Chapter Text
“Slow down, Kai..”
“Ah ah ah, Nya. I’m the blacksmith here.”
Kai rapidly hits the hot piece of metal with a copper hammer. Sweat forms on his forehead, ‘ but definitely not from concentration ’ Nya thinks to herself, shaking her head. She continues dusting the counters as Kai rambles on.
“To forge the perfect weapon,” - bang - “you need first to find,” - clank - “the right metal and plenty of,” - bang - “heat. Cool it off… and… and… PRESTO!”
The sword is tinted red, still cooling off. It's bent and the edges are all uneven. The tip doesn’t even look like it could slice a piece of cloth, much less be used as a sword.
Nya giggles, crossing her arms. “You did it too quickly.” She picks up a bucket of water off the ground, pouring the contents into the basin. “Father says-”
“I know, I know. No matter how much fire you have, experience isn’t something you can learn overnight… yeah yeah yeah.”
Kai walks over to the basin and submerges the sword inside, a loud hisssss followed by billows of steam. Nya walks over to the spectacle, peering inside.
“That may work for you Nya, but I’m gonna be a better blacksmith than Dad ever was.”
“Whatever you say…”
Nya turns, picking up a large bucket of tools, from hammers to tongs and the like. She never really had an interest in forging and spent her time tinkering with the scrap metal Kai left lying around. But her disinterest didn’t stop her from helping her brother in the little ways she could. From helping cool off the– failed– weapon attempts to just helping maintain the shop, she was always busy.
Nya sighs as she places the tools on the work table in the corner, fiddling with them until the handles are evenly spaced out.
She had only been three when they– Kai and Nya’s parents– left. And to be completely honest, she couldn’t even blame Kai for not getting the hang of it. Their dad was pretty much the only blacksmith around, and he left before he could teach anything to Kai. But even still, it wouldn’t hurt for him to take a breath and use his brain.
A small smile prickled Nya’s lips as she swept the old, wooden floors. She stole a few glances at her brother, who was still scowling at the bin of water and misshapen metal.
Whenever Kai would describe them– their parents– it was unbearably vague. Probably because he was only five when they disappeared. But he would always describe their dad as capricious and temperamental, just like himself.
It was always comforting to think of Kai as an extension of their father. It made Nya feel a lot closer to the two despite barely remembering their faces.
Grabbing a small duster, Nya begins clearing the worktables, humming to herself. She looks over her shoulder, stifling laughs as she watches Kai destroy another forged weapon. He never was gonna learn.
“I should just run the shop, at this point,” she giggles, loud enough for Kai to hear. “Who knows, maybe I’d be a natural. Finally bring some business in around here.” But honestly, who knew. If it wasn’t for her disinterest in the craft, she probably could have been bringing actual business around here yesterday .
Kai scowls before turning back to his work, prompting snickers from Nya.
“I’ll leave you to it then, goofy.” She ducks immediately, a grin on her face as a stained apron hits the wall behind her.
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Kai watches as Nya’s silhouette disappears into the town. She had decided that they needed to stock up on food because of an incoming heatwave, ordering Kai to do the rest of her chores. Not that there was much else for him to do.
He scratches at his palms as he looks at the array of weapons on the furthest wall in the shop. There were dozens of weapons, most of which his father made. A few that Nya had selected from Kai’s roster were up there too. A few pretty good swords, and a spear or two. But there was a very distinct difference between the years of perfecting and practice clearly recognizable as his father’s work and… Kai’s.
Kai groans, squatting to the floor, hands resting on the back of his head. Maybe he wasn’t cut out for this after all. No matter how hard he’d tried, nothing he made was half as good as his dad’s. All he wanted was to be able to make a decent wage. Sure, the neighbors helped out, giving them money for groceries when what they had ran thin. But being so dependent on the elderly folk in the town didn’t sit right with him. And it wasn’t like the town was wealthy or anything, Ignacia as a whole was pretty much the definition of poverty in the country as far as he knew.
Kai stands back up, making his way back to the furnace. No use moping over it all.
Gingerly, Kai picks up the bellows on the floor, tossing in a few pieces of old wood inside the kiln with his free hand. He blew at the fire using the bellows, watching as the flames and embers danced, intricate patterns forming only to disappear at a moment's notice.
Such was the way of fire. Eating away at whatever you dare feed it, mimicking life with its joyous dance, illuminating the world around it. Bathing you with its warmth.
