Warmth.

     It was usually a stifling force, a constant burden I had to bear. It was the weight of being an elemental; it was the weight of endless heat being packed upon my being. I hated that I was always hot. The only times I had ever truly felt the chill of the cold was whenever Shade had come close to losing control over his power, which was practically never. I had buried myself in snow once, just to see if it would finally cool me down. But it just melted off of me.

     But this warmth, this warmth was magical.

     My head throbbed with each breath I took, yet the warmth carried the pain away. It was like a whispering wind of the desert, gently sweeping away all of my aches and bruises. The soreness in my back was swept away; the harsh, agonizing grip of unconsciousness was slowly sucked away until I inhaled sharply and sat up.

     Large, indigo eyes stared straight into mine.

     Yelping, I stumbled backwards, only to knock into scales. I frantically looked around, trying to figure out what in Ninjago was going on—when I realized why I had just bumped into scales. Trembling, I looked into the eyes again. They flashed as the creature cooed.

     Dragon eyes.

     Slowly, I turned to see the rest of it.

     The large, white dragon was curled around me, tucking me into a small space in between its front and hind legs. Its four paws were all relaxed as it was laying down. I quickly noticed that the paws had no claws. The long, golden horns of the creature were smooth and rounded. When it yawned, I observed that its teeth were flat.

     It looked completely defenseless. I hesitated, then attempted to get to my feet. It snapped to attention, whistling softly as it nudged me back down into its nest. Its eyes flashed again, lighting up with a pattern so specific that I wondered if it was trying to communicate with me.

     That's when I heard the songs. They were all around the area, picking up in volume as more voices joined in. I didn't even realize tears were streaming down my cheeks until the dragon nuzzled me again. The gentle noises coming from a thousand different places all harmonized into some of the most beautiful sounds I had ever heard.

      Wait—a thousand different places?

     With a growing horror, I looked up to see several dragons whisk through the sky above me, landing not so far away and quickly joining in the tune. That's when I noticed the 'sky' wasn't the sky at all. Fish were swimming above the dome we were in, and currents of water directed various algae around an invisible barrier.

      "Wha... what in the world... is this the Departed Realm?" I asked the dragon.

     Its eyes flickered again as it reached down with its snout to touch my forehead, cooing all the more. It released three soft whistles and the comfortable warmth flowed through me again. I stared at the motherly dragon as it threatened to take all my fear away.

     "You're the one sending the warmth," I breathed, reaching up to touch its snout. "You're the one who rescued me, right?"

     The dragon responded by lifting its head into the sky and singing. All around the dome other voices joined the call. Before I knew it, another dragon had landed next to us. This one was bigger, with only two, powerful hind legs instead of four small ones. Its wings looked more capable for a steady flight/swim, and it towered over me with an air so authoritative I suddenly wanted to bow my head in submission. Like the dragon tending to me, it also had no defenses.

     It shoved its face into my back and forced me out of the nest. I stumbled upon the large rock formation where the nest was sitting, instantly getting a good view at all the other dragons.

     They were all either four-legged or two-legged; that was the first detail to catch my eyes. Most of the four-legged adults were curled into nests, while little dragonettes played next to them. I wondered if that meant they were the mothers. The two-legged adults flapped in and out of the dome, being chased by smaller dragons as they learned how to fly. Watching the dragons interact was like watching a complex community, especially since I couldn't get the nagging feeling out of my head that there was something intelligent about the way they interacted.

      Even the two standing right next to me were acting strange compared to most animals. Their eyes continued to flash in patterns as they tilted their heads at each other. The two-legged (male?) flared his wings and took a step towards me. The mother dragon shook her own head, growling softly when the male got too close.

     There was something about the way they moved... something familiar. Another dragon burst through the dome above me, spraying my damp form in droplets of salty water. The smell brought me back to the clear waters of Songdragon Lake, where the mysterious voices lay hidden beneath the waves.

     Beneath the waves.

     It finally dawned on me what these dragons were. "You're Songdragons."

     They didn't acknowledge my words. The mother stood up from her nest, swiveling to face something behind her. The male curled his toes into the nest's feathers. He proceeded to nose the thing attracting the mother's attention to where I was.

     My jaw dropped in shock.

     "Nori?"

     She flushed at the sight of me, making small noises of discontentment when the male continued to push her towards me. "Greetings, M-morro."

      I couldn't stop the rush of dread, adrenaline, and bone-crushing relief from spreading a smile over my stunned face. "You're alive!"

     I was halfway to her when she backed up, fear flickering over her features.

     "What's wrong?"

     Noria wrung her hands. For the first time I noticed she was without her large hat, showcasing blonde hair that had been darkened by the water. Her jacket and stockings were also gone, leaving her in a plain brown dress. She didn't look all that exotic anymore.

     The mother cooed softly, nuzzling the side of Noria's face. She smiled softly at it, a smile that never showed her teeth. The mother's eyes flickered again, this time directing the light at the communicator.

