Rumbling shook the camp on the crust floor, pots clattering as a giant form neared. A snake ran upon their camp, thirty feet from nose to rattler, crashing into the underbrush. It smashed a pot, hissing at the woman wielding a giant sword that glinted orange in the light of the dual fires.
Yakhai woke from his nap disturbed, and witnessing the giant reptile crashing through their camp, bleated in fear and booked it, racing away from the snake.
Running after her retreating mount, the Seeker leapt onto his bare back, but not before scooping up a handful of pebbles and her trusty sling. Sword laid carefully across her lap and locked in place with a strategically wedged elbow, she swung the sling, THRUM flinging a stone at the approaching snake’s eye. The stone flew true, but the snake was quick, jerking out of the way, the stone skittering off the hard scales on the brow ridge. Scales gleaming in the firelight, the snake wriggled over the uneven terrain, large form knocking over the carefully arranged pots.
“We gotta get this snake out of here! He’s gonna ruin all my hard work! Rebecca, can you run on your own?”
“Don’t worry about me! Hiding is what I do best!” The fiercely glowing cat said, diving behind debris. The furry feline was woefully hidden, twitchy ears peeking up over a mound of slag and sediment, a bright pulsing glow further revealing her location.
Rolling her eyes and snorting at the cat’s helplessness, the Seeker continued to draw the snake’s attention, flinging stones at the fluidly moving goliath, leading it away from the camp and the huddling cat. The snake lunged after them, jaws opening to reveal massive fangs seeping a vile poison.
Frustrated with her stones bouncing off the snake’s scales, the Seeker targeted a rock face above them, dislodging several boulders which crashed into the snake’s back. Slowing slightly, the snake hissed venomously and began chasing them with fervor, the boulders only serving to enrage it.
Lunging forward, the snake’s jaws snapped closed just shy of Yakhai’s tail. The snake let out a frustrated hiss, tongue flickering. The long tongue brushed against Yakhai’s flanks, causing him to bleat in fear. Spooked, the goat beast made a series of leaps up out of the crust and onto the land above, emerging into a grassy pine forest interspersed with bamboo thickets and flowering bushes.
They sped toward a clearing in the middle of a circle of pine trees, coming to a stop in a circle of matted grass littered with broken egg shells. A bed for some creature, freshly vacated. The snake remained down in the crust, out of sight but certainly slithering toward the pair. Yakhai and the Seeker turned in tight circles, keeping watchful eyes out for any sign of scales.
RATTLE RATTLE The noise came from their right and the pair turned their heads toward the sound, only for the snake’s head to emerge from behind them, speedily slithering out of the crust, eyes locked on their prey. Vertical slits in orange orbs shone bright amongst the golden grasses, the mid-morning sun setting them ablaze. Hunger and rage filled the snake’s belly as it raced forward, maw wide open.
Kicking Yakhai forward, the Seeker prepared a stone, flinging it at the glowing snake eyes. CRACK! The stone hit true, piercing deeply into the right eye, clear fluid spraying across the grass. Rearing back, the snake shrieked, rattler shaking fiercely. It reversed, cautious, and began circling the clearing outside the ring of pines, full form appearing from the crust, snaking through the trees.
Catching her breath, the Seeker stowed her sling and grabbed her sword from where it lay across her lap, turning Yakhai to constantly be facing the snake’s head.
RATTLE RATTLE The snake’s tail whipped around, smacking the Seeker across the back and throwing her from Yakhai’s back, who was knocked over from the fierce blow, shoved to the side. Sprawling to the ground, the Seeker leapt up quickly, scrabbling for her sword in the tall grass. Grasping the hilt firmly, she kept it hidden in the grass as the snake’s huge head shot forward, maw opened wide. At the last moment, she flicked the tip up, catching the snake across the mouth, opening a vertical gash through both lips.
The snake, angered beyond reason, became unrelentingly aggressive. Jaws snapping forward again and again, it was all the woman could do to dodge out of the way of the huge, illustrious fangs dripping with deadly poison.
The Seeker found herself wishing for more companions. Alone, and even with Yakhai, she was struggling to hold off the snake. With just one or two more companions, it would be easy to take a beast like this down. Internally, she mused, I was foolish. I shouldn’t have run off alone.
Yakhai came in at the last second, kicking the snake squarely in the side of the head with both back hooves at once, sending the beast’s huge head flying into a pine tree which cracked under the impact. The snake lay stunned, eyes turning in uncoordinated circle and tongue flickering weakly.
I’m not alone! The Seeker thought, making a mental note to give Yakhai extra treats that evening. Rushing forward, the Seeker plunged her sword deep into the Snake’s head, but this only enraged it further. The snake reared back, sword still lodged firmly in its head, ripping the hilt out of the Seeker’s calloused hands.
Unexpectedly disarmed, the Seeker grimaced and backed away from the flailing snake, brows furrowing. Gaze locked on the shiny steel sticking from between the snake’s scales, she made to approach, creeping through the flattened grass. Getting close to the still writhing serpentine monster, she broke out into a sprint and lunged, hand grasping for the hilt. Contact! Lifting herself up by one hand, she made to stand on the enraged snake’s scales, but at the moment her boots touched scale, the snake began to spin! Rolling over violently, the snake threw the Seeker across the clearing, sword going flying past her and vanishing in the chest high grass.
