𝐌𝐎𝐊𝐈 𝐖𝐀𝐋𝐊𝐄𝐑
''As we know, the Serpentine have been on low profile since your last encounter. We haven't got any activities or apparitions, until now.'' Nya speaks, walking back and forth while gesticulating with her hands.
It has been a few days since the events of the Fire Temple — things here have been sometimes more awkward than anything between Lloyd and his father — it must be pretty heavy to know that you'll have to fight your own relatives.
Oh, yeah. Another thing to remember, I am the only one who hasn't unlocked my true potential. Which is slightly irritating me.
The guys and I were pretty much training all day — before the sun started to set and we got called by Nya on the bridge. We were all lined up in front of the screen, except for Garmadon, Wu and Lloyd — who are doing whatever.
''You discovered where the fourth Fangblade is?'' Cole questions, his face lighting up.
We still aren't a hundred percent sure that the third one is in Pythor's possession. But doubts or not, we'll make sure to put our hands on one, just to prevent the arrival of an enormous serpent that absolutely eats anything and everything that is in its way. You know, just for everyone's safety.
''Not exactly, but with the monitor, I was able to find some kind of track that might lead us to them.'' Nya begins, stopping before turning to the screen. ''Bridge, show us a sonar sweep of Ninjago.'' She commands, displaying a holographic map on the screen — showing not any signs of Serpentine.
''Uh, am I the only one who doesn't see any traces of Serpentine?'' My brother asks, giving me a small glance.
''That is what you think at first sight, but when you look closer..'' She trails off while the map zooms at a certain spot which seems to have a crevice — with a red glowy dot literally inside it.
''Let me guess, the dot means the emplacement of the Serpentine.'' Kai thinks out loud, pointing at it.
''Yeah, but where is that place? I don't believe I've seen it before..'' I mumble while doing circles with my index at the fissure of the map.
''That place is the Wind's Canyon, where every night strong winds appear. It is basically suicide to go through. But at daytime, the strong winds turn into soft and refreshing breezes.'' She answers while gazing at me before trailing her eyes back down at the map. ''My hypothesis is that the Serpentine are staying the night there since it is already sunset and they'll need go pass through that.''
''There's a high chance that they are transporting the Fangblades with them.'' Zane informs.
''Now that isn't really a smart move.'' Jay mutters to himself, earning a small chuckle from me.
''Agreed, but that gives us the advantage!'' Cole exclaims, gesturing with his hands.
''We just have to sneak in and steal them while they're sleeping!'' Kai tells us while giving his fist a punch.
''Then it is decided! We now have a plan!'' Jay exclaims as he places his hands on his hips.
Wait. That is just too simple.
''Hold on, it can't be that easy.'' I speak up, gazing back at the red dot. ''First, we don't know how many of them there are. Plus, they might also just put some guards to watch out for any danger.'' I finish, slightly looking down at my brother.
''Nyx's got a point.'' Cole adds.
''We'll just take them all out and steal the Fangblades.'' Kai retorts, swinging his hand.
I cross my arms as I move my hips slightly on the right side. ''Last time we tried, you got stuck in an unstable volcano and barely got yourself out alive.'' I reply while raising an eyebrow at him.
''Yeah, but now we'll be able to use our Golden Weapons.'' He responds, brushing off my argument.
''Fair enough.'' I comment as he shutted me off.
A grin appears on his face, his expression turning into one of pride as I return a smile. The others exchange gazes with a raised brow.
''If you two are done now.'' Cole speaks up, his voice stern and serious all of a sudden.
I give him a glare, raising an eyebrow.
''One last thing.'' Nya trails off — gaining our attention back to her. ''Be careful.'' She warns us.
''Of course we'll be! We've dealt with those snakes before–'' My brother starts, but gets cut off by Nya.
''No, I meant the canyon. There are nothing else other than stone and rocks, be careful with where you step because there are a lot of cavities which are almost impossible to get out of.'' She lets us know, gesticulating with her hands.
Of course there are ditches at that place. Why wouldn't it have any? Maybe because it would have been too simple if there wasn't any.
''We'll be careful, you can count on us.'' Zane reassures her.
She gives us a single nod as her brows furrow at the same time.
✴
We were driving our transportations, heading towards where the Serpentine were camping. During our trip, we discussed about the smallest to the dumbest of things as the ride was SO long. The early sunset quickly ended as the night sky replaced it — the very few stars the only kind of light above.
We arrive at a depressing place — all stone and several rocks of different sizes coming out of the slate — which is where the position of the Serpentine would be nearby. Some hills stick out of the ground, several spiky mountains accompanying the cliffs.
