With the map in their hands, the hunt for the Fangblades is going well for the Serpentine. Having already found their first at the Mega Monster Amusement Park, the Serpentine have returned to Ouroboros, their base of operations. There, Pythor is sure to plan their next move with Skales. And perhaps…other things as well.


The sound of festivities filled the otherwise quiet city of Ouroboros. The impossible had been done, and a relic of a past age of glory had been recovered. A Fangblade. A thing of legends and bedtime stories told to children, had been discovered and was in Serpentine hands, where it belonged. Skales could still hear the cheering ringing in his ears, from when they returned to the city. All the Serpentine that had stayed behind were in awe when Pythor proudly showed them the blade. The same feeling of victory had echoed in the warriors as they had made their way back. Skales couldn't help but feel a sense of pride in the fact that he had been there when they dug up the Fangblade. The map had been the first actual evidence of the Devourer, and with the first blade in their hands, there was no one left to doubt that soon enough the last three Fangblades would be found, and Pythor would awaken the Great Devourer. And to sweeten the whole affair, they had managed to not only defeat the pesky Samurai X but also reveal their identity. Skales was certainly surprised to learn he recognized the girl. He had first seen her at the attack on Jamanakai Village. Later he had heard from some Serpentine that the same girl was helping the ninja. It would explain why the Samurai had helped the ninja escape when they had captured them both. But whoever the Samurai was, she had been a great enemy. And yet she had still been defeated. Even the other Generals and Fangtom were ecstatic upon their return, seemingly forgetting all about their previous distrust of Pythor and his plans. The first step had been taken on the journey to the Devourer, and it had been a great one.

But instead of feeling joyful about the whole situation, Skales felt relieved. He had practically been ready to sacrifice everything in Pyhtor's name. If the legend of the Devourer had been fake, and if Pythor hadn't managed to win the trust and respect of the other tribes, Skales would have fallen with him. Losing both the backing of his own tribe and his recent title as General. And while Pythor's success had meant he had lost most of the control he held over the Hypnobrai, he had instead gained a fraction of influence over all the Serpentine, as Pythor's second-in-command. A thing that could easily rival the position of General. Indeed, his loyalty had been greatly rewarded, which was only fair for all the trouble he had gone through in the Anacondrai's name.

And yet, it didn't seem enough. An opportunity had presented itself. One that could gain him so much more power than he could imagine. While an advisor to Pythor would certainly have some influence over him, a lover could have so much more. The idea of furthering his relationship with Pythor for his own gain didn't sit right with the Hypnobrai. But he did have feelings for the Anacondrai. That he couldn't deny any longer. So why couldn't he use it in his favor? Why couldn't he gain something from the situation, now that it seemed inevitable the two of them weren't breaking apart anytime soon?

Those thoughts swirled in his mind, as the others around him partied and celebrated. Their successful mission had proved that the Serpentine could work together once again. And with that information, the snakes had used it as an excuse to mingle and celebrate together, without the boundaries of the tribes separating them. It was a sight that Skales had never even dreamed he would see. And yet it was happening right in front of him.

Skales had celebrated too, with his friend Fangtom of course. It had been a long time since the two of them had the chance to have fun together, just as they did in the past. The festivities were only helped by the fact that some Serpentine had the great idea of stealing food and drinks from the amusement pack. It was a long time ago since any Serpentine had eaten so well. Everything should point to Skales forgetting all about power, Fangblades, and the Devourer. But his demeanor was slightly soured by the fact that Pythor wasn't there to join them.

The part of him that cared for the Anacondrai was the same one that had hoped he would join them. But instead, as soon as they had arrived and Pythor had time to revel in his victory, he had gone right back to his chamber. Skales had heard from some others that he was searching for the location of the next Fangblade.

Skales wasn't entirely surprised, but still disappointed. He couldn't help but wonder what it would have looked like for him to be having fun. Many things he could imagine the Anacondrai doing, but having simple fun was something he barely could comprehend. The thought tickled his curiosity for the snake, who still seemed an enigma to him.

Once the festivities started to die down, and the night stretched all over the city, Skales managed to gather enough will to visit the Anacondrai. He and Fantom had already split earlier in the night, so he had no one to explain his little errand to.

Skales made his way through the city, slithering past half-asleep Serpentine and others who were making their way to their bunks. Even Skales was starting to feel the effects of the long night. He planned to settle in for the night, after visiting Pythor.

Once he reached the building where the Anacondrai had made his home, he was surprised to find himself looking over his shoulder. The sense that what he was doing was somehow a little too personal for people not to question, started overwhelming him. He only calmed back down once he was certain no one was around to see him enter. And so he did, following the orange light of a candle to where he presumed Pythor to be. He was correct, finding the Anacondrai standing by his table, looking over the map for the Fangblades. The intensity by which he stared at the map made Skales wonder if disturbing him was going to be a good idea. But he had already come inside, so he might as well.

