Pythor slithered through the desert surrounding the Corridor of Elders, relying on the hot sand beneath him to keep him moving in the cold, clear night. Despite his regained hight, despite the kind words of former general Arcturus, bitterness still burned within him.
Chen may have extended the war, but he hadn't had the serpentine imprisoned.
And one of their jailors still walked the earth.
He was shaken from his thoughts when above him, a loud crack rang from the cloudless sky. Pythor looked up to see a dark form falling from the sky. He gasped, hastily slithering out of the way.
Something crashed into the sand, hard enough to leave a crater.
Pythor stayed back for a while, before curiosity won out over fear and he slithered over to investigate.
By the light of the moon he could see it, back ooze pooled beneath a reptilian skeleton, empty eye sockets, by chance, meeting Pythor's living gaze.
He stayed where he was, frozen, as the ooze rose and engulfed the bones, shaping and solidifying into a lizardlike form.
Yellow eyes stared through him as it lay on the sand.
It drew in rapid breaths, as though shocked to be alive, but gradually its breathing leveled out and its eyes focused on him.
Pythor yelped, hastily slithering out of sight, shifting his scales so he vanished into the shadows.
A black-haired, bluish-gray reptile man pulled himself part way out of the crater, and his yellow eyes scanned the desert.
"I know you're out there" he said into the night, "I'm not going to hurt you" he paused, raising his eyes to the stars, "I'd only like to know where I am"
Pythor made a snap decision.
"This" he said with a flourish as his camouflage dropped "is the sea of sand"
The stranger took a moment to reply.
"I haven't heard of it" he finally said.
"Well, you must be quite far from home, then, it takes up most of the continent" Pythor offered a hand.
The stranger regarded it, then looked up at him, "I don't suppose you have any clothes I could change into"
"I don't make it a habit to carry around a spare robe"
The lizard man lingered a moment, but eventually sighed and took his hand, letting Pythor help him up. Fully in the moonlight, Pythor could see him more clearly, he had a muscular build on a slender frame, and his scales shined in the pale light.
Pythor smiled, taking a moment to enjoy the view. "My, you have quite the physique, tell me, what manner of creature are you?"
"Keep your eyes to yourself" he snapped, twisting his tail around himself in an attempt to preserve his modesty.
Pythor looked away, "Fine, fine" he said, not an ounce of shame in his voice, "you can have my robe if it's that important to you"
"Absolutely not."
"At least allow me to introduce myself" pointedly looking at his face and only his face, he again extended a hand, giving a smile "Pythor P. Chumsworth, at your service"
The stranger still didn't seem happy, but he accepted the offered handshake, "Toffee" he said, expression not shifting.
Pythor couldn't help but chuckle, "Toffee, hmm? Well, you sure sound sweet" he laughed a bit more at his own little pun.
Toffee snorted, "flattery will get you nowhere" he said, but his eyes widened, just a bit, and Pythor swore he saw the corner of his mouth twitch up.
"It gets cold out here at night" said Pythor, "I have a base not far from here, we can spend the night"
Toffee sighed, "I suppose I don't have many options, do I"
Pythor hummed, "you could brave the desert"
"I'll come to your base"
The two set off. Pythor could make good time over the sand, but Toffee's bare feet sunk, slowing him down. The anacondrai found himself slowing down to accommodate him.
Fortunately he hadn't been lying about the distance. It wasn't long before they got to his 'base', a cabin someone had built here and abandoned, probably before the serpentine had been imprisoned.
Toffee looked around as they entered, pupils glinting green in the low light. Sand crunched beneath his feet.
"Do you stay here often?" He asked, concern creeping into his tone.
Pythor couldn't see anything in the dark. He wondered if this strange creature could.
"Of course not" he answered, "I only go here when I need to disappear for a while"
Pythor needed to lean on the walls to navigate, but Toffee seemed far more confident, he could hear him striding over to the couch and plopping down, sighing like it was made of silk and he'd just run a marathon.
Fumbling in the dark, it took Pythor a moment to locate the lamp and turn it on, casting the cabin in a dim, flickering glow.
When he did, he turned to Toffee with a smile.
"Can I get you anything? Food? I keep a few spare robes in the closet, I can take the couch, if you'd like"
Toffee blinked at him in the dim light, overwhelmed.
"Uh... Yes, thank you"
Pythor slithered into the bedroom and grabbed a spare robe, handing it off to Toffee before going to the cupboard.
Every shelf was full of canned meat. He grabbed a tin of sardines, opened it, and turned to hand it off to Toffee, who had put on the robe while his back was turned.
He stared down at the proffered fish.
"I would prefer one that hasn't been opened"
Pythor gave looked affronted, "what? Why?"
"Oh, please, anyone with a brain could see you have an ulterior motive"
He was right. Of course he was- Pythor has enemies, and he hoped that Toffee shared them. But that had nothing to do with the fish.
"So, what is it?" Toffee continued, "why are you acting so friendly?"
Pythor drew his arm back.
"If you want to know... I feel we have some common goals"
He slithered back to the cupboard. Grabbed more sardines. Gave Toffee the unopened can.
"I assume you are familiar with the First Spinjutzu Master?"
Toffee glanced up from were he was closely inspecting the can, forehead wrinkling. "No, I can't say I have"
"Well" Pythor faltered, his smile falling. Toffee had deemed the sardines acceptable and opened the can, and was now digging in, ravenously devouring the salty fish within, showing no regard for manners.
"You have, perhaps, crossed paths with the one calling himself Master Wu?"
Toffee, who'd just ate the last of his meager meal, set the empty tin on the coffee table. His gaze drifted back to the open cupboard, eyes hungry.
"Sure" he said, slowly.
"Then you surely understand what a goody two shoes he presents himself as, utterly, utterly infuriating" he slithered back to the cupboard, grabbing more canned meats and fish. "I want him destroyed completely, for him to feel half the pain he's caused me" as he spoke, his voice raised, lip curled, grip tightening on a tin of spam. "You in?" He hissed, giving the lizard his meal.
Toffee took the food, eating it as ravenously as he'd eaten the sardines.
He quickly finished eating, then stood, keeping his eye on Pythor.
"Your hospitality is appreciated, but I'm afraid it's too late in the evening for vengeance. I would rather discuss this in the morning"
He walked into the bedroom and shut the door.
The lock clicked behind him.