     "Noria, where are we?"

     "We're beneath the ocean," she answered plainly in Ninjargon, her voice soft. "We're in a Songdragon colony."

     "Why did they rescue us?" I asked.

     "You hit your head on the rock. There was a lot of blood in the water."

     "And they healed me?"

     "Yes," Nori said. She rubbed the mother's ears, causing the dragon to let out a sound resembling a purr. "Songdragons are not gifted with any natural defenses. Their only survival mechanism is their intelligence, which has saved them many times from other predators. They can also sing. Sometimes a Songdragon's song can perform magic. Healing magic can only work when applied to another dragons, not the generator of it... but you don't want to get into logistics now, do you?"

     "What about you?" I asked, attempting to step closer again. The gap between us couldn't have been more than a few feet, but to me it felt like a gaping chasm. "Why did you jump, Noria? Why are you here?"

     "I-I..." She looked away. However, the mother's flashing eyes once again brought her attention to the dragon. It was almost strange how indigo the mother's eyes were. It was like looking into the depths of the galaxy during twilight.

     That was when I noticed that not all the flickering lights were coming from the dragon.

     The mother whistled, pulling her head away to converse with the male. Noria hesitantly looked back at me, her half-smile slowly fading when she saw my expression.

     She wasn't wearing her jacket with the high neckline, so I could see how her skin faded from pale to white near her collarbones. Nori's large indigo eyes were familiar, flashing slightly with some unspoken message.

     Somewhere in the distance, the dragons sang in harmony again.

     Singing.

     Communication.

     Voice that sings.

     Nori's face reddened as she quickly covered up her exposed ears.

     Her pointed ears.

     "Wait—"

     "Please don't touch me," her voice was so broken I could feel my own heart fracturing.

     Only then did I realize how close I was to reaching out to her. I gingerly backed away, my eyes not leaving her humiliated face.

     "You're one of them?" I whispered carefully.

     "Yes," she forced out the words, collapsing back into her usual silence afterwards. Except, this time, instead of it being comfortable, it felt like a thin layer of ice ready to break into a bunch of unwanted humiliation.

     Seconds stretched into minutes as I struggled to grasp the right words. I could hear her subtle sniffles; she was probably on the verge of tears. Panic and worry set in, along with the usual reminder that Shade could handle this situation with ease, until I blurted out, "Do you want to talk about it?"

     Her shaking paused.

     "I won't tell anyone," I said, my mind imagining the thousand ways I could handle this wrong. "I know this is probably a big deal and you don't want anyone to know—I would have hidden it too—you don't have to worry about me... I promise I won't tell..."

     Goodness, she was facing a crisis and all I could do was blabber inanely. It didn't matter how much time we spent together, did it? I would always be terrible at handling these things.

     My voice trailed off as her hands slowly came down from her ears.

     Noria's voice was incredibly small. "It was a scandal. A terrible, terrible thing that should have never happened."

     The silence between us stretched thick, until she finally met my eyes.

     "But that doesn't mean it didn't happen."

     I knew she needed my attention, not my touch, so I simply nodded.

      "The first Master of Communication was named Aseth Tongue. He was known even before inheriting the power to have a very elegant way with words. Because of his justness and talent, he became a good friend of the First Spinjitzu Master and an essential ally in the Oni Wars.

     "When he passed down the power of Communication, his descendants used their skills to gain respect among the other elementals. House Communication was a strong organization. It lasted for many years. Until..."

      I didn't realize I had scooted closer to her until I saw her backing up.

     Noria took a few deep breaths. "As elementals, we can understand practically every form of language almost immediately. But, over the years as the Communication elementals practiced their craft, they found one species they could not understand. Dragons. The lust to understand all started to cultivate from each master to master, until finally one descendant decided to curse us all.

     "She used an unspeakably dark magic to... to turn herself into one of them. The Songdragons were known for their connection to communicating... so she... so she..." Noria couldn't bring herself to say it. Her fists bunched up her soggy dress and she was squeezing her eyes shut so hard that it looked painful. "The children were mutants. Outcasts to both worlds. But her plan had worked. They could understand their dragon kin."

     My fingers were twitching; begging for me to reach out to her. She obviously did not want to be telling me this, and I wanted to console her. Yet, every time I got close, I would make her even more uncomfortable.

     "Mother hates her," Nori whispered so softly I barely caught it. "She hates that everyone after that scandal had to live like this. Her mother, my grandmother, died because people saw her deformities and power and thought she was a witch. Mother didn't want that to happen to me."

     "You're not deformed," I cut in, "and you're certainly not a witch."

     "But my voice is extraordinary!" Noria's voice sounded like it should have cracked, but she delivered the lines in the same beautiful tone all her words came out in. "Anyone in Shadow Bay, if they knew the truth, they'd have my head. The whole reason Mother gave me the power was so I could avoid the prophecy. Then, I had to spend my whole life ignoring my kin's calls. I had to submerge the voice that was now a part of me, all to keep myself safe. And next I inevitably get taken away from my family, cast away into a crew that only wants me to sing for them."

