Enter The Ninjaverse: Universal Deviations

by Bionic Stars

Every universe may be similar, but they must be different as well. As Lloyd explores the multiverse, he meets new worlds, new faces, and most importantly, new stories. Those stories for his new allies are far more different than he could have ever imagined. It is time to take a look into their Universal Deviations. [Companion Story to Enter the Ninjaverse]

9. Ophiod - Connection

In the cold and biting winds of the Frozen Wastes, the wind was howling. A wind that cut deeply into the body of any that stood in it. Even those that had lived there for centuries had only grown so used to the bitter cutting bites of the gals that blasted the snow into drifts to obscure the view even on the clarest of days.

It was in those drifts that a Serpentine stalked. He was bleeding, leaving a trail of red in the snow behind him. His left arm was hanging limp at his side, while his right clung to an old and rusted blade that he had planted down as a walking stick. His eyes were closed, frozen shut by the cutting blasts of wind. He limped with each step he took, as though the second one foot went down, he would collapse into the drifts.

Behind him lay death. A death in which he had brought upon himself. It was his fate to die now, as was for all beings that lived. Yet he was not ready for that yet. He dragged himself step after step through the snow with that thought burning in his mind. He did not want to die yet. He did not want to die.

He pushed further into the wind. Even if he did open his red eyes, he'd see nothing. The gray were made so only those that knew the wastes instinctually could navigate them, and the pain had long since dulled his senses. Where he was going, he didn't know. He couldn't know, not know. But he couldn't stop. He'd long since passed the point in which his wounds had stopped hurting. Once he stopped, he wouldn't move again.

His rusted blade struck something in the snow. The force was more than he could take. He fell forward, his weapon falling from his hand. The cold of the snow barely registered to his hazy mind. He looked up towards the distance, trying to see where the blade had fallen. The snow, however, made that impossible. He tried to reach his hand around for it, yet all his arm did was twitch. The fall had taken the last of that he had to give.

He was so cold. He tried to curl up. To give himself some comfort. Inside, he knew it was the end. He thought he would feel a panic, that overwhelming urge to keep moving. Yet instead, he just felt a blooming numbness in his core. He was so tired. Too tired to worry. Too weak for his body to force him to continue. All he could do was open his eyes, and all that showed him was the snow in front of him. The only thought that his mind, now as hazy and dull as it was, could muster was a single one: this was where his life ended.

Slowly, he gave in. There wasn't energy in his body to stop himself from it. His red, swirling eyes grew blank. His breath began to steady, only disturbing the small flakes of snow right in front of his fanged lips. With one last gasp, his eyes closed. They closed so fast that he didn't see the outline of someone coming for him as the snow moved to claim his body.

---

With a small stir, Skales opened his eyes. As he did, he took a long breath. In doing so, his body was sent into a long cough, one that made him rasp and try to clutch at his chest. His arms didn't respond to him, instead leaving him to simply suffer through the wracking fit that filled him.

When the coughing subsided, Skales found his vision hazy. He tried to focus it, only to bring a pain to his head. He groaned out in pain, which then made him cough again. The pain that brought him made him want to pass out again. He forced himself not to, even if the embrace of sleep was far more tempting. Instead, he gave a small inhale, then focused his thoughts to try to see.

From what he could see, he was inside some sort of cave. The ceiling wasn't too far above his head, and he could see ripples in it that indicated it was a natural formation. He let his head slump to one side, showing him that he was laying on some sort of sheet laid out over rock. The air around him was warm and dry, which likely was contributing to his coughing.

"W...Whe…" Skales tried to speak, only to make him wheeze out and cough harder than before. The action made his head jerk up, which let him see his body was covered in bandages. They were clean, and a pile of old ones soaked red were piled up by his feet.

"Don't try to talk," A voice came from somewhere in the cave, "The fire's sucked the moisture out of the air. Drink this and go back to sleep."

Something was put at Skales' lips. It was a small cup, filled with a purple liquid. He tried to stop himself from drinking it, yet when it was tipped towards him he gulped it all down greedily. It was strangely sweet, and felt as though it stuck to his throat and soothed the dryness. After drinking it, though, he began to feel something burning through his nostrils, and then he felt a wave of lethargy take him. His drive to stay awake was taken from him as he began to fall asleep.

Just before he was able to rest, he looked up to see the face of that who had just fed him. It was the face of a cobra with rippling scales that ascended his neck. When he looked into the snake's eyes, however, a moment of recognition flashed in Skales' own.

"Half...Breed?" Skalese whispered, just as he passed out once more.

---

When Skales awoke next, he felt his body was far more under his control. While he was still dry in the throat, he was able to sit up this time. He sat up near instantly, his mind demanding to know where the one that had helped him had gone. In doing so, he felt a long pain go down his right side. He looked down to see that his wounds had been bandaged. Given how long he'd been sleeping, they must have been changed at some point as well.

The cave that Skales found himself in was, indeed, a cave. It wasn't as large as he was expecting, as perhaps by seven feet into the cave, the roof was too small to stand under. He was a bit deeper than that, meaning the ceiling was barely six inches above his head. The sheets that he was under looked somewhat clean and pristine, nothing like rags that he was expecting. There was a fire towards the entrance of the cave, currently out, and said entrance to the cave was blanketed with snow. There were various tools and gear strewn around the cave, all of which looked almost brand new.

Skales found the rusted blade he'd carried with him from the tribe leaning up against the wall. He growled and reached out to take it. Planting it down on the cave floor to help pull himself upright. He moved to a spot he could stand up, then planted his blade down. It would ruin the thing, but it was already a rusted and barely functional weapon. A bend or splinter wouldn't kill it anymore than time already had. Skales forced himself to stand up, then began his march towards the cave entrance.

As he approached it, he heard noises from outside. Instantly, the Hypnobrai threw himself against the cave wall, an action that only pained him further than he already was. He gripped his blade and held it close to him, trying to stop his breathing. The sounds came again, but they didn't increase in volume, meaning that the source wasn't coming any closer. Curious, Skales took a lungful of the icy air outside and slowly trudged his way into the drifts, keeping close to the snow layer to dive under at any point.

Standing only ten feet from the cave was the one that had brought Skales here. The Serpentine was tall and regal, a massive tail in place of legs that was curled atop the snow and distributing his weight. His skales were a deep navy and copper, lining his arms, tail, hips and moving into the blue as they went up his head. His neck grew thinner as it went up and curled over to show the snake head that sat atop it, with two large fangs and a neck with scales that seemed to slot into the one below it to form a tower. He wore a long blue coat over his torso, one that flapped about in the wind.

The serpentine moved his hand forward, an orange glow overtaking his palm. The snow drifts in front of him began to rise up and twitch, forming the rough shape of Serpentine of various tribes. When ten of them were formed, he turned his palm up and opened it, sending the glow to strike each of them. The glow manifested in each of them as shining, lifeless eyes on either side of each of their heads. They each reached into the snow and pulled up some random weapon that hardened enough for them to wield.

Skales watched as the serpentine gave a long growl, forming two balls of orange in his hand and sending them out in a burst towards his creations. Two of them were struck, breaking apart into snow and falling back onto the ground as nothing more than drifts. The other eight all rushed forward at him, swiping at him with their blades. Just as one of them tried to drive a snowy spear into his neck, the serpentine threw his head backwards, bending his body backwards over his tail until he was nearly horizontal. He rolled his body onto his front, then slashed his massive tail around him. The tail cleaved the snow snake in half, turning it back into a drift. The serpentine thrust forward with his arms to throw him back upright. Two Serpentine that attached form either side impaled each other as the serpentine dodged their attacks. Skales watched as he bunched his tail up under him and uncoiled it hard enough to send him flying up into the air. He swung his tail out around him just as he came down, breaking apart three in the process.

To try to see more, Skales shifted in the snow. The serpentine's eye shone as he shot out and grabbed hold of the snowy sword of one of his creations rushing him. Without even pausing, he reared his body back and flung the snow sword right at Skales. Skales' eyes widened just before the 'sword' hit him in the face. The snow shattered on impact, but it threw him all the way onto his back and stung his face. As he clutched his face and sat up, he saw the serpentine dispatch of the last of his creations with a well timed strike of his tail.

"Were you trying to kill me?!" Skales shouted at the other snake.

"You shouldn't sneak up on someone as they're training," The serpentine explained with a dull tone, "If this had been a true battle, I would have killed you."

"You put a lot of faith in your own strength," Skales hissed as he stood up from the snow, "Why are you throwing around snow piles in the Frozen Wastes, Viper? I thought your kind stayed in cities."

"Because I'm training here," The serpentine frowned, "Do you not recognize who I am?"

"Of course I do," Skales hissed, "Prince Ophiod. The Half Breed. But my question still remains."

Ophiod's face twisted from a neutral frown into an annoyed scowl upon hearing how Skales spoke to him. He walked over and used his tail to smooth out the snow, then slithered towards Skales. Skales, for a brief moment, took a step back at the imposing figure that Ophiod struck against the drifts. Ophiod, however, slithered right past him and into the cave behind him.

