Kai felt a hand grab his wrist and pull him up. Skylor had saved him!

“Oh, boy! You’re tough to keep up with,” Skylor said, panting.

“What—I don’t understand. I didn’t slip, did I?” Kai asked.

Skylor shook her head. “Nope. I think it was a booby trap,” she said. “You must have stepped on a stone that gave way under your weight.”

She motioned to a square-shaped hole in the pathway that she had just pulled him from.

She’s right, he thought. But instead of gratitude, confusion and anger bubbled up inside him.

“You didn’t have to try to catch up to me!” he yelled. “You don’t even need to be here.”

“Oh, no? I just saved you from an extra-crispy fate!” Skylor shot back.

“Just stop saving me, okay? I’ll never get my powers back if I don’t do this myself,” Kai replied. “I don’t need you, Skylor!”

The glare in her eyes faded and was replaced by a flicker of hurt.

“Sure, Kai,” Skylor said. “Good luck trying to defeat Fire Fang on your own.”

She hopped over the hole in the path and jogged back to the delivery vehicle.

Kai felt a quick pang of regret as he watched her go, and then brushed it aside.

Skylor’s the best, he thought. But this is my quest, not hers. I need to do this alone.

Remembering her warning about booby traps, Kai slowly made his way to the cave entrance, jumping over any cracks he saw in the path. When he reached the cave entrance, he paused.

“Looks too easy,” he said, and as a precaution, he picked up a rock and threw it through the opening.

Whoosh! Flames shot up from the bottom of the entrance way. If Kai had walked through it, he would have been toast!

The flames receded, and Kai frowned. There has to be a way to beat this, he thought. He tossed another rock.

Whoosh! The flames leapt up again, and then started to recede.

Gotta get the timing just right, Kai thought, and he tossed a third rock through the opening.

Here goes nothing, and he jumped over the flames just as they died down, spinning into a somersault when he hit the ground.

The flames leapt up behind him—but he had safely avoided them. Kai grinned.

“See, Skylor? I don’t need help,” he announced into the darkness of the cave.

In the distance, Kai heard what sounded like rhythmic chanting. He moved forward slowly and carefully, traveling through a cramped tunnel-like passageway through the mountain.

The path opened up into a large, bowl-shaped room. Fire Fiends in their orange armor marched in a circle around a serpent half as tall as a Ninjago City skyscraper. Black scales rippled down the creature’s body, yellow eyes glowed inside his face, and two long, sharp fangs grew from its wide mouth. Horns grew from the serpent’s head, and a cobra’s hood fanned out from behind them. The fire inside the creature burned hot, glowing orange-red between his scales and flickering throughout his hood.

Fire Fang! Kai thought. And that’s my fire running through those veins!

Kai heard the chant of the Fire Fiends more clearly now.

“We hail you, Fire Fang! We are your loyal gang!”

They’re not carrying their torches, Kai thought. So I should be able to get past them. But then what? Aspheera used sorcery to steal my Fire powers when she gave them to Fire Fang. But I’m no magician.

The ninja stared at Fire Fang, thinking. He felt especially drawn to the snake’s yellow eyes…but forced himself to look away.

They’re hypnotic, Kai thought as an idea came to him. I need to distract him, and then get close enough to steal my power back….

Kai stepped out of the dark tunnel.

“Ninjaaaaaaaaaa-go!” he cried.

“Intruder!” yelled the leader of the Fire Fiends, and they all scrambled to light their torches.

Fire Fang hissed and shot a blast of fire at Kai. Spinning, he narrowly avoided it. Then he launched himself into the air.

Still spinning, Kai soared up, up, up to the Fire Fang’s eyes. He twirled back and forth, back and forth, and the giant beast began to sway. The fiery glow beneath his scales and hood subsided. The hypnotic spin of Kai’s Spinjitzu tornado had both confused and calmed the creature.

Seeing his chance, Kai stopped spinning and leapt onto the back of Fire Fang’s head. He wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do, but he knew he had to try. He placed both hands on Fire Fang’s hot scales.

“Okay, Fire Fang, give it back to me! Give me back my fire!”

Fire Fang stirred, and Kai heard the creature hiss. The serpent’s scales became hotter to touch, and Kai could spot the fiery glow growing under them.

“Come on, it’s mine! GIVE ME MY FIRE BACK!” Kai yelled.

Fire Fang roared and thrashed his head, sending Kai tumbling to the ground. He landed on a pile of rocky rubble mixed with plundered treasures that the Fire Fiends had collected for Fire Fang—mostly metal tools and pots and pans, and other items that wouldn’t burn. Fire Fang aimed a fiery blast at him, and Kai rolled out of the way.

Kai tried to rise to his feet, but Fire Fang’s thrashed wildly, sending heavy rocks tumbling onto Kai’s legs, pinning him in place. Fire Fang leaned over Kai, who looked into those yellow eyes once again.

This fire—this fire has nothing to do with me, he thought. It’s not mine anymore. It’s Fire Fang’s. I can’t take it. I need to find it within myself somehow.

Then he saw another fire blast forming, deep inside the creature’s throat….