Zane's heart was nearly bursting with joy as they reached the teleport gate at the base of his community. Kai had been astonished by the first gate they had used, marveling at how they were able to travel such a long distance in such a short amount of time.
"Why didn't we just use these before?" the hunter had asked.
"Well, they're more expensive for sky-dwelling yokai," Zane informed him. "These gates are run by the Palace, and they require citizen funding to function. After all, this much magic costs quite a bit for the general public to use it so often."
Now that they were almost home, the falcon was giddy as he gave his address to the yokai running the gate. Zane thanked the beast and held onto Kai's hand just a little tighter, still reveling in the fact that they were holding hands at all. The arcane lights bloomed around them for the second time that day, and soon they were touching down on the front porch of their house.
"Home sweet home," the partial bird grinned as he opened the door. He was nervous that he had left it unlocked for so long, but as he looked around he found that nothing seemed to have been touched. Kai sighed beside him, then drifted towards the coat rack.
"Ugh. How many times am I gonna forget that jacket?" the human grumbled. "And this time there's really no way to get it back." Before Kai could begin to mope, Zane dashed forward and clasped his hands in front of him.
"Would you mind changing my bandages one more time? I'm sure that this will be the last," he asked his partner, hoping to distract him. The brunet quietly nodded to him, set down the pack that held his bow and quiver, and followed him through the house. It had only been one night since he had seen the place, but it had felt like ages. The bathroom was large enough for him to spread his wings without getting in Kai's way, so the falcon sat down on the bath mat.
"There's a first aid kit in this cabinet, if you ever need it," Zane informed his partner as he opened the doors under the sink. He pulled out the white bag and rummaged through its contents until he found the roll of tan fabric. Once he handed the wrappings to his mate, the bird set the kit on the floor and waited patiently.
Kai's skilled fingers made quick work of the knot holding his old bandages in place. He felt some of the pressure relieved the instant that the dressings were loosened, and he let out a slight sigh as he became more comfortable. That elixir he had been given had already worked wonders, although he knew that he would still need another day or so before he could even think about flying.
"How does it look?" Zane asked. The hunter hummed a single note as he searched through his feathers.
"It looks okay on the outside, even though I can see the stitches," his mate replied. "But you had some struggle moving it around earlier, which means that the stuff under the skin is probably what's wrong with it." It was a fair deduction, but it still made him downtrodden at the thought of not being able to take Kai places without transferring between teleport gates.
"Mind if I poke it to see if it's tender?" the human inquired.
"Not at all," Zane shook his head. He felt his partner's index finger prod at the site of his wound, which created a slight rush of pain that caused him to wince. "It hurts."
"Hmm, better put some ice on it and keep you in bed for a little while," Kai muttered, most likely to himself. He could feel the huntsman's hands returning to the spot, but now he was gently replacing his compress. His movements were not rushed and instead filled with care not to disrupt his injury. It was very unlike him to be so close, but then again the attack had already left him so shaken up that he had come out and apologized for everything that he had done.
"You sure know a lot about treating things like this," the falcon commented as Kai finished dressing the wound.
"Well, I have to be," his partner shrugged, grabbing the kit and helping him stand. "I learned how to do it because my sister got hurt so much as a kid-" He stopped, eyes wide and lips sealed so tight that he lost a little color in them. An upset emotion erupted in their soul link, and out of pure reaction Zane stepped forward and put his hands on his partner's shoulders.
"Did you get any breakfast?" he asked him, lightly pulling him back out into the main area of the treehouse. "You brought me some, but did you eat?"
"Uh… I guess not," Kai replied, just a little too eager to escape the previous subject. "Here, sit down, I can just grab something real quick."
"No no, I insist," Zane beamed with as much of a convincing smile as he could muster. "We've gotten so used to having me cook for you. Why should we let a little injury get in the way? Besides, I'm on the mend…" He cut himself off before he could say 'darling'. Kai grinned warily and joined his partner in the kitchen area, turning a chair so that he could easily talk to his bond mate. Zane appreciated his new openness, as much as its sudden appearance overwhelmed him.
