A screech echoed across the lake, too distant to start panicking over. The Songdragons didn't usually surface during the day, so the fishers had nothing to worry about. Still, I could see through our cracked windows a few coming back towards the shore. No one wanted to encounter a Songdragon. Too many legends had been passed down of the mysterious dragon race to not make everyone afraid of them. One legend said they were the whole reason Songdragon Lake had two separate societies that never mixed. Each city didn't dare cross the lake in fear of becoming dinner to the monsters who swam beneath.

     I didn't fear the dragons, but Mother always told me to play along with the popular opinion. She said it would keep me safer in this uncertain realm to be like everyone else. I acted the part, rushing inside when the dragon's call was heard, following the organized curfew to keep people from wandering out during the dragons' hunting sessions, and nodding along when yet another story of an outsider being eaten while they were trying to reach our marvelous land was told in the streets. In reality, I knew the Songdragons wouldn't harm a soul.

    They had teeth as smooth as a pearl, and no claws. Even their scales were not designed to protect. Their only defense mechanism was their voices, lithe figures, and clever ways to communicate. During the night, they flew free into the air, singing of freedom and flight. They would fill our nights with their songs, or their 'howls of doom' as the other villagers said. I would fall asleep to their peaceful lyrics of nature.

     I longed to sing back, but Mother forbade it.

     Mother forbade a lot of things these days.

     I poked my sewing needle through the hem of Father's only apron, securing the fraying ends with the salvaged thread from Mother's other mending projects. The thread snapped when I pulled too hard, causing the loose ends of the apron to somehow fray even more. I sighed, picking up another piece of thread to pull through the needle's eye.

     Now that I thought about it, my restrictions had gotten much worse since the flash in the sky occurred.

     The morning after it had happened Father told me to stay at the house and work on laundry instead of helping catch fish. The next day Mother told me to empty out the rain pails while her, Father, and Liam went to market. Even Brianne got to leave with the rest of the family as they went on with life, but I was required to stay locked away at my house.

     I kept busy, of course, cleaning and organizing and fixing anything possible. The days passed easily, like they had before restrictions had started. But I started to feel a gap. My parents would always glance at each other with each excuse to keep me at home, a nonverbal set of words being passed between them. Sadly for them, I had gained some sort of miraculous language power from that night during the blue moon. I could understand any language spoken and any language not spoken. I knew what their glances meant.

     There was something they weren't telling me. Something to do with the flash in the sky.

     The back door swung open, its top hinge slipping off the wall. Father poked his head in, letting the familiar smell of a good catch in the house. I smiled at him, holding up the half-mended apron.

     "Thank you," he nodded in my direction, glancing around the small area for Mother, who wasn't there. "Where is your mother?"

     "She's down at the market. A little bird told her that there was a new product coming from the Middle City. It's called honey. It's supposed to be sweeter than corn, yet also delicate, like a sauce. Mother went to check the prices." My voice shifted into the natural dialect of the area perfectly, disguising any of Mother's foreign accent that I had picked up over the years. She tried to hide it for our sake, but I had still figured out how to replicate it.

     "Could you go get her please? Liam and I are having some trouble out here with the new load of fish." His tone suggested that he didn't care about my 'stay-at-home' orders at the second.

     "Yes, Father," I nodded, fastening my own apron around my waist. Father thanked me and disappeared behind the house again. The floors creaked with every step I made towards the front door, as if they were protesting my leaving. I took a deep breath and stepped out beneath the sun. I tightened my bonnet around my neck, pulling at the ends to obscure my face.

     As I hurried through the streets, however, I could still feel the stares upon me. They had haunted me ever since I was a little girl. Mother always told me the townspeople were just curious to see who was walking past. They didn't care who it was, as long as that person wasn't one of the official guards. But ever since the mastery of language was passed down to me, I could understand their nonverbal signals. Even though I took steps to fit in with every other girl my age, I always stood out. I could hear their stares now, as they watched me through windows or looked up from their sewing on their front porches.

     Oh look, there goes Carlos and Jordan's eldest daughter.

     She looks so much like her mother—I wonder if she's a traitor too.

     You mean like Jordan? Oh, it's never been confirmed that she's from the other side of the lake.

     Besides, if she really was from Ominira, she'd be dead by now. No one is allowed from the other side.

     They say Carlos blackmailed the rich woman who wanted to marry him into letting Jordan live.

     They say he condemned himself to living like the lowest of the low just so he could harbor a criminal.

     They say he gave up everything for her, a traitor from Ominira he barely knew.

     I'd say his little plan backfired. Now he's stuck with three brats and a shack that barely knows how to stand as a house. The best part is that all of his children are hers. If the rumors are true, they're all half-traitor from the blood of her mother. I wish them good luck in ever trying to find a match with a legacy like that.

