Chapter 10 – Vandalized and betrayed
By the time the walking group got back to the bottom of the mountain to climb up the stairs and up to the monastery, dawn had just began to crack over the horizon, but something was amiss. Everyone looked up expecting see fluffy white clouds above them, when instead the clouds were big and black like smoke.
"Oh no," Wu whispered with worry in his eyes. Everyone rushed up the stairs as fast as they could. When they reached the clouds, they squinted their eyes as they tears welled up in their eyes up and they began to cough.
"Guys-ACK...this is smoke!" Kai explained while coughing. When everyone finally got to the top, they were greeted by a horrible sight. The monastery was on fire, and in ruin; hardly any of it was left.
"Oh no, the dragons!" Jay exclaimed, and with that he rushed to get down the others stairs that lead towards the dragon stables.
When Jay got there, he could see flames inside the stables, and they were beginning to collapse. The dragons were inside rushing to get out. Jay tried to see what the dragons were doing since they were just getting out already, but the haze and the flames kept him from seeing clearly. But suddenly Flame, Shard, and Wisp came out and began to fly out of the stables, but then that left Rocky.
Rocky came bursting out from the stables, and he roared at Jay. As Rocky stood on the ledge, the roof of the stables gave way and a debris field was rushing towards them. Rocky noticed the debris cloud and quickly picked up Jay by the back of his suit with his jaws, but without hurting Jay, and ran and climbed up to the monastery where the others were, just before the debris clouds shot out at them. When Rocky was at the top, he put Jay down gently on his feet, but then he roared at him again.
"Yeah, thanks," Jay said sarcastically. Without warning, Shard flew up and breathed his ice breath over the flames, and soon the flames were out. Nothing but ruins, ashes and embers were left.
"Aw man, Lloyd and the Fangpyre must have played with matches around here while we were still walking back," Jay complained. Wu was most sad, he just stared at the destruction of his monastery.
"You alright, Sensei?" Kai asked.
"No," Wu sighed, "this was my father's, The First Spinjitzu Master's, monastery. And not only that—but also the home in which I grew up in," Wu explained sadly.
Suddenly, that's when Kate began to stir and gain consciousness. Cole noticed Kate was waking up, so he set her down gently on her feet. Once Kate opened her eyes and though she couldn't see it, she new something happened to the monastery.
"Oh no, what happened?" asked Kate.
"That brat, Lloyd, and the Fangpyre burned the monastery down," Cole replied. Kate took this in, and then her eyes widened.
"But what about Ed and Edna?" asked Kate.
"We are not sure how it happened, but somehow the affects of the Fangpyre venom in them was—reversed," Wu said as he walked up to Kate and handed her the bow and quiver of arrows. Kate put her bow over her shoulders and the quiver's strap over her back.
"But, we don't have a home now—what are we supposed to do?" Kai asked with a stern look. Kate looked guilty.
"This is all my fault," Kate said sadly.
"What? Kate, how is this your fault?" asked Nya.
"Because I encouraged Zane to follow the hawk, and then we found the Fangpyre, and if we hadn't we wouldn't have had to go and follow them, so we wouldn't have lost the monastery," Kate explained.
"But I would've lost my parents," Jay pointed out.
"And that's something that's hard to lose," Kai added.
"But I still can't see the damage I've caused! Do you know what that would make me look like? I'd look I wouldn't care, when I do!" Kate snapped as she began to well up with tears. Everyone was taken back by this and all was silent, except for the wind blowing in the ashes. Kate's face softened and she sighed.
"But what I can see is the misfortune of others," Kate said sadly as she turned away from everyone. "I even saw your future Zane," Kate admitted. Zane gasped.
"M-my future?" asked Zane. Kate finally turned back towards everyone and they saw her tear stained face and watery eyes.
"Which is why I stopped you from falling from that cliff, because it wasn't your time—and the only reason I knew that is because I saw the day of your death—I'm so sorry," Kate added. Zane's face was full of horror.
"I-I don't believe you!" Zane snapped, but Kate wasn't surprised.
"I know—believe me when I say you're not the only one that's said that to me—and that's why I lived alone, because I was just a warning light that no one would listen to," Kate explained sadly, and she turned and walked towards the stairs. Zane's face softened, but everyone looked at Kate wide eyed.
