64
Syn and Ret sat up against the well, the filled buckets of water sitting nearby. Retrevan was idly scratching Nip under the chin while he listened to Syn's timid story in silence.
"So Cole was here when his guard came for him…but the guard…he said that Keyda was trapped, and that he was going to hurt the outsider too. Master Healer said I couldn't let Cole leave so I tried to stop him." Syn fell silent for a moment, and Ret waited patiently for her to be ready to speak again. Rather than explain, she pulled up her shirt enough for him to get sight of a fresh scar along her ribcage. After he had studied a few moments she dropped the shirt and exhaled shakily.
"I think….he was going to kill me. But Master Healer stopped him."
"With his power?" The large guard asked softly, and Syn looked up at him with an expression full of fear. Ret smiled gently.
"Keyda told us that your master and brother have powers…but you don't need to worry. She swore us to secrecy."
Syn still didn't look too comforted, but she continued her story.
"No…um…Master Healer hit him with two crossbow bolts. Then he died." She pulled her knees up to her chest. "You look just like him…"
"So I've been told," Retrevan murmured, seemingly lost in thought. He finally looked over and gave the small girl another comforting look. "You don't have to worry about me though…I swore to protect Cole and help the realm…"
"So did he," she argued softly, hugging Nip as the sniffer came over near her. The guard fell silent. After a few more moments he sighed.
"Yes…I suppose he did."
They sat awhile longer, and Ret watched as the sun continued to lower.
"Um…I have to get these buckets back…" Syn finally said, remembering her self-designated chore. Ret nodded and stood, picking up one of the buckets. Syn took the other and Nip followed along behind them as they came up to the back of tent. As the entered Hershel stirred on his mat, waking up. He rubbed his eyes, squinting at Syn and the guard in confusion.
"Syn? Who's that with you?"
"The Outsider's new guard," she explained, lugging one of the buckets up on the work counter. Retrevan sat the other one down next to it.
"Cole's here?" Hershel asked, finally more awake. Syn came over to help him sit up, though he waved her off.
"I got it," he insisted, though he grimaced as he pushed himself into sitting position. He glared at his bandaged legs and Syn knew he was eager to heal up and stop being helpless.
"You hungry Hershel? I could…"
A yell from the front of the tent cut off Syn's question. The guard behind her immediately drew his sword, crossing the room quickly and bursting into the front of the tent. A moment later Syn and Hershel watched wide-eyed as the large form stumbled back and then collapsed. Syn arched her neck and caught sight of orange lumanim powder floating in the air; she turned to give Hershel a concerned look. He looked just as unsure, but he wasn't able to go investigate. Syn stood slowly and made her way to the door flap as more yells rang out. She bit her lip and peeked in the opening in the door flap caused by the guard lying on the floor. She had a partial view of Cole on the table with purple aura flowing around him, and she could hear Master Healer muttering something, though she couldn't see him from her position. A few moments later Cole stopped yelling, relaxing on the table. There was silence and then the Outsider groaned.
"You said it would't hurt…" she heard him say bitterly. She could imagine Master Healer's expression as she heard him scoff.
"I said it doesn't hurt as much as other spells…"
"That's not what you said."
"No? Well, it's what I meant. At any rate, it didn't last long and it's done now…"
She poked her head through the curtain and watched as Cole sat up on the table, looking a little sore. He looked over at her, and then glanced down.
"You knocked Ret out?!" he asked angrily, turning to Phos. Master Healer shrugged unapologetically.
"He came barging in here, sword swinging…had to do something before someone got hurt, didn't I?"
Cole pressed a hand to his head like he had a headache.
"Great…."
"Only gave him a small dose…he'll wake up before too long." Phos moved to put various crystals away.
Cole glared at the back of Master Healer's head and then looked down at his hand. The orange glow enveloped it and moved up his arm, and Syn watched as he sighed in relief. He moved off of the table, wincing as he landed on the hardened dirt floor.
"Am I supposed to feel like I was hit by a train?"
"What's a train?" Phos asked, dusting his hands off as he turned to face Cole once more.
"Nevermind." Cole muttered, glancing back at Retrevan. "Keyda is going to kill me…"
"I'm sure she'd be grateful in the long run," Phos commented dryly. "At any rate, seems you have a little bit of time before your new behemoth comes to…and still a few more scrolls to translate."
Keyda looked in the mirror and adjusted her circlet, taking a deep breath. A knock sounded at the door and Masha opened it.
"The Southern Leader finally arrived…they're all waiting for you in your office," Jaqah informed, and Keyda nodded her understanding.
"What about Cole and Heavy Metal?"
"Standing by."
She sighed and Jaqah gave her a small smile.
"You ready for this?"
"About as ready to face them as a pack of hungry sniffers. Let's go see if we can pull this off."
She gave Masha a nod and headed out towards her office, Jaqah close behind. As she drew closer she caught sight of Heavy Metal and Cole outside the door. The Elemental Master was fiddling with the orange scarf he was wearing as a sash, but when he caught sight of her he gave her a smile.
"You ready?" he asked, and she nodded. Heavy Metal opened the door and they all entered the room.
The three leaders rose to their feet immediately, looking incensed. The southern leader and a man Keyda didn't recognize started yelling first.
"You dare announce a binding…when you haven't even acknowledged the death of a great leader…"
"The south is crippled by your ridiculous law! We will not stand for…"
"Sit down." Keyda ordered, and the southern leader's beard trembled with anger. He and the other man—who had to be Oilen's-Advisor-made-leader— harrumphed and sat. Tala remained standing, however.
"You're prioritizing the Outsider over the Oni, and the whole realm knows it," she said quietly. Keyda stood straight, regarding the Eastern Leader.
