Chapter Text
Out of Ninjago’s three deserts the western sea of sand was the smallest. It was 3 times smaller than the largest desert and should have only taken a day or two to cross on foot. However, lately the desert had been acting up, sand storms would spawn out of nowhere and the temperature was above what was normal. Even though the sun had set several hours ago, a chill had yet to settle over the desert. This heat was attributed to humidity brought on by a rare storm that was brewing above the desert, both wind and rain threatening to break through the dark clouds at any moment. Lightning lit up the dunes and revealed a young man trudging across the sand, seeking shelter from the oncoming storm. The man's cloak was ragged and worn. A mask obscured most of his features revealing only brown curly hair and deep brown eyes. He wandered aimlessly, as his map had blown away and was lost to the seemingly endless desert. Perhaps its master would join it. His only point of reference for miles was a mountain on the western edge of the dunes.
He’d been walking towards it for days, or so he hoped. His journey had been plagued by sand storm after sand storm, making it impossible to see anything beyond the shifting sands.
A raindrop landed in his path, and another quickly followed. He hadn’t managed to outrun the storm after all. Thunder rumbled overhead as the sky finally began to give way to the rain. His only chance was to reach the foothills and take shelter in a cave. But that chance was slipping away with every passing second as the rain fell harder and harder. Something suddenly hit the sand beside him. He turned to look and saw a piece of ice the size of a walnut stuck in the ground. The storm had turned to hail. He’d hoped the storm might bring rain he could catch in his flask, but instead it came down hard and frozen. Small chunks of ice rattled against his hood, and a larger one slammed against his shoulder with a dull thud.
He needed shelter. Now.
One foot in front of the other, he forced himself toward the mountains. They were his only hope for shelter but they still seemed so impossibly far.
The ice kept getting larger. He sensed the hailstone a split second before it struck, but it was too late. It hit the side of his head, sending his vision spinning as he fell to the ground. For a while he just lay there in the damp sand. He wasn’t sure how long he laid there before his vision steadied. Hail continued to pound the ground around him, a few pummeling into his side. This was a mistake, he never should have left home. He laid there, waiting for the sands to consume him.
They say you see a light before you die, the young man supposed this must be true because he spotted a light flickering in the distance. He closed his eyes, thinking this was the end but the light disappeared. It was real. The light was real! He rushed up into a sitting position. A mistake, as his vision went white and he found himself back on the ground. Righting himself more carefully this time he peered into the distance and there, at the edge of the desert sat a building. Hope swelled in his chest for the first time in a long while as he stood and broke into a run.
The soaked sand was easier to run on than the dry but the wind whipped around him, pulling him back with each step. His legs ached as he pushed forward. Lightning struck the dunes, creating glass sculptures in its wake. The sky boomed, it felt as if the ground was shaking. Every step he took pulled the building closer, patches of grass sat nestled in the sand as the desert transitioned to field. The man could see the building more clearly now, it was several buildings with a surrounding wall. The gate was left unguarded in the storm.
He pushed his way through the gate into the courtyard. Even through the wind and rain he instantly recognised the setting, it was a monastery. He stood in what seemed to be the training yard. He'd laugh if it didn’t feel like his lungs were on fire. He dragged himself to the main building and practically fell against the door.
The door opened “Well, well, well. What do we have here?” A figure reached its hand down to help the young man up, “a guest at this time of night? Come in come in, I can’t have you dying on my door step, your skeleton would make an awful lawn decoration”
The room was a rather large one, and what appeared to be a dining room. There was a long table in the middle and a fireplace on the far end. An ornate chandelier hung in the middle of the room providing most of the light. The chairs and seats were cushioned and a plush carpet spread across the floor. The whole set up seemed a tad acquisitive to the young man, but he knew better than to say so to the hosts who had so graciously let him.
“Please, please take off your cloak and dry yourself, wouldn’t want you soaking the carpet” The figure said
The young man removed his cloak but it did little good, he was soaked from head to toe. He hung his cloak and staggered over to the fireplace.
“Who is this, Master? A voice droned from across the room.
“A traveller, Clouse, someone caught in the storm.”
