Ren blinked once. Then twice.
She squinted through the gloom and the mud splattered on her eyelashes, her legs wobbling slightly as she stood in the center of the pit.
"Viper?" she rasped, disbelief coloring her tone.
The snake guard, who had been standing stoically in the mud like a statue of heroism, suddenly stiffened. His eyes adjusted to the low light. He looked at Ren.
He saw Ren.
Specifically, he saw all of Ren.
"GAH!"
Viper let out a sound that was less like a fearsome warrior and more like a stepped-on squeaky toy.
In a blur of motion that rivaled the Beast Kings themselves, Viper dashed to the absolute furthest corner of the pit. He slammed his body against the muddy wall, turning his back to her so violently that Ren worried he might have given himself whiplash.
"I saw!" Viper shouted at the dirt wall, his voice cracking. "My eyes have betrayed me! I am a disgrace!"
