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Blearily, Cole blinked. He thought he was seeing something blue-grey. The sky, perhaps? He couldn't feel anything except the alarming throb of his head: pure, blinding, white pain. He also couldn't hear much, save from the screeching whistle that assaulted his ears.
He weakly lifted his left hand. At least, he thought that’s what he was doing. When he saw the black blur in front of his head, he felt himself regain senses in his limbs, his aching body beginning to reconnect.
Okay, so he’s not dead. Maybe. But if he’s outside, then where the hell is he? Last time he was conscious, he didn’t recall being outside. Or… did he? He remembered the colour purple… or pink.
Cole scowled in frustration. Everything before this moment was a mixed haze of abstract colours.
His hearing had returned quicker than he had expected. He could hear his laboured wheezes: weak attempts to grasp more air for his systems. He could also hear distant voices. Distant voices… He felt his height tighten. Was it the ninja?
He tried to make a noise to gain attention but the second he shifted his torso, his body went rigged and a strained whimper escaped his mouth.
He was now looking to his side, where a big mound of something was in front of him.
The voices were beginning to increase in volume, but they were still distant, like behind a wall of fog. He assumed they were getting nearer.
Suddenly, something moved in front of his face. Cole squinted, distinguishing that it was a humanoid figure. Recognisable, however? Not so much. He could make out a muscular figure, with purple skin that seemed to be saying something. Cole tried to reach his hand out but it landed on air.
Out of the blue, he felt light, as if he were on a cloud. Black dots circled in and out of his vision, feeling himself slip in and out of consciousness. He had no idea why, but all he craved was rest. Even his pain had seemed to momentarily fade away as he felt himself being gently moved…
The next time he came to, he felt more coherent. His vision was mostly restored, alongside his hearing. His eyelids had flickered open, landing on a dark roof. Wood or… stone? The ringing of his head was long gone, and he finally found himself being able to form thoughts. For example… Where on Earth was he? Was he even somewhere he knew? Somewhere he’d be… safe?
He turned his head right. He seemed to be in someone’s bedroom. It wasn’t one he recognised and that only increased the heavy pit in his gut.
“Yes… I will do so. Thank you, Fritz.” A deep, masculine voice came from behind the door, which was then gently swung open, revealing a familiar purple man from earlier, holding a steaming plate. His ears perked up upon seeing the man awake and also staring back.
“You’re awake… How are you feeling?” Asked… ‘he’, which appeared to either be a Geckle, a Munce or somehow both.
Cole found himself staring for a long time. He had no idea what to make of this. His brain felt foggy like he was part of a dream, but the ache of his body told him otherwise.
“I…” His voice was so raspy it felt foreign to him: frail and shattered. He attempted to clear his throat, but it led to a coughing fit. He twisted to the side, spluttering towards the mattress. His torso screamed in pain, but he had no choice but to dispel the words lodged in his throat.
The Geckle-Munce man placed his plate down on a makeshift desk, and hurried over to the stranger, crouching down to be eye-level with him. Cole felt their hand on his left shoulder, a meek attempt at comfort.
The man patiently waited for Cole to regain his composure; his eyes, surprisingly, full of compassion. Cole looked up at him, and felt the pit in his gut begin to dissipate. He wasn’t sure, but something about him radiated safety.
“Where… am I?” Cole’s weak, fragile voice filled the some-what awkward silence.
A sad, sympathetic expression plastered across his face. It brought worry upon Cole again.
“You’re in the Land of Lost Things.” He replied, seemingly avoiding eye contact for a heartbeat.
“I haven’t…” Cole’s mind raced. The Land of Lost Things. It was a name completely unfamiliar to Cole, and that just brought panic upon him.
The Geckle-Munce noticed the change in his demeanour and tried to get Cole to look at him.
“Hey. Hey. It’ll all make sense soon. I promise.” His voice was soft and gentle, bringing Cole back to his rational senses. Cole tried to look into his eyes, but he couldn’t focus, his gaze slipping past the hybrid.
“Is… that near Ninjago?” He delicately asked.
The Geckle-Munce tilted his head, “Ninjago? No.”
