Chapter Text
Lloyd loved his father. And his mother, but he barely remembered her voice and her face at all, he only had her letters. And his dad wasn’t around much; he remembers his voice clearly and the red eyes he has. But until some weeks ago his shadow hasn’t appeared.
And now, snow crunched beneath his shoes and his breaths came out as puffs of air.
Because not long after his dad stopped showing up, they expelled Lloyd even if the letters of his mother kept coming, and he’d been walking down this path for… he doesn’t know, he lost track, things seeming a bit more faster than they should, he was more focused to keep the cloak on his shoulders, keeping the small amount of warmth. Because it was way too cold inside Darkleys in its winter, outside was worse.
He had to find shelter. A village, a house, a cave, or even a place where the dirt wasn’t hard to carve, he’d make with anything really. Staying out here in the freezing cold was not something he could do for much longer. He needed a place to stay. He needed warmth, and, and—
Food.
First Spinjitzu Master he needed to eat before falling to sleep. He needed something to eat soon or he was going to black out when he woke up again. He didn’t want to black out. He didn’t want to hurt anyone again…
Why was being bad so hard?
He hated that he felt bad for doing things he was supposed to do. Every time he did something mean to another classmate, guilt washed over him. Lloyd was the son of Lord Garmadon, a well-known and feared warlord! A simple feeling shouldn’t stop him from being bad. But it did, and he hated it. Not being able to be a villain.
He tried his best to pay attention in classes, he tried shoving those stupid emotions aside, tried to be mean...but he failed. And it was pretty obvious he couldn’t keep up in meanness with his classmates.
At least now he wouldn’t get picked on by others for not being bad enough.
He just needed to keep walking; the path should lead him somewhere. And it did, a tall pole stood where the path split into two. Two signs were attached to it, but one was faded and covered in snow. The other pointed out towards a mountain, with old but still legible writing. It took a moment of squinting, but he was able to make out ‘Jamanakai Village’.
A village!
He could find what he needed there! There would be shelter from the storm, there would be food, maybe he could even find someone who could—
Food.
He needed food.
He needed food now.
All of the other things could wait. Food was his first and highest priority. The village would have food. All he had to do was find it, and then he could wrap his tail around himself and sleep.
Lloyd looked down the long path towards the mountain and started walking forward.
Something about Jamanakai’s name put another thought in the tip of his tongue.
***
Jamanakai village was fairly small, built on the side and a bit into the mountain. It looked nice, the walk up here though? Not so much.
There were some trees still with red leaves around the village, a big fountain with a dragon statue on it, and lanterns. Lloyd liked the lanterns. They had a soft glow when lit, were warm and created large and deep shadows for him to hide. He doesn’t think the people will like him, something something history with snakes.
But now the sun wasn’t at its highest yet, so he should have an easier time finding food without problems.
He avoided entering yet, skirting around to see what it had and staying in alleys. Small village, fewer people around at this hour, it should make it easier to sneak in.
Yet
Furniture, clothes, toys, fireworks, another wood-related one, clockwork…
Where were all the shops with food??
There had to be, right? He’ll take even vegetables at this point!
He was so hungry.
Maybe if he looks around in the outskirt, he would find one, there always one food place there, there should be, if not he would need to wait to night to go into the ones in the center, how much is it for night—
Jackpot.
A candy shop. The shop's colorful sign reflected the shelves and jars inside, reds, purples, greens, yellows, practically every color in the rainbow lined the shelves inside. Almost endless stacks of candy stretched towards the ceiling. It was- Focus Lloyd.
He still needed to get in.
There was probably another door apart from the front, on the sides or the back, maybe the worker even left foo– Lloyd smiled at the back of the building, there it was, a door which could be opened from the outside, he made a note of the big trash bin and the bike, but there wasn’t really a smell of anything like food.
He moved to open the door, well, tried to open it by just moving the handle but it was clearly locked.
Good thing he was trying to enter another student room to put a prank before they told him to leave the school.
Click
Click
Click
He opened the door slightly, no lights, no close sounds of people, and, more important, the smell of food. He didn’t open the door fully and stepped into the room.
Storage.
There was nothing on display like in the front, but there was more.
He ran over the shelves, read some labels, and began to eat.
It was good.
Some were even better than the candy in his secret stash, and it tasted better than any food he had in months. Though it was Darkley’s food, so it wasn’t a high bar, but–
But
But it was less… filling.
And as much flavor there is (thesourthesweetthebitter), he was still hungry.
“Ugh.”
That pulled him from just keeping eating everything in front of him.
“What did they say about food in school? Vegetables good, fish is lighter, junk food is filling but bad and, and,” he muttered, if one very special thing he learned in Darkley’s was to keep a quiet voice when eating what you aren’t supposed to. “Bread. Bread, pasta, and rice fill.”
Lloyd sniffed around the place, getting farther from his exit.
He hoped that there would be something different. Did candies even had bread? Box, box, jars, box with jars, more boxes, a chair, box, box—
Chair?
He looks back, and there it is, a chair with a bag and a white sweater, the more to the front of the store he got the warmer. There’s a faint sound in the background, probably the person.
And it smells like food.
He takes both the bag and sweater to where the exit is, and once there, he starts to rummage in the bag.
Money, a book (out of the bag you), a diary (after taking some blank pages, out), a pen, some plastic cards (no use, out), mints, toilet paper, sunglasses (too big, out), keys (out), and the best thing inside, one big sandwich and apple cookies!
He takes it back; his luck was the best.
Now he has a sweater under his hoodie, and a new bag with things.
“If I’m right, there are some chocolate bars with nuts close,” He goes to check one of the boxes before he leaves this place, oh there they are—
“Where’s my bag!?”
His heart jumped to his throat, threw his hand inside the box and picked as much as he could before fleeing through the door, slamming it closed and running outside the village.
Well.
There goes his luck.
…
He probably jinxed it before.
Wait
Dammit.
He now needs to find another village where he could send a letter to his mom. Maybe she would come and pick him up.