''Where even is that so-dangerous canyon? I don't see anything!'' Kai complains over the communicator of our vehicles.
The wheels of my motorcycle moves into an horizontal position, making me able to float up — joining my brother in the air. We continue to travel forward as the sight gets more foggy.
''Ironic that you are saying this.'' Zane trails off. At the same time he says that, I feel a strong breeze on my face, not that vigorous tho — the night is just beginning after all. ''We have arrived.''
The smoke slowly disappears, revealing two highlands separated by a slit. We stop our vehicles — I stand up, trying to get a clearer view of the canyon from the sky.
''I don't see any Serpentine. This place looks as if it was deserted.'' Jay remarks while he lowers down his vehicle as I follow the same gesture.
Our transportations comes back into our Golden Weapons as we prepare to proceed on foot. Nya's warning about the treacherous terrain rings in my mind, so I cautiously step down, watching my footing as we approach the canyon.
The wind that had been a gentle breeze earlier begins to pick up its intensity. As we move closer to the canyon, the wind howls and rushes through the narrow passage, creating an eerie symphony that echoes against the stone walls. It's quite the dramatic shift from the calm and quiet night we left behind.
"We need to time our movements with the gusts of wind." Zane suggests. "When the wind is weaker, we make our way across, and when it's stronger, we take cover."
It's a risky plan, but I nod my head and we follow Zane's lead, advancing cautiously when the wind dies down, and huddling against the canyon walls or behind huge boulders when it intensifies. The canyon itself is dimly lit by the stars and the faint moonlight, casting elongated shadows that seem to dance along the rocky surfaces.
As we make our way deeper into the canyon, the tension in the air grows thicker. We're all aware that the Serpentine could be anywhere, hidden amongst the rock formations or in crevices we can't see. Every sound, every movement, has us on edge.
"Stay close and stay sharp." Cole advises in a hushed tone. "Keep an eye out for any signs of movement."
We nod in agreement, our senses heightened as we continue to navigate the challenging terrain. The wind seems to be a constant companion, sometimes brushing gently against us, and other times nearly knocking us off our feet — but every time, we managed to help each other and not get blown away. As it could be lethal..
I notice an extent of the canyon walls — one who should be easy enough to just jump and probably get a clearer view, even with the sky being as black as Cole's gi. I tap the person next to me's shoulder — which was Zanes — who turns his attention to me.
''Over there! Do you think we would get a much better view on top of there?'' I question — my voice is more pronounced to make sure that he could understand what I'm saying — while pointing at the spot.
''I don't know, the strong breezes are making things a lot more difficult to even peak our heads out to see, so climbing that wall is an enormous risk.'' He responds, gazing at the place before trailing his eyes back down to me.
''You can always try, just be careful with the next wave of wind.'' Kai speaks up while glaring at us.
I give him a small thumbs up before grabbing my bow. ''Do you mind holding this for me?'' I quiz, handing my weapon to Zane.
''Of course not, I don't mind.'' He shakes his head and grabs my Golden Weapon — I quickly thank him.
I bend my legs to give me a small boost and jump. I stretch my arms out — my hands landing on near the edge of the extend — trying to lift me up. Man, why is it such a struggle? I wiggle my legs before dropping back down. I brush my hands together, removing any possible debris.
''Oh boy.'' I mumble, shaking my hands as I also open and close my hands out of habit.
''Looks like you could use some help.'' Cole comments, causing me to turn my head to him.
''You think?'' I snarky add, raising a brow to him.
I could tell by the way the others' gazes were on me — even through their hoods — that they were slightly surprised by my attitude.
My brother nervously chuckles. ''Sis? Are you– uh, okay?'' He questions, tilting his head — his face peeking out from across.
I shake my head, letting out a small sigh. ''Yeah, just slightly–'' I pause, trailing my eyes down. ''Nevermind. I'm sorry.''
''You seem a little more nervous than usual.'' Kai observes — resulting my gaze to go back up at him.
''Yeah, well, this canyon isn't exactly a walk in the park.'' I reply while placing a hand on my hip. I take a deep breath before moving my eyes from Kai to Cole. ''I could use some help, please.''
He gives me a small nod and approaches me. He puts his scythe on his back before bending his knees and placing one of his hands on top of the other. I move my foot on the palm of his hand — he gives me a push to lift me up. I use my forearms to elevate myself on the rock — this time successfully. A — not severely — strong gust of wind hits me. I grip onto the edge, not wanting to get blown away.
Once the breeze calms down, I get back up — brushing my hands off on the fabric of my gi. I squint my eyes into the darkness, looking around for any signs of the Serpentine. My search ends with no luck finding them.
