Chapter Eight: Destiny
Jay gave an undignified yawn, his mouth so wide he was sure a dragon could have found refuge within it. The fatigue was unbearable now, his legs feeling like two blocks of solid lead, barely clearing the ground with every step he took. Every muscle in his thighs had grown numb to the pain they had previously been feeling. Yawning once more, the puppeteer stretched his arms up in the air, trying to keep himself awake as his eyelids wavered over his hazel irises. Glancing over to his left, Jay could see that Kai was trudging slowly, his heavy boots leaving divots of dirt in his wake. Averting his gaze to his right, the puppeteer noticed Cole's head bowed slightly. He would shake his head back and forth furiously every now and then, blinking hard. Everyone was exhausted.
Except for Zane.
The android had taken the lead, Cole's medallion still in his possession. His steady gait had not changed since they had decided that finding the legendary Temple of Light was their best course of action. Unfortunately, as the night had stretched on, so had the distance between Zane and the others. The warrior was still well within their sights of course, but they were lagging behind terribly. Every now and then, Zane would notice his companions falling behind and signal for them to continue to follow him, but he never really seemed to slow down.
Thump.
Pulling his mind back to the present, Jay stopped in his tracks and turned towards the blacksmith. Kai had collapsed on the ground, his face buried in the dirt, and the pale rays of sunshine peeking out over the horizon playing off of his brunet hair. "Kai," the puppeteer breathed, feeling adrenaline flooding through his body now, pushing the encroaching tiredness away completely. He knelt beside the unconscious blacksmith and rolled him over on to his side. The gentle rise and fall of Kai's chest was a huge relief. At least he was still alive. "Zane," Jay shouted, frantically searching for the android. "Zane, we need to stop!"
Hearing Jay's panicked voice shook Cole out of his exhaustion induced trance. Suddenly aware of the slowly rising sun and Zane turning around to come back towards them, the merchant looked around. Seeing Jay and Kai down in the dirt was nerve wracking. "What's going on?" he asked hurriedly, immediately kneeling beside Jay as Zane closed the distance between himself and the group. "What's wrong with Kai? Is he okay?"
"I-I don't know," the puppeteer answered in an anxious tone, keeping a strong hand on his friend's injured shoulder. The looming shadow of Zane was almost comforting in the given situation. He seemed very level-headed and just his presence was enough to start calming Jay down. "I think he just passed out," the puppeteer concluded, connecting several factors. Jay knew Kai had not eaten since the two of them had made their way out of Ignacia Village. The heat from the day in the jungle had been debilitating in addition to the blood loss from his injury. If Zane had not taken the time to wrap it on their way out of the jungle, it probably would have become infected. "None of us have slept within a day," Jay stated. "We're exhausted, hungry, and probably dehydrated. Kai's body just couldn't take it anymore, I guess." Given a few more minutes, I know I would've been on the ground myself, his thoughts chimed in.
Cole nodded in agreement. As much as they needed to keep out of sight and try to make it to the Sunshine Temple or whatever it was they had decided to look for, they needed to try and keep their wits about them. They needed to keep their strength up. "Zane, we need to stop and rest before we all end up like this," the merchant stressed, rummaging around in his satchel for something, anything, that could be helpful in this situation. "We can't just keep going like you can. If we push ourselves too far, stuff like this can happen."
"My apologies," Zane said with a bow, feeling something that he had never truly felt before. A few words floated through his conscious mind. Guilt. Remorse. Sympathy. All of these emotions that he was now slowly recognizing as so, were still foreign to him. He was a warrior, built to perform designated tasks and nothing more. The more time he spent with these fugitives, the more he felt as if his programming was failing him. Not fugitives, his thoughts corrected yet again. Friends. "There is a very small village five miles from here. If we start moving immediately, we can make it there before the sun completely rises over the horizon. I suggest we attempt to make it there before the village becomes active."
It sounded like a good plan, but carrying Kai all the way to the village would be difficult. Jay glanced down at the blacksmith and frowned slightly. Despite the sudden burst of adrenaline that this entire situation had caused, Jay was positive that between himself and Cole, they could not manage to get Kai to the village as quickly as Zane wanted them to. Quickly thinking up a possible solution to this, Jay rubbed his bare hands together for a moment before place both of them on Kai's side. Shutting his eyes tightly, he tried to concentrate on making a spark like he had earlier. If I can shock Kai awake, it'll be easier on everyone. As the minutes slowly ticked by, it was becoming painfully obvious that Jay's ingenious plan was not working. "We're wasting time," the puppeteer heard Cole huff.
