Return

Zane's weeks with his sister had been filled with bliss. They went everywhere and did everything together. Never were they seen alone, whether in the mansion or in public.

Their father, too, had been delighted. Relieved, too. For nearly a month he had been kept in the dark about what his two children were doing on the island. Were they alive? Were they prisoners? Had their boat sunk in that storm?

But no more. They were a family again, and they intended to keep it that was for as long as possible.

"Hey! Quit turning the pages so fast." Pixal slapped Zane's hand and took the book back. "Jerk."

Zane leaned back in his carriage seat, hands folded. He said nothing.

"Here." Pixal turned the page and handed it back to Zane. "I'm finished. Now you may continue. And read a little slower so I can keep up."

"Or you could just read faster," Zane said.

"Mmm," said Pixal, already absorbed in the pages illuminated by the lantern's light.

Lord Julien looked up from his own book, sighing. "Can't you two get along?"

"Mmm. Yes, Father. Hey, Zane! Stop turning the pages. You know I'm not finished."

"I am sorry for offending you, Pixal," Zane said, smoothing the flipped page and continuing with his reading. "But your mind is simply too slow, and I am getting impatient."

"Oh, that's it!" Pixal clambered on top of him like a cat, rocking the carriage. "You're walking! I can't put up with this, Father, tell him he's walking to King Garmadon's- Ow!"

Lord Julien threw his book at her head. "Pixal. Zane. Behave yourselves. I am bringing refined nobles to this event, not children."

"Yes, Father," they said as one, trying to look contrite. But once Lord Julien had retrieved his book and was sufficiently distracted, the siblings chortled into their sleeves.

"You were right," Pixal whispered, rubbing her temple. "He used the book, not his pipe."

"When will you learn, sister?" Zane slung an arm around her shoulder. "I'm usually right."

"That statement was an oxymoron."

"Ouch."

"Well it's true! 'I' and 'right' don't belong in the same sentence when the 'I' is you!"

"Can you reword that so it makes sense?" Zane tweaked her nose. "Come on. It's not like you're a nine-winters or anything."

"Shut up," Pixal said. But she was smiling.

The carriage slowed to a halt, and Julien looked up from his book. "What could that be? We're miles from the nearest town."

A knock came on the door. "Milord." Zane recognized the voice of Payen, one of his father's bodyguards.

"What is it, Payen?" Lord Julien said.

"There is a man out here."

"I don't hear anything. He isn't causing a ruckus. Drive on."

"Well, no, he isn't making us any trouble. But he flagged us down, and he claims that he needs help."

"Help? With what?"

"He's got a wounded girl with him."

Zane was on his feet in an instant.

"Please, no," Lord Julien said, annoyed. This was not the first time his son had gone out of his way to help the common people. "What if it's an assassin?"

Zane gave his father a reproachful look. "What if it's a citizen in need?" he said. "I'm going out." He threw the door open and stepped down from the carriage.

It was dark, and it took a moment for Zane's eyes to switch over to night-vision.

"This way, Milord," Payen said, gloved hand on Zane's elbow. He led them to the front of the carriage, where another bodyguard sat on his horse beside a man carrying a body.

Zane rushed forward, eyes scanning the man's face for any sort of threat. Wide, earnest honey-colored eyes, and long, braided hair of the same hue. He wore no jacket, and his clothing seemed ragged.

Zane swore he'd seen this man somewhere before.

"Sir," the man said. "Am I correct in assuming you own this sleigh?"

"Close enough," Zane replied, stopping a few feet from the man. "How may we help you?"

"I need a ride," the man said. "She's hypothermic. I don't think she'll last much longer."

Zane reached for the furs covering the woman's head. "May I?" After receiving a nod, he pulled back the coverings and gasped. "Varasach!"

"So you know her?" the man asked.

"Know her? Of course I..." Zane had not expected this. Not at all. He searched the man's eyes again, wondering why a person like him would be wandering around with Cole's sister.

Then the name came to him. "...Kyle?"

"Yep," the man said. "You remembered my name. But you know Varasach?"

"Let's just say, we've had some adventures," Zane said. "What are you doing here?"

Kyle rolled his eyes. "Well, I didn't take Vara against hers or her brother's will, if that's what you mean," he said. "But we ran into some trouble, and I lost my cloak, and I just need a ride to the nearest town with a doctor."

Zane took a step back, calculating his options. What do you say, Duskweaver? he asked. Can he be trusted?

