And I'm back with another chapter. Lloyd has been captured, and Pythor is most likely already coming up with a trap. Let's how things unfold.
"So, what are we gonna do with this nosey little fellow?" Mezmo asked Pythor while holding on to the boy's collar, so he wouldn't try and run away. Not that Skales thought it was necessary. The child looked completely terrified, and even then if he would dare to try and run, the Hypnobrai wasn't counting on him making it very far.
Pythor took a quick look around, trying to find a suitable place for their surprise guest. A wicked smile spread across his face when he noticed a cage hanging from the statue of the Great Devourer.
"Yes, that seems rather suitable. Hypbnobrai, how about you show our guest to his 'room', I'm sure he's quite tired after such a long journey." The Anacondrai commanded, his eyes locked firmly on the boy in front of him, who made an effort to avoid his gaze.
"I have a name," Mezmo replied, his tone almost as hard as stone. It took a moment for Pythor to register that the Hypbnobrai wasn't obeying his order. His eyes shifted to the snake, who just stared back at him, both equally unwilling to relent to the other. While Skales normally wouldn't have minded seeing how long their standoff would last, he had just been promoted to a rather lucrative promotion. One that solely relied upon the power and authority of a particular Anacondrai. So it would only be natural for him to defend said snake's authority.
"Mezmo, you have been given an order by your King! I would advise you to obey." Skales stated, his tone just stern enough to indicate that it would be in Mezmo best interest to listen. The Hypnobrai shifted his gaze to Skales, and stood silent for a second, before gesturing a single nod.
"As you say, General. Get moving, pipsqueak!" He gave Lloyd a hard push, before following behind him as the boy reluctantly walked over to his cage.
Skales looked before noticing Pythor staring at him, looking not too pleased.
"I thought you had your people under control!" He hissed at Skales, worried that Mezmo's disobedience was going to be a regular recurrence with the other Hypnobrai as well. A notion Skales was more than happy to dismiss, as he wasn't too keen to find out what Pythor regarded as proper ways to discipline troops.
"And I do. I assure you Pythor, Mezmo isss just old-fashioned. He, and perhapsss along with othersss, need you to prove yourself before they're willing to ssshow you the respect, you apparently so desperately ssseek."
"Respect?! I've already defeated all their Generals, given them the lost city of Ouroboros, and united the Serpentine, what more do they need to see?!" Pythor exclaimed as the two of them made their way over to the statue, his tone seething with bitternes.
"Yesss, you've shown your raw might and intelligence, but you still haven't proven your leadership yet," Skales explained, trying to be helpful, rather than just insulting Pythor. He remembered back to when he decided to do something about Slithraa. It was only once he had destroyed the ninjas' monastery and retaken the staff, that he dared oppose his General. The key part was winning the trust of the others by showing them that he could lead them to victory, before laying his claim as leader of the tribe. A step that Pythor had seemingly decided to ignore, and one that Skales had to remind him of.
"But don't worry, you will have plenty of chancesss to ssshow them that you're a worthy leader. Especially if you have more of these plansss of yoursss." Skales continued with a somewhat praising tone, giving the Anacondrai a reassuring look. Even Pythor seemed to forget his anger upon hearing his second-in-command's praise.
"Oh, I've got plans, my dear number two. Plans that soon will show every Serpentine that I only want what's best for us."
Pythor let out a small chuckle, making Skales eagerly wonder what he was planning on doing next. They then made their way to the cage, where Memzo and Lloyd were standing, apparently waiting for them.
"Well, what are you waiting for? Throw him in!" Pythor commanded, this time with the Hypnobrai following his order without complaint. He grabbed the boy by the arms, who tried to wriggle free, before throwing him into the cage. Lloyd barely had time to stand, before the cage was closed, fully cementing his status as a prisoner. In a desperate attempt to escape, he tried to pull at the bars, to no avail. Skales was impressed that the metal hadn't rusted away to dust, after having been buried in the sand for who knows how long.
"How do you like it, Lloyd? I hope it's not too uncomfortable." Pythor asked mockingly, his disdain against the boy completely overshadowed by his glee at seeing him in such a position.
