The story continues on from last time when Pythor decided their next target would be the Fire Temple. With all due haste, the Serpentine were once again assembled and sent to march toward the next Fangblade.
The volcanic mountain was clear to see many miles away. And once they got close enough, so was the smoke that came from its top. It was a black cloud that spelled trouble. But that wasn't something that Skales wanted to tell Pythor. It seemed childish.
They had wandered a long road to reach their destination, but their spirits were lifted once they managed to get to the Forest of Tranquility. As the name said, it was a quiet and subtle place that almost felt eerie. The trees which were taller than buildings, seemed to look down upon the Serpentine. Skales found himself nearly comparing the tree tops to the cavern ceiling that covered their tomb, forever keeping out the light from the outside. Which only made him crave the open and desolate planes of the Sea of Sand even more. Where the sky was free from distractions and visible from dawn to dusk. But once the forest was reached, the Fire Temple felt to be just a short walk away. It didn't take long before they could clearly see the volcano, whereafter a wave of cheer swept through their ranks.
The other Generals were staying behind, overseeing a secret project that Pythor had delegated to them. Skales wasn't quite sure what it was about, but he knew it involved digging and many Constrictai. He had mentioned it to Pythor, who had told him that it would be revealed soon enough. Skales thought that if anyone, he would have deserved to know of such things. But of course, he wouldn't object to the decision directly.
He and Pythor were at the top of the snake, they formed as they marched. Behind them were the warriors who dutifully followed them. And at the back end of the snake, were their prisoner, Lloyd Garmadon. It wasn't hard for Skales to believe he truly was the son of the infamous Garmadon. Though he lacked the skills and wits of his father, he had more than made up for it with his cruelty toward the Serpentine. Skales could guess that it was meant as an insult to the boy, that he was kept at the back, hanging from a cage.
Skales looked over at Pythor, who was busy studying the map as if the volcano wasn't already visible.
"Why did we take the boy with usss? Won't he just be a distraction, while we perform our task?"
"Questioning me again, number two? How awfully impolite of you." Pythor replied, his eyes still glued to the map. But in the end, it looked as if he concluded it was fair to offer an explanation, as he turned to the Hypnobrai.
"In the very likely case of the Ninja trying once again to disrupt our search for the Fangblades, it is always useful to have a hostage on hand. It does after all seem the Ninja have some misguided desire to free the fool. And, it is also useful to have someone to test for possible traps!" He cheerfully explained, letting out a sinister chuckle.
Skales looked behind them, though he couldn't see the boy. Their last talk back at the pyramid had been enlightening, to say the least. Even if it has had the opposite effect their prisoner had hoped. His determination to serve Pythor had only gotten stronger. He couldn't believe he had been about to fall for the boy's petty attempt to turn him against his king. But he would be lying if he said that he wasn't seeing Lloyd in a less hostile light. He also could not ignore the feeling that he had paid for his crime against Skales' tribe already. Lloyd had been their prisoner for some time and subjugated to all the indignities that came with it. It had reached a point where the thought of just letting the boy go and being done with him had crossed his mind a few times. But then it was Pythor's right to decide what they did with their prisoner. If he wanted him to be a hostage, then that was that.
As they neared the volcano and temple, an uncertainty, brought about by the black smoke, started to invade Skales' mind.
"Are you sure the volcano is safe to enter? It looksss rather…unstable."
"Rubbish, it is perfectly safe, I'm certain," Pythor assured him, but then it looked like he was struck by a thought.
"And even if it wasn't, do you think that would matter?" The Anacondrai asked, moving his head close to the Hypnobrai's. There was a dreadful tone in his voice that made Skales unsure.
In the end, he was unable to formulate an answer. But it seemed good enough for Pythor, as he moved away and focused on the temple ahead. Skales hadn't quite understood what Pythor had meant, but he thought nothing more of it.
Soon enough they reached the entrance of the red structure. While the gates were closed, Pythor's quick hit with his tail revealed it wasn't locked, as the gates swung open without resistance. He and Skales slithered in and up stone steps. At the top, the entrance into the temple itself stood without a door or gate. It was easy to see deep inside. There the visage of a large, grinning face stood at the other end and looked back. As they went inside, a creepy feeling took over. The inside was lit up by the red glow from the lava that stood at each side of a path, while smoke filled the room. The path led straight ahead, directly into the mouth of the visage. There a tunnel showed itself, leading deeper into the volcano.
