Ninjago: Purpose and Meaning

5. Doubt

How could I forget about the pirates? Nadine thought for what might be the hundredth time.

Two months ago, Captain Soto was the biggest problem she had. She didn't have to worry about the oni and still had the Elemental Masters. But two months is a long time, and a lot changed since then.

Now, for the moment, she was alone. Nyad told her where the Destiny's Bounty was sailing and to her great annoyance, she had to travel across Ninjago to get to the village they were targeting.

So she borrowed a horse from her father and rode it across the lands, barely stopping to rest to reach the village before Captain Soto did. She had feared that her horse would fall over out of fatigue, but it held strong.

But finally, she could see the coast city, stopped her horse at the top of a hill, and looked over the village, wishing it would have been another one since there was no Elemental Master who lived here whom she could ask for help.

"Nepenthe?" She asked in her mind, hoping the Master of Mind was listening but she got no answer.

At the start of her journey, she managed to get Nepenthe's attention by constantly focusing on the fact she needed help, only able to hope that he still was checking in on the Elemental Masters, which apparently he did.

He heard her call for help and asked what was going on so she explained and Nepenthe told her he would contact some of the other Elemental Masters. But he hadn't talked to her since.

Apparently, it was a lot tougher organizing when they didn't have the Realm Crystal. With it, it was easy to organize since they could travel anywhere they wanted in a moment.

"Seems like I'll have to manage by myself," Nadine muttered as the Master of Mind didn't answer.

She kicked her heels at the horse's sides and rode down the hill toward the village.

It had been a while since she felt this good. She was no longer weighed down by the guilt of Arashi's death, not since she had a new goal. She had to stop Captain Soto and his crew. If for nothing else, her sanity. She had promised the First Spinjitzu Master ten years ago that she would protect Ninjago, and she couldn't break that promise. That promise was the only reason he felt comfortable to step back and live his life.

And Nadine knew that if he felt Ninjago wasn't safe, he would drop everything else to protect it. That was the kind of person he was. And he had done exactly that when the oni came back, without hesitation.

She rode into the village, looking up and down the street in search of firstly, any signs that she was too late and Soto already had been here, and secondly, an inn.

Fortunately, she didn't see any signs of the pirates having been here already so she stopped at the first inn she found and put her horse in the stable.

She got some curious looks but that was only expected when visiting a village. Fortunately, she had predicted it and thought ahead. She had not come here dressed like an Elemental Master but covered her armor with a long grey poncho. As an extra precaution, she wore a straw hat mirroring the one the First Spinjitzu Master usually wears. And, of course, she carried her spear across her back.

Instead of checking in on the inn immediately, she turned away from the building and walked down the street toward the beach with determined steps. She had to see if there was anything she could use to her advantage when the pirates attacked.

She ignored the curious looks she got from the villagers as they didn't recognize her, she had a purpose here, and it wasn't to meet the villagers. It was to protect them.