Kai sat in front of the furnace, watching the embers dance for what felt like an eternity. He didn’t even notice Nya’s return, or the sun falling behind the horizon.
“...aii. KAI. ” Nya smacks the back of Kai’s scalp, swinging his head forward.
“What’s the big id-”
“You’ve been sitting here for hours , stupid. Come upstairs to eat before you starve yourself.”
Slowly, Kai gets up watching as Nya storms up the stairs, the steps creaking as if they’d give way any moment. Kai slowly followed, finally noticing the smell of some sort of vegetable stew.
Nya was sitting on the floor at a low table. On the table was a huge pot, filled to the brim. Next to the pot were two small spoons and two bowls filled with rice.
“That nice lady who moved in last month,” Nya explained, waving Kai over. “She loves cooking. She made too much apparently, and gave us most of it.”
Kai’s mouth waters, and he sat down across from his sister. She begins pouring some of the soup into the bowls, Kai noting how there was no steam.
“The food’s cold cause you were hogging the furnace,” Nya says snarkily, a fake scowl on her face. Kai only shrugs as he begins stuffing his face with food.
“Mhm mhmm mhmhm” he excuses. Nya looks unconvinced as she began eating– much slower than Kai, who was trying to choke himself.
As Kai ate, steam began billowing from his bowl, the room bathed in the delicious-smelling steam. The smell of cooked mushrooms, ginger, and carrots engulfed them, and Kai sighs in happiness. Nya’s face contorts, staring at Kai’s bowl and then the pot.
“Why ish…” she starts, pointing her spoon at Kai. Kai looks up, mouth still stuffed.
“Why… ish what?” He asks between bites. Nya motions wildly above her head and the steamy room, Kai finally taking notice. He looks down at his bowl and takes note of the food in his mouth which had become warmer despite not being over a fire.
Kai spits out his food, the glob of chewed-up rice and vegetables splattering onto the floor. “Eww…” Nya groans, getting up to open the window. She begins fanning out the steam with her hands, watching as it rises up into the sky, merging with the atmosphere.
Kai mixes his soggy rice around, and most of the liquid and soup evaporated. His spoon hit something hard at the bottom, and he hastily folds the rice over to reveal the bottom of the bowl. The bowl was charred, and the rice was brown and burnt.
“I’m… I’m not really hungry anymore.” A loud, drawn-out groan could be heard from the window, paired with a glare only a mother could give.
Before the bobbed girl could protest, the all-too-familiar chime of the bell in the shop rang, alerting both of the presence of a customer.
“I got it!” Nya shouts, practically flying down the stairs, all forgotten. Kai begins cleaning up where they ate, sopping up the spilled soup with an old shirt.
“Kai!” Nya’s voice cracks as she shouts up the stairs. “He wants ‘ta see you!”
Kai drops the soaked shirt on the hardwood floor and begins to– slowly– make his way downstairs. An exasperated sigh leaves his lips before he could stop it, and he crosses his arms as he leans on the wall.
“What do you want?”
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Wu walks up the small incline leading to the blacksmith shop. ‘Four Weapons,’ the sign on the front of the shop read, the woodwork oh-so-familiar to Wu.
He steps onto the threshold, inhaling the smell of stew. He looks up, seeing two lanky arms frantically waving steam out the window. Wu chuckles, making his way to the threshold. He lifted his bō, hitting the bell hanging on the sign with a thin piece of ribbon. The bell rang louder than anticipated, and before he knew it the sound of scrambling and heavy footsteps.
A short girl with an even shorter bob appears at the top of the stairs in the back, a huge grin plastered onto her face. When she sees who is standing at the entrance, she hesitates, her swift steps faltering for a moment.
“Kai!” she turns, shouting upstairs. “I think he wants youuu!”
The girl turns back to Wu, grabbing his hand and dragging him further into the small shop.
“We have an assortment of weapons to choose from,” she says, recited and robotic.
“From spears to swords, and if you need anything special you can commission the blacksmith-'' Kai's huff directs both Wu and the girl’s attention to the stairs. A soft smile was hidden under his beard. The teen’s hair was spiked and jagged, hanging over his ears. He wore a white tunic and a khaki apron covered in stains. His expression was distorted with utter disdain. Not much unlike Ray the first time Wu met him…
“Speak of the devil,” she mutters as Kai leans against the wall, glaring at Wu.
