Brother of Wind {book 4: The Tournament of Elements}

chapter 11

Zane freed himself from the shackles on his wrists. And there it was. The icy blue dragon. Zane looked up to see the opening to the cave. He slowly walked around the dragon into the open. Just as Zane started to climb, the dragon opened it's eyes and the cave shook, pulling Zane back time the bottom.

"Zane!!"

The nindroid woke up. Another dream. He looked up to someone unlocking his cuffs.
"Cole? You returned." Zane signed with relief.
"Of course I did. I made a promise." Cole said.
"Now, come here! You shiny new tin can!" Cole exclaimed, pulling Zane in for a hug.

"Can you feel the love?" Cole asked, a big smile on his face.
"No." Zane said.
"But the longer we stand here, the shorter amount of time we have to escape!" Zane said making his way to the door.
"Ha! You know, you and Morro were always the smart ones." Cole said.

The earth ninja peeked his head outside the door. No one was there.
"Let's go!" Cole exclaimed.

The guard noticed the keys were gone and hit the alarm.

. . .

Nya opened the door to Clouse's archives. She ran to the book on the pedestal and opened it up.
"Page 102... 122... Aha! Page 149!" Nya exclaimed quietly. She read the page in disbelief.
"Oh, this would change everything!" Nya said. She gasped at the sound of someone approaching.

Clouse just about touched the door handle when a guard came to alert him.
"There's been a breach in the factory. Master Cole has gone missing."

Nya listened and ripped the page off the book, closing it then hiddung behind fine if the book shelves.
"Release my pet. She'll make sure he doesn't escape. I've had it with the ninja running away from custody." Clouse said.

The sorcerer walked into the room, leaving the door open. He saw a white hand print on the book cover of his spell book. He tossed the thought aside as he left the room. Nya sighed in relief as Clouse left.

                                . . .

Cole and Zane turned left to run.
"Not that way!" Zane exclaimed.
"That will only take us back to where we started!"

"Unh. Maybe you should be leading." Cole said. The two came to a stop at the wailing of something.
"Ah, I-I am not familiar with that sound." Zane said.
"I am. We need to move!" Cole turned back and bolted away.
"I thought I was leading!?" Zane called.
"Trust me! You'll wanna keep up!" Cole shouted.

Zane turned forwards to see a giant purple snake coming at him. Zane took Cole's advice and sprinted in the other direction. The two turned and faced a dead end.

Zane placed his hand forwards.
"This isn't a wall. It's the body of a large serpent." Zane deduced.
"Come on! We have to find another way!" Cole exclaimed. Cole and Zane ran down a different hallway only to be blocked again.
"Argh. Another dead end." Cole said.

And another. The two boys ran into the center hall to see the snake closing off all other pathways.
"The serpent's strategy appears to be to surround us and coil inwards." Zane observed.
"Very clever."

"Yeah, well, my strategy is not to be eaten." Cole shot back. The two yelled out as they just merely dodged an attack from the snake. Cole and Zane were cornered now, only the snake in front of them.
"It was nice knowing you, Zane. I think this really is our dead end." Cole sighed.

The snake charged at the ninja, but they separated to avoid.
"Ah, I don't suppose you can freeze him?" Cole asked.
"Chen took my powers like everyone else!" Zane exclaimed.
"Pixal, calculate escape scenarios." Zane stood up and snacced the area.