73
"Tolan!"
Jaqah dropped down next to him. She was used to the youngest guard making scenes…but never like this. He grimaced and looked over at her.
"Something's wrong…"
Cole and Keyda had turned at the pained groan and were now headed over to the pair of guards, looking concerned.
"What happened?" Keyda asked, but Phos had reached Tolan at that point as well, expression serious. He grabbed the youth's face, jerking it up so he could study it. Tolan didn't say anything, but a moment later he moaned and curled into himself further. Jaqah had become rigid, her voice sounding distant as she struggled to process what was happening.
"He…he ate something, and now…"
"The food…" Cole realized suddenly, looking over at the feast spread out on the table. Everyone in the room had begun to drift over towards the table, looking over at Tolan with confusion or concern as they headed towards their seats at the feast. Cole's mouth went dry and he turned to face the group before they could reach the tables.
"Don't touch the food!" he shouted, and the leaders immediately froze. They looked at each other suspiciously and the ninja came over to stand by Cole.
"What's happened?" Nya asked, and Zane immediately scanned the feast Cole had banned.
"I'm picking up traces of something on all the dishes…it isn't in my database, but it appears to be plant based…"
"Tuyehta root."
Everyone looked over at Phos as he spoke, finally releasing Tolan's face. The regret in his voice immediately triggered Jaqah to be on the defensive.
"What is that? What does that mean? Is he going to be ok?!"
Tala and Ottan had balked at the revelation, and Cole struggled to figure out why that plant sounded familiar.
"That's impossible…" Tala started, but Phos's expression darkened.
"Nothing is impossible…." he said before turning to Keyda as if to say something else. He was cut off, however, as Jaqah bolted to her feet and grabbed the Healer by the shoulders.
"Answer me! What is going on?!"
Phos pushed the guard away with surprising strength.
"He's been poisoned, girl…can't you understand?"
Jaqah blanched and then glared at him, almost accusingly.
"Then fix it! You're a healer….do something!"
"There's little I can do with you getting in my way!" Phos snapped, pushing past her to get to Keyda. Jaqah grabbed the hilt of her sword, but Ves was by her side in the next moment to grab her by the shoulders. She wrenched from his grasp, but the accented guard spoke to her in hushed tones to calm her down.
"You need to get him to my tent," Phos ordered, and Keyda turned to him, her mind trying to process the events that had suddenly unfolded.
"What?"
"The boy…he has little chance of living, which is greatly reduced every moment he is not in my tent. Transport him there, now!"
"Why can't you…."
"I can hardly transport him, can I?" Phos snapped. It finally clicked in Keyda's mind; even given Tolan's dire circumstances, Phos was not willing to expose his powers in front of the others in the room. The thought made her immediately angry, but Tolan didn't have time for her to yell at Phos. She knelt next to the guard, who was clenching his jaw against the pain, arms tightly wrapped around his middle. He gasped and lurched suddenly, causing her to hesitate only a moment before wrapping her arms around him. She could feel him shaking and pulled him close as she envisioned Phos's tent. Aural winds began whipping around them as the guard spasmed again.
"Hang in there, Tolan…" she murmured, her own heart pounding. A moment later there was a flash, and they were gone.
Phos had disappeared out the door as soon as he had finished ordering Keyda to transport the lanky teen. Cole watched him go, and then turned back to the feast. Everyone stood rigidly in the tense environment…there was nothing to do and yet each couldn't help feel that there was surely something that needed to be done.
Cole turned to Jaqah, who had calmed down and was now standing statuesque, her expression stony and apathetic.
"Who was in charge of the feast?" he asked, but she didn't seem to hear, her gaze unfocused. Cole took a step closer, his voice rising slightly. "Jaqah!"
She blinked, turning to him as she snapped to attention.
"Who was in charge of the feast?"
"The slave Matron…" she finally answered. "She was in charge of making sure it was done properly and brought in…"
Cole turned and made eye contact with Ret, who nodded at the unspoken command and disappeared out of a nearby door. The ninja swallowed and turned to the other guards, who were standing near Jaqah.
"Ves, Omar…lock the fortress down. Then I want everything searched; hallways, dungeons…"
"Let us help, Cole."
He spun at Kai's voice and saw that his friends were all standing ready for action. He shook his head.
"You wouldn't know what to look for. And until I know exactly who targeted us and what their next step is, I want everyone in here." He turned to the three leaders, who were standing stiffly and unsure. "That means you too…"
"To protect us, or because you suspect us?" Tala asked angrily, and Cole huffed. He had thought they had been getting somewhere with the leaders, but after what had just happened…
"Definitely going to have to answer with both at the moment," he replied, turning back to the table. Knowing that all the food was laced with poison made him want to get rid of it as quickly as possible to avoid any other tragedies...but they might need it for evidence…
Zane put a hand on his shoulder and gave Cole a nod before using his Elemental Power to freeze the Feast, trapping the poisoned food under a sheet of ice. For whatever reason, Cole felt a lot better now that the food wasn't accessible anymore, and he relaxed slightly as he turned to look at those gathered in the room with him. The leaders continued to look irritated and guarded, but Cole mainly focused on the colorful group of Ninjagians that had come to support him today….his friends, sensei, father…
As the shock of the moment faded, the adrenaline finally backed off enough for him to process what exactly had happened. It suddenly hit him where he had heard of Tuyehta root. As the magnitude of what had nearly happened struck, the world around him began to spin. Zane caught him moments before he hit the ground.