“What do you want?” Kai grumbles, expression troubled and irritated. Wu strains himself, holding in laughs at the kid’s attempt to be… intimidating maybe? His sister keeps glaring at him, as if she were trying to tell him to stop. Not very subtle.
“I just would like to see your array of weapons, if it's not a bother,” Wu says slowly, placing his hands behind his back, admiring the assortment of equipment on the wall.
Kai scowls and steps closer to the old man. Wu gazes out the corner of his eye as the teen approaches him, anger in his eyes. He shifts his hand on his bamboo staff ever so slightly, stopping Kai in his tracks.
Kai grumbles something under his breath, before looking up at the old man once more.
“Unless you’re gonna buy something, you should leave. The shop isn’t ‘For Browsing,’ after all.”
Wu laughs, his beard swaying and tickling his feet.
“And here I thought there was something special…” He says heartily as he spins on his heel, slowly leaving the shop.
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Nya clocks Kai upside the head, prompting a yelp from her brother.
“First customer in weeks and you scare them off!” She grumbles. Kai shot her a glare, brushing his hair out of his face.
“Do you know him or something? This is the third time this week he’s come around here.”
Kai shrugs, leaning against the wall, arms crossed.
“I think he was friends with Dad… or something. I dunno.” He sighs, turning back to Nya, who still looked puzzled. She was clearly straining herself from asking questions, and Kai was grateful.
To be honest, he didn’t really know where he knew him from. The old man, that is. He could have sworn that he remembered the man in his memories, chatting with his father, exchanging pleasantries with his mother. But a name never stuck, and the face was always vague and blurred, like a dream.
The man had started visiting the shop frequently, usually when Nya was in the town. At first, Kai tried offering his services, but it soon became apparent the man wasn’t there for weapons. It had begun to stress the teen out, worrying about his sister’s safety. But he had never shone interest in her… only Kai. Which wasn’t any less nerve-wracking. Kai convinced himself the old man had some sort of memory issue or something, but still kept his guard up whenever he did appear.
“I’m gonna take a walk,” Kai says suddenly, yanking his apron off. The shop– despite the open wall– had begun to get stuffy. Nya looks at Kai, tensing up. She presses her lips together, nodding. But he wasn’t even looking for the affirmation and was already on his way down the path.
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Kai shoves his hands into his trouser pockets as he walks down the emptying streets. Absentmindedly kicking gravel, he looks around at the shops and houses. He stops in front of the home of the town’s tailor. Through the window, he could see the happy, wrinkled smile of the seamstress. A kid– not much older than Nya– hugs her, mouth wide in a gapped smile. A taller man with rusty hair smiles as he places a weathered hand on the shoulder of the woman. Kai felt a tinge of something tug at his heart. Jealousy maybe.
He feels his eyes begin to prickle as he tears his gaze away from the family. He wants to have that, he wants to give Nya that. He wants to give her a life where she doesn't have to take on the role of another adult. A life where she could be a kid.
He walks to the outskirts of the town, counting his steps and mind wandering as he repeatedly loses count. The gravel and half done pavement turned into dirt paths as he walked further and further.
Leaning on the fences outlining the rice fields, Kai sighs. He looked to the sky, hoping an answer would drop out of the sky. Or something would just fall out the sky and hit him. He wasn’t picky.
He did feel salty at times. His whole childhood was spent taking care of her. As much as Kai loved his sister, there were times he wished he could go to school, he could go out and make friends and do stuff . It felt selfish of him, when she had an equally hard time. Sure, she is getting more schooling than Kai did. Sure she got to have more freetime. But she had no mother, no father to guide her. And they were siblings, Nya and Kai. And they often acted it, getting into petty fights and disagreements.
Kai scratches at his hand, feeling something inside him begin to smolder. He feels his face flush and his expression was probably anything but pleasant.
Parents were supposed to separate them, telling them ‘you all need to act like you love each other,’ and ‘to get along or else.’ Parents were supposed to tell them random tips and tricks to make life easier and more fun. But where were their parents? Who knows where doing who knows what not giving a damn about either of them.
He turns, leaning his elbows over the splintered wood, observing as the murky water rippled with the wind. The wood digs into his arms, the splinters impaling the rough skin. He’ll take them out later, and maybe ask Nya to help if they get too deep. Another thing that parents should be doing, helping kids soothe their scratches and burns, picking out splinters and ticks while lecturing about being more careful.
