43
They had to wait for Cole's Elemental Dragon to make it to the woods. When it finally reached them, it landed with a slightly irritated expression.
You were supposed to call me if things got out of hand at the Healer's…
Cole smiled slightly at the dragon's dry tone.
"I'm sorry. I was…incapacitated. Keyda transferred us but wasn't able to get far…"
Is she ok? The Guardian asked, eyeing the exhausted Oni as Cole helped her to stand.
"Yeah…" Cole said softly as Keyda moved to board the dragon. "We just need to get home….it's been a long day."
The Dragon looked like he wanted more of an explanation but didn't press when Cole didn't offer one. The Elemental Master positioned himself behind Keyda and as they flew she fell asleep leaning back against him. Her hair kept flying up in his face and he smoothed it down, thinking.
She loved him. He had assumed she did…actions speak louder than words, and all that…and she had shown how much she cared on a number of occasions. But actually hearing it…
The happy, fluttery feeling was annoyingly marred by anxiety towards the rest of their conversation. He was happy they had it- he finally felt like he was able to really express what he was feeling-but Keyda had had this look of crushing disappointment and he didn't know how to make it up to her. But he wasn't ready for that change...and he really didn't know if he ever would be ready.
He sighed as they crossed back over into Oni land. Keyda was totally drained...he knew that Phos did more to her than just talk but she clearly didn't want to tell him about it. What was with that old Healer, anyways? He had fixed the block at least, but Cole definitely felt uneasy being in the same room as him again. Mainly he just didn't know what to expect. It seemed Keyda's small flame of trust had definitely been doused at this point...it would probably be best to steer clear of the rune-covered tent for a while. Or forever.
The guardian finally reached the fortress, and Cole shivered in the cold night air as he dismounted. Keyda was still asleep so he carefully pulled her from the guardian to carry her inside.
"Thanks again," he murmured to the Guardian, who spread its wings and took off into the star-lit sky. Cole watched him go for a moment before heading into the fortress. Keyda didn't stir as he carried her up the stairs and into her quarters, putting her into bed. He had a little half-smile as he pulled a few stray pine needles out of her hair before getting up to go. He opened the bedroom door right as a dragon master outside lifted her hand to knock.
"Oh!" Jaqah said, startled. "I'm…I'm sorry, it's just something's come up and I needed to speak with Keyda…"
"She's asleep." Cole explained, closing the door quietly behind him. "It was a long day, and I don't think now would be a good time to disturb…."
"Of course." Jaqah agreed, though she looked a little lost for what to do. She hesitated a moment and finally sighed. "I would ask Heavy Metal, but he's still out of commission…."
"What's going on?" Cole asked, folding his arms.
"It's Adalaide…she's demanding to speak to someone in leadership." Jaqah paused for a moment before continuing. "So…I mean, technically you could…"
"Uhhh, I don't think I'm necessarily the best choice…." Cole cut in, holding up his hands. "I'm not really….couldn't it just wait until tomorrow morning, when Keyda gets up?..."
"The execution is in the morning." Jaqah explained quietly, and Cole frowned. He hadn't been aware that it was so soon. Jaqah finally shook her head. "I mean, she's not really entitled to a visit…it's just she's been demanding to see someone for the better part of the day and with her execution in the morning…"
Cole ran a hand through his hair. It came across the small braid and he fingered it, debating. Finally he sighed.
"I mean, I could see what I can do…"
Jaqah flashed him a quick smile and turned to lead him down into the dungeons. He steeled himself and followed her through the corridors and down the chilled staircase into the dimly lit cells. He could hear Adalaide yelling from the dungeon entrance and wondered what on earth she had to say to Keyda, anyways.
He and Jaqah came around the corner and the dragon master flipped open the cell window.
"You've got a visitor…" she informed, voice stern, and the burly guard outside the cell gave Cole a nod and unlocked the door. Cole hesitated, not even sure what he would say, but Jaqah gestured with her head and he walked into the cell.
The slender insurgent leader was on her knees, locked up in the same arm-restraints the Baron had put Cole in months before. Her hair was disheveled and hung in her face, and as she looked up and caught sight of who had entered the cell her eyes burned with loathing. She spat at him.
"I told you to bring the pretend ruler…not her little pet," she hissed out to those outside the cell. Cole turned to go; he didn't especially feel like having a conversation with her either.
"Fine," he muttered; he could feel her glaring at the back of his head.
"Wait." she finally relented and Cole paused in his retreat. He turned back around, but her expression remained murderous.
"What do you want?" he finally asked, and she scoffed, as if she couldn't expect him to understand.