Duskweaver thrummed. He is not there, it said. He has less life and soul in him than dead grass.

So he's like me? Zane grew more suspicious. Cyrus, of course. He stole our blueprints and is manufacturing an army.

It occurred to him then that, when he'd last seen Kai, Jay, and Cole after Lloyd's death, he had failed to ask about where the were staying.

Cyrus is the first person Jay and Cole would flee to, Duskweaver said. So of course Varasach would be there too. Plenty of time and space for her to get entangled with such a...beautiful Nindroid.

Though the fact was irrelevant, Zane could not deny that Kyle was indeed beautiful. Flawless complexion and body. But one look at his expression said that he was but a child, perhaps a few weeks old. Not old enough to understand what a dangerous place the world is.

"Do you realize how easily I could turn you in?" Zane said. "Hand you over to the authorities across the border in the Middle realm? King Garmadon would kill for information on Borg's hideaway."

Kyle laughed. "Am I that obvious?" he said. "But it would be pointless. I already escaped the Guards. I could do it again."

"Guards? Up here?" Zane groaned inwardly. King Garmadon's men were only allowed to enforce the law outside their borders if they had a warrant. They were many miles from said boundary, and King Garmadon had requested no such warrant for Kyle's arrest.

"Where were you arrested?" Zane asked.

Kyle nodded up the road to the north. "We were in Wenao."

"What were you arrested for?"

"Looking suspicious, I suppose. We were just mounting horses at the time, talking." Kyle dug the toe of his boot into the snow. "Listen. Just take Vara. Get her warm and safe. I can walk to the nearest town. Just promise you'll leave her with a doctor there, somewhere that I can find her easily. Please."

Trustworthy, Duskweaver said. He doesn't even want to enter the carriage. He has been truthful about even Cyrus at the risk of his own freedom.

"No need," Zane said. He took Varasach from Kyle's arms- carefully, to avoid damage to her nearly frozen body- and nodded to the carriage. "Get in. I'll drop you off at the nearest inn."

"Thank you," Kyle said earnestly, following Zane into the lantern-lit and warm box. After a moment of hesitation, he sat down beside Lord Julien. The carriage continued down the road.

"Who is this?" Pixal glared at Kyle.

But instead of shrinking back, as most people did, Kyle smiled broadly and offered her a hand. "I'm Kyle," he said. "What an absolute pleasure it is to meet you. Your name is..?"

Pixal wrinkled her nose, but accepted the hand. "Pixal. Don't talk to me."

"But why not? You seem like a nice-"

Pixal slapped him. "Zane, please throw him out."

"But I..." Kyle looked dazed. "...wow, you and Cole would get along well."

"He was just being polite, Pixal," Zane said, trying to hide his smile. "I'm sorry that you can't handle manners."

Pixal groaned, then turned her head to Varasach, who slept on in Zane's arms. "And who's this?" Her expression softened a touch.

Zane drew out Duskweaver. "You'll remember her from my adventures. This is Cole's adopted sister."

"Oh, yes. The red-haired girl. What's wrong with her?"

Zane pulled back Varasach's cloak and blankets, then unbuttoned her shirt. "Cold. She isn't acclimated to this kind of weather."

Kyle saw the Blade and stuttered. "Ah- Um- Excuse me."

Zane looked up, then down at his hands. "Don't worry, sir. I'm just warming her up."

Kyle shut his mouth, but remained tense when Zane's hand and Blade sheath touched the bare skin of her abdomen. Kyle eventually looked down at his own hands, face reddening.

Outside the window, Zane caught sight of three travelers on horseback. For some reason he called to mind Cole, Kai, and Jay, but wasn't sure why. Maybe the shapes of their shoulders.

He went back to work without giving it much thought.

Varasach's face was a pale blue hue. Her lips were purple and cracked. But Zane was not a stranger to this condition. Many humans got it at one point in their lives up north, and everyone knew how to treat it, magical Blade or not. It only took a minute
for Zane to stabilize her condition.

"She'll warm up," he said, finally putting away his Blade and buttoning her tunic. "Shouldn't take longer than a few hours, and she'll be back to normal."

Kyle looked relieved. "Thank you," he said. "You don't know how much this means to me."

Pixal opened her mouth to ask a snide question- probably something along the lines of why Kyle was pursuing her when he already had Varasach- but Zane elbowed her.

"Are you and Varasach...close?" Zane asked, not able to imagine Cole letting anyone get 'close' to her.

"I don't understand the question," Kyle said.

