Chapter Text
It was always a treat, watching the sun bathe the pristine land after a late night snowfall, the way everything seemed so picture-esq and pristine always took her breath away. After what occured last night, she considered this a pleasant respite in contrast to the hostility she faced.
"The Spider's in the house," She hummed, using a brush she found in one of the drawers inside- she went through her usual hair routine of brushing it. Staring two thirds down, then a third up, repeating grom the top and then finally going down all the way. Maybe it was just her, but turning the brush on its side went much more smoothly downwards than holding the brush vertically. "Sleep, sleep,"
Hanging her legs over she ledge on a spot she cleared of snow, she wished again that Echo was accompanying her. While she brushed her hair he would usually paint the sunrise no matter the season, or even just the weather that everyone woke up to. He considered it a way of capturing the mood of the day in one of eight or so variations. (Her favourite was still his Autumn and Winter pieces).
Her new outfit- having discarded the prison one before she came outside, was something more similar to the Ice Fisher's but maintained that Ninjagan look to it- a mix of both red and blue with the stone greys of many Jamanakai outfits. "The spider bit the mouse, sleep, deep," she continued, grasping her hair gently and bringing it around to brush out the knots she recived whenever powers acted out.
The sun rose easily, undisturbed and serene. She could feel the change in temperature as the light warmed her knees. Contemplating if she should tie her hair up or keep it as is. She couldn't find a headband without waking up Chulyin. Whom came back late last night, presumably after the meeting with the Elders. She needed to ask about that, actually. Filing away the thought, she stopped for a moment to admire the scenery proper.
Having changed in moderate silence and slowly crept out to the roof. She opted to leave her hair down for now, carefully laying the brush beside her and inhaling a deep breath of air, the elevation made the air thinner, but that was fine. Being up in the Crystal Temple wasn't much different than this at all, the air was fresher. More familiar to her in a way.
Her moments of silence was then interrupted. Jumping as a door below slammed open, she saw Chulyin storm outside quickly, a bell in hand that Harumi definitely knew would summon the rest of the guardsmen she cleared her throat quietly. "Don't wake up or else you'll find a spider in your mouth," she sang, raising her voice so that the spearwoman heard her.
"I would have assumed you run off," The guard commented dryly, putting the bell back on her waist, tired eyes turned to meet ones of play. "But here you are." Harumi pressed a hand to her collar in faux hurt. Scoffing dramatically.
"The deal stated I was to be watched, sweetie," she purred, grinning like a cheshire cat, leaning a chin on an open palm. Enjoying the way the mask on the guard cracked a little bit, looking midly disturbed. "Nothing was said last night that I couldn't wander the vicinity you were in so long I do not leave it."
Maybe prying the final result out of her overseer would be much more entertaining. Extending her hands to herself, she smirked. "As you can see, no, I have been here for about maybe half an hour, bit less. These were inside, I'm sure you've worn these before." She motioned to the clothes she now adorned, Chulyin nodded.
"You will have your own set soon enough I suppose, however, it would be preferable if you came down," she demanded. Brown eyes locked with purple orbs of mischief. "Work to be done and ready for the day,"
"Is it not the knights task to get the princess safely down from the tower she remains in?" Harumi sighed theatrically, descending the way she came with more grace she would have ever accomplished when she was alive last. Landing in the snow with a soft crunch as she handed Chulyin her brush back. "Though, in my opinion, knights and heroes are overrated."
"You say that as the villain of the supposed story," Chulyin remarked, taking the brush back and latching it to the sash on her waist. Walking back inside and epxecting Harumi to follow with a wave of her hand. "According to Akita,"
"Akita was never there, weight in stories only carries truth to the knights akint to yourself who wish to be seen as the glorious and shining heroines. I'd wager you wouldn't mind being one yourself," she giggled, following inside, closing the door after her.
Addmitedly, she really did like the scent of the guards home, cinnamon and smoked pine was quite a nice smell... she was pretty sure she smelled some rosemary in there too. The house was about a simple two story cabin, stairs leading up to the rooms with the lower half being one big common room.
"I have no desire for it, no, only to protect the people who live under my care." Setting up a small fire at the stone chimey with chunks of wood and hay, she alligned them up before lighting a flint and steel together. Clashing then together as a spark hit the hay and then consumed it.
Leaning on one of the beams that supported the second floor Harumi laughed. Watching Chulyin grab a pan and set it on what appeared to be the stove portion of the chimney. "That's what they all say, albeit worded differently. What a charming guardswoman you are.."
Looking over her shoulder, Harumi swore she could see the hint of a smile. "If flattery is what you are going for, it will not work on me." Chulyin stated, and Harumi had to blink her eyes and rub at them to make sure she hadn't been deceived. "First and foremost is business, Qiuet One."
It was her turn to squint her eyes into slits, because her ex-title had just been tossed so casually into her face it caught her off guard. 'So you're playing THAT game then.'
"I would appreciate if you didn't toy with an ex-title belonging to a monster," she muttered, crossing her arms and then scowling at the back of the guard.
"Oh, believe me, it was very amusing watching you play your game." With such a deadpan voice Harumi swore she could've mistaken it for bordeom. If it was actual bordeom she really couldn't tell either or. "Now, onto actual matters."
"What a joyous ocassion," Harumi grouched, rolling her eyes as she watched Chulyin reach over, pull something out of a floor board and dump it into the pan. Sizzling, Harumi could smell.. butter? She was pretty sure that was butter.
There went her fun for the morning, she had gotten more than a grumble out of the guard compared to yesterday, she considered it an early accomplishment. She waited for the guard to continue, but all she did next was lift something out of the floorboard's pit- the object wrapped in white.
"I consider it fair to gauge your physical prowess, epscially considering you went on par with the Ninja." Finally speaking, she unwrapped it- and Harumii then smelled meat. Her stomach growled, and she flushed silently adnshe tried to getnit to shut up. "So you will be working on moving the tinder into the fire storage today,"
Harumi refrained from sighing, if that's what eating some respect took then she'd live with it. It wouldn't exactly be fun though was the thing, be she supposed it was better than the other options she could think of immediately. "Where do you come from?"
"A place," Chulyin responded- and Harumi pressed a hand to her face in annoyance. "Much like you I come from somewhere,"
"Well, yes, but I'm asking are you a Ninjagan or a different realm all together? You have more scars than I've seen from the other settlements than in Ninjago." Sauntering a little closer, she took a seat against one of the beams beside Chulyin. Close enough to see her expression as she sprinkled in the meat. Then what looked like salt and pepper.
"Perhaps as a reward you will find out after you accomplish your task." That sounded like as good a deal she was going to get in her position. Meeting those brown eyes, she tapped her fingers against the metal kneecaps. "Is this a fair deal to you, child?"
She bristled, hair waving around as she felt her eyes spark eith energy. "I'm not a child, I am nineteen years old thank you,"
This time was the momentary break in the armor, Chulyin smiled slyly- Harumi's eyed narrowed. That meant two for one on her end. "What're you making exactly?"
"Snow Strider ribeye steak, unfortunately I do not have the veggies as of right now so we will gave to go without- I do however have bread." Okay, so she knows what a Snow Strider is- but she's not like the other Jamanakai people here.. wait..
She blinked in confusion as Chulyin got up to go get the bread she was talking about. The blondes eyes following the ravenette in baffelement "You're.. offering some to me? Wouldn't you be making me earn my food or have me make it myself?"
Coming back with the two buns she cut them in the middle with a knife- then stuck them on a stick and placed them above the pan carefully. "I am serious, not cruel. You are still a guest at the end of the day, while yes you could possibly be a danger- you haven't tried to attack me or pulled any tricks."
She was at a genuine loss, here she was expecting Akita's words to be fully heeded and taken to the maixmum but Chulyin here was offering her something to eat. "Oh, um, thank you,"
She offered a grunt in response, Harumi fiddled with the cusp of her sleeves. Unsure how to really continue, most of the time she had to earn her right to eat, against a sibling, person or even finish a lesson.. but no, here was Chulyin just offering her breakfast.
They sat in silence for the next few mintues, the only thing really providing any ambience or noise being the pan sizzling with meat as it filled the room with a taste that made her mouth water, just how long had it been since she eaten something? She really couldn't put her finger on it.
Next thing she new there was something throwm into her lap- the smell of cooked meat and roasted bread danced across her sense of smell. It was embarsassing how much she still retained the mouthwatering inability to control how fast she ate, digging in quickly before it could be taken away. "Slow down, you'll choke. Which while, would be a great time for Akita, not so great one for Sorla. Do you want some water too?" She offered, and Harumi nodded through her rabid eating.
