61
"Yep…they all look angry." Cole commented as he looked down at the villagers they were passing.
"Are you sure you should be making rounds so soon after the announcement?" Retrevan asked carefully from his place behind the Elemental Master. Cole shrugged.
"I can't just hide in the fortress for the rest of my life. Besides, we aren't actually visiting any of the villages today. We're headed to see Wu."
"The Dragon Master?" Ret frowned. "And…you're bringing me along?"
Cole turned to grin.
"That alright with you? I'm sure Wu'd love to see you."
Ret raised a suspicious eyebrow and Cole finally shrugged sheepishly.
"Keyda wouldn't let me step foot outside until I promised I'd bring you along. Buuuut I think Wu will like meeting you anyways."
Retrevan didn't say anything and they flew a few minutes in silence.
"Hey, Ret?"
"Yes Sir?"
Cole turned to frown.
"Don't call me that."
The large Oni blinked.
"I'm…sorry. But, you may want to get used to it…"
Cole sighed, irritated, and Ret cleared his throat.
"What did you want to ask?" he reminded and Cole shrugged.
"I was just wondering how you and the other head guards met. I mean, did you only come together after the rebellion, or did you know each other before that point?"
The large guard was silent for a few minutes and Cole was wondering if he had somehow offended the Oni.
"A bit of both, I suppose…" Retrevan finally offered, and Cole frowned in confusion. The guard continued.
"People tend to gravitate towards those with similar ideals…it was the same for many of us. I knew Omar and Jaqah rather well…as well as Tolan and his brother…"
"Tolan has a brother?" Cole asked, surprised. Retrevan grew quiet and Cole turned to face him again. "I take it he didn't feel the same as the rest of you?"
"On the contrary, Peder's convictions were as strong as any of ours. He died during the rebellion."
Cole blinked, the news hitting hard. How did he not know about that? His expression must have been easy to read because Ret shifted.
"There were seven of us who refused to join Adalaide…not all of us made it through the second battle before you…" the guard trailed off. Cole shook his head.
"Who…who was the other one?" he asked quietly.
"Peni. She was loyal…but not the strongest fighter."
The Elemental Master felt sick. He remembered hearing that there had been seven loyal dragon masters who had defied Adalaide…how could he have forgotten that two hadn't made it?
"They knew the risks," Ret finally commented, and Cole exhaled.
"Was…does Tolan miss his brother? I mean…"
"Peder died with honor," Ret mused, and Cole turned to face him.
"What has that got to do with anything?"
"Living with honor was one of Peder's deepest convictions. Tolan admired his older brother, and as strange as it probably sounds to you, he didn't really mourn after his passing." Ret grew quiet. "Though, I do think he misses him."
"What about the rest of you? Do you regret standing up to Adalaide that day?"
Retrevan's expression became unreadable as he thought.
"When Yanz entered the barracks he demanded our loyalty. There were so many dragon masters who were angry with Keyda…or unsure. But the seven of us…we had already made our decision. We were ready to die for what we thought was right."
"But don't you miss your friends?"
The guard was silent again, and Cole saw a flicker of pain cross his face.
"It has felt different without them…especially Peder. Peni was quieter, but Peder was a born leader. Jaqah has struggled trying to take his place, especially since…"
Retrevan abruptly stopped talking and Cole frowned.
"Since what?"
"I shouldn't…" Ret started, but Cole shook his head, the realization hitting.
"Did she…."
"You didn't hear it from me," Ret advised, and Cole nodded his understanding. The guard sighed. "She thinks that we didn't know and would never admit to it…especially considering the long-held stigma on affection…but it was quiet clear she had feelings for him. She pushed away her pain for duty, but I suspect Peder's loss affected her the hardest of any of us."
"She's a good leader herself," Cole mused quietly. "I never would have suspected…"
"She doesn't like showing weakness." Ret explained. Cole nodded.
"I feel that…" he muttered, and then trailed off. Silence fell again.
"So you five have been friends awhile then?" Cole finally clarified.
Retrevan became pensive.
"I don't know if 'friends' is the right word for it…but we respect each other."
"I think that's a key part of friendship," Cole pointed out, and Retrevan had a ghost of a smile.
"I suppose."
"You seem to know a lot about everyone…anything else I should know about them?"
The dragon master shrugged.
"If you want to know things about anyone, all you have to do is ask them."
Cole nodded as his Guardian crossed over to the newly renovated area of the realm. Retrevan leaned forward as he took in the view, and Cole waited a few minutes before asking his next question.
"So…what's your story, Ret? You and Dorhn…"
He felt his guard stiffen and then sigh.
"…She told you, then?"
Cole shrugged.
"I kinda figured it out…"
"What do you want to know?"
The Elemental Master frowned at Ret's guarded tone. He turned around again.
"You don't have to tell me anything, Ret. I just wondered what it was like growing up in the same family as my surly ex-bodyguard."
"Dorhn was loyal in his own way," Retrevan started carefully. "In his mind, he was loyal to Oni, the way Oni should be. He became a dragon master and was the one who convinced me to go through initiation. But he became frustrated with me after he learned he couldn't bend me to his will as easily as he thought he'd be able to."
"What do you mean?"
"He didn't want me spending time with the weak, as he put it," Ret explained quietly. "He viewed Peder and the others as dangerous idealists. He wanted more for me, or so he said. He eventually gave up on me."
Cole listened silently.
"Do you…do you think he would have spared you from execution, if Adalaide had won…"
"I don't know." Ret answered quietly. After a few minutes he sighed.
