*Tentatively creeps out of a dark corner, peeks around to make sure no one's holding rotten fruit.*
Hi... How was your week? Everyone staying warm? :) The last chapter was a little bit of a turn-off for you all, I think. So thanks for finding a place in your heart to come back for round two.
GOSH DANGIT, I KEEP PROMISING THINGS WILL GET BETTER AND THEY ONLY GET WORSE!
*Deep breath* Phew. Okay. Well, I'm currently writing chapter 108, so I can confirm that things DO get better. I'd say that chapter 102 was the lowest point in the story. Now we have nowhere to go but up. And I'm trying to do so fast, 'cause I'm enjoying this depressiveness less than you are. Stupid Overlord. I'm first in line to kick his behind to kingdom come. The rest of you, get the dynamite ready. We're digging a grave for that monster so deep the devil can't reach it.
Kairocksrainbow: You're having trouble with the captcha code? Like, it's not showing up or something? That happens to me sometimes. What you've gotta do is click on the rotating arrow next to the box and it'll usually show up. You can click on that arrow as much as you need to until you find a code that you can read. :) I have a song for you this week: Child of Light, Aurora's Theme. I love that song, it's so relaxing. Thanks for the review!
Pine and Cinnamon
When Besai had first seen Kai lying in the sand, blood oozing between his fingers as he tried to quite literally hold himself together, something inside her snapped. Collapsed in on itself, crushing her spirit, her heart, her rational thought. She had become an animal, filled with a simple but strong desire to exact revenge on whoever had harmed what was hers to protect.
And then Pixal had stopped her, and it all fled. She emerged from the rubble of her shattered mind, all rage replaced by a simmering brew of a thousand thoughts and memories that cut apart what remained of her spirit. You were just getting better, Kai! You let me give you the earring! You said that you loved me!
Kai was dead. And with him any hope Besai had preserved of a brighter future. Kai had been her life- her promise that things would get better someday. That they would get better together.
Now all of that was gone. Her hope, her light, her very sanity. All she could feel now was a cold, sickening despair. Weariness. Lost in the sea of her own emotions without a boat, unsure if she could swim to shore.
Or if she even wanted to reach the shore.
Anguish. She did not care who heard her as she wailed, Kai's body inert in her arms, wet with thick, dark blood. Her heart was dead. If her cries drew the attention of stone warriors or Overlord, that was all the better. Maybe then they would do her a final favor and kill her body, too.
The sour smell of blood cut her nostrils sharply as she buried her face in Kai's hair. She screamed yet again, throat already raw from the strain. Why did he have to do that? Why couldn't she have seen through his tricks in the cave? Then she might have been able to save him.
Kai coughed.
It was a soft, quiet cough. The others did not hear it: Sage was busy comforting Cole. Pixal and Jay were discussing how to deal with Nephilim. But Besai heard it. And when she did, she pulled her head back, her wails reduced to softer sobs. She briefly wondered if she'd imagined it- if she was just desperate for a reason to believe that he wasn't really dead.
But then he coughed again. Drew in a deep breath.
Pixal reacted the fastest. She glanced between Besai and Kai as if she expected this to be some sort of trick, both eyebrows raised. Then Jay followed her gaze. Both approached swiftly.
Besai pressed her ear to Kai's chest and heard the thump of his heartbeat, puttering back to life.
"What did you do?" Pixal asked, kneeling beside them.
"I don't know," Besai squeaked, voice raw. She wiped her eyes as Pixal peeled back Kai's bloody shirt.
This ruckus finally attracted Cole's attention, and he shoved Pixal aside with a gasp, tears wet on his stony face. With a shaky hand he touched Kai's wounds, taking deep breaths. A feeble attempt to compose himself.
"He's healed," Pixal whispered.
She was right, Besai realized, her eyes widening. Two long, raised scars remained where only moments ago there had been open, bloody wounds.
