KaitheHotHead1: Lol, I think you're looking at the wrong date in the story description. I'd actually updated a few days after you reviewed. :) Thank for your reviews!

Breeze Winder: Hahaha... I like you. Thanks for the review!

Kairocksrainbow: Did I already give you that one? Oops. Sorry. :) Thanks for the review!

Hullo, people! It's been brought to my attention that it's been a month since my last update. Sorry about that. I've been so ridiculously busy. Even now I'm crunched for time, so on with the show!

The Harlot

Kai stood outside the cave with his arms crossed, wind whipping his hair around his shoulders, wondering if his false face of apathy could fool Wu. Probably not.

"Would you like to tell me what your dream was about?" Wu asked beside him.

"No," came Kai's quick and curt reply.

Wu said nothing for a little while.

From a distance Kai watched the waves rise and fall, rippling in accelerating highs and lows until they crashed against the beach. It had been so calm yesterday. Briefly Kai wondered if this wind was mirroring the storm in his mind. The fluctuations in his sanity, rising and falling like the waves. The wind, screaming like the voices in his nightmares.

Then he scolded himself. Had he really been reduced to such a pitiful state of mind? He was many things, but superstitious was not one of them.

Then his mind graced him with a sharp memory of his time in the afterlife, and he cringed.

What exactly did he believe in, then?

"I used to have frequent nightmares," the old Prince said.

Oh, what in Mena's name. Might as well get it over with now so he stops bugging me.

"You don't have them anymore?"

"Oh, occasionally." Wu sat stiffly on a rock that had fallen from the cliff face countless years ago, probably in some storm. "But not nearly as often as when I was your age. Do you want to know what kind of horrors were in my nightmares?"

No, Kai thought, but aloud replied: "Sure, I guess." He sat on a lower rock next to Wu. A jagged bump poked his thigh through his pants and he leaped up, selecting a smoother specimen on Wu's other side.

"I had nightmares about being a terrible King," Wu said. "As a much younger Prince many years ago, I was always at my father's right hand, helping him govern, learning all I could. Father said I had a gift for leadership. That I would be the best King since the Collapse. But for some reason, I never shared his enthusiasm."

Kai sighed inwardly, glancing at the mouth of the cave. He was hungry. And this wind, coupled with the hot, bright sun and the smothering humidity, made his anxious to get back inside. Even if it was a bit claustrophobic in there.

"It wasn't until my father was on his deathbed that I realized why I felt so uneasy about ruling." Wu stroked his beard, eyes on the distant rippling ocean. "Do you know what my father told me that finally shed light on the source of my uneasiness?"

Kai shook his head.

"He told me about the deadly secret that our family had been keeping since the First King's rise to power, Kai. A secret about an almost dead religion called the Way."

Kai's heart stopped beating for about a hundred years. His blood ran cold.

"So you've heard of it," Wu said, scrutinizing Kai's expression. "And your association is not pleasant, either."

Kai went from crossing his arms to hugging himself, gripping his biceps tightly. As if the pressure would keep him from falling apart.

"Kyle died because of the Way," he whispered. Because of me. It's my fault.

"What was your nightmare about, Kai?" Wu asked softly.

Kai shot back an icy stare. "Don't you know already?" he hissed. "You knew everything. You knew how to find us, and you sent Ronin to retrieve us." His voice rose. Wavered uncertainly. "You knew that I died!"

Wu nodded slowly. "And you knew the Way," he said. "Yet you did not believe."

Kai clenched his teeth to keep them from chattering as his body shook. He couldn't help it. He couldn't help anything anymore. So ridiculously helpless.

"Maybe I don't want to believe," Kai said. "Because any god that sends people to that fiery pit of eternal death is a big load of celestial scum."

"He didn't create that…fiery pit of eternal death…for us, Kai," Wu said gently. "He created it for the fallen angels. Some humans just…follow them there."