Keyda had pictured the interior of the Healer's tent, but the transport had dumped her outside of it anyways. She was exhausted—though thankfully she didn't pass out after transport anymore, she had no idea where she would get the strength to get Tolan inside. The guard had gone limp after the transport, but after a minute he came to with a yell as pain wracked through his body once again. He was shaking harder now, and Keyda pushed herself up, panicking as she tried to figure out what to do. She almost screamed for help when a noise sounded to her right. A moment later Phos appeared in a sudden swirl of aura, looking a little weary but not too worse for the wear. Although she was relieved to see him, she couldn't help but narrow her eyes. He ignored her look as he bent to lift Tolan, a feat made all the harder by the young man's sudden thrashing. Tolan's eyes were becoming glazed, and he fought as Phos tried to get him inside.
"Help me!" he ordered, and somehow Keyda managed to get to her feet and help carry the shouting guard into the back of the tent. Hershel was on his mat, weaving some kind of basket, but he dropped the work as he watched in surprise and concern as they brought Tolan in. Phos laid him on his own bed mat before disappearing into the front. Keyda more or less collapsed next to Tolan, drained and sick as she wished there was something she could do to help the guard's obvious agony. There seemed to be periods of calm and periods of pain. As a temporary calm washed over him, Tolan's eyes opened as he panted shallowly.
"WheremI…" he slurred, trying to pick out his surroundings with bleary eyes. He continued to shake, and he caught sight of the figure on a mat a yard or two away. He swallowed painfully.
"Peder?..."
Another wave of pain hit and he curled in on himself and screamed out. Keyda sat frozen, praying that Phos would come back in and do something already. She could hear the old Healer searching for something in the front room, cursing and rummaging frantically. After a few minutes that felt like eternity, the older Oni burst back into the back room, holding a small drawstring bag.
"What…" she started, but he ignored her and knelt next to Tolan as he opened the bag and poured sleek black stones into his hand.
"Hershel, I need you!" he ordered, and the youth immediately pushed himself up and made his way across the floor towards the guard. Tolan was seizing at this point, and Phos turned to Keyda, eyes flashing.
"Restrain him….hold him down as flat on his back as you can manage…"
She had no idea what he was going for but she did as she was told. Tolan fought against her, but she managed to get him on his back. His arms and legs flailed and she looked over at Phos.
"I can't keep him like this…"
"Should we use Lumanim?" Hershel asked, but Phos shook his head and turned to the youth.
"We cannot allow him to become unconscious….you must use the fear spell I taught you…"
Hershel's jaw clenched and he looked at the guard, his expression making it clear he didn't think he could do it. Phos put a hand on his shoulder, shaking the boy a little.
"Focus, Hershel…you've got to freeze him…the spell will only work if the stones stay on him…"
Hershel shook himself and swallowed, nodding. Phos reached across the guard and pulled Keyda's circlet off her forehead, shoving it into Hershel's hands. Keyda gave a start, not sure why he would take the circlet, but she didn't move from her position pinning Tolan down.
"Use that…." Phos ordered, and Hershel closed his eyes. One hand began to glow and he held it near the purple stone in the circlet, as if to coax something from it.
"Please….make it stop….just make it stop…"
Tolan's cries were feverish, and Keyda pushed him down with renewed force, sweat dripping down her face. A few moments later the thrashing ceased as the guard entered another lull phase, and Phos's eyes flashed.
"Hershel, now!"
The boy pulled back, and Keyda couldn't help but turn in confusion and awe as power of a nearly greenish tint came out of the stone. Hershel's hand was shaking, but his face was contorted in concentration. His eyes flew open, glowing purple, and he launched the power towards the guard. Keyda leapt backwards as the spell hit, and suddenly Tolan was rigid. Hershel kept his hand out; it was shaking slightly as he struggled to maintain the spell.
As soon as Tolan froze, Phos began to place the sleek stones on different points of the boy's body.
"You must not falter…" he reminded Hershel, and then the Healer stood and backed away from the body as he held up a hand. It burned violet and Keyda could suddenly hear a buzzing coming from the stones. Tolan's face was the only part of him still able to move, and he continued to scream and call out, sometimes for Peder, sometimes for Jaqah, and sometimes for names Keyda didn't recognize. The buzzing began to increase and Hershel had to use his other hand to keep his spell arm from trembling, his eyes squeezed shut as he concentrated. It felt like the process dragged on for an hour…but in reality only minutes had ticked by. Sweat trailed down one side of Hershel's face, and he made a small sound of exertion as he struggled to keep the paralysis spell going in the body that fought to move.
"Do not falter!" Phos ordered, his own spell still going strong. The stones were buzzing at such a high pitch that Keyda held her head, feeling nauseous as she fought the urge to cry in exhaustion.
"…Master…"
"Just a little longer, Hershel…"
Hershel began to yell as well as he dug down deeper, his arm shaking wildly now. Keyda reached over and grabbed his arms, trying to help him hold them steady as he continued the spell. Tolan began to twitch, the spell beginning to unravel. Phos's hand glowed brighter yet and the stones basically screamed out. With Hershel and Tolan yelling, it was chaos. A moment later Hershel cried out and his spell broke down completely. Tolan spasmed again, scattering the stones across the room. Phos jerked out of his own spell, sagging slightly at the amount of energy he had lost. There was sudden silence and Keyda felt Hershel slumping forward, drained.
Keyda's heart was still pounding and she looked over at Tolan. After the final spasm, the guard had gone totally limp, and she swallowed hard as she moved to check on him. She was relieved to see that he was breathing, but he was unconscious. Didn't Phos say that….
"I'm not sure we got it all."
She turned at Phos's words, and she shook her head.
"Can you do it again? Now that he's unconscious…"
Phos shook his head and sat wearily.
"If it didn't work the first time, he won't wake up again, regardless of what we do now."
Keyda dry washed her face as she processed what he said. Hershel pushed himself up.
"I'm sorry, Master Healer…"
"There's nothing to be sorry about," Phos countered. "Go back to your mat and rest…I'll bring you a cup of tea."