"More like I'm putting what I want above what you all want me to be," she replied cooly. "I know you've all come to voice your discontent with the changes and announcements that were so recently made…"
"Not to mention the murder!" the Advisor snapped, and Keyda glared at him, eyes flashing. The man fell silent, glowering.
"Look…you blame me for tearing the realm apart…but the truth is it's been going downhill for a while. The changes I'm making are meant to build the realm back up…."
"Then why are you insistent on ruining our trades?!" The Southern Leader demanded, slamming a fist on the table.
"The only trade I've targeted is the slave trade…"
The leader scoffed.
"Don't you know anything, lass? The southern economy ran on slave trade, until your little declaration..."
"Then pick a new trade…" Keyda glowered, but the southern leader only scoffed again.
"What…you mean plant a bunch of farms this late in the season? Or perhaps we could mine the nearby mountains…though we'd need slaves for that…"
"Mining is the main trade of my province and without slaves we'll be crippled!" Oilen's Advisor added angrily. Keyda frowned. It occurred to her that she didn't actually know much about any of the different provinces…sure, they had complained about problems in their many meetings in the past…but it was mainly complaints about losing the dragons and all the problems that had posed. She honestly hadn't realized that slaves had been so important to the different trades…but it didn't change her opinion of it.
"You thought your trades would be crippled when we lost the dragons…and yet you pulled through that!" she pointed out. The traders opened their mouths to argue further, and Cole came to stand next to Keyda.
"We aren't ignoring the problems caused by the change... but we are going to have to find new solutions…"
"You will have absolutely nothing to do with anything!" the southern leader challenged, standing again to glare at Cole. "You are nothing but a filthy Outsider, and we will never acknowledge you!"
Keyda's eyes flashed and she went to say something, but Cole put a hand on her shoulder to get her to back down as he faced the bearded Oni calmly.
"Cole."
The Southern Leader narrowed his eyes, not understanding.
"My name," the ninja explained. "It's Cole…and I suggest you get used to using it. We're offering to help you make things work…but if you don't want our help…"
"What help?" Tala asked bitterly. "You've never been interested in helping the other provinces before. Your focus has always been on the central lands around this fortress…building up the villages there, spending all your time doing who knows what." She turned to Keyda. "You make idealist decisions that cripple us when you don't even know what our trades are…how we survive. We still don't have transportation…you want to know why the realm is so poor? Why so many are dying of starvation? The trade routes take too long to travel without the dragons!"
Keyda didn't say anything as Tala spoke. The Eastern Leader continued when she saw she wasn't going to get cut off again.
"We don't come to these meetings to bring up pointless problems…and we've learned to expect that you won't do anything to fix them. The Western Fortress is still leaderless, for ancient's sakes."
Keyda clenched her fists, and the leaders stiffened, waiting for a tirade. Instead, Keyda exhaled and looked up to face them again.
"You're right," she admitted calmly. Tala narrowed her eyes, unsure. Keyda sat heavily in her seat.
"I do tend to focus more on enforcing rules than meeting needs. Not to mention that I've been trying to avoid multiple attempts to end my life…" she looked pointedly at the Southern and Northern leaders. "But I don't know a whole lot about the other provinces…and that's on me." She leaned forward, grateful that she finally seemed to have the leaders' attention. "But I am ready to work with you to solve problems, like Cole said. In fact, I'll address the situation in the Western province now."
The leaders didn't respond, their expressions still wary. Keyda stood again, and glanced over to Heavy Metal. He gave a nod and she smiled.
"From what I hear the power vacuum has not been too destructive…but it needs to be dealt with just the same. As there are no apparent leaders that have come forward that seem able to remain in control, Heavy Metal will now take charge of the West.
"Outrageous!" the Northern Leader spat, and Keyda sighed.
"Why?"
"Well, because….because…" the Advisor spluttered a few moments, and finally huffed. "Because you're only giving him that right because he supports you!"
"A good perk, I must admit," Keyda said dryly. "But Heavy Metal is a natural leader, and served under the Baron as well as under me. If anyone can gain the respect of a chaotic province and whip it back into shape, he can." She turned and gave the Captain a smile as she said it, and he gave her a single nod in return. She looked back at the Southern and Eastern leaders, expression serious once again. "Be honest…besides the fact that I'm the one suggesting it…do you find any fault with this decision?"
The Southern Leader still looked angry, but Tala seemed to at least be considering it, though she was considering it with an irritated expression. Keyda looked over at Cole and nodded, and he handed her the scroll. She pulled off the ribbon and laid the scroll out on the table in front of her.
"This is a scroll describing our history…."
"Where did you get that?" Tala demanded, and Keyda glanced up at her.
"I'm not really at liberty to say…but I'm learning a lot about how the Oni nation used to be. Back in the beginning of our history, there was a ruler named Kahzym the first. He united the different corners of the Oni people and brought them together to form the nation. Under the rule of those of his line, the leaders and rulers worked together to strengthen and support the realm…building the fortresses that we live in today as protection for the Oni people against the dragons. That's what I want to return to…" she hesitated. "Er…not having to protect the Oni against the dragons, but having the leaders and ruler work together to strengthen the realm."
There was silence as the leaders processed it, and Keyda kept her expression neutral despite her heart pounding inside. The Southern Leader spoke first.
"You claim you want to embrace the past Oni way…and yet you spit upon our culture by…by getting bound to an Outsider!"
Keyda looked over at Cole, who didn't even blink at the leader's comment. She turned back to the bearded man, shaking her head.