"Pythor," Skales said before bowing. The other serpent finally noticed that someone had entered his home and seemingly shifted all his focus to him.

"Oh, Skales, what a pleasant surprise. Come now, why are you bowing, I already told you it was mostly just for formality. And especially unnecessary here in private." Pythor uttered with a joyful tone while pushing the map to the side as if to forget it completely.

"I know, your high-...I mean, Pythor. I'm sssimply trying to get used to your new position. It wasn't ssso long ago we were digging in the desert together, and now here you are. King of the Ssserpentine."

"Indeed I am. But I haven't forgotten about our time together when I was but a single, unimportant Anacondrai, and you only a General. We both have risen in the world, haven't we?" Pythor reminisced, his gaze lingering on the Hypnobrai, who found himself warming up by the look in his eyes.

"And, I still haven't forgotten about the crucial support you were so eager to give me during those times. One could even dare say that I wouldn't have gotten to where I am without you."

"I'm…sssure you would have found a way."

"Ever so truly humble, my dear Skales. Perhaps? Maybe. Certainly? Not so much I'm afraid. The world is ever-turbulent, and the powers in place are ever-shifting. But you-" The Anacondrai moved away from the table, and over to the slightly nervous Skales.

"-you are something to rely upon. I knew, from the first time we met, that I could depend on you. And your loyalty would be guaranteed if I merely managed to earn it. But in truth, it seemed I gained something, much more than loyalty." Pythor practically whispered to Skales in a soft tone. The Hypnobrai wanted to let those honeyed words take over him, but creeping guilt in his gut made him turn his head away from Pythor.

"Loyalty? You flatter me, but the truth isss that I betrayed my previousss General-" Skales said, as a wound opened up when it came to his former leader. While it didn't haunt him too much, there was a lingering regret in him. But one Pythor was quick to try and snuff out, as he interrupted the Hypnobrai.

"But what loyalty did you have for him?" Pythor quickly asked, while grabbing Skales' head and turning it towards his.

"And wasn't he under the control of Lloyd, that gullible, irritating child? Wasn't it in your right to remove him from power?"

"It might have been, but I was hisss sssecond-in-command, my loyalty wasss meant to be assured."

"Maybe, but sometimes we must do…what we have to do for the good of ourselves," Pythor explained, in a strangely cold and cryptic tone, as if there was something else in his words. But Skales didn't have long to ponder before the Anacondrai continued.

"What matters is that you were successful. That you made the rewarding decision. A decision…that lead you to me."

He moved his and Skales' head closer together, and once again whispering, he said:

"Wouldn't you say that it was the right one?"

Skales' heart was beating fast, and he could barely find any words to respond with. In the end, he just nodded slowly. But it seemed satisfactory enough for the Anacondria, as he smiled warmly at the Hypnobrai.

"See? Nothing wrong with making a good decision every now and then." He said, with a light chuckle.

The two stared into each other's eyes for a while, until Skales heard something that caught his attention. Or rather, it was the lack of hearing anything that piqued his interest. While he had noticed that the party was dying down when he decided to visit Pythor, it seemed most of the Serpentine had gotten to bed. While he wouldn't mind staying a little longer with the Anacondrai, his drowsy eyes were telling him to go to sleep. So with a yawn, he turned away from Pythor and slowly slithered over to the exit, to the Anacondrai's disappointment.

"While I would love to ssstay, it'sss getting late. I better return to my quartersss to get sssome sssleep." Skales explained with a tired voice.

"Oh, but you wouldn't need to leave to do that."

The sentence surprised Skales enough to stop in his tracks and turn to look at Pythor in confusion. Sensing the Hypnobrai wasn't understanding what he was referring to, Pyhtor decided to show him. Without a word, he made his way to one end of the room. There against the wall was a bed sitting on the ground, separated from the floor by a single small step. A traditional Serpentine bed. Pythor made his way on it and slithered to one side of the bed, with Skales noticing that there was clearly enough space for two on the bed.

"I had this little accommodation built a short while ago, after being crowned king. It was clear to me that a king deserved a kingly bed, not the least after the hard work I did to reach my position. But I do see now that I may have gone a bit overboard when it came to its size. Maybe you would like to remedy it? It would be a shame not to share this magnificent bed with anyone." Pythor suggested with a devious smirk. Skales' face had turned so red he could barely mutter a single word. Believing his silence to be because of hesitation against his proposal, Pythor quickly tried to reassure him before he could make up his mind.

"Come now, I'm sure you're tribe isn't gonna notice you're gone for one night. And isn't it such a long way to the Hypnobrai quarters anyway? Wouldn't it be easier to just lie down here? By my side, coincidentally."

