Escapade | Ninjago AU

Chapter 31

Seliel's POV

Cole and I try to quietly stride through the dark forest in an attempt to escape the palace grounds. After spending what felt like an eternity trying to find our way out of those tunnels, we managed to locate a secret hatch that let us out in the forest, and we've been trying to quickly yet quietly find a place far away to hide out because if the guards end up finding us, they'll do whatever they can to tear me from Cole.

My feet are tender in the heels that I am wearing, and my legs ache beyond belief. That's not even including the throbbing burn mark that I still haven't been able to check. I'm in agony. To make it all better, my chest is at its wits end.

Other than the brief training that I've done with Cole, I haven't exercised a lot in my life. I usually have a busy schedule, whether attending my classes or going to public events, so in my free time, I like to relax and decompress by flopping on my bed and doing nothing. I scorn my past self for that decision as my chest now feels like it's about to explode. My lungs heave to circulate oxygen to my muscles, and my legs get heavier and heavier with each increasing step. I can't help but let out heavy breaths, trying to soak up all of the air that I can.

I glance over at Cole, and although we're in the dark, I can tell he isn't breaking a sweat, jogging beside me as if we're on some sort of leisurely stroll. His breathing is completely even, and his steps are nearly silent while my feet hit the ground with loud thuds. He gracefully avoids every obstacle in his path. I let out a huff at how he's making this all look like child's play.

However, his face is stone cold. He's clearly deep in his mind, and I don't blame him with the bomb that was just dropped on him. The woman who has caused him and his friends never ending torment for the past six centuries was standing before him, cocky and condescending as she quickly uprooted the new life that he formed for himself.

The thought of her makes my muscles twitch with a rage I didn't even know I had. Not only has she separated the most important person to me from all of his friends, but she has also caused countless atrocities on my people. In her search for the elemental masters of creation, she sent her army to destroy towns, massacring innocent people just for her own selfish needs. There were cities torn down by their wrath, defenseless as she clung onto any hope of finding five people. She cost thousands of lives to lure out five people.

"Do you want to take a break?" Cole looks over at me, and if he wasn't running next to me, I'd assume he was sitting down and relaxing seeing as how even his voice is.

"No," I pant. "I'm not...stopping...until we can settle down for... the night," the words barely escape my lips as my muscles demand my air.

"Let me carry you then, Princess," he offers, and while the offer makes my legs cry out with joy, I shake my head.

"I don't want..." my foot catches on a tree root, and I go tumbling forward, rolling and lathering my skin in dirt and grime as I skid to a halt. My heart pounds as I spit out a wad of dirt that found its way to my mouth, and I have to hold back a scream as I choke on my anger laced embarrassment.

I'm the soulmate of the master of earth, one of the most powerful beings to ever exist, yet I can't even run for a short period of time without immediately getting gassed out. I can barely defend myself, and even with all of the education I've been given, none of it has actually been put to practice, and most of it never will be. I'm powerful only in title.

I'm an absolute deadweight right now, seeing as he could have taken Aria down had she not taken me into her hold, and he could have fled by now. I'm slowing him down, even while putting in my best efforts, and I can't help but get mad at myself for everything. It's my ineptitude that has left me here, sitting on the ground covered in muck.