4. Dark Sides: Rise of the Anacondrai

Chapter 9 - Common Ground

A/N: Another more laid-back chapter for this week. Also I'm sorry if Seliel seems overly disagreeable in this chapter, she's going through a lot. She's stressed and confused and just all-around irritable, but that's just part of being human. This chapter in general has just been really hard to get right, but let me know what you guys think.

. . .

After night fell, everyone was assigned a shift to take watch. The prisoners were moved inside the palace to a makeshift space where they could be supervised closely. All the Elemental Masters were tired, and no one was very keen to have to stay on the island for yet another night. However, few people complained – mostly Lloyd – as they had all agreed to see it through to the end. They were so close to capturing Chen, and the general hope was that, by noon the next day, they would be able to set out for the mainland.

After a meal and sleeping arrangements were made, the grounds fell quiet. Seliel had made sure to be on first watch. She knew she wouldn't be able to sleep easily while their job was yet unfinished. She strolled atop the wall at the front gate of the palace, her gaze fixed on the rolling waves of the sea as her hand trailed over the stone parapet. The mainland was somewhere in the distance, although it was too far to see. A breeze blew in from the ocean, whisking through her hair. The noise of the jungle behind the palace sounded far away, almost drowned out by the tumultuous waves crashing over the dock below.

Seliel took in a deep breath. It felt good to be able to rest from the chaos of the past few days. Being a ninja didn't allow for much time to take it easy. In the peaceful lull of the night, she felt a touch of heartache for the familiarity of her quiet village home.

But Seliel didn't think she would truly be able to rest until they had won. She was happy to have Skylor back safe and sound, but she still wasn't satisfied. As long as Chen was free, there was still danger.

There was a sound of scuffling just behind Seliel. She started and whirled around, sword unsheathed. But to her surprise, dark hair and brown eyes peeked over the top of the wall.

Cole gazed at her with equal surprise. "You're not gonna make fun of me for this again, are you?"

Seliel huffed and sheathed her katana. "Well if you're going to make it so easy."

"Mind if I join you?"

Seliel simply shrugged and turned away. She didn't care what he did.

He heaved himself onto the wall and came to stand beside her. "Any sign of attack?" he asked.

"From the ocean? Hardly."

He looked back over the palace grounds and the island as she continued her walk. "You can see a lot from up here."

"Mmhm," Seliel answered. She couldn't say why, but there was something about him that put her on edge. Was she just being paranoid? He couldn't have been there just for her company. He may have wanted to keep watch too, or maybe he was hoping to get some information out of her. She remembered what Sensei Garmadon had said about resting on her laurels. That included the ninja too, right? Unless she really was just being paranoid.

She paused and turned on him. "Do you want something?" she asked harshly, overcompensating for her unease.

"Same as you, I think. Keeping an eye out for Chen. He may be at a disadvantage, but he's crazy enough to try anything."

That still didn't explain it. They would have been able to do way more if they were spread out. So why was he here? She was starting to feel more annoyed than uncomfortable.

He changed the subject. "You all did a great job today," he said. "I'm happy for Skylor. She deserves to be with people who really care about her."