Liz's heart raced as she and the snakes made their way to Jamoniki village. Lloyd was close to Liz, brushing her arm as they walked for warmth. As they made their way to the village, the warmer it got. 

Stick to the plan. Liz reminded herself. Hopefully, she'll be able to talk to the Ninja and hopefully, she can get the Ninja's hands on that staff.  Nobody knew, not even Lloyd, but she found a mysterious falcon and could sense it wasn't anything like the birds they have in Molotoke. The bird was bold enough to even talk to her. Not though English however, but through dragon. So when no one was looking, she gave the falcon a letter and sent it to the Ninja, one in particular. All she could hope was that the Ninja would actually get the message and she wasn't wrong about the weird tug in her stomach telling her to trust the animal.

Liz took a deep breath and her lungs stung a bit from the cold.

Liz twitched her ear as Skales walked up to her with a frown. Does he ever smile?

"Skales?" The snake had said nothing as he walked beside the Moonblood, Lloyd running ahead saying he can see the village.

The 2nd hissed, not looking at Liz. "I know you're not with us, Wolfadeer."

Liz flattened her ears. "What bones do you have to pick with my family?"

"You should know damn well what I'm talking about," Skales sneered.

"It might be news to you that my mother never talked to me about almost anything. Let alone anything about her past," Liz shot back, glaring up at the snake.

"Well, then you should know that it was your mother that was recruited to create the sacred flutes so that the elemental masters could imprison us!"

Liz snorted. "I can see why."

Skales narrowed his gaze and opened his moth to say something else, but Liz beat him to it.

"You're right when I say I'm not on your side, but wrong that I'm just not on Slithera's."

"Meaning?"

"I see the way you act around him. You don't respect his title when you're not forced to and you have a strong energy that just screams 'I wanna be leader'."

Skales crossed his arms. "You're point?"

"My point is that we could overthrow Slithera and make you the General and you could finally get out of here and lead your tribe to freedom."

Skales was silent. Liz was surprised to notice that he was actually thinking about this.

"What about your companion?" he asked, emotionless.

"He doesn't have to be apart of it," she lied.

"Fine," he hissed. "You better not fuck it up, Moonblood."

Liz sped up a bit past Skales and tried to catch up to Lloyd who was much farther ahead. Liz hesitated before deciding to shift to her wolf body and run up to Lloyd, her charm protecting her and allowing her to keep her clothes as she shifts. Thank you, Moon.

Liz caught up to Lloyd who seemed surprised to see Liz in her wolf form. That's when Liz forgot that Lloyd has never seen Liz as a wolf, the only thing identifying her was her charm. 

Lloyd looked Liz over in shock. "Whoa!" he exclaimed. "Liz?"

Liz let out a soft rumble and lowered her head towards her travel companion. She was just a little shorter than him due to her age but was still bigger than the average.

"That's so cool!!" he exclaimed.

Liz pushed herself to jump Infront of Lloyd and she bent down. Lloyd stopped in confusion.

"What?" he asked, tilting his head.

Liz let out a high pitched bark and tilted her head towards her back and barked again.

Lloyd crossed his arm. "I'm the son of Lord Garmadon! I don't need help!"

Liz growled and immediately wished that Sunbloods were more capable of learning wolf. It's certainly possible for a Sunblood to learn at least a few words in wolf or dragon but pretty much impossible to be fluent in such a language. It's easier to learn it when one is very, very young and grows up hearing it. It's a Moonblood's second instinct, not a Sunblood's. But maybe Lloyd was still capable of learning a little bit? She's have to remember to do that later.

Or never, it's not like I'll be here forever.

Liz barked harshly and flicked her tail as she narrowed her piercing blue eyes at the boy. 

Almost as stubborn as her sister. Almost.

Lloyd finally caved. It seemed like he only caved due to how cold he was. He was afraid, Liz could feel. Afraid of her. Liz didn't know why but that felt wrong to her. Like she didn't want him to be afraid.