Skales looked back at their nervous warriors. But they kept walking without interruption, sure that their King and his Second-in-command knew what they were doing. So without fear, they went into the cramped tunnel, surrounded by rock from all sides. After walking for a short while they entered the inner-most center of the temple. The floor had long since been covered with lava, and only pillars of stone that stuck from the ground remained. There wasn't any clear path down, but the wall consisted of several cliffs one could use to easily climb down.
There was still the problem that nothing connected the pillars. And the Fangblade itself was meant to be at the center. Pythor quickly ordered several Serpentine to go out into the forest and construct ladders they could use to make a path between the pillars. It took a little while, but they soon returned, climbed down, and placed them along the pillars of rock.
Soon enough a path to the center became possible. Then the digging began. A Hypnobrai took a shovel and started working, while the rest stood around, impatiently waiting. Lloyd had been placed on one pillar away, while Skales and Pythor stood around the digging Hypnobrai.
Again Pythor was glued to the map as if he was trying to decode some hidden secret it held. But Skales started to realize that Anacondrai was in fact anxious.
Most probably wouldn't have noticed, but Skales had spent quite enough time together with the Anacondrai to see things most wouldn't. His almost twitching motions as he studied the map were a clue. Another was that he wasn't actually reading the map. Rather his eyes glazed over the lines and with no attempt to properly look. If they weren't surrounded by Serpentine, Skales might have tried to comfort him. But then again, there was a good chance that Pythor wouldn't accept it. Comfort was something he sometimes gave to Skales but wouldn't in any circumstance accept himself.
So silently they both stood on either side of the deepening hole. At some point the question if they were looking at the right place started to buzz around, but Skales quickly shut down the idea. Meanwhile, the already hot champer of lava started to become even hotter,
"Thisss doesn't ssseem sssafe," Skales commented, looking around the frail-looking walls that surrounded them.
"Quiet!" Pythor ordered, and so the silence continued, only interrupted by the sound of shoveling.
Then it finally happened. A very distant 'cling' could be heard, that sounded somehow more delicate than the normal sound of metal against metal. With the sound, Pythor suddenly raised his head and came to life.
"Huh?!" he barely managed to mutter, before whipping around and jumping into the hole.
"Out of my way, fool!" He yelled before slapping the Hypnobrai away, who sheepishly crawled out of the hole while rubbing his cheek.
The suspense had caught every Serpentine in its net, and no one dared look away. With all the eyes on Pythor, a wide, satisfied smile spread on his face.
"The third Fangblade is ours!" He victoriously declared, grabbing the Fangbalde from the ground and holding it up high for all to see.
As always, cheer erupted amongst the Serpentine, subtly helped by Skales riling them up. He too couldn't help but smile. With the third Fangblade in their possession, there was only one left. One left before they could awaken the Great Devourer and finally take over Ninjago. Then vengeance would finally be theirs.
Pythor climbed up the hole and still smiling, studied the beautiful blade, that clearly reflected the magma that lighted up the chamber, letting out a well-deserved laugh. But soon after, while chuckling quietly to himself, the smile suddenly disappeared. His eyes then narrowed on the blade, as if he could see something.
Skales was at first worried that something was wrong with the blade, but then Pythor muttered that most hated word they knew.
"Ninja?"
Neither Skales nor any other Serpetine had time to react to his words, before Pythor swung around, pointing the Fangblade forward.
"ATTACK!" He ordered, and all eyes looked in his direction. Sure enough, there was the ninja, together with their sensei and some dark, unknown creature with four arms they couldn't recognize.
"Light as a leaf! Attack like there is no tomorrow!" Wu yelled as a battle cry, before attacking a charging Hypnobrai and running into others of their warriors, knocking them off the ladders as he went.
Meanwhile, the rest of the ninja spread out around the rest of the pillars, attacking the Serpentine and using their elemental powers to navigate the dangerous environment. Their troops were surprised and at a disadvantage against the ninja.
Pythor looked around and spotted a staircase carved into the rock, leading to a tunnel further up.
"Skales! Secure the exit, quickly!" Pythor commanded Skales, who nodded and grabbed some Serpentine to go with him, while the battle raged on.