Cole felt guilty for bringing up all these heavy topics, though he was glad Retrevan had told him. There was so much he didn't know…and it made him feel terrible that he hadn't thought to ask before now. He opened his mouth to apologize when he spotted the Ultra-Dragon in the distance. They had found Wu.
"Jaqah!"
The guard paused in her rounds, turning to see Keyda coming up to her. She stood at attention as the ruler drew close.
"The announcement has been made to every village…and we sent word to the other two fortresses. Haven't received any word back, as of yet…"
"Oh….good," Keyda said, though her expression became unsure and Jaqah wondered if maybe that wasn't why the ruler had singled her out.
"Is….there anything else you needed?"
"Well…" Keyda straightened, clearing her throat. "It's just, I was wondering if you had time to talk…um…" She sighed and Jaqah raised an eyebrow. Keyda finally looked her in the eye and continued, her words coming out in a rush. "I don't actually know much about binding, but I know that people are going to be upset enough as it is so the least I could do is make sure we do it right but I don't even know what the right way is or if there is a right way or…"
The ruler trailed off and Jaqah's other eyebrow rose as well.
"Oh…I see. Well, um…I may not be the best person to ask…." She glanced over and saw Ves walking past and waved him over. "Ves! You know about binding traditions and all that, yeah?"
The accented guard turned and came over, eyebrows furrowing.
"Vell, I know a bit…but if you really do know ze Master Healer he would know more about it…"
"What do you know, someone with sense!"
The guards turned in surprise and Keyda did as well, though her shock was mixed with anger and irritation as she caught sight of Phos in the hallway.
"What are you doing here? How did you even get in?"
Tolan poked his head out from behind the ancient healer.
"Um…he said he was a friend…" he said defensively. "In fact, you said he was a friend!"
"I don't recall using that term…" Keyda said icily, glaring daggers at Phos while Jaqah face palmed.
"Tolan…."
Ves, meanwhile, was looking at Phos in awe, his mouth hanging open as his eyes flicking between the Oni's face and the different tattoos that covered his arms.
"It's…you're…"
"He's really not that great, Ves," Keyda said dryly, folding her arms as she continued her glare. Her guard looked at her in shock.
"Are you kidding?! He is ze Master Healer! In the flesh!" He turned back to Phos and bowed low. "It is an honor…"
The Healer couldn't help but raise an eyebrow and crack a smile as he glanced from the close-shaved guard back to Keyda.
"Well…it seems respect does still exist…" he muttered, and she rolled her eyes.
"Why are you here?!" she repeated impatiently.
"Same reason as all the other times I deem it necessary to come here," Phos snapped. "I'm making sure you don't mess things up!"
She scowled.
"I take it you heard about the binding…but if you think I'm going to let you have anything to do with it, you're…"
"You just said you wanted to do things right, girl! You know very well without me in charge of this thing it's all going to fall to pieces, just like everything else you do…"
Even Tolan was silent as the three guards listened to the two go back and forth. Jaqah finally cleared her throat.
"If you don't want him here, Keyda…"
"Don't interrupt," Phos snapped, and at the sight of his eyes flashing Jaqah's hand went to her sword. Keyda noticed the movement and put a hand to her forehead, exhaling irritatedly.
"Phos, I'm not going to talk about this with you…."
"You call him Phos…" Ves pointed out, confused. "Do you not know that…"
"What's your name, boy?" Phos snapped suddenly, turning on him. Ves blinked in surprise and awe at being asked.
"Vesly," he murmured.
"Then shut up, Vesly." Phos retorted. He turned and saw that Keyda was already walking away. He scoffed.
"And where are you going?!"
"Just….just leave us alone, Phos!" she responded, speeding up. The Healer scowled, glaring at the ground. Ves and Tolan watched conflicting expressions flicker across the ancient Oni's face until he finally looked back up.
"I'm sorry."
Keyda froze. There was a tense silence in the hall, and the ruler finally turned.
"You're sorry?"
Phos folded his arms, cross.
"I'm not going to say it again…"
"Sorry for what, Phos?! At this point, it could be any number of things…"
"We don't have time for this." Phos snapped, and she scoffed, hands on her hips.
"Why do you want to be part of the binding?" She finally asked, expression guarded. He took a moment before answering.
"Because I'm the only one who could do it justice," he answered carefully. "Bindings, as you know, are rare these days…and there is so much missing in the modern ceremonies. You want it done right, don't you?"
Keyda didn't say anything and finally sighed.
"I'll talk to Cole…see what he thinks," she finally conceded, though her tone betrayed that she still didn't love the idea. He rolled his eyes but pulled off the satchel he was carrying.
"Speaking of the Idiot…these are for him."
"Did he just call Cole…" Tolan started, but Ves elbowed him hard to shut him up. Keyda finally came over to snatch the satchel out of the Healer's hands. She opened it and her expression softened.
"His history scrolls…"
"You do still have ze history scrolls!" Ves blurted. "It vas rumored they vere lost…"
"For good reason," Phos basically growled, and turned to go.
"Vait! I have so many questions…" Ves pleaded, but Phos just waved him off.
"Don't we all." He turned slightly as he left, addressing Keyda again. "Come see me after you talk to the Idiot…"
Keyda narrowed her eyes but didn't answer as the Healer finally disappeared around a corner of the hallway. Tolan scratched his head.
"Well, he seems fun."
Wu didn't say anything at the news, and as the silence stretched longer, Cole cleared his throat, uncomfortable, and Ret shifted in his silent position nearby as the ninja continued.
