Ninjago: Where Heroes Come From

Chapter Twelve: Reunion

The Hypnobrai were entombed the middle of a frozen wasteland. Lloyd shivered and rubbed his feet together to try and keep the feeling in them as he watched Pythor search for a way in. The snake had left him tied up, although he had thankfully removed his gag after making Lloyd promise not to utter a single word.

"Come on," Pythor muttered, sifting his hands through the snow in desperate search of a way in, "I know they're here... they've got to be here..."

Though Lloyd did not voice his question, he did wonder why Pythor, who could obviously take care of himself, wanted to release the other tribes. From what Lloyd knew of the serpentine, they weren't exactly loyal, especially not to different tribes, and it was most unlike them to stick their neck out for each other. There had to be some bigger reason for their release, and Lloyd was sure that he did not want to know what that was.

"Yes," Pythor hissed in satisfaction, and their was a sudden grinding noise and the snow shifted. Whatever he'd been looking for, he'd evidently found it. Lloyd stepped back as a massive hole opened up before Pythor, revealing a large cavern beneath their feet. A stone staircase spiralled into darkness, and far below they could hear faint gasping and many raspy, awed voices calling up to them.

"Skales!" Pythor called, and silence swept over the unseen crowd, "Skales, my old friend, it is I, Pythor!"

"Pythor?" The reply was weak, but the voice sent shivers running down Lloyd's spine. "Can it really be you?" There came the sound of movement, and the voice drew nearer. "I thought you'd be dead!"

"Thought?" Pythor grinned. "Or hoped?"

Raucous laughter sounded from the cavern, and suddenly, eyes began to appear, glowing and red, like little hypnotic flames emerging from the shadow. Lloyd looked away instinctively, not daring to state too long into the eyes for fear of what they might do. Pythor continued to smile as the Hypnobrai ascended the staircase, the first one emerging from the shadow and slithering into the light.

"It feels good," he said, smiling toothily (as a snake, it seemed like the only way he could smile), "I haven't felt this... fresh air, the scent of snow... in years." He directed his grin at Pythor, who returned it with twice the fervour. "Thank you, old friend."

"It's nothing," said Pythor off-handedly, but if Lloyd picked up on the unspoken request in his tone, Skales must have heard it as if screamed through a megaphone. "You want something," he said tiredly, his smile gone, his eyes flashing, "you need us to help you. That's why we're free."

Lloyd half expected Pythor to deny this, and to try to win them over again, but to his surprise, the snake only chuckled. "Obviously," he said with a nonchalant shrug, "that's our way, that's our game."

"That's the game we play," Skales replied, almost mechanically, "so be it. What's our endgame?"

"This," said Pythor, stepping back so that the Hypnobrai could get a good look at Lloyd, who attempted to hide behind him again but failed, "is Lloyd Garmadon, Sensei Wu's nephew—"

There was an immediate outbreak of angry hissing and a good deal of cussing as the snakes surged forwards to try and attack Lloyd. Thankfully, Pythor moved in front of him again and held up his hands for peace. "Please, my friends, he is valuable. I didn't haul his sorry ass all the way out here just to have him torn apart."

The Hypnobrai stopped at this, though they looked disgruntled at having been denied the privilege of killing Lloyd with their bare hands. Skales slithered up to Pythor and gripped him by the arm, looking furious.

"You don't command my tribe," he hissed, his voice so low that Lloyd could barely make it out over the wind, "don't overstep your bounds, Pythor, and don't think that just because you freed us we'll bow down and be your slaves." He gestured to Lloyd, standing awkwardly in the snow, shivering. "Why bring him here? What is our endgame?"