My back ached as I curled into a smaller ball in the storage compartment of Kai's dragon. My frail body taking a good hit each major flap of the mighty dragon's wings.
First day in Ninjago and I'm already riding dragons.
I always found dragons interesting and heard about the tales and great battles the dragons had and always wanted to meet one. Today was the day for that apparently.
It's been a lot longer of a ride than I thought and all the ninja did was talk. I didn't mind listening, but it was growing on my nerves how much they were just blabbering. Especially when it's about me.
"So, what do you guys think about the new girl?" Kai asks.
"Liz?" Cole queered. "She seems cool."
"Can we even trust her?" Jay added. "She seems like she could be bad news. Did you see her daggers?!"
Cole scoffed. "So she has daggers and she's a few years younger than us. We have weapons too when others suggest we shouldn't."
"She just gives me the heebie jeebies," Jay said with a shiver to his voice.
"That's no way to talk about our new sister," Zane countered.
"She's not our sister, Zane," Jay snapped.
Damn right. How could I see these guys as family when they clearly don't want me here in the first place? It's only temporary anyways.
"Hey!" Kai exclaimed. "I see the village!"
Finally.
"Last one there cleans the stables!"
My eyes widened. Uh oh.
"What?! No fair!" Jay called after him.
That's when Kai's dragon boosted through the air to dive and I felt my stomach leave my body as the mighty beast pushed itself down towards the ground. My head banged against the wall of the storage compartment as we landed and I immediately regret my decision to be here in the first place.
I just let my body rest on the wall I hit my head on as the boys dismounted their dragons.
"I was first!" Jay screamed. "Me! It was me!"
Zane scoffed. "What do you mean? It was clearly me!"
Their bickering was thankfully cut short by the sound of distant screaming from the village, causing the boys to run towards it, leaving me to figure out how I'm going to sneak past everyone.
"Little wolf, you don't need to hide," bellowed a strong powerful voice. I froze. That wasn't just any voice. It was one speaking in dragon.
Trying to keep my breathing steady, I pushed out from the compartment and saw the dragon I rode staring at me. I gasped as he breathed a bit of smoke into my face with a weird gaze in his eyes.
"I'm sorry for stowing away," I answered the beast. I was lucky enough that Moonbloods were taught how to speak dragon along with the Moonblood's language. Even though dragons no longer come to Molotoke, the mighty Queens and Kings of the dragons used to come to visit the Moonblood Alphas and have yearly gatherings to keep in touch.
This was when the Great Alpha wanted the Dragons as allies during the Rebellion. But the dragons had too much to worry about and soon the Great Alpha was hidden and their legacy along with it. Dragons haven't set foot in Molotoke sense. At least not that I was aware of.
"I didn't know that dragons lived here in Ninjago."
The dragon huffed. "During the Great War of the dragons, some fled to Ninjago while they still could with the help of the First Spinjitzu Master and Wyah. We now have made homes here, no longer wishing to be apart of the dragon clans."
"You're from a Burn Dragon aren't you? From Burnclan?"
The dragon nodded. "If you wish to categorize me yes, but I will never be apart of Burnclan, I bow to nobody."
"No wonder Kai chose you," I said with narrowed eyes.
The dragon chuckled. "That's a story for another day. My name is Flame."
"Lizabeth. Pleasure to meet you, Flame."
"You as well, little wolf."
I turned to leave but not before Flame said his mind. "You better know what you're doing, Lizabeth. If you don't, you should turn back home while you still can. Phantom is nothing to be messed with."
I sigh. "You made it here, didn't you? And if Phantom is planning something, I'm positive she's not going to avoid Molotoke just for fun. I have to do this. To prove myself worthy."
"Very well, I won't keep you any longer."
I gave Flame one last bow before running towards the village where the Ninja were scolding a young boy about my age. His scent was... different. Almost unlike anything I've scented before. The boy was covered in vegetables as he was getting carried out by the ninja, his shouting echoing through the village.
