Here we are, and I've got another chapter for you. Let's see what Pythor has got planned next!
Unless of course, you've actually watched the show, then...well you already know what happens.
"What is the meaning of this!" Yelled an annoyed Hypnobrai warrior at Skales, who didn't appreciate the open hostility.
"Sssilence! I have made my decision, and that's final!" Skales yelled back, emphasizing his declaration beforehand.
He knew that his decision would cause a bit of an uproar amongst his warriors, but he hadn't expected that they speak their grievances right to his face. But he couldn't blame them. After the disaster that was Pythor's 'meeting', his announcement that he would be searching for the lost city of Ouroboros was beyond bold. It didn't help either that he had asked for assistance on his endeavor, only to be met by silence. Soon after that the other Generals and their tribes left the tram station to keep themselves from attacking each other, leaving only Pythor and the Hypbnobrai. Still, it didn't seem to break his spirit, as he continued with the preparations.
"But, but...we don't understand, why would you go with that Anacondrai!" Yelled another warrior, who had pushed himself in front of the crowd gathered around the General.
"Yeah! The whole meeting was a catastrophe, and now you're going to go with him for what? To look for some long-lost city?!" Spoke another, earning some agreeing shouts from like-minded Serpentine.
"Can you even trust that snake?! I'd say we leave him to his crazy plans, and go our way! He can look around all of Ninjago for all I care!" Another shouted, soon followed by other voices with the same frustrations.
At that point, Skales had gotten tired of all the yelling, and with an angry huff, he stomped his staff on the ground, sending the sound echoing throughout the tunnels, and making the Hypnobrai silent.
"Enough! I don't want to hear any more of your mistrustful commentsss toward me! I'm going to go with Pythor, which most likely means I'll be gone for a couple of daysss. You are to go to the tomb and ssstay there until further notice. Isss that understood!" He explained to them, waiting for them to answer with an angry scowl on his face. After a few seconds of looking and talking between themselves, a few in the front reluctantly muttered "Understood..."
"Good. Now go." Skales said, before turning around and slithering away from the crowd.
"Wait!" Shouted a Hypnobrai, making Skales stop in his tracks.
"Who will lead us in the meantime?" He continued, making Skales turn to face the crowd again while trying his best to keep down a surprised look, as he had genuinely forgotten to leave someone in charge while he was gone.
He looked around the crowd, wondering who he should pick. The first face he noticed was Slithraa's, though he wasn't stupid enough to leave him in charge. Not while being as unpopular as he was currently. The more he thought about who to choose, the more it became clear that the only one who really came to mind was Mezmo. Skales wasn't exactly sure he was the most trustworthy type, but if he had to make the choice, it would be him.
"Mezmo ssshall lead you while I'm gone!" He declared, before moving back to the crowd, where Mezmo stepped forward, lacking the same surprised look on the other Serpentines' faces. Skales went right in front of him and made direct eye contact before directly addressing him.
"I expect that there won't be any trouble while I'm gone." He said quietly, as the words were only intended for Mezmo.
"No need to worry...General." The Serpentine said back, though Skales had a hard time discerning whether he was being genuine.
"Just you remember, that I'm not Sssithraa...I won't be asss easily defeated if any thoughtsss of treachery ssshould come to you."
"Hah, please! I've made a call back there at the caves, and no matter what you think, I intend to stick to it...for better or worse." He answered confidently while crossing his arms, making no attempt to keep his voice down.
Skales stared at him wordlessly, assessing if it was worth the risk of leaving him in charge of the tribe. Not that it mattered, since he had already made the announcement, and it wouldn't be a good look to back away from it so suddenly.
"Just watch yourself, Mezmo," Skales muttered as a final goodbye, before turning around and slithering away again. As he did, the group once again started muttering with each other, while Mezmo stood silently, watching Skales as he was leaving. Meanwhile, Slithraa made his way through the crowd and walked over to the proud snake.
"Don't even try," Memzo said harshly before Slithraa even had the chance to speak.
"I didn't support your removal from power, just to put you right back the moment opportunity shows itself,"
Slithraa stood slightly speechless, considering what to say to get back at the old snake. But surprisingly enough, he decided to let it go, and instead sighed in disapproval.
"Do you truly think ssso little of me? Not that it mattersss. Just to be clear, I have no intention of taking back the position of General."
