Guess who's back, back again?
I OWN NOTHING.
Chapter 9: A King's Queen
Had it been just the scroll of Airjitzu that had affected the day for Lloyd, his mood would have been more celebratory. But that was not the case.
Across the view of the Cloud Kingdom, rubble lay about, the Tower was aflame, bits of Nindroid lay everywhere. as they walked further towards the battlefield, Nobu gasped.
At least 20 monks lay dead, with Nimbus's cold body at the center of the field. "Nimbus!" The monk ran and crouched down to feel a pulse or heartbeat, but no such sign gave admittance to him. "No..."
"I'm so sorry, Nobu. We did this, if we hadn't come-" The young monk lifted his hand. "No, Sensei Lloyd. This is The Master Writer's doing. Fenwick will pay for his crimes. He will face our realm's justice."
"Which is?"
"Most likely imprisonment within the abyss. We do not believe in killing one of our own. But that is for us to worry about. You should get to your ship and go home. With the Scroll of Airjitzu, you are one step closer to safeguarding your grandfather's legacy."
"As you wish, Nobu. Mystake, shall we..." He turned to see Mystake at the doorway of what was previously Nimbus's lair, which they had used to imprison Pythor and Cryptor. She stood there frozen. "Uh, Mystake?"
"They appeared right here. With the Realm Crystal." Lloyd walked forward to see what she was seeing. "How do you know?"
"Because, Lloyd Garmadon…" She pointed within the room, giving Lloyd notice of the disheveled skeleton that lay on the ground. "THAT is your grandfather's body."
He was at a loss for words. Neither nauseous nor hungry, he latched his arms around his stomach, as if experiencing phantom pains. The shock overtook him. "My... the First Spinjitzu Master's body? How?"
The old woman grimaced. "He had his final resting place built in complete secrecy, to hold the Realm Crystal. My only guess would be the Dark Army had used the clues from the Scroll of Airjitzu to find it, and leave it here as a sick display of their powers."
"But if that is true, why give us the Scroll?"
"I don't know. But I is authentic, all right, not a replica. We will take it, and his body, back home with us. The First Spinjitzu Master's body will be at peace once more. Let's go."
Although Kai had elected to take the first shift through the night as the encampment of Elemental Masters within the forest, he ended up staying on watch through the night. By choice. He had seen too much the previous day. He sat, staring at the dim fire in the camp's center. After months, the Dark Army had finally resurfaced, and attacked everyone he had been searching for. But he found comfort knowing they would all be safe once back at the tower.
And now that the sun was almost up, he knew they made it through the night without an incident.
Until the bushes next to him began to rustle.
Immediately jumping to action, he extended his sword, aimed high. "Not one step closer! Who is there?"
"JEEZ, Kai! Put that thing away, it's me!" The orange-clad warrior showed her face through the branches, stepping forward despite his warning. Seeing her, he lowered his weapon. "Skylor! Sorry. What were you doing away from camp? We need to stick together at all times."
Her face flustered slightly. "I was...erm, y'know..." She stared at him, seeing the obvious need for a definite answer. "Relieving myself, ok? Sorry I didn't want to interrupt your brooding to inform you that I needed to go in the woods." She deepened her voice on "brooding," earning a smile and chuckle from the Master of Fire.
"Heh, I do not "brood." That's Cole! I was just... thinking."
"About?" Skylor sat across him at the base of the fire, clearly interested in whatever he had to say.
"Well, you clearly know the major details. Jay Walker gave his life to defeat the Overlord. He was he best of us in ways I could never be. He lost his trust, his friends... his parents in front of him, and he still managed to do the right thing in the end. I could never. My parents died when Nya and I were toddlers, and that alone drove me to become a self-entitled prick who was overprotective of his sister."
"But this is not what you are brooding about."
"...No. I just want to make sure we do this right. Safeguard the Masters, the legacy of Lloyd's grandfather, train the next generation of students... all to make Jay and Wu proud."
Skylor smiled lightly. "I'm sure they are, Kai, I'm su-"
"-zzt- KAI! DO YOU COPY! -zzt-" The booming voice of Nya over his communicator interrupted them both, bringing them back to full reality. "YEAH! Yeah, uh, sis. I copy. I found all of the Elemental Masters. We are on our way back to the Tower."