"Perhaps you would like a blanket? Maybe a pillow?" Pythor continued asking, before bursting into laughter, with the other snakes that had gathered around them joining in. Even Skales allowed himself some satisfied chuckles.
"It's a shame really, that you don't have any friends. Then maybe someone would come and rescue you." The Anacondrai said, and from the expression on Lloyd's face, it seemed to affect him greatly. So much so, that he for the first time opened his mouth.
"Maybe someone will come and rescue me!" He yelled defiantly, gritting his teeth at Pythor, who only looked more amused at his comeback than anything else.
"Oh really? And who should that be?" Pythor asked jokingly, before letting out another chuckle.
"My friends, the ninja! Oh, just you wait, for when they come, they're gonna kick all your butts, you hear that! HAHAHA!" Lloyd let out a comically bad evil laughter. It was only once he had opened his mouth that Skales remembered how little he had wanted anything to do with him. Even seeing him locked up didn't fill him with enough satisfaction to overshadow his contempt.
"Pythor, can we move on with thisss? I'm sssure we have more important thingsss to discusss, and thisss child's voice is ssstarting to irritate me." Skales remarked while giving Lloyd an antagonistic look.
"Hold on now," Pythor said while signaling him to stay quiet. "I think our 'guest' just said something, very interesting."
A devilish smile curled up on his face as he moved closer to the cage, practically pressing his face against the bars. The boy let out a scared yelp, before backing away, though the small jail didn't allow him much room to move. The Hypnobrai and the other Serpentine observed quietly, all confused about where Pythor was going with this.
"Did you say you were friends with the ninja?" The Anacodnria asked, with an uncomfortable cheerful tone.
"Uhh..."
"And that they were gonna come and, ohh, rescue you?" He continued asking, as the cogs slowly started turning in Skales' head.
"Uhm...yeah! So you better let me go, or else they're gonna-" Lloyd didn't have time to finish his sentence, as Pythor pushed the cage away, making it move back and forth, as he let out a victorious laugh.
"Marvelous! Just marvelous! You are certainly an annoying pest, but you're a most excellent tool as well."
"What are you talking about?" The boy asked, with a hint of distress in his voice.
"Oh, my boy, you see, it's in my best interest to get rid of those troublesome buffoons, as they have a history of meddling with our affairs. And that's where you come in, as you have just provided me with the most efficient way to eliminate them once and for all." Pythor explained, his eyes going wider as he waited for the human to realize his plan. The other Sepretine and Skales as well were waiting, as they had already come to the realization that evaded Lloyd.
"H-how?!"
"Well, by being the perfect bait!" He exclaimed with an almost vicious delivery, lunging his head at Lloyd as he uttered the last word. The horrified look on the boy's face was only complimented by the sinister laughs surrounding him, as the snakes took great delight in seeing his distress.
"Come now friends, let's leave our little guest alone. It's gonna be a big day tomorrow, and I'm sure you have a lot of things to think about, am I right?" Pythor asked as the laughter started dying down, though he was already leaving before Lloyd had the chance to respond, not that he had any to give. Skales slithered after Pythor, giving a quick glance back at the human, just in time to see him slump back in his cage, with a worried expression plastered all over his face.
As they moved away from the Slither Pit and earshot of the other Serpentine, Skales took the chance to ask Pythor about his plan.
"Ssso, I'm guessing we're gonna ssset up a trap for the ninja?" He asked though he made sure that it didn't sound like a genuine question.
"Oh yes we are Skales, and it's gonna be a most excellent one at that! And once they're finally gone, there won't be anything to stand in our way!" He declared while holding a clenched fist in the air. Skales wouldn't have minded just following along, but his curiosity had gotten the better of him, and he had started wondering what was in store for them next.
"And what exactly isss it they were gonna ssstop usss from doing? Asss it standsss, it doesn't ssseem like we have any goal to ssspeak of."
"Of course I have a goal in mind!" Pythor stated aggressively. "I simply have yet to speak of it."
"Then will you tell me?" Skales asked, with a certain agitation in his voice. He had hoped that once he became Pyhtor's right-hand man, the Anacondrai would stop running circles around him and just tell him what he had in mind.