Another coughing fit came over Kai, arching his back, wrinkling his brow. Then his breathing slowed to a normal, steady tempo, and he relaxed. He was alive. Unconscious, but alive.
Kai was alive!
Besai's tears began again anew, and she found herself smiling- laughing breathily- with relief. Thank you, she thought, though she did not know who- or what- she was thanking for this miracle. Thank you, thank you…
"I can't believe that worked…" Jay whispered.
All eyes turned to him.
"You did this?" Cole asked. His voice cracked.
Jay shook his head sincerely. "No. We both know I don't have that kind of power. I just…"
"You just what?" Pixal ran her finger along one of Kai's new scars. Blood was still everywhere, but none of it was fresh.
"I…prayed," Jay said.
"To the First King?"
"No." Jay touched Kai's forehead, smooth and pale as he slept. "To the Retired God."
It did not take long for the screams to reach Overlord's ears. And when he heard them, he paused in his tracks, listening hard. That would be Besai, he decided, starting forward again. Good. That meant that Kai was dead. Well done, Neph. Bring his body back.
He knew that, in order for Nephilim to take Kai's body, she would likely have to kill all of his companions. But that was all right. He did not fear for her safety now. Her skill in hand-to-hand combat was powerful enough by itself. Coupled with Truethorn's power, they were a formidable team. Invincible, even.
I wish I could have seen him die, Overlord sighed quietly, fingering the rip in his clothing where Kai had stabbed him moments earlier. But I've been away too long already. Stopping his body's heart temporarily had freed him from Lou's bondage, but, for a brief moment, it had also freed the stone warriors. He had to hurry back to the compound and make sure that everything was as he left it.
Imagine it. Hundreds of stone warriors doing my bidding one minute, unfettered and confused the next. The damage they could do… He broke into a jog as he came to an orchard in the furthest reaches of the compound, feeling just slightly nervous. I like to gamble, but this may have been too much.
With Lou being as stubborn as he was, Overlord had been desperate for a way to regain control over his body. The answer to his problem had come when he realized that, after killing Hagar, she had gone into a coma. If Overlord were to kill Lou, then bring him back, perhaps the same would happen. Then he would be free.
And so, once Kai stabbed Overlord, he had moved on and possessed Nephilim. As he predicted, healing Lou sent him into a coma. Overlord was free to enter or leave Lou's body as he desired. Lou had no say in the matter anymore.
This has been a good night, Overlord thought, taking his Blade from his belt. I am free again, and Kai is… He paused, noticing a bird that circled above his head. As he looked up, the bird dropped a clump of something dark. It fluttered down to him in a hundred long, thin pieces. What is that…?
He had his answer a moment later as he caught a few strands of the substance. Hair.
Nephilim's hair.
"That is a pretty candle," Varasach said. She picked it up and traced the swirling patterns in the wax.
"Yes." Driniah lifted an identical white candle from the table and turned it in her hands. Her voice came low and soft, like she was speaking out of a dream. "Pine and cinnamon. They were Kay's favorite."
Zane cleared his throat. "Are these the candles you wish to use?" he asked.
Driniah pulled herself from her stupor and nodded. Her blinks were few and far between. "Yes. Have two of them lit on the cherry tables by the entrance, and four by the garden doors. And…" She pointed to the final two. "…send those to my room. I'd like to keep them."
"Of course." Zane waved to a passing servant and repeated Driniah's instructions. The servant gathered the candles on a tray and left the room. When Zane turned back to Driniah, she sat with her hands folded on the table, staring morosely at the wall.
The burial is in an hour, Zane thought. She must keep herself together, at least until then. He rested a hand on her shoulder. "I suspect the King will be here any moment," he said. "My father…goodness knows when he will arrive. He's religiously late to everything."
Driniah smiled wanly. "Everything else is ready?" she asked.