Kai looked away. "If your god is really as powerful as Kyle's book said, then he could stop us from following those fallen angels. He could save us. Hey, if he cares about us so much, then why doesn't he tell us?" Kai threw up his arms. "The whole world is going to Hell, and he just sits up there and watches. He isn't using those all-powerful hands to cure people of this blood plague. He isn't using his incredible wisdom to defeat the Overlord. He's just…" He faltered, swallowing hard, wishing away an image of his sister. Dead, following those so-called fallen angels to eternal death.

"Kyle told me stories about how his god…walked with people," he said, weakly. "He…he healed diseases, raised the dead, stopped storms…he was so powerful. And he used that power to help people. He loved them. Now…" He looked down. "To be honest, I don't think that Kyle's god and yours are the same person."

Wu said nothing. Because he had nothing to say, or because he was waiting to see if Kai was finished?

The latter, apparently, because, after watching the waves crash against the shore a few more times, he took a deep breath and spoke.

"There's a beautiful, tragic love story about a man who loved a harlot," Wu said. "He sold everything he owned to purchase her, saving her from cruel masters. He clothed her, he fed her and loved her…and in the end, she betrayed him, chasing the fallen angels as frivolously as a child chases butterflies, not caring about the cliff at the end of the meadow she was about to tumble over."

He held out his wrinkled hands. In Kai's mind he imagined Wu standing at the bottom of the cliff, catching the child- or the harlot, whichever analogy he was still using- in his arms.

"Over and over again he'd tell her not to go near the cliff. It's not safe. You'll get hurt. But over and over again, she disobeys."

"I've never been told about a cliff," Kai said. "That's not very fair. Do some people follow the fallen angels without ever being told what they're doing is wrong?" He thought of all those people that visit the First King's temples. Oblivious to the lie that they were following. If it was actually a lie.

"God's truth is seared into every person's heart at birth," Wu said. "Why do you think I had those nightmares? I knew, deep down, that the path I was following would lead to death. You know it, too. Everyone does."

He placed his hand over his heart. "It's up to us to decide whether or not to listen to that voice and seek out the truth- which you will find, if you only search for it. Which is what I did. What Cyrus did, and Misako, and so many others that live secret lives all over Ninjago. We all listened to the voice and followed the Way."

He pointed to Kai's heart. "What baffles me is how you've tasted death, yet you still refuse to listen to that voice in your heart." He shook his head. "You're the harlot, Kai. You know the evils that you sleep with, you know how bitter they are. And yet you cling to them instead of running to the arms of your true lover."

Upon further reflection Kai realized he knew this analogy. It was in the book Kyle had read. There was a story in it about a prophet who married a harlot, representing that god's love for mankind, despite its wickedness.

"Why would God ever love someone so dirty?" Kai asked.

"Why do you love Besai?" Wu retorted.

"It's not the same, and you know it," Kai snapped. "Besai was forced into it. The harlot you're talking about is working voluntarily."

"Wrong," Wu said. "You're just as much a slave as Besai was. And you hate every minute of it."

"But you just said that I cling to it."

"You do cling to it. But you also hate it." Wu sighed, wrapping his hands around his staff, rubbing the old wood. "Memories of what happened to you…it's a drug, Kai. You love them, you hate them, and you think you cannot live without them. It's the same with sin."

After a moment of silence, he stood. "I can see that I'm confusing you, son. Why don't you go inside and eat. Think about my words. They will eventually make sense, I promise."

"Eat. That's the best thing I've heard you say all morning," Kai muttered. He stormed back to the cave, leaving the old man behind.

"Oh, and Kai?" Wu called out.

Kai paused near the cave's entrance and turned.

"Besai seems like a sweet girl," Wu said, standing stiffly. "I would reconcile with her before it's too late." His eyes darkened. "We are only human, and her well of patience will eventually run dry. I don't want to see either of you alone."

Kai stared at Wu, an inexplicable uneasiness biting into his marrow.