Cole felt the room tilt and his breathing deepened. He didn’t want to show this stranger his vulnerable side, but hearing the news dampened many of Cole’s spirits. He just… wasn’t sure what to make of this situation. He was lost and moderately wounded in a place possibly off the map.
The hybrid moved and grabbed the plate from before, bringing it down in front of Cole. Regretfully, Cole didn’t feel at all hungry.
“I know you may not feel hungry as of now, but I urge you to eat at least something. You need it to recover.” Said he, handing the plate to Cole, who took it with quivering hands. The Geckle-Munce’s eyebrows were plastered upward, displaying soft dismay.
The food in front of Cole looked, smelt and tasted alien, but the strange person was correct. If he wanted to figure out what was going on, he’d first need his strength.
“Rest up and eat as much as you can. I’ll be back soon.” And with that, his new-found company was gone. Cole was left to stomach as much of the food as he could, keeping wary of his aching body that fought every move he made. Occasional shivers ran down his spine, causing his hands to spasm and almost drop the food he was eating. It was infuriating to be so helpless, but he knew anger would not assist in the process of healing.
After his… pitiful feeding session, he slowly shifted to lay down, pausing every so often as pain wracked him. But, alas, he comfortably lay down on the plump cushion and mattress.
Despite his constant pain, that didn't bring too much trouble if he lay still, he quickly tried to analyse everything, but the want to sleep was too powerful. It'll be fine.
Cole jolted awake, eyes springing open, met with the same bedroom but this time in a low, soothing, amber glow. Long shadows cast across the walls, early morning silence met his ears. All the previous events came flooding back to him.
The Land of Lost Things… The hybrid Geckle-Munce…
Cole sat up slowly, feeling the twinge in his right side. The entire right side of his body felt horrible: uncomfortably tight inside of his own skin. Pulling the blanket to the side, he found himself wearing joggers he did not recognise and his torso to be tightly bound in slight blood-ridden bandages.
Good to know he's stable. He feels adequate, but definitely no state to leave this room despite how much he was aching to do so. Every corner of his overwhelmed mind yearned to uncover the secrets of this situation. And on top of that, his throat was dry and parched.
He sluggishly swung his legs over the edge of the bed, almost whining in pain as his side flared in warning. He clutched the fitted sheets panting heavily as his heart felt tight. The constrictions of his wounds made him feel trapped in his own body. A weak vessel.
His head still throbbed. Bringing a hand up to his forehead, he felt a few plasters covering some wounds. However, the main pain originated from the back of his head. He must've hit it. Hard.
Then, a pleasurable sight fell in front of him. There was water on the bedside table. Cole was about to lean over and grab it in desperation, until he remembered his fractured state. So instead, he was forced to move precariously, irregularly stopping to halt the pain from overwhelming him further. The second his hand clasped around the cold glass, he brought it to his lips and felt the cold, soothing liquid slip down his throat. He downed it all, refreshed as much as he could be in this state.
There was a quiet, almost unintelligible knock on the door.
“I'm up.” Cole rasped, adjacent to a whisper.
The door pried open and a head poked through. It was the same Geckle-Munce from before, again carrying a plate.
“Hi. Morning. Glad to see you're looking better.” Said he, friendly, as he stepped inside.
“Yeah. Thank you.” Cole appreciated this stranger’s assistance.
“Since you're alert. I owe you an explanation.” He sat beside Cole, showing him the plate. Cole took it and admired the warm food before him. Cole ate as the man began.
“I'm Geo. And you?” Geo decided he'd start on the basics.
“Cole.” Cole swallowed his bite.
“As I… stated earlier, you're in the Land of Lost Things. An… isolated realm.” Geo continued, pausing in case Cole had any questions.
He had too many; he had no idea where to start. This person, Geo, could probably not answer how he got here or where his friends were, which is what he desired most to know.
“I live here with my family: the Finders.” Geo paused in sudden realisation. Should he be sharing this much? Well, it's not like this Cole shows much threat. Eventually, he'll realise the Rookery is his only choice.
Geo noticed that Cole perked up at this; his eyes flashed with an emotion similar to compassion and perhaps sympathy. That gave Geo some strong hope.
