Spirit's Awakening (Book 1 of Spirit's Calling)

Day of the Dragon

A/n: Warning! Depictions of torture. You have been warned.

"Y/n, wake up!"

"Silence!"

"Father, please—"

"I said be quiet! You are a traitor and so is she! Consider this a warning, Skylor!"

Something hard collided with Y/n's ribs. She groaned and coughed, aching all over.

Y/n blinked, eyesight fuzzy. She was in a cavern made from blue crystals, on her side, hands cuffed behind her back. Her whole body ached, especially her face and ribs. She coughed again, taking shuddering and painful breaths to recover.

Chen and two servants stood above her, with Kai and Skylor chained to a crystal pillar not far away. Both elementals strained against their bonds, both with matching horrified expressions.

Y/n pushed herself upright, ignoring the splitting headache that followed. "Skylor," she hissed.

"Y/n," Skylor returned quietly. "I'm sorry for everything. Please, you have to get out of here!"

"No!" Chen shrieked. For the first time, he seemed truly deranged. "She stays!" A servant kicked Y/n again, making her reel backwards with a gasp.

"Stop this!" Kai cried. "Leave Y/n alone!"

Chen grabbed Y/n's arm and threw her closer to the Ninja. "She betrayed me!" He snarled. "I will not let that stand!"

Y/n groaned, squeezing her eyes shut. She tasted iron. Her torso throbbed.

"It's me you want," Skylor cut in. "Stop hurting Y/n."

The Master of Spirit righted herself, standing on wobbly feet and approaching Skylor. "Since when do you care?" She snapped. "You hate me."

Skylor looked away, pained. "Y/n, everything I did was to protect you."

"Protect?" Y/n snapped. "You hurt me, Skylor! How is that protecting?"

She met Y/n's gaze, her amber eyes clear and steady. "By keeping you from the truth, you wouldn't have to feel the pain of knowing your family abandoned and forgot you."

"But Garmadon didn't forget me," Y/n whispered, shoulders sagging.

"Enough talk!" Someone yanked Y/n away and slammed her into another pillar. She slid to the ground, shuddering, and tried to collect herself as the servants closed in on her. She was Y/n Garmadon, grandchild of the First Spinjitzu Master, and the Elemental Master of Spirit. She would not be defeated so easily.

Y/n stood and kicked out in one quick motion, knocking Chen's goons away from her. Even with her hands bound, she beat back the two henchmen, then whirled on Chen.

Her eyes widened to see him holding Clouse's spell book. He began chanting, and Y/n went rigid. Fiery pain shot through her body and she levitated slightly, back arched in pain.

"Skylor, you will give me your powers or Y/n gets it!" Chen cried, squeezing his hand into a fist. Y/n screamed at this, feeling like she was getting crushed by a mountain. Purple fire rose from her body but she barely noticed, her mind screaming for her to run.

"Stop!"

The pain lessened somewhat, then even more as Skylor's shaky voice cut through the ringing in Y/n's ears. "I'll do it. Just let her go."

With one more burst of pain, Y/n dropped to the ground. Her eyes clamped shut against the suddenly too-bright cave and she took deep, rapid breaths. Her whole body trembled with lingering pain.