Lloyd cautiously climbed onto Liz's back with ease and grabbed onto her scruff. Liz slowly pushed her body from the ground and waited a beat before slowly walking forward. Liz could feel Lloyd's stress and fear start to subside as she walked along the snow covered ground. Lloyd eventually was able to lay down on top of her fluffy, soft black fur and Liz could feel his snores vibrating her pack as the continued to walk. Liz glanced back towards the snakes and they started catching up again as the village got closer and closer. 

I'm coming you guys. Just wait for me.

                        ———————

Liz barked loudly to wake Lloyd up. They had arrived at the village, the plan was set. Lloyd tiredly said down Liz's side and she started to take her Sunblood form again. 

Lloyd's grogginess fled out the window as he saw the village. He turned to General Slithera and yelled, "Attack!"

The snakes cheered as they stormed the village.

Hopfully, the Ninja go their letter and they were either here or on their way. However, it wouldn't surprise Liz if they were late. 

Lloyd laughed with a dark evil tone as he made his entrance to the village. "I'm Lloyd Garmadon!" He never got tired announcing that. "Fear me and bow to me! Or be forced by the Serpentine!"

Liz walked up through the entrance of the village by the fountain where she first saw Lloyd. Lloyd nudged her arm when she stopped next to him. "Your turn Liz! You have to tell them who they must fear!"

Liz hid her snort as she looked out to the village who seemed much more terrified of her than they were of Lloyd.

"Uh-um ok."

Liz took her hat off for a moment as she addressed the awaiting crowd. "I'm Lizabeth Wolfadeer, a Moonblood from far away! Fear us or suffer our wrath!"

Lloyd friend. "That was perfect! You're getting the hang of it!"

Liz forced a smile back as she watched the Hypnobri warriors hypnotized the village with their bright red eyes.

As Liz started losing hope, a wiff of Kai's cologne hit Liz's powerful nose and she spotted him with anger on his face, the others starting at her in complete shock. Liz couldn't see why until she remembered. Nobody knew about the plan.

Liz started at the Ninja and winked as she turned to Lloyd.

"I'm going to check out the other side of the village," she said.

"Wait! Can't I come with you?" Lloyd asked.

Liz snooker her head. "No, stay here and man the fountain. The Ninja might show up soon."

Liz headed towards the outskirts of town to find the Ninja. Fun fact: Liz didn't say the message was from her.

Liz wondered if that ghost that's haunting Liz's dreams is the one who sent the bird to her? 

Liz found the Ninja trying to fight snakes and Liz grinned. The assassin looked around and found a thin-ish PVC pipe on the side of the street and picked it up.

She rested the new weapon along her hand and assumed an attacking position.

The Ninja started in shock.

Liz made the first move on Cole as she took him by surprise and was able to knock him over with her legs as she rushed the group. Liz blocked Jay's attack from behind by hitting his stomach with the pipe.

Kai tried to use his sword but Liz dodged every attack with ease. Liz backed away and started shifting to her wolf form again and the Ninja gasped. Liz let out a low rumbling growl as she nodded back towards the fountain. Fighting the Ninja was fun, but they have a threat to catch.

The Ninja looked at Liz, confused, as Liz lead then out side the town and brought them behind a building overlooking the mountains in the distance.

Liz shifted back to her Sunblood body and faced the Ninja's shocked expressions. Kai stepped up towards the young assassin with a little bit of anger in his brown eyes.

"Liz, what's going on?" he asked. "What are you doing with that kid? Hell, what are you doing with the Serpentine?"

Liz sighed. "Well, your master told me to hitch a ride over here to make sure it wasn't a different kind of danger."

"You mean Princess Phantom?" Zane interjected.

"Princess Phantom?" Jay asked. Does he not know anything? Its common knowledge to know what's going on in the departed realms!

"Yes, the princess of the Cursed Realm, daughter to-"

"We don't have time to explain right now!" Liz interrupted. "Right now, Lloyd and the snakes think I'm on their side and I plan on keeping it that way!"

"What do we do?" Cole asked.

"Get the General's staff," she ordered. "Get the staff, free the people. I'll make sure we retreat."

