Chapter Twenty-Six: Feeding Day
Jay couldn't hold in his excitement. Adrenaline pumped through his body, causing little sparks to light up the tips of his fingers. They were in the Jaymobile again, but this time Cole had taken the wheel. He'd insisted on it. Jay didn't think much of it. The Jaymobile was the most amazing thing in the land. It didn't come as a surprise that Cole would want in on the fun. Either way, it would have been a terrible idea to allow Jay to drive in his current state. A queasy feeling of excitement swam around his stomach and his hands wouldn't stop twitching rapidly. After having restored the villager's minds with the anti-venom, it had been impossible for Jay to stand still. They were finally going to do it. They were going to save Nya. He would burst in like a knight in shining armor, sweep her off her feet, and hold her tightly. He'd never, ever, let her go.
"So, can your sister fight? I mean, she's gonna help us kick Pythor's butt, right? I bet she knows how to fight," Jay smiled, a dreamy look in his bright blue eyes. "I bet she's perfect. No, I know she's perfect."
Kai restrained himself from smacking the blabbering member of the team. The blacksmith settled on shooting a deadly look towards the hyperactive puppeteer. A look that Jay totally missed. "You know, it would be nice if you could stop talking about my sister. At least for a second."
"Yeah, no offense, Jay, but your lovesick jabbering is giving me a bit of a headache," Cole piped in. "I'm sure Nya is amazing in her own way, but our priority to defeat Pythor still stands. Put the many before the one, remember?"
"Hey, I understand you shutting up Jay, but we are saving my sister, and it is a priority," Kai hissed. "We've waited long enough. I don't even want to think about what she's endured. We're saving her. End of story."
Cole reserved any more words and kept his eyes focused on the road ahead. He felt like he was in a constant battle with the people he was supposed to rely on. Was Nya important? Of course she was, especially to Jay and the blacksmith, but they could not let themselves focus solely on her. They had been chosen to save an entire country, not one person. Cole gave a sigh and just kept his thoughts to himself. He knew Kai and Jay cared about the many, but did they care enough?
"It feels so...unreal," the Golden Master spoke up, taking the others by surprise. "We...we have all the staffs. The Serpentine are starting to fall and...it's all because of us." His emerald eyes were fixated on his hands, his calloused and over worked hands. Here he was, nothing more than a slave, and he was helping to take down the leaders of their world. It was...satisfying to say the least. Lloyd had been so powerless before the ghost of the emperor had pushed him to finally escape, and now...
The world could be yours, cooed the voice in his head. Lloyd pushed it away though, like always.
Zane nodded. "Indeed. We have come very far to get to this point and we should not take any of that lightly. There is always the possibility of failure and, now that we are heading straight for Pythor, we must remember that more than ever."
"Fail? Us? We're invincible! I don't think you understand, Zane." Jay shook his head, chuckling softly. "We defeated four Serpentine tribes. Four. Whole. Tribes. There's no way Pythor can defeat us."
"That kind of attitude is only going to get us killed, Jay. Don't forget, Pythor has plenty of tricks up his sleeve," Cole sighed yet again. If the puppeteer didn't pull his head out of the clouds, Pythor would have no problem destroying them all. If they wanted to win, they'd need every single one of them to fight. If Jay was distracted, their chances would diminish. "He could still win. He's kept the human race under his rule long enough to know how to destroy us."
As they neared the city, Cole began to slow the Jaymobile down. No reason to alert the Serpentine to their presence any earlier than they had to. They could sneak in, take Pythor's own staff, and free everyone before sunset. Simple enough, right?
A soft, familiar tune reached Lloyd's ears. Festive, yet foreboding. He felt his stomach flip upon itself as he counted the days he'd been away from the city. Goosebumps traveled up his arms as he finished his counting. "It's Feeding Day..."
"What?" Kai frowned, trying to hear Lloyd over the sudden sound of roaring wind.
"Feeding Day! They're feeding the Great Devourer today," Lloyd shook his head rapidly, his blonde hair flying around him. Panic set in as he realized something. "They're going to use Nya as bait!"
"Cole, you need to slow down!" Jay shouted over the sound of the wind. At first, the merchant had begun to move the vehicle to the edge of the road, planning to hide the Jaymobile and enter the city undetected, no doubt. Something seemed wrong now. He kept going faster and faster. Jay tugged on his friend's shoulder, trying to get his attention. "Slow down! I don't think it's safe to go this fast!"