"Come on, you should be hungry," Ophiod pointed out, "We can eat now. It's almost sundown."

"What?" Skales paused, "How many days have I been in that cave?" As he spoke, he entered the cave after the Viper.

"Two," Ophiod moved to curl his body down by the small fire pit he'd created, "But you woke up earlier this morning, which was a good sign. I thought you had died."

Skales raised his eye at the strange emotion he couldn't place in Ophiod's voice. Ophiod raised his hand up and slowly began to whisper something in a strange language. The orange glow in his hand shot down and caused the sticks piled there to catch fire and burn into a warm fire. The fire warmed the air around them almost instantly, a fact the cold-blooded serpentine were both thankful for.

"Answer my question, Prince," Skales frowned as he sat back against the wall of the cave, "Why are you here? The Frozen Wastes are a long way from Ouroborus."

Ophiod began to unwrap several pieces of ingredients from cloth behind him, placing a large pot on top of the fire and pouring in water as he added cuts of meat and small spices into the mix, "My mentor, Arcturus, sent me out here to learn more about fighting in other environments. I've already mastered fighting in the sands, so here I am. I'm almost done learning about how to fight in the snow. I'm just waiting for a blizzard to really test my skills."

"You're actually waiting to be caught out in a blizzard?" Skales asked with a surprised gaze, "Still, Arcturus? I suppose I should have realized a pampered royal like yourself would be trained by someone of his stature."

"I'm lucky that he teaches me," Ophiod stirred the mixture in front of him with a spoon, "He's given me invaluable knowledge. Once I master his fighting style, I'll be able to defeat anyone."

"Hmmph," Skales crossed his arms, "You'll learn soon one day, Half Breed, not everyone can be beaten. Someone will always be stronger than you. That's the law of the serpentine. Only the ones stronger than you are allowed to lead."

Ophiod tensed at Skales' comment, but said nothing in response. Skales rolled his eyes and gave a hard 'harumph' as he settled in and watched Ophiod cook. In truth, he was surprised at how quickly and deftly Ophiod was preparing the food. For a pampered royal, he sure was able to cook in this place. Despite how new all his equipment looked, too, he seemed to use each piece like he had done so many times before.

After another ten minutes of cooking, time Skales was grateful just to be beside a fire, Ophiod produced two bowls and slowly poured in two serving of a simple stew. The water was browned from the meat's juices, and other than the meat and a few small pieces of vegetable inside, there wasn't much to it. Skales took the bowl and looked at it, looking to Ophiod for anything else he had to say.

"It isn't very good," Ophiod admitted, "But it'll fill your stomach. You weren't able to eat anything while I was working on healing you. You're going to need to eat."

"Hmmph, I'm sure a soft-bellied royal like you thinks anything that's not palace food tastes horrible," Skales scoffed. He leaned the bowl up to his face and took a long sip. As he did, he blinked. It wasn't by any means great, but it wasn't even remotely something he'd call bad. There was a strange spice to it, one he wasn't used to having. He watched as Ophiod began to eat, not wasting any time in doing so. He almost seemed somewhat robotic in the way that he did eat. Something that made Skales rather curious as to what he was doing.

Still, Skales was truly starving by now, so he had soon downed his first bowl and gone to take another. He didn't bother asking, instead just filling his bowl. He found that there were enough servings to make four bowls, three of which he made his own by the end. Ophiod didn't say anything, just letting Skales eat until his stomach was full. Once Skales had finished, Ophiod took the pot outside, using the snow to clean it and returning to place it aside with the rest of his gear.

While Ophiod left and returned to start magically tending the fire, Skales watched him carefully. It seemed the rumor that the Queen's family could use magic was true, given how Ophiod spoke strange words and caused the fire to flare up in front of him. Paired with the way he'd animated his own opponents to fight, Skales was somewhat impressed. Still, the idea of the crown Prince being sent out here, one of the further parts of the Serpentine Lands from the capital, was something he found somewhat hard to believe.

"I think it's time I ask you my own question," Ophiod spoke up, startling Skales from his rested position, "Why are you out here?"

"That… is none of your business, Half Breed," Skales hissed.

"...I saved your life," Ophiod frowned deeply, a bit of hurt creeping into his voice, "I think I have the right to know why you were dying."

"You have the right to know nothing, I didn't ask you to save me," Skales growled, "Don't push me right now. I'm not afraid to disrespect the Prince."

"You already have, but I'm used to that," Ophiod pointed out, "Why won't you tell me?"

"Because you don't want to get involved!" Skales spat, "It's nothing you should worry about."

Skales decided to try and leave it at that. He reached over and dragged the blanket he'd slept on around his shoulders, staying by the fire. His tongue dropped out of his mouth, half number from the old. Only his scales facing the flames themselves seemed to be warming up at all. His back was cold, and the blanket did little to help.

Ophiod, seeing how Skales began to shiver, inhaled and extended his hand. He let out a long string of words, causing the blanket to start to glow. Before Skales could ask what it was doing, he felt the blanket all but instantly warming up around him. His words paused as he felt the cold banish from his body, letting him relax a good deal. Ophiod looked at him, something which Skales took as an expectation given the deed he'd done. When Skales said nothing, Ophiod sighed.

"You're a Hypnobrai," Ophiod affirmed, "And I know the tribe is several miles from here. We are towards the edge of the Frozen Wastes. I would have made camp further in, but… that is not something that would be smart for me," Ophiod frowned, "If you have some reason to dislike the Hypnobrai, you and I will likely share some sentiment there."

Skales gave a small shiver, "Do… do not try to coax an answer from me, Ophiod. I'm here by my own will. I dragged myself out here. I don't need to share why with you."

"I think you should," Ophiod crossed his arms, "So in the event that whatever hurt you comes after you, I can help protect you."

"Nobody is coming after me," Skales muttered, "There's no reason to. I'm already dead."

"...You're very much alive," Ophiod pointed out. Skales felt a pang of anger rise up in him at the remark.

"Are you so desperate to know you would insult me?" Skales hissed out.

"I'm not trying to," Ophiod shook his head, "I just would like to know. If you won't tell me, I'll just ask questions until I know what I want to know."

"You're a strange Prince…" Skales pointed out. He tried to move away from the fire, but in doing so he put pressure on his left side. The wounds there were stretched, causing a sudden burn of pain that made him bite down on his tongue and tremble. Ophiod sat up, but Skales shot him a look. Ophiod backed off, instead letting Skales move over to where he'd woken from and lay down.

Skales felt pain start to fill his body. Now that he'd had food and had tried to move, he found himself more in pain than before. The snow must have dulled the pain, or he was too intrigued by Ophiod to care at first. Either way, he slowly closed his eyes, feeling a long rush of dizziness take him. He looked to Ophiod as he started to fall asleep, finding the Prince was staring right at him. Skales gave a small hiss and turned his head away from Ophiod, hiding the pained look that gave him. Slowly, Skales felt darkness take him again as he laid down to rest.

---

"Is that your blade?" Ophiod asked as he returned from the drifts.

Skales was sitting beside the fire once more, this time holding his rusted blade. He looked down at it, then up at Ophiod. For days now, Ophiod had gone and left the cave for almost all hours of sunlight, leaving Skales on his own. Ophiod insisted there was an 'enchantment' on the cave to repel intruders, but it wasn't as if Skales could truly run away if he wanted to. Today, Ophiod had returned with one of his arms slightly limp. If he'd done that to himself, Skales was both impressed and confused.

"No," Skales responded curtly, "I stole it before I left."

"May I see it?" Ophiod asked. Skales rolled his eyes and chucked the thing over to him. Ophiod caught it in the air and stared at it.

"Take it," Skales growled, "It's a worthless piece of junk. The only reason I was allowed to take it was because it's worthless."

Ophiod didn't respond at first, instead sitting down on his tail and running his hand along it. Skales wasn't sure why he was so interested in it. The blade was bent and rusted over to the point he wasn't even sure of its original color. It felt flimsy and broken. He'd stolen it mainly to use as a crutch, more so than any actual weapon. Ophiod pressed the tip of his tail against it, using it as a third hand to run along its length.

"I believe this blade is ancient," Ophiod's normally calm gaze turned thoughtful, "Perhaps if I were to attempt this…"

Ophiod placed his hands on the blade. As he always did before he used magic, he began to hiss out strange and gutheral sounding words. The orange glow on his hands wrapped around the entire blade, fixing on it like some sort of aura. Skales was too intrigued to make a remark, but he gave Ophiod a skeptical look. What he was hoping to do with a blade like that, Skales couldn't tell.

To Skales' shock, along the blade small spots began to appear in the rust. A golden sheen emanated from the spots. Slowly, those spots grew out, removing the rest on the blade. Ophiod continued to hiss out an enchantment as the spots soon grew to fully remove the rust off the blade. The aura fixated on the bent portion of the blade as well, moving to twist it back into place. Ophiod's hands transformed the useless and rusted thing into something that, when Ophiod slithered over to hand it to him, Skales was shocked at what he held.

