Who's ready for longer chapters???? 0_0

It was Zane's turn to cook tonight, and pretty soon, I was scarfing it down as if it was my first meal in over a week. Everyone seemed to do the same as we caught up with our day's adventures.

Cole sighed. "Trying to find out the Samurai's identity is more of a nuisance than the snakes. Any luck with you guys?"

"The guy's elusive. He's like a ghost," Jay said. "One moment he's there, the next he's gone."

"I am starting to believe we might never catch him," mentions Zane.

"I think it's safe to say none of us are closer to proving we're the Green Ninja," Kai sighs.

"Can't you guys just work together?" I asked with a smirk.

Kai just sighed. "It's a little more than that, Liz. This guy probably doesn't want anything to do with us anyway."

I rolled my eyes. "Don't just take the loss just like that."

"How could we ever compare to him anyway?" Cole adds.

"Looks like iron is sharpening iron," Wu mentions. "I feel you are getting closer to your True Potential."

"Don't worry, Wu," Jay said confidently. "We'll kick his ass!"

I muttered some words in Lunarian and face palmed while everyone else looked at me, probably wanting a language lesson. Before Zane could translate, I shut him up before leaving to find Nya, who wanted to train tonight after dinner. We were on a break when I could drink water, Nya sharpening her large shurikens.

"Liz?" she asked me hesitantly.

"Yes?"

"Do you miss it? Where did you come from?"

I took another sip of water. "It's complicated."

Nya looked at me from her shuriken, and I sighed. "I love the trees and the mountains there, but after knowing life with humans and their cultures, I don't think I could ever return to mine, even if I wanted to."

Nya's eyes lit up. "You called us humans."

I scoffed. "Yeah, if I'm living with you, I might as well call you what you actually are. I don't make you call me 'wolf-human' or whatever the hell you'd call us."

"Werewolf, probably."

I cringed at the name. "Yeah, I think I like wolf-human better."

Nya chuckled, continuing to sharpen her weapon. "What did you mean by not being able to go back?"

"I'm no longer part of the pack anymore because I left when I wasn't allowed. I didn't want that life anyway."

"That's got to be hard, being away from all you've known."

"It was easier than you'd think," I told her with a shrug. My ears fell a little as I focused on her sharpening. "What's your story?" I asked her.

She sighed. "Well, when I was really little, my parents were killed, and my brother pretty much raised me. Not too long ago, I was still working in the blacksmith shop with him until Sensei Wu visited us. However, not knowing him, Kai just told him to leave. But that night, skeletons from the Skeleton army came and kidnapped me by instruction of Garmadon, who was trapped in the Underworld. Long story short, Kai met the other boys, trained to be a Ninja, got the Golden Weapons they now have, and saved me from Garmadon."

I blinked. "Wow, that's crazier than my story, for sure."

Nya laughed. "They're our lives, Liz, it doesn't matter if mine was crazier, what matters is what we learn from those stories."

I tilted my head. "And what did you learn?"

She smiled at me. "Not to trust books by their covers."

I returned her smile with my soft one before downing the last of my water. "Alright, let's do this."

After more talking and training, I finally became tired, and we decided to go to sleep. Once I woke up to Kai's annoying voice, I was dragged out with Lloyd on his jet as we flew into town. We quickly arrived at the entrance to a loud and bright building, Kai giving Lloyd some coins before we got off the jet.

"Ok, I know it's my turn to look after you, Lloyd, but just play a few games and stay put while I look around. I have a feeling the Samurai may show up."

"Oh, please let me help!" Lloyd begged.

"No, Lloyd."

"Why can't I go?" I asked.

"Because you can keep Lloyd preoccupied as he teaches you what an arcade is."

"Come on. At least drop us off at a decent arcade," Lloyd crossed his arms.

"Sorry, shorty," Kai said before shooting off back into the sky.

"Kai, wait!" Lloyd called.