"Kate, where are you going?" Nya asked worriedly.
"Away," Kate replied, and then she pulled out an arrow and her bow, and she loaded her bow with the arrow and aimed back at everyone, "and don't follow me," Kate said as she walked down the stairs while keeping the arrow aimed at them. When Kate was no longer in sight, no one said a thing.
"Guys, what've we done—we've just lost an apple in our bushel," Jay said sadly, and everyone only exchanged sad looks at each other while still not saying a thing.
Dark winter clouds blew drastically cold winds over the tundra lands as the snake like helicopter Lloyd and the Fangpyre were riding in as it flew over to the familiar place where the Hypnobrai tomb was.
"Ok, so the next part of my plan is to raid the Hypnobrai!" Lloyd exclaimed as the helicopter landed just yards away from the open hole leading down to the Hypnobrai tomb.
"And jusssst vhy-vould vee do that?" Fangtom asked as he slithered out of the chopper and the blades slowed down and the engine was shut off. Lloyd and the rest of the small Fangpyre tribe hopped out of the air craft as well, and made their way to the tomb.
"Because I once had the Hypnobrai under my command, like I have you, but then they stabbed me in the back and betrayed me," Lloyd replied angrily. A random Fangpyre was listening to Lloyd and he gasped.
"They really sssstabbed you? Oh, you poor thing," the dimwitted Fangpyre said.
"Ugh, no, that was just a figure of speech," Lloyd said angrily at the Fangpyre. Fangtom leaned his two heads o Lloyd's ear.
"Now you know-how I feel-around thessssse goonssss," Fangtom whispered.
"Hey!" a crazed and childish voice shot out from inside the tomb, getting everyone's attention. That's when the new general of the Hypnobrai, Skales, slithered out of the tomb and with his golden general staff in hand. But unexpectedly, Skales smiled when he saw Fangtom before him.
"Fangtom, issss that you, old friend?" Skales asked with joy as he slithered up to Fangtom, and Fangtom smiled too.
"It'ssss been sso long-my old chum-and I ssssee-you are now leader," Fangtom said as he and Skales shared a quick friendly hug.
"What are you doing out here? And nice ride by the way," Skales said as he looked behind Fangtom and notice the helicopter.
"Oh, thanksss-vee call it-the Rattle-copter—and vee came here-under thissss boy'ssss-command-to destroy you-Hypnobrai," Fangtom replied. That's when Lloyd stepped out from behind Fangtom and was scared when he saw Skales.
"Oh, h-hi Skales," Lloyd whimpered while smiling a sheepish smile.
"You know him?" Fangtom asked Skales.
"Yesss, but only becausssse the child wasss able to take control of our old general, and that wasss a big misssstake, but lucky for the tribe, I beat Sssslithraa in a Sssslither Pit, and that'ssss when I told Lloyd to never come back here, but I guessss he couldn't keep his promisssse," Skales explained as he glared at Lloyd.
"Oh vell-I'm sssso sssorry-if I had known-my friend asss-a hatchling-vasss leader-of the tribe-I vouldn't have-lissstened to him," Fangtom explained.
"Wait, are you betraying me too?" Lloyd asked with worry. Fangtom's two heads looked at each other, and then glared back at Lloyd.
"Vee are," Fangtom hissed in reply. Lloyd turned and tried to run away, but a Fangpyre stuck out one of his bipedal legs to trip Lloyd. Lloyd tripped over the snake's leg and fell face first into the snow, but then he immediately struggled to get back up and ran off into the freezing arctic.
"Let him go. If we're lucky, he'll die of hypothermia," said Skales.
It was in the after noon as the ninja, Wu, Nya and the dragons were just chilling by a fire as a breeze swept over the empty mountain top. The dragons sat at one end, again the three dragons were guarding Flame as he sat curled up around something pressed up against his body and under his wing, and the others sat huddled up against the fire.
"I shouldn't have been so hard on her," Zane sighed.
"Yeah, I know, I mean it's not like the-always-quiet guy to just snap, especially at a little girl," Jay added.