     Angry tears flooded down her face, surprising me with the amount of raw emotion she was showing. "Do you think it's easy to leave everything I've ever known behind to follow you? My whole life has been affected by the prophecy, Morro. I've had to hide from it my whole life. Then, you all have the gall to... to press me for more. I'm a failure for not stopping the cannonballs. We're sheep awaiting slaughter because of my inability to sing—"

     "Who said this to you?"

     "—so, when they came to me, offering a taste of freedom from the weights I've always borne, I finally accepted their call." Nori gestured to the Songdragons flying around the dome. "I've been happier with them for the past thirty minutes than I've ever been living the rest of my life."

     The male dragon reached down to touch the top of her head, then took to the top of the dome. Several other dragonettes jumped off nearby rocks, flapping into the sky to join him.

     "Noria." I waited until she looked at me. "Who said that to you? Who told you that the cannonballs were your fault?"

     Her small form withered in my gaze. She shrunk back, her bold expression quickly turning to fear. "You want to punish them."

     It still surprised me how she managed to read me like a book. "You're not worthless," I started, "You're not a failure, and you're certainly not deformed. Things are tough right now. We're more divided than ever. I understand where your fears come from, and I want to thank you for... for being so sincere about it. But you—we can't quit now. The Overlord wants us to run from him, but we have to stay and keep fighting. It's the only way to save this realm."

      Nori flushed again, pulling the wet strands of her hair over her ears. "My most sincere apologies..." she trailed off, casting a wistful look over the colony. "...I seem to have forgotten my promise. I was selfish. I am no better than an Ominiran."

      "No, I'm sorry. We took you out of your world without thinking of the consequences. All you've tried to do since you've joined us is continue to act like a well-respected Shadow Bay woman, and we've... well I've tried to push you into acting like us. I don't know who spoke unkindly to you, but they're not helping matters either. I don't blame you for feeling lost and alone; I don't blame you for running to the only voices that seemed to care. But I promise you this Nori. I do care, and I will do everything in my power to return you to those you love."

     I hesitantly stepped forward again. This time, she didn't back up. Her attention was on the white specks sprinkled across her small feet. "Maybe 'a voice that sings' doesn't mean actual singing. I mean... what I'm trying to say is... I guess I mean I'm not going to force you to sing. We'll figure out something else, okay?"

     "Okay," Noria whispered.

     "I'm still not going to tell anyone about this unless you want me to." I gestured to the dragons around us. "You can talk to me if you need an understanding ear."

      "You have my gratitude."

     She walked past me over to the edge of the rock formation. More saltwater dripped down from where the male hunters were bringing back fish from the ocean. I followed her, standing beside her as we faced the singing colony.

     Singing colony.

     "Wait..." I looked around at the dragons. "These dragons can carry humans around. They can heal with their voices. Nori, these dragons... they could get us to the Dark Island!"

     She paled at the idea, most likely because she was imagining the cannonballs. It was odd to clearly see her face in the dim lights coming from the various glowing fungus scattered around the colony. Normally her expression was hidden by her hat. Now, her emotions were on display to the world, which was like a breath of fresh air for me.

     "Singing dragons... perhaps helpful, singing dragons..." I thought aloud. "They—they could be the voices that sing! It all makes sense if you think about it." I laughed, "If they're the voices that sing, then I guess there's no worries about you having to sing at all."

     She didn't smile, nor did she look at me.

     If I didn't know any better, I'd say she wasn't comforted by the idea at all.

     Which meant something else was causing her to be stressed about the prophecy.

     But... but what about the sacrifice? Doesn't someone have to die?

     Suddenly a chill erupted through me. "W-what... what did you mean when you said you've had to hide from the prophecy your whole lif—"

     A loud roar cut off my words as a gust of wind tossed my lank hair into my face. I spat it out, slowly turning to see the mother dragon with her wings flared. Her eyes flashed, then Nori gently said, "She senses dragon blood in you, Morro."

     "I do have dragon blood." I quickly recalled my family tree, "the First Spinjitzu Master was half Oni and half dragon."

     Nori's eyes flashed and the mother dragon squinted.

     After a second, Noria continued to translate. "She says you were not called for, yet you came anyway. Why are you here?"

      "I wanted to save you," I embarrassedly admitted, but Nori's attention had solely focused on her kin.

     "Your devotion is respectable. I sense the blood of the demons in you as well. You have their mark upon your face."

     I touched my face, but I could only feel the roughness of unshaved stubble.

     "You are descended from the Halfling. Are you the chosen sent to save Ninjago?"

     I stared at Noria, then at the dragon, then back at Noria. "N-no, that's Shade. He's um, much more powerful than I a-am."

