Desert Kings

Sand, Rocks, and Lizards

Bright everything was so, so bright. Nya brought and arm up and covered her forehead so she could see even a little. They were standing in a desert nothing but reddish orange grains of sand for miles and miles.

"Now what?" Lloyd chirped beside her.

"Now we walk. We walk until we find someone or something who can tell us where the guys are."

Lloyd put on a determined expression and they set off. They had enough water and drank whenever they were thirsty but the sun was still beating down on them hard. The place was so desolate and barren it was almost surprising. Not even small creatures were seen as they walked. It seemed as if even life forms that lived in this desert knew that the dunes were a death trap.

Soon enough the green ninja began to tire and the water ninja was fed up with feeling her feet slip out from under her. And so the only bits of color in the desert stopped for a rest. It wasn't much but Nya brought out a small canopy tent they could sit under even if only for a moment.

As shade fell over the sand there was a soft shifting beside Lloyd and the boy yelped jumping back a little. Soon enough out popped a small lizard and the green ninja let out an embarrassed laugh. He quickly shook it off though now shoving his face towards the creature in an effort to examine it.

Nya laughed lightheartedly "Lloyd you have no idea if that thing is poisonous or not we aren't in Ninjago anymore."

"Well yeah but just look at em!" The younger said scooping up the reptile and shoving it toward the almost twenty year old.

"Yeah yeah it's real cute Lloyd but cute doesn't always mean safe so let's set him down." There was a disappointed 'awww' as green slowly lowered the lizard back onto the sand. Almost like a taunt to Nya the lizard scurried back up onto Lloyd's shoulder. Making the blonde giggle as it worked it's way around his gi until it found a pocket it deemed suitable and relaxed.

"Wow Nya, you're right, look how dangerous this little killing machine is!" Lloyd smirked.

"Hmph" was his only response. And Nya took out two sandwiches and handed one to Lloyd.

The lizard was about the size of the rats that Nya's seen around parts of Ninjago where the serpentine didn't go. It's scales were a cool grayish blue on top and a more calm white on its belly. Although when it shifted she could see that it had frills around it's head that hid some very bright colors. It's eyes were odd too, it seemed to have circular pupils like a human but when it looked to the distance they contracted into a normal slit shape and the pupils had a gray shine to them and that wasn't even mentioning the irises the thing had. They were a cloudy mix of muted orange browns and darker maroons and purples. It was like it had the galaxy trapped in it's eyes.

"Y'know,' Nya bumped Lloyd's shoulder, 'we're only about three hours into our little adventure and you've already found someone who's a fan of the green ninja."

That got Lloyd to snicker as he fed some of his sandwich to the small reptile.

"What should I name 'im?" Lloyd perked up and Nya cocked an eyebrow.

"Well naming him would imply that we're keeping the lizard" Nya slowly turned to the green ninja to find herself looking into desperately pleading brown eyes. Nya kept a straight face as long as she could but, "Shit."

Lloyd let out a victorious laugh throwing his fists in the air. "Haha nobody can resist the charm of Smokey!"

"Smokey?"

Lloyd nodded his head seriously. "Yeah Smokey."

She dragged out a sigh. "Alright then you two we need to start moving again I don't want us staying in one spot for too long."

Lloyd jumped up jostling the small lizard which fell to the sand and immediately began to dart off in a random direction. Lloyd screeched and began chasing after it.

"Lloyd stop!" Nya called out following him leaving their tent in the dust literally.

To absolutely nobody's surprise neither Lloyd nor Smokey stopped at Nya's command leaving her to continue chase.

They kept running for at least half an hour before Nya saw something coming up on the horizon. With renewed energy at the excitement of seeing something other than sand she shot forward ahead of both Lloyd and the lizard.

That excitement quickly went to waste.

It was a rock. A slightly bigger more solid piece of sand. And it was the only thing they'd seen all day. Nya sank to her knees and the despair started kicking in.

If this one rock was the only thing they've seen what chance did Jay and Kai have being out here for a year? This place had nothing in it, it was just a desolate wasteland of misery. Kai and Jay were probably dead by now and their bones were probably buried in the sand by now. 

"-ya? Nya? NYA?!"

She snapped back into focus to find she was laying flat on her back with the lizard on her face and Lloyd staring at her confused from above with the sky turning darker by the second.

"You okay there Nya?" Lloyd asked helping her up.

Nya sat up but she didn't respond for a long time still sorting out her downward spiral.

"Well uh if you're okay I got something to show you." Nya turned her head to find Lloyd brushing some sand off of the rock which she was noticing now had several Smokey-like lizards climbing onto it.

"I was grabbing Smokey and I noticed that there's designs on this rock and I think I recognize one of them."

Nya immediately snapped out of her catatonic state. And ran over to what Lloyd was looking at.

Right there on the rock engraved deeply into it were symbols but not just any symbols. There were a few she didn't recognize but then there was one above them all that stood out. A large "N" but not the kind you would find in any other book. It was in Ninjago text. The same kind of "N" she was wearing on her uniform right now.

A smile cracked across her face. Sure the markings could be old but this, this was something. And Nya would take anything.

"Well, It's a late and it's getting cold I think our best bet is to set up camp here for the night."

Lloyd nodded and brought out a large space blanket he draped around both of them and the lizard.

Lloyd was out relatively fast but Nya stayed awake. She stared at the stars above. They were stars, they may not be the same as the ones back home but they filled the sky in a way Ninjago's couldn't. No matter how miserable this desert may be there was no light pollution here. And with no light pollution the sky looked like it was made of fireworks.

Slowly with the added weight of more lizards climbing onto them Nya drifted off into a dead sleep.

Nya woke up to the scruffing noises of lizards frantically climbing off their blanket and then a shadow falling over them. One swift motion and Nya was standing up with a sword aimed at a stranger's throat.