"Really? Why not? You were a good General...for a time. And I would expect you to want revenge on Skales for humiliating you in the Slither Pit." Mezmo said quite brazenly, making Slithraa wonder whether he was encouraging him, or just stating his thoughts.
"Oh please, I was done being General sssome time ago. Right now, I quite enjoy being free from all those responsibilitiesss that followed that accursed staff."
Slithraa then turned his head to look at Skales, who soon would disappear from view.
"Though I'm sssure he will find out sssoon enough." He said, somewhat cryptically, making Mezmo give him a confused look, before shaking his head and turning to face the crowd.
"All right everyone, you all heard the General! Get moving, we're going back to the tomb!"
Some unenthusiastic murmurs could be heard, but sure enough, the crowd started moving through the tunnel, with Mezmo starting to follow them while making his way to the front. Slithraa stood and looked at Skales, right until he disappeared into another tunnel. He stood still for a few moments, before turning around and walking over to join up with the others.
"Sssoon enough."
Skales went through the different tunnels, keeping an eye out for Pythor. He had said if anyone wanted to join him, they could meet him at a specific spot. Apparently, he had some businesses on the surface he had to see to before he could leave. From the disinterested looks on the other Serpentine when Pythor declared his plan, Skales didn't expect that anyone else would join him. It took a bit of time, but soon enough he found the meeting spot. Some kind of intersection between the different tunnels. And there wasn't a soul. Even Pythor wasn't there.
He better not have left already, or else I'm going to beat that arrogant smirk off his face the next time I see him! Oh, that would just be perfect, wouldn't it? That I would be forced to crawl back to the tomb just to say that he had gone without me. I would be the laughing stock of the entire tribe. Skales thought to himself, as he stood and waited.
He did consider the possibility that he wouldn't be in such a situation if only he had announced to Pythor that he would be joining him before he left. But remembering the angry looks on the other Serpentine's faces made him realize he had made the right choice. Until Pythor had something to show, officially joining up with him wouldn't put him in such a good light with the other tribes. Or even his own for that matter.
But such thoughts only made him further questions what he was even doing. Why was he waiting for Pythor of all people? He had proven himself somewhat capable, but he was most likely as deceiving as he was cunning. So what was he doing in some damp tunnels waiting for that devious snake? He had to keep that question on hold, as his thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the sound of cheerful humming, coming from one of the tunnels.
It didn't take long before Pythor came out, still humming, holding two spades and a bucket under his arm. He then stopped and looked around, with a somewhat surprised look on his face before his eye landed on Skales.
"Well...seems you were the only one to show up. How typical." He said with a hint of disdain in his voice, though Skales could guess that Pythor had expected no one to show up. But he couldn't say if Pythor was surprised to see him.
"It ssseems ssso. You weren't exactly the most popular sssnake after that fiasco of a meeting."
"It wasn't a fiasco! It would have worked perfectly if only those meddlesome ninjas hadn't shown up!" Pythor said back, clearly still frustrated over the night before, though he tried to hide it. And Skales did agree with him. If those ninjas hadn't come, Skales was sure that his speech could have won over some, if not all of the tribes.
Just after having said that, Pythor seemed to be hit by a little realization, and he straightened his back and cleared his throat.
"But, I see you're point. Last night could certainly be...perceived as a failure, but, no matter! We should probably get going, and besides that, it would be counter-productive to argue about such things. After all, we have a long trip ahead of us."
Pythor then was about to turn around, before stopping, as if he just remembered some inconvenient detail.
"That is, under the assumption that you're going to join me?" He asked, looking at Skales with a mysterious glint in his eyes as if he was trying to guess his answer before he even said anything.
It was just then that Skales noticed the tools Pythor held under his arm, which only piqued his interest even more.
"I'm certainly considering joining you...but I would like to hear where you're going fírst, before deciding."
"Oh, that won't be a problem. To put it simply, I'm going to the Lost City of Ouroboros." He said casually as if disregarding the small detail that it was a 'lost' city.
"I know that part, but I'm wondering where it isss."
"You'll find out soon enough. Come now, I'll fill you in with the rest of the details on the way." Pythor finally turned around and signaled Skales with a disingenuous hand wave to follow him, before going through one of the tunnels. It was only after a moment that Skales realized that he wasn't going stop...or tell him anything else. Unless of course, he followed him.