     "Power is often the corrupting force in an individual. Goodness comes from compassion, empathy, and kindness. Only Oni traits spring from power." Nori paused, processing the mother dragon's next words. "She says there is a darkness upon this realm. It has been spreading for years, and only continues to grow as time passes. One day the oceans will run red with the blood of the realm's creatures, and the sky will turn to an endless grey. People will wither and starve, for the eternal night will end them all. The only hope is the chosen, the spawn of the First Master, the Halfling. Are you here to save us?"

      I took in the mother dragon's appearance. Where before she was gentle and nurturing, now she looked powerful enough to command respect from every dragon in the colony. Her golden horns reflected the pale light; her dark eyes lit up with her words.

     "Yes? We're here to complete the prophecy. We... we actually need your help." I turned my attention back to Nori, who was translating my words to the mother. "Could you explain our situation?"

     A few moments passed as the inaudible words passed between the two.

     "You ask a great deed of her people. Many dragons have died by the darkness' hand already." Nori wrung her hands. The girl started to shrink with the mother's next inaudible words, shaking her head slowly. "I...I cannot do that."

     It took me a second to realize she wasn't translating for me anymore. The mother dragon's eyes glowed bright as she continued to speak to the mountain girl. I reached out to steady the trembling Nori, only for her to shake her head even harder. "I've never practiced. I don't even know if that's possible."

     The mother dragon softly growled. She stepped forward until her head was close to Nori's. Noria paled, but reached out to touch the dragon's forehead. She finally looked back at me, then gestured for me to walk closer. We were only standing a foot apart before she reached out and touched my forehead.

     Nori's fingers were callused with years of labor, yet her touch was gentle. It was like a splash of fresh water amongst the warmth that had been gathering with my stress. I wanted to lean into it, to soak it in, but then I realized that I could no longer feel it.

     She has connected us.

     What's going on? I asked.

     I am Silvari, the queen of this colony. I called the offspring to our kind, for she was trapped within a prison that no dragon should have to bear. We were always meant to fly free. You have dragon blood, Halfling descendant, yet you cannot hear us.

     Nori... she linked our minds? That's incredible.

     You have asked a great deed of us, descendant of the First Master.

     Yes, I said carefully, trying to keep my mental voice steady. But without your help the darkness will surely overcome us. We may have the 'chosen' on our side, however, we cannot beat back the darkness in a cornered position. He has many warriors on his side. We need allies to win this fight.

     The mother dragon considered my words. Do you promise his defeat will be the end of the darkness in Ninjago? This realm cannot handle much more imbalance.

     Yes, I said, hoping my voice rang true. I didn't know what would follow the completion of the prophecy, only that Ver would be safe from the Overlord and Ninjago would be rid of an ancient evil.

     Then I will assist you on one condition.

     What is your condition?

    Free the offspring.

     Offspring...? Wait... you mean Noria?

     Dragons are meant to fly free, the mother said.

     But I promised her I would return her to her family. They are in Shadow Bay, and there's no freedom in Shadow Bay.

     Promise to set her free and I will aid you in fighting the darkness. That is your final offer.

     I spluttered, hesitated, then slowly crept into silence. What was more important, the good of this realm, or the good of the one girl I had made a promise to? Why did I have to choose? Shade would be much more level-headed about this; he'd probably make the best decision without barely having to th—

      I knew exactly what Shade would choose, and it made me sick to my stomach just to think about it.

     We have a deal. I choked back the bile rising in my throat.

     I will escort you back to your party. We will leave at sunrise, the mother dragon said, her voice becoming fainter as if it were being dragged farther and farther away. You have made the correct choice.

     When I blinked, the mother dragon pulled back her head. The sights and smells of the colony all rushed back, sending me into a panicked haze. I put my hands on my knees to catch my breath, sucking in air like lemonade on a hot day. Noria's quiet form hovered next to me—I could tell she was a bit concerned—but she didn't reach out to console me. She never touched me unless it was absolutely necessary.

     I looked up into her indigo eyes, finding a care I'd never seen before there. Guilt swept through me, hotter than any shame I'd ever face, until the air turned dry with the heat I was generating.

     "She says she wants to return us to the Bounty," Nori said, her silvery voice soft. "I wish I could have heard what she said to you. But I was only the link, not the receiver."

     I could only nod in reply.

     We had until sunrise to prepare for battle, and I had until sunrise to figure out how in the world I was going to fulfil both of my promises.

     The prophecy never said the mission was going to be easy, but I never expected for it to get this hard either.

     I could only trust in my decisions and hope it turned out for the best.

     Whatever that outcome could be.

My horns were magnificent. They grew elegantly out of my skull, curving into sharp points that gave me a least another foot of height. They were a pain to sleep with, but even with that setback, I was impressed by their mere stature. They looked like they belonged to a powerful figure.

     I was anything but a powerful figure.

     My insomnia was getting worse with each passing day, and the constant sessions training and hunting were finally starting to catch up with me. One day I was too sore to even attempt to train. I just laid on my cot all day and sobbed from the pain. My skin was sickly and pale, like it hadn't seen a day of sunlight during my entire life. When I when to gather food from the lunch pile, the snake soldiers had started beating me out of the area. They wanted to satiate their ever-increasing appetites with every bit of meat Acronix had brought back. They had no respect left for me.

