Wu watched as that black, bony hand was extended toward him.
“What has Lloyd gotten himself into?”
“Far more than I ever thought possible,” said Wu, accepting the hand and rising to his muddy feet. “Lloyd has awoken the Serpentine.”
Garmadon’s eyes hardened slowly. He turned away, watching the horizon, seemingly thinking of a million things at once. “That idiot boy. Why did I… I never teach him about our history when I had the chance?”
“You and I both know the reason, and it is not your fault.”
“HOW WOULD YOU KNOW?!” Garmadon spat.
Wu simply watched him, seething and haggard, and reserved himself. This was no time to open up old wounds.
“We must hurry. The Chieftains have him under their sway,” he said, picking up his mud-covered staff.
“And how would you propose we get back to Ninjago?” Asked Garmadon, crossing his four arms. “Fly?”
“By tea, of course.” Wu pulled out a small tin of leaves from inside his robe and smirked.
“And how were you planning on using it?”
Wu was about to pull out his tea pot and revel in the small satisfaction of proving his smug brother wrong, when he suddenly blinked. He felt all over his person, digging through his robes, hopelessly trying to find the tea pot… that… he had left… on top of the mountain… when he’d first entered the Dark Realm. He put a hand up to his forehead and could feel his wrinkles stretching.
“Perhaps I may have mislaid it…” he mumbled, not looking Garmadon in the eye.
The older brother gave a tight laugh. “You come all this way to find me and you can’t even manage to remember something as simple as that!”
“Time has begun to take its toll on me,” Wu said pointedly. “Far more than I realised.”
“I believe what you mean to say is that you’re old.”
Wu’s beard twitched.
“Well then, it looks like it’s up to me to save your hide, yet again. This way,” said Garmadon, walking within the shelter of the cliffs. The wind was not quite so abrasive here, but the sand was still whipped up and scraped against their sandal-clad feet.
Wu watched his brother’s back and felt a heavy breath enter his lungs. He wondered if, had Lloyd’s life not been in danger, would he have come back for Garmadon? It felt disloyal of him, given their familial relation, but the sate of Ninjago was largely the fault of the man who now stood a mere three feet ahead of him. He was a menace to civilised society, that much was certain. However… no amount of darkness could trick Wu into forgetting the face of his own brother. His eyes may have changed colour, but they were his. His body may have become twisted, but underneath it all, it was still familiar. He may be a fool of an old man to believe that there was still hope for him… but their father had never given up. So neither would he.
“Your hair has grown,” Wu absentmindedly noted.
“Yes, that’s what happens when you become stranded in a desert without scissors for two years.”
Wu frowned. “One year.”
“What?” Garmadon looked back with an irritated red eye and Wu repeated,
“One year. That’s how long you’ve been here.”
“I don’t need my goody-two-shoes brother to tell me how to keep track of time,” he snarled back, and continued trudging on.
A vague memory seemed to stir in the deepest corners of Wu’s mind. He seemed to recall that, whenever his father would go on excursions to the other realms, the day and time at which he would return often varied drastically. Once, he returned within the same hour he had departed, his clothes ragged and beard a hand longer. It stood to reason, then, that the sixteen realms were not all temporally synced. Interesting.
He thought of his ninja, back home. He’d already spent much time here in the Dark Realm. What day would it be when he returned? Would he find them safe? Would he even find them still hidden in the cave? Ann Jing was a studious and disciplined girl, and he had every faith that she, out of all the others, would be waiting patiently for him, but his brow furrowed at the thought of the boys and their… independent streak. It wouldn’t surprise him at all if they at least attempted to explore around the forest, if not more.
“So…” Garmadon coughed, his voice muffled. “How has Lloyd been? Up until recently, I mean.”
Wu’s frown deepened. “Very lost, I’m afraid. Two years into the war, I was told he ran away from school. A few months after you were sent here, he claimed the Undead Citadel. Attempted to bomb a small village.”
“Jamanakai…”
“…Yes.”
“He’s very subtle about these things, I see.”
“He’s only twelve.”
“He’s a dangerous twelve-year-old,” Garmadon said evenly. His foot stopped mid-step. “I should have been there to teach him more.”
“If we return to Ninjago in time, you will be.” Wu tried to make his words as warm as possible, but it was always so hard to tell what was going on in that strange mind of his. Either way, they began to move again, and their path took them into a small ravine, sandwiched into the cliffs. It was cold here, and the red moonlight could only reach the tips of the stone far above them.