The Anacondrai then laid down halfway on the bed, before clapping on the empty side, while looking at Skales, waiting for him to join him. The Hypnobrai stared at the spot beside Pythor with more fear than when he faced Slithraa in combat. He was lost in contradicting emotions, that urged him both to leave as fast as he could but also to lay down on the bed with satisfaction. His hesitation to decide only made him feel more embarrassed, as he thought of how stupid he must look Pythor.

"W-wouldn't you perhaps be more…comfortable, sssleeping alone? After all, I don't think I would be any good as a sssleep buddy." Skales asked his voice quivering. It was a last-ditch attempt to escape the situation without having to take a stance. He could only hope it would work.

"Hm, let me think about it…no," Pythor replied in a dry tone but with a slight smile on his face, before giving Skales a look of anticipation. There was no way around it. Skales had to make a choice. He pondered for a bit before he felt the urge to act against his own embarrassment. To show that wouldn't let himself be controlled by that irritating indecisiveness. So decided to do what came first to mind.

Skales slithered over to the bed and nervously laid down, with the approving Pythor beside him. The Hypnobrai had made the decision to have his back to the Anacondrai if only so Pyhtor wouldn't have to look at his blushing face. He had always been a warrior, one of the best his tribe had to offer. Which was what led him to become second-in-command to Slithraa, and what allowed him to usurp his place as General. Yet laying there he didn't feel like a warrior or a leader, but a weak, nervous wreck. It was only a few times he had felt like that. All of which involved different forms of intimacy and affection. And the worst of those cases happened when someone made their advances to him. Perhaps that was why he could barely respond to Pythor's affection for him. Or maybe it was because he had never been so intimate with another male before. It could easily be a mix of the two. But whatever it was, it made him feel ashamed. He kept hoping he could respond to Pythor in the same brazen, and confident way he did. And yet the courage never came to him. Skales could only wonder what the Anacondrai saw in him, after several times seeing him at his weakest.

Then he felt a familiar cold, but soothing body press up against his back. And then slowly an arm came around and held onto him, while a tail twisted around his. He could feel Pythor's head resting on top of his, and his chest moving with each breath. Skales wondered what would happen next, but then nothing more came. Instead, the breathing gave way to a relaxed slumber, and even as Pythor stopped moving, he still held on firmly to the Hypnobrai. It took a minute for Skales to realize that he was being cuddled. It was an experience that while not unfamiliar, was certainly a surprise. It had never struck Skales that Pythor would have liked to cuddle. For all the great things he believed Pythor to be, someone who cuddles was not one of those things.

As Skales slightly adjusted his position to be more relaxing, he suddenly found himself in a state of comfort and safety. It took him a bit to get used to Pythor's body against his, but when he did, he felt all the tension in his body slowly fade away. But with its departure came tiredness to take its place. Soon, Skales felt his eyes grow heavy and his mind losing focus. His last thoughts were of affirmation. That there was something between them. Something special. He could trust Pythor, even with his life. He was sure.


It wasn't long before Pythor had found the next location of the Fangblade. Contrary to the first one, the place of the second was much more suitable, as the map led them right to an ancient Serpentine pyramid. A statue of a giant serpent had stood at the front, as they had made their way to the entrance. Once inside, Pythor had granted Skales the honor of holding the map and leading them through the maze they found inside. Even though the map became less useful than he had imagined. It pinpointed the exact location of the Fangblade, but how to traverse the labyrinth it resided in hadn't been included. So with torches lit, they made their way through, ending up walking in what seemed like circles for hours.

Pythor had made the strange decision to bring the boy Lloyd with them. He had mentioned using him as bait for whatever traps were inside. Though Skales had a hard time telling whether he was being serious. Not to mention that he personally didn't believe many of the traps had survived the passage of time.

Their journey through the ruin didn't become much easier as they continued. The walls around them seemingly were closing in on them, the longer they stayed. Skales didn't much enjoy being surrounded by the old stones. It reminded him too much of a tomb. The kind he and his fellow Serpentine had been left in to rot. He felt the same uneasiness coming from the other warriors accompanying them. Whispers and murmurs echoed against the cramped corridors and only got worse as they reached further and further into the center of the pyramid. He could even sense the same restlessness from Pythor, as a displeased and tired expression spread on his face as they went on. But just as it seemed the hallways would never end, they reached one that widened and relieved some of the pressure they had felt. And Skales noticed that according to the map, they should soon reach the Fangblade.

As they turned a sharp corner, Skales was too busy looking at the map to notice Pythor signaling them to stop. He ended up bumping into the Anacondrai, who didn't seem too pleased.

"Ugh. Why mussst we ssstop, if the next Fangblade is just ahead of usss?" Skales asked annoyed, hoping to find the blade as soon as possible and get back out into the fresh air.