As Kai scratches at his hand again, trying to get the itch out of his skin, he feels something inside him begging to bubble. But the more he thought about it, the more vexing it was. Where are they?
Warmth ate at his arm, prompting his gaze to fall. His hands, stained with soot and scars from where his gloves were thinning, were aflame. Fire, dancing on the skin. The fire crackled softly, the embers twirling over his palms, dancing up his arm. The fire was orange, the warmth licking at his skin.
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Kai couldn’t even scream. He inhaled as if he were going to. He exhaled. Hard. But nothing came out.
Anyone watching him was the least of his worries as he flailed his hands around, trying to wave out the fire. His hair swung around, slapping him in his face.
Oh gosh oh gosh this was it. He was gonna burn to a crisp, and leave Nya alone. Nya would hate him for this. The blacksmith shop would go under and she’d be all alone. And-
Kai blinks. Then blinks again.
The fire wasn’t shriveling up and burning his skin. Looking closer, there were no marks, no wrinkles… if it wasn’t for the fire actively twirling over his skin, nothing would even be out of the ordinary.
Inhaling a sharp breath, Kai lifts his other hand, allowing the fire to wash over it. The warmth… the familiarity… it was like…
Hours went by. The sun went down, the wind billowed, and Kai sat, watching the fire dance along his arms. He felt himself moving with the fire, and something in his heart ebbing and flowing as the fire rippled.
A small drizzle began, and Kai felt the fire struggling to live. He didn’t know how, but he told the fire to leave, that it’d be okay. The fire extinguished, with not as much of a mark or wisp of smoke in its place. A cold swept through his bones, leaving him in a shivering mess in the midst of summer.
Kai falls to his knees, clutching his stomach as if he were in pain. He gasps, trying to focus on the warm air around him. But this cold, it was like a barrier, all of the warmth and heat of the summer to be rendered useless.
Using all of his strength, he forces himself to stand, forcing himself to limp through the town, clutching his stomach and rubbing his arms all the while. The small hill in front of his home was like a mountain, each step pained and heavy. He leans against the wide doorway to the shop, trying to catch his breath before he entered.
Stepping in the shop had helped alleviate the cold somewhat, but as a result threw a spell of fatigue over him. Nearly crawling, Kai somehow makes it to the stairs, nearly passing out as he did. At the top of the stairs, he limps over to his sister’s bed, satisfied seeing her facing the wall and still.
Struggling, he hobbles to his bed. Pulling his blanket over himself, he curls into a fetal position, trying to feel whatever heat in his body was left. He covered himself in the blanket, rubbing his hands together, hoping the fire would reappear; hoping it would warm him. A few sparks flung from his fingertips, singing small spots on his sheet. But those few sparks dimmed, leaving him shivering into the night.
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Nya watches as her brother trudges down the path, a geyser of worry erupting in her. Ever since that old man showed up, Kai had been leaving, saying how he “needed time to think.” Kai never thought that much, on purpose that is. Not even mentioning that he was sick or something.
He would show up, and on the days that he appeared before the sunset, he’d just say he was tired, and go to sleep, trembling. It had gotten better, but it was pitiful, especially since it was clear that he thought Nya didn’t notice.
She had tried asking him if anything was wrong, but just got the same answer in reply.
“I’m just a bit drowsy. Must be the weather.”
Whenever their skin brushed, he was burning hot, much worse than any fever he’s ever had. She had changed the blankets a few times, and there were small singe marks all over the off-white cotton.
She sighs, pulling the skin by her eyes down. She did not want to deal with the repercussions of this, whatever happened to be going on. So there wasn’t really much of a choice, huh.
This wasn’t fair. Kai took it apon himself to make everything easy for Nya, beating himself down in the process. Then, whenever he reaches his breaking point, its a big mess for her to clean up, instead of them shouldering the burden together.
Nya groans as she watches him disappear into the town. Now or never, I guess, she hums as she wordlessly slips out the shop, tailing her brother as he hastily walks through the town.
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Kai pushes himself onto the fence, kicking his feet over the top of the water. When his feet clip the marsh, drops splash everywhere. He looks into the water, unable to see the bottom. His stomach lurches, and he swings his legs back over, content with sitting on the pathway.
Opening his hand and with a minute of concentration, a small yellow flame appears in his hand. He continues staring at the fire, watching as it began to phase into blue. The now familiar prickling sensation was now comforting in a way.
