Disclaimer: Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu and Legends of Chima are both own by LEGO Company.
Through the lush jungles of Chima, a hunt was being carried out. A chase amongst the vast expanse of twisting trees and dark corners, running across uneven terrain in an attempt to survive. A chase not for sustenance, but for survival nonetheless. This was the situation in which our lone hero found himself.
Ever since the crack of dawn, the Serpentine had been searching for the exiled lion prince, relentlessly following him without a moment to rest. Laval had been clever though, years of playing among these very woods had given him an advantage. Leading towards his desired spot, he smirked as he entered his desired destination, the falling jungle. The notorious jungle living up to its name began to fall all around them. Root uplifting and branches falling as the patch grew ever narrower. Plunging inside, Laval jumped and weaved as he avoided the difficult terrain, his pursuers weren't so lucky! The pursuing serpents getting blocked by a falling branch, before being buried by a mount of logs. "Urh! Come back here you stinking cat!" they called amongst the bundled of logs they had crashed upon. Not missing a beat, Laval continued on his way, a single thought in his head, "Hang in there guys, I'm coming. I promise!" as he continued on his way.
In the bowls of the Lion Temple, Pythor slithers his way over toward the darkened cells of the dungeon. A wicked grin permanently edged on his features; he surveys each one as he goes by. Stopping at the furthest one, he finally speaks, "Well, well, well. How the mighty have fallen!" he says to the prisoner, Lagravis. "Spear me the mockery Pythor! What do you want!" the former king replied without patience. "Still got some fire on you! Not that it matters; tell me where your son is hiding, and things will become far easier for you!" answered Pythor smugly and assertively. "I don't know! And even if I did, I would tell the likes of you!" Lagravis spat at him. "You must really be a sucker for punishment, aren't you!" Pythor insulted. "And you are a fool that can realize the damage he has caused. Can you not see that you are messing with the very delicate balance of the land? Your actions are going to get us all killed!" he yelled at the snake. "Oh, I realize very well what I am doing. In fact, my destiny has never been clearer!' he said as his eyes briefly flashed red, "You see, I have tried to play with your rules, finding compromises with this land. But a true Serpentine does not compromise, HE CONQUERS! I will conquer all this land, by force if I have to! I will double down on every tribe until there isn't a single spark of rebellion left! Then I will take all their power and make it mine, I will become the most powerful being in all the realm! Ha,ha,haa,haaa!" he laughed madly as he said this. "And then what, what will happen to the others!" countered Lagravis. "Well, only one can remain!" Pythor answered cryptically. "If that's the case, you better just leave the way you came! I would never aid someone like you!" the lion roared vigorously.
Pythor just stared at him, seething from within, until he grabbed his throat, "You know, the only reason you even have free will is because I want to see you shatter into pieces as I CRUSH ALL YOU HAVE EVER LOVED UNDER MY FIST!" he bellowed before regaining control. After gathering himself he continued, "Fortunately for me, I have other ways of making you talk!" he said as a green serpent slithered behind him, "And other ways of making your live a living nightmare!" he finished with glee.
Far away, Laval continues running from his serpentine pursuers, before taking a much-deserved rest. "Phew, finally lost them! Okay, no time to rest Laval, think! How can I get into the temple and rescue everyone?" he said to himself as he began to pace around. "I got this flute, but it's not enough! At least not on its on?" he pondered before …. "That's it! The beavers, maybe they can make more of these flutes! Enough that we can mount a rescue attack!" he exclaimed to himself proudly, before heading towards the Beaver Lodge. A lass, he would find no help there.
Arriving at the Lodge, he saw it being overtaken by a horde of snakes, Serpentine of all types running around the streets, keeping a watchful eye on the terrified beavers inside. And this wasn't the only place like this, leaving for Raven Town in the hopes of finding aid, Laval is met with nothing but despair. The Fangpyre having cracked down on the Raven, the town literally crawling with red as the many serpents littered the streets. And armies worth of vehicles patrolling the area as they turn the Ravens' own riches against them. "Oh no!" was all Laval could say as he was forced to retreat things clearly taking a turn towards the worse. Even the mighty wolves were helpless, with Worriz's capture and the lions no longer a threat, the Anacondrai had put all their efforts into pursuing the pack. Their forces were already engaging in brutal pursuit as they were overtaken by the many Condrai Crushers at their disposal. Even as enemies, the wolves did deserve this, yet there was nothing Laval could do, he needed a miracle if he ever wished to put an end to this!