"Wow, I'm sure you're a little ray of sunshine where ever you go," Cole said sarcastically.
"Kate is not someone to underestimate—she has a talent that she has not yet discovered," said Wu.
But as everyone was sulking, no one noticed the figure climbing up the stairs and headed towards them.
"I accept your apology," came Kate's voice. Everyone turned and gasped to see none other than Kate standing there and smiling at them. Everyone, except Wu, immediately stood and crowded Kate. Nya was first to give Kate a hug.
"Kate it's so good to have you back—and what made you come back, anyway?" Nya asked as she let go of Kate.
"Well, I came back for two reasons, one: you're, like, the only human friends I have that I can relate to, and second: I wanted to show you all a surprise," Kate replied.
"Ooh, is it cake?" Cole cut in with a big smile, "please be German chocolate, please be German chocolate," Cole prayed quietly. Kate chuckled.
"No, it's actually something that will get us back on our feet," said Kate.
The sun was still high in the sky when Kate was leading the others, and luckily the dragons followed as well, through a desert like terrain. Cole looked back at his dragon.
"Come on Rocky, are you still ignoring me?" asked Cole. Rocky only roared in reply. Cole turned back around and Kai was chuckling at him.
"Well, at least you know he was listening," Kai chuckled. Cole got angry, but then he looked at Kai's opposite side.
"Oh hey, what's that over there?" Cole asked quickly, making Kai look the other way. That gave Cole the chance to grab Kai's ninja mask and pull it up over his face, and of course, Kai didn't expect that. Kai said nothing as he put his mask back down revealing his angry face.
"Girls, girls, girls, you're both very pretty, so stop fighting over the same hair bow," said Nya, making everyone else laugh, except for Kai and Cole.
"They can pull each other's hair a much as they want because we're here," Kate said as they came up to a rocky platue. Everyone stopped and looked around in confusion.
"Um, unless the surprise is invisible, I'm going to pull your hair," said Jay. Kate rolled her eyes and pointed down below the platue.
"It's down there, geniuses," said Kate. Everyone followed Kate's finger and looked down to find an old abandoned pirate ship.
The ship had a mast with a sail still in good shape, a classic steering wheel at the helm, and at the bow was a dragon head made from wood. The ship also had a big enough cabin for shelter. Everyone looked back up at Kate with a smile.
"I thought maybe this could be our new home," Kate said softly.
"That's right kid, 'our' home—and that includes you," said Jay. This made Kate smile more. Everyone began to descend the platue to get to the ship, but Zane stopped Kate.
"Kate, was what you said to me true?" Zane asked sadly.
"Zane, I know it's a lot to take in, but you know my visions aren't wrong," Kate said softly.
"I know, that is what frightens me," said Zane.
"Zane, if I could, I would help, but you can't meddle with fate—but I will tell you this, that there was something good coming from your fate," said Kate.
"And what's that?" asked Zane.
"It's that no matter what will happen—you will never leave us," Kate said with a soft smile, making Zane smile too. It was quiet for a moment. "Now, you think you can cook dinner again, tonight?" Kate asked, breaking the silence.
"Of course I will," Zane chuckled, and with that they headed towards the ship.
Once Zane and Kate walked up the walk board to the ship, they gazed at it as they stood on the main deck like everyone else.
"Hmm, I think she needs a name," Cole pointed out.
"Yeah, what should we name it?" asked Nya. Zane and Kate looked at each other and smiled before looking back.
"How about—Destiny's Bounty?" asked Zane.
"I'm liking this idea," said Jay, "Destiny's Bounty," Jay repeated in a dramatic way, "it's got a nice dramatic affect to it," Jay continued.
"Well, let's hope Mouth of Lightning here can hotwire this thing to get us some electricity," said Cole.
"I am both offended and honored," said Jay.
"And I'll help," Nya said as she grabbed Jay's hand and intertwined their fingers. When Jay noticed this, he gripped Nya's hand harder as they smiled at each other. Cole looked at Jay and Nya's little moment, and then looked at Kai who was panting through clenched teeth and his eye was twitching.