''Is there something? Anything at all?'' My brother interrogates.
I shake my head. ''No, I don't see anything suspi–''
As I begin to look down at my friends below, I notice movement in the shadows of the canyon — making my lips close shut. It's not as clear as day, but there's definitely something down there.
''What? Is something wrong?'' Cole asks — who must have noticed my change of tone in my voice.
''I think I just saw something move.'' I mumble, trying to get a clearer peek of the thing in the shadow.
The others immediately go on alert, and I can see them scanning the area.
Whatever it is, it's staying hidden for now.
I get back down from the extent. Zane hands me my weapon, which I take gratefully, giving him a small nod. I take the lead while the others follow my steps.
We continue to make our way through the canyon — in silence — as I keep a close watch on the mysterious presence below. The wind continues to be unpredictable, and at times, it feels like it's intentionally trying to knock us off balance.
''Nya sure wasn't joking with those winds.'' Jay blabbers — breaking off the quiet ambiance.
''Is that now that you realize?'' Cole questions, turning his head to him.
My brother adds a small sarcastic chuckle. ''Just trying to lighten up the mood.'' He defends himself.
The others hold a small conversation while I just keep my guard up with Zane.
As we get closer to the source of the movement, I can see that it's a group of Serpentine. They seem to be guarding something, and I catch a glimpse of what appears to be the Fangblades — which there are really three of them.
This is our chance to retrieve them and put a stop to their plan.
I lift my free arm, gesturing with my hand to shut them off. Their talking quickly dies down as I feel them get into their fighting stance, slowly advancing to my sides.
Kai hisses a 'Psst! '— earning our attention. He tilts his head in the direction of a large boulder; one enough to perfectly hide all of us. We approach it, sneaking right behind the huge rock.
We crouch behind the massive boulder, our hearts pounding in our chests. The wind howls through the canyon, masking our presence as we peer out from behind our hiding spot — which is both an advantage and a challenge.
The Serpentine are now clearly visible, their scaly bodies illuminated by the faint moonlight. They are indeed guarding the Fangblades, which are placed on a sort of ornate stone pedestal — made out of smooth rocks that they must have found nearby — at the center of their makeshift camp.
From our concealed position, we quietly strategize our approach. It's pretty clear that we can't just rush in and steal the Fangblades. Not only are we outnumbered, but the wind also makes it way harder to even have a direct confrontation.
''We would need a distraction.'' Zane suggests. ''Something to draw their attention away from the Fangblades."
I dig into my mind, searching for any way to create a distraction. An idea quickly flicks in my thoughts
''I think I have an idea.'' I speak up to the team. ''The wind in this canyon is intense. What if we use it to our advantage? Zane, with your shurikens, you could create a barrier or something to redirect the wind and make it even stronger for a short burst at the Serpentine.''
Zane nods thoughtfully. ''I believe that it could work, but I'll have to do that at the right time for the gust of wind.'' He tells us, holding his shurikens slightly more tight.
Kai steps in. ''I say one of us goes for the blades while the others have their back covered.'' He offers, gesturing with his hand.
''Seems great.'' Cole agrees, clenching his fist while also tilting his head as if it was like a nod.
''Okay.'' Jay breathes out. ''Who's going for the Fangblades?''
Oh, for that part, I can certainly do it. I slightly lift my hand. ''I'll do it. I got one once, I can definitely do it again.''
''Yeah, but in the end, they still escaped with the Fangblade.'' Kai quickly murders my enthusiasm. I– Uh.. Forgot about that.
''Wonder who's fault it was.'' I retort, sending a small glare to the White Ninja — who looks back at me, the look in his eyes mirroring innocence. Zane, you are my friend. I appreciate you — I really do, but in all due respect, it was kinda your fault that time.
My brother nervously chuckles. ''Okay..'' He trails off — not sure what to say.
''Anyway, no one else is volunteering so I'll do it.'' I argue.
''Don't you think your bow will get in the way?'' Zane interrogates, tilting his head.
''Nah, I'll be fine.'' I answer, shaking off his question.
''Then it is decided.'' Cole starts. ''Zane does the distraction and Moki goes for the blades while we have her back.'' He rewinds the plan — we all nod in confirmation.
The White Ninja starts to head at a spot that is slightly higher where he could execute our plan without any problem. His position is even protected from the strong breezes due to the huge boulders being at his sides.
The wind picks up again, and Zane takes out his shurikens as the others and I prepare ourselves.
