How to Train Your Dragonblood

Training

It was late into the night when Jay eventually got home. Cliff was sitting by the fireplace, putting on an extra piece of wood. Jay shut the door as quietly as possible and tip-toed over to the stairs leading to his room. He was almost at the top, then he could go to bed and forget about this whole day.

"Jay." Cliff suddenly said and the teen froze halfway up to stairs.

"Dad, ahh... I need to talk to you."

"I need to speak with you too, son." He replied and turned to face his son.

"You go first."

"Alright, you get your wish." He said. "You start Dragon Training in the morning."

"Oh, man, I knew I should've gone first!" Jay exclaimed loudly in a panic. "Uh because I was thinking, you know, we have a surplus of dragon fighters, but do we have enough bread makers or small home repairers?"

"You'll need this," Cliff said as if Jay hadn't said a word and passed him an ax. A look of horror dawned on Jay's face.

"I don't want to fight dragonbloods!"

"Come on; yes, you do." Cliff chuckled before walking off.

"Dad, I can't kill dragonbloods!" Jay cried as he followed him, struggling not to drop the ax.

"But you will kill dragonbloods."

"No, I'm really very extra sure that I won't."

"It's time, Jay."

"Can you not hear me?!"

"This is serious, son!" Cliff exclaimed, losing his patience. "When you carry this ax, you carry all of us with you, which means you walk like us, you talk like us, you think like us; no more of... this."

"You just gestured to all of me," Jay muttered, slightly hurt.

"Deal?"

"This conversation is feeling very one-sided."

"DEAL?!" Cliff raised his voice and Jay sighed in defeat.

"Deal."

"Good." He nodded as he grabbed his large travel bag. "Train hard and I'll be back... probably."

"And I'll be here, maybe." Jay sighed as Cliff left, leaving his son standing alone in the house still holding the oversized ax...

****************

"Welcome to Dragon Training!" Edna beamed as she and her husband led Cole, Dareth, Ronin, Plundar, and Harumi into the arena at the far end of Ninjago. The arena was a large stone pit with a chain net over the top to prevent the dragonbloods from transforming into their dragon forms and flying away. Opposite the entrance were several large doors made of vengestone that held captured dragonbloods. Almost all of the adults had left the night before to try and locate the dragonbloods' nest.

A few adults and warriors had stayed behind to protect Ninjago just in case any dragonblood attacks happened but at this time of year that was very rare.

"This is going to be awesome!" Dareth said in his usual cheery tone.

"Yeah, no kidding." A miserable voice said from behind them. They turned around and saw Jay Gordon following them into the arena. "Pain; love it." He added dryly.

"Let's get started!" Ed interrupted before anyone could comment about Jay being there. "The warrior who does best will get the honor of killing their first dragonblood in front of the entire island." He explained and Plundar raised his hand.