Pythor simply turned back forward and lifted his staff, to Skales' confusion. He then slammed it into the floor. Shockingly, the ground immediately gave way and crumpled to pieces, falling down to an imaginable deep hole underneath. Skales barely had time to react before Pythor turned around to face him.

"What good is unlocking the Great Devourer with the four Fangblades, if we're not around to see it?!" Pythor questioned aggressively, closing in on Skales with each word muttered, who could only look away in response.

"Get the boy!" The Anacondrai then commanded not interested in hearing any excuses from Skales.

He then echoed Pythor's command to the soldiers behind him, who did the same. Soon enough the command had reached the back of the group, where the boy was being held. He was brought up to the front, and his chains removed. With the innocence of a child, Lloyd looked happily at his newly freed hands and then up at Pythor.

"Wow, you're letting me go?!" He asked joyfully. Skales would have at other times enjoyed seeing his blissful naivety crushed. But the reprimand from Pythor had soured his already low mood, so he felt strangely no interest in the suffering of the boy.

"Heh, only to fetch, my dear boy," Pythor said, before taking Lloyd over to the edge of the chasm, where only a few loose stones were left hanging. For some reason, the tone Pythor had spoken with had seemed familiar to Skales. But he was too tired to think about it.

"Do step lightly," Pythor added forebodingly, as he gestured Lloyd to continue to the other side. Perhaps rightfully understanding that he didn't have much choice, or simply not fully comprehending the danger the corridor posed, he without hesitation started making his way past the chasm. After a few steps, he reached a hole between the rocks. He decided to jump over but as soon as he hit the rock ahead, it cracked under his weight. The only reason he didn't fall to his doom was because he managed to cling to another rock. Once he climbed back up, he looked over to Pythor.

"Bring me the Fangblade, and I'll let you go." The Anacondrai said demandingly. Without much choice, the boy continued forward.

Barely a meter ahead, the floor started falling from beneath him, forcing him to run. Once the floor under him became solid again, a ceiling full of spikes began the fall toward him. At that point, Skales wasn't very convinced the boy was going to make it. But he was convinced that the traps in the pyramid were indeed still functioning. Then the sound of hundreds of arrows flying filled the corridor. The boy's terrified scream followed and disappeared once again. Sounds of rocks falling then came after, and at that point, Skales was willing to bet he was good as dead. He looked to Pythor who looked back at him with the same unsure expression.

"It's gone!" Suddenly echoed toward them, which meant that the boy had survived to Skales' surprise. But it also confirmed the biggest fear that had accompanied their search. That someone had gotten to it before them.

"It's gone?!" Pythor repeated, his head and body practically twitching from disbelief, as the reality of the situation started dawning on him.

"Where iss it?" Skales asked no one in particular, as he was just as dumbfounded as Pythor was.

"Do I still get to be free?" The boy asked through the long corridor, with the faintest of hope in his voice.

"NO!" The Anacondrai firmly yelled back, before mumbling to himself, his frustration only growing with each word.

"How can this be, who could have taken it before us?! Was it the ninja?! No, impossible!-"

"Ugh, Pythor?"

"-Then who else! Who would dare trespass upon one of our sacred ruins and steal from it?! The audacity! Once I find out who, then-"

"Pythor?"

"WHAT SKALES, WHAT?!" Pythor screamed at Skales, who could only back away before continuing his original question.

"W-what do you want usss to do?"

The question seemed to push Pythor out of his mild breakdown, as he looked over the Serpentine warriors behind, who were just as directionless as he. He looked around indecisively, before coming up with something he at least hoped would keep them busy while he tried to think of something.

"We…we will send out search parties to all areas around this pyramid. If we can cover enough ground, we should be able to find out who has the Fangblade."

The Serpentine didn't seem too convinced, but neither they could think of anything better to do.

"Excellent plan, my king!" Skales commented, hoping to dampen any doubt their warriors had. Not that Pythor seemed to notice his efforts, as the Anacondrai seemed busy thinking to himself.

"But, what of the boy?" He then asked, looking behind Pythor and into the corridor filled with traps. He wasn't quite sure that Lloyd would be able to get back without dying if he tried.

"Who?" Pythor replied earnestly before looking back and seemingly remembering the boy he had sent to his near death.

"Oh him! I had honestly forgotten all about him, thank you for reminding me. While it would certainly not have been too much of a loss if he had perished, it would be a waste to leave him there." He said, with Skales nodding in agreement.

"So why don't you go get him for me?"

At first, Skales thought he was joking, but after a few moments, he realized that wasn't the case.

"What? Me?!" He questioned, completely taken aback by the suggestion.

"Yes, now that you were so diligent to remind him of me. Now, my warriors, we march back!" Pythor announced, with the command echoing back, and slowly the Serpentine started walking back to the exit. Pythor also started following them, with Skales pleading with him on the way.

"Come now, you can't be ssserious?! Sssurely you have othersss to take care of tasksss sssuch asss these."