He starts concentrating his powers with his weapon, creating an icy barrier. As he does, the wind intensifies, creating a sudden whirlwind that kicks up dust and debris, swirling around the Serpentine camp — they hiss and shout in surprise, their attention completely drawn to the sudden storm.
Once it calms down, the snakes observe their surroundings.
''The Fangblades! Where are they?!'' A voice screeches — one that sounds a lot like Pythors — tilting his head around.
At the exact moment he finishes his sentence, I notice the Fangblades aren't on the ornate stone pedestal anymore. Oh my masters. I didn't think about this..
I trail my eyes about everywhere I can to find the blades as the serpents also copy my gesture also searching for them.
I rotate my body and rush at the other side of the boulder, the faces of my friends grow in confusion.
''What are you doing?'' My brother questions while furrowing his brows.
''The Fangblades have been knocked off the pedestal by the wind.'' I answer quickly, analyzing the stoned ground before my gaze falls down at the three objects. I turn my head and gesture with my hand to approach me. ''Found them.''
They scoot over to me and peek their heads out the edge of the rock. I point at the daggers on the floor — which could easily be spotted by the serpents anytime now.
''Okay, let's go now!'' I whisper-shout. I nod to the side, motioning to them to be ready to go. We jump out from behind the boulder we were using to hide ourselves. I start to dash at the Fangblades while the others have my back.
''Hey! They are over there!'' A voice echos. Wow. What a comical timing.
I darted my eyes at the minion that said it — a Hypnobrai — he was pointing at the objects on the ground. One snake soon becomes two, and two then becomes three. More and more serpents start to appear, a little too much to even count anymore.
They notice us, their face growing into a defending one. They start to approach us as Zane is still hiding at his previous spot. The wind picks up again — nearly making me lose my balance along with the others.
Awesome.
I glance behind, where the others are all fighting different minions. They look kind of busy and slightly overwhelmed — wonderful. I gaze back in front of me. A few snakes appear from behind a rock where the Fangblades are placed. Oh, no. I am not letting this slide!
I grab my bow from behind, going back to running to get the daggers before the Serpentine can. I pull the string and a purple colored arrow appears — tho, it seems a little different than usual. The dart is more of a dark purple and the flames look bigger — as if something here was feeding it. Woah, I've never seen that before..
I quickly shake it off, my focus going back to the minions that are dangerously near the blades. I remove my two fingers from the rope, the arrow going straight at them. The serpents notice the spike coming for them and jump in fear. They back up and go right behind the boulder where they came from. The projectile I launched at them hits the rock. The arrow slowly fades and seems to infect the boulder as it kinda looked like when you pour water on a rock, but this time, it's slightly different. The substance stops moving as it remains a darkish spot. Okay, yeah. It is indeed the first time I see this.
I brake, slightly sliding on the stoned ground. With a bow in one of my hands, I use the other to grab the handle of what seems like a staff with four storages that I guess is to store all of the Fangblades.
A gust of wind brushes against me, almost knocking me off my feet once again. I adjust my position properly — clearly not wanting to fall — before starting to head off.
''Oh masters, you got it!'' Kai observes while stopping an attack from a serpent's weapon with his sword.
''No, really? I clearly didn't remark it!'' I comment, a soft smirk curving on my lips. I could tell that a slight grin had appeared through his mask, but it quickly fades away as his focus goes back on the snake.
I stop in my track, my face growing in slight concern. I wonder if I should go and maybe give them some help..
Moki. You absolute moron. You have the Fangblades in your hands, the only thing and probably last chance to stop the Serpentine from unleashing the Great Devourer. My eyes flicker at my friends fighting — my mind getting overwhelmed with random questions and thoughts. I feel a presence behind me — making me exit my thoughts. I look over a shoulder as a snake goes for me and is ready to swing its weapon. Cole slides in front of the Serpentine, blocking its attack with his scythe and protecting me.
''Told you we would have your back, Nyx!'' He exclaims, pushing his scythe forward to make the minion back up.
My eyes soften as a small beam crawls back on my face. ''Thank you.'' I tell him, trying to show my appreciation.
''You'll thank me later. For now, I think it's best that you run away from here.'' He trails off, swinging his weapon to the side, causing the serpent's sword to fall off its hand. The minion lets out a small screech before running away. He looks over his shoulder. ''Go, now!''
I give him a single nod and start to head in the direction I think was where we came from as the wind is now hitting me in the back. He's right, they do have my back.. But what if they get hurt because of the strong winds? Shake it off, Ny– Moki. My masters, the nickname that Cole gave me is surely growing on me. Anyway, they'll be fine.