"I want the proper line of kings restored to the throne," she sneered. "Virgil's line has been broken for too long…"
"Virgil?" Cole asked, turning fully to face her. He frowned as he recalled the things he had read from the scrolls. "The Oralle Line is technically the proper line…Virgil is the one who initiated the great purge. Isn't that the whole reason you all lost your connection with your power in the first place? I mean, from what I understand, there really wasn't anything good that came of…"
"Shut up!" she screamed, tensing. "You filthy outsider, how could you pretend to know anything of our history?!"
Cole felt like he was wasting his time-it was obvious she just wanted to heckle. On the off chance she did have anything important to say it was clear she wasn't about to tell it to him.
"Look…you committed treason. You tried to kill Keyda and her supporters and me… we aren't about to release you, let alone put you on the throne."
"I wouldn't have killed her…" Adalaide spat, eye burning. "And besides, she doesn't even want the throne! She never did…everyone knows that. The realm is weak because we have a pretender on the throne…one naive enough to let an Outsider rule alongside her…"
"I'm not ruling alongside anyone." Cole snapped, voice rising. "Keyda's the one in charge and she's done more for this realm in a few months than anyone's accomplished in decades."
"She connected to the true power, I'll give her that," Adalaide said, voice suddenly quiet. Cole frowned, a bit unnerved by the sudden change in tone. "The Baron knew how to use that power to its full capacity…I would have as well. In her…it's a waste."
He clenched his fist but kept his voice even.
"Destroying and manipulating others isn't finding the potential in a power….it's abusing it. You lost, Adalaide…and you have to face the consequences of your actions."
She scoffed bitterly.
"Through death?"
He clenched his jaw and looked away and she scoffed again.
"It's no secret it makes you uncomfortable, outsider. You realize your influence is the one that makes her so weak…"
"She's not weak. She beat you, didn't she?"
"A fluke!" she contested. "They may say that it was you who caused the storm that disabled all of us…but I don't believe it. And I don't believe you had the guts to kill Dorhn either…"
Something flickered across her face as she said it...and Cole thought he detected the slightest catch in her voice, but a second later it was gone and she was just as hardened as ever.
"She can't protect you forever!" She finally spat. "And no one will ever accept you! You and the slave survived this time…don't pretend that it was because of anything other than dumb luck. But someday your luck'll run out and when everything finally falls apart you'll realize that you should have quit a long time ago…"
He exhaled slowly, finally looking back up to meet her eye.
"Guess we'll just have to see." he finally said dryly. He shook his head and finally turned to go. "Goodbye, Adalaide."
"You're nothing! You're nothing but a…"
The door slammed behind him and Cole pressed a hand to his head, trying to stave off the headache forming.
"I'm sorry." He finally said to Jaqah, who was still standing nearby. "I don't know if that's what you wanted, but…"
"No, I'm sorry. I thought she had something important to disclose….apparently she just wanted one last chance to vent."
"Yeah…" Cole said. He looked around, ready for bed. "Anyways, I hope things are going…well…"
He winced internally at his awkwardness and the dragon masters nodded, seemingly equally unaware of how to respond to him.
"Well enough," Jaqah assured. "Thank you…" she trailed off.
"Cole." he finally offered and she nodded.
"Cole. Thank you."
"No problem," Cole said, still feeling out of place. "I'll, uh…I'll see you guys around."
With that he left, hurrying out of the dungeon feeling stupid. He should have just told Jaqah that Adalaide was out of luck and left it at that. He thought about their conversation and finally just shook his head, trying to clear it. There really wasn't anything more he could do about the situation. He made it out of the dungeons and headed to his quarters, ready to crash. As he turned down one of the corridors near his room he was taken by surprise as he spotted an elderly man in golden armor coming towards him down the hallway.
"Wu!" he stammered. "What are you doing back? I thought…"
"There you are," his sensei said at the same time. He held out a small object that looked kind of like a can opener. "Urgent call from Ninjago…and it's for you."
Keyda finished her braid and frowned as she found another small branch in her hair. She had been unconscious for their landing in the woods, but apparently it had been a rocky one. She gave one last look at herself in the mirror and brushed herself off, mentally preparing herself for the execution. She hoped that the five dragon masters had planned everything out after their meeting yesterday….she hadn't really had time to think about it. She was dreading it, really…but what else could she do?
Masha stood nearby, a freshly cleaned scarf draped over her arms with the silver circlet gleaming from its place on top of the orange cloth. Keyda put on the circlet and allowed her personal to drape the scarf around her shoulders. She gave the slave a nod of thanks, which seemed to confuse the matronly lady, before heading down to the kitchen to get breakfast. Masha had offered to fetch it for her, but Keyda was hoping to run into Cole before she had to go through with the execution.
Sure enough, the Elemental Master was standing in his usual spot in the bustling kitchen, looking lost in thought as he half-heartedly bit into a small loaf.
"Cole!" she called, and he looked over. She paused at his expression, face falling.