"What would you like? I could make you some eggs if you want," he proposed. The hunter's brows dipped and he leaned a little bit backwards, putting on a full-body expression of perplexity. "Is something wrong… Kai?" He had to stop himself again from using the nickname.
"You eat eggs?" the human almost spat in shock. "Isn't that, uh… cannibalism?"
"Wh- You think that-" Zane could not help but burst into laughter, which he saw caused the huntsman to go beet red. "Oh good heavens no! Yokai eggs aren't for reproductive purposes, no matter what the species. Did you never learn how yokai have children?" Again, his partner flushed with embarrassment. Zane ceased giggling, although the notion was still funny to him.
"No, not really," he mumbled, running a nervous hand through his hair. The yokai then stopped and studied his mate's facial features, seeing that he was uncomfortable and confused.
"Oh…" the falcon muttered. "Well, we travel back to the site of our bonding ceremony — in our case it would be the Palace — and there we perform another important ritual where we copy pieces of our souls and combine them into a new one. That new soul is then carried away by a messenger stork who brings a yokai child to the bonded couple's home around… oh, roughly nine months or so later. Ah, I nearly forgot to ask again. Are eggs alright?"
"Yeah. Sure, sure," Kai almost whispered. The hunter was gaping, staring at the falcon with a completely bewildered look in his eye. "You actually get your babies through the stork?" Now it was the huntsman's turn to laugh, leaving Zane to nod in understanding. He had shown previously that he lacked knowledge of yokai culture, so why would now be any different?
"We do. I think it's better than other methods. After working for so long at a historical institute, I've learned how you humans reproduce. Frankly, I think it's disgusting," Zane shrugged. "But of course, we yokai do nest, so the practice is not too far off-"
"Alright!" Kai laughed, clearly fidgeting and blushing beyond comprehension. He was almost as red as his top, which he had still not changed out of since the previous day. "I think I'm good on the biology lesson." Zane smiled earnestly at his partner and quickly crossed the room. He went over the checklist of things that Kai had deemed alright with him physically and settled for placing a soft kiss on his forehead. The human did not recoil, but he looked up at the bird, flustered.
"Why don't you go fetch a new outfit while I make you breakfast?" Zane suggested. Kai nodded to him, then rushed away, covering one side of his face with his hand. The falcon sighed and watched him leave, not knowing how dreamy his expression was. Before long, however, he reminded himself of his task and returned to the stove, where he began to crack the eggs over a pan.
It feels like everything's gone back to normal, he thought to himself. However, as a dull ache resounded through his wing, he was reminded of the previous night. Although, it's not normal, is it? Kai must be so conflicted right now.
The falcon quirked his brow and tried to concentrate on what he was doing with his hands. It had been a few days since he had cooked, between the time he had spent with Kai, his return to the village, all the moping about the house that he had done, then his injury, he had mostly been fed by others who offered to cheer him up and talk over a meal. Now, however, he was happy to be back in the kitchen. It gave him something productive to do, especially since he could not fly to work. Then again, Pixal was most likely at home, considering that most yokai were probably terrified by the attacks at the border.
He retrieved some — thankfully — still ripe berries from his refrigerator and added them to a small dish. Having noticed Kai's preferred foods over the time he had spent in Kyoboku, he made sure that there were extra strawberries in the mix. Once the eggs were ready, he whisked them together and added some spices before turning it into an omelet. Satisfied with his work, he put everything on a plate and set it on the kitchen table, then began to brew some coffee for the two of them.
Kai walked out from their bedroom, adjusting the sleeves of his cherry-colored sweater. The bird had to hold back a grin of deep appreciation, seeing just how tranquil he appeared.
"Coffee will be ready in a moment, but go ahead and start eating while it's warm," Zane told him, gesturing towards the table.
"Thanks," his mate nodded to him. "You didn't have to."
"It's my pleasure, darling," the bird smiled blissfully. He flinched, realizing his mistake after it was too late to stop himself. "My apologies." The hunter sighed and turned towards the yokai, shaking his head.
