"Honestly," General Arcturus sighed as he slithered in front of Ophiod's chambers, "You are not normally one to be tardy to their own appointments, my Prince."
Ophiod said nothing, adjusting the ceremonial golden robe on his body. He reached out and attempted to tie a large, flaming orange scarf around his neck to complete his attire, only for it to rapidly unfurl. Ophiod grumbled out and held his hands up, causing it to surround in a magical field and start gently tying itself. When he assumed he had it, he turned to face Arcturus, just for it to come undone again.
"You can unleash enough magic to drive a creature back from the abyss, but you can't even dress yourself for a simple announcement…" Skales, standing up from Ophiod's bed, walked over and took hold of the small fabric, "You should be able to do this on your own by now."
"I am not used to wearing such things," Ophiod pointed out. Skales, rolling his eyes, finished tying it into a small circular bow. He reached down and took hold of a pin, placing it at the top of the bow to make it appear almost like a kind of snake.
Ophiod turned to look at himself in the mirror. He wore deep orange and burnt gold robes, ones that hugged his body and went all the way down to the base of his tail. On his shoulders, he wore a far more decorative version of that which his fellow Viper brethren traditionally wore, with a far lower slant of the pauldrons and large jewels embedded into the eyes of the snakes on them. The robes were tied with a belt that connected to two more that formed an X pattern around his chest. Where the robes stopped on his tail, a silver chain, looking almost akin to some kind of odd net, had been wrapped form the base of his tail all the way to the robes, causing each motion it made to produce a soft rattling noise.
"I find this excessive," Ophiod admitted, "But I suppose it will do."
"The Queen awaits your presence," Arcturus growled, "It would not do to make her wait any longer than she already has."
"I am on my way now," Ophiod told him, "And I will not make her wait unnecessarily. It would be far worse for me to arrive and not appear as the image of a Prince that my people should know me as."
"Of course not," Skales rolled his eyes. The Hypnobrai had on robes that were similar to Ophiod's own, but without any of the jewels and cast in a deep icy-blue color to compliment his tribe's colors. As he walked forward, the large golden blade he carried on his hip shone.
"Come then, now," Arcturus grumbled. Having not changed even slightly from his standard battle armor, the snake began to slither through the halls of the palace. Ophiod and Skales quickly nodded to one another and made their way after him.
The halls of the palace that Ophiod had known for so long were twinged with rectangular patches of sunlight that the windows in the structure allowed in. Shadows rolled on and off Ophiod as the three snakes made their way along the halls. As Ophiod slithered along, the chains on his tail softly rustling, he turned towards Skales briefly before looking forward again.
"You have prepared for this day since you returned home," Skales informed him, "If you were able to convince your mother to allow you to do this, backing out now would be a feat."
"That was the simple part," Ophiod shook his head, "I am beginning a true journey now. I have hidden from my people for a long while. I will not allow for what I have discovered about myself to go to waste."
"Then don't look like you're about to throw yourself behind the throne," Skales shrugged, "It might help your image."
"Do I truly look that on edge?" Ophiod asked with a smile. Skales, seeing the smile, groaned out.
"Yes, you really do," Skales groaned out, "But knowing you, you'll pull it off."
Ophiod gave Skales another small smile, then slithered further off into the halls. Arcturus soon led them into the massive chamber that housed the large throne that his mother called his own. The large opening that led to the stairwell ascent into the palace shone even more light inside. The deep heat of the Sea of Sand's sun outside was a relief to Ophiod to feel right now, a familiar comfort before an unfamiliar step forward.
Standing in front of her throne was none other than Queen Aspheera, Ophiod's mother. The beautiful Viper slithered forward, her hands behind her back. Her deep, piercing eyes shone against her golden armor that hung from her shoulder. She wore a fusion of ceremony and armor that spoke to her regal and powerful appearance. Her crown remained on her head. All this was contrasted by the deep blue and copper scales she, as a Viper, shared with her son. The tiered, square-like patterning on her neck twisted around to see her son, a small frown filling her features as she did.
"Ophiod," Aspheera slithered over towards him, reaching out and placing her hand up against his shoulder, "Are you ready for what you have asked to do today?"
"I am," Ophiod nodded, "It is what I must. They will never accept me if I am not to address them not as a face behind your words, but as their Prince."