"Yes…I'm getting bound to him. Of all my decisions, is this not the one that affects you all the least? Who I am or am not bound to is my personal choice…and I chose Cole." She turned back to give him a smile, and he returned it as she continued. "Because I love him. And it's because of him that I ever unlocked these powers…and it's because of him that I want to be a better ruler, rather than just embrace the figurehead role you all seem to want me to be. Having Cole in the realm is going to continue to be an asset to Oni kind…not a detriment."
"He's the one influencing you to make these insane changes…" the Northern Leader growled, and Keyda scoffed.
"The changes I've made are ones that I felt were necessary…if anything, all Cole has done is make me brave enough to take charge of my own nation." She looked back down at the scroll and sighed.
"Put the binding aside…put your disgust for me aside. Even if you don't believe that the changes I'm making will create a better realm…I need to know: are you committed to creating one?"
The three leaders glanced away, each of them considering her question. Tala was the first to look back up.
"I don't know how you expect to pull it off…but yes. I am committed to the Oni, and to the realm."
"Agreed." the Southern Leader almost growled. Only the Northern Leader looked a little lost. Keyda couldn't help but smile a little.
"It's a little overwhelming, taking charge of an entire region out of the blue, isn't it?"
The former advisor reddened, glaring.
"And who's fault is that?!" he spat. Keyda shook her head, her tone becoming almost icy.
"I'm only going to say this once…so pay close attention. I did not kill Oilen…nor did I have anything to do with his death. That is not to say, however, that I don't think he deserved it."
The Advisor spluttered again, and Keyda narrowed her eyes.
"What is your name, by the way?"
The Northern Leader clenched his jaw.
"Ymil," he finally said, and she nodded.
"You wrote that you want my acknowledgement of your leadership?"
He narrowed his eyes but didn't respond.
"Then prove that you deserve to lead. Leaders who use and abuse people….who plan treasonous plots behind my back…they aren't going to last very long, and I think we've all seen that on several occasions now. Do you understand, Ymil?"
He glowered a few moments longer, but he finally nodded. She shrugged.
"Then sure, I acknowledge you…but prove to your region that you deserve their support, more than you deserve mine." She turned to the Southern Leader, her expression crumpling slightly.
"To be perfectly honest, I don't recall your name either."
The Leader clenched his jaw and spoke through gritted teeth.
"Ottan."
"Right…" she said, nodding. "That does sound familiar, now that you mention it." She cleared her throat. "At any rate, I think we've discussed all the pressing things…unless any of you feel like berating me further, I say we adjourn for lunch."
The leaders surprisingly didn't say anything as they glared, and Keyda felt a small thrill of victory and relief. She nodded.
"Oh…and before I forget…" she couldn't help but crack a smile. "You're all formally invited to the binding next week."
65
"Next Week?! That soon?"
"Trust me, Jay…that was as far back as they'd let me push it." Cole explained. He watched a few dragons soar by, turning lazy loops in the sky. "Apparently the ceremony itself is pretty short and…ceremonial."
"But there's gonna be food, yeah?"
Cole smirked.
"Now you're starting to sound like me," he pointed out, and he could hear his friend laughing on the other end.
"Hey, I'm just saying that banquet we ate that one time wasn't half bad, and if I'm going to make the trip all the way there I might as well have a worthwhile reason,"
"Cuz seeing me bound isn't a good enough one?" Cole asked, mock insulted.
"Hey, I call them as I see them, and 'ceremonial' was always a synonym for 'boring' in my book…"
"Whatever, motor-mouth. Just whatever you do, make sure you're on your best behavior…and spread that along. The Oni aren't exactly thrilled about the binding and I'm advised to tell you all not to come…."
"Pshhh….they're just gonna have to deal with it because no way am I missing this. Besides, Nya's actually pretty excited to see what the first realm is like. You guys have enough security to pull this off, right? Cuz if not we could probably do some butt-whooping if it became necessary…"
Cole rolled his eyes.
"Thanks, but Wu's already bringing the other guardians and such. We should have more than enough protection…"
"How is my guardian, by the way? Still as snappy as ever?"
"I don't know…we don't talk. I mean, we can't really talk. But good, as far as I know?"
"Guess I'll see for myself next week, huh?"
"Guess so."
"Oops, apparently I've got to get back to work now—Borg's giving me the evil eye. I'll see you next week, Boulder Brain. Take care of yourself!"
"You too, Jay. See you."
He hung up the device, feeling a lot better than he did after the last time he had called.
"Are they coming, then?"
Cole turned as Ret approached.
"Yeah…I guess they are." He scooted over slightly to make room for Ret as his guard took a seat next to him, staring out over the area that Wu had renovated.
"How many?"
"Um…" Cole hesitated before counting off with a sheepish smile. "Jay and Nya, and I think Kai's bringing Skylor and Zane's bringing Pix…so that's six. I think Lloyd is coming too, but Garmadon is staying behind to keep an eye on the realm. Which is probably better because I'm pretty sure Keyda still hates him…"
Retrevan raised an eyebrow as Cole continued.
"And then there's my Dad…I told Jay to tell him he could not bring the whole quartet, whether they've known me since I was born or not…so like eight people total?"
"There are eight outsiders coming next week?"
"…Yes…" Cole admitted with an apologetic wince. "That should be fine though, yeah?"
Ret was silent, but he finally cracked a smile.
"Jaqah probably won't think so…but honestly I don't think the number matters as much. They'll be there, and the dragons…most Oni will find it appalling but as far as safety I'm not too worried."
Cole nodded, pulling out some fruit from the pack he was wearing. He handed one to Ret and took a bite of his own.
"You ever been to a binding, Ret?" he asked, wiping juice from his chin. The guard shook his head.
"Why?"
Cole shrugged, smirking.
