As Tallow was helped up by the women of the village, his small hands still trembling, he locked eyes with the old lady making her way toward him. The women supported him gently, brushing dirt from his clothes and checking the angry red marks around his neck and mouth. But Tallow's attention was fixed entirely on the approaching figure.
The moment he saw her weathered face and familiar grey braid, tears welled up in his eyes.
"Grandma Sherry," Tallow stuttered, his voice breaking as fear finally overcame him. "A snake, a snake attacked me."
By now, tears streamed freely down his cheeks, leaving pale trails through the dust on his skin. His chest heaved as he tried to steady his breathing, though every inhale still felt tight and painful.
The village shaman, known affectionately to the children as Grandma Sherry, did not immediately panic at his words. Her expression remained calm, though her sharp eyes carefully examined the marks on his throat. The forest surrounding their settlement was filled with creatures both mundane and magical. It was hardly surprising that an unaccompanied child wandering beyond the barricade would encounter danger.
Still, the pattern of bruising around his neck made her frown slightly, the snake had known how to stop the child from screaming, that showed atleast a moderate level of intelligence.
It was then that another voice broke through the gathering crowd.
"Tallow!"
A young woman came running from the direction of the village, one hand clutching her noticeably swollen belly as she hurried forward. Despite her condition, she moved with desperate urgency, her face pale with fear.
"Why did you leave the village, Tallow?" she cried, breathless. "I told you not to go past the fence!"
At the sound of that familiar voice, Tallow's head snapped up. His vision blurred again as fresh tears filled his eyes.
"M-Mum," he whispered, his voice cracking.
The women supporting him gently helped him to his feet. His legs shook so badly he could barely stand on his own. Each step toward his mother felt unsteady, as though the ground might give way beneath him.
When he finally reached her, he wrapped both arms tightly around her thigh, burying his face against her dress.
"I'm so sorry, Mum," he squealed through sobs. "I promise I'll never do it again."
His mother's expression softened immediately. Relief washed over her features as she stroked his hair with trembling fingers. She crouched slightly, wincing from the strain, and inspected his face and neck.
"You scared me," she murmured quietly. "You must never leave without telling someone. The forest isn't safe."
Grandma Sherry stepped closer, placing a wrinkled hand gently against Tallow's throat. A faint warmth spread from her palm as she murmured something under her breath. Though Tallow didn't understand the words, he felt the lingering ache ease slightly.
"It was a snake?" she asked calmly.
Tallow nodded vigorously. "It wrapped around me. I couldn't breathe."
The shaman's eyes narrowed ever so slightly. But she said nothing more for now.
"Bring him back inside," she instructed. "And double the watch at the barricade."
Tallow's mother nodded gratefully. Keeping one arm around her son's shoulders, she slowly guided him back toward the village. The other women followed, whispering anxiously among themselves.
Behind them, Grandma Sherry lingered for a moment longer, gazing toward the forest's edge.
Something about this felt different.
—————————
After putting a considerable distance between himself and the village, Adrian finally slowed his pace.
He lifted his head slightly and tasted the air, flicking his tongue out to sample the scents carried on the breeze. The overwhelming stench of humans had long since faded, replaced by the damp, earthy aroma of the forest.
He paused.
No shouts.
No pounding footsteps.
No pursuit.
Not sensing anything unusual, Adrian allowed himself to relax, if only slightly.
It seemed the humans were not pursuing him.
"Good," he thought to himself.
He had made the right decision. Killing the child would have caused chaos. It might have drawn the attention of that old woman, the one capable of using magic. Adrian had no desire to test himself against a human spellcaster, not yet.
Turning to the south west, he began the steady journey back toward his base.
The next hour and a half was far from uneventful.
Because he had altered his return route to avoid leading the villagers toward his territory, Adrian found himself traversing unfamiliar lands. The terrain shifted gradually, the undergrowth growing denser in some areas and thinning in others.
At one point, he detected the heavy, musky scent of a large predator ahead.
Carefully slithering closer while remaining concealed beneath brush and shadow, Adrian spotted a giant boar rummaging through the soil. It was slightly smaller than the monstrous one that had attacked the village previously, but still far too large for him to confront directly.
Its tusks gleamed, thick and curved, capable of goring him in a single charge.
Adrian wisely chose to avoid it.
Circling wide around the beast, he continued onward.
Fortunately, not all encounters were so dangerous.
During his journey, he managed to hunt several small creatures, rodents mostly, along with a few small birds careless enough to land too close to the forest floor.
One encounter, however, caught his interest.
He discovered a new species of bird unlike any he had seen before. Its feathers shimmered faintly with a reddish hue, and when it swooped down aggressively, its talons briefly ignited with flickering flames.
The attack startled Adrian, forcing him to recoil instinctively. The flames were real, though weak, more like sparks than true fire.
Still, it was magic.
The bird was swift but fragile. After narrowly avoiding another fiery swipe, Adrian struck decisively. His venom and constriction proved more than enough to overpower the creature.
Once consumed, he felt the familiar sensation of energy accumulating within him.
From these hunts, Adrian gained another 13 evolution points.
By the time he finally reached familiar territory, the sun was well past its peak. It was slightly after midday when he slipped back into the safety of his base.
The cool darkness of his shelter was comforting.
After resting briefly, Adrian decided not to waste the remaining daylight. Instead of risking another confrontation with larger predators, he focused on hunting smaller, safer prey near his territory.
Rodents.
Small ground birds.
A few lizards.
Nothing too dangerous.
Though individually insignificant, the steady accumulation of kills proved effective. By the time dusk began to settle over the forest, Adrian had earned an additional 16 evolution points.
Satisfied with the day's progress, he retreated into the deepest corner of his base. Curling his body into a tight coil, he allowed himself a moment of stillness.
Today had been… eventful.
The humans were expanding for a unknown reason.
And they possessed magic.
All factors he would need to consider moving forward.
Before allowing sleep to claim him, Adrian focused inward and summoned his status.
The familiar screen appeared in his mind.
[Status:
Name: Adrian Vale
Species: Lesser Arcane Viper
Age: 19 days
Evolution Points: 59
Length: 1 meter
Diameter: 8 cm
MP: 15/15
Abilities: Mild Venom, Constrict, Infrared Vision, Chemoreception, Basic Dark Magic]