Roots of Earth ~ A Ninjago Fanfiction

Chapter 95: Garagan of Jëmlen

"Timeouttimeouttimeout!" Kai squalled. "My arms are falling off!"

Kaeden and Jukeni had been helping Kai learn drills with a traditional Pawreles broadsword all afternoon. For the most part, they had the massive courtyard of the castle to themselves, so there was plenty of space for practice. The hot sun combined with the hours of physical exertion left all three boys sweating and staggering about in drenched shirts. Kai had adapted to the broadsword well enough, but now both his arms felt like hot wet noodles. The weapon trembled in his hands.

"Y— yeah," Jukeni gasped. "That's what I was about to say."

Kaeden chuckled wearily and lay with his back on the cobblestones, just beneath the shade of the single tree. The other two joined him, panting and dropping their swords.

"Not bad, rookie," Jukeni said. "But you still fight like a one-legged chicken."

"At least I have a leg. You fight like a rock," Kai retorted breathlessly.

"Rocks can't fight," Jukeni protested.
"Neither can chickens, especially ones missing a leg!"

Kaeden sighed. "Please don't start."

"Exactly my point!" Jukeni crowed. "You wouldn't last five minutes against a legion of Pingousers!"
"Um, did I knock my head too hard, or did you forget about the other day when I blew up that massive Pingous war balloon?" Kai demanded. "I was the only one who could finish those guys off."

"Pfft, yeah! Only because you used your 'Spin-mitts-yoo' as a crutch," Jukeni scoffed.

"It's 'Spinjitzu', and for your information, it's a very difficult and complicated martial art to learn! Only the best of the best ninja use it!"
"Then how come you get to use it?" Jukeni grinned cheekily.

"Guys," Kaeden said, ears twitching.

"That's it, you skinny, freckle-faced twerp!" Kai pushed himself up and snatched at Jukeni's shirt. "Just because Tinny Bird assigned you to train me doesn't mean you get to act like my sensei!"

Laughing, Jukeni wrestled with Kai's flailing arms before yanking on his spiky hair. Kai yelped. He suddenly grabbed both Jukeni's wrists. "No one," he growled. "Messes—with—my—hair."

"If you two are quite finished," Kaeden interjected, exasperated. "You might notice we have company."

Jukeni and Kai finally paused long enough to follow Kaeden's gaze pointed to the front gates. The cloaked guardsmen were opening the massive wooden doors to let in a single rider on a lathering bay horse. The rider let the reins loose so that the horse held its head low to the ground, snorting as it gasped for breath.

Jukeni peered across the courtyard, then muttered, "Garagan... he's looked better."

The three boys got to their feet and joined the guardsmen at the doors. As the rider urged his horse further within the confines of the castle walls, Kai got a closer look at this "Garagan". He was a tall, imposing figure who, despite the exhaustion evident in his sweating face and bleeding lip, sat up straight in the saddle. Bright, shaggy blond hair reached his shoulders, matching a thin beard that clung to his square chin. He was dressed in a tunic and sleeveless coat of dark blue, set off by faint gold outlines and the leather boots reaching up to his knees. A double wrap belt carried a sword in a scabbard that bumped against his legs as the horse trod along. His clothes looked worn, and Kai could see a few tears here and there where scratched flesh showed through.

"Garagan!" Kaeden called. "What happened? We didn't think you would return for another fortnight!"

"Neither did I." Garagan's voice reminded Kai of sandpaper being rubbed together. The horse halted, and he slid off the saddle, boots landing firmly on the cobblestones. "Plans changed."