“What of the Serpentine? What are they planning?” Garmadon went on.
“I’m not sure. All of the tombs have been opened and they are gathered underground.”
“They’re preparing, then.”
“Yes, but for what?”
Garmadon lifted his chin in thought. “It’s possible that they want to resurrect… her.”
“That is not funny,” Wu said sternly.
“Did I say I was joking?” Garmadon eyed him for a moment.
“Only a fool would think to release such evil,” Wu pressed. “They would be dooming us all.”
“Do you think they care?” His tone was chillingly even. “If I had been locked away for hundreds of years, do you think I would stop to consider the logic of my plan for revenge?” He paused then and looked back at Wu with lifeless red irises. “Hate is blindly ravenous.”
The ravine was dry and craggily, yet oddly still and peaceful. Or as peaceful as a place could be in the Dark Realm. Garmadon navigated his way through several forks in the road, leading them on until they had to hike up several, giant, whether beaten steps. At the top, they could look back and see the whole desert Wu had crossed only a few hours before. The wind returned to him now, grabbing at his beard and threatening to steal his hat.
As he grabbed at his belongings, keeping them from flying away, Wu looked down at the steps they had just climbed.
“Does someone live here?” He asked.
“If they did, they’ve been dead for a long time.” Garmadon turned and walked on, caring very little for the small talk.
Wu looked up at the red moon and squinted. Something about its nightmarish colour gave him this sense of finality. Of life at its end. It was a tremendously sobering feeling.
The path ahead seemed longer still, with no clear end in sight. Wu leaned around his brother and could not see anything around for miles on this stony, barren plateau worth traveling to.
“How have you been surviving here?” He suddenly asked, the reality dawning on him.
“Barely,” said Garmadon darkly. “I’ll show you when we reach the village.”
Wu raised an eyebrow but nothing more.
During the long walk, he thought he might amuse himself with more memories of his past. His father had come to this realm a handful of times, long ago, but Wu could not figure out why. Had there been people living here back then, perhaps? Did his father try to save them and bring them back to Ninjago?
He remembered that, in his father’s library, there had been many scrolls and maps and charts depicting the sixteen realms in great detail. Especially when Wu had been younger, the man seemed obsessed with them. He used to wonder if he was planning something, then died before he could see it come to fruition. But if that were the case, why had he never discussed his plans with either of his sons? Why leave those plans buried? Was it simply a passion project, abandoned for all time?
“Do you mind?” Garmadon grumbled.
“I’m sorry?” Wu frowned.
“I can hear the wheels in your head turning. It’s annoying.”
Wu rolled his eyes. “How much further?”
“A while. You’ll want to pick up the pace if you don’t want to become a late night snack.”
Of course. Wu should have known better than to assume that the mud monsters were the only things lurking about in this deserted wasteland.
Sharp rocks and dust threatened to cut up his exposed feet every step of the way. He recognized some of them, scattered across cracked bits of earth, for the dried up river beds they were.
“Do you remember,” Wu started, still looking around. “When father used to travel to the other realms?”
For a moment, all that replied was the wind.
“That seems like an eternity ago, now,” said Garmadon quietly.
“Did you ever learn what he was trying to do?” Wu thought that perhaps, since Garmadon was older, he might remember something.
“Father never spoke in-depth of his journeys. All he would ever say was that he was ‘looking.’”
“For what?”
“Are going to keep asking questions?” Garmadon snapped, turning around.
Wu kept his gaze even and didn’t say another word, lest he agitate his brother further and cause a full-blown argument.
Suddenly, off in the distance, as if it were the wind itself, crying out in anguish, they could hear a beastly roar. Garmadon cursed under his breath.
“What is it?” Wu asked at once.
“Kraglings,” said Garmadon. “They never miss a midnight snack. Quickly!”
He took off running and Wu did his best to keep up. The roars seemed to be multiplying, though Wu still could not see where they were coming from.
Far ahead there was a mountain range, steeped in some sort of dark fog. At the base of these mountains, Wu thought that he could just make out the familiar silhouette of an ancient castle, crumbling away. Now the wide plateau and riverbeds made sense. They were running over dead farm land. Once upon a time, these fields would have been full of luscious, green crops and fresh soil. Now, not even weeds wanted to take up root here.