I notice Zane moving down from his place. Damn, he hasn't moved from his spot at all? Okay, not really going to question it.. The White Ninja — who already acknowledged my presence — starts to head toward me. He succeeds to join me pretty quickly — which I don't know if I should be surprised or not.
''You have the Fangblades in your possession! You did it!'' He cheers. I could feel the smile he had through his mask.
''I would have never been able to get them without yours along with the others help!'' I add, giving him a soft gaze. I trail my eyes back forward, seeing huge boulders lined next to each other and making a barricade. We stop our track, anger getting the best of me. ''Oh, you gotta be fu–''
Zane places a hand on my shoulder. ''There! I could lift you up and you could look around for another possible way out.'' He says — interrupting me — while pointing to a wall next to us.
''–cking kidding me..'' I finish my sentence, my voice lowering at every second as I examine the extent. I nod at his thought. ''Yeah, great idea.''
We rush to the extent, where Zane taps on my shoulder once again. I turn my attention to him, letting out a small humming sound. ''Give me your bow, it'll help with climbing this platform.'' He tells me.
I bop my head in response, handing my weapon to him. Once he grabs it, he wraps the string of the bow around the area of his torso as the golden curve of the weapon relies on his back.
Exactly like Cole, he bends his knees and places one of his hands on top of the other. I move my foot on the palm of his hand — he gives me a push to lift me up. I use my forearms to hold my weight. I let go of the small staff where the Fangblades remain and use both of my arms to lift myself up on the stoned pad. I get myself back on my feet, grabbing the golden baton on the way as I start to feel the gust of wind on the back of my head and just my whole body in general — which isn't that pleasant if I'm being honest.. I observe my surroundings, trying to find a solution to pass through the enormous rocks that are blocking us from exiting this place where I'm growing really tired.
During my observation, I notice a thin start of a crevice. My eyes follow the trail that leads to a big hole. I shake it off and continue to analyze everywhere for even a small slit where we even could have the slightest of hope to get through — I don't care, just something!
I feel a slithery presence behind. Before I can turn my head, I feel a strong grip wrapping my body — making me unable to move. The purple scales on the rough part immediately gave it away. I grunt, trying to get out of Pythor's grip.
''Moki, are you okay?'' Zane's voice echoes, slight concern in his tone. My brows raise as what I should have done sooner crosses my mind.
''Zane! I–'' I start, but that giant purple lezard's grasp tightens — making me wince.
''Don't worry about your little friend. She's in good hands.'' Pythor sneers. I couldn't see his face, but I could just feel his big and sinister grin plastered on it. I hear a small gasp, probably from Zane as I see some Constrictai coming out of the stone floor.
''Okay, that sounded really creepy.'' I trail off, earning the snakes attention. ''Like, not in a fearful way, but more like a predator type of way.''
His eyes widened. ''You don't take anything serious, do you?'' He questions, gaining a small hum from me.If I could, I would've just shrugged.
''Depends on what, but most of the time; no.'' I answer.
He doesn't reply, but I can sense that his focus is on something else.. The Fangblades! ''I believe that those are mine.'' Pythor remarks while reaching his hand out to grab the stolen staff I have. I tried to wiggle my hand or just a part of my body to prevent him from even touching the baton. With no luck, he snatches the daggers away from me. ''If I recall correctly, this is the second time it's happening.'' He tells me, referring to him grabbing the Fangblades once again from my failed attempts of getting them. ''Must be fate, don't you think?''
''Wish it isn't.'' I retort, rolling my eyes. I take a deep breath and squirm once again. ''So what now? Am I your prisoner or?''
''I had another idea in mind..'' He replies, a small chuckle follows which sends me shivers down my spine.
Remember that crevice I found? Yeah, well jokes on me because that purple talking lizard launches me inside it. I let out a yell as I slide down the pit until my back hits a wall. I notice some small rocks beginning to follow my movement, which the boulders get more and more huge by the second. My mind aligns everything together and I force myself to fall to the left side, where another room was attached to the entry. Smart idea of mine, since where I just was now quickly got filled with one heck of a rock along with some small boulders — which blocked what I assumed was my only ticket to get out of this place.
I get on my knees, coughing — the air of this place is as breathable as if you took a big and deep inhale of inside a plastic bag. The humidity here certainly isn't helping with the high temperature, which is quickly making me sweat my ass off. I stand back up on my feet, starting to raise my hands to brush the dust off of me.
As I lift my hands along with my arms — a throbbing and painful sensation just at the right side of my upper back just begins to appear — making me let out a hiss. Wonderful.
Then the cherry on top of everything, it is almost pitch black — we can't see much. I think I am the most unlucky person in the whole world(especially when it comes to heights, it's ridiculous).
