Ninjago - Heart of Stone

Chapter Eighteen: Dark Matter

Garmadon's 'new station' was to be taken to the beach to wait. Lloyd watched his father being led away, wishing he would at the very least turn around, but of course he didn't. Of course, Lloyd told himself, because he was evil. Why would he be expected to do good?

"Lloyd?" Nya turned to him, her eyes full of concern. Their hands were chained behind them, preventing her from offering any physical comfort, but Lloyd could tell Nya wanted to. "We're gonna be okay, you know. Things will work out in the end; they always do."

The warriors around them laughed, and Lloyd cringed. Nya kept her head held high, but there was no mistaking the look of fear in her eyes.

"Here we are." The warrior in the lead stopped suddenly, and Lloyd and Nya were shoved forwards, allowing them to see where they were. Lloyd's eyes widened as he stared down into the mineshaft, seemingly bottomless and full of dark, shimmering rock. The warriors stepped away from the edge, and Lloyd felt a jolt of panic run through him.

"So what?" He said, forcing himself to remain calm, "you're just gonna throw us down there?"

"No," the warrior said. Lloyd didn't like the glee in his voice. Anything a stone warrior had to be happy about couldn't bode well for him and Nya. "You are going to inhale this."

Lloyd hadn't expected this response, and when a slab of black stone was shoved under his nose, his confusion only doubled. He sniffed tentatively, gagging when the stench of rotting flesh and blood assaulted his nostrils. The warrior holding the stone did not seem satisfied with this, and he shook it slightly.

"Why isn't it working?" Someone demanded angrily. There was a general murmur of agreement, and the warrior with the stone tore it away from Lloyd's face, cursing loudly. "Dragon blood," he snarled, "it keeps him safe."

"Not her, though," someone said hopefully, and all eyes turned to Nya. She stepped back, glancing over her shoulder at the drop down the mineshaft. "Keep away from me," she said warningly, but of course it did nothing. Two warriors surged forwards to grab her, and the one with the stone shoved it into her face, laughing as she gagged, her face twisted into an expression of pure disgust.

"Nya!" Lloyd's eyes widened as her skin began to grey, like a fog was creeping over her complexion. She was trembling violently, making guttural retching noises and spitting.

"Lloyd," she said fearfully, turning to him with an expression of pure terror. Lloyd recoiled in shock; her eyes were going red and starting to glow. She gasped suddenly, the sound breathless and strained, like wind rattling lose bones, and her head fell forwards against her chest. The stone was pulled away, and the warriors cheered.

"Nya?" Lloyd stared at her, his heart hammering. She was panting hard, her head still bowed. She had ceased her shaking, but her skin was now grey, and she was dripping with blackened sweat. She let out a low grunt and tore her wrists free from her chains, eliciting a loud cheer from among the warriors. Lloyd gasped, stepping back as far as he could go. The sky above them turned grey, and rain began to fall.

When she lifted her head to look at him, eyes red and gleaming with hunger, the woman who stood before him was Nya no longer.

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Lexi emerged from the tent and into the rain in silence. Behind her, Overlord was slipping from his warrior's body and resuming him form as a shapeless piece of shadow. She allowed the rain to wash away the blackened blood from her wrist, watching it slide down her arm like tears from a wound, dripping onto the earth below.