But the situation only turned worse once the red ninja pulled out his golden sword. The lava beneath them started glowing brightly and the volcano began shaking and pieces of rock fell from the ceiling. But at that point, Pythor had already started gathering the Serpentine and sending them up the staircase. After all, they got what they came for. All they needed was to leave with the Fangblade in hand. But while Skales waited in the tunnel, making sure the tunnel would leave them to safety, Pythor got an idea. He quickly whispered his plan to a few Constrictai who nodded eagerly.
"Let's get out of here! But not before we leave them with a parting gift. Boys!" The Anacondrai yelled as the Serpentine walked up the staircase.
Behind him, the Constrictai started digging into the ground. They soon reappeared in places across the chamber, with lava flowing from the holes. The mountain started shaking even more violently and it was clear that it was becoming more unstable. If neither party soon left they could end up buried or burned by the volcano.
"DAD!" Their prisoner yelled as they carried his cage toward the exit.
Pythor didn't have time to process the information, before the dark monster the ninja came with jumped up to the stairs, and started making his way through the Serpentine. A few ran down to stop him but were quickly defeated. As Pythor finally reached the tunnel at the top, the monster was still coming up toward them.
"Argh!" He exclaimed as it became clear they wouldn't be getting rid of him until they got rid of the boy first. "Lose the boy!" He coldly commanded. As ordered, the Serpentine carrying his cage threw it toward the lave, though it got stuck on rocks.
"The tunnel isss ready!" Skales told Pythor, while the Serpentine quickly came through.
"Good. Make sure it stays that way!"
While the Anacondrai tried to enter, the amount of warriors coming through forced him to wait until they were all through. Besides, it wouldn't have looked good to leave anyone behind.
Once all had come through, it was finally Pythor's turn. But just as he was halfway through, Skales saw a flash of gold, and then the Fangblade in Pythor's hand disappeared. The Anacondrai turned toward his attacker and snarled at him in frustration. Skales couldn't see who it was, but Pythor stepped out from the tunnel. The volcano was only getting worse, and Skales feared if they didn't come out soon enough, they would trapped in its flames.
The Hypnobrai peaked his head out from the tunnel, only to see Pythor frantically tugging at the golden sword stuck to the wall, together with the Fangblade. But Skales didn't think about that. He only thought about getting Pythor out of danger.
"Hurry, we must leave here at once!" He practically begged the Anacondrai, who looked back at him with a face filled with panic. But that meant he didn't see the shower of lava that rose from below and came tumbling down toward him.
Without missing a beat, Skales grabbed Pythor and pulled him into the tunnel. The heat nearly seared the purple Serpentine, who cried out in pain for a moment. The Hypnobrai didn't let go and kept holding on, pulling him away from the tunnel, as a rock fell and closed off the entrance. He kept pulling and running, swearing to not stop until they were in safety.
Luckily, soon enough as they went the temperature started dropping and the shaking from the inner chamber became less prevalent. It would seem they had managed to get to a sort of safe distance, even if they were still inside the volcano.
But, as if Pythor had turned to rock, he suddenly stopped. The momentum Skales had built nearly sent him flying off, but he kept hold of the Anacondrai's arm.
"Why are you stopping?! We ssstill need to get to a sssafe dist-"
Skales was interrupted when Pythor with no regard for the Hypnobrai, pushed him off. The force was enough to make Skales fall to the ground. He barely had time to compose himself, before Pythor's seething face came down into his.
"DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA OF WHAT YOU HAVE DONE?!" He yelled, with Skales being so shocked he couldn't even react. It took even longer for him to comprehend what had been said.
"I-" Skales muttered, but he couldn't finish his sentence before Pythor continued yelling.
"I had the Fangblade, RIGHT IN MY GRASP! It was RIGHT THERE! But you, YOU, took me away, just as I was about to get it free!"
By then, the commotion had garnered the attention of the fleeing Serpentine, who either stopped or turned back, to sheepishly listen to their conversation.
"B-but, the volcano, it wasss unstable, I had to-"
"You didn't have to do anything! I asked you to secure the tunnel, and nothing else! If you had just done what I asked, then I would have the blade in my hands. Instead, it's either in the hands of the ninja or submerged in gallons of lava!"
Skales head was rolling in confusion. He knew the situation had become dangerous. That if he hadn't done what he did, Pythor might have been burned by the magma, or worse. Couldn't Pythor see that?