"Come on, Lloyd, he doesn't care about us. Now show me what the hell an arcade is."

However, before moving into the arcade, I heard the faintest of hissing. One might not believe anyone could hear the words that were spoken, but my ears were burning.

"Lloyd," I whispered sternly, pointing to a dark alleyway where I heard the hissing coming from. I signed him to stay quiet with my finger to my lips as he followed closely behind me towards the alleyway. I tried not to grimace or flinch away when Lloyd brushed his side on my sensitive tail, not wanting to give us away as the voices got louder.

There, down the alley, was a large green bus roaring with life. Standing next to it was Skales and Fang-Suei, one of the strongest soldiers in the Fangpyre tribe. According to legends, General Fangtom grew his extra head when he accidentally bit himself. Still, when I lived with the Fangpyre, I learned it wasn't self-inflicted but done by Fang-Suei because he was just hungry. As the two spoke as Serpentine behind them started boarding the bus, I didn't know whether or not Lloyd would be able to hear them too, but by the look of his face and my surprise, I think he could.

"I hear he found it," said the Hypnobrai General. "Everyone is gathering again."

Fang-Suei hissed. "Impossible. The Lost City does not exist!"

"Well, it isn't lost anymore," Skales said with a vigorous laugh. "And I heard there's gonna be a fight."

"A fight? Count me in!"

Fang-Suei quickly boarded the bus without another word as more Serpentine filled it up.

"All aboard!" Skales called. "Next stop, Ouroboros!"

Lloyd gasped and quickly started walking back. "Liz, what do we do?"

"We stay put. I can try to reach Kai-"

"No, Liz! We have to do something!"

"My plan wasn't 'something?'" I questioned.

Lloyd sighed, looking around until he locked eyes with what seemed to be two Serpentine costumes hanging in the store right next to us. Holding out the coins in his hands, he smirked at me. "I have an idea."

Quickly, I was put into a Hypnobrai costume, matching Lloyd's. The cobra mane was able to hide my ears while my tail was covered by a cape around my chest, flowing softly behind me as I walked. My nerves started to make my stomach hurt.

"Lloyd, I don't know about this," I whispered softly enough to where not even a human could hear. But somehow, he still did.

"We'll be ok. Our faces are covered, and we look authentic!" he said, taking my hand. I tried to smile back, but I just focused in on the blue bitch filling in the last seats of the bus with the lingering line of snakes, and we got in the back. Skales eventually went ahead of us and sat in the driver's seat. I'm not even scared of the snakes now; this snake will drive with nothing but a tail and talons.

When it was our turn, I went ahead of Lloyd to hopefully block whatever attack could come, but they never came until...

"Hey, you," Skales snapped at Lloyd behind me. "Hold it there."

Lloyd, keeping calm, looked up in confusion. "Huh?"

Skales smirked at my friend as I prepared to pounce before he could touch Lloyd. "Last one in closes the door," he simply said.

I relaxed, and Lloyd did, too, as he stepped up and closed the door behind him. "Uh, sure thing."

Quickly finding an empty seat, Lloyd and I sat down, him on the Window side as I kept watch. As we quickly left for the desert, the bus started moving through the city's shadows. Surprisingly, the snakes would sing songs from their tribes and tell each other their legends to keep the ride from getting too boring. However, Skales quickly put a stop to that when three of the snakes decided to scream really loud, scaring the shit out of the General. The noise was then kept to a minimum, and I watched Lloyd fall asleep against the window. The fact that he could sleep surrounded by the very things that would kill us in an instant is beyond me.

Soon enough, it was nighttime as we approached the giant desert city. Was this hidden? The buildings were gigantic, and there were so many of them that I felt like they might be as big as Ninjago. Eventually, we parked and got off the bus. I shook Lloyd awake, and he groggily followed me off the bus, fluffing out my cape as we walked off, coving my tail. We followed as Skales led the group to a large arena where the moon shone brightly. A large snake statue was there with Pythor in front of it. Skales diverted from the group towards where I assumed Pythor was as we flooded the stands that overlooked the large clearing. I sat down, Lloyd right beside me, overlooking the large arena where everyone awaited the main event.