"Sorry, but I was trying to wake him up with my electricness," Jay shot right back, crossing his hands over his chest. "I don't see you helping in any way."
Ignoring the debacle that was already beginning to escalate, Zane made his way in between the two bickering men and swiftly lifted Kai up off of the ground, tossing him over one of his shoulders. "Like I stated previously," the android interrupted, his expression not betraying a hint of emotion, "I suggest we attempt to make it there before the village becomes active." With that, the warrior turned on his heel and started trekking in the direction of the village, the weight of his unconscious companion not even fazing him. "There will be more time to rest and recuperate if we get there as quickly as possible," Zane called back, glancing behind him for a split second to see Jay and Cole following behind him at a steady pace. They would have to continue on their main journey later.
He gulped, feeling the small bit of saliva in his mouth go down his throat roughly. There was no one around him. Jay. Cole. Zane. They were all gone. Turning around quickly, the blacksmith almost tripped over himself, his boots catching on a small hole in the earth. Before him stood a building he never wanted to see this close up, looming upwards towards the slate colored sky menacingly. "Pythor's castle," Kai barely whispered, feeling his blood run cold with ice. Taking a step backwards, Kai's right foot fell back into the hole he had previously stepped in, causing him to lose his balance and fall. The compacted dirt met his back roughly, causing him to cough and sputter, the air swiftly leaving his lungs. Gasping, Kai just stared up at the foreboding sky, feeling paralyzed. Why was he here? Where was everyone else?
"Finish the job then. You are under orders, if you remember correctly," stated a cold voice.
Managing to push himself up with his shaking hands, Kai looked around for the source of the voice, unfortunately finding no one. "Who's there?" he called out, knowing full well that he would not want to know the answer. An unexplainable, ominous feeling overwhelmed him, causing his heart to beat faster as he scurried backwards with his hands, scanning the surrounding area fearfully. Coward, his thoughts hissed, practically screaming in his head. You're running when you're right where you want to be. Pythor is right inside that castle. You can go in there and face him. End the torment for everyone. "I can't," Kai breathed, feeling his muscles tremble with adrenaline and fear. "I'm just one person. I can't do it alone. I need help."
"Pathetic and pitiful human," came the voice again, causing Kai to scramble for the sword he knew was holstered around his waist. As his right hand touched nothing but the toughened leather of the holster, his heart sunk indefinitely. How was he going to defend himself? What was he going to do? "For acting out against the empire and all Serpentine kind, you will be punished with a lifetime of imprisonment." Realization crept over the blacksmith as he recognized the voice as belonging to the one individual he loathed so much. Pythor himself. "Of course, I am a serpent of kindness and mercy," the Anacondrai continued to muse, a condescending chuckle reverberating off of the empty air. "Someone as feisty as you would be unhappy in a cell for any amount of time. So I'll spare you the imprisonment and just have my associate take care of you now."
A rough hand appeared out of nowhere, lifting Kai up by his tunic and yanking him to his feet. Expecting to see Pythor himself, Kai was disoriented and surprised to see someone else. A familiar face. "The time to pay for your crimes has arrived," stated Zane, his expression placid and dark blue eyes full of indifference. Kai squirmed against the android's unyielding grip to no avail. Zane pushed the blacksmith forward, keeping a strong hand on his shoulder. Stumbling, Kai felt all of the fight that had been fueling him on his journey fade away completely. He was not the Golden Master. He was not even a hero. He was a lowly crafter of metal weapons, nothing more. Kai felt the warrior stop behind him and he glanced down with wary, brown eyes at the jagged edge of a dark abyss. "Do not worry," Zane said. "Your friends will be joining you soon enough."
Just as a primordial roar erupted from the darkness, a blinding light appeared from somewhere behind. Attempting to turn around, Kai noticed as Zane shielded his eyes, so he followed suit, holding a hand up and squinting in order to try and see what was happening. Through the golden aura, the blacksmith made out the silhouette of a person, slowly advancing. "Get rid of him now," commanded Pythor's voice from somewhere indeterminable. "The Golden Master cannot make it without all of his protectors." One final push. Kai felt himself falling backwards, watching as everything around him seemed to slow down. He watched as Zane's face seemed to come to life, eyes full of sorrow and guilt as he reached out a hand, attempting to grab Kai and stop his descent. As the android gripped nothing but air, his face fell and he was engulfed in the bright light.