"I mean…we haven't really worked out the details yet…"
Wu nodded, still going about his task checking over a nearby dragon. The Elemental Master sighed.
"You think it's a bad idea."
"I think it's something that's been a long time coming," Wu argued, voice soft. "But your timing could have been a little better…"
Cole winced, leaning up against a boulder.
"Yeah…I know." He fell silent for a few moments and finally shrugged, letting out a wry chuckle. "But it's a little late to call it off now…"
"The Northern Leader was killed this week," Wu mentioned, turning to his student. Cole's expression darkened further.
"Yeah."
"It was the Master Healer…wasn't it?"
Cole was silent as he stared at the ground. Wu understood the answer in his silence and sighed, finally coming over to his student.
"A binding…the consequences of it are going to be intense…and you'll have a new role in the realm. Do you think you can handle it, Cole?"
Cole's eyebrows furrowed further and he glanced up at his sensei.
"Do you think I can't?" He asked softly, and Wu put a hand on his shoulder.
"Change is always possible…but it's rarely easy…"
"I know," Cole interjected. "Trust me, I've thought about all of this…"
"I'm sure you have." Wu murmured. He released Cole and his tone lightened as he went over to a bag near the dragon. "I'm sure you came to share the news with more than just me…" He rummaged for a moment through the bag and pulled out the strange inter-realm communication device. He turned and handed it to Cole, who accepted it with a small smile. Cole had to call a few times before Jay's garbled voice came through the device. Cole laughed.
"Hey, motor-mouth…"
"Hey…what do you know….a call from Cole, and it hasn't even been six months yet…"
"Har har," Cole replied, rolling his eyes. "How are things in Ninjago? Your new place still have cockroaches?"
He couldn't help but smirk as he imagined the face that went with the indigent noise coming through the device.
"Our home has never had cockroaches….it's a fixer-upper, not a dump!"
"I guess you would know the difference, huh Jay?"
"Wow…insulting me twice within the first minute of conversation. Either you're in a crisis or you've got some big news…I'm sensing a little of both?"
"Pshhhhh….hardly a crisis…" Cole countered, and nearby Wu raised an eyebrow. Cole cleared his throat. "I mean…we've hit some more bumps, but I guess I've gotten used to that. Um…" he cleared his throat again. Why was this so much harder than telling Wu? "I guess the main reason I'm calling is cuz… um….I mean…it's kind of crazy…but…"
"Oh my gosh…ARE YOU GETTING MARRIED!?"
"No!" Cole blurted out of knee-jerk habit. He winced at himself and tried to save it. "I'm…I'm getting bound…" he continued lamely.
"WHEN?! WHAT THE HECK IS 'BOUND'?! ARE YOU SURE THIS IS A GOOD IDEA?"
"It's…" Cole frowned. "It's what I want! This is where you're supposed to be happy for me, Zap Trap!"
"I am happy for you…" Jay said, though his tone betrayed wariness. "Wow….it's kinda hard to breath….geez, is this what it was like when I called you? What about the Oni; I thought things were pretty bad with them still? Aren't you afraid they'll react violently? I mean that's generally how they react to most things but this probably will warrant even more of an explosion….and…I mean I'm all for you living the dream and everything but this…" Jay's voice suddenly trailed off, becoming quieter. "…I guess this means you're not coming back…"
Ret watched as Cole's expression became more unreadable.
"Yeah…well…I guess it probably does," he answered more quietly. "Look…um…I've got to get going, I just wanted to let you know…" he trailed off, thinking. "I'll call you later, when we have more details…k?"
"Oh…yeah, sure. I'll tell the rest of the gang….I mean, unless you'd rather tell em…"
"No, yeah, that's fine. You go ahead, I'm probably going to be kinda busy, the next little while…clearing up these bumps, you know."
"Right. Well, um…congrats big guy! Tell Keyda as much as well, I'm happy for you…"
"Thanks Jay. See you." Cole said with a small smile. He hit a switch on the side of the device and the whirring stopped, the call ended. He turned to give it back to Wu, not meeting the Dragon Master's eyes. Wu smiled sadly.
"We are happy for you, Cole…" he explained as he took the device. "We're just…concerned as well…"
"No, yeah, I get it." Cole said, glancing up to try to give what he hoped was a convincing smile as he fingered at his braid self-consciously. He finally exhaled and looked over at Ret.
"Probably best we head out, huh Ret?" He turned back to Wu. "Keyda still hates when we're out past dark…so, um, we better scurry…"
Retrevan didn't say anything, though he gave Wu a respectful nod and followed Cole back onto the back of his guardian. Cole gave Wu one last wave.
"See you soon."
62
Cole watched the sun sink lower in the distance and finally turned to the silent guard behind him.
"Sorry that I had to drag you along…"
Retrevan was silent a few moments longer. He finally cleared his throat.
"Can I…ask you something?"
"Sure Ret. What's up?"
"The people in your realm…the ones you left. Did they not want you to come here?"
Cole exhaled slowly, wincing.
"It's…not that they don't want me here. They just…worry."
Ret nodded his understanding.
"I'm sorry for bringing it up. It's just…most of the Oni are under the impression that those in your realm sent you here…"
"…as a spy. Don't worry…I'm aware of the rumor." Cole answered softly.
Ret sighed, feeling awkward.
"I…didn't mean it like that."
Cole's gaze flicked across the landscape below them.
"Can I ask you a question?" He asked.
"Of course."
Retrevan's tone was guarded once more as Cole turned to face him again.