The blonde didn't notice when she had moved, only heard, but the cup came a few moments later, and it was some of the best water she had ever tasted in her life- finishing incredibly fast she panted for air after, watching Chulyin serenly eat her own portion of the food. She looked around for a napkin, and noticed a small thing seated infront of her too. "..Sorry," she muttered through wiping her face down.
"I understand." Was all the guardwoman said through her words, taking a swig of water. Harumi leaned back against the wooden beam, feeling fuller than anything she had in a while. The prison food wasn't inherently awful, it wasn't great either. "Are you ready to go?"
She felt bad, she finished fast and now that meant she wasn't allowing the woman to eat and making herself have to work fasted. "You aren't done eating your food-" a raised hand halted her sentence, making her flinch back.
"I save my breakfast for lunch either way, so we should be departing soon to the fire storage." Wrapping her food up, Chulyin got herself what looked like a pack- mixed in with a satchel. Grabbing her spear, by reaching over beside the chimney stove, she stood up. "Are you ready?" She asked again, looking much more imposing than Harumi thought.
"Yes, yes I am." It was going to be a long day, that much Harumi could tell. However, the.. netruality of Chulyin despite Akita's hatred for her and the other guards' worry gave the Ninjagan some hope.
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They avoided people where they could and even moved around to keep her out of view- she noted how there weren't really any Spirits here except about a handful of them. She recognized the Teeth Wounders walking around, those were a Jamanakai staple for many people. A Regal Giant pulling a cart, and a flock of Frost Runners. So there were people from Ninjago, she wondered if any of them would recognize her.
She doubted she'd really want to find out, Jamanakai had been one of the villages they spared from their path of subjugation back when the Qiuet One was alive. It had mainly been the settlements closest to Ninjago City, Ignacia being one of those. She could chalk that up to another point for her when it came to reasons the people who managed to hold on through The Merge and stay in Jamanakai to really not hate her out of spite.
However, she could see the look around of confusion whenever she got in the vicinity of an animal- they would peer around, trying to figure out what that smell was. Moving on when they realized it was the scent of death, going faster to get out of her range. She couldn't blame them, she was a walking magnet that reeked of oddity against the natural state of life.
On the note of life, her stomach slightly rumbled- and she wanted to ask the guardwoman for her lunch already, she hated this bad habit of hers of wanting to eat as much she could before anyone took her share. It was worse now that she powers she retained frok the Overlord somehow increased her metabolisim and made the hunger worse. Eating more than she normally would've than when the Quiet One was alive.
Harumi hesitantly gave up her lunch to Chulyin earlier before they left the cabin- still completely and utterly baffled that she was making sure food was kept around for her. Really, it was completely unprecendented for anyone, much less a guard to do that for her. Hutchens sort of did it for her, saving her food for her later, and then bringing it to her after those aggravating lessons were finished.
She misplaced her step and almost ate sh*t in her little mental tangent, rebalancing herself, the spearwoman gave her a look. "I'm fine! Just a little, clusmy today is all," she smiled, the guard gazed at her for a few seconds longer than she would've liked. Turning away in time so that the flush of embarassment wasn't seen.
Brushing snow off of her sleeves, she exhaled through her nose quietly, kicking away a loose rock on the pathway off to the side and sending it scrabbling below towards a house.
Maybe she should be focusing on what was in front of her, she nearly tripped on a rogue rock about three times now.. annd she was about to trip on another one. 'Not today FSM, I know you hate me but I don't plan on falling.' Walking over it with an eye that could sear into Lloyd's skull, she carefully placed a foot down and continued on her way. Observing the surroundings on this path, it was behind most of the houses the other villagers lived in.
The tree's here, suprisingly had remained uncut, when free wood was right there for the taking. She briefly wondered if it had to do with Akita and the Ice Fishers' way of living, leaving life alone and respecting it. She debated throwing a snowball at her overseer for a moment, then decided against it. She did say that it was about time to maintain an air of professionalism.
Which, ugh, she had done that too many times for her liking, she was fed up with it. It was tiring too, maintaining the air of it, how did people manage it for a months or years straight at a dead end job in Ninjago? Shaking her head, she took her eyes off the path and took a glance around.
Chulyin walked ahead, powerfully but with an agility that confused her so much. The guard stopped to stare back at her, making a hurry up motion, and she stuck her tongue out. Not her fault she wasn't used to walking on snow 24/7, Ninjago barely even got snow even on the coldest winters. Which was then followed by less than a week of it before it melted because they lived in a desert.
She then decided then and there if she died sometime soon, she was going to find the person who planned Ninjago City to be in a desert and kill them again in the Departed Realm. Was there even a way for ghost to kill each other in the Departed Reapm? Was that even a still a thing? She cringed, imagining how things must've gotten free if the realm storm bad torn everything asunder and then mashed them together like a toddler does her toys.
Ah.. she just had to use that analogy, didn't she?
The snow itself did bring back memeories of her birth parents, days spend outside building snow men and snowrians while mom made chocolate inside- her and dad working together in a joint effort to build them.. 'Haru and Akari,' She reminded herself, committing them to memory. She only really found out there names after she went to a cementary, bringing them a small offering in the form of a flower. The memory to what flower it'd been was lost to her, but she remembered enough.
Gone were those simple days of going to school, coming back home and playing with the Ninja figurines back when she had been a fan. She wondered how Morro and Lloyd were doing, if they even lived the storm. 'Fools, saving people from a storm like that.' She mused with something alike to fondness.
A phantom pain shot up in her hand and she winced, rolling up her sleeve to scowl at the Lizard Master's tattoo. Crimson, gold and black coloured the figure as Phalanx curled around her forearm, his body hidden below, but his head and tail on top. She held her wrist out, straining herself to let him out with everything she could, remembering what the Empress and Hutchens had said it felt like when you re-awakend a spirit; A sort of seperation..
Per usual, she received no response. Gritting her teeth, she was tempted to just stab at her arm and try threatening him out. He re-awakened a total of once in the time span he and she had known each other. 'Stupid figure head lizard,' she grouched, rolling her sleeve back down. Picking up the pace to catch up to Chulyin who was outpacing her, sheepishly, Harumi waved a hand when she glanced over her shoulder.
The time spent at the Jade Palace wasn't the absolute worst experience, it was definitely better than being treated like some sort of experiment in contrast to the way the social workers handled her. Trying to fit her into families that either underfed her, hit, or forgot about her just because they couldn't make her crack.
None of the children in those homes were like Echo, who understood the days she went actually Qiuet because it was hard not to fall-
If you miss your friend so much why don't you rebuild him? You named one Mr.Failure to remind you of that exact reason anyway. Because he doesn't deserve to be with you. And there it was, the guilt of not being beside Echo- she wished it could go away, really, she did. Staring at the ground harshly, she furrowed her brow in irritation, it was rising recently. Here she was, alive, and he was somewhere in Ninjago, gone, forgotten, the one thing she promised never to do to him.
Her gaze found the point of Chulyin's spear, and she laser focused on it- recalling the immediate stab of pipes, beams and conrete through her entire being as she came to a stop. Gasping for air, and so desperately wanting to live and find Echo, but being too abysmally weak to do anything. Instead allowing herself to end up in the Departed Realm where she deserved to be.
Maybe she should go back, maybe Echo was there- and this was a waste of time. Perhaps he was looking for her in the land of ghosts, and the Crystal bastard reviving her caused him to miss her-
She bumped into something, or rather some one, hurting her house and forehead as they collided with metal. Groaning, she scrunched up her nose and backed away, Chulyin arched an eyebrow. "We're here." She stated, motioning to the fire storage.
It was a fairly well kept building, walls on either side kept the snow and wind out- allowiing for the wood to remain dry and always ready to be used, she noticed a sort of tarp looking thing hanging in the front, moving it aside, Chulyin hooked it around a a sort of hook on one corner. "This is where you will be working, the wood is over there," motioning with her chin, Harumi's gaze slid over and eyed it in trepidation.
"That's.. quite a bit," she murmured, sighing. May aswell get to work, the sooner she could get this done the faster she could do something else. Picking up one from the sleigh, she walked back with it and placed it near the front where some of the smaller and more immediate ones remained.