"Patience my dear Skales, patience. Everything has its due time, and soon enough everything shall be revealed." Pythor explained with a mystical, enigmatic tone. Which of course did little to ease Skales' concern.
"I'm your second-in-command, I deserve to know what it is you're planning!" Skales asserted decisively.
"You!-" Pythor uttered, before quickly moving in front of Skales, stopping him right in his tracks. "-deserve exactly what I think you deserve!" He continued, his face nearly only an inch away from the Hypnobrai's. Skales tried leaning back, but Pythor only just moved closer, making sure that Skales had no way to evade his gaze.
"And I will tell you my plans when I so desire to." He uttered in a quiet tone, not that it made his words seem any less hostile.
Skales cursed himself for not having the courage to stand up to him at that moment. He was still riddled with worries that Pythor was going to discard him when he felt he didn't have any use anymore. The doubts had slowly made their way into his thoughts since he agreed to help Pythor become king of the Serpentine. After all, what would he need a second-in-command for, when he held all the power? Besides the allegiance of the Hypnobrai, there wasn't that much Skales could offer him besides advice. Advice that the Anacondrai consistently seemed to despise.
But just as the tension started building, Pythor moved away, giving the Hypnobrai space to breathe.
"All I ask is that you have a little trust in me," Pythor said, with a small smile and any evidence of his previous anger seemingly erased.
"So wait until I deem it's time to share my plan with the others. Then I will tell you all the details of my machinations. Can you do that for me?" He asked, with a nearly friendly tone. Before Skales had time to respond though, Pythor grabbed his chin and kept it in place, making sure that he couldn't look away from him. Skales worried that at any moment the Anacondria would tighten his grip, but surprisingly his hold was fairly gentle. Weirdly, that seemed better at keeping his head in place than a strong grip would have.
"Hmm?" Pythor muttered softly, still waiting for an answer.
"Yesss." Skales replied, with a bit of unwillingness in his voice. Pythor didn't even answer him, as he let go and started slithering onwards, clearly expecting Skales to just follow behind him.
Skales on the other hand took a moment to rub his chin. There weren't any bruises or anything, but he couldn't stop thinking about the Anacondrai's touch. Neither did it pass him by how quickly the snake's personality had changed.
For all the problems Slihraa had, I can appreciate the fact you knew where you stood with him. He thought to himself, also thinking back to how his former General had the very least stayed in the same mood for more than a minute. With Pythor it was like there was a coin toss every few seconds, deciding how he responded to something. For others that might have been enough to scare someone away, but not Skales. Whatever games the Anacondrai was playing with him, he wasn't going to break. Whether it was respect or pride talking, he didn't care. He wasn't going to give up.
With newfound determination he caught up to his King, deciding if he couldn't ask about his future plans, he could at least ask about the current ones.
"Can you at least tell me how you're planning on catching the ninja? The last time we tried they managed to free themselves and foil your plan."
"That was because we didn't catch all of them. If the trap is gonna work, we have to make sure that we get every. Last. One of them!" Pythor declared, with a certain passion behind his voice. If Skales had to guess, he would say that Pythor still hadn't forgiven them for their part in his failed 'meeting'.
"And how are we gonna do that?"
"Don't worry, I have an...idea."
The next day Skales was going around Ouroboros, ensuring everyone was on their stations. If the ninja came, he wanted to make sure that they wouldn't sneak past them. At least not without difficulty. And just as was scolding a few Fangpyres, there came a commotion from the Slither Pit. He quickly made his way over there, praying to the Devourer that he wouldn't need to break up another fight. To his surprise, he wasn't met by a nig brawl, but instead, a bunch of Serpentine standing still, while looking up in the air. Skales slithered over to them, wondering what it was they were doing instead of keeping a lookout for the ninja.
"What do you think you're doing?! You're sssupposed to be on guard duty!" He yelled at the group, though only a few of them even glanced at him. But just as it seemed like Skales would need to yell again, a Hypnobrai noticed him and quickly ran over to him.