"What's happened? What's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong…" he trailed off, picking a bit off the loaf without eating it. "Wu came in last night with a call from Ninjago…apparently Jay's getting married. He…he asked me to be his best man."
She stared at him a few moments before she finally shook her head.
"I have no idea what any of that means. Is he ok?"
Cole's serious expression broke as he chuckled.
"He's fine…I mean, he sounded fine. Marriage…it's like being bound…" he trailed off as understanding lit in Keyda's face. She remembered the dark haired bossy girl that was always with the freckled outsider. She was surprised at the small twist of jealousy she felt, but she shoved it away as she replied.
"Oh. Um…when?"
"Apparently soon. They've been trying to get ahold of us for a bit but everything's been so crazy…" He sighed. "He wants me to be his best man…which is kinda just like…" he trailed off. "Actually, I don't know how to explain it, but basically he wants me to be there when it happens."
Keyda digested the news, her own appetite fading. He cleared his throat and tried again.
"We could just go at the end of the week…"
"I can't leave," she said woodenly. She finally looked up at him. "I can't leave the realm now, Cole…everything's still messed up from the rebellion and there's no one to leave in charge. Before Heavy Metal could just keep things running….but now…."
"Yeah…yeah you're right." he said, trying to give her a little smile. She bit her lip and continued.
"But… you should go. I mean, you could just go with Wu, if he's going…"
"He said he was." Cole mused, but then he shook his head. "I don't want to leave you when everything's…"
"I'll be fine." Keyda argued. "I've got the fortress guard to look after me, Idiot…and everyone's too spooked after the whole fiasco a week ago to try anything. Go see the marriage, or whatever it's called, and I'll see you later." She paused and forced herself to give him a smile. "Whenever you get back."
He looked like he was considering it.
"Shouldn't be long…just a couple of days…" he finally admitted, and her heart sank. She nodded.
"Yeah…whatever you need," she said, trying to sound light. She swallowed and changed the subject. "Today, I was wondering if you could go do rounds to all the villages…"
He frowned slightly.
"Do you really think that's a good idea?"
"It's the execution today," she finally admitted. "And…and I still don't want you…"
"You don't want me there," Cole finished, and she nodded. She took in his expression and sighed internally; she could tell he was still against the whole execution, but he finally looked up at her. "Yeah, I could do some rounds. Probably won't go see Vierie though…"
"I think you should," Keyda found herself saying. "She needs to know that you're still around, even after everything that happened."
He didn't look like he necessarily agreed, but he finally shrugged.
"Alright, if you think so." He glanced down at his half-eaten loaf and gave her a half smile as he left it on the counter. "I guess I should get going, then." He leaned in to kiss her and Keyda could feel the eyes of all the slaves on them as she kissed him back. He pulled away and disappeared out of the kitchen. She couldn't help but turn around, and everyone's eyes immediately darted away as they silently got back to work.
"Mam,"
She turned to see a small slave with flour on her nose offering her a tray of warm loaves, and she accepted one, though by now her appetite had completely left her. She hardly tasted the breakfast at all as she quickly ate and then left the kitchen, headed for the barrack's training ground.
44
There were going to be very few people at the execution—Keyda, the five guards she had promoted to the head of her force, and those being executed, with a few more reliable dragon masters to keep the prisoners in line. Keyda's stomach hurt the whole way to the barracks training ground…she had never even witnessed an execution this large, let alone initiated it. She was nearly there when two of the head guards turned a corner, and the expressions on their faces made her stomach clench all the more painfully.
"Jaqah…what is it?" she asked, and the female guard's frown deepend.
"There's…there's a bit of a situation…"
Keyda stopped dead.
"What kind of situation?"
Jaqah subtlely elbowed the short, curly-haired guard next to her.
"Omar…" she muttered, encouraging him to speak. He took a deep breath.
"I went to get Adalaide to bring her to the execution grounds…and she's gone."
It felt like a hit to the gut.
"Gone?! Gone how?!"
"We still don't know." Jaqah admitted. "No one else is missing, so however she escaped she took advantage of the opportunity without freeing any of her supporters."
The two guards seemed tense; Keyda realized they were probably waiting for her to blow up at them. To be truthful, part of her wanted to at least yell a little, but what good would it do?
"Then we need to search the fortress…"
"We have guards doing so now," Jaqah assured quickly. "But so far nothing….no forced exit either. Someone let her out…"
"So we have a traitor in the midst of my 'trustworthy' guards?" Keyda asked bitterly, and Jaqah's eyes fell.
"….It appears so."
Keyda clenched her jaw, finally shaking her head.
"She wouldn't hang around the fortress…no doubt she's long gone now. If there are people searching the fortress, then we need to get to the execution and get this over with before anything else happens."