On the Swamp, things were not any better, a combination of Hypnobrai and Venomari swarmed the streets mercilessly. Crooler walked towards her throne room furiously, "Skales! What is the meaning of all this, why are your soldiers swarming my streets like this! We are supposed to be allies." she reminded him coldly. "Pythor grows tired of revolts, he wants to ensure his rule is unopposed, your people have been given far too much freedom." He exclaimed, not turning to face her. "What! That is absurd, we are supposed to be a team! Where's Acidicus, I wish to speak with him now!" she demanded in outrage. "Alas, he is still needed in the temple, and I am afraid his input wouldn't change much. Pythor has been clear, we can't let the tribes to their own devices." He says as he signals towards his guards, who begin to move toward Crooler. Finally turning towards her, he says, "For what it's worth, it's nothing personal. I'm sorry kid!" he says with a solemn expression as the guards grab and bound her. "No, wait! We can work this out, we can work together! You and me against Pythor! Please! Let me go!" she screams as she is dragged away. "Take her to the temple, Pythor want to keep an eye on her," he orders his men, no emotions in his voice. He turns to look at what he has done, he should be happy, he was a conqueror and he had conquered this land! Yet there was nothing but melancholy, for this was not what he had wanted, he might be ruthless, but this was too much. The Crocs had been their allies, if only involuntarily so, and yet Pythor treated them like this, if this was what he did to his allies, what did that mean for his family? He didn't know, and that scared him.
Back in the Lion Temple's dungeon, Lagravis screams in pain as he buckles over in pain. "A pity, I expected more from him." Said a distorted shape from the outside. "Get him out of there!" said another unfocused blob in a dismissive tone. He could hear the doors opening as the sounds of footsteps approached, he heard chains hitting the ground before he reacted. Leaping into action, he grabbed one of the guards and tossed him towards the wall before pouncing on the other. Taking his keys, he looks quickly looks them in the cell before turning towards the figures and landing a kick straight at one of them before punching the larger purple one. He hurriedly ran up the stairs towards the main hallways, counting on his memory to navigate the massive fortress. A group of growling green-eyed snakes hiss at him, their sharp claws and gnarly mouths ready to attack. He rammed right toward them, using his sheer strength to push them out of the way. With the serpents dispose of, he turned towards the main doors and over towards the stairway. Taking a moment to catch his breath, he looks around before something catches his eye. "Huh?!" he says as he notices a hooded figure riding Laval's speedor into the forest. "Laval?!" he cries out as he goes after him. Chasing him down the roads Chima, he calls out, "LAVAL!" as the strange figure speeds up, eventually stopping and lowering his hood just a little bit. Exiting his tank, Lagravis approaches the figure, "Laval?! Is that you?!" he asks as the figures turn around, revealing a grisly sight. "What?! What's the meaning of this?!" he exclaims with a gasp as he stares at the sight before him. The decayed and blank-eyed form of Laval stared at him saying, "You filed me." Reeling back Lagravis whimpered, "No, no, it can't be true." as the figure continued. "You failed me, you failed Chima!" he said as he was soon joined by others. Longtooth, Leonidas, Lennox, Eglor, Eris, and the others surrounded him, all with the same blank eyes. "You failed us, you failed CHIMA!" they chanted as they spun around him, their cries getting ever closer as the world became a blur. "I failed them… I failed him." He mumbled in despair.
Outside the dungeon cells, Pythor and Acidicus observed as their prisoner succumbed to the venom. "It seems your new concoction is stronger than I thought," Pythor informed his companion, as Lagravis turned on the floor. "So, it would seem." the elder snake responded. "How long will he be like this!?" he asked in annoyance. "His psyche is in extreme duress, it may take him some time before he awakens. Not to worry doe, he should be fine. I will have to converse with the alchemist, the formula may need some tweaking." Acidicus told him. "Huh, see that you do! He is of no use to us in this state!" Pythor mentions with a nod, allowing the old snake to leave. But before he left, he was met with a familiar face. Two guards carried the limp body of a certain crocodile princess. "Crooler!" Cragger cried from his cell as she passed in front of him, before placing her in the cell next to Lagravis. "What is she doing here!?" Acidicus asked as he turned towards Pythor. "She was a potential danger; one I will not tolerate!" he answered harshly as he looked Acidicus in the eye. Relenting, the Venomari just turned and slithered the stairs, leaving them alone.
