Partners In Crime

Thank you everyone for your support and comments on the book so far. I am super excited to write this and I hope you all enjoy it.

Lloyd stood atop a tree branch outside the school. He looked out at the village not too far from them. Aria sat at the bottom of the tree, reading a book.

"Don't lean too far forward Lloyd," Aria says as she turns the page of her book "You'll fall."

"I won't," Lloyd replies before jumping down, landing in front of her on his feet. "Have you felt anything new yet?"

"No," Aria tells him "It hasn't been long since your father's presence disappeared from this world. Knowing him, he's planning something. We need to be prepared for it."

"And how exactly are two ten year old's supposed to help someone as great as my father?" Lloyd questions as he reaches up to a low branch and pulled himself up onto it. "As much as I hate to admit it, the teachers were right. We don't know what we're doing."

"Maybe not," Aria shuts her book "but with my father in sleep, all we have is the hope Lord Garmadon will return."

"I want him here too," Lloyd says as he climbs onto the next branch above him "nothing's the same without my father. Heh, mother just sent me here to get rid of another headache."

"You're right about that, you are a headache." Aria says before looking up with him

"Well excuse me princess," Lloyd replies as he hangs upside-down from the branch with a smirk "but you are the one who decided to hang around me."

"I wish you'd just stop letting the other kids pick on you," Aria comments "you're bigger then them."

"Eh, better off to lay low." Lloyd chuckles "That's why I can count on you to protect me."

"I thought you didn't need a girl to protect you," Aria mocks with a smirk "I thought that's what you said when we first got here."

"Shut it," Lloyd flips off the branch and lands in front of her "Soon enough, I'll be the one protecting you."

"You're all bark and no bite puppy," Aria comments as she stands up and pets his head "but I'll still keep you around."

"When are you going to stop calling me that?" Lloyd questions as he swats her hand away

Aria giggles "When you're taller then me squirt."

"You're taller by one inch!" Lloyd argues "We're also the same age!"

"I know I know," Aria says as she began to walk away

"Wait!" Lloyd runs after her "Where are we going?"

"To play a game." Aria replies

The two kids ran down the hill that the school sat upon. The principal stood at his window watching them.

"They're off again," the teacher behind him says

"Yes," the principal sighs "call her cousin."

Lloyd and Aria traveled to the outskirts of the surrounding forest where their secret base was. It was some old ruins from the serpentine war. The children came upon it not long ago when escaping the school. They mostly hung out towards the top, but once in awhile they ventured into the cellar that peaked up halfway into the ground.

Lloyd opened the doors to the cellar and headed in first. Aria followed behind him and closed the doors. Unknown to them, Aria's cousin was already on his way to retrieve them. They traveled down the stairs until they reached the bottom where artifacts and books lay.

"Uh, so what game?" Lloyd asks

"You're not the sharpest tool in the shed are you?" Aria questions in response, as she picks up one of the books on the ground.