Then he turned and stomped into the cave.

"We need to come up with a plan," Pixal said. She sat by the fire, stroking Suki's shiny brown feathers. The large mechanical bird napped with her legs outstretched, head on Pixal's lap. It had been a while since Besai had last seen it up close. It really was a big bird: when she stood upright its head almost reached her hip.

"A plan for what?" Cole asked. "We haven't even decided what our objective is yet. You kind of need a destination before you choose your path."

Jay sighed, rubbing Momo behind the ears with two fingers. The little pup's eyes darted around, eagerly taking in its newly-enlightened surroundings. His tail twitched every time he saw someone move. "Cole's right. It's time we came to a decision."

"We've been talking about this for days now," Pixal said. "Are we fighting, or are we fleeing? I understand, it's a hard decision. But we can't sit idle forever. Ronin, when did you say your ship was returning?"

"In two weeks, if the weather allows," the one-eyed man replied promptly. "They're just delivering the slaves Wu rescued to Cyrus, then returning for us, provided we…you know, survive."

"Yes. Very optimistic." Pixal turned from him, meeting every eye in the cave. "I say we vote. Right now. No more waiting. Who is in favor of us hiding here for two weeks, waiting for Ronin's ship to take us home?"

When no one spoke, Pixal continued. "I say we stay," she said. "Everything has a weak spot. Overlord is no exception. With Wu and Ronin, we have two fresh perspectives on our situation. I am confident we can come up with a plan."

"You don't know Overlord," Merv bit off. "Your only interaction with him was, what, one conversation before that girl Yuki helped us escape?"

"But we did escape," Jay said. "I'm with Pixal. We stay and fight."

Pixal nodded her thanks. She looked to Cole.

Cole looked terribly uncomfortable under the Nindroid's gaze. He sat opposite Pixal at the fire, rubbing Sage's shoulders.

"No," he said quietly. "We need to get out of this place."

"I am with Cole," Sage added. Her dark hand stroked Chedva's hair. "We have too much to lose. We must leave."

"My vote is no as well," Merv said firmly. She looked to her sister.

The decision was hard. Besai pondered it in the silence, sweat hot and slick in her closed palms. Going back to Ninjago- going home- was a very desirable option. Escaping, putting a little extra effort into making sure they weren't found, slowly recovering and living peacefully together. Her, Kai, Ahlie, and their baby.

…But what about her other children?

Her girls were still in Overlord's hand. Alfdis was precious few years from coming of age and going to the brothels. Atgas would soon follow. Besai could never leave them to suffer. She couldn't turn her back on them, as she had with Alyx.

"Yes," Besai said softly, looking to Kai, who sat beside her. "We fight. I'm tired of running."

Pixal dipped her head, then turned to Kai, who immediately fled her piercing stare, dark eyes finding refuge in Besai's hands. He took them in his own, saying nothing for a long time. Besai stroked the back of his hands with her thumbs.

He will say no, she thought, dread chilling her blood. Didn't he understand just how much was at stake? Yes, he had been hurt, but so had she. So had they all.

But wasn't that all the more of a reason to fight back?

Besai thought back to those days only a few short months behind her when she had been Overlord's slave. When she hadn't owned her voice, her body, or even her own thoughts.

That's where Kai was now. Violated. Hurt. Lost.

Why wasn't her love enough to heal him, now that they were free? His love had been enough for her…

"I want out," Kai said, voice quiet but firm. "I don't want to fight. We have to leave."

Besai looked down, swallowing past the knot in her throat.

Pixal exhaled, nodding again. "Should Wu or Ronin have a say in this as well?"

"I'm gonna stay and fight no matter what you choose," Ronin said. "And Wu…"

"I will stay, no matter what you decide," the old man said.

"But if my input is any help," Ronin continued, "I think you all should know that the reason I decided to stay on this island instead of heading back with my crew is because I thought you all would help me."