The boy looked like he wanted to argue, but the Master Healer had already stood and headed into the front room. Keyda waited a moment before pushing herself to her feet and following him, and Hershel sighed as he began shifting back towards his own mat.
Keyda pushed through the door flap and Phos caught her eye as he prepared the tea kettle. He gestured for her to take a seat and she silently obliged, collapsing in one of his arm chairs. As she waited for the tea to be ready, she ran a hand through her hair as she struggled to make sense of everything in her head. Her hand came across something, and she pulled the wilted poppy out of her braid and stared at it for a few moments. As if out of a fog, she suddenly recalled that she had gotten bound today…
The poppy blurred as Keyda began to cry. Another time she might have felt too proud to let Phos see her cry, but at the moment she couldn't care less. If Phos had noticed he didn't comment, and a few minutes later he disappeared into the back to give Hershel his tea. Keyda pulled the poppies out of her hair as the tears ran down her face, for lack of anything better to do. By the time Phos had reentered the room she had a pile of bright red flowers in her lap, but she couldn't seem to stop crying. She didn't know if Tolan would be alright. She couldn't help feeling both sick and guilty that he had taken the brunt of the poison meant for her…and then it hit her that the poison wasn't meant for just her…
She cried harder. Would there ever come a time when they wouldn't be targeted?! It was the day of her binding, for ancients' sake!
She heard a small sound and turned to see Phos leaving a cup of tea on the table next to her before silently moving to his own chair. She made no move to pick it up, the tears still coursing down her face.
"It could have been a lot worse."
She scoffed wetly at Phos's soft words, and she turned to glare at him as she cried.
"I'm so sick of hearing that…."
His calm gaze didn't change and she furiously wiped at her face.
"Someone tried to kill us…again. And not just us…." she trailed off as she thought about everyone that would have died and shook her head, sick at the thought. "And they did it so…so easily…."
"Too easily."
Phos was pensive as he stared into his own cup of tea. Keyda wiped her face again.
"What do you mean?"
The Healer glanced up and shifted slightly in his seat.
"Tuyetah root is an extremely potent poison, rediscovered back in the reign of Kahzym the third. It became a weapon for both Oni and Dragon and caused high death tolls during the time of the purge..."
He took a slow sip of his tea and Keyda fiddled with the wilting flowers in her lap as she listened. The Healer continued.
"The Healers came together to eradicate the root from the realm once and for all. I was part of the team that worked to discover the extraction spell…" he trailed off. "Nothing else could be used to stave the poison…there is no natural cure. So the extraction spell was created to rip the toxins from the body. But as you saw, it also required experimentation with emotional power in order to keep the person rigid for the spell to take hold…"
Keyda frowned as Phos's expression darkened. His voice became softer.
"These spells were a success…but this initial experimentation with the potential of Oni power opened the gates for more dangerous curiosity."
"Like…what?"
Phos seemed to snap out of his reverie.
"Hardly matters now. My point is, for someone to have gotten ahold of that much Tuyetah root, they would have had to have gotten help from a Healer."
"Then Healers still keep this poison?!" Keyda asked, disgusted. Phos shook his head.
"No. But only a Healer would have been able to recognize it, wherever they managed to find it. And whether they planned the assassination or funded someone else's plans, it poses a threat in that their involvement is in direct violation of their oath…"
"You're one to talk…" Keyda muttered, and Phos leaned forward, eyes flashing.
"Oilen kidnapped and tortured my apprentice….believe it or not, I am well within my rights to issue punishment. Like I said before, it's was a personal matter, not political. The poisoner, however, assisted in the direct attack against every political leader in the realm. A very different matter, wouldn't you agree?"
Keyda wanted to say something biting at his patronizing reply, but she just sagged.
"Does it even matter who did it? If they did it once, they could do it again….how could we ever trust what we eat again!?" She dry-washed her face again, trying to keep from resorting back to crying. "No matter how many things we survive…it's only going to take one time when we aren't so lucky…"
"You're safer now than you have been in a long time," Phos argued, and she threw her hands up.
"You mean today?! When someone poisoned an entire feast during my binding, nearly killing us all?!"
"Granted, there are people against you. But you've won the respect of the leaders in the realm…albeit grudgingly…and that is not something to ignore."
"There's more to my life than politics!" Keyda argued, standing as her voice rose. The flowers tumbled from her lap as she gestured into the air. "There's more to my life than what leaders think, or whether I'm getting the realm back to the way you want it… I almost died today! And even if you had been able to save me, I would have lost everyone else…" her eyes swam with tears again. "That's what you'll never understand! What it means to actually lose someone you love! Forever!"
Phos stood as well, but after his initial anger faded he just scoffed.
"Drink your tea, girl…and stop assuming things you'll never understand."
74
The slender figure darted behind a few boulders, cursing. She had been so sure…
"Stop!"
Adalaide stiffened at the voice, thinking they had seen her. However, as she heard a grunt and crash she realized that someone had apprehended the Slave Matron behind her. She sneered to herself; she really should have killed the old lady when she had the chance. Now the old wench would reveal everything and she would be back to square one…
"I didn't do nothing!"
Adalaide rolled her eyes at the Matron's plaintive complaints as someone hoisted her to her feet. The slender would-be ruler risked a glance around her hiding spot to see if anyone was heading her direction. Her heart froze.
"Dorhn?" she breathed, but a second later the guard turned again and she realized it wasn't who she had thought. Her expression hardened once more and after the guard and the Matron disappeared back into the fortress she slipped away.
"He's coming to…"
Cole moaned and opened his eyes to a crowd of concerned yellow faces. He frowned as Zane helped him sit up. A panicked voice cut in.