A warm and strong hand caught the end of Kai's sleeve. He looked up, just seeing the black silhouette of the person. "Who are you?" he asked, forgetting that he was dangling down in a never-ending trench of blackness. The figure spoke no words and gently lifted Kai up and out of his precarious predicament. Now on solid ground, the adrenaline pumping through his body was overwhelming and Kai just shook, staying on his hands and knees. "Th-Thank you for saving me." Feeling a few strands of his brunet hair sticking to his forehead with perspiration, the blacksmith took one last glance upwards at his savior. All he could make out was a pair of bright, emerald eyes through the light. As suddenly as the stranger had appeared, he vanished, leaving palpable darkness in his wake.
"Keep breathing like that and you're going to hyperventilate."
Kai shot upwards, nearly colliding with Cole in the process. The merchant raised a bushy eyebrow, barely visible through his raven hued hair. "Whoa, whoa, calm down," he continued, placing a hand on Kai's chest and nearly spilling the canteen of water he held in his other hand. "You're fine. Everything's fine." Seeing the spiky haired brunet glancing around fearfully, Cole just gave him a moment to get a bearing on the unfamiliar surroundings. As the minutes passed by slowly, Kai finally stopped acting belligerent. "Like I said, everything is fine and you're fine. You passed out back on the road and I can't say I blame you," Cole said calmly, handing the canteen to Kai who accepted it quickly, thrusting the spout into his mouth and feeling the cold liquid slide effortlessly down his throat.
"Thank you," he replied, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand before giving the canteen back to his companion. "Where is everyone else though?" Kai questioned, feeling the familiar sensation of adrenaline flooding through his veins. Images from his dream quickly traversed trough his conscious mind, causing the blacksmith to shiver. There was a renewed suspicion of Zane that Kai could not shake. Yes, everything that had happened had only been a dream, but the android was first and foremost a servant of the Serpentine. He was going to be extremely careful around him now, preparing for betrayal at a moment's notice. "Where even are we?"
After taking a quick swig from the canteen, Cole placed the rounded object safely into the confines of his satchel. "You were out for longer than you think," the merchant started with a sigh. "It's been a little over a day now. Zane persuaded a recently retired merchant to give us one of his carts for transporting goods. We've been wheeling you around on that, under the cover of a few blankets and shawls." Noticing how unamused Kai appeared at this information, Cole gave a small chuckle. "Hey, we couldn't be seen just dragging around an unconscious person across Ninjago. It would've looked really suspicious. Drawn more attention to ourselves and you know we can't afford unwanted attention." He received a nod of understanding from Kai before he finished off his thoughts. "We're in Sekhmet now, in a village close to the Traveler's Port. Zane went to go get a boat and Jay went to go and get some more supplies before we head out."
Was everyone completely delusional? "How can they just walk around doing whatever?" Kai sputtered. If Jay was recognized by a serpent, or even another person that reported to a serpent, then they were going to be in a world of trouble. "You were just saying that we don't want to draw attention to ourselves. This could be some pretty big attention if they're recognized, Cole." Slowly getting to his feet and feeling slightly dizzy, Kai leaned back against the sandstone, alley wall behind him. The air was not as muggy here as it had been in the southern kingdom. It was a breath of fresh air, literally. Though Kai could not be sure which Serpentine would be a worse adversary: the Venomari or the Fangpyre. At least if they had been subdued by Venomari, the effects of the venom eventually wore off. Fangpyre venom on the other hand was dangerous to mess with.
"Calm down, hothead," the merchant huffed, following Kai's lead and standing up, brushing his damp hair out of his eyes. "Jay might be...well...Jay, but he isn't necessarily stupid. He hasn't gotten recognized yet so I'm sure he knows what he's doing. You told me yourself the guy managed to perform particularly illegal shows and was never caught. The guy is pretty sneaky." Cole had to admit that they had a pretty good team going on and he caught himself thinking about them succeeding in their plan to somehow overthrow Emperor Pythor. It was still pretty much impossible, but the hope was almost overwhelming at times. If Zane turns on us, it'll all be over, he thought despite himself, quickly shaking the negative idea from his head. "Everything will be okay."
"Hey guys!" shouted an extremely chipper voice. Kai and Cole looked off to the right to see Jay running merrily along, a wide grin spread across his face and his hair messily parted on the left side of his head, causing some of his auburn hair to cascade down across his forehead. "I got stuff for our trip to the temple! We got food so we won't starve to death!"
Cole felt his heart sink and slid a hand down his tired face. If he had known that Jay's "disguise" would have been just flipping his hair a different way, he would have never defended him so quickly. Maybe Jay was not sneaky or cunning. Jay was just stupidly lucky. He caught the unmistakable sound of Kai snickering and shot him a glare. "That's great, Jay," the merchant replied warily as the puppeteer finally stopped in front of them, picking up Cole's satchel and haphazardly shoving a barrage of bread and fruit inside. "Next time just try to stay a little more inconspicuous though. We don't want to get caught."