     I'm still surprised that they're even alive in the first place. The guards don't let traitors live. Nevertheless, they won't crawl their way out of the hole Jordan dug them into. They'll be branded for life.

     Just look at their eldest daughter! She's so ashamed of her family that she won't even give us a glimpse of the Jordan face we all know and hate.

     Their stares didn't really speak into my head, but I could hear the countless rumors surrounding my family echoing louder than the inaudible words surely passing through everyone's minds.

     Being different was a curse. If you were called out for being too 'not like the rest' then bad things would follow. The decaying heads mounted on spikes around the town's square accounted to that. Executions were mandatory for the whole Lower City to attend. Everyone had to watch as the traitors were punished. Everyone had to watch as rebellions were squashed. Everyone had to watch as our lives were returned to the safe haven they had always been.

     I could remember quite clearly how the executioners would hold the foreigners from the other side up to show the crowd, waving them around like toys. The poor person from the other side, wishing to escape his life there and start a new one here, would find nothing but death. The guards exclaimed they were doing it so Ominira's rebellious ideas of freedom wouldn't spread.

     "Freedom is an illusion! With freedom comes chaos and disorder. When there are rules to be enforced, we as a society operate as one. Everyone has their place; everyone has their position. Without freedom, we are efficient and useful to the Grand Master. We are detached from the outside world because of the rules we follow. And one of those rules is that anyone from the other side of the lake should be killed."

     Every time the rumors started being whispered, I would swallow the lump in my throat and hurry on. My mother was from Ominira... so how were any of us still alive?

     Mother was in the middle of the town square, paying for some of the new honey product. The only reason people visited the town square, other than for executions or dances, was because the market was required to take place there. I guess that was a rule because the square stunk so bad from the rotting heads that it needed the market's spices to stay bearable.

     I quietly made my way through the people, making sure to keep my head down. I wasn't that noticeable in a crowd since my height made me inconspicuous. I walked over to Mother, who nearly dropped Brianne when she saw me.

     "What are you doing out of the house?" Mother hooked an arm around mine.

     I offered to hold Brianne for her after I told her Father's request. Brianne was old enough to walk, but there was no way she would go as fast as we needed her to. She tended to get distracted by everything and would waddle away.

     The walk back to the house was rushed; none of us wanted to be out in the open for long. The faster we got out of the sights of the prying neighbors and guards, the better.

     The guards were stationed all over the Lower City, each of them constantly on the lookout for rebellion and disorder. They would patrol the streets in their scarlet uniforms and clanking spears. They were sent from the Upper and Middle Cities to patrol and modify our section of the Grand Master's territory. A few were standing in alleyways as Mother and I passed, the gleam of their eyes searching. It was against the law to loiter in the streets during working hours.

     I compared the guards to cats. They would stalk around the city, hidden in shadow or among the other citizens in disguise. When they caught someone causing disorder in our perfect lives, they would drag them away by night. Those who broke the laws were never seen again. I recall one of our neighbor's children breaking the curfew to go and get his favorite toy from outside. We woke up the next morning to the sobs of a mourning mother.

     My life consisted of following several rules. Breaking the rules meant death. I didn't have a choice. I had to stay hidden and blended in, or else I would lose everything. That was the way the story was told, and there was no way I could escape it.

>(<>)<

"There's something I need to tell you," Mother whispered to me, tucking another strand of my hair into my braid.

     I looked up from the curled hands in my lap to see Father recreating a story for Brianne and Liam on the bed. His face was alight in laughter as he told the story with dramatic detail. Brianne was completely invested, shouting random questions whenever she didn't understand the plot, while Liam simply watched in amusement. The gentle light from the few candles we had in the house gave the evening a soft glow. Mandatory curfew would start soon, but we still had a few more minutes before it was time to blow the fading candles out. If Mother was looking for privacy, this might be the best time.

     Our house was far from big; it only had two rooms. While Father entertained my siblings in the bedroom, Mother pulled me into the kitchen. There wasn't a door separating the two rooms, so we would have to speak quietly.

     Mother pulled open an empty cabinet, scrounging through it before finally pulling out a thin piece of paper.

     "I thought that was empty."

     "I do a decent job at hiding things," Mother's smiled sadly as she handed the paper to me.

     It was an envelope embroidered with a golden 'E'. I gently pried it open (it looked as though it had been opened several times before) and pulled out the letter inside. It, like the 'E', was done in a flourishing style of handwriting that looked way too complex to be from anyone in the Lower City.

     A daughter born to the Eternal Song

     A flash across the sky will signal the beginning of night.

     She shall be sacrificed by loyalty

     To save this world's son of Oni and Light.