"Are you poisoned too?! Or…"
"I'm fine." Cole said, waving Jay off before his friend could enter a full Jay-panic mode. "I just passed out; I forgot to eat anything today…."
"Forgot to eat? You?" Jay shook his head. "Doesn't sound like you're fine to me…"
"Did Retrevan come back?" Cole asked, his memory finally catching up with him. He managed to make it to his feet and he looked around. His guards were still gone, but the other leaders were all sitting on chairs near the table, watching him critically. Cole made his way over to them.
"Is it even worth asking if any of you had anything to do with this?..."
"It certainly wasn't me!" Ymil snapped, though he glared at the others around him. "But you know them…always hated you…"
"I didn't see you speaking for him during the ceremony!" Ottan yelled back, and the snively man shrank into himself as he glared. Tala folded her arms, glaring at the Oni in the thick fur cape.
"But you did, surprisingly…acting like a friend just in case your murder plot failed to kill the rest of us…"
"How dare you!"
Cole sighed as the leaders bickered and looked over at Heavy Metal. He was talking with Jaqah in the corner.
At least I can trust one of the leaders… Cole thought bitterly. He turned back to the other leaders and held his hand up.
"Alright. I guess we're just going to have to assume that none of you had anything to do with it…"
"You could have said that first…instead of accusing us." Ymil sniffed, and Cole resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He spotted Ves coming back into one of the doors to the room.
"Excuse me," he said dryly, and headed over to the guard.
"Ze fortress is locked down…Retrevan has ze Matron in custody, down in ze dungeons…"
"Right. Thanks, Ves…" He looked around the room and sighed. "Could you stay in here…make sure the leaders don't go anywhere…and keep an eye on Jaqah. She seems to be struggling a lot…"
The Oni nodded and Cole turned to his friends.
"Um….I'm sorry, but the fortress is locked down…I need you all to stay here until we can figure out exactly what happened. I have to go do something really quick…"
"Let us help, Cole!" Jay complained, and the rest of his friends nodded, some crossing their arms. Cole just gave them a sheepish smile.
"I appreciate the offer….but it really is better if you guys just stay here. I'll see you in a bit." And with that, he disappeared out the door.
Keyda woke up and frowned; she hadn't even realized she had gone to sleep. She glanced down at the cup still in her hand and shook her head, irritated as she realized the tea had knocked her out.
"Phos…." she breathed. She heard a small yipping sound and looked down in surprise as a furry head pushed its way into her lap, licking her hands.
"Nip, stop it."
Syn was there, suddenly, and she pulled the animal away from the Ruler. Keyda swallowed and sat up fully in the armchair as the child subdued the animal and then reached over for a warm loaf.
"Are you hungry? Master Healer thought you'd be hungry…"
Keyda wanted to turn the loaf down, but her stomach growled loudly and ousted her. Syn gave her a little smile and handed her the warm bread and Keyda murmured thanks before eating it. Having food in her made her feel better, and more alert. She remembered Tolan suddenly and stood, heading for the back. She felt a slight tug and turned to see Syn fingering the silvery outer cloth on her dress. The child glanced up and flushed, embarrassed.
"It's…it's really pretty," she explained sheepishly, and Keyda's expression softened.
"It was a gift for my binding," she said softly, and Syn smiled at that. The Ruler cleared her throat and turned back to her earlier task.
The guard was still unconscious on the mat, and Keyda sighed as she headed over to sit next to him. She slowly ate at the last of her loaf, wondering how many more people were going to get hurt on her behalf. She had finished her dinner and was lost in thought by the time the guard suddenly stirred. She glanced over at the sound, her heart pounding with sudden hope. A few minutes passed and the youth finally opened his eyes.
"Tolan."
The youth turned his head at the relief-filled voice, giving Keyda a confused look.
"What are you doing here?"
She bit her lip. How much did he remember?
"You were poisoned, and…."
"I know." Tolan pushed himself up, grimacing in pain. "So what are you still doing here? Would have thought you'd…"
"Lie back down."
They both turned as Phos seemingly materialized in the doorway. Tolan raised an eyebrow as the Healer continued.
"You're lucky enough you woke up…don't tempt fate by…"
"You've got powers. I remember that much…." he shook his head. "Old guy's more powerful than he looks, huh?"
Phos's eyes narrowed "Yes, I have powers. Tell anyone about it and I'll hunt you down and flay you alive."
Tolan's other eyebrow raised and he turned to Keyda once again.
"You know, with friends like that it's hard to figure out how people keep managing to almost kill you…"
She just sighed.
"How are you feeling, Tolan?"
"Like I was ripped apart by a pack of night sniffers before they spat me back out. Not that I've actually felt that before…but Peder used to have a gnarly scar on his leg from a sniffer bite…" he trailed off as and began looking around as if he remembered something. "Hey speaking of, earlier I thought I saw…"
He had turned towards where Hershel was sitting on his mat, and after he caught sight of the other teen he sagged slightly.
"Ah, never mind. Peder used to wear his hair like that…."
Hershel just sort of nodded, as if he had any idea what the guard was going on about. No doubt he was still a little delirious…
Phos had come over to the guard and was forcing him back onto his mat.
"It will be a few days before your body is strong enough to move. Don't make me waste lumanim on you…"
A blur of grey suddenly burst into the room, running over to Keyda and jumping up on her to lick her face. Tolan moved to sit back up, hands automatically going to his side where he normally kept his swords. There was nothing there, however, and he winced as his sudden movement jarred his tender insides. He looked over and noticed that Keyda didn't actually seem to be in any danger, though she didn't exactly look very happy either as she shoved the affectionate animal off of her.