"And what made you think we'd help you?" Cole asked sharply. "Why are you even here, anyway? Are you a bounty hunter hoping to swipe a few of Overlord's treasures? Or were you hoping to kill the Overlord yourself and become a hero?"

Ronin uncrossed his arms, lips parted, speechless. Jay's face visibly contorted with anger, and he glared at Cole.

"You don't remember, do you?" Jay asked at last. "You really don't remember."

"It's all right," Ronin said quietly. "If I was in his shoes, I'd try to block it out too." He offered Cole a thin-lipped smile. "And I probably look a lot different with the eyepatch, huh?"

Something clicked in Cole's eyes. He exhaled a soft, solitary "Oh…"

"I can't believe you would have forgotten something like that," Jay said, voice low.

Cole's reply was slow in coming. "I…make a habit of not remembering faces. And Ronin does look like a different person with…um, the eyepatch."

"What am I missing here?" Pixal asked.

Cole hesitated, obviously unwilling to go into details.

"About two years back, my wife and I were spies for Cyrus," Ronin calmly filled in for him. "We were working on a job for him in the Julien mansion."

"I was wondering why you looked familiar," Pixal said. "You worked in the stables, right? You were the guy who always put the tack on the wrong shelves."

"Well who can blame me? All the parts look the same. Anyways, Tina and I are collecting intel, all is well for several months, and then…" He gestured to Cole.

Cole swallowed, not meeting anyone's eyes. Sage touched his arm, and he took a deep breath. "Overlord wanted some of Cyrus' underlings to interrogate," he said. "So I went to Ninjago, did some poking around. I learned about Ronin and Tina, and I took them."

Pixal motioned between Ronin and Cole. "After an encounter like that, I can't see how you're not at Cole's throat."

Ronin smiled wanly. "Tina and I weren't talking, and Overlord got frustrated. He stormed out, telling Cole to try a more…intimate tactic on Tina. But Cole liked Overlord's idea just as much as we did, and he convinced us to talk."

"I remember this," Sage said. "It was the day before I learned I was with child. Cole got in trouble because he disobeyed Overlord, and his parents were taken."

Cole's expression darkened. "Things were okay before that," he said. "Not great, but at least my family hadn't been involved. Add to that the news of being a father…it gave the Overlord a lot more leverage over me."

He cleared his throat again. "I think I interrupted you, Ronin. Continue."

Ronin nodded, pulling his diamond Gem from his pocket. "Well, through a long series of misadventures, I ended up with this little guy. I met Wu after that, then I stowed away on the Black Bounty. But Tina got left behind." He stared at the Gem, a touch of bitterness in his one deep, chocolate-colored eye.

"That's why I'm here," Ronin said at last. "I've been working behind the scenes ever since then, helping Cyrus with the rescued slaves, hoping that one day I'll find Tina." He chuckled dryly. "I guess you're right, Cole. My vote doesn't count. I'm staying, regardless of what you decide. I'm not leaving without Tina again."

"Your stories don't match up," Kai said, adding his first thoughts to the conversation. "When you first showed up you said something about needing to take care of your family. Which implies that you already have one in Ninjago."

Ronin palmed the Gem and smiled at Kai. "My kids," he said. "There're three of them, two girls and a boy. I was making sure they were in quarantine so they wouldn't get the plague. That's probably why you never saw me while you were with Cyrus, too."

Kai said nothing.

"Well, that's my sob story." Ronin looked to Pixal. "Now I say we need to come up with a plan. I stayed on the island instead of returning to make sure my kids are still okay because I want to end this. Hosts, I am so ready to end this, and I know all of you are, too. You're just afraid. But let me tell you right now, we don't need to be afraid."

Cole snorted.

"No, I'm serious." Ronin leaned forward, showing them his Gem again. "Listen, you guys. Overlord loves fear. He thrives off of it. Everything he's ever done to you was to ensure that you stayed afraid of him. But what happens when you stop being afraid?"