"O-oh, sorry boss! It's just that we were distracted-"
"DISTRACTED!?" Skales shouted in disbelief, the others finally turning their attention to him, with the unfortunate Serpentine only able to stand in fear and wait for his General to contuine. "I gave you a direct order to guard the city, and here you are, looking at cloudsss! What even isss it that is ssso captivating that it keepsss you from doing your job!" He continued angrily, before finally turning to look at the sky himself.
"That." The Hypnobrai somewhat anxiously answered Skales, while pointing at what looked like a ball of fire in the air, very quickly making its way through the sky.
"What the..." The confused Skales muttered to himself, as he tried his best to try and see if he could figure out what was flying through the air, which upon further inspection, wasn't a giant ball of flame. After a little while, he could see that it was some kind of mechanical contraption, one with limbs at that. He had heard Fangtom talk about something called a 'mech', which description seemed to fit whatever it was that was flying over them. It was also at that point he realized that it wasn't flying over them, but towards them, at very high speed at that. He also figured out that since he was able to see it better, that meant it had gotten closer. Very much closer.
With a frightened shriek, Skales quickly slithered away, with the other Serpentine following suit, as they too noticed the object in the sky was coming their way. Skales hid under the statue of the Devourer, covering his ears as he awaited the impact. After a few seconds, the metal creation finally landed, though the crash was not as loud as Skales had expected. He moved away from his hiding spot, ready to face whoever dared land in the middle of their city. Though after such an entrance, he wasn't exactly looking forward to the encounter.
The big cloud of dust that had followed the landing, quickly faded away, revealing the red and golden metal machine, formed in the spitting image of a samurai. It didn't take very long for Skales to realize who had arrived at their doorstep.
"It's Sssamurai X!" He exclaimed, remembering all the reports of the masked warrior attacking the Serpentine all around Ninjago.
A group of warriors slowly surrounded the mech, though it did little to intimidate the samurai.
"Release the boy now!" A rough, nearly metallic voice commanded from inside the machine, apparently being the owner of the battle robot, and presumably the well-known Samurai X.
"Or else face the fury of Samurai X!"
Skales did not doubt that they had enough warriors to overwhelm and take down the samurai, but if their mission was to save the obnoxious child, then he wasn't sure that they would be able to stop them in time. And he wasn't very keen on explaining to Pythor how he let an important prisoner escape. But to his fortunate surprise, before anyone had time to start a fight, a loud, and clear command flew through the air.
"NOW!"
While neither the samurai nor Skales was sure what was about to happen, it did little to change the outcome, as from two sides of the arena, on the podiums, two groups of Serpentine upon hearing the command, threw each a giant net into the air. Before the mechanized warrior had time to evade, the first net had already landed on the robot, keeping it in place as the second one landed too, pushing the machine into the ground, unable to get up or get free. Finally trapping the elusive Samurai X, that had hounded them so viciously.
The samurai tried getting out of the mech, though it seemed that the nets kept them in the machine as well. The warriors that had been surrounding the robot quickly flocked around it, celebrating their victory.
"Why, it seems that we have a bunch of unwanted visitors! It's not very polite you know to barge into someone's-oh, you're not the ninja." Pythor said, slithering up into the arena from behind the Devourer statue, having apparently prepared an entire speech for when the ninja would show up. Though in the end, he didn't seem very displeased. Rather, a curious smile spread across his face, as he looked at Samurai X, as they tried freeing themselves from the trap, but to no avail.
"Well, if it isn't the infamous Samurai X! I didn't expect to see you here, though it seems you have a knack for turning up unexpectedly." He remarked with a mocking attitude, as he went up to the trapped machine. Though the samurai didn't seem interested in humoring Pythor, as they didn't respond.
"Quiet, eh? Aren't they always." Pythor stated, before taking in the sight of a successful plan. Not that it had been the result he had wanted, but it certainly wasn't a loss. Meanwhile, the flabbergasted Skales managed to pull himself together and went over to Pythor.
"A net? You're great trap wasss using a NET?!" He exclaimed, surprised that the Anacodnrai hadn't come up with something more interesting. Even the foolish boy could come up with something more than just using a net.