"Hey! You didn't tell me...ugh!"
Skales then, with a defeated posture, slithered after Pythor, with no idea of where they were even going, or what it was Pythor was even trying to accomplish. But for some reason, he still followed him.
Right outside of Ninjago City, on a road leading to the Sea of Sand, a sewer grate was violently pushed off, with Pythor and Skales crawling through it. Pyhtor didn't seem bothered by their trip through the sewers, but the same couldn't be said for Skales.
"Did we really need to go a mile through a sssewer sssystem to get here?!" Skales angrily asked Pythor, as he looked with distress at his body and tail, trying to see if he could spot anything filthy stuck to him.
"Unless you would rather be hounded by the denizens of Ninjago City, or ambushed by the ninja, I would ask you to stop complaining and get going," Pythor answered harshly, before starting to slither down the road. Skales muttered something and checked himself a final time, before joining up with Pythor. As they went on their way, Skales quickly started feeling the silence between them weighing him down. He hadn't exactly thought far enough ahead to think of conversation topics. Not that Pythor seemed to mind, he seemed quite content with the situation at hand. Skales wondered if he was planning on them wandering in complete silence the entire journey. He tried at first to endure it, but in the end, found the deafening quietness suffocating.
"Ssso...where did you come acrosss information on Ouroborosss?" The Hypnobrai asked, unable to hide his awkwardness.
"Oh, I heard it from a...well, let's call it a 'reliable' source," Pythor answered without even glancing at Skales.
"Not that you should worry about that. I know precisely where we're going." He continued, with the smug tone only he could pull off, very much to Skales' annoyance.
"You told me you would tell me the detailsss of your plan once we got going, ssso I would sssay that it's sssomething I'm worried about."
"Ugh, if you must know," Pythor muttered just loud enough for Skales to hear, before turning his head to finally look at him.
"Since my grand speech wasn't enough to bring together those dim-headed serpentine, I started to wonder what would bring them together. Then it came to me. I would need a symbol! One grand at that. And what's a grander symbol than the Lost City of Ouroboros?"
"IF we find it, that isss," Skales said, with a sharp tone in his voice, something that Pythor didn't find very amusing.
"You doubt me?" He asked dramatically, making it unclear if the shock in his voice was genuine or not.
"Just wait till we find the city itself, and when we reach that point, I would suggest your reconsider your tone." Pyhtor declared before turning his gaze back onto the road.
"Whatever you sssay." Skales muttered to himself. Just because he was following Pythor, didn't mean he was going to let him get away with his excessive gloating.
An hour or two later, they had gotten a few miles away from the city, though there still was a road to follow. Considering that they were heading to a desert, Skales didn't think that there would be a road to follow much longer. The sun had finally risen above the horizon and was shining brightly upon the landscape. The heat was nothing to scoff at, but since the two of them were Serpentine, they both relished in the warmth of the sun. Especially Skales couldn't help but take in and savor the warming rays. He had been locked in that cold tomb for decades, and even once he had gotten out, he hadn't properly been able to enjoy the sun. It was only there on the road, he remembered how much he had missed the sensation on his scales.
It was while he relished the sun's rays, that Pythor started glancing over at Skales, with a bit of a curious look, though Skales didn't notice.
"I can see why they call you 'Skales'." He said out of the blue, pulling Skales out of the trance-like state he had gotten himself in.
"What?" Skales asked, genuinely confused at why Pythor would say something like that so suddenly.
"It's your scales," Pythor stated quite causally, gesturing him to look at himself. Skales did, and besides his scales glistering a bit more than Pythor's, he couldn't see anything that would be worth him being named after.
"They have this, shining complexion I can't quite put my finger on. But it's definitely very enchanting. Not to speak of the pattern, I mean, I haven't seen something like that for ages!" Pythor cheerfully explained, in a friendly manner that Skales had only caught a glimpse of in their earlier conversations. It sounded like the voice of a happier person that had been hidden deep in oneself, only allowed to surface on very rare occasions. For some reason, the Anacondrai's compliments made him feel embarrassed, though he tried his best to hide it.
"Well, I haven't really thought about it that much." He quickly sputtered out, worried that his voice would crack if he spoke for too long. He also averted his eyes away from Pythor, worried that his composure would break even further if he locked eyes with the snake. Still, it didn't stop Pythor from looking at him.