There was silence.

"He becomes afraid of you," Kai finally spoke. "I've seen it. When Kyle spoke about the Way in my cell, Overlord tried to split us up. He became afraid."

"I saw it too," Sage said. "On the night before Cole was Transformed. I used Moonsong to force Overlord from our cell." She looked at Cole. "Have you seen it?"

Cole pondered this a minute. "Yeah," he said. "Yeah, I have. Right before I killed Colvyr's body, I saw a little bit of fear."

"These are some very good observations," Ronin said. "So what does this tell us? What does fear indicate about any opponent?"

"That they can be defeated," Jay said.

"Bingo."

"Excuse me, did you miss the part where I said I've already killed Overlord's first body?" Cole asked. "He cannot be defeated. Sure, he was a little afraid. But I'm sure the excruciating pain of my sword cutting his throat was what caused it. Nothing else."

"So are you saying that Kyle's words were physically hurting Overlord, causing him to look afraid?" Jay countered sarcastically. "Kai, what did Kyle say again?"

Kai almost didn't answer. He looked away, eyes hurt and sad. Besai squeezed his cold hands.

"He said several things before he died," Kai began at last. "But Overlord kept interrupting him before he could finish. Like I said, Kyle's words disturbed Overlord." He drew his legs close, shivering. "Maybe…maybe if he hadn't intentionally aggravated Overlord to try and save me, he would still be alive."

"Kyle was a good man," Ronin said. "It's a shame that we lost him. But there will be time to mourn later. Kai, we need to know what all Kyle said to you before he died. There has to be a clue somewhere. What exactly did Kyle say to scare Overlord so much?"

"I don't remember it all. There's what we talked about last night- Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you…- but that's really the only thing that stuck with me. Besides…" He paused.

"Yes?" Ronin prompted.

"Kyle…he told Overlord that he knew what he was. And that he knew how to defeat him."

Besai's blood froze in her veins. Her whole life Overlord had portrayed himself as an invincible, immortal figure of authority. Hearing Kai say that there was actually a way to defeat Overlord had her fearfully glancing over her shoulder, wondering if he was going to pounce on them at any given moment.

Kai apparently had a similar train of thought, because he looked at Nephilim, seemingly asleep in a low corner of the room, and spoke quietly. "Should we even be talking about this around her?"

"It's fine," Ronin said dismissively. "Asleep or not, she's not going anywhere. She doesn't even understand the Ninjagian tongue, right? Ignore her for now. We're not done."

"Done doing what?" Kai asked. "We voted to go home. Unless two of you change your minds, we're stuck. No planning anything until we arrive at a consensus. It's only fair."

"Then I change my vote," Cole said. He smiled grimly. "I have an idea."

Sage looked between Cole and Nephilim, visibly torn. Then she nodded. "I trust you," she said. "I will change my vote too. We are fighting."

Cole nodded gratefully, then took out his Blade. "This is a little risky. But, of course, the same could be said of anything we do against the Overlord." He looked at Ronin. "Remember what we talked about the other day? Overlord could be a Gem, or Blade. Gems could probably be destroyed just by throwing them against a wall, or smashing them with a rock or Blade. And Blades, like a stone warrior's skin, have to have faults somewhere. What if we were to go to his fortress and destroyed every Blade and Gem we could find?"

Wu choked on his tea. Pixal pushed off from the wall, eyes skeptical but intrigued.

"I hope you're not about to suggest that we waltz in and do all of this as Overlord stands by and watches," she said.

"We need to distract him somehow," Cole agreed. "Him and his stone warriors, if possible. Flush them out of the keep, at least for a few minutes."

"But remember what else I talked about?" Ronin asked. "I said Overlord could have a Gem implanted in his body. Just destroying whatever Gems or Blades we happen to find in his fortress might not work."