"Yes. Zane and I took care of the food," Josi said. She sat in a chair next to Varasach, swirling water in a glass. "We decided to keep it simple. The cooks are preparing fresh fruit, bread, and cheese. There will be tea, too."
"Good," Driniah said. "Thank you, Zane. I don't know how I would have managed this without you."
Zane returned her smile. "I'm glad that I could help." He sat in a chair opposite Driniah at the table. In the kitchen he heard the clattering of dishes as the cooks prepared lunch.
Driniah gasped lightly, pushing back her chair. "Feel this, Vara," she said quietly. "The baby is kicking again."
Varasach placed her hand on Driniah's rippling belly, lips curved up in a smile. "It's dancing."
"It's going to be a girl, I think." Driniah's voice sounded hollow. "Nya was like this. She never stopped moving."
"What about Kai?" Josi asked.
Driniah shook her head slightly at the memory. "He hardly ever moved, he was so cozy in there. The midwife had a difficult time coaxing him out when I finally went into labor- several weeks late, too."
The baby stopped moving, and Varasach removed her hand.
"Do you have any names picked out?" Josi asked.
Driniah leaned back in her chair. "Kay liked the name Mason."
"So he thought the baby would be a boy?"
"He hoped, at least," Driniah sighed. "You can imagine why."
Zane could, all too easily. Kai had been disowned, so Kaytake needed a new heir. A boy.
"Maybe you could bring Kai back," Zane suggested.
"Oh, I would," Driniah said. "But no one can find him. I've sent men all over the country. The furthest they've been able to track him is to an inn on the Northern border about two weeks ago." She closed her eyes, chin lowered. "He doesn't want to be found. I…hope that he will visit today for his father's burial, but…"
"…but Kai and Kaytake had not been on good terms when they parted ways," Zane finished with a nod.
"Kai is probably happy that his father is dead." Driniah set her palms up on the table. She seemed dangerously close to tears, and her voice cracked. "What happened to my family?"
As Varasach comforted the noblewoman, Josi stood and motioned for Zane to follow her. They went to the door.
"Was Kai traveling with Kyle after he was disowned?" Josi whispered.
Zane nodded slowly. "I think so. Yes. At least, I saw them together after Nya died."
Josi pursed her lips. "That's not good…"
"How so?"
"Kyle disappeared on his way to an inn on the Northern border," Josi explained. "If Kai was with him, that means that they could still be together. Have you heard from Kai?"
"No." Zane frowned. "Actually, when I saw him last, he was showing symptoms of the plague. Do you think he's-"
"No. Kai survived."
Zane released a breath. He felt terrible for forgetting something so important. Kai had been dying when I saw him last. In all the chaos of being a politician and trying to find a cure for Garmadon's illness, I neglected my friend.
A little voice in his head promptly informed him that if they had truly been friends, Zane would not have forgotten.
"So…what are you saying?" Zane asked at last.
"Kyle disappeared while on his way to an inn. Somehow, Cyrus tracked him to the Dark Island. If Kai had been with Kyle…"
"…he could be on the Dark Island too." Zane rubbed his temples. By the thirteen moons. The world is out to make our lives more complicated.
"So…let's assume that Kai is on the Dark Island," he said. "Should we tell Driniah?"
"No!" Josi frowned. "She's got enough on her mind as it is. We don't need to add to her troubles."
"But Josi," Zane tried to reason with her. "Driniah assumes that her son hates her. If we bring your theory to her, then maybe she'll have some hope: Kai hasn't come because he can't, not because he wants nothing to do with her."
"Sure, she'll be kind of reassured," Josi said. "But at what expense?" She grabbed Zane's arm. "Kai is in Overlord's territory! Telling Driniah that will only stress her more. Let's keep this to ourselves. Okay?"