Flying across the clearing, the woman reflected on her mentor’s parting words, “You can’t take the world on alone! Even monsters must run in packs.” She shook her head, thinking, Foolish. I am not enough. before crashing into a pine tree, cracking her skull against the hard bark. Her breath emptied in a woosh, leaving her struggling for breath, and every bone in her body was screaming. Skin protected from the worst of the impact by her leathers and robe, her insides weren’t doing as well, pain engulfing her. She lay on the ground in a heap, mask lost in the grass and stubbly black scalp trickling blood.
Fog clouded her thoughts, and she scrabbled weakly at the ground, attempting to stand despite the protesting of her throbbing head. Sword. I need my sword. Sever the head. That’s the only way.
Looking up, the Seeker’s eyes shot open as she witnessed the snake bearing down on her, racing over the grass in tight slithers. The creature began to open its mouth, fangs bared and ready for the kill, when Yakhai came bellowing in from the side, slamming his horned head into the snake’s head, sending it off course past the Seeker. The snake’s built up speed made it turn and tumble, flipping as it reeled away from the giant goat creature.
Yakhai turned away from the snake with a huff and trotted over to the Seeker, putting his head on her shoulder.
“I’d be lost without you.” She said, voice brimming with gratitude, standing and having to tilt her chin up to look the beast in his square pupils. Yakhai licked her, huge tongue slurping over her bare face. Feeling her face unclothed, she looked around her feet for her mask, but it was nowhere to be seen. “Later. Snake comes first.” Shaking her head, she slung herself up onto Yakhai and felt for her sling, only to find empty pockets. “Damn, I dropped everything in that hit. Yakhai, sword takes priority. It’s in the grass over there.” She said, pointing to a patch of grass nearly as tall as her. “Let’s go.”
———
Back at camp, Rebecca shivered in her hiding spot before slowly peeking her head over and scanning the terrain with her eyes. Finding no snakes present, she gave a contented sigh and stretched.
The distant sounds of rattling and hissing drew her attention, and she felt torn. She wanted to help, given how useful the Seeker had been so far, and losing the one who had been feeding her would be a great loss. However, apprehension filled her at the idea of even nearing such a beast. She had only stumbled upon it in a clearing and that was more than enough contact for her. Although, she might need me. She is unpaired, after all.
Rebecca slowly approached the pine clearing to watch, creeping through the grass, and what she saw shook her.
Two monsters squared off inside a ring of pines, one in the shape of a human and the other a scaly reptile. Weaving through the pines, the giant woman wore a mad snarl, mask lost somewhere in the process, face drenched in blood. The snake was having trouble navigating through the trees and bore many cuts across its lengthy body, one eye closed and weeping fluid, the other’s vertical pupil enraged, on fire in the slew of god rays shining down into the clearing, filtering through the pines.
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Yakhai stood off to the side, tense, ready to leap in if the Seeker fumbled and got in a sticky situation.
Darting slashes and feints annoyed the snake and it lunged forward, but the woman dodged, letting the monster sail past and slam into a tree. It hissed in anger and pain, the Seeker’s sword slicing into it over and over.
Rebecca felt overwhelmed, terrified at the presence of the two, unwilling to go any further. What a frightening companion I’ve found. If she joins with a combat symbiont she’ll be a true monster. Maybe she does have a chance against the Demon.
Retreating, the snake raised its head up on its thick trunk of flesh, looking down on the Seeker. The mouth opened, revealing pink flesh inside, and the fangs flared, spraying venom at the Seeker. Dodging out of the way, the Seeker narrowly avoided the fluid, some of it getting on her robe. Where the venom landed on the robe, holes appeared, eating straight through the cloth.
Rebecca’s eyes widened and she thought, She needs help! Help only I can give! Creeping forward through the grass, she watched the two exchange blows, the Seeker narrowly avoiding the snake’s strikes at every turn.
CRASH! The Seeker tripped on a rock hidden in the brush while backing up, falling to her back. Seeing an opportunity, the snake rose up and prepared its venom spitting attack, head rearing back. Yakhai moved to charge in, but he was too far. NOW! Thought Rebecca, and she flared her ability targeting the snake. Neck prickling, a green glow enveloped her, her fur radiating luminescence on the thick grass.
Striking forward, the snake’s fangs flared and venom erupted from them, only to miss, falling far short of the prone Seeker. The snake looked down, confused, and when its single eye returned to its prey, she was gone. Scouring the clearing, the menacing eye swept back and forth, looking for whatever made it miss its venom spray.
While the snake was confused, the woman dashed off toward the approaching Yakhai, leaping to his back mid stride and taking him down into the crust around the pine grove. “I think that may have been Rebecca. We should find her. I think she-“
“I’m here, Seeker!” A green glow came from above, where a tiny cat poked a smug face out of long reeds of grass. “I can make him miss his shots! It should also effect his lunges.”
“We can use that! Let’s go!”