"That's not something you see everyday…" he murmured, sinking back down onto the mat. His eyes had gotten a distant look to them again, and after a few minutes he slipped back into sleep or unconsciousness; Keyda wasn't really sure which. She pushed the sniffer off herself one last time and stood, turning to Phos.
"I need to be getting back…"
She felt a tug on her arm and looked down at Syn's plaintive face.
"You should just stay here tonight…"
"I wouldn't recommend walking back." Phos added dryly. "No telling what you'd run into…"
"Then I'll transport." she countered, easing her arm out of Syn's. "I have to go back, Syn…Cole'll be worried sick if I stay here all night…"
The child's expression fell, and she sank to the ground to keep her sniffer away from the unconscious guard. Keyda looked at Tolan a few moments longer and Phos finally scoffed.
"Get out of here already. I ain't gonna let him die after helping him this far. You'll have to go outside to transport, though….won't work in here."
She looked at the Healer in surprise but then remembered that she had landed outside to begin with, even though she had pictured the interior of his tent. She headed to the door, but Phos spoke again as she opened the flap.
"The guard's life…" he muttered, and she turned back to him. The Healer was wearing a serious expression as he continued. "My debt to you is paid."
She stared a few moments longer as it sank in. She finally nodded and disappeared out into the night.
Cole left the cell feeling frustrated. Neither he nor Ret could get any information from the Matron; she just claimed that she had no idea what had happened to the feast, claiming she had made it to their exact specifications. Cole knew she was lying, but he couldn't get anything out of her without actually using physical force, and he was not about to do that, despite every part of him screaming for revenge.
"We're having the kitchens searched for Tuyetah root…though we don't really know what it looks like…" Ret assured, and Cole sighed.
"Maybe Zane can do a scan of…"
"Tuyeta root, eh?"
The voice echoed down the dungeon hall, and Cole couldn't help but pause. He turned at the whiny voice, and Ret's hand went to his sword hilt.
"Who said that?" Cole called, and he walked towards the wheezing laughter that followed. Eventually they came to a small cell—it was one of the ones containing prisoners from the attempted coup who weren't allowed to work in the fortress fields. As Cole pulled open the small cell door window, and a skin-and-bones figure smirked from the shadows.
"Seems like she was finally able to track down some Tuyeta after all…"
"Who are you? What are you talking about?" Cole demanded, but the man didn't even really seem to be talking to Cole; he scratched at his head and continued, as if talking to himself.
"Original plan, that was. Just poison the lot…but we couldn't find any of that darn root…"
"Answer me!"
The man's eyes finally looked up to meet Cole's in the cell window and his grin broadened, exposing ratty teeth.
"Adalaide…that's who did this, aint it? Only person I can think of who woulda…."
Cole's fists clenched at the insurgent's name.
"Where is she now!?"
"How should I know? Yanz sprung her out, didn't he? But not Rasher, no…." He wiped a hand across his nose as he scoffed and shook his head. "I got all the blame for the plan falling apart, didn't I? 'you were sposed to watch her, Rasher….you were sposed to make sure she didn't get away….you only had one job…"
He scratched his head again, his smile fading.
"She's the one who underestimated the viper, so how's it all my fault?"
"Your name's Rasher, then?" Cole asked carefully. The dirty, ratty man didn't seem all there in the head, but as he met the ninja's eyes again there was a glint of a deeper intelligence in his eye.
"That's right…the one and only." He let out another weezy laugh and then looked around at the cell. "Part of the team that was gonna end you once and for all. But it all fell apart…and it sounds like Adalaide aint any closer to the throne than she was before…" he snorted to himself. "She's gonna have to crawl under a rock after this one…"
"You know where to find her, then?" Cole asked, and Rasher laughed so hard he began coughing.
"Ancient's Mercy….I don't know nothing about where she's at now. Wasn't even allowed to know where she lived back when we's were all working together….had meeting places and whatnot. No…she certainly wouldn't trust ole' Rasher with her location…the only reason she didn't kill me already is cuz she assumed your little missy would do the honors during executions. But then she proved too soft for that, didn't she?"
Cole felt the stir of hope in him fading; this idiot didn't know where Adalaide was. He was just trying to mess with him. The ninja went to close the cell window and leave, but Rasher stirred suddenly.
"Oi, Outsider!"
Cole sighed but turned back to the window.
"What?"
Rasher's teeth glinted in the dim cell light once more.
"You should know I'm a man of many capabilities….all of which are wasted in a cell…."
"Not sure I have a lot of use for a rat right now," Cole countered, irritated, but Rasher just cocked his head, amused.
"Ah, but there's some holes only a rat can get down, aint there?"
Cole narrowed his eyes and finally turned away, closing the window as he and Ret turned to leave the dungeons.
"Think about it!" Rasher called after them, and his weezy laughter echoed in the halls.
75
Jaqah's relief was obvious as Keyda told her the news. The Captain of the Guard sank into a chair, shaking her head.
"That stupid boy…that stupid, stubborn kid…."
"Phos said it will take a few days before he's able to actually be on his feet again, but he pulled through."
Jaqah nodded, and she looked up to give Keyda a weary smile.
"Thank you for letting me know."
Keyda nodded and turned to the rest of the people in the room.
"Where's Cole, again?" she asked, and Jay shrugged.
"He wouldn't tell us. Just that it was really important and we weren't invited…."
For whatever reason, Keyda couldn't help but smile at the ninja's annoyed tone. Trust Jay to be annoyed at getting left out after an assassination attempt…
"You're all ok, then?" she checked, and those from Ninjago nodded.
"We are fine." Zane assured, though he looked like he was thinking deeply. "This…sort of thing happens often, then?"
Keyda sighed and hugged her arms, not sure what to say. She finally shrugged.
"It is what it is, I guess…" she finally said quietly. The Ninjagoans made unsure eye contact. Nya finally spoke up.