The roars were getting louder now.
“What if we do not make it in time?” Wu asked over the wind.
Garmadon never got the chance to respond, though, as the rocks beneath their feet started to shake, but not from any earthquake. They were moving of their own accord. Garmadon course corrected and went around the massive pile of rocks that was steadily growing, calling more stones to it, and as Wu passed, he could see the form of a monster taking shape.
“Don’t look back!” Garmadon barked. “Keep moving!”
If they had been a few hundred years younger, perhaps they would have been able to outrun the beasts, but sadly their ancient legs were tired and worn. More and more piles of stone were forming around them, so close now that their cries hurt Wu’s ears.
Then, the brothers stopped. Their path was completely blocked by a horde of Kraglings. They were enormous, gorilla-esque, creatures with protruding lower jaws full to bursting with sharp, stony teeth. They massive feet stomped over to them, their arms outstretched.
Garmadon, however, did not seem afraid. He simply took up an oh-so familiar stance and narrowed his eyes.
Wu turned around, watching the Kraglings coming up on their flank, and took up the same stance.
“Just like old times?” He asked.
Garmadon simply scoffed.
Wu breathed in… then exhaled, his eyes locked on the nearest Kragling.
At once, Wu’s fists came alive with golden light, and he started to move with such grace that you wouldn’t believe he was only human. The Kragling attacked, swinging its beefy hand, but Wu was already out of harm’s way and climbing up its arm. At the crown of its head, he struck a blow, and in a flash of light, there was a spear lodged through it. When the beast fell, it crumbled back into rock and dust. Then Wu turned to the others.
Round and round and round he went, his fists flying, the golden energy from his powers wrapping around him. This, of course, was spinjitsu at its finest. Perfect harmony and balance between body, mind, and power.
At one point, three Kraglings were trying to chase him down, so he let them follow. He ran up to another Kragling, completely caught off guard by the old man, who started running up its chest and backflipped off of its giant chin. The other three monsters had no time to slow down their momentum, and they crashed into each other, meanwhile Wu landed safely on the ground behind them. Although, he could feel his chest growing tight with strain.
“Watch out, brother!”
Wu looked up just in time to see Garmadon swooping in, his own fists glowing purple, and in the blink of an eye, the Kragling that had been threatening to take Wu from behind had disintegrated. They looked around, breathing hard. The rocks had stopped moving.
“Thank you. But, I thought you said we weren’t brothers?” Wu smirked.
Garmadon made a series of irritated noises and then continued to walk toward the mountains. Wu simply smiled. It was as close to “playful sibling banter” as the two of them were ever going to know.
They seemed to have scared off the Kraglings, and perhaps any other prying eyes, and they reached the mountains late into the night. Wu had been correct about the castle, but there was also a whole, destroyed village surrounding it. Row after row after row of burned houses, weathered stone walls, rotting wood beams, and a sea of abandoned weaponry told a clear story. There may have even been some bones scattered here and there, but it was difficult to say.
The castle itself was not like any structure he had ever seen in Ninjago, though that was to be expected, seeing as how they were two entirely different worlds. It was also the most damaged building in the whole city. Humungous boulders had left gaping holes in its walls, entire areas were reduced to rubble, and when they had entered inside, it had been thoroughly gutted for all it was worth. Picked dry like a carcass in the desert. All except for one thing, however.
Garmadon revealed a hidden place deep within the—now buried—kitchen. It was a small pump that miraculously still supplied water, although the quality of said water did seem to be a bit on the dubious side.
“Here. Use this,” said Garmadon, handing Wu a mostly in-tact pot. “I’ll start a fire.”
Wu filled the pot with as much water as it could cold and he swished it around, not liking the small, purple lumps he could see floating around. Well, thank goodness they didn’t have to drink the stuff.
“You know, I really am surprised at you,” Garmadon said as he put together a small pile of old thatch and wood. “You carry that infernal tea-pot with your everywhere, and today of all days you happen to forget it.”
“But it did come in handy in the Fire Temple,” said Wu, pulling out his tin of leaves.
“Yes. Now that was a trick I wish I’d seen. What did you have to do? Frantically throw the tea around you?”
“Something like that,” Wu admitted. “The lava acted as a nice substitute for the fire, I must say.”
Garmadon had jerry-rigged a little stand for the pot to sit on while the water inside boiled, and the two old men watched it burn while the wind continued to howl outside.
