Elemental Animals: Ninja Born

Chapter 13: The broken map

Kai followed Lloyd as they wandered into a town. It was starting to get dark when they arrived. Briggan stayed close to Kai, Skales had joined them on the mission to retrieve Uraza's scythe. Skales pounded his fist on a door with something carved into the wood. The door opened and a woman with a deadly glare answered "What you seek is no longer here," she responded.

Skales sneered at her "Oh please as if you'd give away your precious book, now where is it?" he said.

The woman remained unmoved "I told you already, its not here I passed it on," she countered.

Skales shoved her aside and entered the house. The other serpentine soldiers entered the household. Kai went over to the woman, her hands gripped at his shirt "I gave the other three summoners the book. Don't trust your friend, a snake is known to lie and betray anyone," she whispered.

Kai was confused as the woman released him until he realized what was wrong. She was dead. Kai turned to Lloyd.

The blond boy wasn't there, the few soldiers that was brought along stood blocking a door. Skales wasn't in the room either. The door opened and Skales looked angry. He strode up to Kai "Did that hag say anything to you about that book?" he snapped.

Kai shook his head "No, she only said that it was long gone by now," he lied.

Skales sneered and started walking out "Tear this house apart and burn it down to the ground," he stated.

Lloyd stood next to Kai "I'm sorry about Skales," he apologized.

Kai looked at him with shock "He killed that woman and wants to burn this house down for a book?" he said.

Lloyd rubbed his hands together "That book has a map to Cabaro's cliff, we need it if we want to find Uraza's scythe," he replied.

"That makes it okay to kill a woman?"

"She died on her own terms, Kai. If she said that book is gone from here that means she no longer has a reason to keep living."

Kai frowned at Lloyd "If that makes it okay to kill somebody, I don't see how you can let these people do anything," he snapped. Kai walked away and Briggan growled at Lloyd then went after Kai.

The group of four had stopped at an Inn in the next town. Zane stared at the map, he kept his hand above the map for a moment. Something want correct with the piece of paper. He closed the book "The map is incomplete," he said.

Sensei Gramadon looked at the map "How is that?" he asked.

Zane touched a torn part of the map "This is only half of the map, the other half that has Cabaro's Cliff on it is missing," he explained.

Jay and Cole had joined where the calm boy and olden man sat. Cole's gaze darkened "Great, now we're back to square one!" he said.

Zane hummed as he flipped back to the picture of the Scythe "Didn't she say your dad was a student of her's?" he asked.

Cole sighed "My dad wouldn't have anything involving spirit animals especially after his lynx died and that was before I was even thought of," he replied.

Zane swallowed about to do something "Lou Brookstone was known for having a Black Lynx named Coal, he spent three years learning to bond with his spirit animal from woman who lived in Okaihee. A man named Julien also learned with this woman, she gave two pieces of a map to both students. Julien gave his map to somebody he trusted, Lou kept his half in a picture frame in his home after the death of his Lynx," he rattled off.

The room was filled with silence, Essix pinched her claws into Zane's shoulder. Jay was agape "You did the thing again," he said.

Cole stared "How did you know that?" he asked.

Zane traced the drawing with his finger "My father told me, his name is Dr. Julien," he replied with ease.

Cole followed Zane's hand "Where's his map half?"

Zane hummed softly as he reached his hand into his sleeve. He pulled a piece paper out and handed it to Sensei Garamdon "I'm going to get fresh air, Essix possibly will want to fly," he said.

After Zane went outside, Sensei Garamdon placed the piece of the map to the other piece. The map had a small half dot to where the incomplete half was. Jay leaned back into Jhi "So now we follow the map to Cabaro's Cliff right?" he asked.

Sensei Garamdon shook his head "We are going to need the other half because we're on the other side of the cliff," he replied.

Jay huffed "Great more walking in the heat," he complained.

Cole stared absently at the map "We're gonna have to go to my home town," he muttered.