"That's a shame. Perhaps you should. Take it from me, I would certainly say that you're very...striking." Pythor claimed, in a very dubious tone, though Skales could sense that it was meant to be more affectionate than degrading. Which he didn't know quite know how to feel about. He had thrown him a few underhanded compliments before, that Skales did know, but it was the first time it had been so blatant.
"....." Skales didn't have the slightest idea of how to respond, looking around nervously instead as if trying to ignore Pythor. Something the serpent seemed to find much more gratifying than a 'thank you'. So much so, that he couldn't help but comment on it.
"Please, you don't need to get so flustered! I'm flattered, but honestly, I thought that the great Hypnobrai general could handle a little admiration!" He commented teasingly, earning an irritated expression from Skales who finally turned his eyes back to Pythor.
"I am not flustered!" He responded aggressively, with a slight blush on his cheeks, not helping with proving his point. Something he almost immediately realized from looking at Pythor's self-satisfied smirk. He almost immediately backed away from his aggressive stance and changed into a more defensive tone.
"I'm sssimply not...used to complimentsss on my looksss, that's all!" Skales explained though it did little to alleviate his embarrassment. Which didn't just come from Pyhtor's comments, but also from his own reaction to those comments. He was Serpentine General after all, and yet there he was, making a scene just because of a few comments. It was humiliating. Even having to utter such a phrase at all sent a wave of dread through him, and all he wished for at the moment was to hide away in some hole and forget his shame.
"Oh, come now, cheer up will you? We still have a journey ahead of us, so it's no use getting all crossed at me." Pythor replied, before turning his head towards the road again.
But the silence that followed didn't last very long, as there was again something that Pythor couldn't help but point out.
"As you most likely remember, you were the only Serpentine to follow me out here." He stated, without turning his head, leaving Skales to look at him puzzled, as he wondered if it was a trick question or just a strange statement.
"Out of all the others, you, someone I barely have interacted with, chose to go with me." Pythor continued, before looking back at the Hypnobrai, with an expression that almost mirrored the same confusion on Skales' face.
"Why?" He asked, prolonging the word as if to help emphasize his question.
Skales couldn't help but find himself dumbfounded. He had asked himself the same question a few times but had conveniently decided to push it to the side. If he decided to not think about it too much, he could easily just say that it was because he saw potential in Pythor's plans. But that wouldn't explain the turmoil he was feeling inside. Not to forget that Pythor had only had two plans so far, and the first one had ended up as a complete flop, so that argument wouldn't even make sense. No, there wasn't any easy way for him to explain it. He was simply just...drawn to Pythor. Whether it was his never-ending confidence or his cunning words, Skales couldn't help but want to see what he next had in store.
"I...I wanted to sssee what you would do next." He replied, somewhat sheepishly. Pyhtor gave him a surprised glance, though he didn't say anything.
"Besides, it would certainly be sssomething to sssee the Lost City. If it even existsss, that isss." Skales resumed, in a somewhat mocking tone, hoping that it would make Pythor forget his question.
"Oh, don't worry my disloyal number two, we are sure to find it, and then I hopefully can be free from your constant skepticism," Pythor remarked, most likely catching on to the bait. Skales would have been more than happy to leave it at that and continue in silence. But there was something he just couldn't let go of.
"Wait, did you just call me...your 'number two'?" Skales asked, the disgust clear in his voice. Something that seemed to delight the Anacondrai.
"Yes, what else could I call you, when you're so adamant in following behind me like a good little soldier? And if you learned to keep your mouth shut, well then, you could become the finest follower a General could ask for!" Pythor explained, his voice just the right mix of sincerity and ridicule, to make Skales' blood boil.
"I hope I don't have to remind you I'm a General, just asss you! You have no right to addresss me in sssuch a way. Whatever little interest I have in you isss already on thin ice, ssso I would sssuggest that you watch your tongue!"
"Oh, so fiery!" Pythor joyfully exclaimed as if he was reveling in Skales' anger, which predictably enough, only made Skales angrier.
"But I thought that you already had served as someone's loyal underling. Though, the 'loyal' part isn't so true anymore, is it?" Pythor said, practically shoving his self-satisfied smirk into the Hypnobrai's face, which contradicted Skales' grim expression.