     What made the whole ordeal worse was that I knew my family would arrive any day now. The Overlord had fired the Cannon only once, out over the ocean. Almost immediately the world had started storming, and the air itself darkened with the evil spewing from the mouth of the Cannon. He hadn't fired it again since, but the distortions refused to fade.

     Come, little Ver. I have a task for you.

     I trudged through the busy camp, trying my best not to stumble into the occupied soldiers. They were strapping on armor, brandishing weapons, and assembling in different squadrons. The Overlord stood in the middle, next to the rumbling Cannon, watching over his minions.

     "Today is a day of victory," he said upon seeing me.

     "It's not even day." I wiped a strand of my greasy hair out of my eyes. I must have looked like a living mutant-zombie in the dying sunlight.

     The Overlord bristled. "Do you see our latest victory, little Ver?"

     He gestured for me to climb into his palm, so I allowed him to lift me into the air. Behind the trees, far down on the beach, a massive stone structure had risen out of the water.

     "That wasn't there before."

     "That was caused by one of your elemental friends." The Overlord sounded pleased, though I was curious as to why he didn't feel the complete opposite. Peak did that? Small, insignificant Peak who didn't stand a chance against my winds? "They are hiding in there."

     My eyes lit up. "Oh! They've cornered themselves."

     "Precisely," the Overlord said, instructing the Cannon to face the stone. "Right before dawn you will attack their vessel. They will be weak with sleep and easy to beat. You can obliterate them."

     I was all on board until he said 'obliterate.'

     "Hold it. We don't need to kill them. We just need to foil them, which we've already done. Just post some guards on the shore in case they try to swim for it and leave them to rot," I said as the Overlord roughly let me back down on the ground. He flared his wings, laughing menacingly.

     "If you don't want to see those traitors dead, little Ver, then perhaps you've forgotten the point of this mission. Your brothers want to destroy the realm. The only way to keep the prophecy from coming true is to wipe them out now. So do you want to save the world or not?" He spat out the words out like they were a curse.

     I was afraid, per usual as he was hissing at me, but this was different. It was colder. The Overlord had always told me that we just had to foil my family's plans, not wipe them out. We had the key. We had control of the Cannon. We had already foiled the prophecy.

     For the first time since the Overlord started talking to me, I had the notion that he may have had a bit more than foiling the prophecy in mind. Slowly, I backed away, promising I'd be ready by the time the sun started to rise. If I disagreed with him, would he kill me too?

     He wanted to kill my family. He wanted to kill them all.

     If they were dead, then they wouldn't be there to condemn the realm. If they were dead, then they would never be able to lie to the world again. If they were dead, then it would be a hop, skip, and jump to put this realm back on track with the balance.

     But if they were dead, then I'd be completely alone.

     My brothers were being misled; they were almost innocent of the crimes they'd committed. My parents were the ones who deserved to die for lying to everyone. Not Shade, not Morro, not anyone else. Once they saw the truth they'd understand. I just needed to... to face them once again. Convince them to give up. Convince them that this wasn't the correct path to take.

     Suddenly I felt really tired.

     I didn't even realize I was swaying until someone started to steady me.

     "You're not looking too good." Acronix's voice drifted into my consciousness. I was so exhausted the world was starting to get blurry. I wanted to snap myself back into focus, but even I knew that it would do nothing to quell the pain, the bodily aches, the stabbing sensation of premature grief in my heart. "Maybe you need to lay down for a bit."

     "I-I-I... I have to face... them. H-h-he's... g-going to k-k... to kill them..." I mumbled out, too many voices responding. I could hear the wind chanting that I needed to be stronger. The spirit lingered in the edge of my mind, awaiting his time to speak. Even I could feel the Overlord's all-seeing eye upon my soul, a burden I would never be free of.

     "And you'll certainly die next if you don't get rest now. When's the last time you've eaten?"

     I didn't remember. It was raining on my head, and I couldn't remember when the rain had started. I was sore, bruised, and battered, yet the pain wouldn't stop. I wouldn't be able to wake up brand new. I wouldn't be able to convert my brothers.

     But if they were dead, then Ninjago would surely be safe.

     A wooden spoon touched my lips; a lukewarm broth tumbled down my throat. I was told I was running a fever, yet I couldn't recall whose voice it was. There were so many pounding voices in my ears, each of them needlessly chatting on. I was going crazy with all the noise they were making. Or maybe... or maybe I really had been crazy the whole time.

     I couldn't save the world like this.

     I was supposed to be an Oni, a powerful being, the most powerful being in Ninjago.

     I was supposed to be the Chosen One.

     Yet even though my body was still transforming, I was weak enough to let the whole realm crumble around me.

      I would wither and die here alone, my mission unfulfilled, and my life meaningless.