"Just wanted your opinion on whether it's going to be boring or not…"
"You're back early."
Cole turned and smiled at Keyda in the doorway.
"The kids were really enthralled by today's scroll…didn't take too long." He scratched his head. "The fact that the whole thing was about war makes me worry about the tikes a little…but I guess when I was a kid I was interested in that kind of stuff too…"
She chuckled a little and came to give him a hug.
"You free to come on a little journey with me tomorrow?" she asked.
"What kind of journey?"
She pulled back and sighed.
"I'm…I'm going to try to visit the different provinces; get to know how they're run a little better…maybe it will help the leaders be more willing to work together. Or, maybe not." she shrugged. "I just figured after yesterday's meeting we could try."
"I'd say it's worth a shot," Cole agreed. "I can definitely come with you."
"Good. Because you were always better at this…peacemaking stuff than me…"
He smiled and rubbed a thumb on the hand he was holding.
"Thanks Keyds…" he said. "But seeing you yesterday in that meeting, I think you aren't giving yourself enough credit."
"It took a lot of restraint, lemme tell you…" she muttered and he shook his head and brushed her hair behind her ear.
"Could have fooled me…" he teased, though his smile became a little shyer as he continued. "And I appreciated the vote of confidence you gave me in the meeting, by the way. I decided that as long as you have faith in me, it doesn't really matter if anyone else does…."
"Of course I have faith in you, Idiot. How could you not realize that by now?"
"I mean, I figured…but it's still always nice to hear," he admitted with a wink and she rolled her eyes.
"Can't do it too often if you're going to be this smug about it…" she murmured. He kissed her and after a minute she pulled away and arched an eyebrow.
"Now what's this about an interesting history scroll?"
Cole took in the mountainous landscape and the impenetrable fortress nestled within it and whistled low.
"I'm actually a little impressed Phos broke into that…" he commented, and Keyda rolled her eyes.
"It helps that he can transport," she muttered as she slipped off the Guardian. Cole followed suit, as did Retrevan and Tolan. Keyda had been a little against bringing the young guard along, but Jaqah insisted.
"For all we know, Ymil could use this visit as a chance to target you. You need the extra protection…and as annoying as he can be, Tolan's the best fighter of all of us," she had told Keyda before they had left.
"Dragons are much faster than walking," the youth commented as he hit the hard-packed ground. "No wonder the leaders are mad about losing them as a mode for transportation…" He glanced over at Cole. "Probably doesn't help that you still get to ride one…kinda rubbing it in their face, yeah?"
"Tolan…" Retrevan warned nearby, and he sighed.
"I know, I know…shut up," Tolan muttered, rolling his eyes. The four looked up at the stony fortress front built straight into the mountains.
"The History scrolls did mention that this fortress is the most fortified out of all of them," Cole commented. He glanced over at the others and noticed that Retrevan's expression was stony…and even angry? He was about to ask the guard what was up when the fortress doors opened.
"Well well…seems you weren't kidding." Ymil said dryly as he approached them. He was surrounded by personal guards…almost a ridiculous amount of them.
"Someone's not feeling very confident…" Tolan muttered, and Cole couldn't help but smirk in agreement.
"Welcome to the Northern Fortress…and the Northern Province in general, since you've apparently never been here."
"Thanks for having us." Keyda said dryly, and Ymil narrowed his eyes.
"Not like I had much of a choice, eh? But as long as you're here to help fix problems, I've got a lot to show you. You may want to be writing a list…" he said, looking pointedly in Cole's direction. Keyda's eyes flashed at the leader's patronizing tone, but she and the others followed him as he waved them after him.
"I don't know how much time you deemed us worthy of…but I was thinking we could start at a mine and then hit the villages…"
"How many mines do you have?" Cole asked, and Ymil didn't answer. Keyda's glare darkened.
"Ymil…how many mines?" she repeated, and the leader turned and gave her a grim smile.
"Four main ones…though at one point we were trying to open a fifth. Of course, we can't really do that without slaves…"
"How many slaves do you have right now?" Cole asked, but once again the leader didn't answer. Cole's brow furrowed and Tolan shook his head.
"Wow…he is totally ignoring you…"
Ymil reddened and turned to glare.
"I…couldn't hear him," he snapped defensively. "What was your question?"
Cole raised an eyebrow.
"How many slaves do you have in the mines?" he asked dryly, and Ymil thought about it for a moment.
"Depends on the size of the mine, honestly…the one we're going to visit has about 30 slaves…"
"And how many slaves at your fortress?" Keyda asked, and Ymil's expression darkened.
"What is this…an inquisition? You'll find the other provinces have just as many…"
"The villagers don't work in the mines, then?" Cole asked, and Ymil shrugged.
"The mining managers and wardens live in the village, along with the traders that take the metal to the artisans in the Eastern Province. And I suppose we pull unwanted villagers into the slave trade every so often." He gave a start. "Well…I mean we used to…"
"How much farther is this mine?" Tolan asked. "Maybe we should have taken the dragon…"
"Not much farther," Ret answered quietly. Sure enough, they rounded another corner and they could see the mine entrance in the distance.
"Besides lack of slaves…what other problems are you facing?" Cole asked, and Ymil scoffed.
"The fact that the mines are drying up isn't helping much…we're having to dig deeper and further to find metal…which is why we were planning on starting a fifth mine, but that takes man power and we can't afford to pull slaves out of working on the current ones."
"What's wrong with just extending the mines deeper?" Keyda asked, and she was surprised when Retrevan was the one who answered.
"It causes the mines to become unstable."
As if on cue, there was a huge rumble, and dust shot out of the entrance to the mine. The group blinked in surprise and hurried to reach the entrance. A stocky man with wirey-grey hair exited the tunnel, coughing.