"I mean…I know you don't really know me much…but do you think I can do this? Do you think we can pull this whole…binding thing off?"
A few minutes passed in silence and Cole finally sighed.
"You can tell me what you think…your cousin always did."
"I…I don't really know what I think," Ret finally admitted. Cole faced forward once again and let out a wry chuckle.
"Well…I guess we'll just have to see then," he said softly as the fortress rose up on the horizon. Neither said much for the rest of the trip, and when the Guardian finally touched down Cole wanted nothing more than to just go to bed.
"Goodnight, Ret…" he said, and the guard nodded respectfully before heading down a separate hallway. Cole headed to his room, thinking. He couldn't help but feel disappointed; it made sense that Wu, Jay, and even the others would worry, but he had still thought…
He paused in his walk and looked around. Stone walls…stone ceiling…this was his home from now on. A cold fortress in the middle of a desert. He had lived here for months without it really bothering him…but it felt so different now. More permanent. He wouldn't be a guest living in a little closet anymore.
He leaned up against the wall, the weight of his choice finally catching up to him. He didn't regret it…but the fear was back. He put a hand to his eyes, wishing Wu had given him a better vote of confidence. And though he knew his best friend back home was excited, Jay's tone betrayed worry more than anything.
A hand came to rest on his shoulder and he jumped, turning. Keyda tilted her head, looking concerned.
"Hey."
"Hey," he repeated, giving her a small smile. She gave a little shrug.
"So…how'd it go? Did you…talk to them?"
"Um, yeah…I told them," he turned to face her, taking a hand. "Jay said to tell you congrats, by the way…"
She frowned as she studied his expression.
"They tried to talk you out of it," she finally guessed, and he shook his head.
"No. They're just…concerned, I think. You know, with everything that's happened, they're just afraid now's not the best time to…"
"Even Wu?" she interjected, and he dropped his gaze. She sagged a little.
"They want you to go home."
"Keyds…"
"Even if you don't feel like I'm keeping you here…it's what they think. That I'm some…some crazy person that's taken their friend…"
Both Cole's hands came to rest on her shoulders as she went to turn away.
"No. I'm here because I love you, Keyds….and they know that's the reason. Trust me, no one thinks you're keeping me here…"
"Not against your will…but I am keeping you here, in a way." She sighed and reached up to brush his wind-swept hair out of his face. "Are you sure you want to do this Cole?"
"I'm sure." He tried to pull off a relaxed smile. "Enough about my phone call…how's your day been?"
She scoffed a little, glancing away as irritation flickered across her features.
"Phos came to see me…well, us."
"Phos did? He came here?"
"Yeah. Shoulda seen him; the way he carries on you'd think he owned the place. He came to bring you your scrolls…"
"Really?"
"Yeah, I had them put in your room. And…" she trailed off, exhaling angrily. "He wants to conduct our binding, apparently."
Cole paused at the news and finally chuckled.
"I don't think I will ever understand that man…" he glanced at Keyda. "What'd you tell him?"
"That I'd talk to you!"
"But…you don't want him to," he interpreted, and she shrugged as she let out a huff.
"I'd rather have Wu…or someone else that I actually trusted. He was so insistent that he had to do it…that he was the only one who would be able to pull it off or whatever. But quite frankly I'd be happy enough if I never had to see him again; I don't want him at our binding, much less conducting it…"
"How do bindings work, anyways?" Cole asked. She didn't answer and he fingered his braid. "I don't know much about them, except that they're kinda like marriages. You've been to a wedding; are they similar?"
She finally shrugged half-heartedly.
"I don't know." she finally admitted. "I…I know that binding is what happens when two people promise to stay together…I know it has ties to old Oni customs and that it's officiated by a Healer…but I've never seen one, and I don't know anyone who's actually been bound…"
"Maybe it'd be better if we just did an old fashioned wedding in Ninjago?" Cole suggested, noticing she was getting worked up.
"No…it has to be here, and it has to correlate with our traditions…but I've asked around and either no one really knows what they are or they don't want to tell me…"
He pulled her into a hug and she rested her head on his shoulder.
"I know what you're going to say," she finally said, her tone a little bitter. She could feel him chuckle.
"If you're already mad about it then maybe I just won't say it…"
"No, spit it out." she muttered, and with one hand he played with her hair.
"If we really have to do it right, then it seems like Phos may be our only option…"
"You're supposed to be on my side…"
He pulled back. "Keyda…"
She reached up and touched his face, giving him a wry smile.
"I'm just teasing, Cole," her hand dropped as she sighed. "I know. I know he's our only choice really, and what's worse is he knows it. But he could have at least waited for us to ask him, rather than barge in here demanding it."
"We still don't have to have him do it…I'm sure we could track down another Healer somewhere…"
"But probably not one who knows as much as he does. Apparently, he really is some big deal. You should've seen Ves…he was falling over himself to win Phos over. But how Ves knows so much about it…"
"So we're going with Phos, then?" Cole asked, and she looked back up at him.
"…Yeah. I guess we are." She frowned. "I don't suppose you would be willing to go tell him…"
"Because our relationship is really great right now." Cole said dryly.
"I could do it…" she conceded grudgingly. Her tone dropped low. "But I can't promise it won't end in war…"
He chuckled and rubbed her arms.
"Ok Keyds, I can go talk to him. I kinda wanted to check up on Hershel always…and I might as well stop by the orphan kids and read them another scroll, now that I have them. Just make a whole day of it."
She fell back into him, closing her eyes.
"Thanks." They were quiet for a few minutes and she finally spoke again. "You're friends…are they going to want to come to the binding?"