“Such a lonely place,” Wu remarked quietly. “It really makes you think… about the price we pay for war.”
Garmadon said nothing, and gazed firmly in to the flames.
When the water was boiling, Wu added the leaves and let it steep, carefully removing it while also not burning his fingers on the hot clay. As usual, it began to glow orange and gold.
“Are you ready, brother?” He asked, getting up.
“To save my son? Without a doubt.”
“To return to Ninjago,” Wu clarified.
“…That remains to be seen…”
He knew what he was risking by bringing Garmadon, the Lord of Darkness, back home to Ninjago, but at the moment, the Serpentine posed a far greater threat.
“To the seventh realm. To Ninjago,” he whispered into the pot, and its surface rippled and turned ocean blue.
Wu steadied himself and started to pour the tea around the fire, Garmadon stepping in time to him, keeping himself on the opposite side. When the circle was complete, the fire flashed and combined with the glowing water to create a wide portal in the ground. Tiny flecks of magic were floating up from it like embers, and they could feel a gentle breeze coming through.
“Shall we?” Wu asked.
“Ladies first,” Garmadon countered.
Now it was Wu’s turn to roll his eyes.
At long last, it was time to leave the desolate Dark Realm behind, and step down into the sunshine and cold of Ninjago. The two brothers suddenly found themselves standing in a field of dead, winter grass. By all landmarks that Wu could see, they were somewhere near the coast, not altogether too far from where the cave ought to be.
“Finally…” said Garmadon darkly. “I have returned.”
“Garmadon… remember why you’re here,” Wu warned him. They couldn’t afford any more catastrophes. “I believe I know where we are, but before we head out, I must check on my students.”
Garmadon gave a long groan. “You would waste our time with those children?”
“Those children have been entrusted into my care,” said Wu. “I will uphold my promise.”
It was about midday when they set out, though there wasn’t much to look at. Snow dotted the ground in large patches, hard and crunchy from several days worth of melting and refreezing. Wu prayed that he hadn’t been gone for long.
By mid afternoon, they were getting close to the cave. That’s when Wu paused.
“Perhaps,” he said carefully. “It would be best if you waited outside.”
“What? You worried I’ll scare them?”
“You tried to kill them,” Wu reminded him.
Garmadon sighed. “A trivial thing. If they truly wish to become warriors one day, they’ll need to grow thicker skin.” He walked on, ignoring Wu’s exasperated expression.
“At least let me enter first so that I can prepare them,” Wu said, coming after his brother.
“We don’t have time for your pleasantries, Wu. We will check on them, and then be on our way.”
Wu breathed out, reminding himself that it did no good to get angry. They were right on top of the cave entrance now, but from out of the corner of his eye, Wu thought he saw something different about the coastline.
He had to do a double take.
It looked like… no, it couldn’t. They wouldn’t.
Wu took off, running down into the cave mouth and sprinting past the old campsite, Garmadon on his heels. He charged down the old tunnel and entered the big cavern, shining a bright light from his hands. He couldn’t move. He could only gape.
“What is it?” Garmadon asked. “What’s wrong?”
“They’re gone,” Wu said breathlessly.
The large ship they had found here was missing, with a clear exit hole in the wall, letting in the steal gray sea waves.
“Ann Jing?!” Wu called out, scrambling down to the shoreline. “Keaton!? Boys?!” There was no reply. Not that he was really expecting one.
“Have they been eaten up by some sort of toothy whale, perhaps?” Said Garmadon dryly.
“Must you always tell jokes at time like these?” Wu glared, and he stomped back up through the cave tunnel.
“Well, I’m sorry I can’t exactly sympathize,” Garmadon called after him. “After all, you’ve already lost one, what’s a few more.”
Wu turned on the spot and got up close to Garmadon’s face. “Do not make me regret saving you from that forsaken place.” They locked eyes and neither one of them dared to move. Then the thought of his students, adrift at sea, pulled him away. He needed to find them as soon as possible, before they got hurt or died or got captured by the Serpentine or worse. When he could see the ocean again, he quickly surveyed it, foolishly hoping that he’d be able to spot them from here, but of course, they were long gone.
“We need a ship,” Wu murmured.
“Why don’t you just make one?”
