Disclaimer: Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu and Legends of Chima are both own by LEGO Company.
Pythor couldn't believe what he was seeing—how could he? It defied all logic! Standing before him, still cackling, was the serpentine woman who had risen from the grave.
"Wh-who are you?" he managed to ask, backing away slightly as he looked at her warily. "Huh, what is this? Has it been so long that my visage has been forgotten!" she asked indignantly, slithering towards him, "My name, is Aspheera!"
"That's...impossible." was all Pythor could say, his mind failing to comprehend what his earholes told him. But how else would one react, when a fairy tale stood before them?
While this occurred, back in Chima, a group of Serpentine girls made their way to the Forever Rock. "Augh...Are we there yet?" Silvia, a red-scaled Fangpyre with an artistic flair, asked in annoyance.
"Almost there, Silvy! Just a bit more to go!" Mei said, the Anacondrai leading the charge, exasperated by her companions' constant whining. "Fine! And don't call me that!" Silvia commented, displeased both by the situation and the nickname.
"Honestly Silvia, for someone who claims to have class, you sure do have a short trigger!" Chan, the third member of their little party said, amused by her scarlet-hued friend's outburst. "Hey, I do have class! Just look at me!" Silvia cried out smugly, gesturing to her outfit.
Ever the lover of a good ensemble, Chan had to admit she did look fine! The way the purple wraps contrasted with her red scales, coupled with the glim of the black snake-scale jacket was a sight to behold, plus the added golden ascents were always a nice touch.
"Alright, I admit! You do know how to pull off a good look. Are those Constrictai scales I see?" Chan admitted, showing an interest in the jacket itself. "You bet, got it in exchange for one of my masterpieces! It's both pretty and durable, way better than that throwback you've decided to wear." Silvia answered proudly, taking a jab at her fellow artist's looks for good measure.
"Excuse you! This fine mix of fabrics has been around since the golden age of our species. It's not a "throwback", it's a legacy piece, one dating back to the age of King Mambo V himself! Isn't that right Nerium?" Chan cried out indignantly, turning to the final member of the group.
Nerium, a young Venomari and the granddaughter of Acidicus, unique amongst her species for being born with only two eyes instead of the usual four. Hers are a rare and lovely sapphire blue, contrasting with her deep green scales.
"Oh, ah, yeah! Grandfather says they were reserved only for the highest of noble houses back then!" she told them, sharing her grandfather's love of history, she could always be counted on to know the facts.
"Thank you!", Chan told her gratefully, "Got to say Nerium, you look absolutely ravaging today," Chan told her, referring to her ensemble. Indeed, further distinguishing her, she was wearing a sage green kawaii dress with white sleeves.
"Thanks. Queen Crumpet gave it to me," she said shyly, blushing through her scales as she looked away, fidgeting with the necklace around her neck. An action not unnoticed by her companions.
"Sooo... what's with the pendant? Never took you for the type to accessorize?" Silvia asked with her clan's signature hiss, eyeing the jewelry with a predatory gaze. Nerium always wore a gold chain necklace housing an emerald carved with the ancient symbol for the wind element on it.
"Oh, this old thing!? Nothing special, just something I made when young!" she quickly dismissed, feeling ashamed of the pendant. She had always had a fascination with the elements, often dreaming she could wield them someday, a childish dream she had yet to give up.
"Right...?! So, why are we here again?" Silvia asked Mei, questioning the Anacondrai's plans for all of them. "We are here because as the future of the Serpentine, it falls on us to make lasting relations with the other tribes!" Mei explained, an air of authority forming around her.
"So, your uncle asked you to come, didn't he?" Silvia retorted matter-of-factly, much to the young Anacondrai's annoyance. "No! For your information, I asked to do this!" she revealed.
"This is a crucial meeting. If we ever want to call this place our home, we need to make peace with Chima!" she said adamantly. "We've had enough wars already," she added in a mumble, looking down, much to her friend's sympathies.
"Fine! So, what's the plan? We hang out, share some stories, and sing Kumbaya?" Silvia asked skeptically, doubting their friend's optimistic outlook. "That's the idea!" Mei said nonchalantly, carrying on her way.
"Wait what! You can't be serious!" Silvia exclaimed to deaf ears, "Oh my god, you are!" she said in disbelief, before reluctantly following the rest of the group.
Back on the tomb, Pythor had finally registered what he had heard and promptly began to laugh, "Hah, hahaha! Right, you're Aspheera! From the stories!?" he said hysterically, unable to accept what had been said.
"Oh, so I haven't been forgotten? Please, tell me those tales!" Aspheera asked, nay demanded of Pythor. For his part, Pythor was apprehensive, not sure how to proceed, but deciding to indulge the strange woman.