He hesitated before answering.
"Well…I mean, probably…but I don't know for sure,"
She cracked a smile.
"Just what I needed….another thing to stress Jaqah out about this whole thing." She glanced up at him. "I'll let you get to bed…you're probably tired."
"About as tired as you, if you had an afternoon with Phos." he countered with a smile. She leaned up to kiss him goodnight before they finally parted ways.
"We've received messages back."
Keyda looked up as Jaqah entered her office.
"From the other leaders?"
The guard nodded and Keyda sighed, sinking into her chair.
"What did they say?"
"They're demanding a meeting…they're on their way here as we speak." Jaqah informed. She was quiet for a moment, before pulling out another scroll. "And…we received a third letter…"
Keyda frowned.
"But we only sent out two…"
"It's from Oilen's Advisor….from the sound of it, he's taken over the Northern forces and must have heard the announcement because he's coming as well…with the demand to be acknowledged by you politically."
Keyda groaned and sank down further in her chair.
"You ever meet this advisor?"
"No."
Keyda rested her head on a fist, thinking.
"Well…I suppose he couldn't be worse than Oilen, right? And at least there isn't a power vacuum in the Northern part of the realm anymore…" she trailed off and sighed. "I really should have done something about the West…"
"From what I hear, it's gone pretty tribal there. Villages are mainly just taking care of themselves, while different elitists fight over the fortress, throwing each other in the dungeon and the like as they each make higher bets and bargains to win the support of the guard force."
Keyda dry-washed her face.
"I feel like we do so much…but then at the end of the day have I even done anything? Can I even do this, Jaqah?! It's been months since Warrack's execution and I haven't spent any time or thought on the West…"
"You've had a lot of other things going on," Jaqah pointed out with a comforting smile. "You are doing a good job, Keyda. You're making a real difference…and we are honored to be supporting you in doing it."
Keyda was silent as she stared at her head guard, and Jaqah became uncomfortable, dropping her gaze as she cleared her throat.
"Thanks, Jaqah…" Keyda finally said, and the guard nodded and smiled again.
"That's the full report…anything else you need? How's the…uh…binding planning going?"
Keyda sat back in her chair.
"Slowly. Cole's going to talk to Phos today…"
"I thought you weren't going to let him have anything to do with it?" the guard's expression became wary. "Did Cole talk you out of that decision?"
"We came to the decision together. If we're going to pull this whole binding thing off, we have to make it as connected to Oni culture as possible. Phos is probably our only way of doing that."
There was a knock on the door and Keyda frowned as she stood.
"Who is it?"
The door opened and Heavy Metal entered, fixing Keyda with a serious expression.
"We need to talk."
You should convince the old man to move closer. Then I wouldn't have to fly you here all the time.
Cole smiled at the Guardian's dry comment, patting its neck.
"Don't think he'd go for that, unfortunately…"
They landed nearby, but rather than taking off after Cole and Ret dismounted, the Guardian laid down.
"You waiting here then?"
The Guardian blinked slowly and Cole shrugged.
"Suit yourself…but just know the villagers have been a little tightly wound since the announcement…be careful…"
Oh no…villagers with pitchforks…however will I protect myself…
Cole rolled his eyes.
"I swear you're getting snarkier…" he commented before heading over to Phos's tent. Ret cleared his throat.
"So…the beast…er, dragon. It speaks to you?"
"Yeah, when he's not in a bad mood." Cole pushed his way into the tent. He glanced around and spotted Phos drinking tea in his usual spot. He looked at Cole and Ret, but when no one else came in his brow furrowed.
"Where is she?"
"She still hates you. You're lucky I came."
Phos scoffed.
"So dramatic…"
Cole ignored the comment and came to sit in the chair across from Phos near the fireplace. Ret came to stand behind him, arms folded. Phos looked up at the bodyguard.
"Your new behemoth is so much more well behaved…"
Cole gave Phos a withering look before gesturing to the man behind him.
"This is Retrevan…my new personal guard. I probably should have introduced him earlier." He turned to loudly whisper to the guard. "Don't drink anything Phos offers you…"
"Now that's just rude," the Healer muttered, setting his cup down. "Did she send you to tell me that I will have no part in the binding?"
"No." Cole narrowed his eyes. "We don't really have a choice in who conducts the binding, do we?"
"No, you don't." Phos said, chuckling. He leaned forward, expression relaxing into a smile. "The sooner the better too…tomorrow, or the day after…"
Cole gave a start.
"Tomorrow?! No way, Phos…it'll be hard enough coordinating with everyone back in Ninjago, we can't do it that soon…"
"Ninjago?" Phos's expression darkened. "If they show up here there's going to be even more upheaval than there already is…."
"I know, but…" Cole's argument trailed off. Phos scratched his chin as he watched the Elemental sag a little, apparently suddenly lost in thought.
"There's upheaval anyway," Cole finally muttered. Phos studied him a few moments longer before speaking.
"You don't think you can do this."
Cole scoffed a little bitterly, still staring at the ground.
"I'm not the only one…"
Cole heard Phos stand and come closer, and he stiffened. Ret shifted behind him as Phos put a gnarled hand on the Elemental Master's shoulder. Cole finally glanced up, expression guarded.
"Don't give into doubts now. This is your destiny, boy."
Cole stared at him a few moments and finally shrugged the Healer off.
"Thanks for the vote of confidence…though I must say it's a little ironic, considering that you hold me in such low esteem."
"Says who?" Phos said irritably, scratching his chin. Cole raised an incredulous eyebrow.