The merchant turned his head and Jay jumped back. His usual grey eyes were shining a bright crimson. Just like the eyes of the villagers had been. Cole smiled, an evil, cold-blooded smirk. "I don't think you'll be reaching Nya in time."
"Wh-why?" Jay stuttered, his eyes fixated on Cole's.
"Because I have to beat you all to a pulp first."
"Cole, we're going to-" Lloyd's shout was cut off, mid-sentence, as the Jaymobile crashed into the side of a house. Pain erupted within Lloyd's head and everything was swallowed up by darkness.
There was nothing but silence at first; a deafening silence that made the Golden Master feel like his eardrums were going to implode. Then the hissing of the Jaymobile's engine finally made itself known. Lloyd groaned, trying to get a better hold on his body, trying to figure out if he could even move. With a bit of a struggle, the green eyed boy managed to lift his previously injured arm just a tad, but it was so heavy. Even his eyes refused to open, though everything around him felt like it was spinning. He was not sure if he wanted to actually see what had happened.
Another groan resounded in the still air. Shuffling. Heavy breathing. Lloyd tried to actively decipher the noises without peeking to see what was going on. Why...why had Cole done that? He had just rammed right into a building! He could have killed them all. Well...I hope I'm not dead, Lloyd thought bitterly, his shallow breathing now starting to make him panic. If I was dead, then I don't think I'd hurt this bad. There was pain concentrated near his forehead that he was now very aware of. You have to try and open your eyes...
"Lloyd?" came a voice. It sounded familiar, but there was a rasp to it that the Golden Master did not recognize. He stayed still, eyes still closed. Hands grabbed the boy's shoulders and yanked hard, freeing him from the seat that he had been mangled in. "Lloyd? Lloyd?" The voice just continued to shout his name over and over again. The boy felt himself being dragged across the ground before stopping. A presence lurked nearby and then there was something heavy on his chest.
Curiosity getting the better of Lloyd, he managed to pry open his eyes. Spiky hair lay dangerously close to his face, and the Golden Master tried to wiggle out from underneath his friend. Kai raised his head off of the boy's chest, relief obvious on his face. "Oh man...I-I didn't think I heard a heartbeat," the blacksmith breathed, now unsteadily getting to his feet. Lloyd glanced up at him, noticing a nasty gash that snaked across Kai's left eye now. Blood slowly seeped from it, but he acted like he did not notice.
"I'm okay...I think," Lloyd replied, taking his friend's now outstretched hand and getting to his feet. "What...why did Cole...?"
The blacksmith ignored this and led Lloyd back over towards the wreckage. Some of the house's exterior wall had crumbled at the impact, but the front of the Jaymobile was crushed. Destroyed. Smoke poured from where the engine was, filling the air. Lloyd held his arm across his mouth and coughed. His eyes rested on Jay who lay close by, his face looking pale. He would have rushed towards him, but Zane was already kneeling beside him, checking the puppeteer over. The question that weighed on Lloyd's mind the most seemed to be the one no one wanted to answer.
Where was Cole now?
Lloyd looked through the smoke, trying to see something, anything. His head still felt a bit heavy, and he leaned on the blacksmith for support as they stumbled towards the others. Jay was sitting up, a large bruise spread across his cheek, but otherwise unharmed. Zane looked far too calm and normal, but by now Lloyd had gotten used to the robot's lack of expressions. The Golden Master looked back towards the wreckage and, at last, a thought hit him. "The staffs!"
Kai frowned for a second, then his eyes widened as he looked towards the Jaymobile. It was empty. No staffs. No Cole. "They're gone...but where? And where's Cole? What the heck happened?"
Jay tried to stand, but a wave of nausea won over the control of his body and he collapsed. "He...he was hypnotized. Like...like the people in the village. He crashed the car on purpose. A Hypnobrai was controlling him...that had to be it!"
"So he took the staffs?" Kai stomped on the ground, then ran his free hand through his spiked hair. "We were so close! So close! Dammit!"
"We should still be able to retrieve the staffs," Zane stated, slowly helping Jay stand. "Cole is only human after all. He could not have gone too far while injured."