I rotate my head to the left, not knowing what I'm searching for as all I see is just all shadowy. And of course, I don't have my Golden Weapon with me — it would be too easy otherwise. I roll my eyes at my own thought, sighing before noticing a faint light emerging from a slit on a random wall — that must be a light from outside(even if it's night at the moment). I feel my eyes light up as a small and hopeful smile grows on my face. I immediately dash to the slim holde where the glow comes from.
I start to place my hands on both sides of the gash in the rock — quickly removing my right hand as the pain of my shoulder kicks back in. Yeah. Moki, you are an absolute idiot. How could I even forget about what I think is just a bad stretched muscle that'll probably leave a bruise.
I move my head near the pierce in the stone — the hope I had instantly drops dead as it seems that the glow is coming out from another chamber.. Weird.
A thought crosses my mind, giving me a small glimpse of believing. If there is another room, then there must be a way to access it. I examine what I can catch a peek of while my free hand roams on the wall, searching for a button, lever or just something that could be an entrance. I start to trail along the right side of the wall. My fingers brush into a small pit, which has the shape of an oval, but slightly deformed. I stop my track — squinting my eyes in regard to having a better view in the dark — which kind of works as my sight gets clearer, adjusting to the sombre environment.
With my eyesight getting more apparent, I observe an old–ancient cobbled door that is closed shut — maybe even jammed. The entré is decorated with squared bricks that have a horseshoe kind of arch — which is very beautiful! There's also a small sign on the door that simply cannot be described since it looks like it got scratched and scraped — tho, with some of the lines that my eyes could land on, it looked a lot like a dragon — one similar to the one I have on my gi.
The structure of this thing probably has some mechanical use too. There must be something to open this damn door! I let out a deep breath, rotating my head to find any kind of object that could fit. I trail my gaze down to the floor, where some pebbles lie. I dart my eyes down at a pile of rocks, which at first sight, looks like the perfect size for the little pit in the wall. I approach the stack, crouching down as I do so. I begin to search with only one hand as the other just hurts too much to even move. I pick one up, where a sign remains on — examining it, I remark that it isn't the same one as the doors — which makes me groan in annoyance. Great! I'll be there until tomorrow if some of the rocks have different sorts of signs.
''Okay.. If I was a rock.. Where would I be?'' I question myself — which probably makes me look crazy. It's not like someone would answer me.
I flick my gaze to a specific spot of the pile — my hand dives in until I can feel a rock reach my palm. I wrap my fingers around it, having a tight grip for no reason. I take it out and analyze it.. Nothing, no symbol. I dropped my shoulders, throwing my head back — it was worth trying. I move my head back correctly while turning the rock I have in my possession — a sign on it — one that looks identical to the doors.
Hope surges inside of me as I get back up. I fastly walk to the entrance, where the small pit is near. I lift my hand to it before pushing the pebble inside the small cavity — which fits perfectly — I remove my hand and step back a little. Woah– It actually worked! My lips curve into a wide smile as I let out a small chuckle of success.
The small boulder goes deeper into the dent, my glare flickering to the door to the handmade-kind-of button — checking if the door opens.
But nothing happens.
''Oh! Come on!'' I let out a frustrated yell, clenching my fists. ''Why won't this work?!''
I accidently hit the stoned wall with the knuckle of my functional hand while wiggling both of them out of habit. I let out a small 'Ow!', placing my arm back on my side.
A small purple glow emerges from the symbol of the rock — which the door's one mirrors it. The entry slides to the right side, allowing me to enter the mysterious chamber from earlier. I step in, immediately getting hit by the light of the alcove. I blink several times, trying to adjust my eyes from the blinding glow. Once the view gets clearer, I notice that what the light was all along isn't from outside, but only a crystal — which is weird since I thought that it needed a ray of light such as the sun.
I noticed some kind of drawings on the wall, which got all scratched and making it hard to even recognize the symbols and such. Something or someone clearly didn't want these to get found. My eyes land on one specific place, where the doodles are all clear and not scribbled.
There was a drawing of a certain book, which confused me. There was someone next to it, and then the doodles showed another person that got the book passed. This pattern repeated itself for quite some people until the last one got the novel. It's probably the last time we saw it. Next to those weird sketches, there was a text — a clear one where we could read;
''Magic is a mystical force used to bend reality to the whim of its user. It has a darker counterpart, which is Dark Magic. A sombre and powerful element that needs a lot of control. Strong enough to corrupt one's soul to those who chose to wield its power. Anyone who got inherited of this ability have been rarely or never been seen to use it for good purposes due to its strength..'' I read out loud the sentence — or more of what I can actually read as the words downwards become all squiggled.
