Chapter Seven- Someone Wiser
Lloyd soon realized that when Nya had said they would take the kingdom back under Lloyd's command, she really meant listen to my plan, and agree.
This, Lloyd was fine with. Or at least, he assumed he was fine with it because it was Nya, and he trusted Nya.
He couldn't really bring himself to focus on her words though, try as he might. Not even with her sitting just beside him. The table before them was low and tilted, and the chair dug against his back in a way that felt personal. Then there was Logan. The man constantly shifted this way and that, legs up, legs down, arms folded, arms splayed- it made Lloyd think if Jay. If Jay were constantly hopped off on sugar.
None of these things did anything to help his focus, but none of them were the reason Nya's words couldn't make sense to him. No, no. The real reason Lloyd's mind kept wandering was one thing and one thing only.
Kai.
His absence felt like a glaring discrepancy. Kai and Nya were a pair- he should have been here, discussing strategy with his sister, fighting against Pythor, working alongside Zane.
But . . . he wasn't.
Lloyd couldn't lie, not to himself. The moment he'd realized it was Nya who'd held the dagger against him, his eyes had searched the room for Kai with eagerness.
Through the years, Lloyd had gotten close to all of the ninja. But Kai- well, Kai was Kai. He'd been the one to save Lloyd's life, to pull him out of the rising lava all those years ago. And it was Kai who'd fought the hardest when Lloyd's mind had been taken over by Morro. Kai who'd carefully mentored him every moment since they all learned Lloyd was destined to be the green ninja.
It would have been a relief to have him here.
But no. HIs pseudo older brother was nowhere to be found.
"It's too dangerous that way." Nya's voice faded in and out of Lloyd's thoughts. "So there's really not many options. If we think about-"
Was Kai dead? The possibility chilled Lloyd. He didn't want to think about it.
What else was there, though? Kai would never fight alongside Pythor. Even in an entirely different world, all of his friends had held onto some semblance to themselves. Kai would never.
What about Cole, though?
Lloyd bit his lip. Logan shifted again, knocking lightly against Lloyd's elbow.
"-The best way is to destroy Pythor's reign from the inside. He doesn't know me, or Logan, or Drake . . . we could infiltrate, work for him, ear his trust as best as we can. And that's how-"
Cole worked for Pythor, yes. But Pythor had threatened Cole with the life of his father- so whatever Cole's reasons were, they were still noble. Were still Cole. Not to mention the fact that despite everything, Cole had tried to stand up for him.
So- no. It wouldn't make any sense for Kai to be anywhere but here, beside his sister. Ready to protect.
Yet he wasn't.
Nya laid out a couple of maps on the wooden table. They seemed to be a crude representation of the kingdom, but very clearly done by someone who lacked mapping talent. Lloyd looked at the lines and symbols, but deciphered nothing.
He glanced up at Nya. Fought against the urge to ask about her brother. If he was dead or somehow the enemy- did he really want to know? Lloyd wasn't sure. Nya caught his gaze, and gave him an annoyed pout.
"You're not listening, are you?" Nya growled. She threw her dagger down, and it impaled itself on the table, just a breath away from Lloyd's hand.
Lloyd drew his hands back, and tucked them under the table. "Sorry."
"Why do I bother? You're all the same, the lot of you." Nya sighed. Then, she gave Zane an apologetic glance. "Except you, Zane. You're fine."
Zane gave a small nod.
"Relax, Nya. The kid's doing his best. Poor guy didn't even know he was a the prince- and now all of this? His head must be spinning." Logan pushed his curls back away from his face. They fell right back down. "You're being mean again, sister."
Nya's eyes flashed. Lloyd shrunk against the sight, and decided this was maybe not the best time to ask about Kai, or mention that he really didn't appreciate being called a kid.
"You know why she's mean. She's fed up with us boys." Drake grinned, his scarred fingers running over the string of his bow. "Don't take it personal, My prince. She had her heart broken, and now she likes to bite."
"Don't." Nya hissed. "What Jay did- I'm not just some heart broken romantic. I have plenty of reasons to want to stick my dagger into every one of you, brother."
She paused. Gave Zane another glance. "Except you, Zane."
"Maybe we'd be more understanding if you talked about it. You've never told us what happened between you and that wanna-be pretty boy." Logan said. "Spill it already. You never wanted to join us, then suddenly you're the Night Angel's right hand. What did that boy do to you?"
"Insult her hair, maybe?" Drake suggested.
"Or her style?" Logan pondered.
Nya bristled. "I really ought to kill you both."