The two head guards bowed their head in acknowledgment as they set off for the barrack's training fields. As they arrived Keyda was once again taken aback by the number of people in line for execution. There were a few dozen traitors, some eyeing her skeptically, some hatefully, some fearfully. There were guards standing by with long swords, ready to deliver the punishment. As she entered the guards forced the insurgents to their feet, unsheathing their swords.
Keyda faced the crowd, feeling sick from the recent revelation and wanting the execution to be over and done with as soon as possible. She opened her mouth to give some speech, or to order the insurgent's deaths…
Oh yes…we must punish the guilty, mustn't we?
Her voice stuck in her throat as the Baron's voice ripped through her memory. In her hesitation she looked closer at the faces of her rebellious guards…and the terror in their eyes.
The loyal guards were looking confused; she had yet to speak or order anything and the entire group had been waiting in silence for several minutes. She wished that Heavy Metal could be there to take charge again...but even more than that, she wanted Cole by her side. But he couldn't be, he wouldn't agree with what was about to happen…
But I don't even agree with it! She suddenly realized. These rebels…they deserved to be punished. But there were other ways than this.
"You all betrayed me," he found herself saying, and the group tensed, ready for the execution order that was undoubtably coming next. She shook her head. "You saw me as an unfit ruler, so you supported and fought along someone who promised to give you more than you thought I was giving you. A rebel, you'll notice, who is not with us."
Murmuring erupted among the group, and she could see the prisioner's glancing around, as if trying to locate Adalaide. She could practically feel Jaqah and Omar flinching from their place behind her. Keyda continued.
"Somehow or another, Adalaide managed to escape. But as you'll notice, she left you all to your fate." Her voice dropped low. "I would assume most of you didn't know her personally…you merely sided with her as a means to dethrone me and reenter the chaos you presumably missed. But she didn't care about you either, and now you are moments away from execution."
There were those who glared and yelled at her now, but the majority of the prisoners just looked terrified…and regretful. She paused, thinking about what it was she wanted to say…what she wanted to do. Heavy Metal would never have approved…she was going to be labeled as weak, worse than she had been up to this point. But she didn't care; it was true what she had said to Cole. They hated her anyways, and she was sick of trying to please everyone by forcing herself to become the ruler they thought they needed.
"Those of you who will refute your actions will be shown mercy." She stated, and surprised murmurings exploded again from prisoners and guards alike. "Do not assume this means you are forgiven…you are still traitors and will be stripped of your position and thrown back into prison until a better purpose is found for you. But you will not be executed if you swear your allegiance to me now..."
"I'd rather die!" One screamed at her, and she clenched her jaw. It would be stupid to think that everyone would choose to accept her mercy…but she could see in many of their faces that they were considering it.
"Jaqah," she said quietly. The head guard looked uneasy but trusting as she came to stand beside her ruler. Keyda continued to face the prisoners and finally exhaled, speaking quietly. "Let's take this one at a time…"
Cole landed near the village, his mouth dry. He had visited a few others, and the leaders had been wary at best. But he really didn't know what to expect from Vierie.
He gave his Guardian a little smile and took a deep breath as he walked through the walled entrance. He was shocked when a group of children basically ambushed him shortly after entering.
"You're back!" one called, hanging onto his arm as another leapt onto his back. Taken off guard by the unexpected greeting, he stumbled and went down. The children laughed and jumped on him, and it was all he could do to push them away enough to sit up.
"Woah, calm down….what's…" he said, surprised at himself for being on the verge of laughter. He looked over and spotted Vierie coming towards him, her expression flicking between being guarded and angry.
"You've come back," the village leader said dully as she got close enough, and the children settled down enough for Cole to push himself up out of the dust.
"Weekly rounds," he replied casually, as if showing up today was the most natural thing in the world for him to do. She raised an eyebrow and finally spoke again, voice tainted with thinly veiled bitterness.
"You'll notice we didn't sell the children."
"Yeah." He subconsciously put a hand on the dusty head of one of the small boys who had wrapped himself around Cole's leg. "Yeah I did."
She exhaled as she folded her arms.
"She didn't punish you…and there was no trial. Probably foolishness on my part to think there ever would be one. We kept the children free, as you demanded." She gestured to the crowd of small figures. "We've been feeding em…and now we're going to be short for the rest of the cold season. People are going to starve, outsider…"
"I'll take responsibility for the kids," he said automatically, and Vierie scoffed.
"You're gonna provide for them? Feed them and all that? You might be friends with the higher up, but there's a food shortage throughout the central province. I doubt you could even take much from the fortress and have enough to sustain…"
"Let me deal with how I'm going to do it." Cole cut in, trying to detangle himself from the children trying to take him down once again. He paused a moment, thinking. "Do you…do you have orphanages in the Oni realm?"
Vierie scoffed, arms still folded.
"Do we have what?"
"A place for children who have no one to take care of them," Cole tried, and the village leader rolled her eyes.