"If I hadn't pulled you away, you might have been hit by the lava, or a falling rock, or-" Skales tried to explain, but once again he was stopped. Not by words, but by Pythor who practically stared Skales down from above, his eyes piercing with loathing. Skales had more to say, but he felt the words slowly fall back into his throat, as he did all he could to avoid Pythor's eyes.
"Did I ask you to speak?" The Anacondrai asked almost calmly, but that was the worst part.
Skales kept focusing on the ground, but he felt Pythor getting closer, his gaze almost burning into the Hypnobrai's scales.
"Did I?" He repeated, with a firmer tone, making it clear he expected an answer and wasn't about to repeat himself.
"...No, my King," Skales replied, his voice almost a whisper.
"No, I didn't. Oh, you idiotic moron!" Pythor exclaimed, finally turning away, if only to curse the situation and by default Skales as well.
It was then the Hypnobrai was overcome with thoughts. Or fear more like. He started to understand that the Fangblade perhaps hadn't just been lost, but destroyed by the volcano. If that was the case, then he really had doomed their mission. Their goal to awaken the Devourer and take over Ninjago. All because of him. All because of his mistake.
Taken over by panic, Skales got ready to speak and nearly got up. But as he looked at the Anacondrai's turned back, he felt his strength leaving. In the end, he decided to continue speaking from the ground.
"M-my King, the Fangblade may not be entirely destroyed. If it'sss a relic of sssuch importance, it may only be damaged by the heat. Then it ssshouldn't be impossible to repair it, and…"
Once again Skales' words trailed off, as he was met by a mocking laughter from Pythor. The Anacondrai turned to him, a surprised and bewildered look on his face.
"Destroyed? Damaged?! It's a Fangblade you fool! Do you really think such a thing could be harmed by meer lava?! I thought you knew better than that. No, luckily for you, if the ninja didn't manage to get it, then it's most certainly sitting as beautiful as ever in a pool of magma."
Pythor got closer again, his face covered with a threatening demeanor.
"Besides, if it really could have been damaged by the heat, then I would have thrown you down to get it myself. Be sure of that."
The words hurt more than Skales could imagined. As he looked back at Pythor, it was as if any care the Anacondrai had for him slowly drained and was replaced with disappointment. In the end, he felt such shame, that it paradoxically ended up letting him stand again. The hollow feeling he felt in his chest made him so light, so much so that he had a hard time standing up straight. Then, in either a hopeless bid for reconciliation or approval, he decided to defend his action, one last time.
"Ssstill, if I hadn't pulled you away, you would have been harmed. That must count for something, right?!" He asked, the desperation dripping from his words and making him seem so small and meek compared to Pythor.
But the Anacondrai only looked at him with a genuinely confused expression.
"Do you think that I care about that? You stood in my WAY. That is what 'counts', my number two. REMEMBER THAT!"
Skales' eyes flickered side to side, as he tried to think of something to say, something to do. But nothing came to him. All he could do was stand there, like a scolded child.
"Hmm. There's a good chance the ninja left the Fangblade." Pythor started muttering to himself, completely ignoring Skales for a moment. "Especially if they don't know it can't be harmed by the heat. Or maybe just to avoid being cooked by the volcano. Nevertheless, if the volcano has erupted, then the lava should be flowing out…yes, there might be a chance we can still get it."
Pythor turned back to the lost Hypnobrai, his malice replaced by an apathetic annoyance.
"Second-in-command, why don't go and make yourself useful and make search parties to try and find the Fangblade in the lava streams? Or would you rather stand there, while our victory is slowly drifting away?"
Skales silently bowed as an answer and started slithering away. In front of him and throughout the tunnel were several Serpentine who either heard or overheard their argument. On their faces, there was pity, mockery, and confusion. One some all three. But always a mix of those emotions. Skales tried to keep his head high, trying to act as if the argument hadn't affected him. He kept up the charade, even as he went through the tunnel and gave the order to search for the Fangblade around the volcano. But that took the rest of his strength and thereafter he sulked around. He had taken the decision to avoid other Serpentine, at least until he was a less pitiful sight.
