Greenflame--The Journey Beyond

Chapter 9

Cole

  A swirling tunnel put the Earth ninja in a slight daze as he squinted as far as he could see, which wasn't too far ahead. Colors of all sorts surrounded him completely, and he gripped his steering wheel harder, his knuckled turning white. The shade of lavender mixed with light blue and white, creating an unreal and magical effect. It was too much to look at, not to mention that it made Cole sick to his stomach. He always disliked rides, and this wasn't any better.

  A sudden jerk from the Earth Driller flipped the entire vehicle upside down. The current of the inter-dimensional wormhole pushed him back with unimaginable force, yet it dragged them all towards the end of the ethereal realm. Over the screams and sharp wind racing by his ears, Cole thought he heard Jay yelling the loudest.

  Cole felt his head condense, and he honestly thought it would crush in on itself. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end, and his muscles tightened painfully. His fingers went numb, Earth Driller rumbling and shaking uncontrollably, and he braced himself for what was coming.... He closed his eyes, but he saw bright red through his eyelids. He'd go blind at that point...

  With a great heave, the weight on Cole's entire body lifted, and he almost sighed with immense relief at how light he felt. The brightness dimmed, and the Earth Driller was thrown out of the portal, along with Ultra Stealth Raider and Lloyd's elemental dragon.

  Thick wheels slid across the harsh, uneven ground. Ultra Stealth Raider spun right next to them, scraping the rocky surface. They all groaned with dizziness, until they saw Lloyd landing ungracefully on the ground, slamming onto it on his side, wisps of light from his elemental dragon dissipating in the air.

  "Lloyd!" Nya yelled. Everyone dismounted their rides and went after him, checking to see if he was okay. The Green ninja grunted with pain, and he winced when he moved his right arm. Zane moved forward, closely inspecting the injury.

  "I'm afraid you've dislocated your shoulder, Lloyd," Zane told him, holding him steady. There was a hitch in his voice, and Cole's stomach churned.

  Lloyd grimaced, gritting his teeth in agony, but it was clear he tried not to show it. He looked so drained of energy, and having a dislocated arm was making it worse for him.

  "How long is it going to take to heal?" he asked in ragged breaths. Zane looked grim. "Around six weeks, based off of my calculations," he answered. Lloyd dragged his feet against the ground with impatience, but he didn't make a big deal out of it. He tried standing up slowly, and Cole approached him and gave him support.

  He hooked his arm around Lloyd's shoulders, propping him up comfortably. Kai advanced towards them. "You doing alright there, bud?" he asked.

  "Yeah," Lloyd replied with an awkward smile. "Thanks."

  Jay searched for medical equipment in Ultra Stealth Raider, and he eventually pulled out a large cloth and one of the teacups. He ran over to them and held out the soft material.

  "Here," he said, handing it over to Kai. "Lloyd's going to need that as a cast. And here's a painkiller."

  He held out a small pill. "Nya, can you fill this up with water?" he asked, holding up the cup. Nya, using little motion with her arms, created a ball of water, carefully placing the liquid in the cup. Lloyd ate the painkiller and sighed.

  "Six weeks... I can't stay in this state for that long," he murmured, shaking his head. Cole felt bad for him. All that's happened already... he wasn't surprised. Kai tied the fabric around Lloyd's neck, sitting down next to him.

  Morro, yet again, paced back and forth, letting his gaze drift into the distance of the murky and dark realm. Mountains peeked overtop the gray clouds, casting extremely large shadows. There was a slight chill with the place, and it didn't suit Cole at all.