The blade was a beautiful gold, with the hilt a light tan and filled with various symbols of the ancient language. The hilt itself went up and then, oddly, came to a smooth curve at the top. The blade itself was actually attached to the side of the hilt, jutting upwards from the hilt and curving back towards the hilt again. The blade was serrated, and almost looked wicked in its design. At the same time, the blade had almost no weight to it, feeling almost like a side weapon. Yet as Skales ran his hand on it, he could feel a quality to the material that nothing he'd seen in his own tribe could match.

"This is an ancient Viper blade," Ophiod explained to Skales, "My mother has one in the palace. Many of them were lost when our first capitol sank into the Sea of Sand. Those that remain used to be gifts given to the current generals as a sign of bravery. I managed to restore it."

"You… how did you?" Skales moved the blade around in his hand. Despite the strange shape, the blade was almost as tall as his torso. It slid elegantly through the air.

"I used a bit of restoration spell on it," Ophiod explained, returning to his spot on the other side of the cave, "It's not an easy spell, but I thought I recognized it. It looks like I was right."

"...You're the strangest serpentine I've ever met," Skales laid the blade on his lap, "You noticed my rusted sword was an ancient and valuable blade and just gave it back to me? Any normal snake would have taken it for themselves."

"I don't have any need for it," Ophiod responded, "I don't use weapons very often. Arcturus has taught me to fight only with my fists and tail. If I can outmatch someone with them, I can best them with any weapon I pick up."

"Hhmph, it seems the great Arcturus is a fool," Skales rolled his eyes, "Only a Half Breed would think it's as simple as learning that."

Skales went back to admiring the blade after that. He stared into the glow that it gave. Whereas before there had been too much rust to see anything, now his own face was reflected back to him elegantly. When he moved the blade aside, though, he found Ophiod staring at him. The most emotion that Ophiod had shown him thus far was reflected in his gaze, one that seemed to bore holes into him.

"What?" Skales asked with a groan.

"You've called me Half Breed multiple times now," Ophiod frowned, "I would like you to stop doing that."

"That's what you are, though," skales frowned, "Every serpentine knows it."

"Yes, and they all say it knowing full well why they do," Ophiod didn't avert his gaze, "I would like it if you stopped saying that. I saved your life. Don't insult me."

"So now you want to hold that against me?" Skales growled, "I thought you weren't going to use that against me. I haven't even told you why I'm here."

"I don't want to be called that," Ophiod looked down, "I can't help how I was born. I am not ashamed of my parents. Garmadon is the reason that we have our own lands, free of peace as we are. Queen Aspheera is one of the strongest rulers we have ever had. I don't know why I should be ashamed of my lineage."

"'Ashamed of my lineage," Skales mocked him, "Humans tries to wipe us out, Ophiod. They nearly sealed us underground. They were planning to force us into decades of slumber, never to see the sun again. Garmadon earned his right to stay here by turning on his own kind during the war. But even if he did, you've done nothing to earn the right to the throne. So until you do, you'll always be the Half Breed. You should remember that."

Skales saw Ophiod's eyes flash with something. For a moment, Skales had to look away as he felt a small pang of guilt in his chest. Still, he held firm, raising his head to stare at Ophiod again and keep his words pressed as firmly as his glares. Ophiod went silent for a few moments before he turned back to the fire and used a spell to widen the flames.

"That's just what Slitherra would say," Ophiod frowned.

"Slithera?" Skales sat up, "Why are you mentioning him?"

"You have to know about him, he's the General of your tribe," Ophiod scowled, "When I was born, Slithera declared that he would never let a Half Breed sit on the throne. My mother was forced to take that as a threat on my life. I said before I was not allowed to go deeper into the Frozen Wastes. If Slithera were to catch me on his lands, he may try to end my life. That is why I have stayed as long as I have. Blizzards are uncommon this far from the center of the Wastes. Once I find one, I am leaving."

"That's true?" Skales blinked, "Hmmph. I thought that was just a rumor that the tribe used. I assumed he made that up in order to show his power."

"I was kept in the palace my entire life due to the threats made on me," Ophiod stared into the flames, "I wouldn't lie about this."

Skales didn't know quite what to say to that. For some reason, he felt a strange sadness coming from Ophiod. There was something deep inside his words that Skales found himself wanting to understand more of. But he wasn't able to find the words to truly articulate them. Instead, he just had to stare at Ophiod as a strange feeling pricked at him.

"Do you intend to leave?" Ophiod asked, "Once I find a blizzard, I'm leaving to go home."

"I… suppose I do," Skales looked down, "I might just stay in this cave."

"It's not a very comfortable cave," Ophiod pointed out, "Why won't you go back to your tribe?"

"Because…. Because I have my reasons," Skales growled, "Stop pushing me for details, Ophiod. I won't tell you what you want to know."

Ophiod went silent again. Each time he did, Skales almost felt bad. There wasn't anything malicious about how Ophiod talked to him. He sounded so stiff and robotic. The only true emotion he felt from Ophiod came from when he had gotten angry over the name. And even then, it'd been restrained. Given Skales' state, it should have been easy to ensure Skales didn't backtalk him again. But right now, Skales felt the need to talk, even if he wasn't sure why.

"What are you even doing all day?" Skales asked, "You leave this cave before the sun is up and return when it is about to set. What could be so captivating out in that wasteland?"

"Training," Ophiod explained, "I train until I can't move anymore, then I use my magic to force myself to train more. I have to live up to what Arcturus has set for me."

"Really?" Skales narrowed his gaze, "You don't strike me as a serpentine that enjoys fighting."

"It's what I have a talent for," Ophiod commented plainly, "So that is what I work towards mastering."

"What's the point if you don't have any passion for it?" Skales rolled his eyes, "Us snakes can do anything we want. Why not find something else to do?"

"Because if I can fight, then I can defend myself from any that would want to hurt me," Ophiod summoned his magic to draw one of the blankets towards him.

Something about that remark put Skales off. It sounded… sad. Sad in a way he didn't understand. Ophiod was learning how to fight simply because he was good at it? To defend himself? There was no passion in his words. There wasn't much of anything. He sounded like a soldier just parroting orders. Given how amazing Ophiod already seemed with his tail, skales wasn't sure what more he could even learn. Was he just pushing himself to the next limit? What snake was so fixated on being stronger he was here waiting for a blizzard just to push himself?"

"... Well," Skales sighed, "Perhaps I can help you train."

"What?" Ophiod blinked, "Why?"

"Because training isn't useful when you only do it against thing you already know how will react," Skales pointed out, "And I'm sick of sitting in this cave all day with nothing to do. My wounds have healed enough for us to work together with that. I can at least give you something more to train with."

"I'm not sure if you should-" Ophiod was cut off.

"Do you see my markings?" Skales gestured to the coloration of blue and yellow along his head and legs, "I'm one of the high ranking Serpentine in the Hypnobrai tribe. I've been trained in combat to stand up to Slithera himself. If any Hypnobrai can stand up to you, it's me."

"I… don't understand," Ophiod frowned, "Why?"

"Because I don't want to have any debt to you," Skales pointed out dryly, "If I help you train, we can consider the debt I owe you for finding me to be repaid. Does that work for you, your Highness?"

Ophiod didn't know what to make of that offer. He looked as though he'd starred into the abyss and the abyss had starred back. Skales was that abyss, and Ophiod couldn't react to it. Skales held his gaze on Ophiod for several moments, forcing the snake to consider the offer. Ophiod turned his gaze away, just for Skales to move to look at him again. After an uncomfortable silence, Ophiod nodded.

"Fine," Ophiod replied, "But I do not know if I am too much for you. I might be. I've spent years training under Arcturus. I don't want to hurt you."

"You can't," Skals narrowed his gaze, "Not as much as I already have been. Starting tomorrow, we'll train together. Understand, Ophiod?" As Ophiod nodded, Skales readied himself for what it would be like to fight the Prince of the serpentine.

---

While training had indeed started, it seemed that it was far more accurate to say that Skales was the one being trained. The first morning that Skales had gotten up for Ophiod, the two had both ate a mixture of herbs and plants Ophiod said would fill their bellies. Despite the raw taste, Ophiod ate it like it was nothing at all. The sun had just started to shine orange rays on the horizon as the two left the cave behind, Skales with his new golden blade and Ophiod with just the coat he'd arrived with.

Ophiod took Skales to the top of a large hill for their first training. The two spent nearly an hour doing exercises, ones that Ophiod claimed would help 'build endurance' for the day to come. The intensity of them was enough to start exacerbating some of Skales' wounds, but he said nothing. Instead, he just went along with it, finding himself exhausted just by the end of it. Ophiod, though, showed no signs of it.

Once they were finished, Ophiod had chanted a spell to form a spear out of the snow. With it in his hands, he gave Skales a simple command: "Attack me."

With his new blade, Skales sized Ophiod up. The Viper didn't cut the most intimidating figure now that Skales wasn't deathly injured. In fact, he almost looked rather… weak, when he truly took Ophiod in. He had small shoulders and a weak frame, making him look like someone to be pushed over. Thus, Skales had decided to brandish the new golden blade he carried and flung himself at Ophiod with all he had.

