Empty Echoes

Immobile

Chapter Twenty-Eight:

Immobile

Lloyd hadn't realised he'd fallen asleep until he was jolted awake by a skull-shattering clang! At least, it felt like his skull had shattered.

Grunting, he pressed his palm to his forehead, but of course it did nothing to relieve his pounding brain. A hand grabbed his wrist, yanking it away from his face and almost dislocating his shoulder, his heart leaping in surprise. He heard a shout beside him, vaguely sounding like Cole, but he went silent when something sharp and cold was pressed against Lloyd's throat.

"You're gon' come quiet, a'right?" a husky voice said, a rank breath blowing into Lloyd's face. He scrunched his nose in distaste, but when he tried to pull away, a hand grabbed his hair, holding him in place. He grimaced, scalp tearing when the man jerked his hand, as though he were holding a dog by its collar.

"Okay, okay! We'll come quietly."

"Cole!"

Lloyd, realising his eyes were still shut, forced them open just in time to see Cole send Nya a look. Her mouth twisted downwards, but she said nothing else, tangling her hand in a still unconscious Jay's hair.

"That's a good lad," said the man, his breath hot on Lloyd's face, "Ge' up, the lot of ya."

Cole reached down and looped Kai's arm around his shoulders, helping him to his feet. He was awake, but in obvious pain from the way he was hunched in on himself, trying- and failing- to hold back his own grimace.

The man released Lloyd's hair, the knife pulling away from his throat. Giving him a half hearted glare that he only grinned at with rotting teeth, Lloyd forced himself to his feet, stumbled and caught himself on the bars.

Cole reached out, as though to help him, but Lloyd shook his head- stopped himself and sent him a look instead- before bracing himself and standing up properly. He wavered for a moment, vision briefly swimming, but he didn't fall again.

Looking over his shoulder, he spotted Zane kneeling next to Nya and the doctor- what was his name again? Did he even tell them his name?- talking quietly. The doctor seemed to be telling them something, Zane and Nya listening intently. Then, nodding and glancing over at the guards standing outside their cells, Zane helped Nya position Jay so that one arm was under his knees and the other was under his back, before the nindroid helped his sister to her feet, Jay in her arms.

With swords pointed at them, the Ninja were led from their cells, the doors clanging shut loudly. Lloyd made eye contact with Nelson and Skales Jr, who were huddled up against the bars watching. He tried to send them a reassuring look, but within moments they had turned the corner, and the two children were gone from his sight.

There were about twelve guards escorting them, and their combined footsteps echoing in the dark halls was like a live concert at full volume. Lloyd's head felt as though it were about to explode. Or maybe implode. Or maybe both at the same time, if that was even possible (he didn't think it was, but his brain felt like it would make it possible).

The tip of a sword pressed further into his spine, and he grunted, teeth clenching. He could almost sense the Black Rags grin.

Beside him was Nya and Jay. They were around the same size, and this must be making her carrying him a bit hard. but she seemed to be doing fine. He worried that the constant movement would make Jay worse, but he remained as nonresponsive as ever, that makeshift bandage hiding the gaping hole that had been his eye.

Twisting a little to look behind him, he found a shockingly pale Kai putting most of his weight on Cole. Of course, being the strongest out of a group of already pretty strong people, Cole hardly seemed to notice.