"Sure…we call it the grave. This is the real world, boy. You don't have a way to take care of yourself you die or you get sold, only way it's ever been."
"Then we're starting one," Cole replied, adamant. "Where are they staying now?"
"Old tent…owners died in the last fever outbreak and we used it for quarantine," Vierie said, gesturing to a structure on the outskirts of the village. Cole looked over at it and nodded.
"That'll work. Look…I'll bring food for them and the rest of your village next week. But from now on, I'm responsible for the kids, yeah? They're under my jurisdiction…"
"And who are you, exactly, to be able to provide that jurisdiction?" Vierie asked softly. Cole clenched his jaw and finally glanced away, looking down at a little girl wrapped around his waist, going dead weight in an effort to topple him. She saw him looking at her and smiled wide, unapologetic.
"Can I count on you to do that?" he finally asked, not answering the leader's question. She narrowed her eyes and finally shrugged.
"Fine. But this is the last week we will provide for them. After that it's up to you to bring em food, or they starve. Understand?"
He nodded and the village leader finally relaxed somewhat, though she didn't lose her irritated expression.
"Anything else while you're here?" she asked sarcastically. "Wanna check on the crops? Or perhaps risk breaking your head looking like a fool on the back of a hoofer again?"
Cole's serious demeanor broke as he smiled.
"What do you have time for?"
Keyda sighed, collecting her thoughts before pushing her way into the small room. Heavy Metal looked up from his bed, eyebrow raised.
"How'd it go?" he asked, and she smiled thinly as she collapsed into the nearby chair.
"Well….probably not in the way you would have done it," she admitted before launching into an explanation of the day's events. He listened, expressionless. After she finished he scratched his chin.
"You're right…that's not how I would have done it," he agreed, and she gave an apologetic shrug.
"But it's how I did it," she finally said, and he replied with a ghost of a smile.
"Yes." The smile faded as he changed the subject. "You still have no idea how Adalaide escaped?"
"No clue." she admitted. "There was no evidence of forced escape, so we know she was released…"
He nodded absently, looking up suddenly.
"In the execution today was there a man with pale white hair? He has a dead eye…"
She frowned and shook her head.
"No…he's a dragon master?"
"No. He's a kind of go-between for slave traders and their customers. Answers to the name of Yanz. Didn't know him well, but Adalaide mentioned his name during her chat with me." He frowned, considering. "I know he started the battle…but I don't remember seeing him in the fight. It's possible he left before it finished, which would have spared him Cole's power surge that knocked the rest of the insurgents out."
Keyda nodded at the possibility, deciding against correcting Heavy Metal's assumption that Cole had ended the battle.
"If he didn't get knocked out he wouldn't have gotten locked up…so he could have snuck in to release her." Keyda admitted. She sighed. "We're a little understaffed at the moment….it probably wouldn't have been that difficult."
"She's got no support and can hardly make a fuss anywhere without revealing herself," Heavy Metal pointed out. "She'd have to start from scratch, and after everything that went down I doubt that people would be as easily led into following her. For now, she's on the run."
"For now," Keyda repeated. Heavy Metal sat up, stretching.
"How long until I'm done with house arrest?" he asked, and she made a point to look him up and down.
"I don't know…how are you feeling?"
He stared off into the distance and finally shrugged.
"Better, I suppose…I'm going nearly mad with cabin fever. You've got to at least let me walk around the fortress."
"Alright." she finally relented, giving him a small smile. "But if you dare overdo it you'll be in here another month, understand?"
"Perfectly," he replied seriously. There was a lull in the conversation and he looked over at her out of the corner of his eye.
"How are things with Cole? You still threatening the other leaders with a binding?"
Keyda scoffed, turning away. She didn't say anything for a few minutes, and the Captain of the guard shifted his position.
"You won't have to worry about a binding anytime soon," she finally said, looking back up to give him a small smile that didn't reach her eyes. Heavy Metal frowned.
"Is everything…ok? Where's he now?"
"Out visiting the villages." She hesitated, picking at a loose string in her scarf. "He's headed back to his realm this weekend, some celebration he needed to be at…"
Heavy Metal narrowed his eyes, studying her face.
"And that's alright?" he finally asked, and she gave a shrug.
"Why wouldn't it be? It's not like…" she trailed off and shook her head. "He can go and come as he pleases. He'll be back in a few days and we can get back to work getting this realm in order."
The guard didn't look convinced but also didn't look like he wanted to push further. He tactfully changed the subject once again.
"Any ideas for the traitors you spared?"
She sighed.
"No. I'm sure something will come up that we could use them for…they aren't dragon masters anymore, at any rate." She winced as the string she picked at caused a run to go up the scarf. "Speaking of, I don't really like that title much, I was thinking of changing it."