"It is more of a daily job of whoever can do it currently, today's is less than average, I can tell you that." Chulyin came in not too soon after, hauling up some of the larger logs on her shoulders- logs of wood and placing them near the back while Harumi was barely on the second one. Making her question if she was superhuman at all.
She thought about it as she worked, Chulyin was too strong and fast to be a normal Ninjagan, none of the human or humanoid settlements matched her description either. Come to think of it, the spear woman had particularly pale skin- nearly ghost white. It reminded her of Killow and Ultra Violet who had a condition where their skin had greyed out once reaching maturity. (The two weren't related in any fashion either.. they had only met through the Sons of Garmadon).
Ravenette hair that was tied up in a bun, Chulyin had a hooked nose and a much more neutral expression than most she had met- but not to the point where it was considered irrtated. She just seemed pleasantly indifferent to whatever was happening, which was a nice look on her in all honesty.
Again, she was tall- at best Harumi only reached her shoulder. As for musculature even she wasn't sure, perhaps she had a sleeper build? If she recalled correctly, she didn't really see much mass when they were settling for the night. She heard wood on wood smash together, then saw her come outside, wiping her gloves free of splinters.
Instead of absolutely murdering her spine because her passive strength boost could only go so far, she opted to moving the lighter tinder instead. Branches, hay, and even spare wood shavings. "Where do I move these?" Harumi asked aloud, gathering the wood shavings up in a metal bucket somebody thankfully left.
Meeting her gaze with a large slab of wood now on her shoulder, the guardswoman hummed before pointing to the right side of the fire storage where the cover was hooked around. "Around the wood storage you'll see a smaller one, it is for the much more flammable material that burns quicker."
"Okay," she drawled, lifting the bucket of bark and then going around- seeing the smaller one, she aimed for it, moving the cover out of the way and hooking it onto the left side where there was a snag. She walked inside, seeing the dump of woodshavings, she threw them in, listening to them scratch lightly as they shifted around with the new movement.
Tossing the hay into the near mountainous pile, she yawned. Readying herself to grab another load- until somebody sneezed. It was a faint one, but very high pitched.
Whipping her head around, her eyes began to crackle with energy. Bright violet erupted to life, humming as her hair whipped around- but then it promptly died down without even a moments notice, blinking in confusion, she tried tapping into them but couldn't. 'What in the First Spinjitzu Master's accursed name...?' She thought, creeping closer silently.
"Whoever it is, come out, I just want to see who you are." She calmy stated, pausing beside the hay mountain. Tense, but hands resting at her sides to show that she has no ill intentions to whoever came out.
"Go away!" A voice responded after a moment of silence, and Harumi tilted her head.
"I don't even know who you are, so why should I listen?" She responded, confused as the hay rustled and shifted from the movement of something or somebody moving.
She was expecting an adult, instead, she was made to look down when a small figure erupted out from the hay with an irritated sneer. "Why would you not know who I am... oh," the sneer fading just as fast it came, was a small girl. Maybe no less than twelve, wearing the same sort of clothing Sorla wore alongside the Ice Fishers.
"What do you want?" The child demanded, taken aback, Harumi blinked stupidly for a moment before trying to find the words. Stomping up to her, the child poked her in the hip with a glare. "We were here first! You can go away now!" Contradicting the earlier point and instead telling her to go away.
Different shades of brown dotted her hair, the upmost top of her head being the darkest with the bottom tips being a lighter brown nearing blonde. She had red-brown eyes, a sort of button nose and a necklace with something hidden below her coat. "Hey, are you even listening!?" She pouted, some baby fat still on her cheeks- not alot, but enough to give it some softness.
Shaken out of her confusion Harumi backed up. Holding up her bucket awkwardly, feeling stupid as she swung it a little. "Oh- hi, there? I was bringing stuff to fill up the place-"
"Do not care, get out." The child grouched, and Harumi felt even more confused. "Why are you here and who told you of our hide out?"
"Er, nobody, I was just.. working here with Chulyin-" she motioned outside. "I didn't want to kill my back moving in logs and stuff so I decided to make myself useful here, she's probably wondering why I haven't come back ye-" The girls eyes widened, grabbing her wrist and then with deceitful strength pulled her into the hay with a yelp.
She came tumbling out into a clear spot, slitting up hay. Irritated, her eyes sparked violet. Coming face to face with curious orange orbs, another child sitting on her knees. A little ways away from her, their back towards her. In contrast to the Ice Fisher, this one had brown eyes, olive kissed skin and hair going to their shoulder. A sort of bird cap sat atop their head, its beak red.
Her eyes died down for the third time today as she stood up, hitting her head on a stray wooden beam as somebody laughed- the girl from earlier. 'Okay, maybe sitting would be a better idea..' watching the Ice Fisher land down, she watched them with a slight glare which was returned back.
"Do I get some semblance of an introduction, at least?" Harumi demanded, removing stray pieces of hay from her hair with annoyance. Flicking them back into the pile, sighing through her nose. "You know, hello, my name's Harumi, nice to meet you' that sort of introduction."
"Are you with them?" The little girl demanded, and Harumi squinted. The girl rolled her eyes and coumted on her hands. "Tegan, Rhodri, Glynn? Hello? The bullies who always take Makenna's riverstones?"
So that's the name of the girl seated behind the demanding one, cowering. Makenna. Shrugging, she shook her head and held out her hands to display her confusion properly. "Can't say I know them, no, I've only been in the village since last night, and my name is Harumi."
The girl harrumped, crossing her arms and staring at her. "Rahai, and don't forget it. New arrival." She muttered, grabbing a spare broom and sweeping away the stray hay that had gotten into the clean area. Now that she could see past fiery Rahai, she noticed that the place itself was a sort of hangout.
Where Makenna was seated, was a large rug- she couldn't make it out entirely, the little details she did make out however were that it was an animal. Hung up in little boxes on display were varied kinds of rocks, smoothened and arranged from the shade of colour and smallest to largest. The Formling kept a constant eye on her, always looking behind her as she fiddled with something on the fur.
Wooden logs had been amaturely carved out into seats or placed vertically to act as one, a very small table somehow all the way back here. She approached the rocks first, eyes caught on the careful order. "How did.. you two manage to get all of this in here by yourselves?"
Harumi didn't get any closer to the stones, noticing how the Formling's lip wobbled dangerously, Makenna shifted a little closer. So this was her collection then, backing up, she saw the girl noticeably breath out a silent sigh of relief.
Why did the girl look like she had been on the verge of bursting out into tears? Who had done that to her? Was there somebody she needed to talk to with and give a piece of her mind to? "Unless you have friends..?"
"I thought most adults were smart?" Snarked the Ice Fisher, sweeping the spare hay and pushing it away. Turning to stare at Harumi, crossing her arms with the broom in hand. "No, we had help in bringing this stuff inside. Ivo and Maran should have been here like, a few moments ago."
She'd need to tell Chulyin and ask whoever the parent of this girl was, because she felt fire seep into her skin at Makenna's level of skittish. Promplty after that thought, she felt dread seep into her arms.
'Wait.. oh, no, CHULYIN-' Turning around suddenly and startling the Formling into a cry, Harumi began to make her way where she assumed was the way out. Evading a swing from the Ice Fisher's broom. "Hey, sorry to leave but if I don't go back to the person I was working with, I will be in very big trouble."
"No! Do not tell anyone we are here, especially not a guard!" Feeling Rahai jump on her, she would've retaliated but she'd take the option of it looking like the child had intitated it instead. Ignoring the pull on her hair, much to her pain. Gritting her teeth, she was about to clear the way before two bodies came barelling through with a third.
She fell on her back, falling ontop of Rahai as two boys scrambled off of her. "Hide! Hide!" One hissed, the other grabbing Makenna and tugging her along deeper into their hide out as Rahai struggled to get away.
"Get off of me!" She screeched, going dead silent as somebody stepped closer. Eyes widening in fear, her efforts now in vain with her struggles. Harumi blinked back through the slight pain, sheepishly waving to the brown eyes that looked less than amused with her.
"This is where you have been?" Chulyin asked simply. Harumi averted her gaze, Rahai didn't make a hasty escape as the former repositioned herself, sitting on her knees. The child followed silently, headbowed and shoulders hunched, no doubt terrified. "Wreslting with children?"