He gasps, not realizing he was holding his breath. The flame returns to its yellow color, licking at his fingers.
Kai jumps, his heart dropping as the all-too-familiar, piercing voice of his sister sounded the air. His fire disappears as if it were scared too, and Kai turns, eyes wide as saucers.
“ KAIII !”
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Kai looks behind him like a toddler caught in the act. Nya storms towards him grabbing his hand and yanking it into the air, forcing him to scramble to his feet.
“Hey, Nya…”
“Why do you alway s do this ? ”
Kai blinks. Once. Twice, Thrice– erm. Three times. In front of him was his sister, hair windblown, tanned face flushed. Her face was twisted, but not angry. She looked… sad.
Kai drops his head, scanning the ground beneath his feet for an excuse that wouldn’t come. He feels Nya’s grip around his wrist loosen slightly before tightening again.
“...I’m… sorry.” Kai whispers the words, hoping they’d be lost to the wind. He feels his palms prickling again, not thinking anything of it until Nya shrieks.
He looks up at his sister, who had dropped his hand. Her hands were clamped around her mouth, and she was staring at his arm. Kai’s vision drops, finally noticing the warmth coming with the fire dancing across his skin, up his shoulders, across, and down the other arm.
“K-Kai..?” Nya’s voice was shrill, and her expression was as if someone tossed confusion, sadness, fear, and a small bit of annoyance into a blender.
Closing his fist, the fire extinguishes. It felt more… natural than before. He opens his fist again, letting his fire breathe once more. For a moment he forgets about his bewildered sister.
“I’ve been like this for the past few weeks…” he mumbles, holding up his fire to the light of the sun, watching as the air around it warps and ripples with the heat. Nya only stares at him as if he were crazy, taking a step forward before inching back, unable to decide what to do.
Kai lets the fire blow away with the wind before turning to his sister. He holds out his hand, a small smile on his face.
“C’mon Nya. You know me.” He watches as her eyebrows knit together as she slowly takes his hand.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. It's been… weird.” Nya only nods, still staring at his free hand that had just been inflamed.
“Is this why you’ve been sick too?”
Kai blinks, guilt creeping into his chest. Of course she knew. Nya loved her dear, dear brother so much, the only family she had. Of course she'd stay up waiting for him to come back.
Kai slowly nods, thinking of the coldness in his chest the first few times he extinguished the fire, and the seat soaked sheets when he woke up.
Nya catches him in a hug, throwing him off guard. He sputters before laughing, rustling her already messy hair.
“What’s the big idea, squirt?”
“Stop being so damn secretive.” Kai stiffens before bursting into laughter. Nya also howls, small tears welling up in her eyes.
Suddenly pulling away, Nya snatchs Kai's hand, inspecting the palms and creases that she knew so well.
“So,” Nya begins, dropping Kai's hand. “What now?” Kai shrugs, igniting a small flame on his fingertip, snorting when his sister shrieks and stumbles back. Nya picks up a fistful of dirt and throws it at him in retaliation, her expression dripping with (fake) irritation.
“I’m just asking. Stupid.”
“Watch the hair! Watch the hair!”
Nya stands on her tip-toes, ruffling Kai’s hair. They were both smiling for miles, their laughs and shrieks ringing throughout the rice fields.
Nya suddenly stills, her cheerful laughter and playful giggles halted. Kai pauses, hand still tangled in her hair. His eyes begin to wander, following his sister’s train of sight.
A few meters away stood two skeletons. Living skeletons. One of them, shorter and with spikes protruding from his skull, was holding a cleaver with a horrid grin on his face. He was quivering and bounding from one foot to the other, swinging his dull knife wildly around him while singing shrilly.
The second skeleton, only a few inches taller, wore a helmet of a similar style of the old ones that Kai had found laying around, minus the weathered and worn down stamp of their parents. His eyes were bright red, the light pulsating. He was standing still, a spear in his hand. He was still and silent, unlike his bouncing, warbling friend, his smile and the glint in his eyes sending chills down the siblings’ spines.
They both wore loin-cloths, with chest and shoulder plates fastened to their upper bodies using a thick rope. The taller skeleton swings his spear towards the siblings, his grin widening.
“Kai and Nya Smith,” the taller one snarls, a biting edge to his voice. Kai can feel Nya tense up, and he feels the familiar warmth cover his arms.
“Garmadon sends his greetings.”
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