"If we make the situation convincing and dangerous enough, Overlord might leave his most valuable Gems and Blades behind," Cole argued.

"How many stone warriors are there?" Jay asked.

"Thousands. Those Overlord doesn't use are comatose in storage rooms in the keep." Cole tapped his forehead. "I'm going to guess that Overlord is able to wake them all with just a thought if he suspects danger to warrant it. So we'll want them out of the keep as well, in case Overlord catches on to what we are doing before we're done."

"This is all good in theory," Pixal said. "But what scenario could we create where Overlord would order every one of his stone warriors out of the compound?"

"Fire?" Jay suggested.

Cole scoffed. "What would we set on fire? It's a stone fortress. It's not like he's some frivolous nobleman with tapestries and carpets everywhere." He paused. "No offense."

"None taken," Pixal said.

"I guess you're right," Jay admitted. "Even if the fire did flush the stone warriors- and Overlord- out, we wouldn't be able to get inside and destroy the Blades. All we'd do is bury them under debris."

"Which would surely hinder Overlord's cause," Pixal said. "But it would harm ours as well. Also, a fire would mean risking the lives of any slaves working inside the keep."

"And how would we break Overlord's Blades?" Jay asked. "We're doing this under the assumption that they have faults. How would we find these faults?"

"They don't necessarily need to have faults," Cole said. "What's the only thing strong enough to cut a diamond?"

"Another diamond," Jay answered after a moment, nodding slowly. "So…maybe if we're careful, we could break Overlord's Blades with our own."

"Break them how?" Pixal asked. "What does it take to destroy a Blade's power?"

"The Gems," Wu interjected. "You needn't even worry about the Blades themselves. Just shatter the Gems- they hold the power and sentience of your Blades."

"So that's why my Blade has no power or voice," Besai said, feeling the long dagger's sheath at her side. "It has no Gem."

"That's probably it, Besai," Cole said. "But my Blade doesn't seem very…sentient. It hardly ever talks to me. And even when it does, it's in rhymes."

Wu pondered this for a moment. "Let me see your Blade, son."

Cole unsheathed it and set it in the old man's wrinkled palms. Wu squinted at the Gem.

"It's broken," he remarked. "See here, one of the prongs holding the Gem in place is crooked."

Cole leaned in to look. "Hmm. It's barely off. I hadn't even noticed before you said anything. Was that a mistake while it was being made?"

"Doubtful. See, there's a scratch here, too. It looks like it was damaged deliberately. Or perhaps during a fight?"

"It wasn't me," Cole defended himself. "Raindancer's had its…quirks the whole while I've had it."

"I'm not implying that it was you," Wu assured him. "Likely it happened during Mena's Stand seven hundred years ago." He noticed Cole's expression. "Is something wrong?"

Cole shook his head. "No. It's just…weird to hear someone talk about legends like that as if they actually happened."

"Do you doubt that they did?"

Cole hesitated. "Well…if it did happen, then the details have probably been convoluted by the Priests over the years. Embellishments have been added to deify the hero they call their god."

"You're a lot like your father," Wu chuckled. He looked about the room. "Should I explain the history of our Patriarchs? I know you have all heard it, but as Cole said… Let's try to sort the fact from fiction."

"Start from the beginning," Jay said. "To make sure everyone has heard it." He looked at Besai as he said this last part.

"All right." Wu smiled, pouring himself another steaming cup from his pot by the fire. "The Patriarchs," he said, "are Blade wielders who later became the rulers of Ninjago. Mena, the First King, is my ancestor. His Blade was Raindancer. Nen, wielder of Stormstrider, became Lord of the Western realm. Which used to be on the northwestern coast of Ninjago until recent years when they immigrated to Keitorin. Duskweaver was wielded by-"

"Beun," Pixal guessed. "First Lord of the North."

"Yes. And Morningbloom was the Blade of Ara, the only female of the five. Her husband was Lei, Moonsong's wielder."