Before Skales knew what happened, Ophiod twisted his spear and struck Skales in the shoulder of his outstretched arm. With a sweep of his tail, Ophiod had thrown Skales forward. By the time that Skales found himself able to think again, he was at the bottom of the hill, with Ophiod slowly descending it. Despite the pain of his wounds from rolling down, Skales had gotten back up and rushed Ophiod again. And soon, he was back in the snow. That was where his training had truly begun.

Ophiod was an interesting fighter, and that 'interest' turned to 'frustration' after just a few days of fighting the snake. At first, Ophiod simply used a snow spear to block attacks, but never threw one of his own. Instead, it wasn't Ophiod's arms he had to worry about, but his tail. Whenever Skales attacked, the tail came out of nowhere to strike him. It moved like a bullet, firing through the air to hit him and knock him away. Several times, he'd gone as far as to catch Skales' blade on his tail itself. Those times ended in him being disarmed, thrown down, and told to come at him again.

The first few days, Skales had been forced to go back to the cave, limping in pain at having been thrown down so much. To his annoyance, Ophiod would always come back with him and cast some spell to dull the pain enough for him to sleep. By the time he woke up, it wasn't long for Ophiod to return on his own. Just knowing that Ophiod was leaving him behind, already assuming he wouldn't be able to go with him again, pushed Skales to keep going.

Each day, Skales would stretch and warm up with Ophiod. Each day, he would find it exhausted him less. He would find that it would instead bring him a strange sense of limberness and strength he didn't know he had. Ophiod explained that Arcturus designed it to stretch the muscles that Serpentine often didn't train, meaning they would be training to become stronger in their true form rather than their strength alone. Whatever that meant, Skales didn't know. All he did know was that Ophiod was telling the truth, as day by day, he found his strength increasing.

Skales would find Ophiod's tail would only put him into the snow sometimes. He would find that each time he did go down, he would get up faster. Ophiod would add in new moves and tricks, trying to trip him up. Sometimes, most of the time, they worked. But he would soon be able to sense that Ophiod was going in for an attack. And with the speed that his lightweight blade afforded him, Skales could almost always at least start to block it. Whether he could follow up, though, was a different story.

Each day he trained, he learned a little more about Ophiod. Despite how stoic he seemed, Ophiod was actually only one year older than Skales was. He learned that Ophiod was one of the only remaining Vipers, as the rest of his kind had their genes bred out in other tribes. In order to maintain the bloodline, magic had to be used to ensure the offspring of each Viper ruler wouldn't turn out to another tribe. Therefore, most rulers were free to take any lover (or number thereof) they wished, so long as they had the magic they needed to ensure the correct birth.

He learned that Ophiod had been raised in the palace, with only the Serpentine that were on his staff allowed to interact with him. When Ophiod was too young to remember, one of the servants had attempted to kill him, revealing he'd been paid to do so. After that, Queen Aspheera had ordered that Arcturus become Ophiod's personal guard. Skales hadn't realized that was how deep it went, leaving him to feel more pangs of guilt for the snake. Each day, Ophiod had been living in fear of his own life, and when he'd managed to block one of Arcturus' attacks when he'd snuck up on the famed general by accident, Arcuturs had taken him on as his student.

Skales could see the influence just in fighting Ophiod. Ophiod hardly ever attacked with his upper body, leaving his tail to do the work. Skales spent more time countering and weaving through the tail than he did anything else. When he did get in close to Ophiod's guard, though, it was almost always a one hit strike to finish him off. Ophiod diverted all of his energy into evading and guiding his tail to attack to weaken his opponent, then dealt the finisher with his arms. It was a technique that Arcturus had perfected. The fact Skales had managed to even learn to avoid the tail in just a month alone was an amazing thing.

One day, Skales had gotten close enough with a lucky dodge to slice his blade through the snow spear that Ophiod had. The spear had broken in half, leaving Ophiod's guard wide open. The action had caused Ophoid to suddenly tense up and, in a flash, Ophiod's body suddenly was consumed by light. Skales found himself thrown away, and instead he saw Ophiod had turned into a massive, miniaturized tornado. The display kicked up snow in all directions, leaving Skales staring at the sight in awed terror. When Ophiod reappeared form it, it had been the first time he saw shame on Ophiod's face.

"I… I didn't mean to do that," Ophiod cleared his throat, "I, only use that if I have to."

"What… what was that?!" Skales demanded from him, "That… that's unlike anything I've ever seen!"

"It's, a human art," Ophiod admitted, "Called Spinjitzu. My father taught it to my mother and, later me. You were too close for me to use magic, and I acted on instinct."

"Of course you did…" Skales stood up, dusting himself off, "Teach me."

And so, with surprisingly little resistance from Ophiod, Skales had also begun learning Spinjitzu. Ophiod had set up a strange course of objects in the snow he enchanted with magic. If Skales was able to run through the course before Ophiod could count to five, Skales would have learned Spinjitzu. The course had confused him at first, but he'd thrown himself into it with all he had. He leapt on top of rocks, ran through a spinning set of rocks enchanted by Ophiod's magic, slid under traps, things that he hadn't even understood at first.

For two hours a day, Skales would run that course. Ophiod would say nothing the entire time, just letting him do it. It was almost a two weeks after he'd asked that he was even able to run the course in under ten seconds. Day by day, he pushed himself to get faster, and faster still. Ophiod would watch him the entire time, saying nothing of it.

Then, one day, Skales had done it. He completed the course in four and a half seconds. Just as he finished the course, Ophiod told him to do it again. Skales had almost yelled at him for ruining his accomplishment, but when he tried, he slid forward and almost fell. In an instant, something in Skales mind had clicked. He started the motions for the course again in that half second, and suddenly the world around him turned a light blue. When he'd finally stopped, he saw the sparks of Spinjitzu fading around him. And with that, Ophiod declared that he had learned Spinjitzu.

From that day onwards, Skales added Spinjitzu into his fighting. He would come at Ophiod with everything he had, suddenly twisting into Spinjitzu and then stopping just to use the momentum to hit Ophiod's guard with all he had. Soon, the two were fully sparring, facing each other on an equal ground for the first time. Ophiod was forced to take each battle seriously. Once more, at first it had been a clean sweep for Ophiod.

But as the days wore on, Skales learned. He learned each way that Ophiod tensed for an attack. Just by looking at Ophiod, he'd know every move he was about to make. Ophiod was shocked to learn that Skales had learned how to read his tail just by how his scales rippled in the light when he tensed the muscles for it. Ophiod could tense his muscles in his tail to harden it against attacks, and even in low light Skales learned how to counter it. Once, he managed to throw Ophiod off and deliver his first blow to the snake by balancing Spinjitzu right on top of his tail and punching him as he saw Ophiod's shock.

Finally, the day came that Skales and Ophiod were fighting. The two had been sparring for almost a half hour, and neither of them had gone down. Three months had passed since they began, and in that time, they had learned from each other. For over a half hour, the two had slashed and attacked with all they had up and down the slopes. Ophiod let out blasts of magic to blow holes in the snow, while Skales sliced through the drifts and into Ophiod's tail with his blade. The blade moved in his hand like clockwork, truly able to keep up with anything Ophiod threw at him. Both had a near impenetrable guard by now, and they both knew it. Skales pressed his attack fiercely, forgoing most defense in order to just put as much pressure on Ophiod as he could.

Ophiod was backed all the way up to the edge of a small hill. As his tail went over, there was that brief second of Ophiod adjusting to the fact he couldn't back up anymore. Skales took this chance. He swept one of his legs across the snow, spraying Ophiod's face with it. Ophiod blinked, and when he opened them, he was met with Skales' swirling red eyes. Ophiod had to shut his eyes instantly to avoid the hypnosis, giving Skales his chance to swing his blade forward. With the curve of it, he sliced apart Ophiod's snow spear and took his last chance.

"NINJA-GO!" Skales' shout was lost as his Spinjitzu slammed straight into Ophiod. The action threw Ophiod backwards, sending him tumbling and rolling down the hill. Ophiod wasn't able to stop himself as his tail began tangling around himself and he wasn't able to tighten the muscles to dig into the snow with. When he finally stopped, he shook himself free of snow to slowly lift his head up. When he did, he saw Skales standing then, coming to a stop in a slide as he pointed his blade down at Ophiod.

"It's my victory this day, Ophiod," Skales narrowed his eyes. He spun his blade in his hand, then moved to slide it into a sheath of leather he had wrapped around his back. He extended his hand to Ophiod, who looked at it with shock in his eyes. Slowly, he reached out and took it. Skales pulled him upright, leaving Ophiod to blink in shock.

"I… lost, indeed," Ophiod shook himself, "I, erm… I've, never lost to someone that wasn't Arcturus. I'm… a bit shocked, to be honest."

"You'll be able to overpower almost any Serpentine now," Skales crossed his arms, "Was losing really that stunning to you?"