After a minute or two, I could see Skales and Pythor conversing with each other in front of the statue. The stands full of chatter drowned out their words until Pythor projected his voice over the arena, overlooking the three other Serpentine Generals watching.

"My fellow Serpentine!" said the purple General, Skales leaving to join the others. "I bring you together here to the Lost City of Ouroboros, before the statue of our very own Great Devourer, to speak of unity!"

"Where are the fights?" hissed a snake a couple seats in front of me.

"Where is the big show?" asks another.

Quicker than I thought, the Serpentine started chanting. "Slither Pit! Slither Pit! Slither Pit!"

"ARGH!" Pythor roared. "You want a show? You want to see a fight?"

The crowd started to cheer.

"I ask for your allegiance, but you will not give it. So I will take it!"

"What are you saying?" Fangtom hissed.

Pythor smiled. "I challenge the four tribe Generals for their staffs and their allegiance. At once!"

The Venemari General, Acidicus, hissed loudly. "I fought hard for this staff and will not give it up easily!"

Skalidor, the Construction General, nodded in agreement. "There's no way he can defeat the four of us simultaneously."

Soon enough, we were all on the edges of our seats as the Generals started to clash. Skalidor grinned as he quickly knocked Pythor down from behind, however, Pythor seemed to let him. Quickly, all of the Generals, except Skales, tackled Pythor down. It seemed like this would be over until Skales pulled out nothing but the Sacred Flute my mother made.

Handing the flute to Pythor, he quickly plays it, causing everyone to shriek. Quickly, I mimicked my neighbors, ushering Lloyd to do the same.

"He's using the Sacred Flute against his own," Lloyd whispers to me.

"I'm getting that flute back," I responded.

"Wait, what?" Lloyd questioned.

"Stay here," I said. Without explanation, I filtered through the crows, keeping my cape close to my body and touching my feet to the sand on the ground. I quickly bent into the shadows and ran into the middle of the arena, trying to get a better look.

"My ears!" Skalidor cries from the flute.

"It hurts!" said Acidius.

Quickly, Skales throws Pythor his staff as Pythor starts to punch and defeat the other three Generals, gaining theirs as well. With all of the Generals on the ground, Pythor smiled. "Bow to your master," he commanded them. "Bow to your master, Serpentine!"

The snakes in the stands all around me gave a low bow to Pythor as I spun around to see all the stadiums full of the bowing snakes. I tried to breathe steadily and focus on my task, but then I heard a rush of commotion, like something falling. I immediately turned around and saw Lloyd being held by another Hypnobri in the stands, his disguise was half taken off, revealing his true ancestry. My heart dropped. Why did I just leave him?

"Lloyd?" Pythor hissed.

"Where's the girl?" Skales immediately asked.

"Girl?" asked Acidius.

"Wolfadeer," Pythor responded. "I know she's here somewhere. Everyone, find her!"

I gasped quietly and immediately left the arena. If I could just make it to the Ninja-

The artificial light. No. The snakes held bright torches that were light and touched my skin, making my arm and part of my face appear to the enemy, and I froze.

The snakes surrounding me didn't wait long before tackling me to the ground. I tried to struggle out of their grips. Being small meant I could easily scurry out. Or I could shift to my wolf form and leave. But wait- I need that flute. Plan C it is.

"I stand with Pythor!" I screamed out. My attackers seemed to pause. "I was sent by Princess Phantom!"

"Out of my way!" Pythor said, slithering up towards me as I was left to be held securely by two Constrici. I stared him straight in the eyes. My gaze was stern to return as the feeling of being completely scanned and looked into rushed me with such a strong sense of self-consciousness and fear that it could make even some of the strongest pass out. But Pythor stared back with his own gaze as it narrowed into my soul. "And how are we supposed to believe you, Wolfadeer?" he hissed.