Zane looked back at Driniah. The middle-aged woman sat with shoulders bent, her back to him. His heart bled for her. Remembering his mother always left a sick feeling in his gut. And then the more recent pain of thinking his sister was dead…
At least he had his father. Driniah had lost everything. Add to that the pressure of running a country and being pregnant with another child…it was a wonder she hadn't shattered already. She's stronger than she looks, that's for sure. I guess that's where Nya got it from. He winced internally as he thought of Nya, instinctively compartmentalizing the thought, filing the emotions away to deal with at a later date.
Driniah's hurting even worse than I am, he reminded himself. That's why Father sent me. Not just to help her run the South, but to help her with her grief. I must remain-
"Milord?"
Zane and Josi turned to face the servant. "Yes?"
The servant bowed his head. "His Majesty has arrived, and is waiting in the gold room."
"Thank you," Zane said. "Tell him I will be right there."
The servant bowed again and left.
"Take Vara and stay out of sight," Zane said to Josi. "I know he probably won't figure out…who you work for, but we really can't risk it. Stay in the library until the burial is over."
Josi nodded and went to fetch Varasach.
"Come," Zane said, approaching Driniah. "Let's go greet our guests."
"I'm impressed," Pixal said as she held a wet rag to Besai's bleeding cheek. "Despite your diminutive proportions and that…innocent look in your adorable blue eyes, you're a fighter. This'll probably leave a scar."
"Mmm," Besai grunted. Her eyes were glazed, floating lost like a patch of blue sky between heavy rain clouds. Cole didn't blame her. After the emotional trauma she had suffered, he was surprised she wasn't still crying. Blue sky swallowed by the clouds. Raining, raining…
They were in Cole's cave- all of them, Nephilim grudgingly included. If she escapes and tells Overlord where this place is, Cole had warned Jay, then our only refuge is gone. Don't let her escape.
Jay had assured him that he could control her, but Cole had his doubts.
Besai had insisted on bathing Kai herself once they returned to the cave. He looked peaceful and clean as he slept on the cot, his unnaturally pale face flickering orange in the lantern's light. Cole found himself glancing at Kai often, watching his chest rise and fall. As if he expected Kai to stop breathing again. It could happen. There have been stranger…incidents tonight.
Merv helped out by passing around blankets and hot cups of tea. She had been the only one to obey Pixal's command to stay in the cave when Kai went missing, and was not as shaken as everyone else. So she kindly volunteered to help the others recuperate, helping in any way she could.
Merv gave one steaming cup to Besai, who took it gratefully, cupping it between her shaking palms as Pixal checked other parts of her body for injuries- Besai had insisted she was fine, but nobody believed her for an instant. Some of the blood that stained that dress had to belong to her.
Sure enough, there was a long but shallow gash on her right shoulder where Nephilim's Blade must have cut her. After muttering a few words under her breath, Pixal went to work cleaning it up.
"When you're done with that," said Jay, who sat at the table brushing sand out of his prosthetic leg, "could you please look at Nephilim? She has that stab wound in her wrist. I stopped the bleeding, but-"
"If you want it done, do it yourself," Pixal snapped. "None of us are touching that beast."
Jay recoiled, then sighed softly, eying the young, unconscious girl on the ground next to him. She was bound, of course, tethered by her waist and good hand to one table leg. Not the most secure position, but Jay had been firm about not making her wounded wrist worse than necessary. Fine. But keep an eye on her, Cole and Pixal had said. Not an inch of slack when she wakes up.
Jay put his leg back together and grabbed another rag from an open crate against the wall. He limped over to the pool, wetted the rag, and went to work on Nephilim's wounds. "I uh…think she needs stitches."
"In that crate over there," Merv said, pointing. She then turned and offered Cole a cup of tea.
Cole stared at the steaming cup, his hands clenched to keep them from shaking. Hot water. Like the water Overlord had used when he Transformed-
"No," he said, looking away. "Thanks. Um, I'd rather have some wine. Bring me a bottle, please."
Merv quickly fulfilled his request, then scurried off to help other people.
Sage set a hand on Cole's arm. "Are you okay?" she asked softly.