"You literally call me 'Idiot' every time you see me…."
"So does Keyda." Phos pointed out airily. Cole shook his head.
"And you tried to kill me, multiple times…"
"Ah, but I didn't kill you, did I?"
Cole didn't say anything for a minute, his expression blank.
"You're right." Cole finally said dryly. "It's a mystery that I don't trust you more."
"My point exactly."
Phos left him in the chair as he went to scour through piles of things, frowning. He finally unburied a box and pulled it out, bringing it back to his own chair.
"Is that…binding stuff?" Cole asked warily, and Phos glanced up.
"Ah, see? You're so smart…how could anyone think otherwise?"
Cole couldn't really read the neutral tone the healer was using, but knowing what he did about the old Oni he felt like it was safe to assume it was an insult. He watched carefully as Phos opened the box and pulled out what looked like a braided cord.
"What's that?"
Phos's eyes twinkled.
"Part of the ceremony," he said cryptically, placing it on the arm of the chair. He pulled out the other things in the box—mainly crystals of different hues, and nodded to himself.
"Still all here…" he muttered. Cole leaned forward in his chair.
"Are…you actually going to tell us what all of that is for?"
"You'll find out soon enough. So…tomorrow…"
"Not tomorrow. Honestly, Phos….the earliest we could swing is next week…" he felt a sudden twist of anxiety—that was so close. "But even then…"
"What's the point of waiting?" Phos asked, clearly irritated. He replaced the crystals and cord in the box.
"What's the point in rushing it? People hate me enough as it is…"
"That's not going to change by delaying it," Phos pointed out, turning to place the box on the table next to him. "The sooner the Oni are forced to respect you, the sooner they will."
Cole's expression crumpled a little.
"Not really sure if I'm comfortable with the idea of people being forced to respect me…"
"It's how Oni work, boy." Phos replied softly. Cole exhaled loudly before standing.
"Where's Hersh?"
"In the back…resting," Phos answered, and he narrowed his eyes as Cole headed to the back flap, moving it so he could look through. Sure enough, the teen was fast asleep on his mat.
"What…didn't believe me?" the Healer asked dryly, coming up next to him. Cole didn't answer for a few moments, studying the long-haired teen.
"How's he doing?" he finally asked, and Phos scratched his chin.
"His exercises continue to wear him out…but he's getting stronger."
"What kind of exercises?" Cole asked, but Phos had already walked away, returning to his kettle to pour a cup of tea. He looked up at Ret and gestured to the kettle.
"You sure I can't get you a cup?" he asked, eyebrow raised, and Ret just shook his head. Phos glanced over at Cole. "This one doesn't talk much…"
"Leave him alone, Phos," Cole chastised. They heard a yipping sound and a few seconds later Nip and Syn burst into the tent.
"I think the villagers are finally understanding that Nip isn't…"
The girl trailed off as she caught sight of the hulking figure in her doorway, fear replacing the excitement in her expression. Cole caught the change and glanced over at Ret, the realization hitting. He knelt down near Syn, though it only encouraged Nip to jump up on him, sniffing his hair—especially around the braid.
"Hey, Syn. This is Retrevan…my new guard." Cole explained, ignoring the sniffer. Syn glanced back over at the tall Oni with a stony expression.
"He looks like your old one…" she finally admitted softly, and Cole shook his head.
"Ret is nice…I promise…"
She looked down, swallowing.
"Um…I should probably go get some water…"
She disappeared back out the flap, and Nip whined, finally dropping so she could chase after her owner. Cole sighed, running a hand through his hair before standing and turning to Ret.
"Sorry…it's just…you do look a lot like Dorhn. And when he came to get me on the solstice, he…" Cole trailed off. He still didn't really know what the relationship between Dorhn and Ret had been like. "He targeted Syn to make a point," He finally explained.
"Last thing the fool ever did." Phos added softly from his chair. Ret glanced at the Healer, his expression contorting. The Healer either didn't notice or didn't care, and he looked at Cole.
"Sit back down, boy. We've got a binding to plan."
63
"Did you come to talk me out of it?" Keyda asked warily. Heavy Metal was seated across from her, and Jaqah had left them alone. The old Captain of the Guard gave her a ghost of a smile.
"I know you well enough to know you don't easily talk out of things…"
"But you don't think the binding is a good idea," Keyda guessed. He sighed.
"I don't want to see you killed, Keyda…Adalaide is still out there, and after these announcements…" he hesitated. "She'd have the support of the whole realm at this point, if she wanted it."
Keyda didn't say anything for a few minutes, and she finally sighed, resting her head in her hands.
"Everyone's skirting around telling me that they think I'm crazy…I know that you don't agree with this…that the head five don't…and apparently even Wu is concerned." She shook her head, irritated. "But the thing is, there's no point in being a leader if I can't make changes that better the realm…"
"I understand. I… just don't want to see you throw away everything by going too deep too fast…"
"I get that people are going to be angry…well, are angry. The other leaders are on their way here now." She groaned, putting a hand to her eyes. "I'm sure I'm going to get quite the earful from them…ancients, I wish I had more allies…"
Heavy Metal was silent and she finally looked back up at him.
"What have you been up to recently?" she asked tiredly, and the scarred Oni gave a shrug.
"Trying to stay busy. Training Jaqah as the new Captain of the Guard, overseeing the new gardening initiative you started for the traitor dragon masters, that sort of thing. Seems like there's not much need of me here anymore…"
"Not true." Keyda argued, and he just raised an eyebrow. She brushed crumbs from lunch off her desk. "I'm sure we'll find something to keep you busy…"
The thought struck and Keyda looked up suddenly. Heavy Metal regarded her warily.
