Chapter 16

Garmadon watched as the group of Serpentine made their way toward the caves.

"Zane, what about that heat signature from earlier?"

"It is fading. Lloyd is most likely in that sarcophagus, and, if he is, he's dying."

Garmadon's grip on the rock tightened. He nearly exploded when they stopped. He couldn't take it any longer. He started to get up, but a strong grip on his bottom left arm stopped him. He looked back to see Wu holding him in place.

"Patients, brother. Just a little longer."

He felt his muscles tighten. "Fine, but as soon as they're with earshot, I'm going out and giving the snake a piece of my mind."

Wu nodded, and Garmadon sat back down. His entire body was on edge. His nerves couldn't take much more waiting.

When he could see the markings on Scales' head, he jumped up and ran from their hiding place. He tuned out the Ninjas' quiet protests.

"SCALES," he roared. The Serpentine stopped in their tracks. The Ninja and his brother flooded out behind him. Nothing was said for a long time.

Garmadon saw the Hypnobrai General bring his hand to his and a loud, piercing taxi-cab whistle echoed in the dry, desert air.

They seven residents of the Destiny's Bounty turned as a rumbling sound came from the Caves behind them. At first, he thought it was just another cave-in, but then the entire Serpentine army flooded out, the three remaining Generals leading the charge. The air filled with the sound of thousands of hissing, blood-thirsty snakes.

"You take on the Serpentine," he called above the mighty chorus. "I've got Scales."

Jay, Cole, Zane and his brother all used Spinjitzu and ran off to take on the massive army. Nya called her suit and hopped in, slashing through the masses with her giant katana. He himself was ready to charge through the crowd and find Scales, when something grabbed his wrist.

Kai was there, and Garmadon could see the fury burning bright in his eyes. "Let me help you. Scales may have taken your son, but he took my brother."

The Dark Lord nodded once, and turned back around just in time to see the Venge Stone sarcophagus hit the ground. A fury rivaled only by the temperamental Fire Ninja beside him rose up, and he plowed through the throng of snakes, using his dark purple Spinjitzu.

Once he stopped spinning, he could see Scales trying to make a break for it, dragging the sarcophagus behind him.

Not on my watch.

Kai stopped spinning as well and followed Garmadon's gaze. The Red Ninja's own gaze hardened. In an unspoken agreement, they both moved toward him, shoving anyone and everyone out of their way. You could smell the blood-lust emanating from the two.

When Scales finally spotted them, they were only a few feet away. His eyes widened, and he abandoned the sarcophagus, slithering away at full speed.

In one swift movement, Garmadon pulled a sword from the hands of a dead Serpentine warrior, jumped, using Spinjitzu to propel himself even further, and landed right in front of the blue Hypnobrai General. With the force of his own momentum, Scales couldn't stop himself in time.

The sickening shink as the snake impaled himself echoed across the battlefield. The other end of the sword was poking out of his back. Every single head turned their way. Garmadon was aware of the remaining Ninja, Nya, and his brother all pushing their way to the front of the circle that had formed around him, the snake, and the sarcophagus.

He pulled the sword out slowly, it making a horrible grinding noise as it rubbed against the scales of the Hypnobrai General. The snake's eyes were wide, staring at the weapon being removed from his gut.

When it was finally removed, Garmadon took a step back. Scales was still staring at the spot where the sword was, the gaping wound pouring blood and staining his once-blue scales a deep red.

Then he finally looked up and stared the four-armed man straight in the eye. Nobody moved.

Out of nowhere, Scales fell into a fit of coughing, causing the wound to convulse and more blood to flood out. When he looked up again, there was a trickle of blood running from his mouth. The snake spat a glob of the thick, red liquid at the Dark Lord's feet. Then he promptly collapsed to the ground, using his arms to support himself.

The fatally wounded snake started to laugh. It was delusional, something must've snapped in his head at the pain. The sound made many, including the Ninja, recoil, and make the circle wider.

"You're too late," Scales rasped, spitting out more blood. "The boy's been on the brink of death for hours. He's probably already dead." He continued to laugh, and his arms started to shake. The ground beneath him was soaked in his own blood.

His arms finally couldn't hold his weight any longer. The snake was weak from the loss of blood. He fell face first in to the crimson puddle, closing his eyes and letting out one final sigh. Scales, leader of the Hypnobrai, was dead.

Garmadon nudged the corpse with his foot, just to make sure. The snake didn't move. He looked up to face the army of Serpentine, and wiped the blood off his blade and onto the dead General's back.

The Serpentine scattered. All that was left were a few bodies and the remaining Generals. He raised his sword. They slithered off, following what was left of their kind.

Garmadon's attention was immediately directed to the Venge Stone sarcophagus. He rushed to it and pulled off the lid. His heart nearly stopped.

Lloyd's face was pale, a small trickle of blood trailing from the corner of his mouth. A large purple welt was on his forehead, and his blonde hair was dirty, matted with sweat and blood. His hands were cuffed in front of him with Venge Stone.

Garmadon sat cross-legged on the ground and pulled his son into his lap, easily breaking the cuffs with the inhuman strength granted to him along with four arms. He wiped Lloyd's hair out of his eyes, and brought his head down to listen and hear if his son was still breathing.

He was, and Garmadon sighed with relief, ignoring the Ninja's little cries of happiness. As he listened, though, he heard Lloyd's breath hitch once, and stop.

His whole body tensed. "No..." he muttered. "No, no, no, no, no!" Garmadon could feel his heart beating at a record speed. This isn't happening. This can't be happening!

Wu rushed forward, holding a small cup. "Make him drink this," he commanded. "It's a special healing tea I keep on me at all times in case of emergencies. I think this qualifies."

Garmadon took the cup with shaking hands, moving slowly as to not spill it. Every drop was needed to save his son.

He gently opened Lloyd's mouth and poured the tea down his throat. Everyone held their breath.

Long after everyone, excluding Garmadon, had thought it failed, that it hadn't worked, Lloyd took a shuddering breath and his eyelids fluttered and opened, revealing hazy and unfocused eyes.

"Son..." Garmadon couldn't describe how he was feeling as he held his son close. The word he chose was euphoric. "You're alive!"

"Hey, Dad." Lloyd's words were muffled by his father's shoulder, and slightly slurred. Garmadon felt him wince. "Crushing me."

"Sorry." He relaxed his death grip slightly. Suddenly, Lloyd started to convulse in his lap, and his face twisted up in agony.

"What's happening? What's wrong with him," Garmadon asked in a slightly shrill voice as his son cried out.

"It hurts; make it stop!" Lloyd called out, making the Dark Lord wince. Wu stepped forward again.

"Relax, Lloyd; that's the bone mending itself. It will hurt." The long-time Sensei placed a hand on the Green Ninja's forehead and the boy let out a breathy sigh and fell back into a deep sleep.

"What did you do?" Garmadon asked as he stroked his son's hair. Already the welt was fading.

"I put him to sleep, so he'll be unconscious for the pain of healing," his brother responded. "He's been through so much already. It seems very cruel to make him suffer through the agony that is healing him. Only when the process is done and his body is fully restored will he open his eyes again."

Garmadon closed his eyes and took a second to take it all in, still stroking Lloyd's hair. He opened his eyes again and leaned down to whisper into his son's ear.

"You're safe now, son. Sleep."