Cole shook his head, then nodded. Shook his head again. Sighing, he sank to the floor and popped the cork on his bottle. He felt more tired tonight than he had in a long time.
Sage lowered herself to the floor beside him, setting a babbling Chedva on her lap. "It has been a…troubling night," she said. "No one blames you for what Kai did."
"Yeah, I know." Cole took Chedva from her with his free hand, knocking back the bottle with the other. The little girl cooed happily on her father's lap, kicking her legs and making milking motions with her chubby fingers.
"She's almost grown out of this dress," Cole changed the conversation, momentarily releasing the bitter bottle from his lips. "What will we do with her then?"
Sage shrugged. Back in Overlord's compound, when a child outgrew her dress, she exchanged it for a larger one from the storehouse. But here…
"We could make her an outfit of leaves," Sage said, smiling.
Cole chuckled dryly. "Ha ha. That's funny." He pointed to a crate. "I have a few spare shirts in there, and a repair kit. If you know anything about sewing, you could use make her a new dress."
Sage sucked in her lips. "Mmm…I guess I could. I am not that good, though."
"You'll do fine, Sage."
Sage smiled weakly. The conversation died.
"That should do it," Pixal murmured, backing away from Besai. "Why don't you go outside and wash yourself in the river?" She patted Besai's arm. "Don't worry. Suki's keeping an eye out for danger. You should be safe."
Besai nodded and stood from her chair, setting her half-empty mug on the table. She accepted a towel from Pixal and left the cave without a word.
With a heavy sigh, Pixal went to the pool and washed her hands. "This has been an exciting night," she remarked dryly, looking between Cole and his bottle of wine, which had made its way back into his mouth. "You doing okay?"
Cole was saved from answering this obvious question by a groan. He and Pixal turned to Nephilim, who was stirring as Jay pricked her arm with the needle. Her eyes opened suddenly, and she struggled against her ropes.
"Easy, easy…" Jay took a step back, his prosthetic clicking inside his boot. "I won't hurt you."
Pixal and Cole exchanged a mutual disgruntled look. Jay was being too kind to that girl.
"Where is Truethorn?" Nephilim croaked in the Dark Tongue, her gray eyes taking in the room's inhabitants. She saw Kai and her expression wilted.
"Your Blade?" Cole grunted in the same language. "Hiding somewhere that you can't use its powers."
Nephilim replied with a low growl, glaring at Cole in a way that was reminiscent of the old Colvyr-Overlord.
"Have I ever told you how much I hate this girl?" Cole sighed, switching to the language Pixal would understand. "Why can't we just kill her and be done with this?"
"Because she's our insurance," Jay said. "I already told you that. As-"
"As long as we have her, Overlord won't come after us. Yeah, I know." Cole gave Nephilim a nasty glare, switching back to her language. "So the next time I see Overlord, you're dead."
Nephilim snarled.
Cole dropped Chedva in Sage's arms and stood. He stepped past the girl and Jay. Finding his violin inside of a crate, he muttered, "I'm going outside. No one will disturb me."
There was silence as he left the cave. He skirted the crown of the hill so he was as far from the river as possible- it ran right along the eastern side of the cave, where the entrance was- and perched on a rock.
"Great idea, Jay," he grumbled, plucking each of the four strings with his thumb. "Just bring our enemy right into my home. You know how hard I've had to work in the past to keep Overlord from finding this place?" Did you know this is the first real home I've ever had in my life?
He twisted the knobs of his violin, tightening the strings as they required, then lifted the instrument to his chin. He didn't know what he wanted to play. He just needed to play something to get his mind off of this nightmare of a night. Momentarily losing himself to his Transformed alter ego, seducing Sage. Kai's death. Nephilim's unwitting infiltration of his sacred home… All of this left Cole thoroughly embarrassed, confused, and angry. Angry at himself, at Overlord, and at Sage for using Moonsong on him to tamper with his emotions to keep him from killing Nephilim. Who gave her that right?