"What?"
"I think I have just the thing…"
"Seems like a simple enough ceremony," Cole admitted. Phos shrugged.
"Oni traditions are not known to be frivolous. Hence why we could do it as early as…"
"Next week," Cole finished. "So…any special clothes…or anything?"
Phos frowned.
"The ceremonial scarves that Keyda wears will be enough to emphasize her status as the ruler…I would wager you have one?"
Cole nodded and Phos made a 'well-there-you-go' gesture.
"And she'll need her circlet…and they'll have to dig up an armband up for you…"
"An armband? What do you mean?"
Phos raised an eyebrow.
"Armbands are symbolic of power. Village leaders wear arm-bands made of decorated leather…fortress leaders wear bands of silver. The realm leader wears the circlet."
Cole groaned, resting his head on his hand.
"So much for simple traditions…"
"I would argue they're far simpler than your traditions!" Phos snapped and Cole fiddled with his braid. Phos narrowed his eyes, leaning forward to slap the ninja's hand away from his hair.
"I told you to stop that."
"What would my armband look like?"
Phos thought about it for a moment.
"Silver, for sure…and probably with an Oni stone…in fact…"
Cole frowned as Phos stood and went into the back. A few moments later he returned with a dark purple stone, one that looked similar to the one in Keyda's circlet.
"That's an Oni stone?"
"Very rare," Phos murmured. He handed it to Cole and the ninja's frown deepened as he noticed the dark spot in the center of it.
"Keep it safe," the Healer advised, and Cole glanced up, confused.
"Thank you?"
Phos scoffed as he retook his seat.
"You ought to work on your grateful tone… now, there are some private things we need to discuss."
He made a point of looking up at Ret, who frowned. Cole shifted in his seat, confused.
"Um…what kind of things?"
Phos was silent and Cole finally sighed and looked up to give Ret a nod. The guard didn't lose his wary look.
"If you need me…just give a shout," he directed, and Cole gave him a smile.
"Will do, Ret. Thanks."
The guard disappeared out of the tent flap and Cole turned to look at Phos, his own expression guarded.
"What was that about…"
"There are some things I don't wish to discuss with others." the Healer snapped, pouring himself another cup of tea.
"Like what?" Cole asked softly, leaning forward. Phos hesitated, sipping his tea slowly.
"Tell me…how do you Elemental Masters generally gain your power?"
"Um…" Cole blinked in surprise. "Well…I guess it depends. If the elemental master has kids, it passes that way I guess…or it can be transferred from…"
"Has it occurred to you that you're in danger of that very thing?"
Cole frowned.
"Danger? What do you mean?"
Phos sighed and gave him a meaningful look. Cole reddened slightly.
"You mean….if Keyda and I end up having kids, then one of them could inherit my power. But why would that be…" he trailed off suddenly, realizing what Phos meant. He swallowed, his tone quieter. "The Alchemist would target them."
"Indeed." Phos set his cup down while Cole ran an anxious hand through his hair.
"But can't you just do the same spell on them…to protect them?"
"It would have to be done during the winter solstice…and we saw how well that turned out last time. Too risky to do it while she could come into the realm." Phos said dryly.
"We're planning on always being out of the realm during the solstice, so she wouldn't be able to reach us anyways, right?"
Phos shrugged.
"In theory she can only leave during the solstice…but given how determined she is I wouldn't leave everything up to chance...hence why I deemed it necessary to do the spell on you."
Cole bit his lip, filled with worry for a situation he had never even thought about before now.
"Can't you just come to Ninjago and do the spell there?"
"No."
Cole sighed. "Because solstices work different there?"
"In part…but mainly because I cannot leave this realm."
"You can't? But…you can transport…"
"Not out of the realm." Phos scratched his chin. "There are some races so deeply tied with this world that we cannot leave it."
Cole stared blankly at the Healer.
"Is…that why you can't die?"
"Why I can't be killed." Phos corrected dryly. "And that's part of it. But this is not something you need to know about. We were discussing your own future problems."
"You realize that every time I come to see you, I leave with like fifty more questions…"
"That's your problem," Phos snapped, leaning forward as Cole looked down at his hands, thinking. The ninja finally glanced back up.
"Do you have any ideas for protecting my possible future kids, or did you just want to give me more reasons to stress out?"
Phos smirked.
"I may have a solution…"
Cole took in the smirk and frowned.
"What kind of solution?"
Retrevan sighed heavily as he paused outside in the sunshine. He heard a rumble and glanced over to see the dragon giving him a judgmental expression. He shrugged.
"What do you want me to do? He told me to leave," he argued, and he dragon huffed, laying its head back down on its forearms. Ret shook his head, partly at the dragon and partly at himself for trying to talk with the beast. He scanned the area as he waited. The Healer's tent was on the outskirts of the village, quite a few yards away from the other tents. He was surprised that there weren't more villagers trafficking out to the well that was positioned relatively close to the rune-covered home. The Dragon probably helped dissuade them, he mused.
He heard a sudden crash and turned towards the well. The small child from before was on her stomach next to two large, freshly-emptied buckets. He hesitated a moment, and finally made his way over to the soaked girl.
She glanced up, her expression immediately becoming a mask of fear and determination. The sniffer next to her must have picked up on her emotion because it began growling, the fur near its ruff sticking up threateningly. He knelt slowly.
"Are you alright?"