"Ara and Lei were my ancestors," Kai said. He tucked his knees close to his chest, staring with vacant eyes at the fire. "Overlord killed Lei during Mena's Stand."

"That's right." Wu placed his cup on the floor. "Overlord, as we know, is the one who initiated the end of the Third Age. The Patriarchs arose shortly thereafter to confront him. Their battles persisted for nearly a year before Mena's Stand."

"They say that's when Overlord was defeated," Jay said. "Though I find myself doubting that…"

Wu chuckled ruefully. "I tend to lean toward this Overlord being a different creature than the one who caused the end of the Third Age, Jay. Though, these theories about him being a Gem have me reconsidering that. Now. Ah, where was I?"

"Mena's Stand," Cole said.

"Yes. The final battle that, coincidentally, happened on the plateau atop the cliffs above us." Wu pointed with a finger above his head. All eyes followed him upward solemnly.

"Lei and Nen had been captured by Overlord. There had been an agreement between the remaining three to give up their Blades in exchange for their teammates' lives. Overlord set the time and the place for the trade- these cliffs, at dawn." He lowered his hand.

"It is said that Overlord appeared on the plateau in a flash of light, dragging Nen and Lei behind him. Nen appeared to have suffered many serious injuries, not the least of which was…" Wu gestured to Jay. "…the loss of his leg."

"And…Lei?" Kai asked.

Wu regarded him soberly. "Lei's mind had left him," he said. "He was described as having cackling laughter, trembling bones, and shifty eyes, all the while raving about the end of the world; that the Fourth Age belonged to Overlord."

"Those are very specific details," Jay said. "Where did you get this information from?"

"Ara's journal," Wu said. He motioned to a sack against the wall. "I…took a copy of it with me when I came to this place, to study it."

Jay's eyes lit up. "May I look at it?" he asked eagerly.

"Of course. But please be careful with it."

Jay leaped up to retrieve it, and Wu continued his tale. "No one ever knew what had been done to him while in Overlord's custody- they never got the chance to ask. Because when Ara saw how far gone her husband was, her heart was filled with rage, and she attacked Overlord. Overlord responded immediately by sinking his teeth deep into Lei's jugular, killing him."

Pixal exhaled slowly. "That's a lot darker of a tale than the one the Priests tell," she remarked. "The Patriarchs gathered on the cliffs and fought valiantly- for at their head, Mena had taken the power of God as his own…, as the texts say. Lei was supposed to have died protecting Mena, not…" She tapered off uncomfortably.

Besai lifted a hand to her throat. What a horrible way to die. She could easily understand why Ara had been driven to provoke Overlord, but the consequences…

"I relive every detail of that day in my dreams," Jay read from Ara's journal. "My Lei's horrible, broken laughter. Nen's vacant eyes as he bled out- he would have surely died, if not for Beun's healing Blade.

"But above all I remember Overlord's expression as Mena finally succeeded in driving his Blade through Overlord's heart. Not a hint of fear in those cold eyes. Just amusement. A cruel grin, Lei's lifeblood staining his mouth like a wild dog after a hunt.

"And, in the last moment before Overlord's body collapsed, dead, Mena grinned, too.

"Mena was never the same after that. Cold and aloof, he put the world back together with a fist of steel and put himself at its head, declaring himself the First King. He became disillusioned, believing that he had taken on the power of God to singlehandedly defeat the Overlord. I think the trauma of that battle broke his mind. But I dare not confront him: I have too much to lose, now that Rei has been born.

"His instability has roused fear among the people in recent months. There has been talk of rebellion, but no one seems to have the heart for it anymore. The people are tired of the massacres following the Collapse, and will pay whatever price necessary for peace. Mena is taking full advantage of this, abusing his power in the name of keeping his people "safe"."

Jay looked up, apparently done.

