Enter the Tournament

Chapter 10:

Nya's Samurai X Cave 

"There isn't much time," Lloyd warned, "Our friends are on standby, but we don't know where Chen will strike next." 

Skylor had been introduced to Misako and Wu long before I arrived; Sensei Wu had figured out Chen's spell from the look of Garmadon and now that we were all caught up, we were going over a plan as to how we could stop Chen. 

"And if we're not all there to stop him when he first attacks..." Cole had began. He trailed off as Garmadon piped up. 

"Ninjago will succumb to war," he finished, "Our greatest fear will come true." 

"Then, the greatest victory will be that which has no battle." Wu concluded. 

"But, how do we prevent a war?" Jay questioned, "How do we stop an enemy we know so little about?" 

Sensei Wu looked to the cave's map of Ninjago. 

"We find someone who does."  

* * *

The Kryptarium Prison 

"Kryptarium Prison," Garm said as the group and I made our way up the sandy path, "home to Ninjago's worst of the worst." 

I didn't like the sound of that. 

"I don't get it," Cole piped up, "Who's gonna help us here?" 

"If one must learn how to fight a snake," Wu explained, "One must talk to one, first." 

"Wait," I spoke, "what snake would be--" 

I cut myself off at the realization of who we were "visiting."
I had a bad feeling about this. 

Inside, we met the warden; he took our weapons before letting us in. Following, I quieted myself. 

"Sorry I had to confiscate your weapons," he apologized, "Here, we try to foster what I call an environment of encouragement."

Said the one who owned a prison whose entrance consisted of lasers, spikes and sporadic flames. 

Real peachy, Mr. Warden. 

I recognized a lot of familiar faces as we walked past the cells to the "guest" we were visiting.

"I'll rattle your bones, Warden!" Frakjaw, an old enemy skulken, snapped. 

The warden smiled.

"Very creative, Frakjaw!" he exclaimed, "Love the puns!" 

We then walked past Soto.
I didn't like remembering him.

"Pajama-men!" he exclaimed, pointing his hand at us.

"Easy, Soto!" he scolded, "I'm the captain of this ship." 

He laughed heartily as he guided us along. Soto's eyes seemed to follow me; I shuddered. 

"Ninja ain't popular around these parts," the Warden informed, "but who you're looking for, he hates ninja the most; last cell on the left." 

The Warden left and we made our way down to the very last cell. I could hear someone saying, "Hm, why yes, Pythor, this may be the greatest cup of tea you've steeped!" 

Someone else had responded, "Oh, you flatter me, Rodrigo, but do go on!" 

I rolled my eyes at Pythor as Lloyd spoke up.

"We need your help." he said, startling the tiny snake. The Anacondrai turned to face us from inside his...dollhouse...window. 

"Help you?! The ninja?!" he asked, angrily, "You fed me to the Devourer, defeated every army I've aligned with, and even forced me to swallow your shrinking pill! Haven't you've done enough damage to my diminishing ego?!"