"Y'know what? I've heard it enough now to accept it," Kai shrugged with a smile. "It's obviously meant to be, I guess, since it's so hard for you to stop calling me that. Besides, I've been holding you back a lot, and that's not really fair." Zane clutched the sweetener that he held in his hands, feathers ruffling.
"You really mean it?" he asked, hope completely filling his voice. The human nodded, and his wings fluttered just slightly as he was overcome with joy. "You do? I… Thank you, Kai."
"Of course," the hunter grinned at him, a little more genuine and bright this time. Zane whirled around and prepared their drinks, system lighting up with excitement.
It sounds awful, but if only that attack had happened sooner! He's so much nicer to me than before, he thought to himself. His heart flowed with the same lovesickness that he had felt just after their bonding ceremony, where he was lighter than air and completely unable to resist Kai's charms. The brunet thanked him as he handed him his mug of coffee, and the yokai felt a slight chirp rise in his throat, becoming audible as he sat down next to him.
"What was that?" the hunter inquired, suddenly looking more concerned than amused. Zane went hot with shame, clearing his throat and shuffling in place.
"I don't usually make those sounds," he replied. "All yokai have different levels of speech. I am almost entirely fluent in Ninjagan language, but there are certain emotions that can only be conveyed through our native calls or noises." Kai took a large bite of his omelet, eyes now sparkling with what Zane hoped with intrigue.
"So what emotion caused…" The human waved his hand towards his partner as he became lost for words. "...that?" Zane's shoulders raised, and he felt his ears getting warmer by the second.
"I am very happy," he simply replied with a soft tone. Kai nodded in understanding, popping a blueberry into his mouth.
"That's good," said the huntsman. "That means our bond link will stop nagging at us, right? I'm technically back where it wants me to be." Zane nodded and took a sip of his coffee, watching his partner eat with pure fascination. Even now, shaken up and discouraged by the outside world, Kai still managed to be the fluffy human that he had come to love.
"Hey, Zane?" Kai piped up before taking a bite out of a cherry.
"Yes?"
"I'm sorry that I couldn't stop Nya from shooting you with that arrow." The beast's eyes widened a little, and he set his mug down as he felt concern and regret take root in Kai's soul.
"There is nothing to be sorry for," he assured him. "I should be thanking you for saving my life. She was trying to kill me."
"I know," Kai mumbled. The hunter shrunk in his seat and took a deep breath. More remorse was added to their link, leaving Zane to wonder why his words had done nothing to help his mate's sudden condition.
"Is everything alright?" he asked, carefully reaching out and placing his hand on Kai's arm. The human looked him in the eye and held his gaze for a few moments, allowing the falcon to study his brilliant green irises.
"Sorry, I don't wanna get you down," Kai shook his head with a sigh. "I mean we're both feeling better now that we're talking again, and I can stop worrying about what might happen to you… It's just that I'm scared that my sister's gonna get hurt. She's strong, we both saw the number she did on Cole and Jay when they found her in the woods. But she also doesn't know when to quit. She probably got her stubbornness from me and our dad, and with that fog in her system, there might be nothing that can stop her until she gets herself hurt or killed." He seemed to push out that last word like it was venom on his tongue.
"I need to fix her, somehow. There's gotta be a way for us to reverse that stuff, at least for her," he continued. "Isn't there?" Unsure of how to answer, Zane went for the option that would best console him.
"Of course there is," he nodded. "We'll find some sort of cure, I know it." Kai turned his head back towards his plate and smiled warily, waiting until Zane retracted his hand before he began to eat again. The dejection in his partner's spirit faded, and the falcon relaxed as relief swept through his body.
Lloyd scurried through the streets of the camp, a bright pink lollipop clenched between his teeth and a bag full of clothing slung over his back. The shouts of the burly old butcher that he had stolen the items from were echoing behind him, causing a stir among those who were on the sides of the path. His breath came up in puffs of steam in the cold morning air, making him appear like an impish young dragon as he passed by in a whirl of green and blond.