"What is your relationship?"

"Oh." Kyle contemplated this for a while. "I think the word she uses is...friend. We're friends."

"I see," Zane said. He couldn't help smiling. Kyle and Varasach would be fine friends. They just seemed so...like-minded.

"Hey," Pixal said. "Why are you out here without a horse?"

Kyle shrugged, mirroring Zane's smile. "I just had a hunch that I wouldn't need one."

The morning sun was cold but beautiful. Every movement, every rustling of the wind seemed to make the trees move like dancers garbed in glittery gowns. A few large ravens flew overhead, searching for scraps to eat. Strange, since they usually patrolled more populated areas.

One bird in particular seemed to enjoy following Jay. A smaller, more scrawny raven with beady brown eyes and a shiny beak. The same bird that had spooked his horse right after Cole and Kai left to 'rescue' Kyle and Varasach. It would soar overhead, or perch in branches at eye level, or land on the ground a few paces from his cantering horse, making it bolt.

"Easy, Kila," he repeated by rote, leaning back in his seat. "Geez. What's with this bird?"

Kai slowed his own horse, frowning as they passed the croaking pest. "Of all the animals that could follow us..." he said. "A raven. That's kind of disgusting. They eat garbage, you know."

Jay maneuvered Kila around the bird, and they continued after Cole, who was far ahead of them, still struggling to regain his composure after that panic attack.

"You can't even be sure that it's the same bird," Kai said.

"Oh, it's the same one all right," Jay said, watching as it fluttered soundlessly into the branches directly ahead of them. "Look at her. Go figure, the first girl to show an interest in me is a scavenger bird."

Kai winked. "There's always Liana," he said.

"What?" Jay blushed.

"Don't think I haven't noticed," Kai said. "Whenever I see you two together, it's all...sweet. You enjoy her company."

"Well...yes," Jay said. "But not like that. I can tell that Liana's trying to get my attention, but I don't want it."

"Why not?"

"A few reasons," Jay said, shrugging. "One being, we're practically siblings. We grew up together; playing, working, getting into trouble... The thought of becoming more than that is gross. Like I'm...defiling our friendship."

"And the other reason?" Kai said.

"My heart's already been taken."

"Really?" Kai sniffed. "By who? That bird?"

Jay did not find this funny. "No," he said, turning his face away so Kai could not see his weakness. "By Nya."

Kai fell silent.

Nya. Jay had always admired her, even as a child. Her strength and wit. Her grace and beauty. The way she laughed when Lloyd made a bad pun about sea urchins, and the way she cried unabashedly while talking about Kai. About how much she had missed him, how much she had loved him. How much she had feared that he was dead, or would be dead before they could rescue him.

"You two..." Kai began. His eyes carried a great deal of weight. "You would have made a wonderful couple."

Jay shook his head. "No. She was too perfect for a guy like me."

Kai's laugh was as dark as his expression. "So you understand how I felt, having her for a sister. She was like...a lamb, I guess. A perfect, beautiful lamb. And I..." He faltered like a broken machine, then restarted. "And I slaughtered her. Now I'm trying to live my life, pretending it never happened."

Jay's head shook with more intensity. "You've watched countless people in Cyrus' care die after receiving an antidote," he said. "It doesn't take to every person. It's not your fault."

"But it is my fault," Kai said. "I started this whole mess on that night with Besai. If I hadn't been so immature and rushed it, this wouldn't have happened."

"If I hadn't stopped to look back on that night fifteen years ago, Merv and I would be safe today," Jay said. "That wall would have collapsed with no one under it. I would never have gone back to Overlord and rescued her. I would still have my leg." He reached out and jabbed Kai's shoulder. "Now stop your pity party. That's my job."

Kai ignored Jay's lecture. He looked up at Cole, still far in the distance, and squinted. "I think I caught a glimpse of the carriage around the corner," he said. He kicked his horse, encouraging it to move at a faster lope. "Let's go. We've gotta get to Kyle before Cole does."

"Why?" Jay said, matching Kai's pace. He hid a grimace as his leg throbbed.

"Because I've got first dibs on pummeling that Nindroid's gears into the mud. Er..." He looked at the snow around them. He might have shrugged, but the movement was lost in the jostling of his horse's gait. "You know what I mean."

"Definitely." With reins in one hand, Jay managed to pull a pain tablet from his pocket. He swallowed it dry.

By the time he'd done that, they had caught up to Cole. The carriage was just ahead of them, gold and white Julien crest clear on the back.