"I'm fine." She didn't maintain eye contact as she pushed herself up out of the freshly made mud, hands shaking slightly as she reached for the buckets. He reached out and beat her to one of them.
"Let me help you."
She froze and swallowed hard, probably too afraid of him to deny his offer. She finally nodded and he rose and followed her to the well. They worked in silence for a few minutes, and he helped her pull the first bucket out of the well.
"I was hoping you could tell me something," Retrevan finally asked, and she risked a darting glance in his direction.
"What?"
He handed her the first bucket before tying the rope on the handle of the second one.
"The night of the solstice…you were here, when..." he hesitated, wondering if he should even ask. He finally clenched his jaw and went for it. "Could you tell me what happened that night?"
She was silent as she watched the second bucket disappear down into the dark.
"Why?"
"Because I've been wondering what happened that night for quite a few weeks now," Retrevan admitted softly as they heard the bucket splash down. He began heaving the bucket back up to the surface of the well. The girl didn't say anything, though he noticed her looking at him, studying his face for a few minutes.
"I…I can tell you a little," she finally said, and he looked at her as he pulled the second bucket out of the well.
"Thank you."
"You want to seal the elemental power in me? Is that even possible?"
Phos's expression became unreadable.
"There is a lot possible, where powers are involved."
Cole frowned, feeling squeamish.
"Is…is it like and Elemental Block?"
"No…you would still be able to use your element powers. The seal would only keep them from being passed on naturally."
"How do you even know how to do that?" Cole asked, his tone becoming suspicious. "Have you done it before?"
Phos fell silent. After a few moments he looked up at Cole and finally gave him a serious look.
"You are familiar of my distaste with what the realm has become…"
"Um…yeah, I guess…" Cole admitted, not sure where Phos was going with this.
"The purge…slavery…the alchemist's actions…" Phos trailed off, shaking his head. "Affection, as necessary as it was, was being targeted and the Oni race was facing serious consequences for that. The other Healers and I had to do something…"
"What are you talking about?"
Phos looked back up at him.
"Let's just say, I do have experience putting seals on power."
Cole was silent for a minute, processing.
"The Apathy blocks…"
"Were only supposed to last a generation or two…just enough for the senseless murder and enslavement to cease. But as more Oni were born from parents whose own emotional cores were blocked…." Phos sighed, and Cole saw a glimmer of regret. "What was meant to hide emotional "weakness" from those who would abuse it became strong blocks that affected power cores. As the generations continued the apathy blocks became stronger, and the barbaric nature of the new regimes caused hope to all but disappear."
"You're the reason the Oni lost their power…" Cole realized, and Phos glared at him.
"No…Virgil and his idiotic purge are the reason that those with emotion were killed or enslaved. The Healing guild is merely responsible for taking protective measures to keep the Oni from extinction. And furthermore…" he added bitterly. "It wasn't my idea."
Cole continued to stare at the Oni Healer, and Phos finally stood gruffly.
"The point is…your best chance at protecting the elemental power is by allowing me to seal it within you."
"The elemental power? Don't you mean protecting my future kids?"
"Them too, I suppose," Phos said in an almost bored tone. "Anyways, are you ready?"
"You want to do it now?"
"Didn't anyone ever tell you not to put off till tomorrow what could be done today?"
Cole's eyebrows raised in surprise.
"Is there some kind of manual for how to be a cryptic old guy with pithy wisdom?"
Phos rolled his eyes and gestured to the table, but Cole's skin crawled with goosebumps and he shook his head.
"No…I'm not letting you do anything to me today…if ever. I need to talk to Keyda about it first…"
"She'll never let you." Phos argued. "She doesn't really trust me much at the moment…"
"For good reason!" Cole pointed out. "And I'm not really sure I trust you much either!"
"You know that if it wasn't important, I wouldn't have brought it up," Phos responded. "And I wouldn't have told you about the healers' involvement in apathy blocks if I didn't trust you. Your seal needs to be completed sooner rather than later…"
"Don't you need like a solstice or something, anyways?" Cole asked, but Phos shook his head.
"Too far away. It would make the seal stronger, yes, but we will have to do without the timing. No use being a coward about it…it won't take long at all…"
Cole didn't make a move to stand, still regarding Phos with a wary expression.
"If it's so easy I'm surprised you haven't just knocked me out and done it already…"
Phos clenched his fists.
"Trust me, I'm doing everything in my power to resist the urge…. after all, you really didn't respond well the last time I did that."
Cole rested his head in his hands, dry-washing his face. He really was not in the mood for Phos to mess around with his elemental power…but he grudgingly had to admit that the Healer had a point. Kinda. As far as he knew, he wouldn't have any control of when or to who his elemental power went to…and it made sense that if he and Keyda ever had kids…in the distant future…then one of them could become a new target for the Alchemist. He felt sick just thinking about it. Plus, deep down he had to admit that the thought of losing his elemental power—even if it was to his own children someday—made him feel hollow. He had a flashback to the scene his guardian had shown him about the past; Midas had given him the power because the element had more or less forced him to.
"So the elemental power would never pass on to anybody?" Cole asked. "I feel like that's probably not…technically right…"
"You would have to give it up eventually." Phos acknowledged. "But the seal will keep it from passing naturally."
Cole nodded, silent.
"Do you think it's possible to defeat her someday?" he finally asked, and Phos's expression contorted, but he didn't answer as he walked over to the table. He turned and folded his arms, waiting for Cole to make up his mind. The Elemental Master finally stood, sighing heavily.
"Does it hurt?"