Wu almost laughed. “I haven’t been able to make something that huge in decades! You can barely take down a Kragling, yourself. Don’t deny it, I saw how out of breath you were.” He marched up along the cliffs, trying to think of where the nearest town was and how they were going to have to steal something, which did not put his conscience at ease.
“You know, if they’re at sea, we could always call a—“
“No! Not another word.” Wu pointed a finger threateningly. “The last time you tried that, I nearly lost one side of my face.”
Garmadon, though, he just chuckled. “Those were good times.”
“Well… I prefer the old ‘good times.’ Back before you changed,” Wu said quietly.
They walked through the woods and grass and snow, keeping the ocean in view at all times, and making very little conversation. The plan was to find a decent boat at the next town over, then take off and find his students. Or else… a shipwreck.
The nearby town in question was a small, fishing community—as most seaside towns tended to be—and the docks were full at this time of day. They had their choice of any small vessel.
The two men were hiding, scoping out the scene from a distance, and Garmadon was not making things easy, to say the least.
“Let’s steal that one!” He said, eyeing a red speedboat.
“First of all, we’re not stealing, we’re borrowing,” Wu hissed. “And second of all, we’re going to need something low profile. Do you remember what that means? Low profile?”
Garmadon scoffed. “Says the man wearing a centuries old robe and hat.”
“At least I don’t look like I just walked out of a tar pit,” Wu countered, looking his brother up and down.
“I’ll have you know, black is a very slimming color.”
“Shh!” Wu spotted someone walking nearby and they crouched lower. “I’ll go grab something. You wait for me over there, around that outcropping of rocks, do you see?”
“Yes, I have eyes.”
“Good. Put them to use.”
Wu took off and walked right up to the docks, faking full confidence. The first rule of blending in: if you believe you’re supposed to be there, other people will too.
There weren’t many people around, thank goodness, so he felt confident when he bent down and started untying the ropes of a small, white sailboat. Then, as silent as a panther, he slipped out into the water, tugging on the ropes and unfurling the sails.
When he reached the other side of the rocks where he had told Garmadon to wait, he found him sitting there, looking very bored.
“Well, come on, we don’t have all day,” said Wu.
“Trust Wu to pick the single most boring option every single time,” he grumbled, eyeing the boat. “What’s your favorite flavor of ice cream? Vanilla?”
“Just get on!” Wu snapped, losing his patience.
They set out on the open water, finally, and Wu began his search while Garmadon did a grand total of nothing to help. He just reclined in the bottom of the boat as though he were on vacation and let Wu do all the work of steering. The only thing keeping Wu from saying something was the fact that if Garmadon got angry, he could very easily use his powers to sink the boat, and Wu really didn’t want to deal with that just now.
They started up the coast, looking for any sign of the children. Wu would have liked to check each of the surrounding islands nearby as well, but there was simply no time. At the very least, he couldn’t see any ship debris. That had to be enough for him.
It was getting very late in the day now, and the sunset was streaming through the foggy clouds, turning the whole sky and ocean orange. The waters were calm and the wind was gentle, pushing them along at lazy pace. There were approaching the northeast shore now. Still, there was no sign of them.
Wu sighed and sat down, thinking about what he might say to their parents should the worst come to pass.
“You worry too much,” Garmadon said quietly, his eyes shut and hands behind his reclined head. “I’m sure they’re fine.”
“Then you clearly do not know them as well as I do,” said Wu, rubbing his eyes. “They are always running off and getting themselves into trouble.”
Garmadon laughed.
“What?” Wu asked, not sure whether or not to grin.
“Just the irony. You, of all people, saying something like that.”
Wu finally let himself smile. Yes, he remembered his younger self well. The younger self who would take all sorts of risks and go on dangerous missions all the time. Not to mention, make countless mistakes. He looked down in the water and saw himself reflected there, all half bald and wrinkly.
“When did we become old men?” He asked.
“I don’t feel old,” said Garmadon slowly. “Despite all the years… I could swear it was only yesterday that you and I were training in father’s courtyard.”
Still staring down at the water, Wu asked, “Do you remember the kogane blossom trees and how they used to bloom during the summer solstice?” He listened to the sound of the water rushing underneath them, gentle as a stream. “The wild places where the giant lilies and the amai berries grew… the festivals and dances that would last long into the night… the uncharted mountains… The world just seemed… so much bigger back then.” He looked up and saw a highway following the curve of the mountains on the coastline, a hundred cars drifting across it. “Now it’s as though there are no more mysteries left in it.”
