Skales x Pythor: My Loyal Number Two

Chapter 6: The grand reveal

Hello again. The last time we were here Pythor had less than subtly revealed his feelings for Skales. Something our dear Hypnobrai has yet to process completely. But besides that, it seems Pythor has decided it's finally time to reveal his grand plan to the Serpentine. Enjoy.

"I expect that everything is in order?" Pythor asked as he looked at himself in the dusty mirror, with Skales standing behind him, waiting patiently for his king to be ready. Though he wouldn't mind if he hurried a bit.

"Of course, Pythor." He replied with a formal bow, as he could see the Anacondrai observing him through the mirror.

"Great! Then everything else should fall right into place." Pythor stated cheerfully, before dusting off some sand that had gotten stuck to his chest.

"With the escape of the ninja, I suspect morale might be a bit low. But trust me, once I reveal my latest, and perhaps grandest plan as of yet, then morale won't be an issue any longer."

"You never ssseem to run out of plansss, do you?" Skales tried to jokingly ask, but his voice seemed unwilling to comply, leaving him to sound awkward as the words came out. Like he wasn't completely sure with which tone he wanted to speak with. Still, the Anaocndrai paid no heed to his failed delivery, instead letting out a friendly chuckle. It was then he finally turned away from the mirror and moved towards the building's exit.

"No, I really don't." He answered with pride in his voice, as if praising himself for his unending genius. As he passed the Hypnobrai, he didn't even give him a single glance and simply continued. Skales of course followed after him, though he made the unconscious decision to stay a meter or so behind him.

While he cursed himself for his embarrassing attempt at making a small joke, he couldn't help but think that his awkwardness hadn't solely been present when making jokes. In all, his interactions with Pythor after their night kissing had seemed somehow tense and uncomfortable. He wasn't sure if it might just have been him, but he had noticed that the Anacondrai had acted more coldly towards him than usual. Which Skales found rather conflicting since it was Pythor that had come on to him, and had been the one who had kissed him. Though he couldn't deny that he had joined in.

Whenever he thought about that night he couldn't help but feel warm, and at the same time embarrassed. It was as if his body and mind had yet to properly accept what had happened between them. Moreover, he had still to decide whether the whole thing had been a mistake or not. He had of course enjoyed the experience. In fact, a little more than he had expected he would. Not that he was unfamiliar with his own interest in males, though on that field he was rather inexperienced. Perhaps that was why he found it so hard to grasp how he was supposed to respond to Pythor's advances. Especially when it seemed the Anacondrai had completely forgotten all about it. Or at least acted like it hadn't happened.

He couldn't help but think it would make everything else easier if he just laid the whole thing to rest, and accepted that it was nothing else than a lapse of judgment on Pythor's part. Besides, with the Anacondrai being king, how could he possibly find the time to be in a relationship? Which also applied to Skales. He was after all still the General of the Hypnobrai, and also now the second-in-command for Pythor. There were responsibilities he had to focus on, which couldn't so easily be tossed aside because of a lover. It was common sense for Generals to not pursue a romantic relationship.

But still, he felt something turn in him by the thought of forgetting about Pythor. It was as if he longed to feel the Anacondrai close to him once again. To know what it was like to be held by someone like him.

His dilemma had to be put to rest at the moment, as his duties called for his attention. He and Pyhtor had made their way through the sand-filled streets of Ouroboros and were soon reaching the Slither Pit. The streets were practically empty, as all the Serpentine had been called for the meeting. The promise of a 'special' announcement had done most of the work in convincing the snakes to attend. They made their way through the statue of the Devourer and out into the main arena. All of the Serpentine sat at the podiums, and as always noise filled the place, making it hard to hear. Skales couldn't fully hear what was being said, but guessing from their tone, they were starting to get impatient. The other Generals already stood ready, looking on as he and Pythor arrived. As Pythor stopped right in front of the statue, the Generals and Skales positioned themselves by his side. While Skales' position as Pythors advisor hadn't been made official, it didn't take a genius to guess that he had the right ear of the Anacondrai. So of course he stood by Pythors side, with Fangtom by his.