"I am watching over him, my Queen," Arcturus bowed his head at the two, "As long as I am here, I will not allow for harm to come to him."
"It is what you may not see which worries me," Aspheera admitted, "My subjects still cling to the ways of their previous waring past. They cling to old wounds because it is all many of them have. If he is to remind them of those wounds…."
"Mother," Ophiod shook his head, "I can no longer run form this. I cannot prove myself to others with deeds. I must prove myself with actions, with an assurance and a promise that they will see through to the end. I do not and cannot believe that they will all do so. But it is not power that they must see from me, but rather simply see me. It is all that I can do to make them truly, honestly, know who it is that I am."
Aspheera took her son's words in. Skales stepped forward and planted himself beside Ophiod, nodding his head at her. The Queen of the Serpentine took her time in thinking about what he said, to find any fault with it. Yet after the stress she had undergone in losing him, she could find no true words that could dissuade him from this.
"You have truly grown into a fine young snake, Ophiod," Aspheera looked up, "I trust in your judgement. This is simply the fretting of a mother that you are seeing and… nothing more. I am sorry."
"You have nothing to apologize for," Ophiod informed her, "Now. I believe that we cannot keep the people waiting for much longer."
"Do you require an introduction, my Prince?" Artcutrus asked.
"No," Ophiod slithered forward towards the entrance, "I will do this by myself."
Skales and Arcturus, nodding to each other, followed Ophiod. Aspheera took a moment to steady her nerves, then slithered forward after them. The four of them made their way to the massive entrance to the palace, reaching the threshold of light that it held. For a few moments, entering it blinded Ophiod. He slithered forward regardless, out into the light of the sun.
When Ophiod's eyes cleared, he found himself standing high in the air. In front of him, the stairs that led down to the massive Slither Pit arena stretched in front of him. The deep sunlight cast its glare on him from where he stood, causing his robes to sparkle and glow underneath them. He turned his gaze down to Ouroborus, the city of which he addressed, and felt a small rush of emotion deep within him.
The streets of Ouroborus were packed with Serpentine. From all the tribes, snakes stretched out as far as Ophiod could see. The entire Slither Pit, the spaces around it, the massive plazas and fountains, all of them were filled with snakes. He wasn't even certain that they were all from the city, many likely having come from the surrounding lands just for a chance to see him. As they saw him, he felt the eyes of thousands all turn to look at him.
At the base of the stairs stood the Generals of each of the tribes. Fangtom stood with his two heads undulating as they looked at him skeptically. Skalidor's eyes were almost hidden behind his massive spiky head. Acidicus slithered back and forth on the spot, impatient with the speech that was about to begin. Slithera was there as well, and as Ophiod saw him, he gave the snake a rather long look.
Ophiod forced his nerves down. He had been the one to request this very moment. Skales and Arcturus took their places behind him on either side, both ready for whatever might come to pass. His mother moved to slither up directly behind him, looking towards him with a small nod of encouragement.
Aspheera raised her hand, painting a small magical circle in the air. As she did, she turned it to lay flat and reached her hand into it, drawing out two small orbs. She willed one to merge into Ophiod's throat, while the other did so into her own. She slithered up beside her son, looking out over the gathered snakes with a long, judgmental gaze.
"My fellow subjects!" Aspheera began, "As Queen of the Serpentine, the ruler of Ouroborus, and protector of these lands, I open this address to none other than your future King, Prince Ophiod!"
While they were far too high in the air for Ophiod to hear their immediate reaction, he could feel the rush of distrust and unease that went through the crowd below them. For some of them, it would be the first time in their lives of ever seeing the Prince in the scales. Aspheera, noticing the crowd, turned back to Arcturus with a long look. The Anacondrai simply gave a bow of his head and kept his senses alert for any attack.
"It is alright, mother," Ophiod subtly reached out to touch her arm, "This is what I had anticipated."
Aspheera didn't seem convinced in the slightest, but she backed down regardless. Ophiod slithered forward until he was barely a few inches back from the stairs in front of him. There was nothing now between him and the crowd below. That feeling of anxiety, of fear, rushed through him, forcing him to pause and gather his mind. When he finally had hold of it, though, he opened his eyes firmly, and the magical spell on his voice caused it to boom across the entire city.
