Shifting Sands (Ninjago AU)

Chapter 4- Of Presents Given and Received

CW: vague mentions of assault

"Stop! Thief!"

Yes, because yelling at him to 'stop' was really going to bring Kai to a screeching halt. He rolled his eyes. The guards gave themselves entirely too much credit. If anything, their shouts only fueled his determination to get away. Though the bread and oranges he'd recently 'acquired' suddenly felt a lot heavier in his pockets.

People scattered before Kai- no one willing to help the proposed thief, but neither was anyone willing to look like allies of the king's soldiers. Ducking down a side alleyway Kai spotted a ladder leading to the flat rooftops. 'I hope this doesn't kill me!' He scrambled up the wall and reached the roof right as the guards turned the corner.

Not stopping to see if they'd seen him climb, Kai continued his sprint. Now instead of dodging pedestrians, he had to dodge gravity. Small price to pay if it got him away. Maybe if he ran towards the setting sun, even though it was the opposite way than Jay's where everyone was supposed to meet up, they wouldn't see him as easily-

"-He's up there!-"

"-Morro get your squad this way!-"

"-I see him!-"

'Crap.' Forcing his aching legs faster Kai turned north in hopes that changing directions would throw off his pursuers. 'I've got to find a way down!' The last thing he needed was to be cornered twenty some feet (6.1m) above the ground. Several of the houses flying beneath his feet had stairs, but they led to the inside of the building. Getting stuck in some random person's house didn't sound any more appealing than being attacked on the roof. He grit his teeth and kept going.

The dense loaf in his hand felt heavier than it should have. Yes he'd gone a little overkill trying to flinch this, but with Nya's birthday 'celebration' in less than an hour and very little to show for it... Kai has gotten a little greedy. Just in time for one of the extra patrols to spot him and give chase.

Trying to keep from squeezing the bread into a crumbly mess he turned back toward the east. Three houses later two wooden prongs poked above one of the roofs. 'Please be a ladder, please be a ladder- Yes!!' He scurried down and took to the streets again. Somewhere between going up and down the houses he put himself out of the guards line of vision.

Gradually the sounds of pursuit died away. Kai pressed on for a few more minutes before stumbling to a halt in a darkening alleyway. He leaned against the wall, panting heavily. 'That was way too close.' And now several guards knew what he looked like- just what every criminal wanted. 'Some birthday run this has turned out to be.' He thought bitterly. That's all he wanted to get Nya as a present; his incarceration and probable execution. A small sound, almost like a whimper, broke him out of his thoughts.

Kai spun on his heel and looked around. The alley wasn't as empty as he'd initially thought. It took a moment in the poor light, but Kai gradually began to make out a hunched figure within the shadows. He was about to leave when the sound came again. 'Don't do it, don't do it...' Too many people pretended they were in need of help in order to waylay some unsuspecting soul.

Still, Kai hesitated.

The noise had sounded like someone in actual trouble. He looked around, but no one else appeared to be lurking nearby. Cautiously Kai took a step forward. The person immediately scooted farther away.

"Hello?"

Instead of an answer another choked noise exploded from the individual and one of their arms came up to cover their head. Kai froze but was now close enough to make out the details of the person before him.