Roots of Earth ~ A Ninjago Fanfiction

Chapter 13: Who Says Cats Can't Swim?

Misako glared into his eyes as he murmured, "The ninja shall fall, and the Tribe of the Moon shall rise."

"Not if I have a say in it," she spat.

"Well..." He fingered the crystal ball hanging on his chest. "The fact is, you don't."

He murmured strange words, ones that as soon as one heard they couldn't remember. Misako gasped slightly, her eyes fell closed, and she tumbled to the floor of the cell. She rolled and stopped, her body limp as she succumbed to the dark, heavy sleep.

* * *

Lloyd stirred on his bed of flattened grass to find that it was still dark. Faint light from the eastern horizon signaled that it was nearly dawn. The forest was dark and quiet, and it seemed as if all the life in the forest was asleep.

So why was he awake? He looked down and realized that Jake was gone. The little calico must have slipped away whilst he was sleeping.

Figures, he thought.

A branch snapped among the trees. Lloyd sat up and scanned his surroundings uneasily. Was it another fox? Or was it a bigger animal, one that would attack the likes of him

Don't be ridiculous, he told himself. It's probably just a bird.

What then slithered out of the undergrowth was definitely not a bird.

Lloyd's jaw dropped as he stared at the tall, serpentine figure standing before him. He gasped, "P—Pythor?!"

The huge Anacondrai stared at the boy in surprise, then cocked his white-bleached head. "Why, hello there, old chum! Fancy meeting you here. Think of it—I was slithering along, minding my own business as I checked my fox traps for a tasty breakfast, when oh, dear, I find that one of my meals caught in it had somehow escaped! I followed the trail in hopes in at least a scrawny cub, only to find an even greater prize: you!"

Lloyd leapt to his feet. "Don't think I've forgotten what you did during Day of the Departed," he growled. "I know you still want me dead."

"That's right," Pythor hissed, baring his long white fangs. "I shall not rest until I've had my revenge on you, boy! I still haven't forgiven you and those other ridiculous ninja for foiling my plans those years ago, time and time again!"

Lloyd clenched his fists. "You just don't know when to quit, do you? I thought you might have turned over a new leaf when you helped us defeat those Anacondrai cultists, but boy, have you proved me wrong!"

"Foolish child," The snake sneered. "For believing that I would turn to your side. Fortunately for me you are alone, allowing me to—"

Pythor was interrupted by the sound of branches snapping and undergrowth rustling wildly. Before either one of them could wonder at what was making that sound, several people clothed in animal skins burst out of a clump of trees and brush. They leapt into the clearing and swiftly surrounded the dumbfounded snake and ninja.

"Stand back, snake!" one man hissed, waving a jagged spearhead at Pythor. "That green-pelted tom is ours for the taking!"

"'Green-pelted tom'—?! I beg your pardon, this boy is mine!" Pythor exclaimed in outrage. "He's caused me no end of grief for years, even when he was but a child, and if you think I'm going to let a bunch of scrawny, hillbilly nomads take what is rightfully mine, well then, sir, you are gravely mistaken!"

"Who's scrawny?" another man sneered. "Birch Tail, my belly is clawing me, and my last meal was a stupid little mouse from yesterday. Why not we take this serpent as our breakfast to end its misery?"