"Aspheera, who tried to overthrowKing Mambo Vand the Treacherous Deceiver, who betrayed her. Yes. I know of this tale. Very well, I shall tell you." he told her, before beginning to weave his tale.
"In the time of the First Spinjitzu Master, there was a truce between humans and Serpentine. Humans were forbidden to enter the Valley of Serpentine, and the Serpentine were forbidden from human lands. But one whimful child disobeyed the law. A boy went along the Serpentine and was caught. He would have been punished but he was rescued by a Serpentine girl. The girl and the boy became friends. But the boy was evil and corrupted the Serpentine girl. He turned her against her own king and was betrayed by the boy, leaving her to be entombed for all eternity." Pythor told, recounting the stories told to him in his childhood.
"Yes, they speak the truth. But what happened next has been altered, or should I say hidden!" Aspheera commented with disdain, having attentively listened to the story. "The Treacherous Deceiver indeed betrayed me, but I was not entombed, not then. I was banished!" she clarified, the spite and outrage evident in her voice.
"The First Spinjitzu Master could risk the news of the events spreading, so he decided to have me banished instead! Banished to the Realm of Wyldness!" she revealed dramatically.
"Huh, so that's what this place is called," Pythor said amused, much to Aspheera's annoyance. "Proceed!" Pythor replied apologizingly, gesturing for the old viper to continue.
"I was handed over to the ancients of this land in the hopes their teaching could quell the fire in my soul! I played nice for a time, learning all I could from them, acting as the ideal student. Until one day I learned the truth, as you have!" she said pointedly.
"This was the birthplace of our species, the ground from which our mighty kind spread! And this was the heart of our once mighty ancestors, The Basilisk Tribe!" she announced with vigor, gesturing to the many monuments of frilled serpents surrounding the structure.
"In times immemorial they did battle against the ancients, bidding for the favor of their Mother Sun, but they were bested. Beaten and weakened, they laid in their mercy, until the First Spinjitzu Master came to them. He was searching for allies in his fight against the darkness, our ancestors were drafted into the conflict in exchange for our freedom. And so, our glories kin came to be!" Aspheera retold pridefully, clearly enthralled in the history and legacy of their kind.
"This land is our birthright! Yet it has been taken from us by pompous, ungrateful scholars who sit around doing nothing as the world falls to chaos!" she exclaimed, a vile tone overtaking her worlds as she did so, clearly harboring some hatred for her old teachers.
"This land needs a new quidding force, a new ruler, and now that I have been released it will!" she said with dramatic flair, only to be interrupted by the mocking laughter of the other Serpentine in the room.
"You? Rule this land! I think you're getting ahead of yourself!" Pythor exclaimed mockingly, "Things have certainly changed since you last slithered through the surface. New kingdoms have popped up—kingdoms that I had conquered before I was betrayed by my subordinates and cast out!" he said with viscera. "It shall be ME who rules this land! Not you, or anybody else!" he told her, daring the ancient serpent to do something.
And something she did, for the stories had neglected one thing about her, she was a witch! With a flick from her hands, a blast of mystic energy slammed into Pythor, before picking him up and holding him by the neck. Moving her hand down, the magic dissipated and Pythor fell to the ground.
"What was that?" Aspheera asked smugly, ready for another demonstration. "You wield magic, so what!" Pythor said venomously, "I faced magic wielders before! It didn't help them in the war, and it won't help you either!" he said, catching his breath as he rose back up again.
"Interesting. This war you speak of, is it the reason you are here!" she asked, finally questioning why another Serpentine stood before her. "Tell me your story and perhaps we could help each other." She told him, eager to know what had happened to her old home.
Meanwhile, back on the surface, the group finally reached the Forever Rock. And not a moment too soon, as the girls seemed exhausted from the long trek.
"Hey, over here!" Eris cried out, spotting them first, "I didn't think you would make it." she asked, flying over to her violet-scaled acquaintance. "Sorry, we decided to take the scenic route," Mei said, rubbing the back of her head, ashamed they had arrived so late.
In truth, she had purposely taken the long way around. She needed to get the others open to her idea and figured this was the best way to go about it. "So, did we miss anything?!" she quickly asked, changing the subject.
"No, we've just been waiting for you guys!" Eris responded with a pleasant tone, leading the group to the others. "Hey everyone! This is Mei, the Serpentine I was telling you about!" Eris introduced cheerfully, wanting things to go down smoothly.
"Hey there Mei, glad to have you here!" Laval spoke out first, moving in to shake her hand, "So, how are your friends?!" he asked enthusiastically, also hoping for the best.
"Hello to you too, Laval!" Mei greeted eagerly, "These are my companions; Chan of the Hypnobrai," "Hey." "Silvia of the Fangpyre," "Sup!" "And Nerium of the Venomari." "Greetings!" Mei introduced, while each of the girls greeted the group.