“Well, I would not be so sure,” said Garmadon, shifting. “I can think of at least one mystery plaguing us right now.”
Wu turned to him and felt his lips press together tightly. “Shall we continue?”
“The sooner we find them, the sooner we can look for Lloyd.”
At last, it seemed that they were in sync as they adjusted the sails and took off across the water. Dusk fell cold upon them as they sped along the north coast, with still no sign of the ship, and Wu was beginning to wonder if they’d ever see that ship again. Perhaps it would be more fruitful to start looking on land.
They were heading west now, and darkness had officially fallen. Wu created a powerful flashlight for them to use, intent on searching through the night if he had to. Garmadon, admittedly, was becoming just a little bit wary of the journey the further into the night they went, but that may have just been due to the fact that it was cold and he was tired.
For a moment, Wu found himself considering stopping for the night and resting, when he pointed his light down a large inlet and saw something unusual along the bank. He had Garmadon help him turn the sail while he managed the rudder and they drifted against the current, toward the strange object.
It was about the size of a ship, about the shape of a ship, and the closer they got, the more sure Wu became.
“Is that it?” Garmadon asked.
They were very close now. There seemed to be a lot of custom adjustments made to it, but there was no mistaking the old fashioned design.
“Is that an old pirate ship?” Garmadon went on, squinting.
Wu created a grappling hook and swung it up onto the ship’s stern. When it caught on something and held firm, he tied the end of the rope to the sailboat and then started climbing. He remembered this sort of thing being a lot easier, but he wasn’t exactly surprised anymore. Once he clawed his way to the top of the deck, he called out,
“Ann Jing? Cole? Kai?” There was no response. It was possible they were ashore, given the fact that it seemed to be docked, but he needed to check the whole ship before he could be sure.
Garmadon slowly following Wu as he plunged into the bowls of the ship, calling out for his students over and over again. He was about to give up and start searching the forest outside, when he came into the barracks and saw two people laying in hammocks. He walked over and to his immense relief he saw Ann and Keaton, sound asleep.
“Ann Jing,” he said, shaking her shoulder. Something seemed wrong. He checked her forehead and she was burning with a fever.
“Sensei…?” She groaned, prying her eyes open. Then they widened. “Sensei!? You’re here…”
“Yes I am, and you are going to tell me what you are doing here! And where the boys are,” he said, feeling an odd mixture of relief and anxiety.
Ann closed her eyes and lowered her head in shame. “It’s a long story, but… we went after the—“
The ship rattled with footsteps. And voices. Familiar voices.
“They’re back,” said Ann, looking up.
Wu followed her gaze and narrowed his eyes. They all had some major explaining to do. Just as he was exiting the barracks, however, he heard the sound of rushing water growing louder and louder until the whole ship started to lean backwards. They were being pushed out to sea, leaving Wu, Garmadon, and the girls to hang on to anything they could to avoid falling through the air.
After being sufficiently tossed around like a salad, the ship steadied, and Wu had to catch his breath. He marched up to the top deck, yelling,
“What in the name of Ninjago is going on?!” But before he could even reach the top of the stairs, he saw Cole staring back at him, his thick eyebrows shooting up.
“Sensei Wu!” He cried, stepping back.
Wu stomped up the stairs and saw all of his remaining students in various states of disarray gaping at the sight of him.
“I can explain,” Cole said quickly.
“Do enlighten me,” Wu squinted.
“Ann and Keaton got sick in the rain, so we went into town to find some medicine, but then the Serpentine showed up, and we needed to get away, so…”
Wu looked everyone over again, this time stopping on Jay who did not look quite right. As a matter of fact, he looked downright serpentine.
“What happened?” He asked, coming over to him, brow furrowed so hard he could feel his muscles aching.
Jay shamefully let Wu examine him, and he quickly found the answer. On Jay’s arm, the one that had been torn during the battle at Greta Junction, there was a thick, scaly scab. He recognized it at once. How could he have been so foolish as to overlook something like this. All the signs had been there from the beginning.
Suddenly, Jay jolted and clutched his chest, his jaw clamped and breathing heavy. Another swell of pain from the venom.
“Easy,” he said gently. “The pain will pass soon.” Then he looked up. “Zane, take Jay inside. The rest of you, downstairs as well. We have much to discuss.”
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