"What's happened now, Warden?" Ymil asked irritatedly, and the man wiped dust out of his face as he looked up.
"New tunnel collapsed…"
"What about the slaves?" Cole demanded, and the Warden looked over at him. The dusty Oni's expression turned from confusion to disgust as he looked the yellow-skinned outsider up and down.
"What about em?"
"Did you manage to get them out before the collapse?"
"No time…they were deep in there…."
"So they're dead then?" Cole demanded, feeling sick. The Warden shook his head, scoffing.
"Dunno…"
Cole pushed past him into the tunnel, and the Warden called out after him
"Oi, Outsider, it aint safe!"
"Cole!" Keyda called after him, trying to follow him. Retrevan grabbed her arm.
"Stay here, I'll go get him," he ordered, and Keyda opened her mouth to argue. Tolan nodded his agreement.
"It'd be pretty bad if you both got squished in there…" he added, and Keyda watched with mixed feelings as Retrevan took off down the mining tunnel after Cole.
Cole's heart was pounding; he realized pretty early on in his run that he had no idea where the collapse had happened. But if there were people trapped somewhere, he had to get them out.
Slaves were pouring past him now and he tried to stop them and get them to tell him where the collapse had happened, but they were too freaked and shoved past him to escape. Finally a younger teen pointed down the tunnel he had come out of.
"The deep tunnel connected to that one…and it aint gonna hold much longer…"
"Is everyone out?" Cole asked, and the boy shook his head before taking off running for the entrance. Cole looked down the tunnel, taking a deep breath before heading that way. The tunnel sloped downward, and after a while it became pitch dark. He swallowed and powered up his earth punch so he could see. He glanced down and suddenly skidded to a stop moments before he would have careened into a deep shaft. His heart pounded and he swallowed before calling down.
"Hello?!"
"Cole!"
He jumped at the sudden reply, and turned to see Retrevan behind him.
"Ret…they said that not everyone's out…"
"We have to get out of here Cole. There's no telling if more tunnels will collapse in a mine after one is compromised…"
"But there are people down there!" Cole argued. "If we leave now, they could die…"
Retrevan looked at him for a few moments more before looking down the shaft, his expression conflicted. Cole leaned over the shaft again.
"Hello!? Is anyone still down there?!"
"…hello?"
The timid reply drifted back up the shaft and Cole breathed a sigh of relief.
"They're alive…"
"The elevator…it isn't working…."
Cole looked at the metal poles and rope coming out of the shaft.
"Elevator?"
Retrevan came over and looked at the rope, frowning.
"Usually the slaves can use a hand-crank on the elevator to pull themselves up and down …unless the upper rope lock has been engaged, but as far as I can tell it hasn't…."
"The crank system down there must have broken down…" Cole mused. He looked at the rope wrapped around a nearby wheel with a determined look, and Retrevan blinked in surprise as the Elemental Master grabbed the side of the rope that was nearest him and began pulling down. With his earth arms still engaged, he managed to move the rope, and they heard people yell out in surprise down in the shaft.
"Is everyone on the elevator?" Cole called again, and after a few moments there was a reply.
"Everyone who aint dead."
Cole turned to Ret again.
"Help me…"
Retrevan immediately grabbed the rope above where Cole was holding, and they slowly began to pull the Elevator up the dark shaft. The agonizing minutes ticked by, and Cole pushed away the panic he felt at knowing that the earthen walls around him could collapse at any moment. After what seemed like an eternity, the glint of the elevator came into view a few feet below the tunnel entrance. Cole sagged slightly in relief and he and Ret renewed their effort. The Elevator finally breached the tunnel floor and Retrevan quickly shoved the rope lock into place. Dirty and panicked faces peered out at them and after a moment the slaves on the elevator came pouring out, making a beeline for the exit. Cole's arms powered down as he leaned forward, exhausted. The darkness fell around them again, and the slaves cried out in fear. Cole's face contorted and he managed to emit a feeble glow once more. He watched as Retrevan looked into the elevator.
"There are a few injured…" he commented, and Cole clenched his jaw.
"Let's get them outta here."
Keyda watched the entrance to the mine anxiously. She turned to Ymil, her eyes flashing.
"This happens a lot?!"
"It's the risk you run while mining…" the leader said defensively. "We lose many slaves to cave-ins each year…hence why we will not survive long without the slave trades…"
"Or you could, you know, just make stuff safer so you stop losing them," Tolan pointed out dryly. Ymil glared at him.
"Guards are to remain silent unless spoken to," he hissed, and Tolan's eyes narrowed.
"Don't speak to my guard that way," Keyda snapped. Cole and Retrevan still hadn't emerged. There hadn't been any other collapses that they could hear, but she was trying to figure out why it was taking Retrevan so long to get Cole out of there. Nearby Ymil wiped sweat from his brow.
"Idiotic Outsider…" he muttered, watching the entrance just as closely. It occurred to Keyda that the northern leader realized that he would be the one punished if anything happened to Cole.
"I don't know why he bothered…" the Warden groused nearby, arms folded. "Just a bunch of slaves…"
"He doesn't consider anyone just anything…" Keyda snapped, though with each passing minute the anxiety grew. There was the sound of running feet, and a few moments later grime-covered slaves came running out into the open. Keyda grabbed one of them as he rushed past.
"The Outsider…is he still in there?!"
"'E's on his way…" the slave panted, and sure enough Cole and Retrevan reappeared a few minutes later, carrying what looked like injured slaves. Keyda sagged in relief as she ran up to him.
"Cole…"
"It's fine…we're fine…" Cole said, giving her a shaky smile. As they came out of the tunnels Cole and Retrevan set the injured slaves down.
