Brother of Wind {Book 9: Hunted}

Chapter 1

Lloyd's eyes shot open. "AAH! MORRO! MORRO!" He shouted as he pushed himself up to sit.

"Lloyd! Calm down!" Nya cried, rushing up to him.

"You must stop yelling, son." Misako gently placed her hands on Lloyd's back and shoulders to comfort him. "We could be found."

Lloyd took heavy breaths and looked to see his mother and Nya beside him. Lloyd quickly pulled himself away from Misako and stood up. He looked around. It was freezing. There was the colour grey and crates everywhere.

A freezer? A hiding place. Lloyd remembered. "What happened?!" He asked. "I- I passed out! I don't know what happened, how did I-"

"You were gasping for breath!" Nya exclaimed, stepping forwards with her hands gently raised to make sure Lloyd could see them. "I assumed it was Morro who was choking and you felt it too... and then you passed out. So we found a place to hide."

Lloyd wrapped his arms around himself, trying to warm up. Strangely, some part of him was sweating from the heat that he didn't feel. Maybe that was... Morro?

The door to the room opened. It was Pixal. She saw Lloyd awake and rushed over to him. "What are you doing? Sit down! You need rest!" She moved Lloyd to where he was previously lying down.

"Pixal, I... is it just... is it just us?" Lloyd asked, looking around.

Nya and Misako moved to stand beside Pixal. The Water Ninja nodded her head. Lloyd raised his hand to his head.

'Morro. Morro?! Morro!! Please tell me you're okay!'
Lloyd panicked

'Alive.'

Lloyd gasped and cried out. "He's alright! Morro's alright!"

Nya stepped forwards. "Your link! Your Wisteria Link! It's still connected!! Fully?!" She asked all at once. Nya kneeled down to Lloyd sitting on an elevated space.

Lloyd looked down at her.

'Morro, if I do this, can you feel it?'
Lloyd pinched his arm.

'Stop that. Yes I can. But my head is much quieter.'

Lloyd realised that too. That now he really thought about it, his head was busy, words and whatever running around his head. Usually, it would be busy and loud, full of his own thoughts and Morro's. But now, only half of Morro's thoughts raced around.

"He- he's... yeah, yeah, we're still both attached. Pain thing too." Lloyd nodded. "It's quieter too..."

"Lloyd, where is he?" Misako asked.

'Did you get that?'
Lloyd tensed his shoulders.

'I don't know. I can't see right now.'

Lloyd shook his head. "He doesn't know. There's maybe a blindfold over him." He announced.

Nya sighed and stood back up. "But he's alright." She smiled. "Both of you are, oh, thank the Creator of Ninjago."

"My father... and Harumi... and everything- the guys and Master Wu..." Lloyd pulled his hair. "They're gone. They're all gone..."

Misako stepped forwards. "Calm down, son."

"No, don't tell me to calm down, Misako!" Lloyd yelled, standing up in the process.

"Lloyd, I am your mother, I am here for you." Misako said. "We may have lost so many, but you still have us." She motioned to Nya and Pixal. "I will never leave you."

"Like you never left me as a kid?" Lloyd asked. Misako closed her mouth as she saw Lloyd with that piercing expression.

"Or- or how you never left me after Master Wu got lost in time?" Lloyd stepped forwards. "Sure, you were captured by Harumi, but you didn't even tell me where you were going!" He stepped again.