NINJAGO: The Beastmaster

CHAPTER TEN - Of Masters and Men

Taiki and Zane flew over tree tops, narrowing in on Ninjago City when Zane spotted something off in the distance.

"What is that?" he asked, and Taiki saw it, too. A massive cloud of something, but it didn't look anything like a cloud. It was brown, and beaked, and winged... "Griffies!"

Taiki chirped in agreement, and then as they flew over Ninjago's buildings, Taiki flew backward quickly as the massive mechanical body of the Red Dragon darted past her. Zane nearly fell off, but he grabbed hold of Taiki's feathery plumage and held tight. Taiki then looked around as she hovered in the air, and quickly zipped downward, taking cover in a space between some buildings.

"That was too close," Zane said, then gasped. "The ninja must've gone to Unagami for help against the Griffies. But that also means they'll be after you, too."

Taiki cooed quietly, and Zane petted her face.

"We'll just have to be sneaky--" Zane thought. "--can you shapeshift?"

Taiki tilted her head, and without much thought put into it, she turned herself into a form that looked exactly like Zane.

"Okay, that's... not what I had in mind," Zane admitted. "But it'll work for now. Follow me."

"Follow," Taiki said as Zane's imposter, managing to sound exactly like him.

They then crossed out into the street, something very easy to do because it was barren and empty. Ninjago's busiest parkway was now nothing but a massive section of painted road they were able to walk across when before, that would've been impossible to do without harm.

"If I remember right, then the Bounty is this way," Zane said, then scratched his head. "This would've been easier if I had my radio to tell the others about you. We could've just flown right over."

"Flown?" asked imposter Zane. "Fly!"

"What?" Zane asked as he turned back and looked at himself, only to see that Taiki changed back into her Griffie form and grappled hold of Zane's arms before flying upward into the sky. "No, don't fly! No!"

Taiki chirped and cut through the air, failing to heed Zane's warnings about what would happen if the dragons spotted them in the air.

"Taiki, the dragons!" Zane said, but Taiki couldn't hear him with the wind blowing in her ears.

Zane looked back behind them, and he gasped in shock. The Blue Dragon spotted them and was zooming for them. Zane then reached and desperately pulled on Taiki's talon, but it startled her and she dropped him. As Zane fell through the air screaming, Taiki folded her wings and dove to catch him, just in time to also dodge the Blue Dragon charging for them.

Zane landed safely on Taiki's back and she sped upward again, flying right past the Blue Dragon as it moved to turn its flight path around. The Dragon roared at them, and Taiki panicked, almost flying backward as she seemed to want out of the City.

"No, Taiki, go!" Zane begged. "We have to get to the Bounty!"

Taiki listened to Zane, but she stared at the Blue Dragon as it came barreling for them. And as it got too close for comfort, Zane pulled on Taiki's feathers like a shield, but the motion made Taiki unfreeze and she moved to dive out of the way.

But she was too late and as she twisted, the Blue Dragon clipped one of her wings and she plummeted out of the air. Zane held on tight as Taiki struggled to stay in flight, descending toward their destination rapidly.

They crashed right on top of the Bounty.

Master Wu looked up to the deck above his head as Shimu curled himself into a ball and tried to hide beneath the hat on Wu's head. Sensei Wu stroked his beard in thought, and with his Hassuru staff firmly planted in his hand, he headed up the stairs to the top deck where he heard the crash--even though Shimu hated the idea.