The Master of Dragons

Chapter 20

"The first thing that you must learn about hiding from demons is how to mask your aura. Your aura is what demons will use to track you. Consequently, it works the other way around as well." Liu instructed.

      Daniella stood in the center of the training room, listening intently as her grandmother floated around her in a circle. After a half hour of pulling herself together, she grabbed a quick bite before making her way to the training room. Lotus was lounging on her left by the wall.

"Most demons have the same aura. A thick dark cloud that surrounds their soul. It is easy to spot when you learn how to find it. The bigger the aura, the stronger the demon. Of course, there are some demons whose aura is different, but there will be other ways to find the demons."

"Is the demon trying to kill me a sign?" Daniella asked, trying to keep the sarcasm out of her voice.

"Well, yes. I suppose. But if a demon with such a nature is free, the Library will alert you with what to look out for. But for the most part, you will be dealing with these smaller demons."

"Auras are like clouds around demons, and I think I have seen it a time or two. But that was when I was a child, and I would usually end up with a massive headache. But why is it so much easier to see auras around people?" Daniella asked, cocking her head to the side slightly.

"People have a funny way of showing their intent. The more they try to hide it, the more apparent their aura is," Liu answered, gesturing with her hands the different sides of auras.

"So the stuff that you read about in stories about the different colors and stuff is true?" Daniella asked, turning her head to face her grandmother who had stopped her pacing.

"Well, yes and no. There are only a few colors that really mean anything, but there is one that you must keep an eye out for and that is a dark aura. One tinted with the darkness of their corruption. Most, if not all, dark intents that will darken an aura will be of demon origin. These people are the most dangerous."

"Because they have nothing to lose?"

"That, and because they can be persuaded to do things for a demon that would break the laws of magic."

"Wait! Magic is real? Like MAGIC magic. Like, I could find a witch at any point?"

"It is not like the witches that you would read about in fairy tales where they have entire civilizations. But magic does exist. It is a practice that is mostly exercised by people who are only interested in the dark arts. Magic that is meant to maim and otherwise ruin lives. Demons feed off of this and prey on those who crave the power to do whatever they want," Liu answered with a smile.

"So if I can see a demon's aura, then they can see mine. But why would I have one?" Daniella asked.

"Elemental masters also give off an aura. Typically, the color is based on their elemental powers, but there have been some occasions where it was different. Your aura grew stronger when you accepted the Staff of Light, and will continue to grow stronger as you deal with more and more Great Library business."

"So, if all elemental masters have an aura, then it is imperative that I get back to Ninjago to protect the others," Daniella said, her face turning to an expression of determination.

"The only aura the demons will go after is yours. It is the strongest and the one that they are honed in on. Even before you took the Staff. You would have been attacked one day, even if you never found the stone," Liu corrected.

"And the Library keeps my aura hidden. Which is why everyone wants to trap me here. Great. So how do I hide my aura. There has to be a way, even if I did agree to stay, it would seem like a necessary thing to know if I was out on a mission and needed to hide instead of fight." Daniella asked. She kept her shoulders up, even with this new knowledge. Liu looked at her granddaughter and felt pride in the fact that she didn't let this small disadvantage weight her down.

"There is. Just like your elemental powers, your aura is affected by your emotions," Liu started.

"Please tell me you aren't going to tell me that I have to get rid of my emotions," Daniella interrupted.

"No. You would no longer be yourself. To hide your aura, you must keep your emotions in check. The more you let your emotions control you, the brighter your aura is. Of course, it will affect your elemental powers as well. You will lose control of them if you do not keep them in check. There is a room in the Library that was built for this, should you ever need to just let your emotions out," Liu instructed.

"So, to be good at hiding from the demons, I have to do the most unhealthy thing and bottle up my feelings?" Daniella asked.

"You could always stay in the Great Library," Liu replied, shrugging her shoulders.

"No! I do not want to leave Ninjago forever. Okay. Okay. I'm listening. What is the best way to get a handle on my emotions?" Daniella caved.

"You must find out how to do so yourself. Most find that mediation is the best way to figure out your emotions. To keep your emotions in check is not to bury them in yourself per say, but to deal with them in your own way. To understand what you are feeling and how they are affecting you. Once you figure that out, then you are well on your way to successfully handling your emotions."