"You feeling better, Cole?" Kai asked, riding between Jay and his other brooding friend.

Cole's face was pale and his jaw tense. His clothes still smelled of smoke. "I'll be better when we get this mess sorted out," he said.

"Isn't that the truth," Jay chuckled. "This has been quite a night. Kyle had better have a good explanation for dragging us all out here and..." He caught Cole's glare and fell silent.

Cole grunted. "No thanks to you, Jay."

"Cole," Kai said. "Don't you think you might be treating him just a little bit too harshly? He did save our skins back there."

Cole's voice raised above his brooding growl. "Jay was allowed to come along on one condition," he said. "He was supposed to obey me, the team leader. And he didn't."

"But he saved us!"

"Today, yes. But what about tomorrow?" Cole said. "There will come a day when he will be forced to make a crucial decision: stick to the plan, or assume everyone's failed and try to fix it himself. Based on his performance today, we know which one he'll choose. And we know that today was a lucky shot for him. We weren't facing the Overlord, or even stone warriors. These were incompetent men with the brains and agility of drunken birds."

Kai's tone was reprimanding. "Cole, I-"

"He can't do it!" Cole said. "He has too little respect for leadership and too much childish eagerness. Can we trust that in battle?"

Jay was pretending not to hear the argument.

Kai sighed. "What's going on with you, Cole?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, this isn't like you. Sure, you and Jay have never gotten along the greatest, but this tension...what's bothering you?"

The carriage was close now. The soldiers guarding it were looking over their shoulders, trying to decide if the trio was a threat.

"Oh, like you don't know what's wrong," Cole said. "Don't play that game."

"Actually, I don't know," Kai said. "Would you care to enlighten me?"

Cole shook his head. "Let's stop wasting time and get to that carriage." He kicked his horse, leaving Kai and Jay behind.

"No, no, Payen," Zane said, smiling as he peeked out the window toward the rear. "They're friends. Stop the carriage."

"Yessir." The captain and his horse retreated, and the sleigh slid to a halt.

Zane settled back into his seat and smiled at Kyle. "Good luck explaining yourself," he said. "Cole doesn't look to be in the best of moods."

For the first time, Zane saw a flicker of concern in Kyle's eyes. But then the younger Nindroid blinked and it was gone, replaced once again by his good-natured grin.

"Thanks," he said. "Phew. I'm gonna need all the luck I can get. He seems to be short of a circuit breaker, if you get my meaning."

Lord Julien and Zane chuckled a little, but Pixal scoffed.

Then the carriage door flew open. Cole stood there, feet spread apart, glaring into Kyle's eyes as though he were trying to murder the Nindroid's soul. If he had one, that is.

"Sir Cole," Zane said, smiling cordially. "Won't you come in? But please, no violence. I happen to like this carriage."

Cole grunted and stepped into the box. "Where is she, Kyle?" he demanded.

Kyle pointed to Lord Julien. "She's wrapped up in a blanket beside this kind Lord," he said. "You didn't need to come and rescue us, though. I have it under control."

"Do you?" Cole shoved Kyle aside and pulled the blankets back from the body on Lord Julien's lap. "Your definition of 'under control' is clearly askew. Look at her!" He stroked her sleeping face, frown relaxing slightly.

"Hypothermia," Zane said. "But Duskweaver fixed her. She's just regaining her strength now. She'll wake up soon, I'm sure."

Cole looked over his shoulder at Zane. "Drop us off at the nearest inn," he said. "I can take it from here. Thanks for your help."

"Drop you off?" Zane hesitated, looking to his father for guidance. "Um...I suppose we could do that. But if King Garmadon finds that we've been helping fugitives..."

"Fugitives?" Kai and Jay stepped up to the carriage, grinning. "Surely you don't mean us."

Zane stood and faced his friend. Kai's face bore more creases than he'd remembered from their last meeting. His smile was a little less warm. Zane didn't blame him; he'd lost a lot in this past week.

"It's good to see you," Zane said, patting Kai's back as he approached. "How are you feeling, friend?"

Kai shrugged. "As well as I can, considering the circumstances."

Zane squeezed Kai's shoulder. "I understand. I'm sorry."

There had been so much loss these past few weeks. The disease had not only taken Nya and Prince Lloyd, but many of Zane's friends and acquaintances across the country. So many dead. And to make things worse, the people were blaming the government for this crisis.

