Chapter 132: 132: The Pit

Typhon felt a sudden chill.

However, the cave was noticeably warm, so he couldn't exactly explain why he felt unsettled.

Was someone planning an attack on him, or was he just imagining things?

Anyway, he shook his head and went back to overseeing the nestlings' training activities from the raised platform above the 'pit'. 

'She' had created the large hole in the ground, along with six other training stations all on the same day. Its purpose was so the nestlings could spar amongst themselves after they were done with basic training. 

But right now, it was a spectacle because it wasn't two snakes in the pit, but rather a single snake and a 'fake' one.

It was Galahad and his water ball, which had taken the shape of a snake made entirely out of water.

The creature had come out to play as soon as 'she' had gone. No surprise there.

And it hadn't stopped showing off its strength and skills ever since.

After his initial warning, the creature had stopped appearing, only making itself known in the moments their leader went away. And as if that wasn't weird enough, the two seemed to be able to communicate with each other, as he had caught Galahad seemingly talking to himself a couple of times.

Ophelia thought it was hilarious, but Typhon remained cautious of it, insisting that if it was harmless, it wouldn't avoid their leader. However, after witnessing the creature almost get eaten, he too felt it had a good reason to hide.

Typhon wasn't so sure anymore. After bonding so fiercely with Galahad, it seemed completely harmless. He had observed the creature for a while, and it was yet to attack anyone. If anything it seemed to want to befriend them.

At first, it stuck closely to Galahad, but it soon grew more confident and began to explore the cave away from him, beginning to interact with every snake inside. Sometimes it acted as a cool water blanket for the snakes after training, and other times it used its ability to transform into a variety of shapes to amuse them, its favourite being the shape of a fish, followed closely by that of a large eyeball.

Typhon saw its attempts to play with the other snakes as mingling and getting to know Galahad's family. And the culprit himself, said the same thing. So far, none of the snakes disliked it and Galahad had even given it a name too.

And now, the two were sparring inside the pit for the excited crowd of onlooking snakes who cheered them on. Typhon joined them too, but at the back of his mind he kept remembering the order 'she' had given him.

[Find out where it came from.]

The simple command had left him feeling uneasy.

Surely, she didn't just want to eat it?

Knowing the nature of their leader, this wasn't too farfetched. All she seemed to do was eat. 

But he liked to think she was simply curious about its origins out of concern for Galahad.

Typhon sighed as he thought of how to broach the question to Galahad without arousing suspicion, however as he passed through the crowd of snakes, he heard a faint conversation that made him frown.

[I'll give you all of my food for one day if Galahad wins.] One snake excitedly whispered.

[Not possible.] Another snake said with a laugh. [He will lose. I'm so sure of this I will give you mine for two days!]

[Really? Okay, then! Don't cry when I win.]

Typhon stopped cold. What was this suspicious conversation? He quickly spotted two grinning snakes in the middle of the crowd.

The snakes around them were listening in on their conversations, and some even started offering suggestions.

[Can I join too?]

[I'll exchange half my food.]

[Me too, but only for a day.]

[Let me in.] 

The grinning snakes were all too happy to accept their offerings, and Typhon realised this was their plan all along. Rather than placing bets themselves, they had incited the crowd to do so and now they proposed a collection fee of a fraction of the total winnings.

Typhon couldn't believe it. He didn't know if he should be shocked or impressed at the two schemers. He immediately went up to the pair. And upon spotting him, they quickly stopped their conversation and ran away, leaving the crowd disappointed. 

Typhon didn't know if he should laugh or get angry. He immediately cornered the two trouble makers who had fled to the training grounds. 

[It was a joke.] One whimpered pitifully.

[He's right, we weren't serious at all.] The second added. [It was just a tiny fee – a small fee – ow!]

[Return all the food you've collected and don't let me catch you doing this again.] Typhon growled menacingly as the two snakes cowered in fear.

[Go.]

[Yes captain!]

[Yes captain!]

The two snakes ran away and Typhon shook his head. 

Where did these greedy brats come from?

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By the time he returned to the pit, the fight was over and Galahad had lost. His water creature remained in the ring to challenge other snakes, and this time it changed its form to a stinger beast.

Typhon watched it battle against a snake and thought it would make a very practical training tool. However, he soon spotted Galahad sulking in a corner and approached him.