"I.. I got side tracked with seeing their hideout," she mumbled, shrinking under the steel gaze of the spearwoman. "Was on my way out," she added, building the courage to look her in the eye. "Don't blame them, I know I have a job to upkeep- they're just kids-" Feeling Rahai's head snap in her direction, she bit her lip. "Forgive them-"
"Enough,"
She fell silent, her view hidden behind the curtain of her silver white hair. Teeth digging into her lower lip, hands balling the clothe near her knee guards as she braced for the Ice Fisher to receive a punishment. Waiting to hear the hit and the crying as she fought to keep her hair under control-
"Bring your friends out." Chulyin ordered, and Harumi could hear the gulp of pure terror from Rahai as she scrambled away. Had she assumed wrong of Chulyin? Was she really going to go with the Scorched Earth method? 'Stupid, you've known this rule your entire life. Adults can't be trusted.' Every breath from the guard fueled the red hot fury building in Harumi as she got ready to fight.
Mentally preparing as her shoulders tensed, her grip hardening as Chulyin walked around her- refraining from putting herself in a vulnerable position if she decided to attack, she knew that the woman would need to crouch, that was for sure. Hesitantly, she peered through the curtain of her hair seeing the slopping and muscled back hidden beneath the furs she narrowed her eyes.
Her lips peeled back when she saw Rahai emerge out from another hay pile, shaking horrendously with the other three in tow- the oldest- a boy and her at the forefront. Putting themselves inbetween the guard and the younger children.
Harumi felt that fire turn into burning lava beneath her skin, standing up slowly- hands shaking. Breathing in and then out, she exhaled slowly. Making sure her steps were silent, ready to rip the spear off of her back and then use it against the user..
Or she would've, if Chulyin didn't stab it near her foot- survival instinct kicked in. Recoiling backwards as the woman got on one knee and reached a slow hand out. Landing on her other knee, her breathing picked up the pace as images flashed in her head. "It is okay, I meant no harm to either of you- I am sorry for startling you outside. But I meant to ask if you knew where the one behind me was,"
That's a lie, a lie a lie a lie a big fat LIE. One of the oldest tricks one could play on a child, making them hope that they're okay and that they didn't do anything wrong, using emotional manipulation tonlure them in before punishing them with quick blows. The spear she would've used to attack he overseer, sitting there, placid yet probably having the blood of people on its tip. She wanted to move but she couldn't as ghost pains travelled from her face, to her neck, to her back and stomach.
She wanted to scream, she wanted Phalanx ro come out. To save them because she couldn't help the others that were orphaned, all of them ending up in places they didn't deserve- the kids didn't deserve to be punished for being kids! Her heart clenched when her gaze landed on the bruises dotting both boys cheek, one on the older boys' temple.
"I am sorry for looking like I was chasing you, again, it was not my intention children." She restated, and Harumi swore she could hear the underlying threat in that voice. Rahai and the second boy looking at eagh other and then hesitantly reaching out and brushing theirs small hands against the calloused and roughened skin that belonged to Chulyin.
Do something! Anything! Movie! Come on!' She screeched at herself mentally, wishing to move but all she could do was curl into a ball and fall on her side panting heavily curling in on herself as she felt the kicks, punches and more again. The world beco*king a blur as all she could hear where the yells, screams and things shattering.
Her fall caught the guards attention, the two children looked at each other. Hesitant to really believe if she was even speaking the truth- but they watched the guard approach the hyperventilating adult. Rahai hissed when Maran wormed his way out frok behind her and darted past the guard, Makenna following closely behind. "Wh- hey, guys!" She exlacimed.
Neither listened, instead Maran picked up his pace and Makenna followed closely' the two sharing a glance as they dashed fast as their smaller legs allowed.
The other adult in the room halted her movement, eyebrows briefly raising in surpise when she saw the Formling, Maran quickly dove in and hugged Harumi tightly, hands reaching far as he could while the possible waterfowl animal shifter rubbed circles into the panicking human from the bac, embracing her tightly. The blondes hyperventilating being the only thing that filled the room, she gripped tightly onto Maran pulling him close like a child with their doll.
Pressing her face into the small shoulder, tears trailed down from the Ninjagan- and the Formling nuzzled into Harumi's back as the two kids and the blonde stayed like that for a few minutes. Silent, only the sniffling of the teen pretending to be an adult heard.
The spearwoman was curious, only Rahai and Ivo appeared to have some concern for her- but nothing more than a light level of it.
"Tell me, Ivo," Chulyin spoke up as Harumi remained on the floor with the youngest. "I never figured you one to be secretive," she admitted, sitting down with a sigh, she supposed this was her fault. It was really odd seeing the elegant and near perfeftly maintained Harumi in a ball of tears hugging two small kids.
Taking her spear back and then hiding it under some of the hay, she waited for a response from the Ice Fisher boy, who's parents she knew- Suka and Chu. Both respecectable people who often worked together on repairing clothes and anything to do with fabrics. It was odd to see their son among the gaggle of misfits.
The boy mainatined that air of calmness that often had him praised for his maturity- this time shrugging with a sort of indifference much like hers. "Rahai wanted me to come along, so I did- and I met those two, and well, I like them. They are a lot fun." The girl allowed herself a small smile at the mention of her name(Aside from her ears turning pink), Chulyin could see that despite the situation at hand, that they were calming down.
Less wary of her too, now that they were sitting side by side close to her. "Is it a common occurrence for.. them to do this?" She inquired, Harumi's soft tears were coming to a close, small sniffles being the only indication she was upset now. "Who is the Formling?"
"That is Makenna, she is a swan," Rahai spoke up, puffing out her chest in pride. Pointing to the small figure hidden by Harumi's back, a small arm grasping at her side the only thing highlighting that the little girl was here. Then to Maran who was patting Harumi on the head. "Maran is one of Jamanakai's, we introduced him recently and it seemes like he has a good time with her. Yes, sometimes Makenna get's very anxious and gets.. those, whatever they are called so he helps or she helps whenever he's upset."
Chulyin turned to stare at Ivo, only having gotten a glimpse of what he looked like outside, her eyes narrowed when she saw the bruise on his cheek and temple. "How did you get those?" Motioning to her own temple and cheek lightly with a finger, she saw the hint of one on Maran through Harumi's hair. "Same with him."
"Because of their parents- adults, adults can't be trusted." Harumi hissed, a venomous bite interrupted their conversation Ivo falling silent as Rahai looked uncomfortable. Chulyin turned back to meet her puffy eyes and the tear stained cheeks of a girl who she knew grew up all too fast. Sitting up weakly, Maran and Makenna helped her up. "I was going to get you to ask who they were, and.. god, you really had to make yourself sound so threatening didn't you?"
"I am a protector to those under my care, this includes you and everyone else." She firmly restated, calm. Hands folded on her knees, shaking her head and then pointing to her own eyes then hair. "You were growing agitated, while the method used was not.. fair, I needed you to stay away."
"So why the threat display?" Harumi snapped, curling in on herself when the two beside her flinched. Makenna's lip wobbled, and Maran hung his hands. "I'm sorry- I'm sorry," she quickly apologized, to them specifically. Maran frowned, and Makenna blinked.
Calmly, Chulyin extended a hand out and motioned to around them, still inside the tinder storage. "For this exact reason, look around falling into a ball of anxiety and stress easily in a setting far too small for a physical confrontation. Now, let the children answer instead of assuming shall we?"
Harumi glared, crossing her arms as she relented quietly. "Ivo? Rahai?"
"Tegan, Rhodri and Glynn have been making fun of Makenna for collecting stones from the lake and river. That's why we made our own little hideout- because Takato and Rika weren't able to us watch anymore. Today they took some from her and Maran and Ivo trie getting them back but.." Rahai railed off, bunching her fist as Ivo averted his gaze. Maran looked a little sad and Makenna sniffed, the kids unsure of how to really, feel about something of Harumi was understanding right.
If she was right, it sounded like the other group was antagonizing the younger ones. Which in turn made them bullies. The situation was becoming clear, but she was confused as to why the three were being like thism "How come nobody's done anything about them? That isn't correct behavior at all for a kid that's about twelve at the minimum."
"That's what we tell them, but then they make fun of how Takato and Rika wanted everyone to get along." Ivo sighed, leaning on one of the wooden seats. "Mother and father are going to question how I got these, but they wouldn't really believe me."
She felt a tic form at the side of her cheek like that, really? For such a well mannered kid Ivo seemed the most level headed out of the bunch. So for his parents notnto believe him, they either didn't have the time or simply chose not to. Either option didn't really sit well with her.