"Not really… I think it's more that…" Ophiod looked down, "I've never had someone that's truly fought with me like that before. I… feel rather glad right now, actually. I'm not sure why."

Skales quirked an eye up as he looked at how Ophiod looked down at his hands. Skales let him stare like that for a rather long while, then sighed and shook his head. He reached out and gently wrapped his hand around Ophiod's wrist, tugging him back up the hill. Ophiod just slithered along, not saying a word and staring at Skales with that shock in his eyes. When they reached the top, Skales stood so the two were watching the sun.

It'd been months now. Almost four since the two had first met. They'd fought hard and learned each other's fighting style. What had been Ophiod training Skales had turned into them both sharpening each other. Skales looked out across the snowy slopes, seeing the sun was slowly beginning its descent. The snow sparkled in the sunlight, creating a sight that the two had seen many times before. With the tension still pumping through his veins, though, Skales felt the sight was something he'd never even taken the time to look at. Standing here like this… he found himself awed by it.

"...Ophiod," Skales turned away slightly, "I… need to tell you. I need to tell you why I'm here. I made a promise to myself that if I was one day able to beat you, I'd tell you."

"That… sounds like something I should have asked when I won," Ophiod asked in confusion. Skales shot him an annoyed glance.

"Because I knew that if you were strong enough to beat me… you'd be strong enough to beat him," Skales gripped his fists, "I know that you're strong enough that… when they come for me, they won't be able to take you."

"I… don't understand," Ophiod blinked. Skales took a deep breath.

"Do you know what a Slither Pit is, Ophiod?" Skales asked, taking Ophiod's nod as a yes, "A day before I met you, I decided to challenge Slithera, my General, to a Slither Pit. I wanted to control the Hypnobrai. I was sick of him looking like a weak leader. I thought I was the one that should have led the tribe. So I challenged him. And it looked like I was going to win. It was the first one our tribe had in years. Slithera took it like I was betraying him. And we fought."

"...I lost," Skales gripped his fists tightly, "...Usually, I'd just be demoted from my status. Go down to a Warrior Class and all that. But Slithera didn't like that I was setting an example of me for challenging him. So he instead changed the condition of my loss to… my execution," Skales' expression hardened, "The wounds I had were from my battle with Slithera. The tribe turned on me. They couldn't refuse him. I knew that, as a true serpentine, I should stay and face my own execution. "

"...I ran," Skales hissed, "I ran away from them. I left, Ophiod. I'm not even a true serpentine anymore. As far as you should know, I'm dead. I'm dead to the Hypnobrai. Slithera was going to kill me. And now… now I'm out here. With the Prince, training to fight with him. I'm probably strong enough to go and fight Slithera now. But it doesn't matter. I can't go back to the tribe, or stay in Serpentine Lands anymore."

"Because he'll send snakes for you?" Ophiod asked. Skales nodded.

"Right now, he thinks I died out here," Skales pointed out, "But it's been too long without them finding a body. They'll start to think I escaped. Slitehra is paranoid. The entire tribe watched me fight him. They all saw me challenge him. If he can't confirm that my penalty for losing was carried out, they'll think he's soft. If he ever finds me, or word gets to him I'm alive, they'll likely be an order from the Queen herself to kill me."

"I won't let that happen," Ophiod responded.

"...What?" Skales turned to Ophiod, "...Why? Why would you do that? You're already under threat of death from him. Why bring even more reason for Slithera to come after you?"

"Because it wasn't right of him to order your execution," Ophiod gripped his fist, "I've never seen a Slither Pit, but I know the rules. Execution should only be reserved for criminals. You were following the system. If I were to evoke the guidelines-"

"You haven't seen Slithera," Skales stopped him, "If you tried to tell him not to, he'd just tell you it's his right as General. And your authority means nothing as Prince to him. The Queen won't get involved since this is an internal matter. You're better off challenging him yourself for my own head."

"Maybe I will," Ophiod responded. It took Skales several seconds to turn to look at him in shock.

"Ophiod," Skales frowned, "You don't know what a Slither Pit entails. If you lost to him, he could order your death, like mine. That's how this works," He turned his head forward, "Idealism will only get you so far."

"If he comes for you, I'll defend you," Ophiod nodded his head, "We're not on Hypnobrai lands, they have no authority to take you. And I'll fight for you."

"Why?" Skales chuckled, "I'm just a walking corpse."

"You're the first snake that's stopped calling me Half Breed," Ophiod responded, turning away back towards the cave, "That's reason enough. We should get back. We need to eat. There may be a storm tonight, I want to reinforce the entrance."

As Ophiod slithered down the hill, Skales wasn't sure what to say. The rush of fighting had started to calm down, giving him a chance to feel the chill in the air. He gave a small groan as he watched Ophiod slither away from him. Yet even as he found himself annoyed, he couldn't help but smile a little bit.

"Fool," Skales looked up at the sky above him, "Only a fool would stand up for a snake like me."

With that, Skales followed him. A pair of eyes watched them as the two descended back to their cave to brave the storm that was rolling in, and to enjoy what was more or less an end to this leg of their training.

---

When the sun rose two days later, Skales and Ophiod rose with it. This, however, was not due to their routine of waking up early to stretch, but rather the sound of a massive burst in the distance. Ophiod and Skales both jumped up and rushed out of the cave, seeing the last tufts of snow that were kicked up over the hill. One of Ophiod's enchantments on the area had gone off. The two nodded, Skales drawing his blade and Ophiod summoning a magical ball on his hand as they rushed to see what was there.

The two crested the hill to see a sight that made Skales' blood run cold. A patrol of five Hypnobrai were scattered among the snow. A massive crater, almost two feet wide and running all the way down to the now cracked rocks underneath the snow, had been blown in the center of the group. The five were all slowly stumbling up to their feet, trying to regain their footing with the sound of the explosion ringing in their ears. The one closest to them, a warrior class with no yellow markings, stood up and hissed as he rubbed his head.

"Who... who did that?" The Hypnobrai asked. When he saw Ophiod and Skales standing over them, his face turned into a snarl. He first looked at Ophiod, who held a near emotionless gaze as he prepared a magical strike against them. His attention, however, was soon drawn to Skales.

"So you did survive…" The Hypnobrai growled, "Skales! We've come to carry out your sentence."

"So Slithera has sent you to do his dirty work then, Mezmo?" Skales hissed back.

Mezmo drew a knife and held it up at Skales, "You're supposed to be dead already. We're just making sure that it's done. Slithera has been demanding we find you. To think you were just hiding out here. What sort of serpentine are you?"

"If you wish to harm Skales," Ophiod spoke in a dark voice, slithering in front of Skales, "Then you will have to defeat me first."

"Is that how it is?" Mezmo turned around to see his men had gotten up, then shouted, "Snakes! Kill them both!"

The Hypnobrai drew their weapons and charged up the slope. Skales readied to fight, but Ophiod placed his hand on the ground. The magic seeped into the snow. Just as Mezmo was about to reach him, the snow shot up in a blast to send Mezmo rolling down the slope. The other Hypnobrai were blasted back by the ground under their feet. Ophiod summoned another ball of magic he slung across his chest. A fan-shaped blast of orange shot out over the snakes, picking them up and throwing them even further back in a blast of magical power.

"G-Gah…" Mezmo slowly picked himself back up from the double attack, "Who… who is he?"

"Wait, Mezmo!" A scout class Hypnobrai shouted, "That's the Prince!"

"What?" Mezmo growled, "The Half Breed?" As he squinted his eyes, he saw the Viper markings all over Ophiod's body and his eyes widened, "You're right!" Mezmo pointed his knife at Ophiod, "What are you doing in these parts, Prince? Why are you defending this traitor?"

"Traitor?" Ophiod growled, "He is nothing like that. You have unfairly cast an undo sentence on his head. I am ensuring that does not be carried out."

"Ophiod!" Skales shouted from behind him, "Don't fight them! You'll make an enemy of the entire Hypnobrai!"

"You should listen to the traitor," Mezmo grinned, "I don't know why the Prince is out here, but once we get back to Slithera, we'll make sure he hears about this. After we get rid of that traitor."

Mezmo had the other Hypnobrai line up behind him. Ophiod responded by sending his magic into the snow, raising up several snow-snakes as he had when he first met Skales. Mezmo suddenly had a nervous look on his face as these snow soldiers raised their snow weapons to advance towards them. Ophiod held his hand out, pointing straight towards the assembled Hypnobrai. Mezmo looked up to see a gleam in Ophiod's eye he couldn't place.

"OPHIOD!" Skales shouted, make Ophiod jerk up, "Are you trying to declare war on the Hypnobrai?!"

"I…" Ophiod bit his lip, "I won't let them take you."

"Why?!" Skales spat, "I already told you, I'm a walking corpse! This is just going to give Slithera everything he needs to try to depose you. Do you think you can survive out there as… as you are without the protection of your family?!"

Ophiod seemed to be frozen to the spot. Mezmo steadied his breathing, trying to calm himself to peak, "Y-You should listen to-"

Skales pointed his elegant blade at Mezmo, making him silence himself.