"Look into my soul, Pythor," I told him. "She has been sending me visions after she noticed the evil in my heart and my desire to leave the Ninja. She wants me to help you release the Great Devour."

"Are we actually going to believe what she says?" Skales questioned.

After about a beat, Pythor nodded. "Very well. You will represent the Moonbloods during the ceremony."

I exhaled a giant sigh of relief but couldn't help but notice Lloyd actively being put in a cage, and I just prayed the Ninja would be able to find us.

The sun was burning my eyes, and I could hear the roar of the arena. The cheers from the snakes were louder than my thoughts as the snakes watched Pythor, the Generals, and I stand before the Devour's statue. The fact Pythor even let me live is beyond me, but he must need another species to get the snakes on his side about this legend of his.

Pythor raised his talons in the air, his golden staff on his left, as he addressed the snakes. "My fellow Serpentine! You know of our Great Devour through legends and myths. Now you're hearing it through a promise, a future. The Devour will rein and draw the surface dwellers back underground as they did to us!"

I flinched at the loud hissing and cheering as Pythor took a breath. "I, Pythor P. Chumsworth, represent the King of the Serpentine, Lizabeth Wolfadeer represents the Moonbloods, and finally, the Dark Queen, Queen Phantom of the Dragons!"

I tried not to lock my gaze on Pythor's scaled face as he said her name for the first time in front of everyone. Queen Phantom? She's not the Queen anymore. Anyone would know that after her death. Is it possible Pythor doesn't think she's dead? Does he want her to be the Queen? Maybe she's not actually a part of this? My breathing stuttered, and I tried not to flinch as I heard Lloyd's struggling in the cave behind me.

"How do you know this dragon queen even exists?" challenged Acidicus.

"Yeah!" shouted a snake from the crowd. "No one has heard of her name in thousands of years! Wasn't she exiled?"

Before Pythor could defend the fallen Queen, loud footsteps thundered in my ears as four colored ninjas ran out, their Golden Weapons radiating in the sun. Before my heart could leap out of my chest, the four boys were immediately caught in a net trap, strung up where we could all see. I flinched at the sound of their weapons crashing onto the ground as Pythor's laugh radiated through the arena. "Looks like we've caught the main event!"

I struggled to watch as the Ninja were slowly dragged out more towards the center of the arena. Without turning my head, I looked at Pythor's shit-eating grin and swayed my tail.

"'Main event?'" Jay repeated. "What do you think he meant by 'main event?'"

"I have a feeling we're the main event," Kai told him with a sigh.

"Or the main course," Cole added.

"Uh, don't worry. The Samurai could still come around to save us!" Jay says with what seems to be a forced smile with his mask on.

"You say you wanted a battle, and I give you one," Pythor addressed to the Serpentine. "I give you ninja versus Samurai!"

I audibly gasped as I watched Nya in the Samurai mech be dragged out in chains. I looked behind me at Lloyd, and he looked worried as we watched the scene unfold. The Ninja and Nya were rid of their traps as the snakes quickly collected the Golden Weapons.

"What?!" Jay exclaimed. "We have to fight the Samurai? But we don't even have our Golden Weapons and he has that hulking thing of armor. It's not fair."

Pythor grinned. "I want to see once and for all who is the greatest hero. Is it Samurai or Ninja? Only the victor will be allowed to leave."

Kai quickly assessed the situation and addressed the others. "Stay together," he told them.

"Perhaps he can join our team to fight our way out?" Zane suggested. "After all, he hates the Serpentine too-"

Nya struck at the Ninja, making them quickly jump out of the way. I tried to flinch when I heard the slithering sound of Skales moving next to me with a grin as Nya beat up the Ninja. She is so awesome.

"Enjoying the show, little Anur?" Skales asked me.