Upon hearing his words, Pythor stopped in his tracks, and once they were out of earshot of the others, he turned to face the Hypnobrai.

"I do, but you're the one I trust the most. So why don't you be a dear and take care of this little thing for me? Most preferably without complaining." Pythor asked of Skales, who tried to object, but upon meeting the Anacondrai's firm but gentle stare, he could only fall silent.

"See, wasn't so hard, was it? Now toodaloo!" Pythor unceremoniously said before continuing forward with the other Serpentine, half-heartedly waving back at Skales. The Hypnobrai could barely close his mouth which stood agap, as he watched as Pythor left him behind. He stood there for a little while, even as a few Hypnobrai came up to him.

"Uhm. General? Are you coming with us?" Asked one of them.

"Huh?" Skales muttered, before looking at the Hypnobrai that spoke to him. It was one of the few female Hypnobrai in his tribe, though that didn't make her stand out as much as her pink scales that replaced the otherwise common blue scales. Even so, he hadn't managed to learn her name yet. She was joined by two other Hynobrai who stood and waited for his response.

"Oh, yesss-I mean, I will join you later. I have to retrieve the boy." He said, pointing down the corridor.

"Um…Pythor?! Are you still there?!" The boy yelled, reaching their ears. The pink Hypnobrai seemed puzzled at his words.

"Are you sure? We could easily take care of it so that you could go and-"

"Thisss isss ordersss directly from Pythor, ssso there'sss no discussing it! Just…go back and tell the rest of the tribe I will be joining them sssoon." Skales stated before turning around and staring down the long path he had to take to reach Lloyd with dread. The pink Hypnobrai seemed hesitant to leave, but in the end, she decided to make nothing more of it.

"...As you say, General. We will be waiting for your return. Come, let's go." She said to her fellow Hypnobrai, as they walked away, all three with a confused expression. The explanation they could think of was that Pythor was punishing him, but they weren't going to ask to make sure.

That left Skales alone with his task. He looked down the dark path with a defeated look. He wasn't sure why Pythor would make him do such a dangerous, and demeaning task. Skales wasn't buying that it was out of trust, but there wasn't much else that made sense. Was it that Pythor was angry and lashing out? Was he being punished for bumping into him, and then questioning him in front of the others? Questions that seemed without answers.

"HELLO!" Lloyd screamed, to Skales' irritation.

"I'M COMING YOU BRAT! STAY STILL!"

"...Oh. Ok." Skales quietly heard back.

He then went to the first chasm, taking the same route as the boy, though his jump was more successful, as he landed safely on the other side. That only left the second, and much longer chasm. With a grunt of frustration, he hugged the wall and slowly slithered past. The rocks moved ever so slightly as he made his way across, and he feared they would fall from under him at any second. Luckily, that wasn't the case and he made it safely across.

Next came the spikes, which he didn't look very much forward to. He laid on his stomach and looked under, seeing that the last pair of pikes were high up enough for someone to crawl under. It was only the first that was too low. He thought about what to do for a moment before he remembered the loose rocks. Carefully he managed to take one out from the path he had taken and place it before the spikes. Then came the hard part. After preparing himself, he grabbed the edge of the spiked roof and pushed it upwards. At first, it didn't seem possible to move it up, but slowly it gave in. With an exhausted grunt, he held it up long enough to use his tail to push the rock under. Once that was done, he let go. The sound of a spike hitting the rock wasn't exactly gentle, but the rock was still in one piece. And the spikes were then high up enough for him to crawl under. Still, he had to be careful, or else his back would scrape against the tips of the spikes.

When he came out the other side, he breathed a sigh of relief, only to be horrified by the sight before him. The hallway ahead was covered with arrows along the sides and floor, which would have painted a grisly sight if someone had been caught in the trap.

"How did he manage to get past thisss?" Skales commented to himself, with a bit of astonishment in his voice.

Slithering past, he was faced with the last hurdle. The corridor was covered in dirt and rocks that nearly went up to the ceiling. But not completely. He climbed up and as soon he reached the top, he could see that there was a bit of space between the mound and ceiling he could crawl through. Except the last part, where the rubble went all the way to the ceiling.

"Can you hear me?" Skales asked to the other side of the pile.

"Yes!" Lloyd answered back, happy to hear someone was coming for him, and that he hadn't actually been left to rot.

"You're gonna need to dig out the top of the rubble, or else you're not gonna get past," Skales commanded.

"Umm… there are some pretty big rocks up there, and I've had my arms in chains for, I don't know how long. So I'm not sure that I-"

"Oh by the Devourer," Skales whispered angrily to himself, before aggressively crawling over the rubble as if to vent his frustrations. It didn't take him too long to reach the other side, whereupon he started digging and pushing rocks out of the way.

