Charlie moved faster than I did.
He stepped directly into my path, flames already flickering across his palms, his expression tighter than I had ever seen it. "Young master," he said urgently, forcing me to meet his eyes, "this is a moderate-level beast. You cannot handle this."
The words struck harder than I expected.
I clenched my jaw, frustration burning through the fear in my chest. "But I can't just stand here and watch while you fight it," I shot back. "I won't hide behind you."
"You must understand," he replied, his voice still steady despite the chaos around us. "If things go wrong, your first instinct must be to run. Miss Vaela and I will find an opening and follow behind you."
Before I could say another word, Charlie stepped past me.
Flames flared brighter around his palms as he lunged forward, releasing a concentrated stream of fire that tore through the air and crashed into the black beast's flank. The impact lit up the clearing in a burst of orange and gold, heat rippling outward as the creature snarled in fury.
For a single heartbeat, I remained where I was.
Then I turned.
Instead of retreating as Charlie had urged, I moved in the opposite direction... toward the serpent.
The massive creature lay coiled around its egg, its once-imposing body now battered and fractured. Jagged cracks split across its armored shell, some plates hanging loose, others shattered completely. Its breathing came in heavy, uneven hisses that vibrated through the ground.
Its single remaining yellow eye tracked my approach without blinking.
For a brief, tense moment, I wondered if it would lash out at me.
I had no illusions about what it was, but a wild, wounded beast that had once tried to kill us without hesitation. Instinct told me I was a fool to step closer.
But I stepped forward anyway.
Each movement felt heavy, deliberate. My boots pressed into the blood-soaked earth as I positioned myself near its battered coils, placing my body between the egg and the battlefield beyond. The serpent's cracked shell loomed beside me, close enough that I could hear the rough scrape of its labored breathing and feel the faint tremor running through its injured frame.
Fear crept along my spine like cold fingers.
I raised my sword, forcing my hands to remain steady even as my pulse hammered in my ears.
From the corner of my eye, I stole a cautious glance at the serpent.
Its single yellow eye remained fixed on me, unblinking.
Would it strike me if I made the wrong move?
Did it understand that I wasn't here to harm it... that I stood in front of its egg not as a predator, but as a shield?
I had no way of knowing.
And I didn't have the luxury of finding out.
Grinding my teeth, I tightened my grip around the hilt of my sword and forced my focus forward, toward the brutal clash unfolding between the black beast, Vaela, and Charlie. Whatever doubts lingered behind me, I pushed them aside.
Right now, the only thing that mattered was holding this line.
---
Vaela and Charlie were struggling.
The black beast moved like a storm given muscle and bone, its fists slamming into the ground with enough force to fracture earth. Vaela's arrows struck repeatedly, some grazing, some lodging shallowly in thick hide. Charlie's fire burst across its back in scorching waves.
But the creature barely slowed.
The black beast lunged at Vaela with terrifying speed, its massive arm swinging down in a brutal arc meant to crush bone and earth alike. Vaela reacted at the very last heartbeat, twisting her body and pushing off the ground just as the creature's fist slammed into the forest floor.
The impact was thunderous.
The earth trembled beneath my feet as a shockwave rippled outward, tearing up dirt and leaves in a violent burst. Even from where I stood, I felt the force of it rattle through my bones. Vaela was thrown sideways by the blast, her body lifted off balance and hurled several feet before she crashed and rolled across the ground.
The beast pivoted instantly, its movements surprisingly agile for something so large. Its bloodshot eyes locked onto Charlie.
Charlie didn't hesitate. Flames erupted from his palms in rapid succession, each blast carefully aimed at the beast's face, joints, and exposed areas between muscle and hide. Fire struck with sharp bursts of heat, scorching fur and filling the clearing with the acrid scent of burning flesh.
But it wasn't enough.
The creature snarled and charged straight through the flames as if they were little more than an annoyance. The fire singed its dark fur and blackened patches of skin, yet it didn't slow. Its thick hide absorbed most of the damage, and whatever pain it felt only seemed to drive it forward harder.
Charlie was forced to give ground, stepping back swiftly to avoid being caught in its reach, launching more fire as he retreated.
Then, without warning, the black beast's focus shifted.
Its massive head turned away from Vaela and Charlie, nostrils flaring as if catching a scent carried on the wind. Its bloodshot gaze fixed on something else.
On the serpent and the egg.
A low, rumbling growl vibrated through its chest as it began to advance with heavy, deliberate steps. Each footfall sank into the earth, leaving deep impressions in the soil. It no longer cared about the attacks striking its back. It had chosen its target.
My heart pounded.
Because of the serpent's enormous coiled body, and because I stood partially shielded by its bulk... the beast did not immediately register my presence. Its attention was fixed on the prize behind us.
Vaela and Charlie recovered quickly. Vaela rolled to her feet and drew her bow in one smooth motion, releasing an arrow that streaked through the air and struck the beast's shoulder. At the same time, Charlie launched another concentrated burst of flame that exploded against its back, sparks scattering across its dark fur.
The beast halted mid-step again.
A deep snarl tore from its throat as it began to turn, muscles rippling beneath its thick hide. Its fury shifted again, searching for the source of the irritation.
And that was when it saw me.
I stood there with my sword raised, feet planted in the dirt, positioned in front of the serpent's coiled body as though I could shield it with nothing but steel and will. Compared to the towering mass of muscle and fury before me, I must have looked insignificant.
The beast's red eyes narrowed.
For a single breath, the forest seemed to hold still.
Then it charged.
The ground trembled beneath its weight as it barreled toward me, uprooting loose soil and crushed leaves with every step. Vaela's arrows struck its back and shoulders in rapid succession, and Charlie's flames burst against its flank, scorching fur and filling the air with the stench of burned hair. But the creature barely slowed. It tore the embedded shafts free with violent jerks of its arms, snapping them like brittle twigs, as though they were no more than thorns lodged in its skin.
Its focus never left me.
My heartbeat thundered so loudly in my ears that it drowned out everything else.
I tightened my grip on my sword and forced myself not to retreat.
It leapt.
The earth cracked beneath the force of its takeoff, soil and splinters exploding outward as its massive body launched into the air. For a heartbeat, it blocked out the light filtering through the canopy above, casting a monstrous shadow over me.
"Arthur!" Vaela and Charlie shouted at the same time, their voices sharp with fear.
The beast descended toward me like a falling boulder. Its arm drew back midair, muscles coiling, fist clenched tight enough to make the tendons bulge beneath its thick hide. I saw everything in terrible clarity... the jagged scars running across its forearm, the dark blood matted into its coarse fur, the raw fury blazing in its red eyes.
Time slowed.
I felt the rush of air before the strike even landed, a violent gust that whipped my hair back and stung my eyes. The weight of its presence crushed against my chest, stealing the air from my lungs. My fingers tightened around my sword until my knuckles ached, but I knew deep down... I was too slow.
The punch came down.
And then—
A blur of scaled muscle cut across my vision.
A thunderous impact exploded beside me as something massive struck the black beast from the side. The serpent's tail... even wounded, even half-blind, it moved with terrifying precision. The force of the blow twisted the beast's body midair, completely altering its trajectory.
Instead of crushing me into the earth, the black beast was flung sideways like a rag doll.
It tore through the clearing, smashing into one tree, then another. Trunks splintered under its weight, branches snapping like brittle bones. The ground trembled when it finally crashed down in a cloud of dirt and shattered wood.
For a moment, I couldn't move.
My lungs burned, but I hadn't realized I'd stopped breathing.
The serpent… had protected me.