"Hey ladies, welcome to the Forever Rock! The best meeting spot in all Chima!" Laval said confidently, trying to sell the spot to the newcomers, to variable degrees of success.
"If that's the case, I feel sorry for you guys!" Silvia commented snidely, before walking over to Razar. "You must be the illustrious Razar I've heard so much about, care to make some business!" she said elegantly, before showing the raven her latest work of art.
"Ah, my reputation precedes me!" exclaims Razar with pride. "My, my, this is quite exquisite! Yes, yes, you and I have much to talk about, my friend!" the merchant exclaimed with satisfaction.
"Wonderful! Now, let's talk prize!" Silvia replied with delight, flashing a sly smile at the swindler. Meanwhile, her friends looked at her with disbelief, each smiling at their friend's shenanigans.
"That's Silvia for you, always looking for a new score. Quite the "artistic opportunist" if I say so myself!" Chan explained, trusting herself into the conversation. "Eris, I'm I right?" she asked, looking towards the eagle in question, "I must side, that is quite the stunning look you have going on! The gold complimenting the soft blues, is simply mesmerizing!" she complimented, admiring her look.
"Oh, ah... thank you!" Eris said flattered, not prepared for such comments from the snake. "It's just something I threw together, really!" she said nervously, feeling a little self-conscious about her look.
"Nonsense! That ensemble is meant to be seen!" Chan declared, already memorizing the pattern for future use. "Thanks! I like your look too!" Eris told her, unsure of how to proceed with the situation.
"Well, of course, darling! Like I always said, a good outfit is enough to mesmerize anyone, no powers needed!" Chan said with pride, puffing out her hood and gesturing at her clothes. "This is actually a bit of a period piece, inspired by the forefathers of my tribe!" she explained, showing off every detail of her Egyptian-inspired look.
"That's awesome! Why don't you tell us more about them!" Laval asked, wanting to learn more about the Serpentine. "Well, Nerium is the expert about these sorts of things, why don't you ask her?" Chan told him, putting the poor shy girl in the spotlight.
"Oh yeah! Nerium is really smart about this sort of thing Laval! I've seen her go through mountains of books back on the swamp!" Cragger eagerly told his friend, the Crocodile prince already familiar with the Venomari.
Something that caused the young serpent's face to grow as red as a Fangpyre, as embarrassment threatened to consume her. "T-t-thanks you...prince Cragger!" she said softly, stuttering every word.
"Oh, well, all the tribes are descendants from that tribe, the Viper clan it was called. We began to spread out to different biomes, and naturally evolved to suit them!" she explained, getting more comfortable as she went on.
"It happened millennia ago, their great empire began to fall, and the different clans became divided. It was only through the founding of the lost city of Ouroboros, and the worship of the Great Devourer, that all became united one more. Until, well, it too was deserted!" she told them, with a chuckle.
"Ever since, we have struggled to remain united, leading to the First Serpentine War!" she matter-of-factly finished her story, before realizing everyone's eyes were on her. "The first war?" Worriz asked, finally showing interest in the newcomers.
"Well, yeah? We've had three so far, four if you count the one here, it's not something we're proud of." Nerium told him, not sure how to put it lightly. "That so, I knew your kind were warriors, but I never would've imagined that! Respect!" he told the assembled group, showing genuine respect for their warrior ways.
"So, I bet that means you're all pretty strong?!" he asked excitedly, wishing to test them in combat. "Well, the Anacondrai are the strongest tribe!" Nerium said nervously, backing away from the wolf, desperately trying to draw away his attention.
"Really?" he said, turning his eyes to the kimono-clad serpent in the room. "Huh, you know what? You guys are the only ones without any legs, what's up with that?!" he asked, uncaring of the rudeness of the question.
"Hey, you can't just ask that!" Laval told him, not wanting to sound offensive. "It's alright! It was only a matter of time until someone asked me." Mei said understandably. "While the other tribes have their various laborers, my tribe has always been warriors!" she began to explain.
Since time long passed, those closer to the serpents of old had been blessed with great strength! It is why those of high standing also only have tails. But my clan was different, for them the art of battle was everything! There was no difference between a general and a soldier, save for the strength of the mind. Every skill in our arsenal, from our strength to our invisibility, has been all in the service of becoming the greatest warriors around!" She revealed to them, painting a picture of the culture of her people.
"Because of this, all born into the tribe share this trait. Even though I've never been much of a warrior myself! I've always been more of a healer than a fighter!" she told them, looking rather bashful.
"Yeah, says the one of us who actually served in battle!" Silvia said dismissively, causing everyone to look eyes with Mei. "It's not like that! I was a reserve! I barely saw any combat!" Mei said franticly, clearly growing uncomfortable with the subject. They didn't know why, but it was clear to see that something had happened to her.