     I read the intricate letters, trying to make sense of what they meant. Only after I was done did I realize that the letter was written in the same tongue the nobility of Shadow Bay spoke. It was a familiar language to me, one they called Ninjargon. A few of the more sophisticated members of the Lower City spoke it fluently when they came to trade. My mother and father both knew a few words in the language, enough to carry on a simple conversation. They would have been able to read this letter easily.

     "I was called the Eternal Song before I became Carlos' wife," Mother gently pried the letter from my fingers, "and you are my firstborn daughter."

     "I'm going to be sacrificed?"

     "No," Mother's voice was resolute as she tucked the letter away in its hiding spot. "This letter came to me before you were born, letting Carlos and I know what was intended to be your fate. The flash in the sky has happened. It is only a matter of time before this 'son of Oni and Light' comes looking for you. We've been keeping you sheltered so he won't find you. I'm sorry we didn't tell you sooner, but it had to be kept a secret."

     "What does it mean by 'signal the beginning of night?'" I leaned forward, my whispers getting rushed with concern.

     "I don't know what it means. All I know is that there is some boy out there, looking to carry you off and sacrifice you for his own benefit," Mother spat out the words. "I gave you the power to communicate to help you figure out who it is when you meet him. Hopefully, you will be able to avoid this destiny."

     "Why is there a prophecy about me?" I asked, looking down at my callused hands. "I'm just an ordinary girl. I don't want to be part of fantasy—"

     "I know," Mother took my hands. "I never wanted to be an outcast. But we were doomed to be different ever since the scandal so many generations ago. We have to stay strong and try to avoid the attention. I hope you understand why we've been keeping you indoors now."

     "I do," I said, "and thank you for telling me."

     Mother smiled sadly again, gently leading me back into the bedroom as the curfew bells chimed. It was time for sleep now, not words. I could process this in the morning.  

It became obvious quite quickly that we couldn't take everyone on our adventure. Several families showed up at Lloyd's house the next morning, with over twenty bags plopping in a giant pile beside Lloyd's small car. I wasn't sure we could fit Kai's load alone into the car, much less make room for everyone else's luggage.

     Father was the first to approach the group. My normally hyper triplet siblings were standing by my side, all of them without a single packed bag in sight. Only I had prepared to leave because Father had sat me down last night to explain what was going to happen.

     "I can't go with you all. Taking the triplets on this mission is endangering their lives. After Sel I..." he swallowed, turning his agitated glances to Lloyd, "I can't afford to risk them. Peak is strong and capable. He will accompany you on your quest, and I am confident his mastery over earth will be of aid to you. As much as I wish I could go and be a ninja again, those days have passed for me."

     This gave Jay courage to stand up next. Nya hadn't come to the gathering, surprisingly enough, so he stood in front of the families alone.

     "If you're wondering where Nya is... well... as of this morning Bea completed her weight loss program. Nya went to check it out, and it's eight pounds," Jay chuckled when the whole assembly started clapping. "Nya and I had thought we could go with you all, but now I can see that would be a selfish decision. Bequeath will need a lot of help—she and Milo are moving this weekend. Nya and I were... well, we thought it'd be best to stay behind and help her. However, if you need us, I'm sure Bea will understand."

     Everyone understood why Jay had to leave, and we were considerate towards his request to stay. He pronounced that Storm would hold his own in our group, since he had a 'mastery' over water and lightning. Storm looked miserable as his father pronounced those words, but he did assure us he would help in any way possible.

     Kai, Skylor, and Aureole had been whisper-arguing the whole time this was going on. While Kai and Skylor both had the appearance of arguing with logical points, it seemed like Aureole was playing the role of 'make up your mind already.'

     Zane and PIXAL stepped up next; PIXAL holding the hand of a trembling Cypress.

     "I will be accompanying you all on the quest," Zane said, "but PIXAL and Cypress cannot come. PIXAL has a duty to Borg Industries as its owner; she cannot simply abandon her job for a few weeks of flying around Ninjago. And Cypress has not yet been given an elemental power. I am confident we will defeat the Overlord soon and will be able to return before we are missed."

     As Zane made his way back down into the crowd of people, everyone slowly turned to Kai's family, who had no idea everyone was waiting for them to say something.

     Aureole groaned loudly, then turned and found all of us staring at her. She nudged her mother, who nudged Kai, who cleared his throat.

     "Sorry about that," he said, "We were just talking about Skylor's company and all that drama."

     "What my husband means to say," Skylor cut in, "is that I need to stay behind and look after Chen's Noodle House. I've missed enough important business matters for the sake of having fun, and I don't want to endanger the company when you all will have it under control without me."

     "I guess it'll just be Aureole and me coming along," Kai draped an arm around his daughter's shoulders. She shrugged it off the minute she thought other people weren't looking.

