Besai, but Cyrus still hasn't found a way to duplicate it."

"Your father knows, right?" Zane nodded to Kai's ear.

"Nope."

"Well." Zane's tone oozed with sarcasm. "That was smart, running the extra mile behind his back."

"One mile in a lifelong journey," Kai said, smiling. "I have no regrets."

"I can't say that's all that matters," Zane said, "but I'm glad you're happy."

"Thanks?"

"Anytime. Do you..." Zane pursed his lips. "You've heard, right? About Lloyd and Nya?"

"Nya, yes, but not Lloyd. He's got the ECS too?"

Zane turned his eyes to Cole's face. His voice was bleak and tired. "He had it. But not anymore."

Kai's lips parted. "No."

Zane nodded.

"Oh, no. Lloyd died? When?"

"Last night. I tried to save him, I swear I did. But..." Zane frowned at the fire. "What will we do now? He was supposed to be the Green Knight. Without him, Ninjago is doomed."

"Don't say that," Kai said. "I have enough naysayers around here as it is. I don't need you doing it too."

Zane rubbed his face with his palm. "But this whole dilemma is so impossible." He looked at the horses, then at Kai. "Where's Jay?"

That was an excellent question. That elusive man with a false identity, throwing even more of the prophesy askew by trading his Blade for a random girl he hadn't even recognized at first glance.

"Running a mission. He'll be back soon."

"Good. I hope he's..." Zane faltered, eyes turning to Cole. "Duskweaver says you're showing symptoms of the disease."

"Yeah? What gave it that idea?

Zane touched Kai's forehead. "You're not running a fever, but something's definitely wrong." He pressed his thumb to Kai's neck, and behind his ears, and next to his eyes, and a dozen other places.

"Lay off," Kai said, pushing Zane's hands away. "I feel fine."

Zane was silent for a moment, probably conversing with his Blade. His eyes were deep and melancholy. "There is some pressure in your brain. Do you have a headache?"

"Yeah, but it's nothing. Just a little twinge behind my forehead."

"Kai." Zane grabbed his shoulder. "You don't understand how serious this is. You aren't immune!"

"I guess it's been a while since our last talk," Kai said. "Here's an update: Overlord put some antidote in my blood. I am, in fact, immune to the ECS."

"But it can't be permanent," Zane said. "Your body will recognize the antidote as a foreign body and destroy it. And when that happens- no, it already did happen. You have the disease."

"I don't," Kai said. "I just healed Besai with it yesterday. How could it be gone? Unless..." He bit his lip. "The poison left my bloodstream just before I kissed her, so...I guess it's possible... Oh, First Spinjitsu Master." He dropped his head into one hand and moaned. "It hurts."

Zane rubbed the nape of his neck. "I wish I was wrong."

"What am I going to do?" Kai said. "I only have like...twelve hours before the fever starts, and it's all downhill from there. I-I've got to get to our Blades! We still have to heal everyone. If I don't see Nya again-"

"Hey." Zane wrapped an arm around Kai's shoulders. "Calm down. You won't do your country any good by panicking."

His country. The one thing he'd been promised would be his when the time came. Only...

"It isn't mine," Kai whispered. "I messed up. It's my fault everyone's sick." He laughed breathily. "In a way, it's good that I'm going to die. I'm getting what I deserve. Recompense for Besai's suffering, and Varasach, and that little boy..."

"We're in this together," Zane said. "I won't leave my team behind."

Kai closed his eyes and leaned into Zane's shoulder. "Thanks," he said. "I needed to hear that."

"I know."

Getting to Cole's hideout was a lot harder than Jay had anticipated. His tourniquet slowed the blood but had not stopped it. He felt sick. And by the time they made it to the cave, he could not even support his own weight. Liana and Merv had to drag him up the rocky slope and slide him down the tunnel.

Muddy and exhausted, Jay lay at the bottom with his eyes closed and waited for them to come and help him. He hated having to depend on them for everything, but as they reminded him time and time again, he had no choice.

"Are you all right, Jay?" Liana asked, skidding to a stop beside him.

"Mmm," Jay said. "Yeah. Sure."

Liana turned and caught Merv as she fell down the slope. They then dragged Jay to the cot and set him down. "I need a torch," she said.

"Here." Jay fished his little floating light out of his pocket. "Use this."

Liana took it and scurried off to find another source of light. It only took a moment, and then bright orange flames lit up the walls from her lantern. She tossed the electronic light back to him.

Merv absorbed her surroundings with wide eyes. "Who built thees?" she asked.

Jay shrugged. "Cole claims that it was always here."

"Eet's...eenteresting."

"You're telling me."

Liana approached him with a large bowl of water. "Merv, sit here and help him stay upright. I'm going to wash his leg."

Jay pointed to a stack of crates. "I think there're some bandages over there. If we're giving up on my lower leg ever...reconstructing, you can wrap the stump."

"Good. I'll do that." She set the bowl on the floor and rolled up his trouser leg. The creases in her forehead deepened.

"What?" Jay said.

Liana splashed some water on his wound. "It's...not looking good."

"Infection?"

"Yep. Your knee is all red and swollen." She passed her hand through the part of his leg which wasn't there, and yet somehow was. "My father will have to find a way to cut this off. It's been a day, and I don't see any improvement."

"Yeah. I figured."

"You aren't upset?"

Jay forced a smile. "It's a waste of breath to stress over every little thing," he said. He turned to Merv. "That's a lesson I learned a long time ago."

Merv darkened her expression a bit and leaned closer to him. "So that's what I was?" she said. "A theeng that was to be forgotten? Not stressed over?"