“You're welcome to meet them soon.” Geo added. He wasn't sure whether to crack a small joke, or not, to break the ice.
Cole huffed a chuckle. “I look forward to it. I'm good with kids.”
“Is that so?” Geo teased, raising an eyebrow.
Cole found himself smiling to himself, looking down at his hands and the almost empty plate. Geo placed a firm hand on his shoulder and the two made comfortable eye contact.
“I know we've just found you, but you're welcome here with open arms, Cole. I sense a good heart in you.” Said Geo with a warm smile, his tusks prominent.
Cole’s smile turned bashful. “Thank you for all of this.”
“It's no problem. How are your wounds?” Enquired Geo as he dropped his hand from his shoulder.
Cole shrugged, making him realise how every muscle of his was stiff and aching. “How bad was it?”
“It was all manageable. You'll heal in time.” Geo answered firmly, restoring hope in Cole.
“I see. Thanks.”
“Once again, it's no problem.”
Awkward silence descended on the duo. Geo yearned to understand more about Cole. The idea of another man, assumingly around his age, in the Rookery sounded like a new light. Cole looked like a muscular man who could clearly keep his stand in a fight. And that… is what Geo desired to keep his family safer.
“So, Cole. Can I know about you?” Geo asked delicately. He didn't want to pry into his life all too much if Cole wasn't comfortable with it.
“Sure. Anything specific?” The laid back reply made Geo feel more comfortable, as if he were just catching up with an old friend.
“Well, um. Who are you? Where did you come from? What was your previous life?” The questions came out slow, but the eagerness behind was clear as day.
“I'm Cole… The…” he hesitated. He wasn't entirely sure why. Geo has shown him a ton of hospitality, but still, the words caught in his throat.
“Hey. It's okay. If you don't want to, that's fine.” Geo assured him, his hand making his way back to Cole’s shoulder again in an awkward attempt to bring comfort.
“No. You deserve to know.” Cole spoke firmly, defiantly.
“You're not obliged to just because I've helped you.” Geo continued his reassurance.
Cole inhaled deeply. “I’m the elemental master of Earth, I'm one of the Ninja.”
Geo perked his ears up. He thought he had recognised the name Cole. “Huh. The Ninja, hm?”
Cole looked expectantly into his eyes but found them to just be full of understanding, deep in thought.
If Cole was one of the legendary Ninja, he did not end up here because he was forgotten. Geo wasn't sure if that was for the better or worse. He'd heard of many tales from the kids, so he knew his basics. How the kids knew, however, was always past him.
“Is there… a problem?” Asked Cole.
Geo was surprised to see such… nerve come from a legendary hero. I mean, he did find this man wounded on a random, sunny day. That doesn't happen frequently.
“No, no. Just… wasn't expecting that, sorry.” Geo shyly replied. Before awkward silence could settle in, he placed his hands firmly on his knees and stood up. “Right. How's that wound? May I check?”
Cole nodded. “Of course. I appreciate the help.” Said he, as he shifted to let Geo get a better view.
“It'll just be easier if you sit to the side.” Geo instructed, hidden blush creeping to his face.
“Oh, right, of course.” Cole exhaled, shuffling to the side, swinging his legs back into the bed and sitting upright.
Geo brought a gentle hand down to where some blood had leaked through. Thankfully, however, it was dry. Despite the touch being gentle, Cole still jumped ever so slightly.
“Sorry.” Geo grunted, his voice gruff.
Cole waved him off. “It's fine.”
Geo stepped back. “Okay, well. I can safely say you're not going to bleed to death.” He added a dry, soft chuckle.
Cole smiled, also releasing a short laugh. “I'd hope so.”
“On the contrary, I still recommend more rest. Don't want you wandering around.” Added Geo with a wink.
Cole huffed, jokingly rolling his eyes. He was about to make a sarcastic remark about how he'd bore to death, but that might not land well, so he pushed that thought aside. Instead, he changed his demeanour.
“Geo. Thank you.” Cole softly spoke.
Geo just nodded, leaving the room. The door shut behind him with a subdued click.