Chapter Four:

The Journey Begins

A summary of the team I unknowingly joined went as such: Jay didn’t like the way I corrected him and shushing him in the midst of his rambling while we were trying to hide. I had no intention to be mean, but I couldn’t help but get irritable at him when I was trying to focus on the mission. Kai didn’t like me either. Most of it was because I was also correcting him. I admired his passion and dedication to his sister, but he was so hasty. He was too quick to move, so much in a hurry to get the job done, he kept putting the mission in jeopardy. I don’t think he trusted anyone. He very much had the mentality of the loner. I was more intentional on insulting him. I had experience with boys like him in high school, and I was always determined to be better than people like him. I didn’t exactly do it right.

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We successfully collected all four golden weapons. Though, we had some problems with the last one.

I was planning to leave the monastery. The life of an elemental master was fantastically whimsy, but I had no chemistry with the rest of my team. I found myself constantly frustrated: Jay was immature and loud. I tried very hard to be patient with him, but it soon proved fruitless. Zane, though very intuitive and smart, was quiet. Every time I attempted to talk to him, he rarely responded. I could never tell if he was ignoring me. Or if he did, was it intentional? How intentional was it? Kai was the other member I lost patience with. When we would train together, especially on teams, I dreaded him by my side. He would never listen, and complained about how more efficient he would be on his own. I tried to reason with him, but it only ended in fighting. Cole was the only one I found sensible. He had more tolerance than I could ever have. He listened to everyone’s complaints, and always attempted to find a solution that would make everyone happy. I guess that’s why Wu made him the leader. But even then, when thinking about all the other extreme personalities of the other three, I felt a deep sense of guilt. I understood his burdens as leader, and I felt extreme hesitation to add my own problems to the mix, especially when they were the same as Jay, Zane, and Kai. Thus, I felt it would be wise if I left. If Sensei Wu gave enough discipline, they would be more than enough to keep Ninjago out of trouble if needed.

So what made me stay? The answer came in the form of a little boy named Lloyd Garmadon.

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Well, he wasn’t the entire reason. The other part was the invasion of ancient snakes called the Serpentine, whose tombs Lloyd opened, and began to wreak havoc. Sensei Wu told me that the Serpentine were dangerous, and he would need all his students to combat this new menace. He also divulged his deep concern for Lloyd’s well being, for Lloyd was the son of Lord Garmadon, and Wu’s nephew. Sensei wanted Lloyd returned to him as soon as possible. Lloyd wanted to follow in the footsteps of his father, and Wu wanted to save him from such horrid fate. That persuaded me to stay a little longer.

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Lloyd’s actions resulted in one of the Serpentine Tribes, called the Hypnobrai, to lay siege to our monastery and burn it down to the ground. Once again, not the best moment of our lives, especially with my already tense relationships with Kai, Cole, Zane, and Jay, almost brutally severed like a machete to a climber’s rope. However, things got better when we relocated to an old, but sturdy ship named the Destiny’s Bounty. Zane was the one who found it. I give him credit, for a brief period, I could see why he often appeared so detached. He was a very deep thinker, and intense observer. He wasn’t completely oblivious to the other team member’s bickering, rather he would analyze the situation, and quietly, subtly adjust his approach. He knew what we needed: a home. So he left to find it, and found the exact solution. However, that left me even more confused. When was he listening, and when was he thinking?

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Finally, after several attempts, we managed to bring Lloyd to the Destiny’s Bounty and keep him there. Once again, I planned on leaving. I did what Sensei wanted. He wanted his nephew back. That alone would change the playing field for us and the Serpentine. He would no longer make things worse. Once again, I was held back. I should’ve been angry at Lloyd. I should’ve been livid at what he had done: how Ninjago was once again at peace, and things would go back to normal. But in his childish attempts for attention, he put Ninjago in greater danger than he expected. However, I felt…somewhat connected to him. I saw him less as a amateur prankster and harbender of dark times. Rather, I could see what he really was: He was lonely, extremely lonely, isolated by everyone, even the grown-ups; and for what? Because of who his father was; and his attempts to cope, embracing that fact, only tugged harder at my heart strings.

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“Hi”

The little boy raised his head.

“What’s your name?”

He scowled. “You know my name already, why are you asking?”

“Well, I feel like we haven’t property introduced ourselves” I replied.

He gave her a weird look, before replying, looking away, “Lloyd.”

I smiled. “Nice to meet you Lloyd,” he said cheerfully, bending down to see him eye-to-eye.

I reached my hand out to him. “My name is Kamara. Welcome to the Destiny’s Bounty.”

Lloyd looked back over to me, still a bit weirded out, but reluctantly shook my hand.

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“So-!” I sat down on the stairway next to him. “-What kind of things do you like to do Lloyd?”

“Why do you care?”

“Well, if you’re going to be here for a while, I’d like to get to know you. You got any hobbies?”

Lloyd was quiet for a moment.

“Surely a bright, ambitious young man like yourself does something.”

“You’re so weird!” Lloyd remarked.

I didn’t budge. I still sat there, waiting for an actual response.

“I like…coming up with pranks. I would help plan them sometimes at the Darkly School. Some of them were really funny.”

He looked at me a bit startled, but also with a mischievous glint in his eye.

“But I think you already know that.”

I chuckled. “Yeah, I guess I do. But believe it or not, I’m a bit used to it. I have two brothers back home.”

Lloyd’s interest peaked. “Really?”

“Yep; and both of them have pulled a fair amount of pranks.”

I rolled her eyes at the thought of what she was going to say next, “There was this one time when my little brother John covered my bedroom door in spider webs. So when I was late for school the next morning and had to run, I ran right into them!”

I made a disgusted, but purposely comedic face.

“I HATE spiders! So when I ended up getting covered in them, I just about lost it!”

Lloyd laughed. “That sounds great! Oh man, I wish I could’ve seen that!”

I realized she probably would regret telling Lloyd about her fear of spiders, but I decided not to say anything.

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“Hey, have you ever read the story of the Oni and the Dragon?” Lloyd asked.

I eyes lit up. “I loved that story when I was little! I used to read in the library over and over!”

“Me too!” Lloyd exclaimed, “I always loved reading the legends of the old times, where there was magic and monsters, dragons and tricksters! For a while, I wanted to be a magician! I wanted a pet dragon that would fly me high into the air so I could smite all my foes with one swoop!”

I laughed.

I sighed dreamily. “I always wanted a pet dragon too. I had a stuffed one once. His name was Gale. Oh we had such adventures him and I! I would pretend to be a graceful, but powerful warrior who, with him at my side, would safe Ninjago from darkness and evil, and bring it back into the light!” I looked back at Lloyd. “I wasn’t so luckily with getting a dragon though. There were only four golden weapons. Thus, only four dragons.”

“Well, at least you got the Windblade” Lloyd replied, optimistically, “That’s good right?”

I smiled. “Yeah…” She raised her hand and summoned the giant blade, “I guess you’re right…”

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“Kam!”

Cole and rest of the team had descended from the bottom floor with protective gear.

“There you are! Come on! We need to spar!” He called.

“Coming!” I called back.

I turned to Lloyd. “Well, it was very nice talking with you Lloyd. I hope you enjoy your stay here.”

Lloyd regained most of his angst composure, but a small smile was still left on his face.

“Thanks. I just might do that.”

I smiled; and with that, she took off to join the rest of the team on the deck.

At last, I made the decision that I would stay and help Wu take care of him. I had no idea what was about to come.