"You gonna be ok, Kai?" asked Cole. But in the blink of an eye, Kai took out his Sword of Fire and just impaled the golden blade into the ship's deck. Kai closed his eyes and inhaled and then exhaled.
"Yeah, I'll be fine, why?" Kai said calmly as he opened his eyes.
"No reason," Cole said while shrugging.
"But what we are missing is the young miracle that came into our lives and has helped us along the way—we should be thankful to have Kate with us," Wu said calmly as he walked up to Kate and smiled at her, making her smile back at him.
"Yeah, too bad I don't have a gold star on me," Cole said with a smirk as he placed his hands on himself as if he were searching for something.
But as everyone chuckled and enjoyed themselves, they didn't notice Lloyd several yards away staring sadly at the ship they were on. After Lloyd gave up on sulking, he exhaled a soft sighed and closed his eyes. Lloyd shook his head as he turned himself and began walking across the sand.
Lloyd trudged through the sand, but then he shook his head and put on a serious face.
"C'mon Lloyd, you keep pulling yourself down you'll never find the next Serpentine tomb," Lloyd said to himself and he grabbed out the map and unrolled it. Lloyd looked at the fang shaped rock monument that looked to be in the same desert he was in on the map.
"Huh, that's weird, it's obviously a tomb if it's on this map, but how come it doesn't, I don't know, have, like, a symbol like the other tribes do?" Lloyd asked himself as he examined the picture with no symbol, just a fang shaped rock, "oh well—this must be a powerful and mysterious tribe then—awesome," Lloyd continued with a smirk.
Lloyd continued to walk under the conditions of the hot sun and sand. And he didn't notice the natural colored King Cobra snake he was walking just inches next to. The snake was obviously agitated by Lloyd, so it made a hissing noise and rose its hooded head from the sand. When Lloyd heard the hissing he looked around all confused.
"What the-?" Lloyd asked, but when he looked down, he was too shocked to finish speaking. The snake opened its hood and stared up at Lloyd and bobbed its head while flicking its black tongue and even baring its fangs a few times, and Lloyd stared wide eyed as if he were looking death in the eyes, and he practically was. The cobra bared its fangs again, but luck wasn't on its side today, because from behind it, an arrow head shot through the air and impaled the snake's head and went straight through its scales, and it instantly plopped down onto the sand, dead.
Lloyd's red eyes stared at the dead snake until his eyes shot up, and lo and behold, Kate was standing there and she looked as if she just shot an arrow, clearly she was just the one who killed the cobra. Kate glared as she walked up closer to Lloyd and put her bow back over her shoulders.
"Now, I know it's you, so what are you doing here?" Kate asked angrily. Lloyd put on a serious look again before answering.
"Shouldn't I ask you the same, I mean, aren't you supposed to be on that ship with your friends?" asked Lloyd.
"Nah, I lied to them, saying I wanted to take a walk, because I knew something was wrong, and then I run into you—now answer my question before I slap you again," said Kate.
"Yeah, but then you kissed me!" Lloyd protested. Kate scoffed.
"Can't a girl imply a thanks once in a while?" Kate asked, almost seductively.
"Whatever," Lloyd mumbled, "and I'm heading somewhere only important to me, not to you," Lloyd continued.
"Maybe not, but it's important to my friends—and especially your uncle," Kate said softly. This made Lloyd's eyes go wide a bit with anger.
"Don't speak to me about him!" Lloyd snapped, "my uncle is my dad's worst enemy, and always will be—and I respect my dad and his ways," Lloyd said in a softer tone. Lloyd turned away from Kate, but he didn't leave.
"Which is why I won't shoot you," Kate said, breaking the silence. Lloyd quirked an eye brown and turned to looked at her again.
"What?" asked Lloyd.
"I won't stop you—because I know you'll learn the hard way, and you'll come crawling back to us in the end," Kate said firmly, and then she leaned down to pick up the dead cobra and held it up for Lloyd to see, "and when you do, I'll put this under your pillow as a reminder," Kate continued, and with that she turned and walked back towards her and her friends' new boat home. Lloyd didn't say a word as he watched Kate leave. But after a moment of silence, Lloyd put on a smirk.
"She only came back because she thinks I'm a good kisser," Lloyd scoffed, and with that he continued on his journey to the next Serpentine tomb.