On the Fangs, a large group of spiky rock formations in Chima, Laval stops to catch his breath. The young lion had spent most of the day on the run, trying to stay away from the watchful eyes of the Serpentine. "I think I can lose them! If I just make it around this corner," he says as he goes around the corner and ends up banging into ShadoWind. "ShadoWind?!" he exclaims while he stands up, "What are you doing here?" he asked in surprise. The mystery rider just stared down at him, looking at the flute in his hand. "Oh, this? It's a flute that can harm the Serpentine, wait that's right! Shadowind, I need your help. We were ambushed, they took everyone, my friends, my tribe, my father!" he said, getting a noticeable reaction from the rider. "I can't save them on my own, please! You have to help me!" he says with sorrow in his voice. Turning towards his speedor, he gestures for Laval to get on, "You want me to get on? Does that mean you're going to help!" Laval said with hope. Shadowind just nodded, as they rushed over towards the Temple, determined to act once and for all.
Back beneath the temple, Lagravis had begun to stir up from his unwanted sleep. Awaiting him was a familiar purple snake, a condescending smirk plastered his face. "Well good morning, did you enjoy your beauty sleep!" he said in a condescending tone. "Now… do you have anything to say for yourself, lion?!" he asked seriously. "Yes!" Lagravis answered once his senses returned, "Why are you doing this? Can't you see the irreversible damage you're causing!" he asked with no avail. "HA! The only thing I see is me following MY TRUE DESTINY! A DESTINY YOU'LL NOW GET TO WITNESS FIRST HAND!" the mad snake announces, pointy towards the small window of the cell. Lagravis looks outside, only to be stunt as he sees multiple snakes sharpening their spears and grabbing some blasters for battle. "You're planning to attack us, again?! Is that why you captured us?!" he asks in rage and disbelief, as he witnesses the gathering army assemble. "With you and your allies in chains, there's no one to lead your pathetic tribes in revolt! And once your son is found, no one will stand in my way!" Pythor declared with manic glee. "A leader will rise!" Lagravis said defiantly, staring the wannabe warlord in the face. "But will they do it in time? Once I crush your tribes, I shall control the chi and ALL of Chima! Meanwhile, you can enjoy it all from the comfort of my deepest darkest dungeon!" Pythor bragged as he departed with mad laughter! With barely contained anger, Lagravis screamed into the heavens, "PYTHOR!"
On the outskirts of the Lion Temple, Laval peeks from behind a log in the distance with a gasp, seeing the number of guards standing at the entrance. Turning towards his new ally, he spoke, "They're too many guards to take head-on, we need some sort of distraction!?" he announces pensively. Without missing a beat, Shadowind got on his speedor and charged toward the front, making himself as visible as possible. "What is he doing now?" Laval pondered before he understood the mystery rider's plan. Using himself as a distraction, Shadowind swerves in front of the gathering forces, kicking up dirt as he passes by them. Taking the bait, the gathered snakes turn towards him, giving the masked figure their full attention. "Wow! You don't see that every day!" one of the Serpentine, by the name of Kapau'rai, said. "Yeah!" his friend Chop'rai responded, before realizing something, "Wait! Isn't that…" he asked as he turned over to his friend, before the two of them screamed out, "GET HIM!" As the group of Serpentine gives chase, Laval sneaks from behind and makes it to the stairs, unsheathing his sword just in case he has to do some fighting. But his lucky break was cut short when Kapau'rai was hit by the glare of his sword. Turning to see Laval he cries, "Huh?... LION!" as every remaining serpentine goes after Laval while screaming." HA!" Laval exclaims as he turns around, noticing the incoming horde, "WOAH!" he grunts as he rushes over to the gates. Making it to the top, he gasps for air before he sees the snakes coming for him. Luckily, he sees the lever that shuts down the Lion gate. So, without wasting time, he runs towards the lever and pulls it down, the gate's mouth slowly closing. The serpentine screamed as they make a run towards it, only for Chope and Kapau to be the only ones that made it, having jumped before the lion mouth completely shut.