"Of course he chose me. He couldn't have chosen a Constrictai, oh no! That would have been too easy. I had to do it. Why? Because it's Pythor!" Skales uttered to himself, not caring whether the boy could hear him or not. Soon, there was only one big rock left, blocking his way. With all his strength he pushed, and slowly the rock started moving. After one last push, the rock came loose and rolled down.

"Wow!" The boy yelled having seemingly dodged the falling rock. He then came up the hole, directly facing Skales' angry expression. Even though he hadn't heard him complaining, he could see that it hadn't been exactly easy getting him free. Faced with the boy, Skales snarled slightly. It had been some time since he had been so close to him. The only other time was when the boy still had control over Slithraa and ordered him and the others around like his own personal soldiers.

"You are here to rescue me. Right?" Lloyd asked hesitantly, as Skales' demeanor didn't exactly seem like that of a rescuer.

"Yesss, and be happy for that," Skales answered nearly threatingly, before turning around in the small crawl space.

"Follow me out…OR, you could ssstay here and-"

"Nope. I'm gonna follow you, no problem." He replied quickly before following behind Skales, making sure to not stay too close.

When Skales reached the end and crawled back down to the floor, he noticed how dirty his scales had gotten. Fruitlessly, he tried to wipe away the dirt, but to no prevail.

Pythor is gonna owe me a warm bath after this. Skales thought to himself. Then came the boy, who glided down the dirt pile. Without looking back Skales continued forward, with Lloyd running up behind him.

"Soooo, do you think that Pythor might reconsider setting me free?" Lloyd asked, with the same hopeless optimism in his voice.

"I wouldn't really, no." Skales answered coldly, not even glancing at the boy."

"Dang it! I've already been a prisoner for who knows how long now, and you can't even CONSIDER letting me go."

"Well, that'sss the point of a prisoner. They don't get to decide when to leave." The Hypnobrai stated harshly, that time looking back to face Lloyd.

"Why don't you appreciate the fact that we don't use you for entertainment? Or eat you."

"Come on, that's just an old myth, even I know that," Lloyd replied confidently, but as no answer came from the Hypnobrai, he felt a slight tingle of fear going up his spine.

"R-right?"

Skales didn't answer, but instead, an amused smile spread on his face. When they reached the spikes, Skales wasted no time and got ready to crawl.

"Just be happy that *ugh*, Pythor still has some use for you."

"Guess I am." He commented, though there didn't seem to be that much relief in his tone.

Once past the spikes, there were only two obstacles left. The two chasms. But as long as the rocks would hold their weight, then there wouldn't be a problem. But the boy wasn't as sure as Skales, as when the Serpentine went over to the edge, he anxiously stood a few feet behind.

"Um…how are we gonna get past?"

"How do you think? We walk along the edge." Skales said, pointing at the very slim path he had taken himself.

"Oh no, there's no way you're gonna get me to walk over that!"

"You don't exactly how much of a choice, do you?" The Hypnobrai reminded him of, not wanting to waste time indulging the child's fears.

"Can you, like, at least test it?"

Skales stared at him for a few moments, contemplating whether it would be easier to just carry him under his arm. But as he wasn't in the mood for screaming or yelling, he sighed and picked up a rock from the floor. He then turned to the path and threw it on the first rock.

"Sssee. It holdsss."

No more than a moment after the words had left his mouth, a cracking sound came from the rock, which then fell down the chasm. As Skales looked, other rocks followed suit and soon enough the path was entirely gone, as if never had been there. Skales stared frighteningly at the sight, thinking of how ready he was just before to walk across. But his thoughts were interrupted by an annoying giggle from behind him.

"Hehe, and you said it would hold."

Skales growled at the boy, which made him quickly shut up again. But that still left Skales with no way to get past. As he inspected the missing path, he noticed that the spaces between the rocks were fairly wide. Easily enough for someone to stick their hand in and hold on. Without much hesitation, he went right over to the edge and grabbed onto the wall with his two hands.

"Alright, we're gonna need to climb across. Follow behind me, and-" Skales looked behind, and to his dread, a frightened expression was plastered over the boy's face.

"You can't be serious. You walked up a mountain to find my tribe's tomb, and now you can't even climb!?" He exclaimed, barely believing the situation he stood in.

"Yeah! The word being 'walked'. I don't know what makes you think a ten-year-old is a master climber, but I'm barely gonna make it a meter across before I fall."

"And what do you suggest we do then, huh?!" Skales questioned him, not expecting any good answer to come. But the question made the boy think about something, before he looked up at Skales, unsure.

"Well, I have an idea, but I'm sure you're gonna like it."

It took a few seconds for Skales to realize what the boy was thinking.

"If I could just, you know…hold on, then we can both get across." Lloyd continued, consciously avoiding mentioning what he would hold on to, as he was worried about the Serpentine's reaction. Rightly so, as a frustrated look grew on Skales, which accumulated with him banging his head into the wall. He stood there for a few moments, contemplating what he was doing, and was angry at Pythor for making him go through this. With a long and tired sigh, Skales moved his head away from the wall.

