The Master of Dragons

Chapter 8

                Daniella took another bite of the sweet pastry as she followed Ozir around the village. She took in every new sight and sound, trying to memorize where things were and who ran what. Ozir had not stopped talking since they had started the tour, pointing out different places and giving little stories with each one. They had stopped somewhere in the middle and met the village baker, who gave the group fresh pastries to snack on as they continued their tour. Everything was going well until the end of the tour.

"And this is the monument of the Dragon Guard," Ozir announced, throwing her hands in the direction of a great statue. The heads of each dragon faced the horizon, seemingly looking for evil.

"What is the Dragon Guard?" Daniella asked, staring up at the statue in awe.

"You really are new huh? The Dragon Guard is a group of warriors that assist the Purple Ninja in their duties of fighting the demons. It is a group of people that the Purple Ninja trusts with their life and becomes their family. Your grandfather was part of the Guard with your grandmother. It was really sweet, seeing them fight evil together and take care of everyone. Do you have anyone like that?" Ozir asked, turning from the statue to Daniella. Daniella's face fell as she struggled to stop the flow of fresh tears. She shook her head viciously before turning away from the statue and Ozir. Lotus trotted up next to Daniella and rubbed against her legs in comfort.

"Oh, I'm s-s-so s-s-ssorry! I didn't mean to upset you! Look at me, asking personal questions like that. It was-s-s terribly rude of me!" Ozir apologized, her forked tongue causing her to studder a little. Daniella sniffed and wiped her face before turning to Ozir.

"It's not your fault. You didn't know this would happen. It's alright. Really, I'm just going through a lot right now," Daniella explained, looking around to find the courtyard empty. She took a few steps closer to Ozir before lowering her voice.

"Between losing one friend who was like a brother to me, to having a crush on someone else who didn't feel the same way, to having my whole life turned upside down with this new life purpose; giving to me by fate itself. It's just a lot to process. It hurts so much, but it's not a pain that I can fix with a bag of ice or a band aid. Hearing you talk about trust just made me think about everyone in Ninjago and I just," Daniella sniffed again as she wiped more tears away.

Ozir slithered closer and wrapped her arms around Daniella as she cried into her shoulder. Lotus shrank herself before jumping onto Daniella's shoulders and nuzzled into her neck. They stayed like this for a few minutes as Daniella cried out everything that she had been holding in since she had arrived. Ozir stroked her hair as Lotus purred, trying to calm her down.

After a few moments, Daniella drew in a few deep breaths and squeezed Ozir before letting go. The two girls parted before sharing a small smile.

"Thank you. I needed that," Daniella said, wiping her cheeks.

"Please, it was the least I could do. You said that you wanted me to treat you like a friend and not royalty," Ozir replied, smiling wider.

Before Daniella could say anything further, a loud blast was heard from the other side of the village. A large plume of dark smoke rose high into the air. Daniella felt the Staff form in her hand as Lotus took a defensive stance in front of her, growling.

"What was that?" Daniella asked, somehow calm.

"I don't know, but it looks like it came from the west wall. I didn't think that demons could attack the wall!" Ozir exclaimed, holding her hand over her mouth.

"We have to do something. Ozir, can I count on you to get the people to the east side of the village?" Daniella asked.

"Of course, but what are you going to do? Surely you aren't thinking of going beyond the walls?" Ozir asked.

"Lao Lao did say not to leave the village," Lotus added, looking up at Daniella. Daniella drew in a deep breath before making her way to the blast.

"I was told not to leave the village, but Lao Lao didn't say anything about fighting from the inside. I won't stand aside while these demons run amuck in the village. Come on Lotus," Daniella answered, tightening her grip on her Staff as she quickened her pace. Lotus ran to catch up, staying close to Daniella and readying for battle. Ozir watched them walk towards the explosion before slithering off down a different road to start evacuation plans.