     "So, it's settled," Harumi's voice rose above the rest. "Peak, Storm, Zane, Kai, and Aureole will come with us in search of the three things and Ver. We're going to head to a research center first. Then, we will take the Bounty to wherever we need to go next. Am I clear?"

     I felt Lilly wrap her arms around me. She whispered words of encouragement while Avery took my hand. Yuki was sniffling, holding Father's leg.

     "Remember to keep steady," Father patted my back. "You are the master of earth; you will be fine."

     I smiled at them, taking what courage I could from their small words. It was the only way I could keep that haunted look of Father's out of my head. Despite his façade of calmness, I knew he was terrified that this trip would be the end of me. And I knew that he probably couldn't handle another loss.

     I had to come back. Not just for myself, but for my siblings' sake. They needed a steady presence now more than ever. It was up to me to make sure enough of us made it back. Because one more loss might break us forever.

>(<>)<

The research center wasn't far outside of Ninjago City. It was only a thirty-minute drive to get there. It wasn't an impressive structure; it reminded me of some of the community colleges downtown. A smiling blonde girl sat in the front desk, old enough to be my mother. She insisted she'd be happy to help with whatever problem we had.

     Lloyd and Kai instantly started info-dumping our situation (the vague outline, at least) while Harumi went to find Morro and Aureole, who had wandered off to find books that might be useful.

     "A voice that sings," the woman repeated, typing something into the various computers at her front desk. "I'm afraid the results are quite vague."

     "Try it again but with something that has to do with the Overlord," Shade cut in, leaning against the desk.

     The woman smiled again, going back to her computer. She obviously hadn't expected to be doing a bunch of research for the famous Ninjas. "I've found no matches. Maybe something else?"

     My mind whirled while Kai and Lloyd pelted her with different suggestions that ranged from prophecy to Oni and Dragons. The voice that sings had something to do with the prophecy. Why would we need a singer to defeat the Overlord? Maybe this singer's voice could unlock some sort of contraption. Maybe this singer would be a warrior in disguise to help us beat the enemy. Maybe this singer had a voice so high-pitched it'd shatter everyone's eardrums.

     The enemy wasn't just the Overlord though. His minions were snakes my father called 'Vermillion' warriors. In the stories of the elemental masters before my parents, they had defeated the snakes using music from a flute.

     What if the voice that sings wasn't a fighter at all, but someone who could charm the snakes with their voice?

     What if they were some sort of... elemental master?

     "Try Elemental Master," I said, pushing past the adults.

     The woman's eyes lit up with the results. "I do have a file on elemental masters and the Elemental Houses of old. Let me see..." she clicked a few times, scrolling down various archives. "There used to be an Elemental Master of Communication, but House Communication ceased to exist long before any of the others gained a lot of power. There's not a lot of information on why; it just says there was some sort of scandal that caused the House to disband."

     "Does it say what the abilities of the Elemental Master of Communication were?" Shade jumped on my thought train.

     "It doesn't say much. I'm sorry, these archives were from over a hundred years ago. From what I can find, the mastery of the power wielded the user the ability to speak any language and to do strange inflections with their voice."

     "Would you say they would be able to sing well?" Storm asked.

     "I suppose so," the woman said airily.

     "Are there any reports on a current Master of Communication?" Lloyd asked.

     The woman went back to the computer, spending at least ten minutes following tangents. "There's nothing I could find," she finally said, "The closest thing to that topic was a report of a dragon charmer down near Songdragon Lake."

     "Songdragon Lake?" Zane said. "That location is not in my database."

     "It's a huge lake surrounded by mountains near Ninjago's peninsula. They call it that because the dragons who nest there sound like they are singing. It's not a popular place to visit, since there are a lot of rumors about the dragons eating people."

     "What does the report say?" Shade steered everyone back on track.

     "A young girl would appear each morning at dawn and dance on the shores of the lake. The Songdragons would miraculously follow her voice, flying around the shore in a magnificent display. When the light of dawn faded away into the morning sun, the girl would mount one of the dragons and disappear into the lake. The villagers nicknamed her 'the Eternal Song' because of the beauty of her voice. This display continued every day for over a year until one morning the girl didn't show. She never came back after that. Some villagers suspected she left to continue on the other side of the lake, but no one knows for sure."

     "The Eternal Song," Kai murmured, "A voice that sings."

     "Dragons don't listen to people unless they are special," Lloyd commented.

     "This Eternal Song is our best lead," Zane said.

     "Then, let's get the coordinates to Songdragon Lake, and that's where we'll head next."

     "I guess it's just like old times for you all," Shade said as we thanked the woman for her help.

     Harumi, who had managed to stop Morro and Aureole from going on a two-hour-long reading tangent, shared a smile with Lloyd. "Yes," she said, "just like the old times."