"Mena was assassinated sixteen years after that entry," Wu said. "His seventeen-winters daughter, Naphi, became ruler in his stead. She was slightly less obstinate than her father, and allowed Beun and Nen into her council. This led to the separation of the land: North, South, Middle, and West, all independently governed, but protected under the King's banner."

"That isn't right," Pixal argued. "The realms were all there from the beginning of the Fourth Age, given to the Patriarchs by the First King as gifts for their loyalty."

"History is written by the winners," Wu said. "Mena won the battle; he wrote history as it suited him. This…" He gestured to the book in Jay's hand. "…is a much more trustworthy account, at least in my eyes, than anything the First King might have written. Because this is a private, first-hand report from a relatively neutral party in the whole ordeal. Could some details be off? Of course. No one is perfect. But she appears much more sincere and humble than any of my ancestors were." He leaned back on his cushion.

"But I reached this conclusion after years of study, both here and in Ninjago. I encourage each of you to do your own research in this manner: don't let others tell you how to think. Question even my words, and you will do well in life."

"Hmm," Cole grunted, shaking his head. "Well, that actually explains a lot…"

"What do you mean?" Pixal asked.

"At the beginning of the passage Jay read. That part about Overlord grinning."

"What about it?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Jay closed the ancient journal. "Overlord never died. He possessed Mena, returned to the Eastern island, and made his subjects believe he was a god. And his daughter, Naphi? Sounds a bit familiar."

"You don't know that for sure," Pixal said defensively. "Mena is God, and God defeated the Overlord. If your theory is correct- and that's a huge if- then that means Overlord defeated himself. Which isn't a tactically sound option."

"He faked his death," Jay argued. "So that he could play the part of the hero, gain the unwavering loyalty of a battle-weary people, and…" His expression darkened.

"…And rule them from behind the scenes for over seven hundred years," Kai finished. His forehead dropped to his knees. "Look at us! We've been his pawns this whole time. He's made us into modern-day Patriarchs for his amusement. Nen and Jay with their legs, Lei and I with our insanity…" Slowly, he looked up. "That journal mentioned Ara's son, Rei."

"Yes," Wu answered. "She didn't find out until after Lei died, but she was carrying his child."

Kai's head dropped again like a stone. He sighed, saying nothing more.

Besai found herself drawing her own knees close, feeling cold despite the heat of the fire. Had Overlord even predicted that she would become pregnant?

Even when I try to rebel against Overlord, I still play into his hand.

"Beun, they say, is the one who gathered the people after the Collapse, while Overlord was wreaking havoc," Jay said. "He was the peacemaker. Which sounds a bit like Zane. Ara has a pretty obvious resemblance to Besai. And Mena…" He looked at Cole. "Well…this is assuming that Lloyd wasn't even supposed to be a Knight in the first place, and Cole is Mena's counterpart. But you don't have anything in common with Mena. Unless you're actually related to the First King. You do have those green eyes."

"No." Cole shook his head adamantly. "Hosts, no. My family was hardly a step above beggars. I haven't even lived in a real house since I was three. There's no way we could be related."

Jay glanced hesitantly at Wu, who, for once, seemed uncomfortable with the turn in the conversation, not meeting anyone's eyes. "If you say so…"

"Your plan, son," Wu said to Cole. "If you are confident that Overlord's conscience is within one of these Blades or Gems, we need to come up with a way for Overlord and all of his stone warriors to leave the keep so that you can destroy them."

Cole blinked slowly at Wu, as if lost in a trance. Then he looked at Nephilim, still asleep in her solitary corner. "Okay," he said. "I think I have another idea."

Well then! Just when you think you think you know what's going on, Overlord has to throw another monkey wrench into it!

I'm sooo glad that we finally got into the Patriarchs' history. I've been waiting to tell you guys about it for so long it's been tearing me apart.

Ten reviews last chapter! Whoo! Best birthday present ever. Thank you so much. :D I've gotta go. Thank you so much for your patient and kind support, and I hope to "see" you soon! Bye!