"Wait-"

"No time, Kai-"

"Liz," he snapped.

Liz turned to Kai, awaiting his response.

"Just be carful." The other Ninja nodded with Kai, muttering their "be safe"s.

Liz's expression softened a bit and nodded back before running back towards where she left Lloyd.

When she arrived, the Ninja almost had beat her there and Lloyd was losing his mind. 

"Ninja!" he yelled.

The snakes turned their heads towards the colored Ninja and started their attacks and ordered the hypnotized villagers to attack as well.

"Everyone go at the Ninja, I'll protect the General!"

"You?" Skales hissed with venom in his voice.

"I'm a trained assassin and your leader, you do as I say," Liz growled.

Skales hissed again but didn't say anything as he went to help the snakes.

Liz came up to the General who was clutching the staff with white knuckles. Liz turned to see Cole corned by a bunch of snakes, including Skales, to her right and saw Skales trying to hypnotize him.

Liz gasped and kicked a good sized rock towards the snake, breaking his focus.

Skales turned around but Liz was already gone.

Cole regained his consciousness and ran over towards Liz and the Hypnobri general. 

Liz blocked his first attack with her daggers and slashed at his arm but missed, just slightly. 

Liz ducked forwards as he threw a punch at her face and shifted to her wolf form and tackled him and got in his guard. She knew that Cole knew how to do ninjitsu and hopefully, for his sake,  jujitsu, which is was Liz learned.

Liz moved up towards Cole and pushed with her feet, forcefully making her slightly off balance. The black ninja noticed and brought his right leg up to Liz's arm pit and kicked her over towards his left, causing her to fall forwards and allowing Cole to gain control put her in a head lock, bringing her head towards the ninja's.

"Play dead," his whispered so only she could hear.

Liz did as she was told after a few seconds of fake choking and passed out, allowing him to attack Slithera and get the staff.

Liz peaked out of her eye as she watched Slithera debate whether or not if was worth it to try to get the staff back. He went with the later option and slithered away, calling out the beautiful words, "Retreat!"

Liz shook her head and pushed herself up as a familiar blond boy ran up to her in fear.

"Liz! Are you ok?" he asked, franticly.

"I'm fine," she answered, looking back as the snakes followed Slithera and Cole put the staff in the fountain, allowing the antidote to get to everyone near the river, un hypnotized.

"We need to get back with the snakes," Liz said, urgently.

"But-" 

"No. We're leaving."

And with that, Lloyd followed Liz and the snakes back to their cave.

Liz saw Skales narrow his eyes towards her and she knew when they got back that she'd be in deep shit.

Lloyd sighed next to her, bringing Liz's attention to the boy.

Liz bumped her arm against Lloyd's with a smile on her face. "You did good!" she said, encouragingly.

Lloyd groaned, holding his arm. "No I wasn't, I suck at fighting."

"Grawul den vandar," Liz whispered, her weird accent getting stronger.

"What does that mean?" Lloyd queered.

"It means, 'Claws of the warrior'. We say it to each other to complement a skilled fighter."

"But I'm not a skilled fighter," he argued with a frown.

"Not once I train you some basic self-defense!"

"Really? You'd do that for me?"

"Ulfar den Oraș," said Liz with a smile.

"Is there a language class included in this?" Lloyd asked, annoyed by Liz's use of her language.

"Yes, Lloyd," Liz said with a laugh.

The two laughed and Liz talked more about her language and gave him some fighting tips while they walked. Liz couldn't believe what she was feeling. Was she happy to be in a Sunblood's presence? 

The answer was yes, yes she was. All Liz could hope for was that when she shows which side she's really on, Lloyd would want to come with her. She couldn't imagen losing her new friend. Not like how she lost her siblings. 

Liz meant it when she said "Ulfar den Oraș". "Wolves are family". And even though Lloyd is not technically a wolf, he's still like family to Liz, despite only meeting him a day prior. She hoped he felt the same.

___________________________________________

Phew! Another chapter done! Had to come up with a whole new language but still got it done XD