"...Get on." He muttered, in the most venomous tone possible. Still, an excited smile spread across Lloyd's face as he moved over to Skales. Even if he was dealing with a dangerous situation, his childishness became obvious at the prospect of being carried on someone's back.

"If you touch my face, then I'm gonna ssshake you off, got it?" Skales explained with hostile intentions. That stopped Lloyd in his tracks, but he then nodded understandingly and got behind Skales. With a small prayer, he hopped up the snake's back, and grabbed onto his shoulders, hoping that the Hypnobrai wouldn't immediately snap at him. Fortunately for him, he didn't, which Skales considered to be an act of extreme restraint. Lloyd moved around a bit, casually trying to find the right position and places to hold on.

"Wow, you feel cold. I guess that comes with being cold-blooded, huh."

Skales didn't entertain him with an answer, but instead stayed quiet and waited for the boy to stop moving. But once he did, Skales started climbing. He could definitely feel the extra weight on his back, but he was a warrior and a Serpentine. The weight of one small human on his back wasn't going to stop him. So slowly and surely he started climbing across, with the dark abyss right under them. Luckily, Skales could use his tail to give him some more support, making him less nervous whenever he had to grab onto another rock. However, it didn't help shorten the rather long climb that was ahead of him.

As the climb continued, Lloyd started feeling slightly awkward at the fact that the two of them were climbing in silence. While he contemplated whether it was smart to strike up a conversation, in the end, his own boredom got the better of him as always.

"So, I've heard you have gotten pretty good friends with Pythor."

"Out of everyone who could have sssnuck into Ouroborosss, it just had to be you, didn't it," Skales muttered to himself more than to Lloyd, which slightly annoyed the kid.

"Hey, sorry for trying to lighten the mood! It's not like we're over a dark pit or something."

"And what, that meansss I ssshould humor your questionsss?"

"Why not? Got something better to do?"

"Yesss, trying to not fall to my death." He replied, hoping that the boy would tire of talking at some point, but he highly doubted it.

"Come on, it's the only interesting thing I've heard. Well, except for your plan to unleash a giant snake." Lloyd stated, with a bit of surprise in his voice.

"It'sss not just a giant snake. It's the Great Devourer, the most powerful serpent in Ninjago, which we shall use to-wait, you've heard what about me and Pythor?" Skales asked, finally realizing and wondering how the child could have heard about him and Pythor.

"Oh, now you're interested," Lloyd said sarcastically, with Skales just about to snarl at him again, but then the boy continued.

"It's not much, except some gossip I've heard from some of the Serpentine guarding me. They just talk about how much you spend time with Pythor and how much he seems to like you, especially compared to the other Generals."

"Do they now? What else have they been saying?" The Hypnobrai asked as he wondered how much gossip was going around that even their prisoner had heard some of it.

"Not much else, except a few rude comments and insults here and there. But…what I wanted to say is that I was once Pythor's friend too."

"I have heard of that, yesss." Skales replied, with a mocking tone in his voice. Lloyd could tell he was being made fun of, but he pushed it aside.

"Then you have also heard of how he betrayed me," Lloyd explained, his voice signifying that he thought of it as a big reveal.

"He told me that too," Skales said, ruining what Lloyd thought to be a big revelation. But it also gave way to new questions.

"And you still trust him?! Even when you know he betrays his friends?"

"He wasn't your friend. He merely wanted sssomething from you, and when the chance came, he took it from you. Sssimple as that."

"And how do you know he's not going to do the same thing to you?" The boy asked, for once saying something that truly hit Skales, and made him pause for a moment. But it was merely a lapse of judgment before he continued, his silence being the only answer he gave to Lloyd. The boy had been right when it came to one thing, as the talking had distracted him for so long that he hadn't noticed they finally made it to the other side. He jumped back on the floor, his tail sore from supporting him, as well as his arms and hands. Getting a feel for solid ground, he stood and stretched for a bit, before noticing that Lloyd was still hanging on to his back. To be nice, he gave the boy a second or two to jump off. When he didn't, he grabbed him from his back and pulled him over his head, and held him in front of him. Then unceremoniously he let go, letting the boy drop to the ground.

"You know you could just have asked me!" Lloyd said, with an irritated tone, as he stood up and dusted himself off.

"I thought you could have figured that out yourself. Apparently not." The Hypnobrai answered, before slithering over to the next pit in their path.

Thinking that the Serpentine deserved to be knocked down a peck, he decided to bring up a topic he believed Skales wouldn't enjoy too much.

"Hey, how come you're a second-in-command again? I thought you had become a General."

Skales scoffed at the boy's attempt to rile him up, but he still couldn't help but answer.