"They'll need medical attention…" Cole muttered to no one in particular as he sank down, exhausted. Keyda turned to Retrevan, who was looking pensive nearby.
"What took so long?"
The large guard glanced down, ashamed.
"I'm sorry, Keyda… I…"
"The elevator wasn't working, so we had to pull it up by hand." Cole cut in from his place on the ground.
"By hand? Are you mental?" the Warden asked, and Retrevan turned to give the Warden a dark look.
"The elevators in these mines need to be revisited and reinforced…."
"I'm just glad everyone's alright…" Ymil said in a weaselly tone, mopping his brow. Keyda turned to glare at him.
"Do you have a local healer? These slaves need attention…" she pointed out, gesturing to the slaves groaning on the ground.
"And the rest of em need to get back to work," the Warden said, turning to glare at the gathered groups outside the mine. Keyda's eyes flashed and Ymil sighed heavily.
"Go find the local healer…" he muttered to one of his guards, who nodded and left the group. He turned to the other slaves, rubbing his temple.
"Get back to the slave quarters tonight….tomorrow if the mine hasn't collapsed further we'll start our renovations."
The slaves nodded and began heading down a path towards their tents. The Warden shook his head and followed after them. Ymil turned back to Keyda.
"Does your…outsider need medical attention as well, or should we continue with your visit?"
Her fists clenched, but Cole coughed on the ground.
"Nah, I'm good." He forced himself to his feet. Ymil harrumphed softly and turned to lead the way to a local village. Keyda turned to Cole, her nerves finally settled enough that she was ready to be upset with him.
"Cole…what were you thinking?"
He glanced down, sheepish.
"I'm sorry Keyds…but…"
She glared at him a few moments longer before sighing.
"I'm glad you were able to get them out," she finally said quietly. She heard Tolan talking to Ymil again and groaned a little as she quickened her pace to go figure out what was being discussed. When he was sure she wasn't looking Cole looked down at his hands, which were red and blistered where the rope had rubbed. He glanced over at Retrevan.
"You got the same?" he asked softly, showing the guard his hands. The head guard nodded, revealing his own. Cole sighed.
"I'm sorry for putting you in danger, Ret…both of cave-in and Keyda's wrath." He smiled a little at the second statement and then glanced over at the tall dragon master. "You seem to know a lot about these mines, by the way…"
Retrevan was silent for a few minutes, and by the time he finally spoke up Cole had nearly forgotten what they were talking about.
"I worked these mines for years." the guard finally admitted, and Cole looked at him in surprise.
"As a slave, or a warden?"
"Slave," Ret said softly. He hesitated before continuing. "Dorhn was the one who came and recruited me for the Baron…bought me off the Warden."
Cole didn't know what to say, so he finally just nodded.
"Well…I'm glad you were in there with me today."
Retrevan's reply was almost inaudible.
"Me too."
66
"Hershel!"
The teen jumped, his face burning at getting caught trying to remove the bandages on his legs. Phos shook his head.
"It's going to take you longer to heal than a few days…"
"I'm tired of being useless!" Hershel complained. "Isn't there something you could do to make my legs heal faster?"
"Nope." Phos knelt down and tightened the bandage. "I'm sorry Hershel…but this is something you're going to have to wait out…"
"Hello?"
Phos frowned at the sound of an unsure voice coming from the front of the tent. He pushed his way through the door flap and his frown deepened as he recognized the accented guard from the fortress. The guard looked relieved.
"Ah…you do live here…"
"What are you doing here?" Phos snapped angrily. Ves held his hands up.
"I'm…I'm sorry, Master Healer…but I just had to come to talk vith you…"
Phos just harrumphed in reply. He pulled the kettle away from the fire and began adding herbs to it.
"Can I offer you some tea?" he asked, and Ves's forehead wrinkled.
"Did…you just add lumanim to zat?"
Phos froze and then chuckled wrly. He replaced the kettle and sank down into his armchair, regarding the guard in his doorway.
"You're from the far southern reaches…" he finally guessed, and Ves nodded enthusiastically.
"Yes…my father is one of ze healers in the Southern Province. He…he used to tell me stories about you as a ven I vas a boy…"
Phos rolled his eyes.
"Don't believe everything you hear, kid. So, did you give up the apprenticeship to come become a spear-wielding pawn?"
Ves shook his head adamantly.
"My brother got ze apprenticeship…he is older. I left home ven I vas a youth to become a vandering Healer…"
"Didn't ask for your life story," Phos cut in irritably. "What do you want from me?"
Ves hesitated in the doorway.
"To learn," he finally admitted. Phos scoffed and shook his head.
"Already filled my apprenticeship…"
"But your daughter vas banished!" Ves cut in. "Surely she does not still…"
Phos's eyes flashed as his hands clenched on the arm of his chair, and Ves fell silent. When Phos spoke again his voice was low.
"I was not referring to my daughter. Best get back to the fortress now, boy…"
"I'm sorry." Ves said quietly. "I did not mean to…make you angry…"
"Visitors tend to have that effect on me," Phos groused and Ves continued in a rush.
"And I did not mean to insinuate zat I seek your apprenticeship…I vould not even dream of such an honor….I merely ask zat you vould teach me our history…teach me…" here Ves hesitated, and Phos narrowed his eyes.
"Teach you how to unlock your powers," Phos guessed, and Ves stared at the ground.
"It vas lost in my family a few generations back …a great dishonor for a Healer's line…"
"It's not something I can help you with," the Master Healer stated, though his tone had a trace of regret.
Ves sagged with disappointment.