The sun was setting over the desert as the dragons were just relaxing on the sand around the ship, and everyone else was seated at a table, big enough for them all, in a small room that was placed on the highest deck of the ship.
Platters of French fries and cooked salmon were on the table as they ate, but mostly only scraps were left. But as everyone ate, Jay didn't as he placed his chin in his hand, and bounced his leg nervously. Nya was sitting next to Jay and was first to notice Jay's behavior.
"Um, are you ok?" asked Nya asked with a look of confusion. Jay was snapped out of his thoughts.
"Hmm?" Jay asked, "oh yeah, sure, I'm thin as a fiddle," Jay replied, but a little too quickly, making others give him questioning looks.
"Yeah, you may be a twig—next to Zane, no offense," Kai started, but then looked at Zane.
"None taken," Zane said softly.
"But I can tell you're not 'thin as a fiddle'," Kai said with air quotes. Jay was trying to act fast to think of something to say.
"Um, yeah well, on our way here, I got bit by this gigantic mosquito, and the bite is driving me crazy," Jay lied, and acted like his arm was itchy as he lightly scratched it.
Everyone murmured negatively about Jay to each other, and Jay looked worriedly at Wu, who gave him a single nod as a signal.
"U-uh, excuse me, I-I have to go," Jay stuttered as he stood and left the room, laving everyone, except for Wu, confused. But as everyone exchanged glances at each other, Kate stared sadly at Jay as he walked onto the deck.
After Jay got onto the main deck, he walked up to the ship's railing and leaned on it while looking down at the sand the ship sat upon. It was quiet for a moment, but the silence was not to last long.
"I'm going to help you," said a feminine voice. Jay turned and stared sadly at none other than Kate with his blue eyes.
"You can't help me," Jay sighed as he turned back around and Kate walked up next to him and joined him in leaning on the railing.
"Of course I can—if I can help Zane and Kai with their current problems, I can help you with yours," Kate protested softly, "and my first piece of advice for you is to not shut people out, because then you'll live a lonely life, like I did, which is why I help everyone—I don't want them making the same mistake I made," Kate explained softly.
"Hmm, as intimidating as that is, got anything else for me?" Jay asked, but not enthusiastically, for once.
"Yeah, wait here," Kate replied, and walked away from Jay to get something.
"I ain't got no choice," Jay sighed.
As Jay waited in the desert breeze and stared and the light brown and yellow sunset over the horizon, he reached his hand for his neck. Jay rubbed his hand on his neck, but that moved his ninja mask out of the way letting a Fangpyre bite in his neck become visible. The bite marks and the skin around it was becoming a sickening black color, and even a few stray green scales were forming on his neck.
Kate came back with a, literal, tall glass of water in her hand.
"See this? Now what do you see?" Kate asked as she held up the glass for Jay to see. Jay only stared in confusion at the glass of water.
"It's a glass of water, but how is that relevant?" asked Jay.
"Now, hold on, let me explain—you see, your mind is like the water, when you become agitated, things become rippled and unbalanced," Kate said as she lightly shook the glass, causing the water to ripple and wave around in the cup, "but when you allow it to settle," Kate continued as she sat the cup down gently on the railing, and the water began to settle, "everything becomes clear and still," Kate said softly.
"Meaning…?" Jay asked, obviously still not getting it.
Kate rolled her eyes, "Meaning, do not let stress and fear take you—that's your worst enemy right now, that was Kai and Zane's too—until they learned to calm themselves and let go," Kate explained, "the sooner you do that, the better," Kate continued.
Jay closed his eyes and breathed before smiling softly, and looking at Kate. Jay said nothing as he just grabbed Kate in a hug, which caught Kate by surprise at first, but then she smiled and hugged back.
"Thanks, Kate," Jay said softly, but then suddenly Jay's eyes widened and he broke the hug.
"Ooh, I hope no one ate off my plate," Jay said worriedly and rushed back to the dining room. Kate remained there and chuckled and shook her head at Jay. But Kate's smile went away when she heard soft thunder far off in the distance. Kate turned, and though she couldn't see, there were dark clouds starting to cover up the sunset.