"Two nets actually, and besides, you shouldn't mock the classics." He commented calmly, keeping his focus on the trapped samurai, taking no heed to Skales' criticism. He looked at the helpless warrior, as they desperately tried to get free, which gave him an idea.
"Though now you mention it, this does give me an idea for something that is a little bit more...original. One that will most certainly provide a passing punishment for all the trouble the ninja has given us." The Anacondrai explained though Skales couldn't help wondering if it was less about us, or more about him still being angry over the last time they foiled one of his plans.
"Skales, have you commanded the warriors to keep a close eye out for our colored enemies?" Pythor asked, taking the Hypnobria slightly by surprise.
"U-uh of course, Pythor. They're all keeping a close watch on any intrudersss who would dare to enter our-"
"Well, that's great, but I'm gonna need you to order them not to sound the alarm if they notice the ninja."
"...What?" Skales asked, not sure whether Pythor was joking or not.
"Don't worry. It's all for the new trap, you were so insisting on that I make." He said, giving Skales a teasing wink, before slithering off, leaving the bewildered Hypnobrai behind.
"You...you can't be ssserious?! You don't actually expect me to, to...ugh!" Skales said, before going on his way to give all the guards new orders, while angrily muttering to himself.
Skales wasn't very impressed when he learned that Pythor had captured the ninja with a cage, but it was the part after that he found much more interesting. He stood by Pythor's side, as the captured ninja were brought into the Slither Pit, accompanied by an entourage of Serpentine. It was clear Pythor didn't plan on letting them escape again. Once they were in place, he could see the Anacondrai preparing to speak.
"You say you wanted a battle, and I give you one! I give you ninja! Versus! SAMURAI!" He yelled, his voice echoing throughout the arena. Soon enough, a gate opened up, and out came Samurai X, clad in chains, that were linked to the gate. While Pythor's opening statement had sent a wave of excitement throughout the crowd, seeing the actual samurai only amplified it. Though their cheer died down as the chains on the samurai's mech were removed, instead replaced by quiet anticipation. Something Pythor was more than willing to build up, as he gave not only the crowd but also the ninja and samurai time to collect themselves, as the fight would soon begin.
The Hypnobrai noted that it was perhaps a bit risky letting both their prisoners free, trying to make them attack each other. He wasn't even sure how Pythor had managed to convince Samurai X to battle the ninja, but they seemed more than willing to fight, as they hadn't tried running off yet.
"I want to see once and for all who is the greatest hero! Is it Samurai, or ninja? Only the victor will be allowed to leave!" Pythor continued, riling up the crowd even further.
Skales was still worried that the samurai wasn't going to fight, but after a short moment, his doubts were laid to rest, as the mysterious warrior was the first to attack, throwing a giant shuriken at the ninja, who barely managed to dodge in time. Just as the ninja regained their foothold, the samurai charged at them, taking a big swig with its clawed hand. Though with surprising agility, the ninja evaded by jumping over and past the giant robot, landing behind it. Skales had to admit that it was an effective maneuver. But the masked warrior wasted no time and threw another shuriken at them. While the rest jumped out of the way, the blue one decided to test his luck and ducked right as it reached him. Though his hubris would soon be punished, as it came right back and hit him in the back, with the crowd answering back with amused cheer.
At this point, the Serpentine watching the fight were shouting and cheering their hearts out, and Skales could almost imagine any doubts they had against Pythor being their leader, slowly melting away as the blazing spirit of battle filled them. He could have used as many speeches as he would have liked but this, this is what would win Pythor the support of the Serpentine. Skales looked around, taking in the crowd, the same as Pythor. The Anacondrai was nodding to himself as he gazed around, and Skales could guess that he was congratulating himself. The Hypnobrai took a look at his king, and couldn't help but admire him once again. He thought nothing would top his ascension to General, but standing there, he thanked the Devourer that he had managed to join Pythor. Whatever small conquests he could pull off with his tribe alone, couldn't compare to the things Pythor would be able to do, with the entirety of the Serpentine behind him.