"No offense…but did you ever think of, you know, leaving? If people keep trying to kill you and things are really that bad, why don't you and Cole just…."
"I'd be lying if I said I hadn't thought about it." Keyda interrupted. She was aware of the other leader's eyes on the back of her head and she straightened subconsciously. "But my place is here. Our place is here…" she paused, trying to think of how to phrase it. "It's…hard, but we've come so far and accomplished so much already. I guess I just have to believe that someday things will be better, and there won't be so much of this anymore…." she gestured to the table of frozen food. "Then, we can be happy…"
Everyone was quiet for a moment, and she was surprised when the young blonde kid was the one who stepped forward.
"I get what you mean, Keyda. I felt like that for a lot of my life too; like someday things would work out…someday I'd have my family back, or people would stop threatening my home…" he trailed off and finally shrugged. "But something I've learned is that that sort of perfect happiness I was picturing wasn't real. There were always new problems, new losses."
Keyda glanced away, jaw clenched. Lloyd continued.
"That didn't mean that I couldn't be happy, though. Happiness isn't something that you arrive at…it's spread all throughout your life. So many of my happiest memories happened with my friends; my family," he looked around that those around him with a smile. "And it happened no matter what the circumstances around us were like. I mean, I guess my point is that I do hope stuff like this stops happening…but you don't have to wait to be happy. You can be happy in the meantime."
The only thing in the way of your own happiness is you.
Echo's words came to Keyda's mind suddenly, and she blinked.
"What a nice little talk."
Ottan's dry tone cut in from behind her and she turned to see the leaders standing, looking irritated.
"But we all have fortresses to get back to…provinces to run. How long are we expected to stay here?"
She sighed.
"Well…."
"Not much longer, actually."
Everyone turned as Cole came back into the room. He looked over at Keyda and made a beeline to her side.
"Are you ok? How's Tolan? Did…did he…"
"He pulled through." Keyda assured, and Cole's shoulders sagged in relief.
"I'm glad. I mean, after what I read about that stuff…" he shuddered slightly and finally turned back to the leaders, finishing his thought.
"The fortress was searched, and there was no trace of anyone other than the Matron, who's now in custody. We suspect Adalaide as the cause…"
Keyda's expression darkened and he gave her hands a squeeze as he continued.
"…But really, I suppose there's no reason at this point that you'd have to stay here…" He turned to his friends and gave them a sheepish smile. "We actually could use your help….would you mind taking the leaders home on your guardians? Just to be safe…and keep an eye out for any gatherings as you fly in the different directions; if Adalaide did somehow get a force together, I'd rather know about it in advance…"
"Wow, Taxi-service…just the kind of job I was waiting for…" Kai said dryly and Skylor rolled her eyes before threading her arm through his.
"C'mon, Kai. I'll come with you…we may even get to kick some butt if we're lucky…"
Kai couldn't help smirk as he turned to her.
"Oh, well, in that case…"
"Only if there is a real problem!" Cole urged, and Skylor turned and gave him a reassuring wink. The ninja approached the leaders, trying to decide who would be best to take which leaders home. Keyda watched everyone talk, suddenly feeling really tired. Someone put a hand on her shoulder and she turned to see Heavy Metal.
"Do you need me to stay behind?"
She blinked at his offer and finally shook her head.
"No…I mean…" she looked over at Cole, who was talking to Wu about something. "I think we will be fine…"
"You sure?"
She looked up at the concerned face and straightened a little.
"Yes. We'll be fine."
He scanned her face for a few seconds and finally nodded. He was about to turn to go when Keyda suddenly moved towards him again.
"Heavy Metal?"
He turned, and stiffened with surprise when the Ruler suddenly embraced him.
"Thank you…for everything."
The ex-Captain of the Guard didn't say anything, swallowing as Keyda didn't make a move to release him. From across the room Cole glanced over and smiled softly.
Heavy Metal finally moved to hug her back, though his movements were stiffer and for once, the scarred Oni seemed unsure. She finally pulled back looking embarrassed, as he cleared his throat.
"No, Keyda…thank you." He put a hand on her shoulder and she looked up at him. His gaze was intense as ever…but also softer than she was used to. "Take care of yourself Keyda…I mean it."
She gave him a small smile.
"Well…you know me…"
Here he actually smiled in return, with a single wry chuckle.
"That I do…that I do."
Hershel looked over at the guard as he let out a little snore. It was weird, having someone here. He was used to treating people…but Master Healer rarely allowed them to stay here in his personal tent. Nip wandered over to the unconscious form and began sniffing the Oni's hair and neck, and Hershel shook his head and gave a small whistle. Nip immediately looked up at him and he waved his hand, shooing her away from the guard from across the room.
"Hey, get out of there!"
Nip yawned lazily, exposing her sharp teeth before slowly picking her way across the form towards the front of the tent. She wapped the sleeping guard in the face with her fluffy tail as she passed, and the young Oni let out this strange snort-sneeze sound in his sleep. Hershel couldn't help smiling at that, dropping his eyes back to his task as he shook his head at their sniffer's antics.
As Nip passed through the door to the front, the flap opened further to admit the Master Healer. The sniffer let out a happy purring noise as she rubbed against his leg before continuing on into the room. Phos looked over at Hershel and the boy met his eye. He entered the back slowly and sank down until he was sitting next to Hershel.
"Is he just gonna sleep there till he's well, then?" Hershel asked, gesturing to the sleeping form with his chin. Phos glanced over and scratched his scruff.
"Eh…if I don't get sick of his snoring…"
Herhsel chuckled softly at that, but his smile faded as the Master Healer suddenly fixed him with an intense look.
"What is it?"