"What? No!" Jay blushed. "That's not what I meant. I'm referring to the weeks after that when-"

Merv giggled. "I was teasing."

Goodness. Since when did she regain her sense of humor?

"Yoo has not changed," she said. "Always so flustered. Eet ees funny." She rested her chin on his shoulder, tentative and unsure.

Jay offered a breathy laugh. "Funny to you, I guess. Ooh..." He winced as Liana's hand scooped water and splashed his leg. "Ouch. What are you touching, Lia?"

"I have no clue. It feels like bone, but I can't see anything because of your phantom limb."

"Hey, I like it. That's what we'll call it from now on. The phantom limb."

Liana gave him a look that consisted of a lowered chin, raised eyes, and one scrunched eyebrow. "There are no words to describe your weirdness."

"I wouldn't be unique if there were. But...aah- ouch. Please be more gentle. That hurts."

"Because it's infected," Liana said.

"Well, that's not good."

"No, you think?" Liana bound his leg- a comical, if not unnerving sight because of the way the 'phantom' part of his leg stuck out. "Try not to strain yourself. Maybe we should stay here and rest for a day or two before we continue to where Lady Nya's mech is."

It was tempting. To sit back and rest, try to regain some strength so that the women wouldn't have to carry him.

"I'd say yes," Jay said, "but I've got this little voice in the back of my head. It's telling me that something important is happening back in Ninjago, and that we can't miss it. We need to keep going."

"We'll at least spend the night here, right?" Liana asked. "We're all exhausted."

"Definitely." He ran a hand through Merv's hair. "Look at this poor girl. She needs a nap."

"I am but four months younger," Merv said into Jay's ear. "Not a baybee."

"The moon will turn nearly four and a quarter times in four months," Jay said. "That's a lot."

"Ees not."

"Is too."

They chuckled, and Jay wrapped an arm around her middle. It was like when they were kids. Arguing that since he was older, he had the right to boss her around. But no, since he was older, he had more responsibility, so it was only fair that he did the work himself. Back and forth until they forgot what they'd been shouting about, then they'd laugh it off and go play in the royal cemetery. Great-Grandmother's avocado tree had perfect branches for climbing. Before it burned, that is.

Jay clenched his fists. It always made him angry, thinking of how the Overlord had destroyed every last remembrance of his past. Even the cemetery around the lake had burned. Blasphemy.

"Jay, you can take the cot," Liana said. "Merv and I will take the floor."

"No," Merv said. "I want to stay weeth John."

"I guess that leaves you with the bed," Jay said. "I don't mind. You know me, always sleeping in caves and stuff. This is normal."

"Losing your leg is not normal." Liana felt his forehead. "Aha. You see? You're running a fever. It's the cold and anemia. You need to rest comfortably."

"I'd rest better with company," Jay said. "And since you won't want to coddle me, I'm taking Merv."

Liana blushed as she picked up the water bowl. She stood and dumped it in the pool. "Fine. You two lovebirds can coo and preen each other on the floor. I'll take the cot."

"Lovebirds?" Jay's brow crinkled.

"You can't take a tease, can you?" Liana said.

"Trech gda," Merv said. "Beeg baby."

"I am not," Jay said, laughing. "That was mean."

The ground shook. Merv gasped and clutched Jay's shirt.

"What is that noise?" Liana asked.

Jay focused on the sound- like distant thunder- and frowned. "It sounds like...Nya's mech."

"What? Who would be in it?"

"I don't know. We camouflaged it pretty well, so I can't imagine anyone finding it."

"It could be one of the ground vehicles my father created," Liana said. "Some of the big ones make noises like that."

"No," Jay said. "Your father's are a bit quieter than that."

They listened for another moment. The noise grew more loud and intense. Then it stopped.

"Ah," Jay said, trying to ease the tension, "you see? It stopped right above us. It's the flying mech. Help me up."

"Why should I?" Liana said. "You're injured."

"I don't know who's flying it." Jay pulled Stormstrider free. "It could be an enemy."

Liana snatched the Blade from his fingers. "I'll go out there."

"Wha- for Mena's sake, Liana. You're as stubborn as Nya."

Liana gave him a flirtatious smile-and-wink combination. "Don't you know it."

"If you're trying to hide from intruders," a voice said outside, "then you're doing a very poor job of it."

Liana positioned herself at the cave entrance. Her voice was shaky. "Who are you?"

A cloaked figure dropped from the hole, water dripping from every exposed surface. "A cranky noblewoman who really, really wants to be at home with a mug of tea."

Liana lowered the Blade. "Pixal?"

"Who else would I be?" Pixal drew back her hood. "Get your sorry corpses into the mech, we're going home. Good to see you aren't dead, by the way, Miss Borg."

It's the nice lady, Stormstrider said cheerfully.

Jay took the Blade from Liana's hands and put it away. "How did you know we were here?"

"My eagle, duh," Pixal said. "Wu wouldn't let me follow you, so I sent my bird to monitor your...progress." She nodded to Jay's leg. "It looked like you were having trouble, so I jumped the gun."

"Pixal," Jay said, "I'd be careful. You're getting into dangerous habits."

"Explain yourself?"

"You saved us the trouble of hobbling to Wu's hut. That was nice. It's so...unlike you."

"I didn't come for you," Pixal said. "I came for these two unfortunate victims of your stupidity. But since you're here, and your so good with Chedva, I'll let you tag along."

"There you go again, being nice."

"If you value your perfect face, I'd put your finger on your lips and not utter a single word for the rest of the trip. Come on, we're going."