"You're forgetting something," Lloyd muttered softly, trying to talk through the pounding in his head. "His element...his element is earth. His body can probably withstand plenty of pain. I don't think he was hurt much at all."
"Good thinking, Lloyd." Cole's voice caused everyone to stiffen, and Jay gave an involuntary yelp. The merchant stepped away from the smoke, the four staffs strapped to his back. "You're smarter than I thought."
The loud sound of trumpets filled the air. The music clung to the wind, lingering around them. Lloyd's eyes widened. He knew the sound too well.
"Ah, looks like the feeding's about to begin," Cole smirked, picking up Kai's sword from the wreckage. "Too bad no one is going anywhere, until you deal with me."
"Don't be an idiot, Cole." Kai spat, taking a few steps forward before feeling a hand on his shoulder. He turned to see Zane, his expression stoic in the face of everything. Despite this, the blacksmith still tried to fight his way to Cole. Zane's grip was relentless though. "Come on," Kai argued, his temper still flaring. "We can't just let him take the staffs or stop us from helping Nya. If he wants a fight, then I'm happy to give him one!"
"Let us not be hasty," the android said to his friend. "If Jay is right, then Cole is not in control of himself at the moment. He needs our help just as much as your sister does." This seemed to resonate something within Kai, who finally understood the delicate nature of their situation. "We need the Hypnobrai staff to cure Cole and the others to ensure our safety as much as possible against Pythor. Of course, the Great Devourer's feeding will not halt. I will stay behind to try and help Cole while you take Jay and Lloyd to help Nya."
This plan was not the greatest, but Kai begrudgingly agreed to Zane's proposal, stepping back towards Jay and Lloyd. The Golden Master had his arm around Jay, helping him stand up as much as he could. "We...we have to go get Nya," Kai stated, wiping a trail of trickling blood away from his eye. "Zane said he'll handle Cole for us, but we need to go now before..." He could not even finish his thoughts. Kai's stomach twisted upon itself painfully as he waited for the others to acknowledge this new plan.
"Well then, let's go!" Jay urged, his tone both pained and anxious. While leaning on Lloyd for support, the puppeteer followed Kai as they tried to make their way towards Pythor's castle, giving Cole a wide berth.
Zane stared straight at Cole as the others ran, studying the merchant's confident smirk and aiming to discover his weakness, trying to predict his next movements. It appeared that Cole was doing the same. Neither of them moved for a while, each planning their attack in their own mind.
Finally, Cole stepped forward, lifting his newly acquired sword and swinging it towards Zane. The robot easily dodged it, rolling to the side, his body passing harmlessly underneath the sharpened blade. Without missing a beat, Zane stood, swiveling his body in order to land a powerful kick against the merchant's back. Cole barely reacted. His rock hard body was unmoved by the blow.
"Ice against rock," Cole laughed. "You're going to shatter."
"Given time, ice can snap any type of rock in half," Zane answered back, dodging another of Cole's attacks and attempting to kick him once again. It was no use. Now that he'd gained more control over his powers of earth, the merchant was simply too strong.
"There's your problem." Cole lunged forward with the sword. "You don't have any time."
Zane tried to move back, but his feet wouldn't obey him. The ground around his feet had lifted around them, tightening and preventing Zane from going anywhere. The sword went straight through his body. He didn't feel any pain, couldn't feel any pain, but a strange sense of exhaustion vibrated around his body. A bit of oil trickled down from where the sword had hit, and he could feel himself powering down. He fought to keep his eyes open, fought to keep his body from going limp, but it was useless.
"One down," Cole smiled widely before turning to see where the others had run off to. "Three to go."
The horns blared once again and Jay felt a chill travel through his body. They had to get there now! Adrenaline filled his veins and he felt himself speeding up, Lloyd's arm falling away from his shoulders. "Nya..." the puppeteer breathed, catching a brief glimpse of Kai and Lloyd trotting along beside him. They would make it. He knew they would. The silhouette of a group gathered along the edge of Pythor's castle was visible along the horizon now.
But there was the subtle sound of metal grinding against metal.
Jay stopped in his tracks, taking his friends by surprise, and looked to see Cole now pursing them. The motionless figure of Zane made the nausea overwhelm Jay once again. Cole was supposed to be helping them, but now he was ruining everything! And there was still Nya...