And then, to make things even more confusing, Jay claimed that the Retired God had healed Kai? Ridiculous.
And so he channeled his frustration into his bow, sawing it back and forth across the strings as he huffed. The moon began to dip back toward the horizon, and still he played, trying to forget about the night. Yeah. As if it were possible…
At long last he set down his instrument and examined the strings. His stony fingers, miraculously, seemed to do no damage to them. That was good. He wasn't sure that he'd ever be able to get more strings if these ones broke.
He wasn't sure if he'd live long enough for it to matter. Overlord would come after them eventually. They'd all die. And this time, there would be no miraculous resurrections.
Rocks scraped behind him.
"I said no one will disturb me," Cole snapped.
"Ouch…" Sage came up beside him. "Is it just me, or is it cold out here?"
Cole shook his head, but allowed her to sit beside him on the rock. "Baby's sleeping?"
"Yes. Miraculously. You were making quite a racket out here."
Cole looked down at the violin on his lap. "Sorry."
Sage shrugged. "We all vent in our own ways."
Cole gauged her neutral expression with a careful eye. "And…how do you vent?"
"Loudly." Sage crossed one dark leg over the other, wiggling her toes. "I kick. And scream. I punch things, too. But you remember that."
Cole scoffed lightly. Yes, he did remember those days, before they'd started getting along. There had been a lot of fighting- verbally, and sometimes physically.
"If I remember correctly, you were usually the one who threw the first punch," Cole said.
"Me?" Sage shot him a look, her dark eyes round and twinkling in the starlight. "Never."
They stayed quiet for a little while after that, listening to the wind softly rustle the trees. Cole plucked his strings absently, listening to each one resonate and fade before doing it again. Somehow, these few minutes of conversation had helped him more than all of his playing. But there was still that sick feeling in the pit of his stomach: like the brand on his chest, the events of this night would be permanently seared into his brain. He would likely relive Kai's death every night in his sleep. Just like he did his mother's death, and Viola's, and all of his other victims.
"Nobody blames you for what Kai did," Sage said at last, repeating her words from earlier. "I hope you realize that."
"Sure," Cole said. "Going after Overlord was Kai's own fault. He's an idiot. I knew it from the beginning. All heart and no brain."
"He has a lot of passion," Sage agreed. She watched him for a moment. "But Kai is not what bothers you?"
Cole shrugged. "I don't even know what's bothering me. A bunch of stuff, all jumbled up in a farrago I hope to never experience again." He tapped his forehead. "But I've done my own fair share of stupid stuff tonight."
Sage threw her head back with a groan. "I forgive you," she said tiredly. "That is not the first time I was seduced by a stone warrior. It is in the past."
"But Sage," Cole reasoned, "I lost control. Completely. It was like…I wasn't even myself." He grabbed her arm, drawing her attention fully to him. "What if I do it again? What if, while I'm fighting, I give in to my bloodlust and snap?" He paused, searching her eyes. "What if I kill you?"
Sage stared back, dauntless. "You would not," she said. "Never."
"Sage, you can't actually believe that I-"
Sage stopped his words with a kiss. "Never," she said as she pulled away. "You almost did, once. But you resisted. I know you can do it again."
Cole's shoulders slumped, and Sage took his hand and turned it over, seeing the scars on his wrists.
"Look at all this," she breathed. "Each and every lump in your skin, every discoloration. They are windows to your soul."
Cole said nothing, feeling immense shame as her soft fingertips caressed each scar.
Dark memories haunted him every time he looked at his own skin. Horrid recollections of a time when, as the tears flooded his eyes, he would watch his own blood drip to the floor in a somber pool. In those days he would cling to the past, wishing all could be the way it once was: when he'd had hope. When he could sleep dreamlessly through the night and wake up refreshed. When he had a family that loved him.