"Changing it," Heavy Metal repeated, thinking. He finally shrugged. "It's your call, in the end. Whatever you feel is best."
She stared at him a few moments and finally scoffed.
"I swear a week ago you had a lot more opinions on how I should run the realm than this."
He shrugged again.
"A week ago, you needed them."
They had gathered herbs for most of the morning, and Syn kept glancing at the sun. Hershel noticed her distraction and finally frowned.
"What's up, Syn?"
"Nothing," she said immediately, looking down at the dirt. He sighed.
"Syn…."
"I don't want to go back yet," she finished lamely, and he shook his head.
"I told you, you don't have to be afraid. Master Healer isn't going to yell at you…"
"Can't I just do something else? Isn't there anything else that needs to be gathered?"
Hershel frowned, torn between dragging Syn home to face her fears and allowing her to distract herself with other chores. He finally shrugged and held his hand out for her basket.
"You can get some more of those fever-leaves…Master Healer mentioned storing the healing gel while the plant is still in season…"
"Alright." She shoved her basket into his hand with vigor and took off towards the place where the large-leafed plants grew.
"But don't take too long! I need your help preparing all of these!" he called off to her. She waved a hand behind her to acknowledge she heard him and he shook his head. All he could do was hope that in a few days everything would go back to normal.
Syn turned around to see her brother walking away, headed back to the Master Healer's tent. She slowed and waited until he was out of sight before changing direction and heading down to the place where she had found the young sniffer. She had a bit of trouble finding it again, but eventually she was confident she had come across the right place. She picked her way around the boulder, fingering the root from breakfast in her pocket.
She stopped dead as she noticed the empty bush; the night-sniffer had left, then. She sighed heavily as she sank to the ground. She should have known better…just because she had fed the small creature the night before didn't mean it would stick around. In fact, if anything she should be glad that it was finally well enough to move on its own…
She heard a sudden growling and turned to see a pair of yellow eyes looking out at her from a space under a boulder. Her heart pounded and she turned slowly, easing the root out of her pocket.
"Shhh, don't be so cranky…I brought you something…"
The little creature had darted out from under the rock the second the root came into view, and Syn gasped in pain and annoyance as the night sniffer nipped her in its attempt to steal the root. She shook her hand in the air, glaring at the small marks on her hand welling with blood before turning her glare towards the dusty grey animal. It looked up at her as it scarfed the food down. It growled inside itself as it finished, coming closer and sniffing, searching for more food.
"No…I don't have anything else," she said sternly, shoving the creature away. She was still mad about the bite, and she waved her injured hand in front of its face.
"You gotta get control of yourself, unless this is what you want to be named for. Ungrateful little…"
The night-sniffer ignored her shooing attempts and sprang forward, placing its two front paws on her abdomen as it sniffed her vest for more food. She sighed but relaxed, allowing it to finally reach its own conclusion that there was nothing more to eat. Besides her… but Syn knew that a night sniffer this small wouldn't be able to take her down, nor did she think it could fully digest meat at this point in its life anyways.
"Finally satisfied?" she asked dryly as the night sniffer dropped, licking its pointy nose to get the last of the flavor from its whiskers before sauntering off. Syn scoffed, annoyed, as she watched its bushy tail disappear back under the boulder.
"You're welcome!" she called, and then stood to dust herself off. Despite her annoyance, she felt a small thrill at her secret and hurried off to collect fever-leaves that she could take back home with her tonight. She glanced once more at the boulder and then darted away, smiling.
45
Keyda was in the middle of the dragon woods, trying to figure out how she had gotten here.
"Who knew the beasts had so much potential?..."
She spun around to see the Baron, looking around calmly as he took in the forest around them. She narrowed her eyes.
"I thought I was finally rid of you…"
He laughed at that, shaking his head.
"Oh, my dear Keyda….you'll never be rid of me…"
She clenched her fists, but surprisingly, she wasn't as unnerved by him as she normally was. His monocle flashed in the sun as he fixed her with a stare.
"He's leaving you…"
"He'll be back."
The Baron shook his head, amused.
"He says he will…but do you really think that he'd come back to all of this once he gets another glimpse of the perfect life he left behind?"
She shook her head.
"You're trying to get into my head, but…."
"Isn't me being her proof that I succeeded?" the Baron argued, smiling in an oily way. "Face it, the outsider…"
"Enough!"
She yelled at him and for once the Baron fell quiet, looking at her with an intrigued expression as she glared at him, eyes flashing.
"You're dead! And I have enough REAL problems to be worrying about to be wasting any more time thinking about YOU!"
She screamed the last part, and the next thing she knew she was gasping awake, staring at the celling in her room.
"What…"
Her mind caught up with her and she realized she had been dreaming. She looked around for any signs of a nightmare storm, and sighed in relief when she didn't find any. Could it mean…could it mean that she was finally free from the Baron?