"I am sorry to bother you, Master Healer. It's just…I zot if anyone could…"
"I told you, you can't believe everything you hear," Phos cut in, leaning forward. "As far as history…it seems you know quite a bit, though I've no doubt there are inaccuracies." He paused for a moment. "You haven't told these stories to Keyda or Cole?"
"No, Master Healer…I haven't really found a reason to share zem with anyone…"
"Then do me a favor and keep it that way. And don't tell them what Phos means…"
"Vie?"
"Because I asked you not to! Is that not a good enough reason?" the Healer snapped, and the guard lowered his eyes.
"Of course, Master Healer."
"Good. Now really, get out of here. I don't appreciate people walking in and disrupting my privacy…" he turned to go back into the back of the tent when Ves spoke up one last time.
"Before I go…I must know….are you truly of the Ancient Race?"
Phos paused at the door flap and finally scoffed.
"What do you think?"
And with that, he disappeared into the back.
"So…oh great ruler…what wisdom do you have to fix the problems you've caused?"
They were back in the Northern Fortress. Ret and Cole were busy getting their hands bandaged, their wounds having been discovered during the village visit.
"What is all the metal even used for?" Cole piped up, and Ymil looked at him, irritated that it was always the outsider that seemed willing to talk.
"I don't rightly know…the Eastern province is the one that creates what's needed. I'll admit the need for metal has gone down since the war ended…but…"
"So you don't need as much metal anymore," Cole pointed out, and the leader's face reddened again.
"Whether or not the realm has as high a demand for it, our province depends on it for survival!"
Cole was pensive for a moment and Tolan spoke up.
"Can't you just make money a different way?"
Ymil glared at him.
"This is the way we know! Mining the metal, and transporting it to the East…but without dragons the trade has suffered as well…"
"What if you didn't have to take it to the East?" Cole interjected, and Keyda leaned forward.
"What do you mean, Cole?"
"I mean that if there isn't so much of a demand, surely the Northern Province could cut back on mining metal and turn more effort towards blacksmithing…"
"Which would mean better work for the villagers to do," Keyda continued. "And with the added income from the finished products the blacksmiths make, you wouldn't need to push the slaves so hard in the mines under such dangerous conditions to make up the profit you need…."
Ymil's expression darkened, but eventually he sighed.
"It could work…but Tala will be furious if we take away from her trade…her province isn't doing so well either, and besides…how would my people learn a trade they've never done before?"
"I'm sure we could work out something that benefits everyone," Cole said, and Ymil gave him a skeptical look. The ninja ignored it as he continued. "As for the blacksmithing, perhaps you could hire teachers from the East…and I happen to have a few friends coming next week that could probably give you some pointers."
Ymil looked less than thrilled at learning from Outsiders, but his complexion had returned to normal at least.
"It's hardly a perfect solution," he finally muttered. "But…perhaps it could help…."
"You've done what?"
Tala looked more than a little outraged at the news, and Keyda sighed internally.
"Look…we're trying to find solutions for everyone…"
"More like you're causing more problems!" The Eastern Leader spat, hands on her hips. It was the next day, and the group had arrived to the East rather early on. Cole was surprised to see water sparkling in the distance, as well as groves of strange looking trees growing around.
"A lot of plant life here…" he pointed out, and everyone looked over at him, not sure why he was bringing it up.
"The East has always had more 'plant life'," Tala finally said, her tone patronizing. "We have a freshwater lake nearby…and the nearby wood is used by our artisans…"
"So you do still have trade outside of metal work," Keyda pointed out, but the leader merely scoffed.
"Only ones who ever want things done in wood are leaders…the Baron especially. We've had to fall back heavily on metal work because with the Baron dead we don't have much call for wood work anymore…"
"But you could be growing so much more!" Cole interjected, and everyone frowned at him again.
"Um…I don't think they want more trees….that's the problem…" Tolan started, but Cole shook his head.
"I don't mean growing more trees…I mean you could grow more plants. Farming would be so much better in this area; the land is obviously more arable…"
"We do farm, a bit…" the leader admitted. "But with all the farms in the central quarter, no one needs our crops…"
"We're in a food shortage at the moment…I'm sure people could use them." Keyda argued, and Tala sighed.
"I'm aware of the food shortage," she said, glaring at the ruler. "Which is why we've had to use our farms to support our own province…"
"But you could start more farms…it could be a lot more profitable than metal work, especially since the north hasn't been able to bring you as much metal," Cole pointed out.
"I would need a guarantee that people would actually want the crops…" Tala complained. "Besides…it would be even more difficult transporting food than finished goods; crops spoil…"
"Yes…some do. But you could focus on less perishable crops…grains and such. You could even process them here and make flour. Or, whatever it is you call that stuff your loaves are made out of…"
"But that is what is done in the central region." Tala complained. "As the closest region to us, the Central region buys the most from us. If we switch over to crop work, which they already do, we lose our consumers…"
"There isn't a lot of water in the central region." Cole pressed. "I've dug enough wells to know…it's hard enough for the villages there to have enough water for their needs, let alone supporting crops. I mean, maybe that land was better for crops a long time ago…but I think it's time the people there change tactics anyways."
Tala scoffed.
"You really are determined to flip everything upside down…aren't you, outsider?"
"He's got a point," Keyda said defensively. "I grew up on a central farming village…and each year the crops seemed to do worse. The only thing we could seem to grow were roots…"
"But with the lake so close by, you could create irrigation systems that work to keep the fields plenty damp…" Cole added. Tala shook her head.
"Do you have any idea how to build one of those?"
Cole blinked.
"Well…no. But I do have a friend who's good at inventing…"
Tala sighed, irritated. Keyda spoke up next.