"And Jay," Zane said, turning to the quiet thief who stood outside the carriage. "Come on up. It's good to see you. Why are you using a cane?"

Jay struggled into the carriage, leaning much of his weight on said cane. "Long story," he said. "Never mind. You can't fix it."

"I could heal it-"

"No," Jay said. "No. I don't need your power. Use it on Cole."

Zane squinted Cole, who's attention was still fixed on Varasach.

Bruises, Duskweaver said. First-degree burns on his hands.

And what of Jay? Zane asked.

Again, bruises. Judging by their position, he fell from his horse. But... Hum. Hold on. His leg.

What of it?

It's gone, master. Amputated just below the knee.

Can we do anything about it?

No. Jay is right. You can't do anything. This wound must heal naturally.

Zane didn't understand the reasoning, but he knew better than to question Duskweaver's judgement. He knelt beside Cole and pulled his Blade free.

"How are you doing, Cole?" he asked, taking Cole's right hand in his. He gently ran his fingers along the blisters.

"Fine," Cole said. He watched, uncaring, as Duskweaver's power seeped into his skin and healed it.

"What happened here?" Zane took Cole's other hand and healed it, too.

Cole flexed his fingers and, satisfied, dropped his hands to his sides. "Let's just say that it wouldn't have happened if Kyle had just stayed put."

"I could not know if help was coming," Kyle said. "If you..." He gave Cole a queer look. "You found the Guards?"

Cole nodded, standing.

"And...you saw the blankets and coat that I left to fool them?"

Another nod. A step in Kyle's direction.

Then Kyle laughed. "Ha!" he said. "Oh, that is too funny. What, did you-"

Cole lifted Kyle above his head and flung him out the door.

"Idiot!" Cole shouted, red in the face. "That's the last time I'll ever let her get close to you! Vara was a fool, trusting you like that. You're as bad as Jay!"

Kyle sat up, wiping snow from his face. His eyes were wide with confusion and alarm.

Only then did Cole falter. They stared at each other for a very, very long time. Silence smothered the woods like a heavy woolen blanket.

Zane arched a brow at Kai, asking for an explanation. Kai just shrugged. Jay sat down and swallowed a pain-killing pill.

"Idiot," Cole grumbled. Then he turned and sat across from Jay. "Zane. What is your family doing out here?"

"Going to attend Malian's execution," Zane replied without missing a beat. "Well, technically, we're going to bring him to court first, try yet again to get him to confess. But this is the last time. After this, whether he claims guilty or innocent, he's going to be executed."

"I keep hearing about Malian," Kai said. "But I don't know what he did. Why is he in prison?"

"You don't know?" Pixal said. "He poisoned King Garmadon."

"No, he didn't," Kai said. "It couldn't have been Malian because-" he stopped there, pursing his lips. "Never mind."

"You think he's been falsely accused?" Lord Julien said.

"I-I don't know. Sorry. I spoke without thinking."

Lord Julien's eyes narrowed, and he ran a hand idly through Varasach's hair. "You haven't changed much in that regard," he said. "Your face has changed, your life has changed, but your tongue is the same as ever."

"I think my tongue enjoys the taste of fast talk," Kai said. "A bad habit."

"Hate to break this up," Cole said, "but we still need a plan. Are you going to let us go?"

Now here was a tricky case for Zane and his father. Garmadon wanted all those affiliated with Cyrus Borg to be taken into custody. But these men were the Knights who would one day free the world of the Overlord's looming threat. To arrest them would go against the prophesy...right? Did Garmadon even know that three of the four Knights worked with Borg?

Fortunately, the decision was made for them

"We're going with you," Kai said. "Malian was a good friend of mine, and I'd like to see firsthand what's going on. 'Cause I'm not convinced that Malian isn't innocent."

"Okay." Though Zane smiled on the outside, his insides were churning. This could not end well. Garmadon was so unstable; a dangerous condition for one in so much power. He could do any number of things to Jay, Cole, or even Kai, who no longer held any say in court. He was a commoner now, thanks to that earring through his left ear.

Pixal turned her nose up at Kyle as he reentered the carriage. "I've had enough of him. He can ride a horse."

"But we've only got three horses," Jay said.

"That's all right," Pixal said. "Cole and Kyle will ride. Kai can stay in here with us. And Jay..."

She looked to him. "Eh. You can ride with us, I guess."

"Stop being so nice," Jay said in a flat voice. "You might hurt yourself."

Pixal made a noise between a hiss and a scoff, but offered no reply.