Inside the temple, Laval charges in as the snakes inside see him and scream while charging at him. One of them pulls out a chi orb before Laval sends them spinning and his chi flying, luckily grabbing it before it fell. "I'll take that!" Laval says as he plugs it and lets out a roar, jumping into action. The horde of serpentine growl while they surround Laval, who growls back before beginning the real fight as he dodges a charging snake with a spear, easily eliminating him and some others. A scout screams at Laval, who roars back at it and charges at the snake. "HA!" he cries triumphantly as he tackles the snake and sends him flying into two more. Chope and Kapau try to attack from behind with spears, but Laval ducks from Kapau'rai's spear, which accidentally bangs right into Chop'rai's face. He sobs in pain and tackles Kapau to the ground, rolling away with him and fighting him for a second. Taking the opportunity, Laval charges deeper into the temple, not letting anyone get in his way.
Back at the dungeon, Lagravis is aroused from his thoughts by the sound of sobbing from the dark cell beside him. "Crooler? Is that you?" he asked surprised. "Go. Away." is all the response he gets. "Uh... there really isn't anywhere I can go. dungeon, chains, remember? What are you doing here?... What happened to you?" he asks genuinely. "You really want to know?" Crooler responded in a quiet tone. "I have to know Crooler... our fate and the fate of all of Chima is at stake here." Lagravis declares intently, unbeknown to him, he wasn't the only one listening, as a few cells down Cragger was paying close attention.
With a deep breath, Crooler commenced, "Well then, listen up! It's not a pretty story but... it all begins with an egg. Make that two eggs! Cragger, and me. I was always first everything and Cragger was always in my way! My mother was devastated when she lost her poor Cragger! So, when the little miracle baby survived, that's all anyone cared about. They even thought he was born first! And the firstborn of the king and queen always takes over the crocodile tribe! I was like, "Hello?! Check the nest! I'm the firstborn here! The real heir to the throne!". But they only had eyes for their little miracle baby! I've been trying to make them see me ever since. In the beginning, I even tried helping my brother. But no matter what I did, my parents acted like they only had one child! Miracle baby, Cragger! Things only got worse for me and my fool of a brother. So, when my parents were banished and Cragger became king. I finally had the chance to rule the tribe! I knew I couldn't do it alone, so I sought out some help. I found the Serpentine in the Outlands and made a deal! They would make Cragger my little puppet! Obeying my ever will! And I would help them with their plans for Chima, as partners. But then... things went terribly wrong. Now that they have what they want they've become vengeful and mean, without anyone guiding them." She explained in a solemn tone. "When you say, "guiding them". You really mean, controlling. Don't you?" Lagravis said sardonically. "I mean, reclaiming my birthright! I should've been the leader of this tribe! And they were supposed to help me, AS EQUALS! But they tricked me, TRICKED US ALL!" she exclaimed angrily as she hid the walls of her cell. "Hm... it's a bit hard to tell who's worse. You, or that snake!" he said judgingly. "Oh! What do you know LION?!" she responded angrily. "I know, I either have to deal with the snakes when they're working under your command, or when they're completely out of control! Either way... I fear Chima, is doomed..." he finished in despair, as all hope seem to be lost.
Through the shadows of the temple's great halls, Laval sneaks by the patrols of frantic snakes. Slowly making his way toward the dungeons, he kept a close eye on his surroundings. He had always wondered why the temple even HAD a dungeon, it wasn't as if they ever used them, doe after this whole ordeal that might soon change. Nearing the doorway that led towards the prisons, he suddenly ducks behind a column, having heard someone come in. "What is going on here!" Pythor demanded as he entered the scene, irritation clearly visible in his features. One of the guards quickly stumbled in front of him, rapidly informing him of the situation, 'We have a trespasser in the temple, but don't worry we are already on it!" Looking down at him in exasperation, Pythor responds, "You better, and make sure no one gets to the secret project! That's an order!" he called out as he began to leave. "Yes! Of course, Lord Pythor!" responds the frightened snake as he runs about the place. "Secret project, huh?" Laval mumbles as he finally makes it to the stairway.