"Yeah, of course," the puppeteer answered. "That was why I disguised myself. There's no way we can get caught." His hazel eyes bounced between Cole and Kai, studying their faces. Cole looked very annoyed and Kai held a hint of amusement in every one of his features. "It doesn't matter anyhow. I didn't get caught and now we have to meet Zane at the port so we can find a ship and get the heck out of here. There are a lot of Fangpyres hanging around and they make me really nervous."
A quiet chirp came from above and the three looked up to see the odd, grey falcon that belonged to Zane flapping its wings as it hovered just out of reach. Holding out an arm, Jay gestured for the mechanical creature to land and, to his surprise, it happily obliged. After taking a second to properly perch itself and dig its talons into the blue fabric of Jay's sleeve for a strong grip, the falcon opened its beak. "Forgive me for this, but there has been a slight change in plan," came Zane's voice, slightly garbled and staticky. Kai felt the atmosphere around them grow much more tense. Was Zane finally coming to his senses and handing them over? "I have successfully gotten a vessel for our travels, but I was untruthful to the Serpentine guards in my efforts. The cart that we have been using to transport Kai is now needed. In order for me to take the vessel to the island, I must be carrying goods. The three of you will be my goods."
Cole gave a nod and leaned in closer to the bird. "Gotcha. We're back in an alley not too far away from the port itself. We'll be waiting for you." With that, the falcon shut its beak tightly, its yellow eyes eyeing them each before it released its hold on Jay's shirt and shot upwards into the sky. "I hope he gets here soon," the merchant sighed, leaning back against the alley wall once more. "The sun is pretty high in the sky right now and that just makes me really anxious. It's a lot easier to be seen and if this plan of his doesn't work out, we'll definitely be caught."
"Yeah, definitely," the blacksmith reluctantly agreed, feeling more nervous than he had previously. The three of you will be my goods. Yet again, the images of Zane pushing him towards the ominous abyss surrounding Pythor's castle bombarded him and he sucked in a breath nervously. How much longer would the android be on their side? Talking with the Serpentine could have cleared his mind and made him realize that he was going against everything he had been programmed to do. "We just have to hope for the best, I guess."
His breath was ragged and uneven as he clamped his hands down harder over his nose and mouth. Don't make a sound. Don't even think about making a sound, Jay thought desperately as he squeezed his eyes shut and focused more on trying to keep quiet. It was so difficult though. Laying between both Kai and Cole, several blankets and shawls concealing them from sight, was very hot. The fabric above trapping the heat from the sun and mixing with the heat coming from their own bodies. Kai in particular was very warm. Every time the wheels of the cart hit a bump, Jay found himself bumping up against the blacksmith and instantly regretting it. The guy felt like a volcano. No wonder he passed out earlier. Maybe he has a fever or something, the puppeteer settled on, distracting himself from his conscious effort to stifle his heavy breathing.
"The more you think about it, the worse it's going to be," Cole barely whispered, keeping his amber eyes focused on the canopy above him. The layers of fabric filtered the struggling sunlight oddly, casting a muddy glow around them all. It was kind of peaceful. The atmosphere around them and even the sound of the cart's wooden wheels trekking across the uneven ground. If there was not the ever present worry of being thrown in jail, Cole would have probably taken a nap. His hands tightened around the satchel that he was holding close to his chest and he became aware of Jay's breathing subsiding to a small sound. "There you go. Just keep your cool," he smiled.
Very potent, the smell of salt wafted through the air and Kai crinkled his nose. He had never been to the sea before and so far, he was not enjoying the experience. Suddenly, the movement of the cart halted and he felt his hands clench into tight fists as the rest of his muscles tensed up. Jay's breathing was beginning to sound shaky once more, but he quickly regulated it again, much to Kai's relief. "As I had stated earlier, I am here to deliver food and other goods to the Temple of Light," the blacksmith heard Zane say. "Shall you help me load the cart onto the ship then?"
There was a a bit of grumbling and hissing as the cart started moving yet again. Please, Zane, Kai thought to himself helplessly. Please don't let this be a trap. Please don't turn us over to them.