"You don't want this, Skales," I told the General. "Phantom is no one to be messed with. You'll just get in her way. Whatever she's planning with this Devour thing won't involve you."

Skales just laughed. "Phantom doesn't have any part in this," he hissed. "Pythor just does this in her name. She's no more than a bedtime story to scare the little ones."

"What?" I asked. Skales just sighed. "Listen, little Anur, regardless if it's true or not, it doesn't concern you."

"It does now that I'm the Moonblood's representative," I told him.

"So what we're 'in the way,'" Skales said. "You are, too. If this somehow gains the Queen's attention, then we're all screwed. But Pythor is convinced this will gain her attention so we can find a way to free her while getting revenge on the surface dwellers. She needs us."

"Trust me, she doesn't," I bit back. Skales eyed me suspiciously and curiously. "What are you trying to do, little Anur?"

"Get Pythor out of his seat," I responded, locking my gaze on Nya and the Ninja as they tried to defeat her. "If you want to rule this tribe, which I can tell you do, Phantom and Pythor can't be a part of it."

"Which side are you really on, Wolfadeer?" Skales questioned. I flattened my ears. "My side. And last I checked, my side is doing pretty well." I shifted my gaze to his red one and smiled. "So what do you say, Snake King?"

Before he could respond, suddenly, a large tornado was summoned, although it looked to be a giant Spinjitzu one, as the Ninja charged at Nya within it, defeating the Samurai. "This will be you," I told Skales, earning a subtle but noticeable flinch. Suddenly, Pythor smirked as he pulled a large lever, causing the floor to tilt like the Slither Pit in the Hypnobri's tomb. The Ninja held onto some spikes that had emerged from the floor earlier, Nya also struggling to hold on.

Nya then ejects as the suit blasts off, and the Ninja holds on tight and goes off into the sky. Nya, in her armor, takes a stance as snakes from the stands get excited and jump toward the middle of the arena where Nya stands. However, instead of fighting them, she just quickly runs. With her hand, she uses a large magnet from her armor, causing the Golden Weapons that sat next to Pythor in their bag to be brought to Nya. I watched as the Golden Weapons flew into her hand, and the sound of a jetpack was activated. Nya quickly was able to leave before the snakes got to her, and she flew away, causing Pythor to mutter words I didn't even know he knew.

I just stood with my mouth agape as I tried to process all of that happening quickly as Skales silently left my side. I stopped thinking when I heard Lloyd quietly call my name, causing me to turn around. I looked at Lloyd, who looked scared, and I walked up to him, sitting in front of the cage.

"Hey, Lloyd," I said softly. "I'm sorry I got you into this mess," I whispered. Lloyd scooted up to the edge of the cage, his hoodie getting ripped in the process, but that seemed to be the last thing he cared about. "No, it was my idea," Lloyd sighed. "I wish we just stayed in the arcade."

I nodded in agreement. "Me too."

I looked at Lloyd as he tried his racing heart and anise when I got an idea. I smirked as I let my wolf form consume me, the fur granting me warmth and comfort as my blue eyes glowed against the sunset, the sun coming down fast. "Hello," I said in wolf.

Lloyd just tilted his head at me. "What?"

"What?" I repeated back to him, knowing he knew at least that in wolf.

Lloyd seemed to understand what I was trying to do and started saying words for me to repeat. I watched in awe as my friend understood what I was saying. We did this until the sun was no longer shining, and we were interrupted by the slithering of Skales coming over to the cage. Confused, I turn around and shift back to my human form.

"Liz, watch out!" Lloyd called. But before I could respond, I was quickly detained by snakes, chaining me up and starting to drag me away as Lloyd yelled in protest.

"Since our main event left without giving us a good show, someone has to pay," Skales hissed. My stomach tugged as I tried to steady my breath, knowing this wouldn't be good...

WHOOOOO, I loved this chapter. Let's keep this train moving!!!