The Healer didn't respond right away, dropping his gaze for a moment as he tried to formulate what he was trying to say.
"Hershel…I've been meaning to talk to you for a while about something very important…"
Hershel put down what he was working on, scanning Phos's face.
"Ok."
Phos looked up at the boy's unwavering gaze and couldn't help but smile.
"The art of being a Healer….it's, well, it's ancient. There are a lot of traditions...um…"
Hershel's eyebrows furrowed, unsure of where his Master was going with this. Phos finally just shook his head.
"One of the oldest traditions of the Healer trade is the choosing of an apprentice. I suppose I've already considered you to be mine for a while now…but for it to be official, you must actually accept the position…"
Phos trailed off at the boy's blank expression, and they sat in silence for a few minutes while he waited for Hershel to speak. When he finally did his voice was soft.
"But…but I thought…."
Phos waited as Hershel swallowed and continued.
"I thought that apprentices had to be related to..."
"I reserve the authority to choose my apprentice," Phos finally said, tone firm. "You've proven yourself to be adept at following direction and have made great leaps in controlling your power. I have a lot of faith in your ability, Hershel…and I want you to be my apprentice."
Hershel's eyes were wide, and Syn suddenly burst into the room from where she had been watching from the doorway.
"Say yes, Hershel!" she urged, and Phos turned to give her a reprimanding look. She just smiled, not looking the least bit chastised.
"I'd…be honored…" Hershel finally managed, and Phos turned back to him. The Healer nodded and went to stand and Hershel cleared his throat.
"What…what should I call you?"
Phos paused and looked at him for a few moments, thinking.
"Master, or Master Healer will still be appropriate…" he cleared his throat as Hershel glanced down. "Or…you may call me Phos. If you choose."
Hershel looked up again and after a few moments he gave his master a shaky smile.
"Ok…Phos."
The Healer couldn't help but return Hershel's smile with one of his own, though his expression turned to surprise as Syn suddenly wrapped her arms around his neck in an embrace from the back. Phos swallowed and Hershel moved as well, hugging Phos from the front. The Healer sat, unsure whether to scold them and if they would even listen. He finally reached up to put one hand on Syn's curly head, which was buried into the back of his neck. He rested the other hand on Hershel's shoulder.
Across the room Nip was sitting watching them, having followed Syn into the back of the tent. The Healer swore the animal was raising an eyebrow at him, and he almost snapped at her to mind her own business. But instead, he sat in silence with the two children because he was afraid his voice would betray him if he tried to say anything.
Cole and Keyda waved as the Ultra Dragon pulled away from the fortress roof, headed back to Ninjago. The other ninja hadn't really wanted to leave them with all the mess, but Cole and Keyda assured them that they were good at cleaning up messes at that point.
"Don't take any unnecessary risks, son…" Lou had said during their farewell. "And you ought to visit more…I'll be having more performances in the coming year, I'm sure…"
"Will do, Pop." Cole had promised as he embraced his father. As Lou had gone to pull away, Cole surprised him by pulling him in a second time. "I just….wanted to say thanks. I wouldn't have gotten this far without you, Dad…."
Lou's eyes misted as he held his son close.
"You're going to make a fine, leader, Cole. You've been a fine leader all your life."
The dragon faded from view and Keyda wrapped an arm around Cole's waist. He dropped the arm he was waving.
"I'm glad they came."
Keyda's voice was quiet and he looked down at her soft smile. She met his eyes and her smile faded a bit.
"But I wish that for once, we could have just had a nice normal day, without anyone trying to kill us…"
Cole put an arm around her shoulders and sighed.
"Yeah. I can't stop thinking about what almost happened…" his jaw clenched and he looked away. The silence was heavy for a few moments and Keyda's gaze drifted up to the stars. She pulled away from Cole and he looked back at her, confused by her sudden soft smile as she took his hands.
"What are you doing?"
"Wanna walk in a box with me?"
He blinked and then gave a little chuckle, shaking his head. He allowed her to pull him into the middle of the roof, but verbally he protested.
"There isn't any music…" he started, and she just shrugged, unbothered.
"Are you telling me you can do the super tricky trigger-fighter-slay but you can't even walk in a box without music?"
He stared at her for a moment, not registering, and finally laughed.
"It's called the triple tiger sashay. And I mean, we can waltz if you want…" He held one of her hands and put the other on her waist. "I guess I'm just a little confused about where this is coming from?"
She put her hand on his shoulder, and he started slowly leading them in the steps of a waltz. Keyda didn't answer for a few minutes as they moved in the silence on the roof…well, near silence. There was the sound of the breeze, echos of distant dragon calls, and the faint sound of marching and guards' voices on patrol. She smoothed the orange scarf on his shoulder, finally looking back up to meet his gaze.
"I like doing this with you," she explained, and he smiled. He spun her and when she came back into her original position she continued. "It feels like I've been waiting so long to just be happy with you. But I'm sick of letting other people and their actions determine whether I'm happy or not."
"Yeah?"
He spun her again, and she closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling. When she was facing him again he reached out and moved some hair that had flown into her face.
"You mean…like Adalaide? And the Baron?"
"Yeah, them….but also just anyone who came between us. Phos…Heavy Metal…" she gave him a sheepish smirk. "Me."
"You never came between us," Cole teased softly. He released her hand so he could wrap both arms around her waist, and she hesitated before moving her other arm up around his neck.
"I was scared for a long time…"
"We both were," he argued. They had stopped waltzing in favor of swaying. "I had my fair share of stupid decisions…that's why you call me Idiot, right?"
She smiled and fiddled with his braid with one of her hands.
"Maybe…but you're my Idiot."
He paused and she stopped swaying as well. The stars were winking overhead and he leaned in to kiss her. She could have stood like that forever, but he pulled away and rubbed a thumb on her cheek.