"Have you found them yet?" came one of the Serpentine guards. "The fugitives that Pythor wants caught?" Cole felt Jay squirm beside him and he moved one of his hands from his satchel to the puppeteer's shoulder reassuringly. "We're all aware that he sent you out to find them personally, but here you are delivering goods to the Temple of Light. Shouldn't they be more of a priority right now?" Despite the cart continuing to move, everything grew silent. Kai involuntarily twitched and felt his boot hit the wooden rails of the cart, producing a low, thudding sound. All movement ceased and the three fugitives waited with bated breath for something to happen. "Did you hear that?" asked the same voice. A few of the blankets set above them moved and Jay thought his heart was going to explode with anxiety.
"I heard nothing," Zane commented, his voice sounding like sharpened steel. "I do not appreciate the accusatory tone of your voice though," he continued as the cart resumed motion, much to his companions' relief. "I would not be undertaking a new task if I was not ordered to do so. The fugitives are very cunning, disappearing every time I get close to them. It becomes very tiring." The words hung in the air, seemingly gathering credibility. Kai was surprised by how effectively the android was deceiving his own comrades. Gravity pulled down on all three of them as they felt the cart being angled up a hill, no doubt being loaded on to the ship that Zane had been talking about. "As soon as I finish this delivery like Emperor Pythor has instructed me to, I will be back on the hunt. You can rest easy knowing that I will find them and they will be punished for their crimes against the crown."
Silence. It stretched on for a longer period of time. The cart was horizontal once more, rolling along an even surface before stopping completely. "My apologies, sir," the guard hissed, but Jay could hear the contempt dripping in his voice. "Have a safe voyage and return swiftly to catch the criminals before they do something else." With that, the three fugitives listened as footsteps retreated across the wooden deck and disappeared entirely. Jay shifted to try and sit up, but Cole kept a grip on his shoulder and shook his head. It was not safe. Not quite yet.
Seconds ticked by into minutes. The minutes seemed to stretch on like hours until the gentle rocking of the ground underneath the cart became apparent. Sudden, blinding sunlight greeted the three fugitives as the blankets and shawls were quickly removed from above them. Jay groaned loudly, clamping his hands down over his eyes in protest. "My apologies," Zane frowned, tossing the items down on to the lightly tanned deck of the ship. "I just wanted for you to know that the coast is clear now. We are on the open sea."
Kai continued to blink the colored spots out of his vision as he sat up. Zane was right though. The coastline of Ninjago was barely visible on the horizon behind them and he breathed a sigh of relief. They had done it. They had made it out of the country without being seen or caught. "Thanks, Zane," the blacksmith replied honestly, giving the warrior a solid pat on the back. "You did it. We couldn't have made it this far without you, you know. You even lied for us. I thought for sure if one of the snakes had asked, you would have just given us up then."
"I cannot say that the thought did not cross my mind," the warrior stated sadly, gazing up at the stark white sails that fluttered in the afternoon breeze. "I am beginning to realize something though. I am more like the three of you than I am the Serpentine. It instills a sense of connection that I have never fully encountered before." With that, Zane grabbed the satchel from Cole's lap and rummaged around until he found the shining, golden medallion that was supposed to be the map. "When the three holes within this artifact line up with spots of light upon the horizon, then the Temple of Light has been found. Until then, we sail onward."
Watching as the android clothed in white made his way to the helm of the ship, Cole took a second to grab a loaf of bread from his satchel before closing it. He broke the end of the baked dough into chunks and offered some to the two men beside him. Jay did not hesitate to accept the food and hungrily gobbled the bread down in seconds. Kai also took what he was offered and slowly began to eat it, only now realizing how much his stomach burned with hunger. At least they actually had food now. "Zane was gonna turn us in," the puppeteer piped up, glancing nervously between his two friends. "We would have been so hooped."
"He didn't though," the blacksmith answered in a stern tone, carefully stepping out of the cart and feeling the smooth surface of the ship's deck underneath his boots. It was not a huge sailing vessel, but it held enough space for a small crew. A large, red dragon's head protruded from the front, appearing very intimidating. Leaning against the golden railing of the ship, Kai glanced down at the deep mahogany hue of the hull and squinted his eyes as something painted on the side of the vessel caught his eye. It was an eight pointed star with a gaping hole in the middle, a symbol he recognized from the few picture books of his youth. "Destiny," he whispered, hearing the whistle of the wind in his ears and feeling the salt of the sea sting his nose. "Destiny is somehow allowing us to make it this far."
A short snort sounded from Kai's left and he turned to see Cole leaning against the railing of the ship too. "Let's just hope you're right and it actually is destiny. Who knows, it could just be luck." The merchant saw Kai eyeing him and he just shrugged, resting his chin on his folded arms. "And luck always runs out..."