"Don't do this, Ophiod…" Skales gripped Ophiod's arm, "...I repaid my debt to you. I helped you train. Now just let me go. You shouldn't have found me in the first place. Just… just let me go. Don't anger Slithera more than you already have!"

Silence. The winds were all that anyone could hear. Ophiod looked ready to lead into battle, and Skales held his breath. A fear was coursing through Skales' body. At first, he thought it was due to him having his own execution squad here. But, instead, he realized it was for Ophiod. He didn't want Ophiod to sacrifice his position for him. He didn't want to drag Ophiod into his own failure. He readied himself to step forward and give himself up to Mezmo, when Ophiod raised his arm.

"There will be no need to tell Slithera," Ophiod waved his hand, making the snow snakes disappear in front of him, "Because I will tell him myself."

"What?!" Skales and Mezmo asked one another.

"You're coming to apologize to him for attacking his snakes?" Mezmo grinned, "I'm sure we can arrange that. I'll make sure he knows you really-"

"That isn't why," Ophiod placed a hand on his chest, "I'm not coming to apologize. I'm offering him a challenge," Ophiod inhaled, "I formerly declare a Slither Pit against Slithera for Skales' life!"

---

"...What?" Slithera narrowed his gaze at the copper Viper in front of him.

Ophiod now stood inside the icy palace that the Hypnobrai called their own. It'd been hours since he'd told his intentions to Mezom, and now he'd just repeated them to Slitehra. The snake was sitting upon a throne of solid ice, so clear that one could see right through it and all the way down. The entire palace was made of ice, and if one looked down, they could see the ground the palace was built above below. All around Ophiod, Hypnobrai were staring at him in shock. Most of all was Skales, who stood behind Ophiod with icy handcuffs placed on his wrists.

"You heard me," Ophiod growled, "I, Prince Ophiod, heir to the Serpentine throne, formerly cast down a challenge of Slither Pit to you, Slithera, General of the Hypnobrai! The condition for my winning will be the removal of your execution order on Skales' head!"

Slithera let his tail lazily curl up on the steps of the throne in front of him. When he looked at Ophiod, there was a disgust so plainly written on his face that Ophiod could feel it radiating even from the bottom of the throne. Ophiod was certain the only reason that he'd been let this far into the tribe was because he had Skales with him. If he hadn't, he was certain he'd have had to go through several scores of Hypnobrai just to reach this throne.

"You wish to challenge me?" Slithera laughed, "How childish. Your declaration is so old fashioned as well. You know that I have no reason to accept your challenge, yes?"

"I do," Ophiod nodded. That answer made Slithera's eye twitch.

"And yet you still saw fit to waste my time with this challenge?" Slithera fully sat up on his throne, "You best pick your words carefully, boy."

Skales wasn't sure what. Ever since he'd heard Ophiod say those words back to Mezmo, his world felt numb. Ophiod, the prince of the Serpentine, was fighting for him? Why? He tried to look at Ophiod's expression, but Ophiod had reverted to his normal emotionless gaze.

"I know you harbor contempt for me, Slithera," Ophiod stated firmly, "I know that since my birth, you have been the most vocal about my removal from Prince. Yet I know that your own contempt goes deeper than my own abdication," Ophiod inhaled, "If you accept this challenge, I will let you set the condition for my loss be that you be allowed to carry out my own execution."

Skales felt a pang of fear rip through him harder than anything else in his life. All around him, the Hynorai began to walk and whisper fiercely. Ophiod kept his eyes firmly trained on Slitehra's own, not letting them shift for a single minute. Slithera sat at full attention, his expression turning to one of keen interest.

"You mean that, then?" Slithera leaned all the way forward, "A Prince, willing to put his own life on the line for a lowly member of his kingdom? Are you so eager to throw your life away?"

"I will never say anything that I will not stand by," Ophiod placed his hand over his chest, "I am your Prince, Slithera. My word will mean something to you, even if you refuse to acknowledge it. I know you are a petty leader. Does this chance not strike you as the one you've waited for your entire life?"

Slitehra's smile turned all the way into another sneer. The tribe again began to hiss as they watched the two leaders stare each other down. Skales felt as though he was about to collapse from fear. Ophiod kept his gaze firm and unwavering, which seemed to just keep Slithera fuming at him even more.

"If you are so eager to die, I am happy to oblige," Slithera stood up from his throne, slithering all the way down the steps. When he was right up in Ophiod's face, he whispered, "I am going to enjoy this, you Half Breed. My reason for winning today will be far beyond whatever flimsy connection you have to my traitorous kind. If you are perhaps feeling fear, I will let you leave if you were to grovel-"

"Show me to the arena," Ophiod cut him off. Slithera looked ready to burst apart right there. He took a long breath, then turned to Skales.

"You should know that arena rather well, traitor," Slithera placed his hands behind his back, "Show him to it. When I arrive, I will begin the Slither Pit immediately. I hope you have said your last prayers, Half Breed. I will send your regards to the Queen when we have finished." With that, Slithera turned to leave, disappearing behind his throne.

All around them, the Hypnobrai were buzzing with confusion and excitement. Skales looked at Ophiod in pure disbelief, but Ophiod just slithered his way towards the edge of the crowd. Skales was forced to follow him. The snakes parted, letting the two make their way deeper into the palace.

"Show me to the Slither Pit arena, please," Ophiod asked Skales, "I do not wish to be late."

"...Are you insane?!" Skales hissed out, "You understand that he won't let you leave that arena! Why are you risking your life for… for some snake like me, Ophiod!?" Reluctantly, Skales took the lead for them.

"Because I must," Ophiod stated to him, "Your life is on the line. I will not let someone like him take it from your so frivolously. You are more to me than just some means to an end. I care for you, Skales. I will not let him take you away from me."

"Why me?" Skales asked, gripping his fists in his icy cuffs, "I'm just a traitor, Ophiod. A traitor that couldn't stand up to his punishment. If I was any amount the serpentine you think I am, I wouldn't be here. You wouldn't be facing him. You'd be back at your palace, where you belong. Why do I mean so much to you?!"

Skales was quieted down as Ophiod put a hand on his shoulder. Skales looked back at Ophiod and was confused at what he saw. Ophiod was smiling. The normally emotionless, neutral face of Ophiod had curled into a warm smile. Seeing it was enough to make Skales freeze to the spot. His words would ring in Skales' ears.

"You asked me once if I had a reason for fighting," Ophiod smiled, "I believe I've found it. Today, I fight for more than my own skill. I fight for you, Skales."

With that, Ophiod slithered past Skales, gesturing for him to come. Skales couldn't do anything but follow him. Just taking the first step after Ophiod sent a strange feeling through his body. It wasn't fear, nor was it anger. It wasn't hatred or confusion. It was a strange warmth that he hadn't felt before. As he padded along after Ophiod, Skales hung his head as he felt his words backing up in this throat.

"I'm just a training partner to you, Ophiod…" Skales whispered, "I'm just… I'm just a useless traitor…" No matter what he said, though, Ophiod kept smiling. He kept slithering along. He kept moving forward with Skales.

Soon, the two reached a large chamber. A massive slab of ice was framed up by stands that had already been filled by Hypnobrai. At the other end of the arena was a raised platform that Mezmo stood at, a grin on his face with various controls in front of him. Ophiod slithered down a small path that led into the arena. He pointed to a seat that was right by the front. With a wave of magic, he pushed the one already in it aside and made Skales sit down.

"Don't worry about me, Skales," Ophiod inhaled, "This was a long time coming. One day, I have to face what I truly am. Today is that day. And now, I have more to give me the strength to fight for it."

Skales was left completely petrified as Ophiod slithered into the arena. He took his stance on the left side, his copper tail turning around him. He waited patiently as the stands filled up with more and more snakes. Even as the noise around him increased, Skales felt all the sound around draining away from him. All he could do was stare at Ophiod. Stare at the snake that was fighting for him. He felt like his world was on pause, and the only thing that he could perceive was Ophiod's emotionless face as he waited for his opponent to arrive.

Soon, Slithera had arrived. The General had outfitted himself with elegant armor made of ice infused into deep blue armor. The armor covered his entire chest, shoulders, upper arms, and most of the lower half of his long snake tail. He wore a large helmet that fit over the cobra-like flaps that distinguished his look. He had not come empty handed, though. In his left hand, he had a long copper blade. The shade was the same as Ophiod's scales. The blade was slightly curved, almost like a sickle, and there were strange markings along the blade's length.

"Ophiod!" Slithera shouted, silencing the entire romo and making Skales' heart jump in his throat. He leveled his weapon forward at Ophiod, "Do you know what this blade is?"

"No, I do not," Ophiod shook his head.

"This is a blade that was forged by your…. Ancestors," Slithera spat the word with venom, "It was designed specifically for killing your own kind. Any Viper that stands before this blade will fall. It was meant to be used to depose kings that went mad with power. Now, I will use it to purge the bloodline before I allow the humans that tried to drive our kind into exile from ever polluting our royalty!" Slithera raised the blade. The Hynobrai in the audience cheered.