The first thing I remembered about that day was the commotion waking me up. Shade was yelling—no, I'm serious—he was yelling at someone. When I groggily pulled on a coat and went outside, both Singsong and Morro were standing there, drenched. Singsong was doing her normal thing of trying to sink unnoticed into the background, while Morro was frantically trying to explain something.

     Shade kept clutching his head and moaning, which seemed to only fuel his anger. He kept motioning to Singsong as he continued his rant. I noticed that for the first time, she was not wearing her hat. In fact, she had taken off several of her normal accessories. She looked so very small and fragile without them, like a thin piece of ice bracing for impact.

     Morro kept trying to shield her, while matching his brother in both volume and passion.

     They fired verbal blows back and forth, not seeming to pay attention to anything around them, until a bellowing "STOP!" put an end to their tirade.

     Aureole shoved her way in between them, her eyes puffy and her hair an absolute disaster. She, just like I, had just gotten out of bed. "It's three in the freaking morning, you two. What's going on?" Her voice cracked at the end, sounding much more defeated than I had ever heard her.

     Shade looked away, his cheeks flushing red.

     Morro looked back and forth between the two before finally stating, "I've got a way to get us to the Dark Island. But we have to be ready by dawn."

     Aureole rubbed her eyes, not exactly sure whether she was still asleep or not. I felt the floorboards creak beside me, and Peak emerged from the bunkroom. Like Aureole, his eyes were puffy and squinted. He limped up beside me, leaning on the wall for strength.

     "That doesn't explain why you're both soaking wet," Shade snapped after a minute of silence.

     Morro flailed for words, and Singsong just covered her ears.

     Her pointed ears.

     Slowly, our eyes widened in shock.

     "I am," she said quietly, not looking at any of us. "I know you see the resemblance, and I am one of them. They called to me; they promised to help us. We have to be ready to fly by dawn."

     "You're a dragon?" I breathed.

     "Partially," Singsong whispered. She rubbed her arms, ducking more behind Morro as if to shade herself from everyone's view.

     Shade didn't seem surprised or happy about any of this news. He looked sourly upon the half-asleep group, his scowl deepening with each face. "Well? That's it? You just asked some dragons to fly us to the shore and they said, 'sure, just have your things packed by dawn?'"

     "Basically, yes," Morro jumped in again. I noticed he was still in his pajamas. "We're in a tight spot right now. The Overlord knows where we are. He's already got us cornered. It won't be long until he comes to wipe us out. Our best option is to get off this island as fast as possible."

      "Morro's right," Aureole said.

      Shade reeled on her, his face showcasing everything he would have liked to say, but then he took a deep breath and shifted his face back to a hardened, complacent smile. "Very well. I will go alert the parents."

      He stalked off, leaving all of us to wonder what had just happened.

>(<>)<

Being in the same room as everyone while we weren't in the middle of a crisis was extremely awkward. I felt like I was staring at Carmen, though I tried to convince myself that I was only sneaking a few glances. The once vivacious girl was now backed into the corner. She was as silent as the grave, trying to avoid all attention. Whenever I looked at her, she was gazing at Shade, a heartbroken expression upon her face.

     I wished I could talk to her. Yet, ever since Aureole's slip-up during the whole confession ordeal, Carmen had refused to even be in the same room as me. She mostly stayed out of everyone's way. Aureole had even mentioned Carmen had dragged a coverlet down to the storage room in the bottom of the ship to sleep. I had been stupid enough to think that knowing Shade didn't return Carmen's feelings would help her turn her affection towards someone who actually cared, but that didn't seem to be the case. If anything, we had grown farther apart. Granted, it hadn't been very long since the confession, but still.

      It was still hard to believe I had become infatuated with her in the first place. I knew it was a bad idea because of her affection towards Shade, but somewhere inside I had tried to convince myself that she didn't really mean it. Then, she told Shade she loved him. She acted like Shade was the only person she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. It broke my stupid, little heart.

      I had thought Carmen was acting bad after the confession, but Shade was even worse. He yelled at his brother only a few hours ago. He yelled. Shade never yelled unless it was a playful shout. He was actually angry at Morro, and Shade was never actually angry with anyone. I had thought his sulking came from the news about his mother, but whatever he was going through had to be really bad if he was acting on it.

      The boy in question was currently rubbing his forehead while trying to figure something out with the adults. After Morro had broken the news of how we were going to get off this island to everyone, we had all scrambled to get our supplies together. The final battle, the one we'd been training our whole lives for, it was starting now. We only had one shot to make this right. We had to win against the Overlord or lose the whole realm in being defeated.

      "Okay, listen up everyone. We're going to try to fly to the Temple of Light." Lloyd pressed his hands together. Harumi stood silently behind him, one hand on his back and the other holding up one of the emergency lanterns to illuminate the dark room. I suddenly wished I could comfort Carmen like Harumi was comforting Lloyd. It was wordless, but it was beautiful. "Ancient temples have always been of use to us when fighting the Overlord, and I assume this time will be no exception. It will also be a safe haven to us while we spy on the Overlord's camp and come up with a more concrete plan."

