4. Dark Sides: Rise of the Anacondrai

Chapter 15 - A Minor Hiccup

A/N: Editing this while in the middle of trying to catch up with RWBY volume 8 is just ;-; Making me saaaaad. At least Pixal and Borg get to be together and happy and safe, but I just want that for all my android children T0T

Oh, also Clouse is still around, in case you forgot XD I think you can all tell where things are going after this... Some of you have guessed it already ;)

. . .

"Get that tent up! We need more fires! And somebody move that noodle truck out of the way!"

Master Chen slithered to and fro, barking out orders to his followers. Somehow they were even more incompetent now than they were before. They still hadn't adjusted to their new forms and kept making foolish mistakes, delaying Master Chen's plans even further. He had to strategize a plan of attack, especially if there was even the slightest chance that the Elemental Masters could follow him here. He had to be ready if he was going to keep them from ruining his invasion.

"Master Chen," Clouse said, slinking up to him with his spellbook in hand. "I must speak with you about the spell, now," he insisted.

Clouse had been bugging him all day about the spell, but Master Chen was too busy trying to set up his headquarters and make a plan. What did the spell matter, now that it was done? Chen preferred not to dwell too much on the past – except when it came to getting revenge.

"Forget about the spell, already! It doesn't matter anymore!"

"But Master, the spell is not yet complete!"

Master Chen paused. "What are you talking about?"

"I've been trying to tell you, we still have to finish the spell in order to make it permanent."

Master Chen rounded on Clouse. "Are you telling me that we went through all that work just to become Anacondrai temporarily?!"

"We still have a chance to make it permanent," Clouse said calmly. "But the effects will begin to wear off soon. It is vital that we take action now."

"Well, what is it? What do we have to do?"

Clouse flipped open his book. "All we need is the essence of a true Anacondrai, and the spell will be everlasting."

"And just where are we supposed to get a real Anacondrai? The Anacondrai were locked up ages ago!"

"They may yet be alive, Clouse reasoned. "Might I remind you that Garmadon assumed we were long gone as well? I doubt that the Anacondrai, the strongest of the Serpentine tribes, have all perished."

"And what if they have? What then?"

Clouse hesitated. "I have . . . other ways. Possibly. But this is our swiftest and surest option."

Master Chen growled with frustration. "Why didn't you bring this up earlier?"

Now it was Clouse's turn to lose his patience. "I did," he said through clenched teeth. "Multiple times. But you always said that we should not be concerned about the second part of the spell. You told me that we would take care of the problem when we reached it."

That actually did sound like something he would have said. Master Chen had always reasoned that there was no point worrying about something they had no control of yet. He preferred not to dwell too much on the future.

"Well we've reached it now. Find me an Anacondrai, I don't care what it takes! Take as many men as you need."

Clouse bowed before slithering off.