"I will not pretend that many of you wish nothing more than to see me silent," Ophiod began, "I know the rumors that you have said about me. That I am an impure breed. Corrupted. Weak. A Half-Breed," Ophiod felt his tongue go bitter at the word, "Many of you despise my existence because of the circumstances in which I was born. While I have made strides in my life to overturn that perception, I cannot dislodge something you have buried deep within your hearts."
Ophiod looked down to where Slithera stood. He recalled the battle he'd gone through with him. While for him it had been about Skales' life, for Slithera it had been about silencing someone he found unfit to rule. Even now, he had been allowed inside Ouroboros on his mother's order, despite Ophiod's condition of banishing him from the city. Even those strides he made could not be so easily relied on.
"I ask you not to forgive what the humans did to us!" Ophiod continued, "Nor do I demand that you give me your respect. It is not the Serpentine way for you to so blindly accept a ruler. Nor is it our way to forgive," Ophiod relaxed his tone, "I was not there to witness what happened during the War. I was not there to see what horrible acts were done to preserve the peace we live in now. I doubt I could ever fully know what it was like to live during a time, in which our people's fate was to be forced underground, to never know the warmth of the sun, or the beauty of the breeze."
Ophiod placed his hand on his heart, "But there was one man that let us achieve this peace we hold today! One man that was able to stand tall against what his destiny, his fate told him he would have to be! But more so than that… there was one snake that allowed him to become the man that he was. If it had not been for her, then this moment, and this very day, would not have existed," Ophiod raised his tone to a thunderous boom, "It was my mother, Queen Aspheera, that allowed for each and every one of you to live now, under the true light of day, by allowing a man that was doomed to die to aid those that he had formerly fought against!"
The crowd flinched at the sheer power of Ophiod's magical voice as he continued, "If you will not look upon my father with respect, with the truth of what he has done for us, then you will look upon my mother and her deeds! You will look upon the one that commanded our cities and lands, who brought us forward into a new age! You will look upon the one that defended us time and time again, so our young may live without knowing the hardship of battle. You will look upon the one that took up arms against the very man that gave us our peace, when evil that our own devourer instilled in him took hold, and cast aside everything for her people!"
Ophiod took a deep breath, "And you will look upon me as her successor, the one to carry on the legacy that she put forward for us!"
Ophiod held his hand up, focusing his magic. Both Arcturus and Aspheera blinked in shock as Ophiod charged his magic and let it loose in a massive explosion around him. The temple beneath him rumbled. He poured his magic inside of it, focusing until he felt it. When he opened his eyes, the spirit of the patron of his family, Fang, rose up from the pyramid in a massive projection of glowing magic. The snake's head brought Ophiod atop it and raised him above the temple grounds. The beast let out a loud roar, bringing all eyes to him as Ophiod thrust his hand out in front of him.
"I carry the blood of the Vipers within me, a blood that is not corrupted by what you see as my heritage!" Ophiod's voice hissed out like the Devourer itself, "I command the spirit of our family's protector, as I command the majicks that our family has practiced since our inception! I carry in me the power and ferocity of a warrior, one that will prove himself on any battlefield. One that has already proven himself to some, but has yet to do so for all!"
Ophiod focused his powerful, commanding gaze upon his people, "I do not demand your loyalty. I do not order your respect. Yet I will order, upon this very moment, the right to prove myself to each and every one of you! I will not be cast aside as Half-Breed, I will not be demeaned for my father's mistakes in your eyes!"
"I am Prince Ophiod!" The Viper declared, "And I declare upon this day that I will be your King when that time comes. Those who wish to challenge my right to rule may do so, and I will welcome it! But for those of you who truly know what us Serpentine are, then know this: no matter when I must, no matter how I must, I will rise to every battle, every war, every struggle. I am not your Half-Breed!" Ophiod's voice boomed, "I am your PRINCE!"
Ophiod gripped his fist, causing Fang underneath him to let out another, massive and primal roar. The sound of it carried Ophiod's last word across all of Ouroboros, across every home, every ear, every structure and every heart. Ophiod disbanded his magic, causing it to burst apart and let him drop back down. When he raised his head, he looked over the crowd, gauging their reaction.