This was Garmadon? He's so... young. How is this the villain Phantom is interested in? I could feel his sadness and his embarrassment, but mainly his anger. Anger so strong that it flooded my senses, making it hard to get a hold of myself.
"I'm Lloyd Garmadon! You will obey me!" the boy shouted, as ninja put him up onto a light pole as the villagers started to through food at him, must to his dislike.
Jay and Zane walked off to buy some candy for the ground, returning in front of Lloyd. "Next time," Jay said, taking a bite of his cotton candy. "Pay for your candy."
Laughing, the boys started to walk off as the villagers cheered and continued to throw veggies at the hanging boy. I made a mental note for myself to come back after I watch the Ninja leave.
I quickly scurried to watch them mounting their dragons when Kai stepped on his bag. A scroll popped out and Kai hopped down to grab it.
I could barley see from my position but I could make out these five blobs. Red, blue, black, white, and in the middle, green.
"I don't remember putting this in here?" Kai said, confused.
"You must have grabbed Master Wu's bag by mistake," Zane suggested.
"What is is?" Jay asked as he demounted his dragon.
"It's a scroll, dim bag," Cole said, taking the scroll from Kai.
"I know it's a scroll," Jay bristled. "But what does it say?"
"I can't read it, it's in chicken scratch!" Cole says.
"Not chicken scratch," Zane interjected. "It's the old language of Ninjago."
"Well can you read it?" Kai questioned.
"I can try," Zane responded.
"One ninja will rise above the others to become the green ninja." he read. "He will rise and be destined to defeat the dark lord."
"The dark lord?" Kai queried. "Lord Garmadon?"
"Ooo! A picture!" Jay exclaimed.
"Wait, is that us?" Cole asked. "Is anybody thinking what I'm thinking?"
"Like how good I'm going to look in green? Jay interjected.
"Pft," Kai spat. "It's obviously going to be me."
"What? The color obviously suits me!" Jay yelled back.
"Technically, I am the best." Zane chimed in.
Holy shit, that unfolded quickly.
"Enough!" Cole yelled. "We're a team. Have you forgotten that? You know damn well that we weren't supposed to see this and probably for good reason. Besides, isn't it obvious? Liz will probably end up being the green ninja."
I lowered my gaze. Is that true? Could I be the Green Ninja? Is that why Wu kept me alive? Agreed to let me stay?
"Come on," Cole continued. "We have training to do."
The boys quietly mounted their dragons after Cole's scolding and took off.
Flame turned his gaze towards me once again and nodded before he took off behind the others as Kai whispered into the air, "Could I be the green ninja?".
No turning back now.
The cry of the boy from the village filled my ears and I quickly made my way towards the empty village streets, reaching my way to the poll where the boy was.
Lloyd had gotten himself down and was laying on the ground on his back. I cautiously eased my way towards him, trying not to scare him as he sat himself up, holding himself up with one hand while the other brushed some of the food off of his skeleton painted hoodie.
I always had to be careful when approaching Sunbloods. They tended to startle easily. My baggy black clothes helped to hide my tail unless you were really paying attention. They also hid the frail, boney body of mine I had.
Lloyd looked up at me with a small spark of hope in his eyes that he might actually get out of here in one piece.
"Hi," I beamed. "I'm Liz. I saw the villagers and what they did to you. I thought I should come and help you."
"Help me?" Lloyd scoffed. "I'm Lloyd Garmadon! I don't need help!
I huffed. "Well I don't have anywhere else to go so either way, you're stuck with me." Lloyd was not convinced.
"I'm an outcast too, you know." I said. Flicking my fluffy tail to where he could see it.
Lloyd's eyes locked on her tail as he watched it swing softly back and forth and he gasped.
"So? Mind if I tag along?" I asked, reaching my hand for his.
Hesitantly, as if he needed to get over his ego, took my hand and instantly I felt a spark, I could tell Lloyd could feel it too. Something warm, something... safe.
"Sure," he said.
I smiled and pulled Lloyd up with my apparently unnatural strength and followed Lloyd as we headed out of the village.
This won't be so bad.