Making it to the bottom, he quickly knocks out the remaining guards, as he takes the keys from their unconscious forms. Looking up he is greeted by the surprised faces of all of his friends. "Hey guys, miss me!?" he says in a joking manner. "Laval?" Lagravis mumbles from his cell, fighting to keep the tears at bay. "Don't worry guys I'll get you out of here!" he says as he begins unlocking the cells in his way. "Laval!" Eris cries out as she practically leaps over to him, tears of joy in her eyes. "I've miss you too Eris!" he tells her as he finishes unhealing her restraints. Moving on to Cragger, he greeted his old friend, "Hey bud, glad to see you ok!" Laval tells him as he helps him up. "Laval, I am so sorry for what I've done!" the croc cries out to him as he locks him in a hug. "Hey, it's okay, it wasn't your fault! Now come on, we don't have much time!" he reassures him as he continues his task. Watching on in disbelief, Lagravis watched his son, as he finally made his way to him. "Laval, how did you get here? I was sure the snakes would have got you already! I was so afraid I had lost you!" he cried out with proud tears rolling done his cheeks. "Come on Dad, you know I would never give up on freeing you guy. Plus, those snakes aren't a match for me!" he brags contently, "Although I did have some help!" he admitted, scratching the back of his head. "Really, who!" Lagravis asked as he got out of his chains. "Shadowind, I found him in the Fangs. He helped distract the snakes so I could come to find you!" Laval informed him as he finished up. "Is that so? Hmm, it seems the more we learn about him, the less we know. Well, I'm just glad he's on our side." He says calmly, before putting an arm on his child's shoulder, "Its good to see you again, my son!" Charing a smile, Laval made it to the final cell in the room, only to be shocked at who was inside. Crooler! What are you doing here? Ahh, it doesn't matter, hold on I'll get you out!" he said as he fumbled with the keys. "No! Just leave me here, it's where I belong," she said dejectedly. "What are you saying, sure you've done some bad stuff, but no one deserves this! Now hold on!" Laval argues back, as he resumes his task. "I said leave me, just go!" she yelled from withing. "NO!" cried an unexpected voice, as Cragger marched up to the cell, "I refuse to leave you here!" he says determinedly. "Cragger? What are you saying?" she asks in disbelieve. "I know we haven't always gotten along, and I know you technically betrayed me! But you are still my sister, and I refuse to lose any more family! So shut your trap and come with us, please!?" he begs here as he stretches his arm. "We can work together, as family," he tells her with a smile on his face. She returns his smile, before locking the door of her cell. "Crooler?" he asks in shock. "I'll keep you safe brother, now GO! GET OUT OF HERE NOW!" she says as she ushers them to leave. "Come on Cragger, she's made up her mind!" Laval cried out as he pulled him out with the others. As they begin to run up the stairs, he spares a glance at his sister. "Good luck!" he hears her say with a sad smile.
As they busted out from the doorway, Laval took charge and commanded his friends, "Run to the front gate, grab as many weapons and equipment as you can, and get out of here!" he orders as he runs elsewhere. "And where are you going!" Cragger asked from behind. "There's is something I need to check out!" he calls back as he continues on his way. Charing a look, Eris and Cragger decided to follow him. As he ran through the halls, Laval tried to remember which way the snake he had seen earlier when he believe it had been to the right, and if his memory served him right, there was only one place large enough for a "secret project" to be house. Nearing the corner, he saw was he was looking for, the forge! A large room they used to make weapons for the tribe, it was often empty, but the guard's station before it definitely led credence to his theory. "So, what are we looking for?" he suddenly heard a voice from behind. Turning around in surprise, he says Cragger and Eris standing behind it. "Huh, what are you guys doing here!" he cried back in surprise. "You didn't really think we were going to let you do this on your own did you?" Cragger asked sarcastically. "Yeah, we just got you back, we're not letting you go anywhere!" Eris reaffirmed confidently. "Thanks, you guys!" Laval relented with a smile, glad that his friends had his back. "So, what are we doing here?" Cragger asked again. "When I was sneaking in, I heard something about a secret project, and I bet you that this is where they're keeping it," Laval informed them. "How can you be sure?" Eris asked when suddenly a loud roar echoed through the room. "Never mind, it's probably there!' she answered herself. With a nod, they charged forwards, knocking out the guards before entering the room.