"Stop him! Thief!" the man snarled. He sounded like he was a great distance away, so Lloyd took the chance to look around and find the best way out of his situation. The young sage ruled out running into the forest, seeing as yokai were most likely lurking in there, and he decided against running back to where his mother or father were situated. His best option was to dive between the tents and cut across a few rows, which would buy him enough time to completely escape from his pursuer, who was too large to fit through the small gaps.
He dashed away, ready to execute his makeshift plan. Lloyd made sure to avoid the places where the snow had melted over the earth, because he knew that the mud would slow him down. He leapt into the space between two shelters and carried on straight through the path to the next row. The blond jumped again, slipping through the gap once more.
However, the moment he touched the ground his body was slammed to a halt by an overwhelming force. The back of his top was seized fiercely, and he was hoisted into the air with a yelp. His candy fell out of his mouth and onto the ground below. The face of a washed-up trapper met him, snarling like an angry weasel. He could not quite remember his name, as the information was hazy in his mind.
"Little brat!" the man rasped in his face. His breath made Lloyd want to hurl, but he was too focused on thrashing in his hold. He tried to swing the bag of clothing around and hit him in the face, but it proved too difficult to maneuver in his current position.
"You caught him, Hiro?" the butcher called out as he rounded the edge of the row. Lloyd gulped as the trapper swung him around to face the man he had stolen from.
"I've got him right here!" he replied. The two old men met with each other, both glaring at the sage between them. "What should we do with him?"
"I could always use someone to look after the swine," the meat vendor proposed. "I guess filth runs in the family."
"Just like his father," the trapper laughed low and heartily. His sneer made Lloyd feel even more sick as his attempts to escape began to slow. His stamina was giving out, and he could only writhe for so long before he grew too tired to fight.
"Hey!" A shout from a tent near the end of the line made the three of them turn their heads, and Lloyd felt a spark of recognition in his mind. Nya was standing in the snow, spear in hand and bandages just barely visible under her clothing. In the slight breeze, her raven ponytail flowed like peaceful water, contrasting the glowering expression she wore and accenting the peridot stones that were her eyes.
"Hand him over," the huntress ordered. "I'll punish him. Take back whatever he stole, but leave the rest to me." The two men instantly dropped Lloyd and tore the bag of clothing from his clutches. Before the young sage could attempt to jump to his feet and run, the deadly end of Nya's weapon lowered to his eye level.
"Stand up slowly," she barked as the butcher and trapper started to return to their area of the camp. Lloyd obeyed her, hoping that he would not be harmed too severely. He had already witnessed the way she had fought other members of the village in order to gain favor with the yokai prince and knew the brutality that she could inflict if given the proper motive. For some reason, the thought crossed his mind that she would never hurt him because she knew him too well. However, after another moment she pulled the spear back and grabbed his arm, dragging him into her tent with more force that was necessary.
"Now sit," she commanded him. Lloyd nodded and took his place on the floor next to Nya's cot. The huntress handed him a bowl of soup, and he looked up at her with puzzlement. "I didn't finish it, I'm not hungry. If you don't want soup I can give you something else." The allure of sweets crossed his mind, but he thought better of the hospitality for a brief moment and realized that compliance was probably the safest bet.
"Why are you giving me food?" he asked softly. Nya huffed and took a seat on her bed, adjusting her sleeves and hiding her wounds even more.
"'Cuz I wanna learn a little magic from you," she replied. "I need something to protect me, some sort of charm that can make sure that no yokai can use their spells on me."
"Why? You wanna overthrow Morro or something?" Lloyd continued to pry, banking on her previous easy answer for his confidence. The huntress remained silent for a while, and the sage tested the apprehension in the air by simply sipping from the bowl that he had been given and maintaining eye contact. It took a long time before Nya cracked, but she finally scoffed and folded her arms.
"No," she said plainly. "I'm going to bring Kai back to the village."
"Where'd he go?" the blond inquired as he plucked a large piece of carrot from the brew.