[So you lost.] Typhon said unsympathetically.

[I didn't lose!] Galahad sulked. [Hestia's just stronger because I'm small. When I grow up I'll be able to beat her.]

Typhon thought he was just trying to justify his loss but he was intrigued about something else. [Hestia?]

[Yeah, she said she wanted a name, so I gave her one.] Galahad's eyes sparkled as he spoke. [Isn't it a good name? Hestia likes it, but she's a little shy and she doesn't want to meet the leader.]

Typhon sighed. The talkative snake seemed to want to tell him everything without him even asking and so he no longer hesitated. [How did the two of you meet?]

[I... don't really remember…Let me ask Hestia.] Galahad lowered his head and tried to leave but Typhon stopped him.

[Did Hestia ask you not to tell anyone?] He asked, growing suspicious of his behavior.

Galahad hesitated. [Yeah, she's afraid. She says she doesn't want to leave me, and she hates where she used to live.]

[Do you remember where you met her?] Typhon continued to probe.

[I can show you, it's not very far from here. I was sleeping in a tree when I saw her getting chased by a scaly monster, its skin was too hot to cut with water, so I hid in the bushes and bit it before running away. When I came back it was dead and Hestia hasn't stopped following me since. She says I saved her life, but I didn't really do much.]

Typhon was thoughtful. It seemed the creature was running away from something. He wondered what the 'scaly creature' was.

[You won't send her away, will you?] he looked at him with pitiful eyes, not that they had any effect on him.

Before he could answer, Ophelia and Morgana came up to them with amused expressions.

[What are you two whispering about?]

[Nothing!] Galahad replied immediately and Typhon decided to go along with him for now. If he ever needed a spy, Galahad might just be useful…well, after he toughened up a bit. 

[Aren't you coming to watch, you won't believe who's winning?] Morgana said.

Galahad and Typhon exchanged looks of disbelief, who could possibly be winning when he had already lost?

They all went to the pit and to their surprise, they saw the spaded snake had succeeded in pinning the water creature in its stinger beast form to the ground.

[She's improved very quickly.] Morgana's eyes shone with delight. [I wonder what made her change.]

Typhon had taken notes of her progress since they returned from their little adventure. The spaded snake had been training harder than everyone else and no longer slacked off. Although he couldn't see her stats, he could tell she had improved a great deal.

The spaded snake looked up from the pit and saw him staring at her and proceeded to constrict the water creature even tighter in her excitement.

[Don't hurt Hestia!] Galahad called out in panic as the stinger shaped water creature struggled to break free.

The spaded snake soon realised her mistake and released her coils.

The water creature immediately shrank to the size of a fish, frantically swimming away in the air to return to Galahad.

Typhon didn't know what to think, she had improved a great deal, but there were still certain aggressive behaviour she was unable to control. 

In particular, she seemed to treat snakes that had been named before her as enemies, especially Artemis and the twins whom she deemed unworthy. 

She was always eager to prove herself and he was all for her to improve, but he hoped she wouldn't offend all the others in the process.

Morgana came up to him and whispered. [She's so excited you came to watch her fight. Isn't she just the cutest?]

The spaded snake glared at her from the pit, before returning to the training grounds as Morgana giggled evilly. 

Soon, another match began and Galahad left with the other snakes before he could ask him more questions. 

Typhon noticed Ophelia was a little quiet and although she was watching the match, her mind seemed elsewhere.

[If you're worried about 'her', don't be. I'm sure she'll be back soon.] he assured her, as he didn't like the idea of them going after 'her' again.

There was a particular spot in the walls that had gotten wider where their leader had been digging, and suddenly, she completely disappeared under the hole and was yet to return. 

At the time he didn't panic because he knew she was strong. But he did wonder what was beyond the exit she had disappeared to.

[I'm not worried about that.] Ophelia said. [I had a really strange dream, you were in it too and I think 'she' was there too.] 

They'd both had similar dreams in the past that he really couldn't explain and Typhon wondered if this was another one of those.

[Was there food in this dream?] Morgana interjected with a mischievous grin. 

But before they could continue 'she' finally returned from the cave exit, looking extremely excited. 

She quickly shook off the water from her glistening scales and made her way over to them. From the way her eyes sparkled, Typhon already knew she was up to no good. Again.

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