Inside the room, the group was in shock as they saw that the whole place had been transformed into some sort of laboratory. Sneaky through a corner, they heard a voice, "Subject seems susceptible to extreme bounds of violence, which end with complete exhaustion on the part of the subject, further testing required." the nasally voice said. "Wait, is that…?" Cragger became as he accidentally knocked some tools into the ground. Turning around, the figure asked, "Hello! Is someone out there, show yourself!" As he did so, Cragger was in shock, he recognized the figure, before them lay the former alchemist of the raven trine Reegull, but something was wrong. His feathers were nearly gone, replaced with what seemed to be patches of scales, the ones in his foot already having turned a vibrant green. In fact, his whole body was now a shade of green, the only part that wasn't were his prosthetics, his golden yellow eyes, and his beak. Or what was left of it, as it dangled precariously from the tip of his face, appearing to have been pushed out by the emerging jaw and teeth that sprouted from behind him. His wings nearly having already fallen off as most of his feathers fell. Nearly gagging from the grizzly sight, Cragger got up to face him. "Reegull, what happened to you!", he said, disgusted by the sight that laid before him. "Wait, that's Reegull!" Laval said as he and Eris got up from their hiding spot. "Well, he didn't, look like this before." He told them as he turned towards the half-bred. "You! You dare judge me for your faults. Look at me, and look at me well, this is all your fault!" he says as he points to them accusatorily. "What do you mean, what did those snakes do to you!" the croc asked as he backed away from the "raven". "After my brilliant plan was ruined by you meddling idiots, the serpentine found me alone and took me! Punished me for your actions!" he scowled at them. "My actions! You're the one that tried to turn everyone into birdbrains!" he spat back at the mad scientist, "I didn't think they would have done something like this to you!" he explained as he looked over the bird again. "Yes, the bite of the Fangpyre is quite a sight to behold, but I should thank you! For you have given me what I neverrr had beforeee!" he hissed at them as he prepared to attack. "A tribe!" he yelled before pouncing at them. Quickly dodging out of the way, they saw him hit the wall, his beak falling completely from his face. Turning back to hiss at them, they say his face replaced with that of a snake. He got up and whacked them against the other wall. His wings were completely gone as he marched towards them. The transformation complete, where once stood Reegull now stood a light green Serpentine. "I finally have somewhere to belong, and a tribe that values my abilities!" he said as he nogged Laval and Eris to the side, "And soon, new test subjects for my new batch of Chi!" he said manically as he approached Cragger, who had backed away against a cage in the far side of the room.
Hitting the metal bars, Cragger looked back in shock, inside the cage laid the massive form of what was at one point a croc. "Huh, wait I recognize you," he said as he saw the unmistakable scales of the croc, he had seen the snakes dragging away when he returned to the swamp. Suddenly opening his eyes, the croc got to his feet, revealing just what the mad doctor had been up to. The croc had grown quite some bit, the scutes on his back jutting out, his pecs bulging out as his disproportionate arms nearly reached the floor, kept in place by chains, one of them nearly broken. "MUST SMASH SNAKE!" he yells out as he grabbed Reegull by the face, shaking him up and down before he throws him against the wall, where he slanted towards the floor. Looking up at him, Cragger could only fear for his life, before he heard a ragged voice, "King…. Cragger?" the giant croc said, before he sat back down. "Yeah, yeah, it's me! Who are you?" he said as he approached the massive reptile. "Crunch…" he said before he fell asleep. "Don't you worry Crunch, I'll get you out of here!" he said before he got the attention of both Eris and Laval, who was recovering from being tossed to the wall. "Ugh, what hit me!" Laval groaned as he got to his feet. "Laval! Are you alright!" he says as he rushes over to him. "Yeah, I am fine. Eris! How are you doing?" he says before calling out to his other friend. "Could be doing better, but I'll survive." She said some spunk back in her voice as she got to her feet. "So, who is that!" she asks as she points to the cage. "I'm guessing he is the "secret weapon" we were looking for," Laval says as he approached Cragger. "His name is Crunch, we have to help him before the Serpentine comes back!" he said desperately trying to open the lock. But suddenly, they heard Reegull stirring up again, knowing they were short on time, Laval acted. "Cragger, we have to go now, or we won't be able to help anyone!" he says as he tries to rouse his friend from the cage. "But he saved me!" he cries back. "And we will repay him, but now we have to get out of here!' he said before he turned and ran towards the door, knocking down some veils for good measure. Following his example, Eris scooped up some papers before flying after him. Giving the giant Croc one more look he said, "Don't you worry I'll be back for you! I promise!" as he also ran towards the door, kicking Reegull on his way out.