"He…" The woman paused, brows furrowing as she searched for an answer. Her foot tapped against the floor of the tent, and she had to look away for a few moments before she growled and shook her head. "He was protecting some yokai that was attacking him last night. Or, at least I think the yokai was attacking him. I dunno, I just know that he's under that bird-man-thing's spell. I need to make sure that doesn't happen to me." Lloyd perked up at the mention of a bird. Black feathers were hidden faintly in the fog that was his memories, the ones that were more recent and less concrete. He could only seem to remember really important things in his life, like his previous friendship with Nya or his parents and uncle, but his less impactful memories could only be seen through little glimpses that had no context whatsoever. As of that moment, he believed he recalled talking with the huntress's sibling about a bird creature.
"Hm… Is that the bird that Kai's in love with?" Lloyd wondered aloud. Nya recoiled, eyes wide and brows dipped into a shocked scowl.
"My brother would never fall in love with a yokai!" she spat instantly. "What gave you that idea?"
"Well…" The sage trailed off as he finished the last of the soup, setting down the bowl for Nya to take care of later. "Why would Kai be protecting a yokai if he didn't care about him? I think he loves him."
"But why do you think he loves him?" Nya stressed. "Caring about someone and loving someone are two different things." Lloyd wanted to throw out his answer, but there was no reasoning behind it. He just had a gut feeling, one he felt that he had experienced before. But how could he? He could not recall ever seeing the hunter and any sort of yokai together.
"I don't know," he shrugged. Not wanting to continue the conversation further, he rubbed his hands together and scooted closer to the huntress. "But enough about that. You said you wanted to learn some magic?" Nya moved to speak, but then sighed and nodded begrudgingly to him.
"There aren't many spells that can completely block spells," Lloyd informed her. "Besides, the ones that can are extremely complicated and require ingredients that you'd have to ship from some other part of the world. If you really want to protect yourself, you'll need a special talisman." He looked around the tent for some sort of object he could use to create the totem but could find nothing that had enough sentimental power in it. He lifted his hands over every trinket that was in there, surprisingly finding the bowl to be the most well-equipped for the job. The ornate blue patterns on the porcelain were impressive and serene, depicting a house by a lake and a peaceful grove of willow trees.
"Is this from your house?" he asked as he picked up the chinaware. Nya nodded to him and adjusted her position on the cot so that she could get a better look. "You and Kai have used this bowl a lot, I'm guessing. Probably one of the dishes you used for everyday meals. This makes it a good vessel for a talisman. It's something that you've used when you are with people you care about, in this case, your brother. Now, if I'm gonna enchant this thing, it's gonna take a while. Without my book, I'm going to have to do it from memory, which shouldn't be too hard, but it will still be time-consuming. Dad had me practice making good luck charms and such, so this shouldn't be too much of a stretch-"
"But will it work?" the huntress interrupted him. Lloyd rubbed the back of his neck and traced the rim of the bowl with his finger.
"The most I can do is make it so that all spells will be weaker against you," he shrugged. "For example, say a yokai casts a sleeping spell on you. The talisman will be able to block out the full effect, but you will still lose a lot of energy. Or maybe a yokai tries to immobilize you with a paralyzing charm. You'll have some stiff movements, but you'll still be able to fight." The woman remained still for quite some time, studying the young sage and clearly processing this heap of information she was receiving.
"Alright," she mumbled. "Just get it done as soon as possible. I need to get out there and find Kai as soon as possible." Nya stood and made to grab her spear, and suddenly Lloyd's surroundings and situation hit him with a powerful force. Leaving to save her brother, that bird, falling for a yokai...
"Haven't you done this before?" he asked. The huntress's hand stopped just shy of the wooden staff of the weapon, and she looked over her shoulder at the blond. Some form of puzzlement crossed her features, and her blank eyes flitted over each of his features.
"I'm not sure," she whispered. Her resolve seemed steeled, despite her answer, and she took hold of the spear. "I'll be back around dinner time. Think it can be done by then?"
"Um..." The sage trailed off, worried that she would be upset if she knew the real amount of time it would take. "Actually, a talisman like this will take a lot longer, maybe two days minimum. Good luck charms are easy because they don't have an effect on outside magic." Nya grumbled something over her breath and turned around.