So lost was he while looking at Pythor, that he didn't notice something strange happening. It was only then he looked back at the fight, and realized that the ninja had created some kind of mix between elemental power and spinjitzu, in the form of a tornado. Even the menacing Samurai X was backing away as the tornado approached them. With good reason, Skales would discover, as he started feeling the tornado pulling at him towards it. And by only less than a meter, did several tools and weapons miss him, as they flew past him and right into the tornado, together with nearly a hundred different objects from all around the area. Both he and Pythor looked in shock as the tornado dissipated as quickly as it came, and in its stead was a giant slingshot. As the ninja let go, a giant spiked ball flew toward the samurai, hitting them and sending the giant robot hurdling in the direction of where he and Pythor stood. They both shielded themselves in the split second before impact. Fortunately for them, the machine only hit the stairs in front of them, stopping it in its tracks. But before they had time to collect themselves, the ninja came dashing their way.
Skales could only yelp in surprise, as they got closer. Pythor on the other hand, stood perfectly calm, as he slowly grabbed a lever in the wall next to him, and pulled it down. And just as the ninja was about to reach them, spikes flew up from the ground in front of them. With a sinister grin on his face, Pythor pulled the lever further down, sending the entire arena floor to lean to one side, making the ninja disappear from view. From their alarmed yelling, Skales had hoped they had fallen down to the seemingly bottomless pit beneath the arena. He hadn't seen it himself before now, but he had heard some other snakes talk about it. Curiosity got the better of him, and he started wondering what could be down there.
Though his thoughts were quickly derailed, as an agitated Pythor looked around rapidly, before turning to Skales.
"Where are they? Did they fall down? Are they finally gone?" The Anacondrai asked, trying to get a peak over the tilted floor, to no success.
"I don't know Pythor. You did block our view sssomewhat." He answered back, with an almost judgemental tone.
Pythor was just about to reply to his comment when the sudden sound of thrusters igniting garnered both their attentions. And in a flash, the samurai flew up from the arena, the ninja clinging to the machine for dear life. Though it didn't make it very far, as it ended up being stuck in the air, making it look like it would fall at any moment. At first, it seemed like it would buckle under all the weight, but then the hatch to the driver's seat opened, and out stepped Samurai X, who then jumped off the robot. With that, the mech finally flew off, taking the ninja with them.
"Go, ninja, go!" Lloyd shouted happily from his cage. Before he or Pythor had time to tell the child to shut his mouth, the samurai landed on one of the stands, knocking two Serpentine out before jumping down to the arena. They then started running toward Skales and Pythor, but again the Anacodnrai demonstrated his quick thinking, as he quickly went over to the boy's cage and took him out, before bringing him back under the statue and holding him hostage.
"GET HIM!" He yelled out in desperate anger, as warriors started surrounding the masked warrior. But either having not come to rescue Lloyd or just changing targets, the samurai instead of charging forward, activated some kind of device, that picked up the ninja's weapons and made them fly right into the samurai's hands. They with a swift and graceful motion covered the weapons in a red cloth, right before throwing a shuriken, that flew right over to the same lever Pythor had used, tilting the arena once again. Which stopped the warriors from grabbing the samurai, who instead rolled down into the pit below, as Samurai X flew up in the air using a jetpack. They then landed on top of the Devourer statue, with Pythor practically growling at them out of fury. And after doing a mocking bow, they flew off again, leaving the Serpentine both without their prisoners, and the ninja's magical weapons. Skales could only imagine how much Pythor was going to shout at him.
The night had fallen over Ouroboros, as the guards patrolled the walls and outskirts, while the rest went to sleep in whatever room they could find, as the city hadn't quite yet been organized, leaving every snake out for themselves when it came to finding a bed. The Generals had of course been allowed to choose the best rooms, making the rest of their respective tribes take residence in the surrounding buildings. They still weren't completely comfortable mingling with the other Serpentine.
Pythor had of course made sure to find the most luxurious home and called it his, before the other tribes had arrived. But since it was a thousand-year-old buried city, that didn't mean very much. But it was in that very same building where the Anacondrai had called Skales to 'discuss' all that had happened during the day.