And then he'd remind himself it was all gone, and he'd cut himself again, smiling wanly as his blood spilled from his broken body.
Until Kai realized what was happening, and he stopped him. Kai got through to Cole in a way that no one else- even Varasach- had been able to. Kai became his family after that, somehow managing to single-handedly keep Cole's head above the water.
Sage squeezed his hand. Cole drew himself from his thoughts as he noticed the wetness on her cheeks. He set his violin on the ground and embraced her.
"You were in so much pain," Sage sniffled, chin on his shoulder. "So much pain, and I was not there for you."
"You're here now," Cole said, nuzzling her neck. "Thank you for that. Not a lot of people can put up with my brainless predisposition."
"If you are brainless, then how are you talking?"
"Some people without brains can do an awful lot of talking."
Sage prodded his side, but they were both smiling.
An ear-splitting cry carried through the air, jerking Cole and Sage to their feet.
"What was that?" Sage whispered.
It happened again: a tormented cry unlike anything Cole had ever heard.
And Cole had heard a lot of cries in the past few years.
Cole scooped up his violin and pulled Sage around the crown of the hill, following the sound as it filled their ears a third time.
"It's coming from inside the cave," Cole realized, and they slid into the hole. What… Who…?
He had his answer a moment later as he took in the cave's occupants.
It was Kai. He seemed only half awake, thrashing and screaming in Besai's arms. She was trying- and failing- to calm him down with gentle words. The others- sans Nephilim, who was still tied to the table, scowling- gathered around.
Cole hastily set his violin in its crate and went to Kai's side. "What happened?" he asked. "Did he hurt himself?"
"We don't know," Pixal said. "He was sleeping one moment, and then suddenly he started doing…this!"
Cole gestured for Besai to let go and move aside. She did, and Cole leaned over Kai, speaking gently. "Hey, are you hurt?"
Kai, eyes squeezed shut, threw a blind punch, and Cole ducked; it could not hurt him, but he feared Kai breaking his hand on Cole's hard skin.
"Hey!" Cole shouted, grabbing Kai by the shoulders and shaking him. "Snap out of it! Kai!"
Kai's eyes flew open, pupils contracted to pinpoints. He gasped.
Cole covered Kai's mouth before he could scream again. "What's wrong?" he asked. "Are you hurt?"
Kai just stared at him, breathing heavily through his uncovered nose.
Cole removed his hand and sat back on his heels, letting Besai come forward.
"Kai," Besai murmured, holding his trembling body close.
Without a word Kai wrapped his arms around her, weeping between heavy gasps. But his eyes…
Cole took a step back, shivering as Kai looked up at him with empty, hopeless, hollow eyes. So much sadness and pain. Despair.
Death.
Kai was alive. But at what cost?
"My Lord Garmadon," Zane said with a bow. "Welcome. I trust that you are well?" He glanced at Misako, who shook her head slightly. She looked worse than the last time Zane had seen her. Tired, beaten like a rock against the ocean surf.
"Never been better." King Garmadon stood from his chair, chin held high. His red eyes regarded Zane and Driniah with obvious contempt. "You should be honored," he said. "I came with the Queen to tell you myself, instead of sending a messenger."
"Came to tell us what, Your Majesty?" Driniah asked in her soft voice.
The King turned to her, smiling. "That you have no right to honor Kaytake, as you have done."
"I…beg your pardon?" The Southern Lady paled.
Garmadon took a step toward Driniah. His rich green and crimson cloak rippled over his shoulders. "Your husband was a traitor," he explained. "He assisted your former general, Malian- the man who poisoned me- in his escape." He clasped his hands behind his back. "And so, I am forced to assume that they had worked together in their attempt to assassinate me."
When Zane put the pieces together, he found himself tempted to reach out and strangle Garmadon. "You can't do that!" he said, clenching his fists.
Garmadon shot him an icy glare, and Zane caught himself. "Your…Majesty. With all due respect, I think that's unfair. Driniah should be allowed to bury her husband here. She deserves that much."