"Come on, we have to go," Lloyd urged, his eyes wide. "Jay, he's coming, let's go!"
The puppeteer shook his head. "You guys go. Save Nya." His normally animated blue eyes were steely and narrowed. "I'll buy you as much time as I can. I promise."
Kai felt a lump of guilt settling in his throat as he stared hard at the ceremony on the horizon. Well...if Jay insists. "Lloyd, let him do this," the blacksmith said, gesturing for the Golden Master to move. He could see the hesitation in Lloyd's actions before he turned. The two sprinted off across the ground, leaving their other companions to fight.
"You're not getting through me!" Jay shouted, standing his ground and focusing every bit of adrenaline in him into the palms of his hands. Sparks crackled around his fingers. The electrifying burst of energy matching the shade of Jay's eyes. "If you really think I'll let you stop us from saving Nya...you'll have to think again."
Raising his hands, Jay shot streaks of lightning into the merchant's body. Cole's body shuddered violently and he stepped back, nearly losing his balance. The puppeteer didn't stop to enjoy his victory. He spread the feeling of lightning towards his legs, allowing them to move faster. Jay ran forward, then threw all the weight of his body into a kick, aimed for Cole's chest. He then swung a punch towards Cole's face, not thinking, just moving; moving as fast as his body would allow.
The merchant's grip on the sword loosened, and it dropped onto the concrete. Jay didn't stop. His arms and legs continued to attack relentlessly, until Cole finally fell back. Jay was breathing rapidly, and he once again focused his energy into one last blow. He didn't want to hurt Cole, but rendering him unconscious would be the safest bet for them. Once he was down, they could use the staff to fix everything.
As the lightning began to spark up, Jay sighed, his heart heavy with guilt. "Oh man, sorry, Cole, but this is gonna hurt you a lot more than it's gonna hurt me." He unleashed the lightning and Cole's body shivered as his crimson eyes closed. Sighing with relief, Jay stepped forward, reaching for the staffs. Jay allowed himself a small smile. Everything's gonna be okay.
Cole's hand shot forward, grabbing onto Jay's wrist. The puppeteer screamed as the merchant's eyes snapped open. "You won't win against me that easily, blabbermouth."
The merchant swung Jay's body to the side, using every bit of his strength. Jay's eyes widened as he flew to the side, head slamming hard against the wall of a house. Jay tasted blood in his mouth and darkness flooded his vision.
They were so close to the crowd now. Kai could feel his heart pounding in time with his footsteps. Nya was right there, right within their grasp. He could finally be a hero. He could save the one person that mattered most to him.
Lloyd was keeping a steady gait beside him, the two flying along the aged and broken concrete. His mind was focused on how he could finally set things right. This was his fault. He needed to help get Nya out of the trouble he had gotten her into. As these thoughts drifted through the Golden Master's head, there was a quick tug on his shirt that sent him stumbling backwards.
Kai watched Lloyd disappear from his peripheral vision and he skidded to a halt, spinning around to see Cole smirking at him. The blacksmith's eyes drifted down to Lloyd who was sprawled on the ground, his green eyes wide. Kai felt his lip curl in anger and stormed towards the merchant before throwing a sloppy punch. Cole caught Kai's fist effortlessly and he narrowed his crimson eyes. "Is that all you got, hot head?"
"Lloyd, you have to go save Nya," Kai said, his eyes unwavering from his friend turned opponent. "There's still time for you to get her."
The Golden Master unsteadily got to his feet, still shaken from being attacked by Cole. "But...Cole. He'll..." the boy was trying to find the words, but they escaped him. The others had obviously fallen to the merchant and it was weighing heavy on Lloyd. "I...I don't know if I can do this by myself."
"Of course you can," the blacksmith answered quickly. "You're the Golden Master. Now go!"
"Pretty noble of you to save the pipsqueak from a good beating," Cole continued to smile, kicking Kai's stomach, forcing the blacksmith to his knees. As Kai tried to regain his breath, Cole kicked him back again, causing Kai's head to slam on the ground. He felt dizzy, the colors around him blurring together. "You won't entertain me for long though. I could still land a punch or two on him."
Kai chuckled, then coughed, a bit of blood escaping from his mouth. "You can't hurt him. If anything, he's the one that'll give you a good beating."