He didn't know what had happened. His relationship with Pythor had seemed to be at its best. And yet, he could already feel that Pythor's love had diminished. To call it heartwrenching would be an understatement. He tried to figure out what he had done wrong, but he couldn't figure out what else he could have done. It was like running around in a maze while blind, trying to find the right path with no sense of direction. After all, he couldn't just have left Pythor there, or else he would have been hurt. But then, Pythor may have known that. Maybe it was a decision on his part, so he could focus on getting the Fangblade. Which would mean that Skales really had stood in his way. But the Hypnobrai couldn't accept that he shouldn't have tried to save him. It was the only thing he could think of at that moment. Yet, perhaps he had been too hasty? If he had just waited and trusted Pythor, the Anacodnrai could have pulled through and they would have the Fangblade. And Skales wouldn't have had to contend with a disappointed and furious Pythor. The longer he looked at it, the more Pythor's words seemed to ring true. Skales might really have failed him. If that was the case, then he wouldn't know what to do. He had promised himself to help Pythor, to help his plans. If he was an obstacle, then what future did he have with Pythor? Would Pythor even want to have anything to do with him anymore?
In the end, he wanted to wallow in the misery of his situation. It felt like a suitable punishment, for how he had failed Pythor. Nothing else felt like it could make up for what he had done.
But his thoughts were put on hold, as a familiar voice chimed in.
"General Skales? Are you…alright?"
It was like a rude awakening, as Skales had drifted into his mind and lost all sense of reality. He looked hastily around before he found the source of the voice. It was Selma, who stood by his side, without him noticing.
His first reaction was to yell for her to get away and leave him alone. But as he looked at her face, there was a sincere concern and kindness in her face, that made him doubt. Grasping for words he looked around, but eventually, his eyes fell back to her.
"I…you heard, what happened?" He asked, nearly wishing she hadn't.
"Just hearsay, but…it didn't sound so good." She replied, with a pained expression on her face.
"...I heard you and Pythor got into a fight?"
"Ha, it wasn't much of a fight, considering I was laying on the ground, helplessly," Skales joked, with a sad, dry tone. "I…I made a mistake. One that perhaps has cost us the Fangblade."
He expected shock and disgust, but neither came from her.
"But, I heard you saved Pythor from the volcano. That doesn't sound like a mistake.
"It wasss, if it jeopardized our mission! And besidesss, Pythor might not even have needed sssaving. I probably acted too quickly without thought."
"But I heard the volcano was about to erupt! Everyone else had left, so if Pythor was still inside, he probably was in real danger."
"Thisss isss Pythor we're talking about! He'sss an Anacondrai, not to ssspeak of hisss other achievementsss. He wouldn't have done anything if it was too big a risk, I know it! *Sigh* I ssshould just have trusted hisss judgment, then we maybe would ssstill have the Fangblade."
Skales wasn't quite sure why he was so open about it. He rationalized it as being because she already knew about their relationship. On the other hand, he found her to be a surprisingly good listener when the need arose. And listen she did, while trying to come up with something comforting to say.
"Well, Pythor has sent us out to find the Fangblade right? That means it isn't lost yet."
"It ssstill might be."
"Or it might not." Selma rebutted with surprising firmness.
"What I think is important, is that you did what you thought was right. And that was to protect Pythor. If you ask me, that was the best, and the most caring thing you could have done…I'm sure Pythor thinks so too."
"Then you don't know Pythor as I do," Skales replied, looking away for a moment, allowing a shadow of worry to come over Selma's face.
Skales kept looking ahead, with the smoking volcano in the background. As Pythor had predicted, streams of lava came flowing down from the top. But the Hypnobrai didn't make much of an attempt to search. He just kept looking silently, with Selma walking by his side.
Perhaps sensing he didn't want to talk more about it, she stayed quiet as well. But she did allow herself to place a comforting arm on Skales' back. At first, he seemed unsure, but that quickly washed away, and instead, he let her comfort him. Skales couldn't deny that it was good having someone he could talk with earnestly about Pythor. Especially without having to go through the loops of avoiding mentioning their relationship.
But while he appreciated the uplifting, he still knew that it had been his mistake. But that also meant he wanted nothing more than to make it up to Pythor. He didn't know when, but as soon as an opportunity came, he would take it. He would show that Pythor hadn't misplaced his trust in him.
But that would be for later. For now, he simply slithered along with Selma, thinking about what he had done.
It seems there's come a little rift in Skales' relationship. And he intends to try and fix it however he can. But whether that will prove to be a good or bad thing, remains to be seen.