A cheer went up among the crowd. Ophiod held his head high as he watched a city admire him. He heard the hisses and cheers of his subjects, their voices echoing into his very essence. He could see some of them refused to clap for him. Many eyes were trained on him with hatred and mistrust. But just as many of them were trained on him with eyes of wonder and shock, a newfound respect for the powerful snake they called their Prince glistened in their gazes. The sound of their support rivaled that of the crashing of battle, and the cries of one that still echoed deep within Ophiod's heart.
The sun shone down on Ouroboros. As Ophiod turned his gaze out among the crowd, Arcturus and Skales stepped forward beside him. Skales gave him a small nod, while Arcturus remained as stoic as ever. As his mother joined him, the four snakes looked out across their city, knowing that, for better or worse, a new battle for the hearts of their citizens had begun.
With a small flash of magic, Aspheera opened a small portal into a tomb, deep beneath her palace. Behind her followed Arcturus, his posture alert and his mind sharp. The still air of the chamber filled their lungs with dust, a feeling which Aspheera took little joy in. Yet as she entered, she knew very well what she would find here, and more importantly, who.
The room was as it always had been, a large rectangular chamber with one wall filled with tiles that looked ready to slide about, painting a unique design with each turn. Across from it was none other than a massive sealed door that rose high into the air. The door thrummed with an unnatural life, shrouded in the darkness as it was. The only light in the room came from two torches, both of which hung on either side of the sealed door.
"Your speech was impressive," Aspheera called out as she entered the chamber, "Words are not enough to fully open the hearts of snakes, but you have made the first stride on the path to truly becoming their King."
Ophiod stood in front of the massive door, looking up at it with a long and unwavering gaze. Beside him, Skales stood, holding his hand tightly. The two looked upon it with a deep longing together, knowing what was beyond, and what they had done to attempt to open it. Ophiod didn't move his head as he heard his mother's voice.
"Arcturus has spoken to me about your time here during your absence," Aspheera continued as she slithered towards her son, "I had suspected that it was you who brought Skales to my care. Yet to think you defeated him in combat to keep him silent… .I underestimate your drive, my son."
"I should never have left," Ophiod lamented, "I left to find the power I needed to free my father. Instead, I caused suffering and pain onto those that opposed the evil in which I served."
"The snake that left the palace before could not have given that speech," Arcturus informed him, "He could not have stood in front of thousands and delivered his will to them. Whether you left for reasons that were justified or condemning, you have grown, my Prince. I do not believe that I could defeat you in combat any longer."
"I ask that we not attempt to prove so right now," Ophiod shook his head, "I am weary from the day, and I do not believe these robes were built for combat."
"A sense of humor now as well?" Arcturus observed, "Truly, the Prince has evolved."
Ophiod turned his head slightly to look at them, "It was not I who spurred this change. It was someone else that did so… someone that I knew for little time, yet… will never be able to forget for as long as I draw breath."
Ophiod went quiet. As he sat there, Skales continued to hold his hand, not saying anything at the moment. Slowly, however, Aspheera moved in close to him, gently putting her hand on top of his shoulder and slowly pulling herself up to him.
"I know that look," Aspheera remarked, "You did something you didn't want to do. You made a decision… one that I think I made in the past as well," Aspheera whispered, "Is this what you will not tell me about your adventure?"
"... Yes," Ophiod whispered, "I… I made a choice, mother. I made my choice to end his suffering. He was… he was in pain. He refused to come back to me. And yet… and yet I know that I did the right thing. My mind torments me. It tells me that I did something that I had to do, and yet, it tells me to turn back time and find another way. I cannot…" Ophiod whispered, "I wish that I had been a better friend to Prime in the end. Perhaps then he'd…"
"Those are thoughts you will need to learn to live with, my son," Aspheera remarked to him. Slowly, she slithered beside him and looked up to the massive chamber wall, "It… will pain you for many years to come. I cannot tell you that you simply move past it. I have spent many nights lamenting what I have done, and I can tell none about it. None can see their Queen suffer… just as none can see their Prince do the same."
"Then what do I do with this feeling?" Ophiod whispered, "If I had not been there, perhaps things may have ended differently. I went out to discover the secrets of how to free my father, and I ended up allowing my friend to fall."
Ophiod took a long breath, but it did nothing to steady his nerves. Skales nervously reached out, holding his hand and trying to ground him. Aspheera, seeing the pain in her son's eyes, felt a pang go through her heart that burned her harder than any knife could. But even as she did, she knew that she couldn't let him go through. Not alone.