"Sure he will." Cole held Kai's own sword in his hand and rammed it into Kai's arm, impaling it against the wall.
Darkness threatened to overtake him, but Kai fought for consciousness. The pain in his arm was almost unbearable, but he couldn't drift away. He needed to make sure his sister was safe. He needed to know Lloyd was okay. Kai turned his head, watching Cole as he ran towards Lloyd's small body.
The Golden Master was fast, but was he fast enough?
Time's ticking, Lloyd, Kai thought. I believe in you. Please hurry.
Pushing. Lloyd was shoving his way past straggling bystanders that littered the area around the chasm. If they were not of a high enough social standing, the people just tried to sneak a peek from the ground. It made Lloyd feel sick. "Excuse me," he mumbled under his breath, feeling no remorse for what he was doing. Nya was so close and everyone had place their faith in him now.
"You can't run, half-pint," bellowed an all too familiar voice.
Lloyd refused to look back at Cole. He just could not bring himself to do it. Just keep going, the boy repeated to himself over and over. You have to keep going. As quickly as he had started his way through the crowd, Lloyd burst out near the chasm, feeling his heart seize up in his chest.
A hush fell over everyone.
"Lloyd?"
The Golden Master looked around until his eyes finally rested on the person who had spoken. Nya was staring at him from around the other side of the abyss, her eyes wide. Two Serpentine guards had firm grips on her shoulders and, from what Lloyd could see, Kai's sister had her wrists bound behind her back. He wanted to speak up, to tell her that she was going to be all right, but the words stuck in his throat.
Pressure closed in around Lloyd's chest as he looked down to see a pair of heavily muscles arms wrapped around him. "Gotcha," the merchant mused, lifting Lloyd off of his feet.
"Stop!" rang a voice that sent chills down Lloyd's spine. He glanced over, through the blonde hair that had fallen in front of his face, and saw the reptilian eyes of Emperor Pythor staring right through him. "Release the boy. Let's see what he can do."
"You heard the Emperor!" yet another familiar voice shouted. Lloyd turned, watching as Skales himself slithered forward from the shadows. "Let him go!"
Cole pushed Lloyd forward, and the Golden Master fell onto the dirtied ground. Everything was silent now and Lloyd could feel everyone's eyes on him. The guards around Nya tied her onto a platform, then quickly moved away, not wanting to be close when the Devourer emerged. The blacksmith's sister struggled, trying her best to break free. All she managed to do was make the rope cut deeper into her bleeding wrists.
A growl emerged from the deep chasm.
"Go ahead, boy. Free her."
With every bit of his body shaking, Lloyd stood. He walked forward slowly, his cheeks turning bright red as he felt the burning stares of everyone around him. No one tried to stop him. No one.
It couldn't be this easy. He stepped up onto the platform, moving towards Nya. The growl came again and Lloyd froze in his tracks. The Devourer was hungry. He had to hurry.
"Lloyd," Nya smiled, her black hair tangled and riddled with dirt. "I didn't think you guys would make it. I really thought I was done for."
Lloyd couldn't say anything. He felt weak, sick, useless. He didn't want to step any closer to Kai's sister. The Devourer would swallow them both if he-
Something threw Lloyd's body back, knocking every bit of breath out of him. The Golden Master stood up slowly, looking right up into the face of the Great Devourer itself. The gigantic snake stood before him, its red eyes locked onto Lloyd's small frame. The serpent's fangs were bigger than Lloyd's body and its large tongue was thick enough to break all of his bones with one small flick. Lloyd froze. He couldn't do this.
"Lloyd!" It was Kai's voice. Lloyd could barely hear it over the loud pounding of his heart. "Use your powers, Lloyd! Do something, dammit!"
He couldn't. There were too many people. His powers were uncontrollable. There was no guarantee he would be able to attack the snake without hurting Nya. Not without getting closer, but Lloyd couldn't get closer. He didn't want to get closer. He shouldn't have to put his own life at stake.
You're the Golden Master, the sweet, comforting voice in his head whispered. Your life is worth far more than hers. You're as powerful as a God. Why risk death for someone so petty?
The Golden Master shook his head. He took a step back.
The Great Devourer tried to lash out at the small boy, but he was too far from the chasm now. Then the snake turned to face Nya, its mouth open and eyes gleaming with an intense hunger.
In less than a second, Nya was gone.