      "The Temple of Light is located on the highest peak on this island. It's built mostly within the mountains, so don't be looking for an obvious structure," Kai added.

      No one responded. All of the Ninja's kids were fiddling with their weapons and suits, while Carmen and Singsong were mostly hiding from the spotlight.

      Lloyd attempted to smile, but it resembled more of a grimace. "Remember: you've been training your whole lives for this. We're going to be fine. Nori will call the dragons, and we'll quietly ride them to the Temple. If for any reason we're split up, just head for the highest peak. You all are well prepared for this step."

      Aureole's visage soured. Peak looked around the room, then hesitantly peeped, "I know things have been tense recently, but we need to stay united for this upcoming fight. Remember the prophecy says that the losing side will divide."

     Shade, who had managed to claim the spot farthest away from both Aureole and Carmen, stepped forward. "Peak is right. Don't hesitate to put your differences behind you if the time calls for it."

      Carmen flushed purple, and she turned away. I hated seeing the once talkative girl turned into a limp noodle. She wasn't even trying anymore. It was heartbreaking to watch.

      Lloyd opened his mouth to say something else but was immediately cut off by a dragon roar.

      It was accompanied by hissing.

      We scrambled to the deck to find eggs being launched upon the deck. The golden rays of the rising sun illuminated the small snakes scurrying out of their enclosures, finding their way to each other and growing bigger with each passing second.

      Just as three warriors rose to their feet, a large dragon swooped in from the air and crushed them with clawless feet. It growled, its indigo eyes flashing brightly.

      "We're under attack," Singsong—Lloyd said her name was Nori? —said, her eyes flashing in a similar pattern.

      Aureole was the first to impale several small snakes on her way over the dragon. It lowered its head, allowing her to sling herself onto its back.

      "Come on!" the fire elemental yelled, waving her daggers in the air like a beacon. The rest of us braved our way onto the deck, fighting off the other rising Vermillion the best we could. It was easy to take out the little and big warriors at first, for there were only a few of them. Yet, after a minute, for every one warrior that fell, three more would rise in its place.

      "There isn't enough room for all of them to land!" Nori called, screeching when an egg burst over her head and snakes dropped onto her back. Peak ran over to help her pull them off.

      Another Songdragon crashed onto the deck, suddenly making the whole boat rock within its stone enclosure. It roared as it attempted to crush the Vermillion, yet its rounded horns and toes weren't doing much damage without flight momentum driving them forward.

     A kicked helmet landed at my feet, so I quickly scooped it up and threw it over the side of the Bounty. Below, in the waters, several ships filled with Vermillion were catapulting their kind on our boat while Songdragons attempted to distort their efforts.

      "Go with your group!" Morro exclaimed, stabbing a Vermillion straight through the neck with a long spear. Nori backed away from the exploding snakes, whimpering as her eyes continued to flash. Peak, who was using his earth to create a shield around the defenseless girl, nodded and ran over to Aureole.

      Kai helped the earth elemental up onto the dragon, who immediately leapt into the sky once it felt the third weight settling on its back. Several flying eggs shattered against its underbelly as it fought its way into the air. Kai yelled from the dragon's back, saying something about seeing us on the other side.

     I rammed the butt of my katana into a Vermillion's helmet, knocking it clean off its head. With a sweeping motion, I sliced open the two coming from behind me with a clean accuracy. I had been trained for battle my entire life. There may have been tons of soldiers, but we were skilled when it came to duels.

     When I glanced over at the other hissing dragon, Harumi and Shade had already gotten on its back. Another large dragon was trying to find a place to land on the crowded deck, however there were too many snakes for it to attempt landing.

     "Morro!" Lloyd called, wildly gesturing for his son to board the dragon. Meanwhile, more and more Vermillion crowded the tall boy. He fought them off like a madman, swinging and stabbing his spear with an enthusiasm I'd never seen before. Then, I noticed Nori crouched behind him, holding her head as she tried to communicate with the dragons. He was protecting her.

     He wouldn't leave her behind.

     "Go!" I called, moving with practiced speed as I tore apart two more Vermillion. "Get to your group!"

      Morro didn't budge. "I have to protect—"

      "I'll protect her!" I yelled, joining him in front of the small girl as we cut down more snakes. "Get to your group!"

     Morro paused only for a second, looking deep within my eyes before nodding once. He took off as I fought to push back the swarm, fighting his way to get to his family.

     I may not have had elemental powers, but I had spirit. Carmen's words rang ever loud in my head, encouraging me forward in the battle.

     Powers don't define you! When are you going to wake up and see that?

      There was a gurgled yelp, then protesting yells as Shade's dragon started to take off. I saw that Morro hadn't yet let go of Lloyd's hand upon being helped up on the dragon, so now Lloyd was being dragged along with the dragon.