"I know it's more change…but the more I'm getting to know this realm, the more I'm convinced that our culture and livelihood was based on survival for so long….all our efforts went into supporting the war effort against the dragons. But we don't have to just survive anymore….we have the opportunity to branch out and be successful in other ways."
"I'm not sure how much change the realm would be willing to accept…" Tala said grudgingly.
"The realm has already changed so much from what it used to be," Cole pointed out. "I'm sure these modifications could work, as long as everyone's on board. It's like Keyda said a few days ago—we have to be willing to work together if we want the realm to be a better place for everyone living in it."
The leader didn't say anything for a few minutes, and when she did she changed the subject.
"You wanted to look at villages while you were here, yeah?"
"Yes." Keyda answered, trying not to be irritated that Tala still didn't seem to have come to a decision. Tala gestured with her head and the four followed her and her handful of personal guards. They walked in silence for a while, no one really sure what to say. Cole watched a few bird-like creatures fly past and blinked in surprise. He had definitely seen more animal life here than the other regions he had been in. After a while the group reached a village near the water, and Cole paused to look across it.
"Are there fish in this lake?"
Tala shrugged.
"Not enough to make a trade of it…but villagers will go out to make catches to feed themselves."
"So it sounds like you guys haven't been suffering from the food shortage much at all." Tolan pointed out, and Tala's expression darkened.
"I take care of my own…it isn't my problem if other leaders haven't been able to do the same."
They entered the village and the hustle and bustle ended almost immediately as villagers stared at them in surprise and wariness. A man approached the group, and Cole caught sight of the decorated arm-band.
"Mistress Tala…"
"At ease. The Ruler wanted a tour of an Eastern Village…"
The village leader looked past Tala at the scarfed figures and their guards. His expression became more guarded and confused.
"Oh…of course. Well, let me know if there is anything specific you require…"
"I'll be sure to." Tala responded. She turned to Keyda, eyebrow raised. "Anything specific you were hoping to see?"
"Um…just any problems, I suppose…"
"I assure you we are quite used to having to solve our own problems." Tala responded bitterly, but she gestured for Keyda to feel free to look around. Keyda hesitated, but Cole began walking around the village, looking at the way the different tents were set up. He could hear the familiar sound of a blacksmith pounding, and he peeked into one tent. Sure enough, a sooty Oni was pounding away at an anvil. Cole glanced over and caught the village leader staring at him with a cautious expression and the ninja beckoned him over.
"Is there something you need?"
"I was just wondering what kind of things you make here?"
The leader tugged at his beard nervously.
"Chains and farming equipment mainly…"
"Chains?"
"They go to the south, and the farming equipment goes to the central region." the leader explained, and Cole nodded to himself.
"Any other things you make here?"
"Um…well, on the other side of the village we have a few weavers, though most of the weaving is done in other villages here in the east…"
"Oh, like for clothes," Cole realized. The leader nodded and Cole frowned. "Where does the material come for making clothing?"
"Uh…a bit from the south…but mainly from farmland in the central regions."
"You don't grow any here?"
The Leader hesitated.
"We don't have the manpower to work them…especially now that we cannot buy more slaves," he pointed out timidly. Cole frowned, nodding to himself.
"But what if you had the manpower?"
"Then…I suppose it would be possible," the leader answered carefully.
"I'm gonna keep that in mind." Cole promised, though the leader didn't look that excited about Cole doing so. The ninja heard laughter and he glanced over to see a few children playing between some of the tents. He couldn't help but smile, and he addressed the leader once more.
"Do you have a lot of…orphans here?"
The Leader shrugged.
"After the fever season, I suppose we have some…"
"Do you sell them to the south?" Cole asked, and the leader shook his head.
"The children are taught a craft early on; we can't afford to give them to the south and lose the skill. We've been able to continue to support them, even if they have no one technically in charge of them…"
Cole couldn't help but smile, his shoulders relaxing as he watched the children dart in between the tents.
"You know, I'm happy to hear that."
Keyda leaned back against Cole as they flew back to the fortress.
"My head hurts trying to remember everything..." she admitted, and she could feel him chuckling.
"Me too." he agreed. "But I think we're making good progress; if the Eastern province starts growing crops then they should be able to better support themselves. I feel like crops from there would taste better than the ones growing in the central region, anyways…"
"But what are we going to have the central villages do?" Keyda asked. "Of all the villages in the regions we've visited…the ones in my own region are definitely the poorest." She sighed heavily. "How could I not have realized that?"
"Hey, we've been helping those villages. But they've been supporting themselves on crops when the ground just isn't good for it there."
"There used to be a lot of dragon hunting and training in the central villages as well." Keyda admitted. "That's why they are all equipped with dragon holding areas…which we had to clear out in my first few months as leader…"
"I wouldn't be surprised if there are places that still have dragons locked up in the other regions." Cole admitted quietly. "They've been doing their own thing for so long…they probably have been getting away with a lot."
Keyda sighed, snuggling closer.
"I'm just proud of you for not throwing yourself into any dangerous situations today…"
He laughed.
"See? You can trust me. I could have gotten into all sorts of trouble…diving in that lake, maybe…or climbing some of those trees…" He trailed off as he thought. "It's one of the prettier areas of the realm, I have to admit."
"Yeah…" Keyda smiled softly. "It amazes me how much of the realm I never knew about…it's far more different than I thought. Maybe not as beautiful as Ninjago…but it is more than just rocks and dirt."
They fell silent as they approached their home fortress, and Keyda sat up and stretched.
"Southern Fortress tomorrow…and I technically haven't received word from Ottan that we are welcome…"
Cole couldn't help but smile a little.
"I'm sure it won't be that bad."