The guard herself looked melancholy, almost sad in a way. Sighing wearily, she looked to Harumi. Tired already, even through the miniscule amount of work they had done today. "Takato and Rika were what these children considered care takers in the day, teachers in a sense. They were.. taken from the village when a territorial dispute happened between the beast at the lake and some low life bandits trying to invade the village."
"That means they were a daycare- or at least a kindergarten class at the best. Mix of the first three grades," Harumi muttered, receiving weird looks from the children and the guard. "Without the teachers, and the parents busy the kids do as they want." She added, wiping her eyes of the crusting tears and then her cheeks from the stains. "They obviously behave at home because why wouldn't they?"
"They are really annoying, we want to go back inside but they basically made that their place- and every adult is really busy because it's winter." Rahai grouched, watching Maran be reminded of something and then go around Harumi to hand a stone to Makenna, visibly brightening, she ran to her little collection and placed it near the smaller end.
"What of her parents?" Harumi inquired, because as far she knew- Akita was the only Formling in the entire village. The question had been sitting on her tongue but she hadn't gotten the chance to ask it. "She should have some."
"We dunno, she came one day- and- and Taka let her come in- but they didn't tell Akita," Maran spoke up, which.. made a dread fall on the blonde. Because if she had come alone, that meant.. Makenna was an orphan. Not telling Akita was fine with her, the wolf was a less than pleasant person to be around but still..
"Take me to this daycare or whatever it is," she said suddenly, sitting up. Already thinking of ways to get them back in there instead of this- this could be a place for them to wind down, but not a constant. "Let's make a plan to get you all together again, if you need a caretaker than I'll do it."
"You are in no position to be around children," Chulyin broke in, voice firm and unyeilding. "Not Akita's orders , but mine. You reacted with a sort of trauma that needs work before you can do anything of the sort."
"I'm not asking, is the thing," Harumi rebuked. Staring her down with a heated glare, feeling that fire bristle under her skin again. "I'm saying I'll do it. In case you forgot, you were the one who came in here, understandably, to look for me, but also triggering.. whatever happened to me was with your stance, do you have no softness?" She hissed.
Showing no signs of outer emotion, Chulyin shook her head. "As was stated last night; Failure to comply would result in banishment-" Seeing her opportunity, Harumi lunged for it.
"- if I'm deemed a threat I will be taken away," softening it to make it confuse the kids- as they were present, she bristled. "So far, I have complied with just about everything we've done. Not a single complaint, not a word of snark, I have not been a threat to theze childen and before you say that I was because Rahai was on top of me, she didn't want me to tell you. When I was trying to leave." The girl squawked, which made her feel bad, there needed to be communication between her and the guard for her to fight.
The guard looked apprehensive, thinking. "After all, it is your duty to protect those under your care aren't you? Look at them! Bruises from a fight that shouldn't even be happening because nobody can look after them."
The kids looked back and forth between them with baited breath, Rahai attempted to look disinterested yet Harumi could see how she was curious, Ivo was paying attention and so was Maran, Makenna was simply staring at her with those same orange eyes that seemed to see right through her.
After a moment of thought, Chulyin sighed. "I relent, but I will need to make sure of your methods as to how you really get them to cooperate again. As for your.. panic attack, I am sorry for causing it." The last bit sounded genuine, making Harumi freeze for a moment. Suprised at all that the guard was apologizing for sending her into an episode.
"I remember most of my lessons from when I was.. homeschooled, lets say. I can be a temporary one until somebody is able to step up and do a better job than I can." She added, Hutchens having drilled in most of the ones she had really learned- most of it Ninjargon which she liked, how to write and read through the lines anyway.
She needed to be aware of the apology, rubbing her elbow she looked away. "I.. I'm not going to accept it as of right now, I don't forgive you.. but, thank you." It made her feel a bit better, looking to the children with a soft smile that she hoped was friendly. This was a rocky start, she'd admit but one had to begin somewhere.
"I will let you have your meeting, then I need you to come with me and tell Akita." Stated with no room for argument, the pure gray haired woman looked around for any objection- reclining in her seat when she saw none. Giving her silent approval.
She and Echo had started shakily, but had stuck through the highs and lows of each other's lives. So she'd do that for the next generation, they weren't going to end up like she did. She refused for that to happen. "Okay.. so, here's my idea.."
____________________
Harumi had won her place in the village last night. She simply needed to prove herself with a substantial task that would further cement her place within Jamanakai.
Akita was furious. No, beyond furious. Enraged.
It had already been hard to listen to the meeting itself, how ideas were tossed back and forth because Sorla had already stated that anyone was welcome provided they didn't have bad intentions. Harumi when meeting her, she laid it out for everyone to see.
Her history, her life. All of it to their knowledge, and that's what bugged Akita the most. They were trusting the words from a serpent like Vex. Chulyin had been given her orders- and Akita respected whatever the guardswoman chose, she did, but she worried still.
After the meeting, she caught up to the departing guard and set out her own rules, do not let her out of your vicinity, do not let her interact with the people unelss absolutely necessary. The guardswoman agreed easily, promising to let her know if anything arose with Harumi involved.
She had slept very little still, if anything only a couple of hours. The sun had risen enough tha light shone through the window however uncaring of how little sleep anything or anyone had gotten at night. Akita groaned and turned over, wincing as the bruises on her leg, stomach and chest ached from her scuffle with the serpent.
The very idea the human hit as hard Lloyd did was absurd to her, she had seen the green ninja in action too. Once again, paying for her slighted estimation against the otherwise simple human and an enemy. Next thing she would see was a Jamanakai villager wrestling a bear. Rubbing her eyes, she sat up, attempting to register what was happening. Waving away the thoughts that hid beneath the snow when it came to a bear.
Her scent and hearing said that there was nothing much in the cabin, that much she could make out. Sorla was quietly humming to herself. The Hearth Fire crackled much more loudly as it ate the new wood it was given, even after Ice Emporer disappeared so long ago they kept it going, and it had survied The Merge. The luck of some places was obscene.
She could smell the new wood being burned in the Hearth Fire- her eyes cracked open to gaze at the fire that brought the Ice Fishers their life line in one of the most dangerous times, watching the flames crackle and flicker with every movement. Another log gently put in, the flames moving out of the way so that the Elder's hand could have time to rectract.
It was always an oddity to her whenever she watched burn and char new wooden slabs placed into its heart, the tree that had once been apart of extending the reach of its sights whenever Sorla asked how somebody was doing.
But after the realm tearing storm.. Sorla couldn't see the people she was looking for anymore, nor could anyone else. Something had affected the spirits within, as they were dormant now, or so the leader of Jamanakai proclaimmed.
Lloyd, Kataru and her village had come up in distortions when she had asked about them- furthering her despair of being the last Formling in the entire Never Realm again. Not a single word from any of the other tribes either dashed her hopes a season and a half ago.
Gazing down at her hands, she sighed deeply. What a way to begin her morning with a horrible path of thought.
"Good morning, Akita." Sorla greeted warmly to the Formling. She grunted in response, before remenbering that wasn't the appropriate type of reply. Feeling her ears burn a tad at the rude greeting, she went silent for a moment. Trying to think of the correct one. Feeling embarrassed when it finally came to mind. "Did you sleep well?"
"Oh, morning to you too, Sorla." She responded after a moment, flustered at her mishap. This wasn't Kataru she was talking to, more so someone closer to her mother in nature. Akita felt incredibly lethargic today, normally Sorla talked much slower.. or maybe it was herself being the slow one.
"If I am being completely honest, no, I did not." She muttered sourly, getting out of the bedroll gingerly and stretching. May as well get up and make herself useful in some sort. "Too much on my mind from the way the land has been acting as of recent. First the beast at the lake, then the odd tremors and out of place colours in the sky river, then the serpent's appearance." She rambled, shaking her head as she stared out of the window.
Sorla's soft smile turned into a soft frown as she approached, pursing her lips. Placing a comforting hand out onto the Formling's shoulder and squeezing. "I understand, young one."
Bittersweetly smiling for the act of physical reassurance and her words, Akita's shoulders sagged. "Not even forgetting about the way the Night Stalkers have been acting either- the only reason I had not been attacked on sight was because of.. her. She reeks of unnatural disbalance. The predators didn't know what to make of her, so they watched. Like she said they would." It made her suspicious, really.
But if Lloyd said she died, then that meant she truly died. He described her eyes as being a sort of blue-green, when now her eyes naturally were a darker violet that could glow when she was furious. In his tale, her hair was white as snow. Now? It had silver patches in it, mainly near the bottom at her hair tips.