"Don't leave this tent," she warned. "This is your punishment for stealing." As she exited, Lloyd's shoulders dropped and his expression transformed into a bitter pout.
The Jade Palace was equipped with a regal, indoor onsen that was covered in gold trimmings. Water spilled from the mouths of stone fish that were placed on the walls, and the stories of royal families going back generations were painted on massive murals. She could see her own ascension to the throne, right underneath the image of her weeping for the deaths of her parents, who had been poisoned by a kitchen maid.
The princess smirked, happy that she had been able to simply banish the maid to a faraway region of Ninjago instead of having her tried and killed for high treason. It had simply been time for her to take her place as ruler of yokai, and that woman was only her alibi for her parents' deaths. After all, there were rumors that the king and queen wanted to establish a lasting peace between the humans and yokai, allowing the humans to integrate themselves into their community, including Kyoboku. She frowned at the thought, keeping her eyes closed as she allowed the water to soak into her body and alleviate her of any stress. Soon, she would be able to eradicate all humans from Ninjago, and then there would be a truly lasting peace.
Harumi took a deep breath in and felt the slight charms that were placed in the water flowing through her. Calm passed through her mind, and she knew that she was making the right choice. Today was just the beginning of the war, and she had already won the first battle thanks to Morro. Plus, she now had a capable army of ruthless humans at her will. Once she was done with them, she would leave them to rot while she helped her citizens populate the entirety of Ninjago, as it should be.
A knock at the door to the spa pulled her from her thoughts, and with another sigh, she stood and grabbed the large robe that was on a nearby hook. She covered herself and tied the belt in a bow.
"Come in!" she called as she fixed the pins in her ponytail. The door slid open, and a handmaiden with the head of an owl stepped in, her large, glassy eyes blinking slowly.
"My lady, dinner is ready," she informed her, bowing her head. The princess nodded and stepped over to the nearest wall before snapping her fingers. Panels slid up into the ceiling, allowing four more yokai to step out, all holding a piece of her outfit.
"Will anyone be joining me today?" she asked the owl. The maid shook her head with a hoot, and the peacock dipped her head to her. "Thank you, Raji. You may return to your room for the evening. In fact, as soon as you ladies are finished, you may retire."
"Thank you, princess," they all answered uniformly. Harumi took notice of one of the maids, who was carrying her necklace and headdress. That young woman had once asked the princess if she could know when she was destined to forge a bond, as servants to the Palace could not retire until they were bonded. She had said that she wanted to start a family and have children while studying architecture. She wanted to eventually be able to build homes for yokai, but with all the cramped space in the territory, there was hardly any room near big cities for her to work in. The peacock knew that if she was able to expand the border, then yokai like her would be able to create new lives and frontiers for their people. This justification made her feel so much better about the inevitable resistance by the humans. After all, they would have done the same thing in her shoes, wouldn't they?
As she was dressed, she felt an overwhelming amount of care for her handmaidens, who had raised her from birth to be the princess she was today. She wondered what they would think of her if they knew what she was planning. Knowing how loyal they were, they would most likely encourage everything she wanted to do. No doubt there would be those who wanted to stay behind during the war that was to come, and she did not blame them. Humans were hunters by nature, prejudiced against anything that was not completely like them. She scoffed at the notion, believing that anything sentient enough that was not a prey animal deserved to be treated as equally as any other yokai.
I'm not a bad person, she reasoned with herself as she thought more about these notions. Humans were selfish, and the only human she had ever come into contact had the nerve to try to resist bonding with that half-falcon. Did he not understand that he would be happy for the rest of his life? Was there something that humans lack that did not allow them to feel the true bliss of a soul link?
With her dress and accessories finally in place, the princess began to walk out of the spa, her maidens trailing behind her with their heads reverently tipped downwards. As she parted from them, she wondered how long it would take before Chen's army took down the Blackwood Forest.
It doesn't matter, she reminded herself. I'll be taking the human territory for myself in no time.