Skales x Pythor: My Loyal Number Two

Chapter 14: Shifting responsibility

We're back with a new chapter! The Devourer's is here, and it's not exactly like Pythor described it. But just how wrong things have gone, Skales is yet to find out.

"I'm sssuch an fool! Even Ssskalidor sssaw it coming! How come I've been ssso blind!" Skales cried out into the uncaring air, as the winds sat still between the fog-filled woods.

He had been wandering for hours, slithering over the sunburned sands of the Sea of Sand. Skales had barely been able to feel his tail, once he finally reached the Forest of Tranquility. He had spent the entire journey yelling at himself, bickering over his own stupidity and Pythor's.

"Of course Pythor wasss insane, of course he wasss! It wasss ssso obviousss!"

His angry outbursts only paused for a moment, when he saw a stone on the ground and went to kick it. Only to realize he didn't have feet anymore. Or legs.

"AHHH!!!" He screamed, before doing the closest thing to a stomp he could do.

"All those yearsss of loyal ssservitude to Ssslithraa, besting him and taking control over my tribe, and WHAT DO I HAVE TO SSSHOW FOR IT! THISSS?!" Skales exclaimed, looking back at the tired tail he dragged across the wet, dirt floor. "I can't run, I can't kick, I CAN'T SSSIT PROPERLY IN CHAIRSSS ANYMORE!"

There was something cathartic for the Hypnobrai about the whole thing, being able to use the situation to finally vent all of his frustration. It was the only upside to the whole thing.

"Unite the tribesss? That will never work, I sssaid, and then it worked. Finding Ouroborosss? IMPOSSIBLE, I sssaid. And then we find it under a mountain of sssand, because of course we did! Awakening the Great Devourer to destroy the sssurface-dwellers and taking control over Ninjago? Yesss, excellent idea Pythor, thisss will sssurely be a great plan! Of all the absurd thingsss that worked, it only makesss sssense the one I did sssupport didn't!"

Seemingly out of energy or air, he finally decided to quiet down, taking a moment to collect himself. He looked around and found no birds or wildlife between the trees. Neither was there wind or sound, only a light fog that covered the ground. An uncomfortable silence hung thick over the entire forest as if something had disturbed the peace of the world. And he knew that to be true.

The image still sat clear in his mind, like the last thing seen before waking from a nightmare. The Devourer, in all its awe and terror, had been awakened, and he saw it firsthand. Only to run, overcome with an unnatural fear that shook him to his core. Even if he had steadied his nerve, the only logical action to take in the face of such horror was running. And so he ran until he could only slither forward. He wasn't sure why he had picked this place. All he knew was that the Fangpyre Tomb was nearby, and that was all that mattered. For whatever reason, he needed to see Fangtom. An encounter that only worried him further.

"He kept telling me, over and over, that there wasss sssomething off with Pythor. That I ssshouldn't trust him. Argh, why did you have to be right?!" He muttered, with his friend in mind. Unless he wanted to appear a complete fool, he would need to defend himself. Or else endure the ridicule for the rest of his life. He didn't care too much about the opinions of the other generals, but he wasn't ready to lose Fangtom's respect. But at least he would not be mocked alone.

"If I'm lucky, they will focusss their anger on him and leave me out of it."

Just thinking about him was enough to make the Hypnobrai shudder with rage. He couldn't even imagine what he was going to say to him. All those promises, all the trials they had passed together. All to finally achieve their goal. And to show for it, they had a gigantic monster no one could possibly control.

"Maybe he could talk hisss way out of it? He could probably try and pin it on me." Skales admitted with a bitter chuckle. "Oh, what are we gonna do, Pythor? I thought getting back to your good gracesss wasss the most important thing I needed to do. And now we have an eldritch sssnake to deal with."