The three of them rose back toward the clearing, where the raging snake thrashed at the trees, flattening all the grass in the area.
Hidden by the grass, Rebecca activated her ability, the snake wobbling in place as Yakhai and his rider charged the big beast, Yakhai ramming his horned head into the fleshy scales, cracking them. As Yakhai made impact, the Seeker leapt off, sword firmly held in both hands, landing on the stunned snake’s neck.
Powerful downward strokes rained on the snake’s scaly neck, the Seeker roaring as her muscles bulged powerfully, veins throbbing, face red from screaming, hacking again and again into the tough flesh and bone, until a wedge appeared in the neck, oozing blood.
The Seeker smiled, thinking Progress, and leapt off the snake back onto Yakhai, moving to circle the massive beast occupying the center of the clearing. The snake began to slow down, exhausted and in great pain, concussed from repeated hits to the head and tired from massive blood loss.
“One more round and we have it!” The woman called, cheering to her furred companions. Yakhai bleated in response, barging in and slamming into the snake’s head, knocking it flat against the ground.
Screaming, the Seeker leapt from Yakhai’s back onto the snake’s neck where a large wedge of flesh was missing. Sword held in a two-handed grip, she brought it down with all her might, severing the spine. A rain of chops followed, finishing the cut. The snake’s head fell to the ground, mouth opening and closing wildly, eyes rolling around and finally up into the snake’s skull. After minutes of thrashing, the giant corpse stilled, blood slowing from a gush to a trickle out of the massive wound bisecting the snake.
Drenched in foul serpentine blood, the woman collapsed to the ground shaking with laughter. “We did it. I can’t believe it. I thought I was a goner.” Yakhai bleated contentedly and came over to lick the Seeker, cleaning her bloodied face and head. Rebecca approached the two, faintly glowing and looking pleased with herself.
“Thank you both. Were it not for your help, I surely would have died.” She hugged Yakhai and turned to address Rebecca, “From here on out, you have my faith.”
The Seeker continued, “I can’t believe I missed the signs. We’ll need to be more watchful in the future. Another surprise attack like this could prove fatal.” The Seeker mused, staring out at the field of crushed grasses atop the crust, cracked egg shells littering the ground underfoot. “I didn’t notice before, but this clearing must have been its nest!”
“Seeker, look! An intact egg!” Rebecca pointed down into the crust with her tail.
“You’re right. That’s a real find!”
An egg sat underneath a thick layer of grass, partially hidden in a crack in the crust. Thick-shelled and marbled white with brown spots, the egg was the size of one of the Seeker’s hand-woven pots.
“Seeker, shall we make a snake quiche?”
“No, I intend on bringing this egg back to the Sanctum. It is an interesting find, one I think the Masters will enjoy, and being able to study the snake’s development will be a worthy endeavor for a group of initiates.”
“Seeker, are you implying you are going to allow children to raise a giant snake?”
“Yes, it could prove a worthy mount for one of them.”
They collected the fangs and rattler, but had to leave the scaly skin behind. The Seeker lamented not being able to collect it, but the large hide would be unwieldy and would require a team to properly process. Again, we need a team. That should be my priority after this library visit, the Seeker thought. She was also trying to save room in her bags for books, keeping the library to come in mind. I’m still not sure if it’s real, but Rebecca is proving a worthy ally. I will believe her.
“Seeker, should we not have collected the snake venom?”
“It would certainly be valuable, but I know not the anatomy well enough to be confident in removing the glands. My canisters are all full too, and I hesitate to fill a clay pot with such a vile compound if we plan on traveling with it for some time.”
“You had no such compunction with your mushroom poison.”
“Because we’re about to use it. Trust me, I don’t want to be near it for any longer than is absolutely necessary.”
After gathering as much of the snake meat as she could cook, almost the entire snake remained untouched. “I know how we can put this to use.”
----------
Rat riders watching from above witnessed the woman and her giant goat tussle with the snake. Mutters floated through the group, fear rising to the surface.
“Did you see that glow? It looked like it came from the grass.”
“No, I was focused on the snake. Did you see the size of that thing?”
“We would need a strike team with a combat mutant to face that thing, at least!”
The leader on a large gray rat spoke from behind his dingy, tattered mask, “That woman is terrifying. Reiterating what the boss said, follow them and find out why they were at the tar pits. Seize what opportunities arise and don’t come back until she’s either dead or gone.
“Squad of six on crust watch last week didn’t return. I’d bet on that woman being responsible. See that sword and all that leather? Rich as all get out. Those idiots on crust watch definitely tried to take her down and failed. Hal and I will return to the Pit House and call in a combat mutant. Hell, if possible I’ll get a whole strike team. I want two of you on overwatch on that massive pincher colony, and another two following the woman from a distance. Make sure she doesn’t see you, we don’t need any more trouble.
"Roger, I want you to be on the team following the woman. Use that hearing of yours and keep an ear out. The other three of you, assign yourselves as you wish.”
Chittering and skittering rats scampered down a steep slope, big hairy forms making nary a sound. Masked riders pet their greasy fur, adorned in matted furs sticky with tar. Two pairs split off from each other, one pair going to the nest and the other to the hills where the Seeker camped.