"I'll have you know that I'm ssstill a General."

"Yeah, but you're also still doing what someone else tells you to do. It doesn't seem that much has changed."

"Everything hasss changed!" Skales declared loudly, to Lloyd's surprise.

"With Pythor asss King of the Ssserpentine, we will finally rule the sssurface! And me being hisss advisor, I too ssshall ssshare in the power he will acquire."

"Pythor doesn't seem like the type to share." The boy stated, with a foreboding voice.

"Be quiet." The Hypnobrai ordered, having decided he had heard enough from the boy. He didn't need another person to doubt his decisions, especially not a child. But while he tried to dismiss his words, there was a tinge of truth to them. Pythor had used and discarded the boy as easily as one would change a glove. Skales had at least kept Slithraa in his tribe after defeating him. But it was the child that Pythor had betrayed, the same one who had used his tribe to steal candy from villagers. The boy deserved his fate after the degradation he had caused to the Hypnobrai and the danger he had put them in. Skales wouldn't forget or forgive that anytime soon.

Reaching the edge of the chasm, he jumped over where the missing rock had stood before. He turned around, to only be faced with the boy and his scared expression once again.

"Ssstop wasting time and jump! You can easily make it acrosss." Skales said, trying his best to not sound too reassuring. But they were near the end of their whole ordeal and Skales wouldn't mind seeing the sun again. The boy still seemed hesitant, but in the end, he did walk over to the edge. He wobbled a bit as he looked down, and then prepared himself to jump. He stood a few seconds before he made the attempt. At first, Skales believed that the boy had made the jump. But as he landed, the Serpentine could see something was wrong. He had landed right on the edge of the rock. Lloyd tried bending forward but to no avail. The boy slowly fell backward and for a moment he felt his feet leave the stone. But just as it seemed he was about to plunge down into the darkness, a strong hand gripped his wrist. It took him a moment, but he soon realized that Skales had managed to grab him at the last second, the Hypnobrai himself leaning over the edge.

There weren't any words shared between them but instead looks. Skales looked down at the child and he looked back up at him. What he was met with was of course a face filled with fear of falling down. But also…a fear of him. Not the kind of fear born from intimidation or strength, but the kind from looking at someone who just saved you from falling. And yet still believing that they would drop you at any second without a whiff of empathy. Skales at first felt shocked at the revelation but then also hurt. Was that how the boy saw him? Not as a feared and powerful warrior, but as a cruel villain that would only save him to then enjoy the sight of seeing him fall to his death. It seemed like ignorance to Skales. He was fighting against the oppressors that had forced his kind underground for decades. But yet, hadn't he wished such cruelty on the boy before? Hadn't he been the monster the boy thought he was looking at, at some point? It wasn't enough to shake his fundamental beliefs and faith in what he was doing. But still, he didn't enjoy that look. He didn't enjoy that someone saw him like that. Even if that was what he truly was.

With a decisive pull, he managed to get Lloyd up to the edge, whereupon he grabbed on and climbed back up. Once on the ground again, he took the time to recollect himself. Meanwhile, Skales stood up and slithered over to the boy. Lloyd turned to face him and for a moment seemed to contemplate whether to say something or not. In the end, he couldn't just stay silent after Skales had saved his life.

"OK, I know you aren't going to listen to me but, just…I'm sorry for what I did to your tribe. It wasn't nice, I get that now. And I know you have all these plans to take revenge on the surface, take over Ninjago, but…I don't think you should trust Pythor. He doesn't seem like someone who would go through all this if it didn't serve him somehow. I just…I just…he betrayed me and I don't see why he wouldn't do the same to you. How he would betray you, I don't know, but…please. Reconsider helping Pythor. I think a lot of people are gonna get hurt, probably even the Serpentine. Whatever you think you're getting out of it, I don't think it will end as you think. Oh, and also…thanks for saving me…"

The boy stood and waited for a response, hoping that the Hypnobrai would listen to him. And he had listened to him.

But Skales knew Pythor more than he did. He knew Pythor wouldn't betray him, wouldn't cast him aside. If he only followed him, all he wished for himself, for his tribe, and all the Serpentine, would come true. Pythor was the one to make it all real. The time for doubt had to pass, or else he wouldn't be able to serve Pythor as best as he could and help him awaken the Devourer. He realized that now. With that, he looked at Lloyd with a stern and cold expression, who could only stare back with a defeated look.

"Get going."


Since I had been gone for a while I thought you deserved an extra long chapter. The reason that had taken so much time, is that I've started working on writing projects that I'm gonna send to a publisher in my home country. So some of my time will be used for that, together with my education. I'll still be working on this story and someday I will finish it, don't worry. I still highly enjoy writing this when I have the time, and I'm so happy to see how many people like this story. I hope you liked this chapter, and that you have a good day!