"-zzt- YES! I got him! But no Kai! Don't go to the tower. Take them to the Desert of Doom! Pixal detected a massive surge of enemy movement headed there, right where Clutch and Misako are! Worse, they appear to have expanded their numbers. With the Elemental Masters, we'd stand a fighting chance! -zzt-"
"...Alright, sis. We'll meet you on the way there. Over and out." He looked back up to Skylor. "Wake the others, I'll prep the ship. It's time we end this."
The Serpentine warriors had spent the entire night preparing the grand room within the Pyramid. They lit up every torch, cleaned every corner. Now, Misako and Clutch could fully see who they had meant by "her:" A ginormous mural of a Serpentine Sorceress spread across the wall they all faced.
She was from the tribe of Vipers: Black-bluish scales, similar to both Constrictai and Hypnobrai. Hypnotic eye-circles, token trait of the Serpentine. Baring obvious fangs, favored tools of the Fangpyre, and the mural alone revealed that this specific specimen had great agility, one of the many skills of the (nearly) extinct Anacondrai. Misako could only guess that the early Vipers also had traits venom inherited by the Venomari.
She was hoping to examine more with the silence, but Clutch wasn't so patient. "So, Skales, who's the chick?"
"That, you insipid oaf, is the great Aspheera, Sorceress of the Serpentine under King Mambo the Fifth." The name immediately struck a bell with Misako. Oh no.
"You can't seriously mean to free her?! She attempted to overthrow King mambo! She betrayed her kind for power! If it wasn't for Wu-"
"Then she perhaps could have saved the Vipers from extinction!" The Hypnobrai general slithered forward, staff pointed at her face. "She may have been unpredictable, but she has been imprisoned for millennia; and with Wu out of the picture, just like Garmadon, her lust for revenge would dissipate, allowing her to see the... bigger picture."
He laughed maniacally at the last phrase, which the other generals and warriors echoed in turn. Only Clutch, Misako, and The Mechanic failed to find the humor. The entire room rang with the shriveling noise.
Until a portal appeared in the room's center.
"Ah, finally." Dozens of Anacondrai cultists, two Skulkin Warriors, a few Nindroids, Kruncha, Knuckal, Chen, Pythor, and Ronin jumped out into the room.
"King Pythor, we have been expecting your arrival, just as foretold." The albino Anacondrai snicked at his top general. "Ah, Skales. I trust everything has gone as planned, then?"
"To the letter, my King. Misako and the adventurer are here, the room is prepared, all we need is for the arrival of the rest, and then we'll- oh, speak of the devils!" The distant sounds of engines spurring to a stop outside the Pyramid entrance told them of the Dark Armies arrival. "It appears that everything is in order. Kruncha, Knuckal, Cryptor! You and your men go up and relay the orders to our forces."
They did as they were ordered, handing the Realm Crystal to Pythor, and leaving Ronin with The Mechanic to guard Clutch and Misako.
Once he got a full look-around the room, the Serpentine King approached the mural, feeling the texture of the wall. eyes closed, he began to whisper, in a voice no one could hear him: "We are almost there, Aspheera. My Queen. Soon, everything that was promised will be ours."
"...All I'm saying is I still don't see why all of them got to come, but only a handful of our factions joined the party. Hell, we even brought that gigantic Anacondrai Serpent!" Outside the Pyramid, Luke Cunningham stood with Mindroid, a Skulkin, and a Stone Army warrior, commenting on the severe dispraportions between their factions and the entirety of Anacondrai Cultists, Serpentine Tribes, and Vermillion factions that were getting into formation outside the Pyramid.
At the base of the Pyramid's entrance, Vermillion General Machia pointed at the vehicle Misako and Clutch had used, bringing two Buffmillions to quickly dismantle it. "ALL RIGHT, LISTEN UP!" Her booming voice brought everyone's attention on her, including her commanders, Blunck and Raggmunk.
"As soon as we get the all-clear, Serpentine forces - Yes, that includes the Cultists - will follow me, Commander Blunck, and Commander Raggmunk inside. Non-serpentine forces are to keep watch, the Ninja will try to save their friends. Understood?"
"YES, GENERAL!" With the Serpentine, Vermillion, Buffmillion, Anacondrai Cultists, and the large Purple Serpent getting in formation, Machia turned to see figures coming out of the temple. "Ah, General Cryptor. I take it all has gone to plan."
"Precisely, General Machia. With the Time Twins and all our other forces guarding camp, this small lot will do for a scouting force. You'd better head on in, King Pythor awaits."
Shorter chapter, I know. Sorry! PLEASE REVIEW