There was also the brief summary of her past life and then current life that the serpent had given them to judge. She wished Sorla could see that there was a bisonbird hiding amongst the robins, none of them the wiser. "It makes me weary to know that Lloyd's story was partially ignored." She muttered finally.
"He is not here and cannot speak for her or against her," Sorla softly replied, removing her hand and moving off. "Ultimately it was up to me, the Jamanakai leader and some of the other elders. Wary as they are much like yourself, we are in deseperate need of more hands."
She could not disagree, and she despised it. They had lost more than a handful of people in the previous attack, the additon of more was a much needed requirement so long they did not harm those who lived in Jamanakai.
It in all honesty it was a more than worse situation, if she was asked for her opinion it, the situation was abyssmal. Chulyin offered some words of comfort, despite her silent nature after the meeting but it did little to dull Akita's nerves. Her mind on a one way trail and she wished she could get off of it.
Smelling food coming closer, Akita turned around to see that Sorla had arranged a small meal for her and brought it up to her, suprise dotted her eyes as she backed up from bumping into the elder. Sorla's eyes crinkled with mirth, watching Akita fall on her rear. "I am sorry- my attention was elsewhere."
A blush tinted her face, averting her gaze to hide it the best she could, the elder chuckling a little bit at her antics. What had happened to her spacial awareness as of late? Where had it gone? She grumbled curses to herself under her breath.
"It is quite alright - here, something to fill yourself." Sorla reassured, offering Akita the bowl of food. Cooked walloper, bread and rice- hunger got the better of her as her stomach complained, she gently grasped the bowl from Sorla, then sat down to eat her fill of breakfast.
"Our seasonal traders fom the Tundra below are still coming, should arrive later in the day or tomorrow if they continue." Sorla stated, returning to the fire as she added a branch that still retained its pine needles. The fire momentarily turning a blue sort of colour, before fading back to its warm orange. "You slept in a fair bit dear, it is about midday,"
The work around to the distorted images- was learning to associate the colour with whomever they were looking for. At least it worked for those in realm, not outside. Blue meant travelling people, green meant an enemy and yellow was a friend.
'So there is a possibility working hands could increase in the village,' Akita thought around a mouthful of bread and rice, moving some of the beef into her bun. Chewing silently as Sorla was giving her the list of things soon to happen or happening today. Feeling a bit bad that she had slept in on accident, she hadn't realized she got up so late.
"There is an uneasy feeling coming with them however," Sorla hummed, which made Akita stop chewing her food, tilting her head and eyeing her. "I believe it might have to do with the Night Stalkers around the village, yet they sleep in the day.." which was about as much she expected from any of the other groups living around Jamanakai. Far as she knew they were the most mountainous settlement.
Swallowing, and placing her finished meal aside she thought for a moment. Mulling over what it could be. 'The monster in the lake is locked to our glacier lake.. only way out is the river down the mountain, so it cannot be that...' was it the tremors? They were more frequent but there has been no harm done. The snake had no interaction with them, she had seen the building come falling out of the sky.
Which reminded her, she needed to check on Chulyin- but the safety of the others.. "I think it would be best if we go and see how everyone is doing," Sorla commented, putting on her gloves. Akita was so caughther thought she had forgotten the line in between the duty she had taken up and her friend. She knew Chulyin was capable of fighting, but Qiuet One was manipulative at best and deceptive at worst.
Brushing herself off, she quickly changed (with some effort) into a new set of clothes. Already aware of Sorla waiting for her near the door or organizing little things so that she could reach them easier after she came back from her morning walk. Akita considered at one point to be alone in a cabin for herself, but the idea seemed strange- maybe it was her being used to living with family. So, she preferred to lilve with somebody.
Both exited together, the wolf closing the door behind her. The cold air nipped and bit at her skin, but the sun warmed her pleasantly so in contrast with its rays. She would miss it when it disappeared and the long dark commenced. Which.. she really needed to stop going down these trails of thought she found herself on. Following after Sorla quietly, Akita waved to some villagers, offering a small smile, watching.
The routine was pleasant, familiar. Sorla walking the usual route around her people and the villagers. She received ideas, then gave them back with her thoughts and a way to perhaps improve them whenever asked.
Akita received some compliments about her clothes, and she thanked them. However, she was generally just a shadow trailing after the Elder. Keeping an eye on the safety of man, woman and child.
Speaking of which, they had come upon a small gaggle of girls- sitting on wooden chairs. One of them waved to Sorla and her, the Elder approached, taking a seat as the eldest let her have it.
Sorla leaned forward so a little girl could place a small crown of ribbons on her head, adjusting it as they traded laughs and stories. The elder was dostracted, and with nothing to really do, Akita began to do some loops around the area, scenting the air for anything odd.
Taking a glance over her shoulder, she saw that they were all thoroughly engrossed in their gathering. It wasn't her conversation to partake in, she had no interest trading smaller stories nor many to share. So she wandered off a little- trying to catch the demon's scent. Chulyin was up by the fire storage.. she recognized the smell of sunbaked stone, cactus fruit and ochre anywhere. But the lack of the newcomer's was.. disconcerting.
Her thoughts were interrupted when a commotion from behind her got the wolf's attention. Rushing back, only to see that it was one of the girls arguing over something. The leader of the Ice Fisher's playing mediator as she calmed them down.
It baffled her how easy Sorla made the role of leading them seem. While yes, the leader of Jamanakai over saw other matters- such as work, food and housing, he seemed to prefer leaving the social matters to Sorla when it came to new arrivals and how they would deal with the residents.
The fact she could step into familiar drama- well, she was part of the family, most of the children saw her as a sort of grandmother for spirits' sake. Was intriguing, in tune with the little social feelings and crossings that came with it. She pondered why the leader of Jamanakai preferred not to mingle with the peoples personal affairs.
Even last night, he seemed more lenient towards Harumi- even mentioning that despite them almost forcing nearby settlements under Emporer Garmadon's claws, they passed by Jamanakai without so much a glance. Filling in that if he recalled well, that one of her parents or both had been children who grew up there and then moved to Ninjago City.
It certainly explained why the demon was so passive with Chulyin and everyone else, having loosened her sass to something more formal. Even going to sleep before the guard had came to the meeting. Despite that, she had not a single bone of trust in place for the serpent, Akita stood a little further away as Sorla conversed with Boma and Uthaug, asking how they were doing as the brothers passed by.
The need to check on her friend was eating away at her- morphing into her wolf form, she bounded off towards the fire storage(a fast trot being the equivalent to bounding as of right now). Sorla would understand, she prayed. It had taken the peoples of Jamanakai a while to get used to her wolf form- before, she used to set off alarms that even her own guards would rush to.
Now? People waved, said hello or grinned if they were a child. Spurning her towards the slope that took her up the hill, scenting the air for them. Wanting to see the status of them herself, she paused a little ways away, her leg and stomach demanding she slow down after the extertion of her speed.
She spotted the tracks of both, the guards much bigger and more spaced out while the Ninjagan's were smaller, precise. Following them visually, she got the story of how they were moving wood into the larger shed- they really needed to come up with a proper name. Everything under the sky seemed to fit, maybe she could bring it up with Hiroshi at a later date.
The sleigh of wood brought by the persons Dragon sat in the open, only half way unloaded and the tinder less than that even. Limping over, she followed the prints, sniffing. So they had gone this way... into.. the tinder store?
Carefully manuvering around the side of the structure, she saw that it was open too- a bucket sitting out front, empty. Tilting her head, she came closer. "Chulyin?" She called out, listening for a second.
No response. "Chulyin- this is not funny!" There wasn't a response still. She scented the area and walked around, looking for any sign of her. Nothing.
Worry over took her, and she went inside- sniffing, unable to get anything that wasn't pine, hay or dust. She tried again, going silent- narrowing in on Harumi's awful stench as she dove into the nearest hay pile, barging through..
..and coming face to face with a.. Formling!? Child who screamed in fear, darting away and hiding behind the Ninjagan. Who's head whipped around, hair splayed out like a bird ruffling its feathers in threat, before calming down into a look of instant fear as she ushered the children away.
Her lip peeled back as she got ready to lunge. "Where is sh-" her sentence was interrupted when Chulyin appeared before her, hair down and a gaze of regret decorating her complexion.
"I am here, there is no need for confrontation Akita." A hand extended behind her, Harumi visibly swallowed thickly. She could see the way her eyes and hair were reacting like they did in the woods when she attempted to exterminate her.