Then would that mean that my past ancestors have been evil all along? I get how people are afraid of me now.. For generations and generations the previous users have just been causing chaos and fear to people. Does that also mean that I'm also supposed to be bad?
I lower my head as my brows furrow. I won't let that happen. Ever. I know who I am. Deep down, I know what I value.
Just like what Garmadon said; there will always be people scared of me no matter how hard I try to convince them otherwise. But I'm not bothered by that.
Atleast, not anymore.
I lift my gaze back up as I notice another slit, one long enough for me to pass through this time. I carefully approach it, rotating to the side and slowly start to walk as my back is against the wall. This small tunnel leads to another chamber.
But this time, there are three circular steps that are tossed on top of each other, which leads to a purple glowing thing just floating in the middle of the room. There's a small paragraph right on the pedestal of what seems like an energy source.
''The heart of the wind.'' I mumble, reading the words graphed in stone. I walk up one step at a time, approaching the source. ''So you are the source that creates killing gusts of wind here?''
The later it gets in the night, the stronger and deadlier the breezes get. My face widens in shock. Something that completely slipped out of my mind; my friends! They must be in a really bad situation; with the wind and if you add the Serpentine! I redo my steps, passing through the long slit. Once I arrive at the previous room, I notice the door being closed. And of course, there isn't a button or something to open the door.
I look around in panic, desperately trying to find an exit. My desperation quickly transforms into frustration. Tho, something feels different. I sense something inside me feeling quite odd and strange.
A dark shadow substance circles me — creating like a protective bubble — which slightly freaks me out, not gonna lie.. My body feels stronger, like if a boost of energy just surged from my whole system — hold on, am I the one doing that? I pass through the tough material, exactly like how a shadow would. Not much time after, I immediately had an idea of what was happening.
I get a quick view of where I am right now — the very first room I was when I got launched here by that purple reptile. The entry is blocked with a few pebbles along with an enormous boulder — which would be no problem since I kind sort of blend into the shadows.. I think–
My whole being merges into a kind of dark cloud, which gives me an advantage. I swiftly slide against the huge pile of rocks, making me able to exit the cave — being greeted with a strong breeze that immediately cuts itself off — as if me unlocking my true potential caused me to somehow control the wind or just stop it for a brief moment.
My ears pick up a few noises, which seems a lot like hisses and confused aahs. A golden light succeeds to pierce the bubble I'm in — almost blinding me in the moment. My attention tilts toward the light, the cloud around me lowers its opacity, which gives me a better view of what is happening.
My friends were at one side of the canyon's corridor, their backs facing the barrier of rocks. The warm glow appears to be in Zane's hands, who, along with my friends, are searching for me as their heads travel at every corner. I observe my brother's hands also being on my weapon — who seems to find a sense of comfort just by touching my bow.. Awn.
On the other hand, the Serpentine are right across them, weapons in their possessions. Pythor on the lead along with the Hypnobrai's general which I never caught his name.. The Fangblades are also in the purple lizard's hands. His minions and he look around, searching for what caused the perturbation of the breezes.
I approach the scene, hiding behind a rock. While making my move, a random serpent screeches, claiming that he saw something move in the ombres of the night. I go to a nearer boulder that is way more on the Serpetine's side. Another snake inserts its incertitude of also seeing something. Hm, for me that wanted to be discrete, it is kind of ruined. Might as well do my appearance now.
I jump out of the rock — for their sights, I must look just a plain black shadow ball with a purplish glow emerging from my body. I rush into the muster of serpents, knocking some off their feet. I make my way to get the Fangblades. Pythor, who is holding them, seems panicked as he slithers back.
I don't know how much time I have left before this boost of energy dies. I pass right beside the Anacondrai, holding an eye contact like in those kinds of movies where the character is in slow-motion. I dash toward my friends, who don't know if they should be scared or relieved. Damn, am I that scary?
I don't know what crosses my mind, but I circle my friends, in hope to assemble them in the shadowy bubble I'm in. To my biggest surprise, it actually works. The guys now have a better sight of me, glowing. I manage to levitate our way out of the canyon, which slightly makes me nervous, in fear to accidentally drop the ninjas.
Once we're in the air, which gives us an amazing view of the sky, but a depressing one of our surroundings, which is only a rock biome. I find a flat surface out of the canyon, resulting in me diving straight at the ground.
''Woah– Moki. Hold on– Be careful!'' My brother yelps as he notices the stoned floor quickly arriving.