Making it to the courtyard they were met with a battlefield, as their friends had managed to not only find their gear but arm themselves with some serious firepower. Not wanting to keep them waiting, they began to head to town, ready to join in the fighting. "Well, look who decided to show up!" Worriz said from the side of a large crate. "Good to see you too! How are things going down here!" Laval asks as he pulls his sword out. "We manage to find some extra surprises in there!" he says as he shows them a grate full of veils, full of a green liquid. "What are those!" Cragger asks from behind. "Venom bombs. Makes them scream like crybabies." He said as he chugged one towards an incoming group, all of who fell to their knees screaming hysterically. "Enough of your games Worriz, we have to get out of here now!" Lagravis says from the front. "I agree!" said Laval as he pulled off the flute. "Get ready to make a run for it at my signal!" he says to the group. With a nod, they all get in a vehicle and proceed to wait. Atop one of the tanks, Laval begins to play, the noise of the flute quickly hitting the snake's ears. As they fell to their knees the group began to leave. Rushing towards the cover of the forest without looking back.
Inside Pythor's throne room, the furious Anacondrai sat with a permanent scowl on his face. "How?! How could you have let them escape!" he yelled out at his frightened subordinates at his feet. "We did our best! It was that blasted flute! And that masked rider, he tricked us..." they said before they were interrupted with a sudden, "QUIT!" Glaring down at them Pythor spoke, "I don't want your excuses! I want results! And as you have failed me, you must be punished! From now on you shall be helping Acidicus and our newest member with their experiments." he ordered, with no mercy. "Speaking off, Reegull!" he called out as the new snake moved closer, "You have proven yourself today, and for that, you must be rewarded!" he says with resolve. "You will no longer be a prisoner, but an official member of the tribe! Welcome to the Serpentine, Reegull! We are glad to have you!" he announces with pride. "Thank you, oh thank you, great Pythor! I will serve you well, I will make all of them pay!" he declared with resolute as he pledges himself to the serpent. "Make sure you do!" the Anacondrai said coldly. Slithering next to him, Acidicus but his are next to the young alchemist, "Well done!" he told him as the two serpents returned to their work.
It was sometime later, deep in the woods, that someone had dared to speak. "Well done, Laval, I am proud of you," said Lagravis inside his tank. "Oh, thanks Dad, but we're not out of the wood yet! We need to find somewhere to stay and then we have to start fighting back!" he said with great resolve. "Well, said Laval! But we still have no way to match them. Pythor is a madman, but his army is strong!" he said wisely. "Don't worry Dad, I have a plan." Laval said as he looked down at the flute, "But first we're going to need some help." he finished with a smile. For the first time in a long time, there was hope in Chima!
Author's Notes:
Thank you all for the wait, this is quite possibly the longest chapter I have written, so I hope it was enjoyable. Now, I have some small things to announce, first of all, after reading all your comments I have decided to alter my plans for the story slightly. Originally I was going to skip the Fire vs Ice saga because I didn't think I could do much with the Serpentine. But after reading your suggestions I have come up with two ideas, with I will need your help to decide. The first is to simply ignore the established cannon and bring Aspheera and the Pyro Vipers into the story, the other is to introduce a new character that takes up the role of Aspheera and a new breed of Chi-born snakes resembling the Core Snake Warriors. I would appreciate your responses.
Thank you for reading, and shoutout to anyone that can identify what minifigure Crush is based on! :)