She pushed herself out of bed and went to her water basin. It was still dark out, but she might as well get ready. Besides, no doubt Cole would be heading out early to meet up with Wu.
She washed her face and looked up at the mirror, taking in her stern expression. She sighed and forced herself to relax her features, trying to look happier. Or at the very least, supportive.
She finished getting ready and left the room. She nodded at Omar, who was stationed as guard outside her room, and tried to decide where on earth to go. She wandered aimlessly down the hallways, the night guard nodding at her as she passed. At least the fortress was sort of well guarded…but she still felt like she had to keep an eye over her shoulder in case any of these guards proved to not be as loyal as Jaqah and the others assumed.
After a bit she couldn't take it anymore and she went down to Cole's room. He didn't have a guard stationed outside his door, and she frowned slightly. What if someone tried to attack him in his sleep? She'd have to talk to Jaqah about assigning someone. Though, she thought with a wince, things hadn't exactly gone over well with his last personal guard.
She knocked the door lightly, biting her lip. She was probably waking him up…
She was surprised when the door opened, revealing a wide-awake Cole. It looked like he had been up for a bit, and he was holding some article of clothing in his hand, apparently folding it for packing.
"Hey," he said with a small smile. She stared at him and forced herself back to the present.
"Hey. I…I couldn't sleep. Just wanted to know if there was anything I could help with…"
"Nah, I'm about there. You can come in, if you want." He pushed the door the rest of the way open and she walked in and took a seat on his bed. He had made it already, and she fingered the thin blanket. She didn't know what to say, so she watched him finish packing in silence. After a bit he finally stood and stared down at the small bag, seemingly satisfied.
"Well…that ought to do it," he finally said as he looked over at her. Her stomach twisted but she gave him a smile.
"Already?"
"I'm not bringing much. Like I said, it'll only be a few days."
He came and sat down next to her, and she looked over at another smaller bag sitting next to the one he had packed.
"What's that?"
He looked over at where she was pointing.
"Just a few odds and ends I'm bringing," he said breezily, and she frowned slightly.
"Like what?"
He smiled sheepishly.
"Like…rocks, plants, the occasional random animal skull." She raised her eyebrow and he chuckled a little. "I have a friend interested in that kind of stuff…"
She rolled her eyes and silence fell again. They heard a faint dragon roar in the distance and Cole glanced at the window.
"That'll be Wu…" he murmured, and she slipped an arm around his waist so she could hug him. Rather than let go, she leaned into him, still not really making eye contact.
"Have a good trip." she finally managed. "I hope Jay's…whatever it is will be good and everything…"
He put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer, and she closed her eyes as she took a deep breath.
"Keyds…I'm coming back," he murmured, and she gave a little smile, eyes still closed.
"I know,"
He rubbed his thumb on her arm.
"Tell you what…I promise I won't even make you wait three months…"
She scoffed and finally opened her eyes to look up at him.
"Shut up, Idiot," she muttered, and he smiled as he leaned in to kiss her. She closed her eyes again as she tightened her grip around his waist, not wanting the moment to end. She didn't want to let go…
The Dragon roared again and she pulled away reproachfully.
"You better go…can't keep the old man waiting…"
He sighed, brushing her bangs out of her face.
"I'll see you in a few days, k?"
"K." She finally let go and he stood and grabbed his stuff. She watched him go to the door and tried to give him a supportive look. He looked at her a moment, as if waiting for her to come walk him out. She smiled, but didn't stand, and he finally got the hint. He gave her one last half smile before quietly closing the door.
She stared at the door for a few more minutes before slowly sinking down across the bed. She stared upwards as the first rays of light finally came in through the window, creeping slowly across the celing. After a while she fell back into a restless sleep.
"Have a nice weekend, Mr. Borg…" Jay called, his scarf muffling his words. The inventor turned from the project he was working on long enough to give his intern a small wave.
"Yes…goodbye, Jay." He went back to the digital blueprints he was editing and then turned again quickly.
"Oh, nearly forgot…congratulations! I'll see you at the wedding Saturday…"
Jay grinned under the wraps of knitted yarn and gave a wink before heading out into the cold. He pulled the color of his coat up as he formed his elemental dragon, soaring over the buildings as he headed towards the floating temple. He looked down at Ninjago City; it looked good as new. He had to admit that the construction people were getting pretty good and making it looked like fights never went down in the city…
As he approached the floating temple, he realized he could see a familiar four-headed dragon mauling the bushes in the garden once again. He grinned; they had made it, then.
He landed in front of the door and pushed his way in.
"Hey Jay, look what the Ultra-Dragon dragged in," Nya said, greeting him with a kiss at the door. He looked into the dining hall and waved at Cole and Wu.