I slow down and in no time, our feet finally touch the ground. The thick black cloud around us fades away, letting my friends free and out of danger as I just am revealed, still glowing. My friends watch in awe as I put down my hood while they do the same. The glow of the weapon that the White Ninja has in his grip slowly vanishes along with the light around my body.
My energy quickly drops, causing my head to feel a little woozy, my eyes getting heavy along with my knees who just give up and make me fall. Cole and Jay catch me before I hit the ground. I let out a small groan due to the growing migraine who painfully lets itself get noticed. I could have fallen asleep right there if it wasn't for the throbbing pain of my headache.
''Hey. Hey. Take it easy.'' Cole soothers me while he and Jay put me back on my feet. I blink a few times to wake myself up.
''Oh my masters, what happened to you?!'' Kai asks, clearly targeting me as he joins the other two along with Zane.
''Wha–'' I trail off, raising an eyebrow before darting my eyes down; seeing my suit being scraped with dust and dirt. ''Oh. I– kind of found myself stuck in a cave. And my goodness was it burning back there.'' I reply with a small chuckle, appreciating the soft breezes.
''Are you okay?'' My brother inquiries, obviously being concerned by my well being.
''Besides a high chance of a stretched muscle in the back, I'm fine.'' I try to reassure him, but quickly realize what I said.
''You got hurt?'' Zane interrogates, my bow still in his hands.
''I just had a bad landing at the wrong angle, that's all. Like I said; I'm fine.'' I answer, trying to brush it off.
Jay launches himself on me, wrapping his arms around my neck to bring me into an embrace. I return the hug back by enclosing my arms around his waist — a soft beam appearing on my face. The other three backed away, letting my brother and I be in our moment.
''I'm glad you're safe.'' He mumbles into my ear. Judging by his voice, I could tell he was holding back tears of relief from spilling.
''I'm glad you're also in security.'' I add, being my turn that my eyes are now watering.
I trail my eyes forward, seeing the other boys just staring at the scene, all having a soft smile on their faces. When we pull away from our embrace, Zane speaks up.
''How did you unlock your true potential?'' He questions, picking the curiosity of the others as well.
''I thought that the thing holding me back was the other's opinions of me, but I found some writings and doodles in the crevice I got myself stuck in. They helped me realize that the only thing that held me back was only my own approval of myself, not the others.'' I respond, gesturing with my hands as my smile remains, but slightly curves back down.
A moment of silence installs itself among us before Cole breaks it. ''Hold on now, there were writings about what in the cave?''
''I'll tell you all in detail, but for now, can we just go back to the Bounty? I feel like I could pass out at any moment now.'' I request, the headache still stays at the same level of pain.
✴
We arrived at the Bounty, safe and sound. I got into my pajamas while my gi is in the washing machine. I explained every single detail of what happened and what I found in the crevice — to the book to the source of energy. Not any facts being spared while everyone else listened carefully. I observed Garmadon and Wu getting slightly uncomfortable when I was talking about the doodle of the novel, which made me trail off for a few seconds before continuing. When I finished my tale, the others did their verse of the story. How they quickly got outnumbered and that with the wind it got more and more dangerous for them.
''Okay, so, Pythor's got three of the Fangblades and we didn't get much information about where they are heading.'' Kai rants, placing his chin on his hand.
''True, but you are all becoming stronger.'' Sensei talks up before taking a sip of tea. ''All of you have unlocked your true potentials, which is a enormous step for every single one of you..''
''It still doesn't change the fact that they got three out of four Fangblades in their possession.'' Jay comments, wiggling his hands in the air.
''There is still the fourth one to find.'' Cole adds, peeking his head out to look at my brother.
''And maybe our last chance to stop the Serpentine to unleash the Great Devourer.'' Zane states.
I stand up from the table, the fatigue getting the best of me — which only Nya seems to notice. ''Moki? Where are you going?'' She questions, raising an eyebrow.
''I'll be heading off to bed before I actually doze off here.'' I reply, moving to the door before sliding it open. I step outside, gazing at the others at the table before letting out a; ''Goodnight everyone.''
They all return the words before I close the door shut and head to my cabin. Once I arrive in my room, I don't even bother to close the door, I just let myself fall on my bed.
What a day.
And with those words, I immediately fall asleep.
***𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐑'𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄***
↳ 𝗦𝗛𝗢𝗨𝗧𝗢𝗨𝗧; Astrius_ 𝙸'𝚍 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚔 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚠𝚘𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚏𝚞𝚕 𝚒𝚍𝚎𝚊 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚐𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚖𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚑𝚘𝚙𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛!
- 𝚁𝚒𝚟𝚎𝚛