"Choose your weapon!" Mezmo shouted from his perch.

"I need no weapon to defeat you," Ophiod summoned magic in his hands, sending massive orange flames licking up his forearms.

"If you do not wish to die, I suggest you back down now!" Slithera shouted at Ophiod, "If you beg me to spare your life, I will let you leave!"

"The Slither Pit is no place for a coward that would try to win his match without his strength," Ophiod declared, "I have no time for snakes like you, Slithera!"

Slithera's face lit up in rage. Skales looked between the two fighters. Until now, he'd seen Ophiod was a strong and powerful warrior. Put up against Slithera, the snake that had beat him, Ophiod suddenly looked small. No armor, no weapon, only magic licking at his arms. The audience went silent as Mezmo pulled one of the levers. A block of ice moved up to block the entrance that Ophiod had used into the arena. Ophiod didn't flinch. Skales felt every scale on his body ready to just off as the two combatants readied themselves for combat.

"Then let the Slither Pit….!" Mezmo shouted. Skales felt his breath stop.

"BEGIN!"

With a shout, Slithera shot forward to attack Ophiod. As Skales had tried so many times before, he knew the blow wouldn't connect. Ophiod instead twisted his body out of the water and thrust his flaming fists up against Slithera's armor, causing the ice to begin to hiss and melt. Slithera growled in rage and tried to swing back at Ophiod, but Ophiod's tail came out and batted his arm aside. Ophiod reared his arms back and thrust them forward, sending the flames into Slitehra's armor. Slithera was forced back, but the flames remained where they'd struck, sticking to and melting the ice.

Slithera was undeterred. The General turned to try to catch Ophiod's glare with his hypnotic eyes. Ophiod reached up with his magic and caught the icicles above them, wrenching them free of the roof with his magic. Three of them came flying down towards Slithera, who broke his attack to slide away from them. The massive chunks were almost as tall as he was, impaling deep into the arena floor.

This action resulted in Ophiod closing the gap between them. Slitehra looked down to see Ophiod's face, just in time for Ophiod to spin and catch Slithera's face on his tail. Slithera was sent down onto his back, earning a loud cheer of excitement from the crowd. Slithera shouted and slashed with his blade from the ground. Ophiod bunched his tail up and launched into the air, landing on the top of one of the icicles. Slithera slashed at him again, but Ophiod jumped back down away from him.

With a loud battle cry, Slithera raced towards him. Ophiod summoned another spell, this time slamming his hands together. An orange aura surrounded his body, one that enhanced his own natural strength. Slithera gave several vicious swipes at Ophiod, who spun and twisted his body out of the way of each. Ophiod tensed the muscles in his tail, then lashed straight out at Slitehra's chest after a slash left his guard open. The force of his tail hitting the half-melted armor caused it to shatter apart, exposing Slithera's torso to attack. Ophiod put his hands together, summoning a magical blast to send right into the General's guard.

Mezmo and Slithera locked eye contact. Mezmo hissed out and pulled a lever, causing the entire arena to tilt towards Ophiod. Ophiod's balance was thrown off as he began to go sliding down the ice. In that moment, Slithera's eye sparked with opportunity. Slithera slid down, using gravity to get to Ophiod faster. Ophiod, balance off and sliding backwards, twisted away, but it was too late. Slithera's blade slide across his arm, cutting a small gash in it. As soon as he had, Mezmo tilted the arena back level. Ophiod leaned down and spun around, sending his tail out to force Slithera back.

"Hmmph," Slithera held his blade up, a small bead of Ophiod's blue blood sliding down it, "It seems the Prince is not as invincible as he wants us to believe!" The crowd gave a cheer. Skales felt his entire body on edge as he saw Slithera had actually landed an attack!

"No being is truly indestructible," Ophiod raised his hand up, summoning a magical flame, "I will burn off all of your armor, and then-"

Suddenly, Ophiod gasped in pain. His vision blurred as his flame went out. The aura around his body faded as he did. Slithera grinned under his helmet as Ophiod felt a searing pain coming from the cut. As soon as his magic was canceled, the pain began to subside. He looked to Slithera, who let him take time to revel in it. Ophiod tried to summon another flame, but the intense pain was enough to make him quake.

"You should have kept a better guard, Half Breed!" Slithera turned the blade to show the language written on it, "This blade has an enchantment on it that seals the magic of any that it cuts. You Vipers are adept at using magic, so it's the perfect weapon against you. Try to use your magic now, and you'll be met with pain untold."

"I don't need my magic to beat you," Ophiod declared, clutching his arm. Despite his confident words, Skales felt his entire body trembling. Seeing Ophiod actually wounded was enough to make him suddenly very, very concerned.

"Then come at me, Half Breed," Slithera jeered, "I wish to see what skills that old fool Arcturus has taught you!"

Ophiod, much to Skales' horror, took the bait. Ophiod raised both arms, pushing past the pain of doing so as he rushed Slithera with his speed. Skales watched as Ophiod struck out with his tail, gliding from position to position to send strike after strike into Slithera's guard. Skales had fought against that many times. He knew exactly what Ophiod was doing. And, somehow, that made this even harder to watch.

Ophiod baited Slithera to finally go slash at him. When he did, Ophiod was ready. He threw his weight back and slid under the blade, then wrapped his tail around Slithera's wrist and squeezed. He expected Slithera to drop it, but instead Slithera drove his free hand into Ophiod's gut. Ophiod grunted in pain, but held on. Slithera continued to rain punches down on Ophiod, refusing to give until he let go. Ophiod let go of his wrist, moving back from Slithera.

Slithera sent his tail out towards Ophiod, who met it with his own. Skales watched the odd display as the two traded tail strikes, almost like they were swords. He expected Slithera to be as overwhelmed as he had been, but Ophiod seemed to be evenly matched with him. Instead, Slithera baited out Ophiod making a hard strike, then tried to drive the blade into the tail. Ophiod tensed the muscles at the last second, making the blade bounce off.

Ophiod knew he needed some way to win. He put distance between him and Slithera, trying to think of options. As soon as he did, Mezmo suddenly pulled a switch. The ends of the arena extended massive spikes that closed in from all sides, shortening the diameter of the arena. Ophiod was forced back towards Slithera, unable to break the spikes with magic. Mezmo only stopped when the two had only perhaps seven feet between them.

"Already running away?" Slithera taunted, "Just like a coward. I would say I'm surprised, but you aren't a true serpentine."

"I haven't given in yet," Ophiod growled, "I'm fighting for more than myself now. I am fighting for what's right."

"Spare me your platitudes!" Slithera shouted, rushing forward in a jab. Ophiod dodged, but Slithera used his momentum to swing behind him. Ophiod swung out of each and every blow, only adding to the tension that the audience and Skales felt. Skales had dug his fists in so tight, his hands almost felt numb.

"Arcturus would be ashamed of you!" Slithera continued through his attacks, "A pupil of his should be able to defeat me, easily! Your guard is laughable! I cannot see how the Queen thinks you are fit to rule the Serpentine! Your human blood has polluted your honor!"

"My honor is not at stake here," Ophiod tried to remain calm as he sent his tail out for attacks, "It is the life of one I have come to care deeply about! I will not lose this battle for him!"

Slithera didn't respond. Mezmo grinned, then reached under the panel and hit a button. The spikes retracted, and for a moment Ophiod felt as though he was safe. Instead, they moved to a safe distance, then began to fire off into the arena. Ophiod's entire sense of space around him lit up with alarms as he spun his body in and out of each spike with a glorious precision. The entire crowd watched as he moved his massive tail and torso out of each one. Mezmo reached under to pull a smaller level at the same time.

From the ceiling, a large rack of weapons descended. Slithera reached up and took hold of an icy sword. He crossed his blades together, then raced right towards Ophiod. Ophiod, as busy as he was dodging, only had the briefest of moments to jump into the air to avoid the slash that Slithera tried to use to behead him. The moment he did, however, Ophiod suddenly gave a gasp as a spike impaled into his back.

"Ophiod!" Skales shouted in terror. The rest of the crowd cheered. Mezmo stopped the spikes, letting Ophiod collapse onto the ice. He tried to reach out and pull the spike out, but blue blood had already begun leaking out through his scales. Before he could react, Slithera flung the icy sword at him. Ophiod rolled away by instinct, but that just drove the spike further into him. The sword impaled into the ice where Ophio was. As Ophiod tried to get up through the pain in both his arm and back, Slithera walked up and struck Ophiod upside the head with his tail. The crowd cheered again as Skales felt every ounce of his being burn in terror.

"Such a weak snake… as I expected," Slithera leveled his Viper-killing blade at Ophiod, who lay on the ground in pain, "Do you have any regrets before I send you into the afterlife, Half Breed?"

Ophiod gave one more desperate attack. He tried to sweep his tail out to knock over Slithera. By now, though, his strength only stumbled the general. Slithera responded with a punch to Ophiod's right cheek, sending him down on his hands and tail. Slithera leveled the blade at his neck.