Logan held his hands up in surrender. Drake scoffed. "You're too wound up, sister. We're just teasing."
"Too wound up?" Nya took her dagger back, and shoved it in Drake's direction. "Too wound up? These are our lives we're talking about. Not the time for gossip or jokes. And then there's the prince- he was supposed to be our answer, to lead us, to have a plan- something. All of our hopes were on him, and he's just a- just-"
"Nya." Zane's stern tone caused Nya to falter. "He is our prince. He must be respected."
Nya deflated. She bowed her head. "Yes, Night Angel."
"Now- we need to remember why the prince is necessary. He is our symbol of hope. He is here to remind the people that the fight is not yet over. So his age, his experience- it is of no importance." Zane said.
The prickle of frustration in Lloyd's mind was too big to contain. He glanced up at Zane, and held his gaze. "I'm not a kid. And I can fight just fine, too."
Zane gave him a curious glance.
"I can." Lloyd pressed. "I can help. I can do more than be just a symbol."
"See? And Nya doubted him." Logan threw his arm around Lloyd's shoulder, and gave him a squeeze. "Our kid is ready to take Pythor's head all by himself."
"Not a kid." Lloyd sighed.
"Personal space, brother." Zane reminded.
Logan let go. "Sorry, My prince. But then- what is it you can do? Can you fight with a sword? Or- a bow, maybe? You gonna give old Drake here a run for his money? About time someone knocked him down a peg."
"Oh, please." Droke rolled his eyes, and reached over the table to flick Logan's forehead. "Anyone need to be knocked down, it's you."
"I can-" Lloyd swallowed. Something told him that saying use Spinjitzu wouldn't go over too well. "I can- fight. With my hands."
"Hand to hand combat?" Nya laughed. "Okay. Parry a sword with your arm, and let me know how that works out, My prince."
Lloyd opened his mouth. Then closed it. I have powers wouldn't really do much for him, either. Considering he could only feel about a quarter of them at the moment, thanks to Zane and his shurikens.
Zane stood, and set his hands on the table. Everyone's attention was pulled to him. "I think Nya has a good idea. Infiltrating the castle, earning the trust of the king- it is the safest way to bring the kingdom back into the right hands."
Nya beamed.
"But- it would take too long. And we can not be sure that Pythor has trust to be earned. I fear the good people of Ouroboros would not survive the wait that plan entails."
Nya's face dropped.
"I think it is in our best interests to rally the people together. If we can unite them- They have the power to overthrow the king. That is why we need you, My prince. I believe that you can fight- but what we need from you . . . is to inspire. To be the person people can turn to for hope. Could you, My prince?"
"I don't know." Lloyd frowned. He felt the other's gaze upon him. Heavy with disappointment. "Would it be enough? Would it work?"
"Of course it would. If the Night Angel says it will, there's no reason to doubt it." Nya said. Logan and Drake nodded. No one went against Zane's thoughts- that much was clear.
"Well- what are your thoughts, My prince?" Zane asked. His interest was genuine.
Lloyd forced himself to straighten. He could feel heat rise to his face, but he did his best to ignore it."Even though the people of Ouroboros outnumber Pythor's guards- they aren't fighters. It would be a bloodbath."
Zane gave a slow nod.
Drake shook his head. His scars glinted against the torchlight. "It's worth it. People want freedom. If death is the price- then we pay it."
"We could. Sure we could. But these are the lives of innocent people. Do they really deserve to be treated as just . . . necessary sacrifices? Besides, numbers aren't everything. Pythor could still find a way to win."
Lloyd felt a rush of confidence begin to build as his words carried on. He could do this, Lloyd realized. He could lead. He'd learned enough from Cole, from his experiences. He knew how to measure people's strengths and their weaknesses, knew how to manage them.
"It's strategy that matters, at the end of the day. I mean- think of the castle itself. Tall walls and archers- the people could be wiped out before they even made a stand. Pythor has every advantage."
Drake held Lloyd's gaze for a moment, then shrugged back in defeat. "Fair point."
Zane looked down at the maps. "The prince is correct. I was not - . . . thinking with clarity. My desire for freedom clouds my vision. We can not ask the people to lay down their lives for this."
"So- what now, then?" Logan drummed his fingers on the table. He looked around at everyone in the room, then settled on Zane. "We have the prince- and we still do nothing?"
"We . . . consult someone wiser." The Night Angel responded, eyes glinting with a memory.
"Wiser than our Night Angel?" Logan raised his eyebrows. "Intriguing."
Lloyd's heart sputtered with hope. There was only one person he could imagine when he heard the word wise.