Hurt bloomed in Akita as she watched two Ice Fisher's and a Jamanakai come out from the hay pile the silver haired monster had attemtped to hide them in- all three of them hiding behind Harumi. The serpent, she was manipulating them!
"Show me the Formling," she demanded, and Chulyin pursed her lips- the normally indifferent and neutral expression she pertained lost. Brown eyes full of turmoil, Akita could visibly see how she was trying to word her words. "How long have you known? Why didn't you tell me?"
"Even I did not know that she was her, I only found out today. I would have told you immediately, but I was respecting the children' wishes, I was waiting for Harumi to wrap up her meeti-" She began.
"She won't come out if you keep your tone like that," Harumi butted in, softer as she sat on her knees. Akita placed a hand forward- feeling the want to lunge forward for an outsider telling her what to do. "I mean it, you scared her."
"She would not be if you had brought her out to meet me!" She snapped, the bite aimed at Chulyin who's eyes furrowed. Looking between them. "You have no say in this conversation, Destroyer!"
The kids flinched back behind the Ninjagan, and fury bubbled within her. Because she really was low enough to stoop at that level of manipulating people that did not know any better. She began to stalk around the guardswoman, Harumi and hers eyes locked onto each other.
The spear woman followed her movment, and the wolf's eyes widened when she blocked the way. "Akita, perhaps it would be best if we talked about this outside, allowing me to explain why we met the new Formling-"
"I thought I could trust you to tell me about improtant matters that I am related to," she hissed, turning away and morphing back into wolf form- erupting out from the hay and into the snow, rusbing back to Sorla quickly as she had left. There was no reason to cry over something so mundane between her and the guard, and she could simply talk to the Formling later.
Because she was the monster apparently, the supposed last Formling in all the Never Realm a monster to people just because she wished to be told what was happening. It wasn't worth crying over something so idiotic.
So why did she feel like it?
__________________
Sora listened half mindedly to the laughter that peeled out from the window over the sink as she read a book Arin gave her. Leaning againt the Dragon, eyes flicking over the words on the page quickly and efficiently. Genuinely suprised so many things had survived The Merge- Arin's name for the event, the buildings here according to Arin were only about two years old, maybe less than that. Even the house was only about a year.
The book itself he said was from before the Merge World which made it already antique in it's rarity. There being only about fifty copies in the entire Crossroads and he having one of them after all this time was astounding to her- the information on certain Dragons however.. left a bit to be desired.
The text was a little hard to understand, smiliar to Imperian's characters enough for her to make out rough translations. She had to say though, Ninjargon was sort of messy with how it treated the individual characters like H and V. Aside from that, she had to say a majority of the guide was fun.
The sub-groups of Saurian were really interesting too, co*ckatrice's being one of the most varied groups in forms was incredibly odd to her. Even more so when some had titles that didn't even seem fit the co*ckatrice class. Crowned Dragons, Paravians, Beak Crushers.. even Swift Thief sounded more like a title than a name.
Drake-Saurian's were still also chalk full of differences, Tuskers, Carvaneers, Platebacks, Shellbacks... and then Thunderbringers. That was only the herbivores side of the spectrum too. She flipped back to the carnivore chapters to remind herself what she was going to see: Hide Tearers, Water Stalkers, Claw Grapplers..
She avoided the chapter on Tyrants.
Last few pages had been about these large Dragons called the Phantoms- which were what the toys in the guest bedroom replicated. Specifically the ones named Red Baron, Nomad, and one she was getting to. Reading a fun fact about how this one's name was the 'Beach Master.'
Her hand slide across the page, nothing on proper Dragons which disappointed her. But there was enough to make Saurian's similar enough, her eyes landed on the art of another kind of Saurian like Vermilion- er, Sybok. She still needed to get used to that, despite Asher giving her the greenlight to use the name if she wished.
The difference between the one on the page wasand Sybok was massive; This one had a boxy sail with a blue colour scheme- but on opposite ends there would be a darker colour and then a lighter colour. As if the sail itself was full of water or a colored lava lamp. It also appeared much more.. stocky than the Saurian sleeping next to her. Shorter too, large claws and an even longer snout.
It's tail was more paddle like, with a large portion of it looking like a wave whereas the crimson Dragon's was rounded, with smaller rises. The top read.. 'Tide Keeper.' Which was odd to her, did Ninjago just have wild Dragons living amongst them in their everyday lives to the point where some were just named?
Her pondering was interrupted when another bark of laughter erupted from the window, looking up to see that they were playing some sort.. of game inside. A part of her wanted to get closer, but the awkwardness was still sort of there after she had a freak out over Vermillion disappearing despite the fact he was safe and not forced to do anything.
Maybe they would like her more if she wasn't such a crybaby. 'The guys back home seemed to think so..' she thought bitterly, turning the page with more force than neccesary- accidentally hitting her cast with the movement. Making a small noise of discomfort, she grit her teeth.
Her arm ached still, dulled down by some medicine given to her by one of the adults- Grayson. He was giant in comparison to Asher and Arin, broad shouldered, covered in almost the same amount of scars if not more than Asher, he would've been terrifying if it weren't for the flower crown that sat atop his head.
In fact, he was hesitant the entire exchange with her- going so far as to need Arin speaking up for him to get what he was trying to communicate across.
Either way, the uncomfort from earlier was now nothing more than a slight annoyance in comparison to the pain she felt earlier whenever something so much brushed her cast. Vermillion was scary good at his feather light touches to the point it made her question where he learned how to control his movement like that.
Sora had done something near the same level of tender for her, which brought back less than pleasant memories.. she closed the book. Looking up to the cloudy gray sky that had now set in soon after the sunrise. Feeling Sybok getting up, she adjusted herself so she wouldn't fall over.
Instead, she felt the tip of a snout pressing into her good shoulder blade- trying to get her to get up. "What? Hey! Slow down!" She exlcaimed, getting up with his aid as Vermillion began to push her towards the door. Feeling her heart freeze as another shout came from within.
Digging her heels in- she strained far as she could without aggravating her shoulder. Putting up a resistance to the implied action the Sailed Pharoah wanted her to do. "No- no- I can't, what if they think I'm just a pathetic baby?"
He stared at her with a look before rolling his eyes, snapping his jaws on air. Confused, Sora squinted at him. "..You'd eat them..?" She asked slowly, and he nodded in confirmation- unsure as of how to really respond she blinked up at him. "How is that suppsoed to he-"
All he needed was a second for her to be distracted, nudging her closer as she bumped into somebody who caught her. Feeling a flush erupt on her face when she realized who it was. "Sybok- what happened to being gentle with injured people?" Arin demanded, his annoyance dismissed as the predator turned around and stalked over to his pond.
Stepping back, Arin grinned at her. Which she returned with a nervous smile. Afraid that he was going to judge her. "You okay? I know Sybok has a tendency to trick people," oh great, so they were going to think she was gullible.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." She waved him off, trying to look for anything on his face that would give away judgement and coming up short. Peering down at his hands that gently held on to.. colored cards? "What're those?"
Suprised, he held them up- one side said "Uno" with different colours. Then lowered his hands to show the otherside, his deck a 3, 7, 8 and 9. "Oh, these? These are Uno cards. Its a game we play sometimes- we've been playing since after breakfast before everyone goes to do things for the day which is why I came outside to tell you by the way."
"..Okay, what does that have to do with me?" She questioned, watching him turn and motion her inside as she followed inside to see the five pairs of eyes staring at her in curiosity. Shrinking anxiously, she waved awkwardly.
"We wanted to discuss with you that we'll need a.. babysitter for you and Arin." Spoke one of the Formlings who introduced himself earlier, Hank, if she remembered right. Arin bristled in the corner of her eyes at the word 'babysitter'.
"Radio came out that unless with an adult or individual capable of fighting- stay home. Travel in groups with spirits out if necessary. Even then always make sure you have somebody watching." Grayson explained, talking more than he had the first time he and she talked to each other.
"I'm old enough to be left alone without a baby sitter!" He hissed, crossing his arms and not looking intimidating at all because of the cards peeking out. "I work just like you guys!"
Hank's eyes narrowed on Arin, she really had no in put on the situation- she knew this people were busy with their lives, she'd be fine with whatever so long as whoever it is isn't somebody from outside the house. "You are twelve, Arin. Living under a roof which we had rules set in."