"I commend your spirit, but you should have known your place," Slithera raised his blade, "Now, you can see where it is your filthy soul will go when this is over!" Ophiod shut his eyes, readying himself for the strike.

"OPHIOD!" A clash sounded.

Ophiod raised his head. Skales stood, his handcuffs broken, holding his golden blade up in front of him. Skales held back Slithera's blade, his golden blade clashing against the copper. With all of his months of training, Skales slung his sword, throwing Slithera back. Skales turned back to Ophiod, a fire burning in his eyes.

"Get up, Ophiod!" Skales shouted, "You haven't lost this battle yet!"

Ophiod felt a rush of power through his body. He nodded his head, slowly raising his body up. He panted as he gritted his teeth, then reached back and gripped the spike in his back. With a single heave, he ripped it from his body with a splatter of blood. He tossed it aside, ignoring the searing pain as he looked to the stunned Slithera.

"You…" Slithera pointed his blade at Skales, "How dare you interfere with this battle! The Slither Pit is sacred! I will carry out your sentence now for violating it!"

Slithera went to strike, but Skales was faster. Skales' slash sent the icy sword Slithera had taken flying, and the two once more locked gold and copper blades. Slithera, unprepared for how strong Skales now was, was forced back. The two parted blades, but Skales slashed again. And again. And again, and again. Each time, he shouted something.

"Ophiod never chose a weapon for this battle!" Skales shouted through the sound of their attacks, "I will be Ophiod's weapon! I will be his sword and his shield! So long as he is going to stand in the way of snakes like you, I'll stand by his side!"

"You foolish traitor!" Slithera shouted back, "You're nothing to him! Nothing to this tribe anymore! Why would you dare to risk your life for a Half Breed like him!"

"Because!" Skales gave on final slash, sending Slithera skidding back along the ice with a dark glint in his eye, "I'm already dead. So I can devote what little life remains of mine to the one that deserves it!" Skales glowered at Slithera, "Ophiod! Let us finish this!"

Skales turned back to look at Ophiod. As the two locked gazes, Ophiod knew just what the other snake wanted to do. The two turned ot Slithera, still recovering from Skales' unexpected furios onslaught. And with that, the two brought their arms up and shouted together.

"NINJA-GO!" Skales and Ophiod twisted into a blue and copper Spinjitzu. Slithera's eyes widened as the two tornado went flying around the ice, their swirls erratically pulsing and arcing out at him as they raced towards him. The entire crowd went silent as this new and amazing development was put right on display for them. Slithera watched as the two tornados converged on him from either side. Just as they were about to hit him, Slithera threw himself forward, sliding across the ice and turning to see the two tornados clash into each other.

For a moment, Slithera felt as though he'd won. He slowly stood up, panting as he waited for them to both destroy the other. But instead, something odd happened. A spark formed between the two tornadoes. The sparks grew as they connected with one another. And then, the two tornadoes slid into one another. The two overlapped, causing their whirls to violently spark and begin to jerk around in an unstable fashion. For a moment, Slithera felt as though it was about to break apart. The two tornados seemed to writhe, as though the connection was about to break them apart.

Then, with a loud blast of wind, the tornadoes merged. In an instant, the tornado doubled in size. The tornado was a beautiful glow of blue and copper, one that spun elegantly and powerfully. It cast its light all around the arena, blinding the crowd. Slithera watched as it grew more and more powerful until it had almost touched the ceiling of the entire room. A small tug began to grab at Slithera, then a harsher one, and finally he felt his body dragged in towards the tornado. Slithera plated his blade into the arena, holding on for dear life. But as he looked back, the tornado spun towards him. The light it cast made him squint his eyes. For a brief moment, he swore he saw Ophiod and Skales' shadows inside, staring right at him.

His grip on the sword broke, and Slithera was drawn into the tornado with a loud cry. The audience shielded their eyes as Skales and Ophiod shouted together, bringing their rain of punches down on him. Slithera felt his body whipped and blended around in the tornado, only to be brought into the onslaught of their combined fists. Together, Ophiod and Skales brought their fists together. With one last cry, the two rushed Slithera in a flurry of punches, ones that broke apart all the armor that Slithera still had. With one last uppercut, Slithera was thrown back onto the arena floor, his body limp.

With one last burst of wind, the tornado that Skales and Ophiod had created vanished. The two landed on the ground together, striking a powerful pose as they looked down to Slithera. Ophiod put a hand up to his face, while Skales crouched over with his golden blade behind him. Slithrea gave a weak groan as he lifted his upper body up painfully to look at them.

"The victor has been decided!" Ophiod declared, "And it is us! Ophiod and Skales!"

The crowd went silent for a moment, then they erupted in a massive cheer. The display, as confusing as it was, left all of them stunned in the most impressive Slither Pit any of them had seen. Ophiod and Skales got up from their poses, nodding to one another. They both stepped over to glare down and lord over Slithera, who could barely move. His groans could barely be heard over the cheers of the audience.

"You… you would use… a human technique… to defeat… me…" Slithera wheezed out, "You… truly are… a Half Breed…"

"And yet he's stronger than you'll ever be," Skales growled, "My life no longer belongs to you. It belongs to Ophiod. Remember this day, Slithera. Ophiod is not the Half Breed. He is your Prince, and one day, your Snake King."

"Indeed," Ophiod nodded his head, then turned to Skales, "...What was that with our Spinjitzu?"

"You don't know?!" Skales blinked in shock, "I don't know! For a moment it felt like we were about to break apart and then… then it all clicked."

"I will have to look into it…" Ophiod declared, "But I imagine it is no small feet. You have truly grown to be a powerful fighter, Skales."

"Wrong," Skales smirked, "I've grown to be a powerful weapon. I'm your weapon now, Ophiod. A true serpentine doesn't say anything they don't mean."

Ophiod opened his mouth to speak, but instead he was stopped by Slithera laughing amidst a long wheeze. The two turned to look at him as he slowly pulled himself upright. When he did, he looked ready to collapse at any moment.

"I'm… glad that is what you believe…" Slithera grinned, "You can have this traitor's life. I care not for him. But… you've shown me he is a dangerous foe. He has already fought me once. So… I will make sure that does not happen," Slithera's eye gleamed, "From this day forward, Skales, you are banished from the Hypnobrai tribe. Set foot in our lands… and I will kill you."

Suddenly, the world felt distant to Skales. His entire body froze in an instant. Banishment? The Hypnobrai… his land, it was all he knew. For a long few moments, he felt a true fear grip him. It was a petty thing to do, something done only out of spite for losing to Ophiod. Skales stumbled on his feet, his world starting to spin.

Then, Ophiod's hand came down on his shoulder, and his words cut through the haze, "So be it then, Slithera. And from this day forth, you are forbidden from entering Ouroboros. I wish never to see your face again. When we call a gathering of leaders… I will be glad to accept your proxy."

Slithera's face turned to pure rage. He went to speak, but Ophiod turned and slapped him with his tail. At once, Slithera collapsed down onto the ground in a heap, unable to stand. Ophiod took hold of Skales' hand, dragging him from the arena. He slid past all the Hypnobrai that tried to stop him, carrying his partner with him all the way out of the room. He did not stop until he had dragged Skales all the way to the entrance of the palace. As soon as the cold sunlight hit them, Skales looked down.

"Why…?" Skales whispered, "Why would you do that, Ophiod? You could have made him submit. Now, he'll have reason to hate you even more. You… you didn't need to-"

"I did," Ophiod cut Skales off, "He did that out of petty revenge. I won't let him take something from you without ensuring that he feels the consequences for it."

"...You're such a fool," Skales gave a small laugh, "Where will I go now, then? I can't stay in these lands."

"You'll come back with me to Ouroboros," Ophiod stated simply, "And live with me in the palace. You said it yourself: you are my sword and shield. A good warrior can't leave such things behind now, can he?"

Skales was left speechless as he looked at Ophiod. Ophiod at first looked off towards the sunset with an emotionless look. But, slowly, he turned to look at Skales. Another smile tugged at his lips as he did. As Skales laid sight upon that smile, for the first time in his life, he felt a blush rise up across his face.

"I can't argue with that logic," Skales sighed, looking over Ophiod's wounds, "We will need to take care of those wounds. The blade's effects should wear off in time."

"I already feel it returning," Ophiod declared, "For now, we will go to the cave. I have my supplies there. This time, you can be the one caring for me."

While Ophiod said it with a plain tone, Skales couldn't help but chuckle. Then giggle. Then laugh. It was a laugh he didn't understand. There were too many emotions mingling in with the absurdity of how Ophiod viewed that situation. There were too many things about Ophiod that were absurd. But there was one thing that Skales knew that wasn't so absurd. Right now, he would follow Ophiod to the ends of the universe.

"Then let's get going," Skales stepped forward, "It's time… for us to go home now, Ophiod." With a nod from his partner, the two Serpentine slithered away from the palace and off towards the home, and the start to more than either of them had ever expected.