"You know, even with interrealm communication, you guys are nearly impossible to get ahold of…"
"Sorry," Cole replied with a small smile. "Things have been…pretty busy,"
Jay shook his head, mock annoyed as he came to give his friend a hug. He looked around, realizing that someone was missing.
"Where's Kedya?"
Cole's expression became a little distant, but he shrugged, still smiling.
"She couldn't make it…"
"What, couldn't convince her to waste time coming to something as frivolous as a wedding?" Nya asked harmlessly, and Cole's smile dimmed slightly.
"Nah…things really have just been really busy; she couldn't get out of work. So I just came alone." He leaned back in his chair, raising his eyebrows in mock hurt. "What…would you really rather have her here than me?"
"What exactly have you all been up to in that realm?" Jay asked as he rolled his eyes.
"They were just gonna fill us in over this spaghetti, Jay," Kai added, waving his sister and her fiancé over to the table. The came and chose a seat and Cole shifted uncomfortably. Wu was watching him closely as Cole chuckled.
"There's…not much to say, really," he said finally. "Lots of meetings, lots of village building…" he trailed off, trying desperately to think of things he could tell them. He finally looked up. "There was this crazy fever outbreak a few weeks back, left a lot of orphans behind. So I'm going to be working on an orphanage project in the next few weeks….figuring out how to get them taken care of, you know…"
"What do they usually do with orphans?" Skylor asked, eyebrow raised. "This can't be the first time that this has happened…"
"And how bad was the fever outbreak?" Zane cut in. "Considering that your body would not have any immunity against viruses from another realm, exposure could be extremely dangerous for you, Cole,"
Cole seemed to sink into himself slightly, but the smile stayed frozen on his face.
"Well….I guess that orphans usually just…die…hence why I'm putting together some orphanages. And that's probably a fair point Zane…I'll keep that in mind for future outbreaks."
He stared down at his spaghetti, twirling the noodles as he seemed lost in thought. He finally glanced over at Wu, who was still looking at him with an unreadable expression.
"Why don't you tell them what you've been working on, Wu?" He turned back to his friends. "It's amazing…they've taken this part of the realm and totally recreated it…I'm talking real mountains, sandy beaches…a forest…."
Sure enough, the rest of the ninja were instantly intrigued by this concept, and Wu was peppered by questions through the rest of dinner. Cole added a few more things to the conversation, but he kept things generic, picking harmless events to talk about. After everyone had finished up he helped carry dishes back into the kitchen and filled the sink to start washing them.
"How is Keyda?"
Cole looked over to see Zane standing in the doorway, armed with a towel and ready to dry. Cole gave him a little smile.
"She's good. She really would have liked to come, but there really was just too much that she had to try to figure out there."
Zane nodded as Cole handed him a tray. The nindroid began drying and glanced back over again.
"And…her nightmares?"
Cole paused in his scrubbing, not looking up. After a few moments he cleared his throat and resumed cleaning the pot he was working on.
"How'd you know about those?"
Zane frowned.
"I…was not supposed to tell you, but she had one last time you guys were here. It caused an aura disturbance, and I went to investigate…."
Cole's brow furrowed a little as he handed his friend the next dish.
"Yeah, well, I found out eventually. She hasn't had them in a while, as far as I'm aware…"
He trailed off, suddenly wondering if she would have them again now that she was alone, worrying that he wouldn't come back. He almost didn't come back to Ninjago because he knew she hated being by herself and was under a lot of stress regardless, but he also couldn't do that to Jay. Besides…she had said that it was fine, right?
"And the scrolls? Did the translation key work?"
"Huh?" Cole looked over, and after a minute he finally realized what Zane was talking about. "Oh! Yeah, it worked great. I translated a bunch of the scrolls…"
He trailed off once again, a hundred different memories suddenly flashing through his mind. He leaned heavily on the sink, trying to clear his head.
"Are you ok?" Zane asked, concerned. "You seem a little…"
"I'm fine," Cole said, turning to flash his friend a smile. "I guess I'm just tired…inter-realm travel's kinda exhausting…"
Zane didn't look like he was buying it. He finished drying a plate and placed it carefully on the counter.
"Cole, is there other stuff happening in the first realm? You know you can talk to us about anything going on…"
"Yeah, I know," Cole said quietly. "I really am just tired, Zane…and I guess it's just kind of surreal being here again."
Zane looked at his friend for a few more moments and then finally decided to drop it.
"You should head up to bed, then. I can finish these…"
"Nah, Zane, I can help out…" Cole protested weakly, but the Nindroid shook his head firmly.
"You are obviously wiped out, and besides, it is my turn for clean-up."
Cole hesitated but finally shook suds off his hands before using another hanging towel to dry them completely.
"Thanks, Zane," He said, flashing his friend another smile before leaving the kitchen to head up to his old bedroom. Zane watched him go, eyebrows furrowed. For once the nindroid was at a loss for what to do.