"They escaped! How did they escape?!" Pythor shouted, his voice brimming with anger, as he took a table and threw it across the room. Skales watched with an uninterested demeanor as his king threw his tantrum, leaving no furniture untouched from his rage.
"We had them! We had them all, right where I wanted them, and they got away!"
"Perhapsss if you hadn't ssset them free to watch them fight each other, they wouldn't have been able to escape." The Hypnobrai explained, of course not mentioning the fact that he hadn't objected to Pyhtor's idea. But then he wasn't the one in charge, was he? So Skales saw fit to lay the blame on his ruler.
Pythor's rampage was put on hold, as the already frustrated Anacondrai turned to look at his second-in-command, who at that moment wondered why he couldn't just keep his mouth shut.
"What did you say?" Pythor asked, his question holding more surprise than anger. Skales stood still for a moment, contemplating if it would just be best to apologize. But then he was suddenly hit with this sense of determination and looked directly into Pythor's eyes.
"I sssaid, that if maybe we hadn't let them out of their chainsss, then they wouldn't even have had the chance to escape from usss." Skales answered, with no hint of fear in his voice. He was Pythor's number two, and therefore might as well be his advisor. Just because he had gotten a cozy promotion, didn't mean that he was just going to let Pythor do everything he wanted. At least not without scolding him afterwards for his mistakes.
"Well, you sure were in no hurry to tell me that before!" Pythor replied, taking Skales' comment rather well, considering his usual reactions.
"I wasss under the assumption that you knew what you were doing."
"I know what I am doing!" Pythor yelled back, before he got strangely silent and seemingly observed the Hypnobrai.
"I thought that I had already made myself perfectly clear on how I feel about you chastising me." He said, his anger somewhat fading away, and instead replaced with what seemed like uncertainty. And still, he kept looking at Skales with those investigating eyes as if he was trying to find something. Skales didn't want to let it get to him, believing it was just another one of Pythor's games. But he couldn't help but feel a strange tingling in his stomach, as he watched the Anacondrai look him up and down.
Though he quickly shook off any distracting thoughts, and instead stood high and proud in front of Pythor, preparing to make a stand for his pride and capabilities.
"And I need to make sssure you know that I'm not sssome kind of mindless minion that will agree with anything you want to do. If you want sssomeone like that by your ssside, then you're more than welcome to replace me." Skales practically spat out at Pythor, making sure not to break their eye contact no matter what. Pythor had to know that he wasn't afraid of him. The Anacondrai might have plans that Skales could never think of, but that didn't mean Pythor was above criticism. Skales knew that he too was capable of things, even if they weren't as grand as his.
As a silence grew between them, the Hypnobrai wondered if he could have phrased himself a little better. But it was too late to back away now. It was up to Pythor what happened next.
To his curiosity, the Anacondrai didn't immediately go into a rant about his disloyalty, or whatever else Pythor could use against him. Instead, his look became fairly locked on Skales' eyes, and his expression turned into one of deep speculation. It was like he was running through several ideas and outcomes in his head, and Skales had the feeling that they were all centered around him. But still, he didn't turn his gaze away, instead only focusing all of his attention on Pythor. Whether it actually did anything, was up in the open.
Still, something did change in Pythor, as suddenly a strange calmness came over him, which carried over to his voice.
"Replace you? Why, aren't we bold today? I'm surprised you would even suggest something like that." He stated, with an eerie casualness in his delivery.
"I'm not sssuggesting anything. I'm sssimply telling you where I ssstand."
"Considering your recent deeds, I would think that you stand with me. So why should I have any reason to replace you?" Pythor continued, and with slow movement, he started slithering toward Skales. But the Hypnobrai was so focused on keeping eye contact that he didn't notice.
"Because you ssseem to hate it anytime I object to you and your preciousss plansss. Ssso maybe you would appreciate someone a little more docile asss your sssecond-in-command, for I'm not letting you push me around."
Even as much as Skales tried to seem immovable, he couldn't help but tense up as Pythor simply chuckled at his words. Not that it meant Pythor took his words lightly.
"Oh, is that what you think? Then tell me, my dear Skales, have my plans not worked every time, and brought me a great amount of power, and to you as well? So what gives you, a mere insignificant snake, the right to question me?"