King Garmadon shook his head. "Lady Driniah," he said. "You have lost so much. Your son slept with Overlord's concubine, which robbed your family of its honor. Kaytake attempted to reclaim it by banishing them both. But what did that do?" He held out his hand, gesturing to the door. "It caused Kai come back and murder your daughter."
"It was not murder," Driniah said shakily. "He tried to cure her, and-"
"I was not finished." Garmadon spoke calmly, but his undertone implied that he was one step away from losing his composure- from snapping entirely and ripping out her throat. "As if losing your daughter was not enough, your general betrayed us all and poisoned me. Then Kaytake revealed himself to be a traitor as well." He lowered his hand and balled it into a fist at his side. "His efforts were for naught, because Malian died of the plague only a few days after his escape. Then, overcome by guilt and grief, I'm sure, Kaytake killed himself."
Garmadon smiled at Driniah's broken expression. "So much loss," he said. "You may think you have nothing left to lose. But, as it turns out, you do."
Zane opened his mouth to speak, but Misako shook her head again fervently- no, fearfully: no matter how out of line Garmadon was, they could not cross him. Not unless they had a death wish.
"You will give the traitor Kaytake's body to my Priests," Garmadon said. "They will dispose of him appropriately. And in return, I will restore your family's honor. You will be allowed to continue living on this estate under the authority and protection of my Guards."
"But…what about the South?" Driniah asked weakly. "Who will manage it?"
The King's smile grew. "There is no more South," he said. "The Lords have proven themselves unfit for leadership. I will be taking all of Ninjago back and removing its borders."
"Why?" Zane asked, barely holding back his anger.
"Because I am the King," Garmadon snapped, face turning red. "There is too much talk of rebellion, especially in the North. If I unite the North, South, and Middle under a single banner, it will be that much easier to maintain control."
"My father won't go for this," Zane said, shaking his head. "As Lord of the North, he is doing everything in his power to squash these rebellions. Taking his land and his title would be an insult to his loyalty to you."
Garmadon struck Zane's cheek, eyes flashing crimson. "It won't be an insult," he hissed. "Because the Northern Lord won't be alive to see me take his land." He strode across the room, toward the door.
"What do you mean?" Zane careened forward, dizzy from the sudden pain. "Your Majesty! What-"
"You mean you didn't know?" the King said as he flung the front door open. "Your father has the plague. A terrible tragedy." He beckoned Misako to follow him. "Lady Driniah, my Priests are waiting outside for the body. Have it brought out as soon as possible." He strode from the mansion, leaving the door wide open.
A cold draft cut the air, and a pair of guards shut the door.
"Are you all right?" Zane asked. He took Driniah's arm.
Driniah shook her head, tears streaming down her cheeks. She sank onto a couch and set her head in her hands, weeping quietly.
First and foremost, I owe StoneByrd an apology. I'm sorry. Feel free to write an angry review in all caps.
By the thirteen moons. Am I the only one that thought Driniah's description of Kai's birth was adorable? Kai is an adorable character. :3
And Cole and Sage. I realize that I haven't given you guys much of a reason to ship them. I mean, yeah they're together, and no you're not complaining, but I don't think any of you were really in love with the ship. Because I never gave you a reason to love them. I hope this chapter helped you to warm up to them. They're just...dawwwww, they're the cutest. The way they interact is more like best friends than infatuated lovers, and it's beautiful. Not once in this chapter did they say "I love you", but you could just tell that they have the strongest bond.
Whoa...I just realized that Cole and Sage's relationship started lot like Jay and Pixal's... Hmm. That's interesting.
Okay, my rant is over. :) Thank you all for reading, and for the reviews I got last week. (Though, it's kind of sad that it took Kai's dying for me to get that many.) Anyways, I've gotta go. (::) Cookies! Reviews are encouraged for good service and all that jazz. Bye!