Asher cleared his throat before the boy could get in a retort. Another teen leaning on one of his shoulders with a slightly pensive look gazed between the Ninjagan and Formling. "We know you pull your share just like us, but, even then, you're under supervision by one of those Gliders which are specifically trained to watch working minors, I can't watch you and her today because Sybok and I have to help out with some stuff near the docks. Promised Will because he said it's important.."
Two of five were out of the picture because of their schedules, which left the other three.. well, two. Grayson and Ontari hadn't spoken up, and River being silent meant that she had no say in this conversation either. The rambunctious girl she met at breakfast starkly silent and oberservant instead.
She knew it was an odd point to keep thinking about, but the fact they seemed incredibly nonchalant to this still bothered her. A stranger. In their home.. who they were already fine with trusting just because she was down one arm.
It was weird, being trusted either way- though the news of Sybok being taken away made her heart clench in slight anxiety. Her source of comfort being taken away was.. slightly worrying. Same with safety if it meant all kids were to stay inside, she didn't know what was happening to cause that.
"I'm working because somebody decided to take the day off at the library," Ontari muttered. "If I was free I would definitely, but Acicidus needs me there." She griped, getting up and about to the room to the hall way- giving Asher a peck on the cheek before going.
The boys expression went slack as he blinked in suprise, which made Sora varely stifle a giggle despite the tense situation between Arin and his roommates. Soon refocusing and peering at Grayson.
He looked incredibly weary and torn, as if in a massive internal debate. "I got Arin to get you. Called in.. predator attack," he added curtly to everyone still in the room, but there was a grimace to his features. The severity of the situation made Sora's heart sink, predator attack meant somebody was ending up like her. Or worse. "Babysitter to look after you two,"
"I can fight just fine!"
She flinched when Hank morphed suddenly into a reptile- mock lunging. Arin dodged when Hank wasn't anywhere close.. the silence hung heavy in the room after that. The Formling morphed back, shaking his head. "Learning the basics of your little Ninja training isn't going to get you far against a.." he looked to Sora, his sentence fading out. "A rogue predator, Riva's coming with me, and I can't take you guys because we're doing chores just in case lights on, lights off happens. Grayson has power and so does Tigerlily , Ontari can fly, Asher and I have claws, blades and teeth."
"What about River then?"
"Regulus is fast and can carry her, much like myself he has teeth." Hank shut it down before it could escalate, and the others either hung their heads or remained silent.
Arin glared, and Sora could see that there was actual anger or irritation coming from him. But he was silent, his head bowed... which made him miss the pained expression on Hank's face. "If we had a plus one, we would let you go out to have fun or work, but with sh*t getting worse - I don't want to risk our little bro having a run in with chompers and hangry. Got it?"
"Fine." Arin spat out, turning around and stomping off to the yard- Sora looked to Asher and so did Grayson, the greenette shook his head and quickly left the kitchen table.
"I feel bad," Hank sagged into his seat, and Grayson rubbed his shoulder, River had hid her expression by curling her arms around herself. "I hope you understand Sora, we're sorry to spring this on you so suddenly "
Unsure of how to really proceed, she struggled to think of a response. The babysitter really would have to be a stranger.. additionally everyone here was a stranger to her, but at least they were nice. "It's.. fine, I think? I just.. keep them safe, please," she pleaded, hoping nobody else ended up like her. After Grayson's grunt of promise, she began inching from them towards the hallway to hide herself in the guest bedroom.
A knock on the door caught her attention, and Hank's. The Formling rose from his seat, Grayson in tow as they b-lined straight for the door. Curiosity got the better of her, because who could be visiting at this hour of the day? Granted she assumed it was about noon, maybe later.
"Did ya call a baby sitter?" Grayson questioned, looking wholly confused. Over taking the lead and turning the corner, before Hank did. "I never touched th'landline,"
"I never did either," The Formling replied. Just as lost, Sora peered around the wall that separated the kitchen and living room. "I was about to, but I didn't make any calls," both of them across the living room and turning around the bend they both disappeared, save for Grayson.
Nearly shrieking when hands tapped her on the shoulder, Sora snapped her neck around her to see River holding up a finger to be quiet- now with company, Sora nodded.
She strained her hearing to pick up the most she could to the point it was hurting the muscle on the ears. The door opened, and she waited with baited breath for the person outside to greet themselves.
"Hello?" Grayson greeted slowly. The door moving open with the sound of air accompaying it.
Hank made a series of noises that confused him, Grayson however was silent. "Sorry for dropping by, but I picked up something your boys dropped. Mind if I come in?"
"Grayson has to go, but I can give a few minutes." As the mentioned man left Hank with a chaste goodbye kiss and went out the door a soft goodny heard, he closed it behind him. Sora then saw a red-orange headed woman enter, turning the corner.
She had golden eyes leaning on a warm orange, a lip piercing and two earrings. One was red and blue, the other was silver and brown.. which was an odd choice if you asked her.
"What brings you here?" Hank asked casually, eyeing Skylor curiously. "Didn't expect my boss to come over." He adds, amused.
Smirking, Skylor offed him a light punch on the shoulder. "Saw two of your boys running past me last night, found something in their wake."
Hank paused, inquisitive as Skylor pulled out- something that made Sora's heart sink all the way into her stomach.
It was Sora's scale.
___________
Getting in touch with Ickarus wasn't terribly difficult. All it took was for her to create his characters in the sand and a drop of Oni and Dragon blood to connect the mental link. Desai was good at negotiating times for them to converse, Ickarus himself much more receptive to the other. Perhaps he and Desai shared a familial blood.
It was, however, terribly difffcult to make the half-borne cooperate with her in their joint operation. The beast unlike her, had much stronger instincts of who was in charge. Thinking that it was himself, when in reality he was merely but a tool. He simply only had the power she did not.
A useful one for his locale's position however, she waited for the sandstorm that would appear whenever she exchanged brisk words and curt greetings. Which was about now, the timing of the Dragon was impeccable.
The sand in the room began to pull the blood together, sizzling. Building up a figure, whenever underdtood the body plan for his kind of Dragon. A masisve head, powerful neck and then a atheletic body.. with small arms. An odd choice for a Dragon aside from being wingless.
"I wanted to check in on you.. see if you found anything worthwhile," Avarice cooed- resting her chin on interlocked fingers. She had a small table, and he had the entire half of room full of sand, Desai stood beside her silently after coming in with some last minute changes.
Ickarus puffed out a small burst of steam, she bowed her head in greeting as he did the same. A low rumbling growl of what he'd seen around the territory, then some extra on the status of the blasted half-breed family and even worse Ninja. Good. They were all still absent.
"And anything regarding.. them? Not a hair, horn or tail? We certainly leave trails wherever we go when moving. Nomadic as we are now," she mused, contemplative.
The beast hissed, making a series of motions that signalled the opposite of what she really wanted to hear- except for one detail. Two things of notable value actually.. one of her goals and the other an interesting mention.
"You found one? How old? What's their horn size and/or curvature? As for the child.. what made her so special you needed to waste an asset in attempting to kill her when you could've done it yourself?"
Ickarus growled, the storm shifted around him- the sand began to connect with his horns.. until it formed two that went straight upwards. She could recognzie those ones anywhere. But it then whirled in a torrent as he snarled, his body taking the shape of another.
The Slate Dragon. He was patrolling more frequently, which meant it was either take the chance to kill an elemental humanoid before the powers came into effect or not go for it at all. That would only lead to them allying with the curse hatched family, the Dragon side would notice. Ickarus had made an attempt which went barely unnoticed, but it had failed.
"Flush the children out, and if you can get them into one area. Both should be taken out, if they come they are bound to attract the attention of other elementals. I cannot have them getting in the way of this battle." She ordered, the sandstorm regarded her with bright violet eyes that glowed- then faded as the sand fell forwards with a muffled thump.
Seeing that the meeting had gone decently in her favour, or neutrally- she rose and began to leave the room. "Assume some Loudmouths to the mountainous village, for us to travel we will need to acquire.. people who can aid our cause, add a note onto one of them. The Master over the Lake may see them, he will however, not challenge them."
"Shall I also add in Cliff Howlers?" Desai inquired, a small smile being the only confirmation he needed as her companion took off to the handlers. Perhaps they needed to increase their stock value, maybe including some herbivores would assist the speed of the carnivores with their defensive capability.
A thought for next time she saw Desai, which wouldn't be too long from now. Ickarus would assume alpha status over the territory, and she would gain her revenge over the ones who wronged her.