     No no no no—

     There was supposed to be one adult per group. That way we all had equal protection and the same set of steady minds. Yet, there Lloyd was, having no choice but to board the creature as it took off into the sky. Almost immediately after the dragon spread its large, white wings, a swarm of arrows hissed through the air. Several roars echoed from below.

     Nori yelped from behind me, and another dragon stumbled upon the deck. It was already bleeding but kept growling at the approaching Vermillion with vigor. I kicked a warrior's feet out from beneath them, grabbing Nori's hand so we could dash towards the creature.

     It was very hard to get a small girl up on a massive dragon whilst fighting a storm of snakes, yet somehow I managed to do so without being impaled. The armor underneath my torn suit was dented and weak, slowly starting to cave to the various blows from the Vermillion. I twisted, snarled, and knocked as many apart as I could, but there were just too many.

      Then, I looked up and saw Carmen.

      She was huddling behind a doorway, curled into the fetal position so she wouldn't be spotted.

      "You have to hold them off!" I shouted to the dragon, making a run for the unprotected girl.

      Nori quickly translated my words, then the dragon fought with even more ferociousness than before.

      "Come on!" I yanked the thief to her feet, ignoring the widespread awkwardness as we dashed for the dragon. Carmen broke free of my grip, giving a Vermillion one solid punch to the face before leaping upon the dragon's back. I finished the blow with a gutted katana, splattering the Vermillion into a hundred tiny snakes. Hisses and cries greeted my attempt to get upon the stumbling dragon's back, along with several swords slicing up whatever nice tunic I had left. Never in my life was I happier to be wearing armor beneath the ninja suit.

      Carmen and Nori grasped my hands, pulling me up as the dragon galloped towards the edge of the deck. With a mighty roar, it cast itself over the side, barely spreading its wings before we plummeted towards the rocky depths below.

     I screamed, throwing my arms around Nori's shoulders as the dragon fought to fly through the storm of flying eggs, arrows, and rain. Lighting flashed somewhere, accompanied by a vociferous roar of a unified song. I felt Carmen's arms dig into my stomach as she clutched me for her life. Nori was just as tense as she hugged the dragon's neck.

     An arrow hissed through the air, flying straight through the dragon's wing.

      "Go Silvari!" Nori sobbed desperately as the dragon's flight began to falter. It started to fall towards the mess of boats and dragons below, only to sing a pure, sharp note and flap towards the shore.

     There was warmth in the air, along with so much chaos. I could taste the iron tang of blood in the skies; I could feel my terror pulsing off of us in waves. Thunder and lightning clashed in the clouds, dancing for the end of our lives.

     When I looked back to see the Bounty, I went pale with shock.

      Upon the rock where the Bounty was hidden, a giant stood highlighted in the distant lightning. It was certainly bigger than the entire Bounty, and its eyes glowed with a hateful malice. It watched Silvari stumble towards the land, its massive, dark wings rustling only once.

     Then, the lightning flashed again.

      It was gone.

      I whimpered as the turbulence caught up to us, and Silvari crashed into the trees below. Sticks and leaves tore up my face, getting stuck in my mask and in the girls' hair. The dragon moaned as well, finally slumping upon the ground as we tumbled forward into the foliage.

      I was aching so much from the blows I felt half dead. Only when I heard Carmen mumble did my senses immediately jump to attention, and I limped out of the fallen branches to find my companions. Overhead, the storm instantly cleared again, bringing back a bright morning sky with fierce winds.

     "You can't heal yourself. Only others can," Nori whispered sadly, somehow already on her feet and at Silvari's side. The dragon whistled, nuzzling into Nori's hand as its glazed eyes closed.

      "Can it... can it not fly us to the Temple of Light?" I asked tentatively, leaning down to rub Silvari's smooth horns.

     Nori shook her head. Her hat was gone, a victim of our crashed landing. Carmen stumbled over to us, groaning with disbelief as she took in our situation.

     "I can still hear the sea," she said.

      Silvari whistled again, to which Nori nodded. "Go back to the sea, friend. Your fellow dragons will heal you; they will give you freedom again. You have helped us in an immeasurable way. Thank you."

      I echoed Nori's thanks blankly, the reality of our situation starting to sink in. The dragon stumbled to its feet. Its wide, indigo eyes flashed one final time before it started to limp through the foliage, out towards the sea.

      Within seconds it was just us three alone, in the middle of the Dark Island, in the middle of the Overlord's territory, without vehicles, useful elemental powers, or an adult to guide us. Outside of the trees, the clangs of battle clashed in the air, reminding us that we were not safe. Not here, not yet.

      We had to get to the Temple of Light. And we had to survive the trek there. If that wasn't a test of strength for the final battle, then I didn't know what was. I looked at the two powerless girls, tilting my head in the direction of the far mountains.

     Slowly but surely, they nodded in understanding, and wordlessly we crept off into the forest beyond.

     All around us, like the whistling of the winds, songs echoed into the air, guiding our steps into the unknown.

End of Part 2.