In the light of the fire the young man got a better look at the master of the house. He had to be older than his student by at least 20 years and had striking bright red hair. He wore black ornate silk robes with a snake skin belt. The young man could swear his necklace was also made of snake teeth. On the other hand, the student, Clouse, he supposed, had oily black hair. He also wore a snake skin belt like his master and had a very similar necklace hung around his neck, but he wore a slightly plainer outfit. Though, it only looked plain next to the master's outfit. He wore a vibrant purple tunic and had one more necklace, a green amulet. He also seemed to be outfitted with a permanent sneer on his face.
“Are you sure it’s wise to be bringing strangers in, Master?”
“Oh please Clouse, a half dead boy poses us no threat,” The master smiled at his guest. A gold tooth gleamed in the candle light “No offense, of course”
“None taken,” He coughed and pain burned on his side. His fingers found a bruise from the hail and he began to feel the goose egg forming on his head.
The Master led the young man to the table in the middle of the room. He walked to the other side of the table and opened his mouth to ask a question when the young man's stomach growled.
The Master paused, “Hungry are we?” he turned to Clouse “Clouse go have some food prepared for our guest.
Clouse bowed and retreated through a side door as the Master turned back to the young man “Tell me do you like noodles?”
It turned out the cooks made more than just noodles. The choices were practically endless. There noodles of course but there were also potstickers, rice, stir fry and at least five different types of dumplings
The young man began practically shoving food onto his plate, and even more eagerly into his mouth. The food was delicious, if he were any good at cooking he would have asked for the recipes.
“With manners like that, you’d think you haven't eaten for days,” Clouse sneered
“I haven’t. I ran out of food days ago.”
“Well in that case eat your fill,” The Master smiled
“Only fools attempt to cross the sand sea with no supplies.”
The young man grimaced “I had plenty of supplies, I was beset by sand storms, the weather has been unpredictable this season. I was headed east, however when I ran out of supplies I turned around and headed to the mountains. I would have made it, if it weren’t for this storm”
Clouse opened his mouth to fire a retort when the Master interrupted, “Then it is lucky you stumbled upon this place. We have plenty of supplies for when you set back out.”
The young man took a sip of water, “I have an inquiry if you wouldn't mind, Master”
“Inquire away, you’re an interesting young man and I enjoy questions.”
“I couldn’t help but notice that this is a monastery. May I ask, what is it that you teach?”
The Master laughed, “All sorts of things, it depends what one is looking for. Clouse here is studying the dark arts of the ancient serpentine”
“Master Chen!” Clouse hissed “We should not be revealing our secrets to an outsider”
“You're Master Chen?”
“You know of me?”
“Yes I have,” he nodded, “Perhaps destiny had a hand in that storm. I’ve been searching for a teacher.”
“You wish to learn from me?” Chen hummed “All right, you say destiny brought you here, how so?
“My Father was a very powerful man, a master in his own right. Once upon a time me and my brother were equal in his eyes, but there was an accident and I have never been the same since. I became a risk, a threat even. My brother walks the path our father intended for us, but my path is a different one, a darker one. My training was never completed, my father feared what I’d become. Once he passed I set out in search of guidance.”
“An accident changed you?”
“I was poisoned, bitten by a snake,” The young man hesitated, “I suppose you’ve heard of The Great Devourer? Its poison killed the good in me. Evil flows through my veins"
“The Great Devourer?” Clouse scoffed, “I’ve had enough of this. It was sealed hundreds of years ago! Master, do not waste your time entertaining this foolish idea.”
“Hold on now Clouse,” Chen brought up a finger to silence his pupil, “perhaps we should believe him, after all, the son of the first spinjitzu master wouldn’t lie to us. Would you, Garmadon?”
Garmadon ducked his head in a bow. “It would appear little gets past you, Master Chen.”
“Oh please, it wasn’t exactly hard. There are very few people who could’ve possibly been bitten by a snake so old,” Chen laughed." All right Garmadon, you’ve piqued my interest. I will teach you, so long as you only use the tactics I teach you. Your ’spinjitzu’ is forbidden.”