"Raise your head, Ophiod," Aspheera commanded him, "I will not have any son of mine lower his when I am here."
Ophiod slowly turned to look at his mother. Standing here, in a chamber that marked her greatest failure, he swore he would see her in pain, perhaps a refusal to move. But instead, she stood tall and looked him dead in the eye.
"You made a choice, and you must live by it," Aspheera shook her head, "It may not be easy. You may spend nights begging to take it back. Yet time will move forward. You must trust in the you that made your choice," Aspheera hissed out, "Do not let your own grief cloud your mind. Do not let your judgement sway. Do not let your heart waver. I know not what you did. And I can tell you do not wish to tell anyone. But you will know that you made that choice. At that moment, you were strong enough to do so. It is that strength which you must hold onto. You cannot release it, let it go. You can never allow it to fade away. You are not just a Prince. You are a Viper. You are my son. And you overcame the scroll to come back to me," Aspheera inhaled, "And you will never forget these words, for as long as you live."
Ophiod was stunned into silence by his mother. Skales was similarly confused, looking at her with a gaze that, while not full of disbelief, was shocked she had said what she had. As he turned to look at his lover, however, he saw Ophiod's gaze with a rather powerful look. Ophiod stared his mother down, shocked at her rebuke. Yet seeing her stand tall, seeing her like this… he knew what she was saying.
Ophiod raised his head in full, then he nodded, "I cannot say that I am not still hurting, mother… but your words. I feel… their weight. I will not stray."
"One day," Aspheera wrapped her tail around Ophiod's body, "You will be the one to free your father. You will become a sorcerer unlike any I could hope to be. Perhaps as powerful, perhaps more. But you will be the one to do so. And when you do, I am certain you will find a way to purify him as well."
"Why?" Ophiod asked, "I failed to find it already. I was willing to give anything for the chance to have him again. What makes you think this time will be different?"
"Because you have something that you didn't have when he was sealed," Aspheera turned her gaze to Skales, "You have him."
Ophiod looked towards Skales, and Skales back at him. Aspheera's words hit him even harder now. If there was a weight beneath them, then it was about to crush him. Throughout everything, he'd had him. The one snake that had never given up on him. At his lowest point, as his most cruel, he had always had Skales. And when he had been apart, it had nearly destroyed him. He felt that weight, and he felt that need. Coming from the one that had given everything to protect a Deceiver, it meant even more than he could truly know.
"...So, I need to keep looking out for him?" Skales broke the silence with a long roll of his eyes, "As if you had to ask me to do that."
"I figured you would," Aspheera chuckled, "He is rather fond of you, after all."
Skales raised his arm, showing the betrothal band on his arm, "I suppose that is the case."
"Please," Ophiod suddenly asked, "Skales… do not leave me."
Skales blinked, about to ask why Ophiod was asking such a thing. Instead, he caught another glimpse of his lover. The snake was trembling slightly, working to hold himself together. Aspheera could feel it, yet said nothing, knowing it was not her place. With another long sight, Skales slowly stepped in front of Ophiod, putting himself between the Viper and the wall behind which his greatest challenge lay, and leaned up to press their foreheads together.
"Never," Skales whispered, "I'm your knight, after all. You can't go anywhere without me," Skales grumbled out, then his tone softened, "I love you, Ophiod."
Ophiod reached down and pulled Skales in close, trading their warmth together, "I love you too, Skales."
Slowly, Ophiod pressed Skales' head into his chest and looked up. The wall in front of him was tall and seemingly insurmountable. It would take all he had to one day find out how to reopen it, and how to free his father from the venom that gripped him. It would take hardship and power, one that he would need alongside his ascension to become the true Snake King he was meant to be. He could see the struggle in front of him, and the fear it would bring him.
But he could also feel the ones around him. His mother, who raised him and protected him, even at the cost of her love. Arcturus, the snake that had trained him and worked to mold him into the snake he was today, even at his lowest. And Skales, the one he'd rescued from execution, who'd stayed with him before all else, and declared his love for him.
With them at his sides, Ophiod whispered, "One day, father," Ophiod whispered, Skales' warmth against his chest, "No matter how long it takes. One day, we will see each other again."