"Keyds…I'm sorry if I made you feel like I wasn't happy…"
"What do you mean?"
"Tonight…earlier. With everything that happened I kinda just went into survival mode. I never got to tell you…"
He paused and she cocked her head.
"Tell me what?"
"How happy I am…" he gave her another small kiss. "…And how excited I am for our next adventure…"
She felt a thrill and rested her head in the crook of his neck.
"I'm excited too. I love you, Cole..."
He kissed the top of her head gently, and she grinned with her eyes closed. His voice was soft as he replied.
"I love you too, Keyda."
She giggled a little, which made him chuckle.
"Can you say it again?" she teased, and he rolled his eyes, grinning.
"Nope. You should have listened the first time…"
She scoffed, pulling back to shake her head at his mischievous grin.
"You are so rude…"
He laughed and leaned in.
"I think you're the best thing that ever happened to me, Keyds…"
"I know you're the best thing that has happened to me," she replied, and he kissed her again.
"So you're happy, then?" she murmured as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He rested his forehead on hers.
"With you? Always."
The sun was beating down on the crowds shifting in the heat and the swirling dust. They had waited overnight for the announcement, and a few people pointed as the doors to the balcony finally began to move. Within a minute the crowd had hushed as everyone looked up and waited.
The doors opened and a woman in a silvery dress and draping ceremonial scarves came out. She was standing tall and unafraid, and she turned to beckon someone with a gentle smile. A man with striking yellow skin in black Oni-spun robes joined her on the balcony. Over one shoulder he wore a matching ceremonial scarf, and as he wove his right arm through the woman's left, a silver band glinted on his upper arm.
Cole winked at Keyda and she smiled at him before turning to address the crowd.
"Cole, the Ahsakar, has been chosen and spoken for. Yesterday we were bound…and today I present him to the realm as my partner and fellow Ruler."
There were some jeers, but not as many as they had expected. Most of the villagers looked wary, but not angry. Cole blinked in surprise as he actually heard his name in the crowd, and after a few moments he made out the group of children that were yelling his name and waving. He grinned and waved back at them. Keyda looked out at the faces, but instead of feeling overwhelmed, she felt strangely at peace. They still had a ways to go in gaining trust and fixing the realm…and she finally accepted the fact that bad things were still going to happen. As she looked over at the figure next to her, she was finally confident that they would be ok. Cole turned and met her eye, giving her that half-smile she was so used to. She grabbed his hand and suddenly lifted their intertwined arms into the air, looking back out to the crowd. Fists went up in response, and the critics were lost in the surprising sea of support.
Cole squeezed her hand and Keyda's grin widened because in that moment, she realized she was happy.
The End
Epilogue
The woman entered the tent, fuming. The old healer squinted at her murderous look and just shook his head, not in the least intimidated.
"You said it would work…" she started poisonously, and the Healer gave a crackly laugh.
"There was nothing wrong with the root, love. If it didn't work, it's cuz you didn't do it right…"
"How dare you!" she slammed her hands on the table he was working at, and he looked up, unamused. She continued, her voice low and biting. "This was supposed to get rid of the lot of them…clear a way for me to finally take back what's mine…"
"Sorry it didn't go your way," the healer replied dryly, not sounding the least bit apologetic.
"I need more of the…"
"No." The healer stood suddenly, and Adalaide glowered at his short form. "I told you, it's dangerous enough that I gave you that root in the first place. Could be seen as going against the Healer's oath, couldn't it? You're on your own…"
"Then at least help me unlock my powers!" she spat in reply. He scoffed, seemingly amused by her demands, as if he found her young and petty. She flushed angrily as he spoke.
"Ain't nobody that can do that for you…not even the Master Healer himself…"
"Then I'll find someone more powerful than him," She retorted, straightening to her full height. "Someday, somehow…I will find someone who will give me the power I deserve…and then there will be nothing in the way of me taking what belongs to me…"
The Healer noticed the desperate look in her eye and shook his head.
"There are some forces best left unsought…" he warned softly, and she rolled her eyes as she headed towards the exit. He raised his voice as she went to leave. "You still owe me for the Tuyetah…"
She turned and scoffed.
"I'm not paying you anything….it didn't even work…"
"Not my fault you used the product incorrectly. Trust me love….you do not want to be in debt to an Oni Healer," the man warned. She made a point of looking him up and down and finally shrugged.
"I'll take my chances."
With that, Adalaide disappeared into the darkness outside.
Author's Note
Well, we've officially reached the end of the sequel I thought I would never write…but it turns out I was way too invested in this story line to give up without exploring it completely. SOTO became way longer than I meant it to be; it's actually longer than Heart of the Oni! So a big thank you to everyone who made it through this monster of a sequel haha. It definitely had a different feel than HOTO did, but I had a lot of fun exploring Oni culture and creating more characters. It's been a long ride so all the reviews people have left and knowing people were actually reading this sequel made me super excited and happy J And of course special thanks to my cousin for being my ever faithful beta-reader, helping me world build, and drawing awesome pictures that brought my stories to life!
For anyone wondering, there is one last book to this series (can you have a fanfiction series? I still don't know what the rules are haha). The last book is called Fate of the Oni and we will probably start editing and posting it soon. It's the shortest book in the trilogy, and if I had to be honest I would say it's my favorite of the three. Because of the way it was written, I've split it into two parts and basically all the plot threads I've introduced up until now culminate into a huge finale. We're pretty excited for you to read it; if you liked the first two stories and want to know what happens after Keyda and Cole's family gets a little bigger, then I would encourage you to read it!
Thanks again for reading and here's hoping you'll write and let us know what you thought about this story; we get ridiculously excited over every review haha.
Till next time!
-NP