"Hey, it's ok." Laval tried to comfort her, moving slowly to put a hand on her back. "Thanks, Laval." Mei said a kind smile on her face. "Besides, that's not why we came here today! We're here to forge lasting friendships so that we never have to experience war again!" she said enthusiastically.
"So, what about you guys, why don't you tell us something about yourselves!" she said, now her turn to turn to the others.
"Well, do we have some stories for you!" Laval said with a grin, as they all gathered around, eager to hear. Mei's hope of making friends is more tangible by the second.
Meanwhile, deep below the catacombs, another group had finished their own story session. Aspheera had just finished hearing Pythor recount his time since coming to this realm, something that the ancient sorceress found very intriguing.
"I see, so this Chima has risen since the last time I walked this land. And the rest of our grand lineage has been cast out to this place." she contemplated, going over the most important details of his stories. "Not only that, but they have grown stronger since my time, growing abilities unheard of in these lands." she finished, deep in thought of what she had heard.
"Yes! I've just finished telling you this!" Pythor said annoyed at the seeming disregard of his words, staring at Aspheera until she began laughing. "Hah, this is all great news, and all the more reason for my return!" she cried out dilutional. "With my status, I will reclaim my throne and gain an army great enough to have my revenge!" she announces, going back to her maniacal fit of laughter.
"If you believe they will just bow down to you just because you're a fossil, you have another thing coming!" Pythor cried out outraged.
"Did you miss the part where they betrayed ME and joined forces with those animals?! The only thing awaiting you is a united force ready to stop you!" he declared, the anger and indignation dripping from his words, "Especially with all the Chi at their disposal!" he finished bitterly, looking at his orb with wanting.
"You would do well to watch your tongue, pale one before I remove it!" Aspheera declared, not too pleased with being called a fossil. "I am meant to rule this world and shall do it! Even if I must do it by force! They will learn to bow to me in time." she declared, unrelenting in her resolve.
"First of all, who are you calling pale!" Pythor demanded, angered if slightly confused at the insult. "Why you, how you not looked at yourself?" Aspheera asked confused, looking at him before sending a wave to increase the torch lights.
"What are you..." Pythro began to retort, before noticing his scales in the dim light. Startled, he noticed that his once royal violet scales had been replaced by a bleached white, only his markings retaining his once purple color. "My scales! What happened to my scales!" he cried out in a panic, looking himself over again in disbelief.
"So, this isn't your natural look?" Aspheera asked amused, finding entertainment in the prideful snake's mishap. "Of course not!" he yelled back exasperated, "How did this happen?" Pythor asked himself, taking a moment to ponder.
"It must've been that strange liquid I landed on!" he said aloud, thinking back to the recent events. "Yeah, that would do it." Aspheera replied nonchalantly from her spot, "Basilisk venom, not good for the skin." she said sardonically, inwardly laughing at his misfortune.
"Forget about it! We have more important things on hand!" Pythor yelled out, refocusing on his earlier points. "Even with your magic, you still have no means to defeat an entire army on your own!" he told her, pointing out a critical fault in her delusions.
Aspheera took some time to ponder about it, having to admit he did have a point. "Perhaps I have been too impulsive, perhaps I still have some use for you after all." She told him arrogantly, much to Pythor's chagrin.
Rolling his eyes, Pythor left to take a closer look at the orbs littering the room. "Perhaps there is a way for both of us to get what we desire." He said, examining one of the orbs, "Tell me, are these what I think they are?' he asked her inquisitively.
"Vermilion eggs? Yes, but even if we hatch them, it will take years for them to develop!" Aspheera told him, confirming his suspicions.
"Perhaps not!" Pythor told her confidently, looking at the glowing orb atop his staff. Slamming the staff downwards, he sent a current of energy towards the egg, causing it to become infused with chi!
Slowly, the egg began hatching, dozens of tiny snakes crawling out of it. One by one, they all began changing, rapidly growing into full-fletch Serpentine warriors.
"Aspheera, I give to you, your army!" Pythor declared maniacally, as more snakes began evolving, a small army forming around them.
Aspheera looked on in amazement before a wicked grin formed on her features.
Revenge would be hers after all!
Author's Notes:
Look out, Chima. A new story is beginning to unfold. I hope you all enjoy the new lore I added for this story, and don't worry—there will be more in the future. So, the vermillion are coming, but will they be the same as the ones the Time Twins created, or will they be something else? Only time will tell. If you want to look into the story, I'm looking for some names for these new warriors.
This was a shorter chapter, but I hope you still found it enjoyable. As always, please leave a comment, and if you would like your characters to appear in the story, leave your suggestion, and I will try to add them. Till next time!