"Maybe I wasss once sssomeone else's sssecond-in-command, but not anymore. I'm done being controlled by anyone but me! I have proven myself more capable than the one who wasss sssupposedly 'above me', and thisss staff isss a testament to that!"
"Perhaps. But a staff and a nice, long tail might make someone a General...but it doesn't make one a leader." Pythor coldly explained, with a surprisingly sharp tone, the words piercing through Skales. Then as a final act, he turned his attention away from the Hypbonbrai, leaving him to ponder Pythor's words in silence.
His statement had made Skales lose all his fury and his energy, leaving him in a weakened state as if he had just been punched in the gut. He wanted to let it go, but the words contained haunting him. Perhaps because it was what he was fearing. After all, all he had known was following Slithraa's orders. He might have hated being controlled by someone else, and ignored a command here and there for the sake of victory but never had he done something as bold as when he usurped Slithraa's position. Besides remembering how his former General used to rule, he had little experience in leading a tribe. Yet a General he had become, and the responsibility for his whole tribe had been laid on him. And there wasn't much he could do about it.
They continued on their way for a few more miles, before they reached the desert, and the road disappeared beneath them. But there was still some way for them to go, and Skales was beginning to feel the exhaustion from their journey. In the end, he was worried that they would need to travel throughout the night as well. Fortunately enough, they managed to reach their destination before it came to that.
"We're here!" Pythor said victoriously, taking Skales out of his daydreaming, and making him stop. He looked around for a bit, before turning his head to Pythor.
"...There's nothing here!" He yelled, gesturing to the miles of empty desert around them.
"Be quiet! We're at the right spot. And now all there's left is to dig!" Pythor said, dropping the tools on the sand, before picking up a shovel, and slithering around the area, trying to find a good spot to start digging.
"Dig?! You can't be serious! You told me you had a good source on where Ouroboros was, and yet we're standing in the middle of a desert!"
"I did have a good source! And he told me that Ouroboros should be here. So stop your excessive whining and help me dig up a lost city, would you." Pythor replied, completely ignoring the absurdity of his sentence. Skales considered going right back to the tomb, but at that point, he was too far away for it to be worth it.
With a weary sigh, he picked up the second shovel and moved to Pythor, who had already started digging.
"It better be here, Pythor..."
"I said stop whining! Trust me, we'll find it, sooner or later!"
24 hours later.
"I present to you the city, formerly known, as the Lost City of Ouroboros!" Pythor triumphantly exclaimed, looking up at the newly emerged city with equal wonder and satisfaction in his eyes. Skales didn't react at first, not even when Pythor started laughing maniacally. All he could do was look around in amazement. The city of Ouroboros. Something he only had heard about in legends and stories from his childhood, and there he was, standing in the middle of it. All because he decided to follow Pythor. He didn't like to admit it, but he couldn't help but admire the Anacondrai's determination and unnatural ability to do what he thought was impossible. Two times Skales had been proven wrong, and both times Pythor stood in the middle of it, bathing in his victory. It was at that moment that Skales realized why he had followed Pythor. He had the potential to pull off things Skales could only imagine, and his ambition was only rivaled by his cockiness. He could do great things. And Skales could be right by his side as he did them. That was why he followed him. And why he was going to keep following him.
His thoughts were interrupted by Pyhtor who grabbed him by the shoulders, so they stood face to face.
"While I would so very much like to gloat, there is something much more urgent that I need to discuss with you." He explained and all Skales could do was listen intensely, his heart beating, and his chest feeling heavy.
"I once again require you to do something for me. Something that I assure you, will be greatly rewarded upon its completion. And would make way for certain...arrangements to be made in the future, between the two of us. Arrangements that I think you will find most beneficial." Pythor continued, his tone almost sounding like he was trying to charm the Hypnobrai, whose eyes were locked with his. Whatever Pythor said next, Skales knew it wouldn't matter. He would accept and then wait to see what Pythor would do next. Something that Pythor most certainly knew, as a satisfied smile spread across his face.
"So...what do you say, my number two?"
Seriously, do you remember how huge that hole was? It was ridiculous!
I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and that you will stick around. The response to this story has been great so far, and I will try not to disappoint you in the coming chapters. And don't worry, just as the canon story starts picking up, it won't be long before things start getting a little more...interesting between our two snakes.
Have a good day!