Pythor kept moving toward the Hypnobrai, getting closer with every second, and Skales was yet to realize it. He seemed almost entranced in their discussion, unable to move his eyes away.
"Do you really think ssso highly of yourself? Not that it mattersss. Just know that if you try anything too insane, I will ssstop you."
"Stop me?! Oh, that's rich. Then tell me, how exactly are you gonna pull that off, my simple Hypnobrai friend?" The Anacondrai asked, now with a somewhat playful tone. He had arrived right in front of Skales, towering over him as he usually did. But still, the Hypnobrai didn't react, though the chance that it was purely out of stoicism had diminished. Frankly, he was starting to feel rather warm for some reason.
"Perhaps you would need a demonstration," Skales replied, though his tone didn't indicate that there was any malice behind his words. Rather it felt like a counter to Pythor's own teasing statement.
The two snakes were now nearly touching up against each other, though neither seemed keen to address it.
"Do you really think you would dare to do that?" Pythor continued bantering, the tense atmosphere that had filled the room now replaced with a strange anxiousness as if both were waiting for something to happen.
"Maybe I would," Skales muttered, though his voice had gotten quieter, and his breathing unsteady. The Anacondrai looked to be more collected, though as his arms slowly wrapped around the Hypnobrai, slight twitches in his movement revealed a certain uneasiness in him. Not even his face could conceal the rush of adrenaline that pulsed throughout his body. Skales had in turn gotten relaxed, his body subconsciously letting itself rest in Pythor's arms as if fully convinced he wouldn't let go at any cost. It was then that the Anacondrai leaned his head down to Skales' level, their heads now brushing lightly against each other, both lost in the other's eyes.
"Shall we test it?" He whispered sensually to the Hypnobrai, who could only stare back at him in response.
It was then that Skales finally started realizing what was happening, as he noticed how Pythor's arms were holding on to him, in a strangely gentle manner. Before he had any time to question what was happening, his thoughts were quickly interrupted as in a swift movement, the Anacondria pressed his lips against the Hypnobrai's.
Skales' first reaction was of course to push Pythor away. But as he placed his hands on Pythor's shoulders, he was overcome with a peculiar feeling. Pleasantness. A pleasantness that spread from his mouth all the way through his body, practically making his revulsion slowly melt away, and making his body relax once again. It was then he realized, that he didn't mind the fact Pythor was kissing him. Had it been any other snake, he would most certainly have pushed them away. But as Pythor continued kissing him, each movement with his mouth more gentle than the other, he couldn't help but return the favor. He wasn't entirely sure what was happening to him, but he knew he didn't want it to stop. And his hands he had planned to use to push Pythor away, he instead used to keep Pythor in place, just as he was doing with him.
But as Skales got lost in the moment, the Anacondrai suddenly pulled his lips away, leaving the bewildered Skales to once again question why he wasn't doing anything to stop the Anacondrai. Pythor looked down at him, his face filled with equal amounts of shock and astonishment, as a light blush spread across his face.
"Well, that wasn't...entirely unpleasant." He muttered, more to himself than to Skales. There was a strange tone in his voice as if he too couldn't quite believe what had happened between the two of them. But the confusion didn't last long, as slowly his expression shifted into one of calmness and endearment.
"Shall we continue, my dear number two?" He asked, and to Skales his voice sounded as soft as a feather, and as inviting as a gentle bed.
As the entire situation started dawning on Skales, a heavy blush covered his entire face together with a quivering expression, that contrasted with Pythor's tender demeanor. And still, as lost for words as the Hypnobrai was, he couldn't help himself from giving the Anacodnrai a light nod. In return, a hungry smile covered Pythor's face.
"I'm very happy to hear that." He stated firmly, before once again closing the gap between their faces, and kissing Skales once again.
Whoa, things got a little intense right there at the end. Hope you don't mind ;)
I hope you liked this chapter as well, considering it's the longest so far, and will probably continue to be for a while. And with the beginning of our two snakes' relationship firmly established, we can continue onwards to how they react to it.
See you next time, and have a good day!