CHPT 13: Battle in the redwoods

"Ok Warren since we are running the back-point formation you stay behind us and just shoot at the face of the snakes, me and Ursula will deliver killing blows." Claude said to Warren while the team prepared to head into the forest. Since the time of their walk Ursula seemed to cool off and now looked excited and determined.

As the team entered the forest Claude could almost physically feel the change in atmosphere, this wasn't how a forest was supposed to be. He noticed he couldn't hear the usual chatter of birds in the distance that's a norm in most forests and he couldn't see any squirrels or other small rodents running around, the whole area felt how it does in a forest when a large predator is nearby. "Is this the affect an invasive species can have on an ecosystem?" He thought in awe at the eerie silence of the vast forest.

As team 7 started their walk deeper into the forest they all noticed that it didn't smell like a forest at all, like vegetation and freshness, instead a thick scent of decay and something sour hung on the humid redwood air.

"Oh my lord...a forest isn't supposed to smell like this." Warren said from the back of the group with a disgusted look on his face.

After another minute of travel Claude heard a noise to his left, he notified his group to prepare them for the worst.

The group stopped to listen and confirm Claudes suspicion that something was in the dense brush next to them.

Beads of sweat collected and dripped down the sides of Warrens face as he kept his shaking hand hovering over an arrow in his quiver while his other held his bow in a vice grip.

CRUNCH

The group heard the loud noise realizing there was indeed something in the thick greenery and they all understood that it was stalking them or at least observing them. Claude put his hand up to still the group since he knew there was a chance this snake was waiting for someone to start running or move at all....these snakes are deceptively fast.

Not even three seconds after Claudes command he heard someone in his group backpedaling furiously..and very loudly. "GOD DAMMIT WARREN!!!" Claude thought.

As Warren made his cowardly retreat he heard Claude curse him but he was far too fear stricken to care.

The snake burst from the bush with a loud and bass heavy "HISS!"

It was between 5 and 6 feet tall and 2 feet thick, it's intense light green reptilian eyes focused on Warrens fleeting figure while leaves and dirt clung to its dark purple armored body.

Claude and Ursula were chasing the snake as it chased Warren. The snake moved with ease and fluidity as it slithered across the forest floor towards Warren. While Warren was running he spared a few glances at the snake who seemed to get closer every time he looked back, on his last glance he tripped over a thick branch in his path sending him to the ground with a loud, " OUMF".

The snake slithered up to Warren and raised its head. As it loomed over Warren it gave an excited, "HISSIS!" In preparation of constricting the life out of him. Claude and Ursula ran to catch up to them yelling, "NO!" "WARREN MOVE!" In the distance.

THWIP!

SQUISH!

An arrow found its place in the side of the Plated Snake distracting it from Warren, the snake looked in the direction the arrow cane from angrily.

A tall and slender girl looked down at Warren disappointedly and said in a posh English accent, "I see your still a wuss, Warren."

While Lucy continued to rain arrows down on the snake from on top of the leaned over tree, Tai and Veronica came from behind the tree and rushed the snake killing it effortlessly.

"Thanks for the save guys!" Ursula said once they reached Warren and team 1 after they killed the plated snake.

"We didn't do it for you." Tai said with a smirk as him and his team disappeared into the forest in search of more snakes.

Ursula went to help up the guilty looking Warren, she turned and saw Claude was back by the brush the snake burst from. He was visibly shaking and the back of his neck had a light sheen of sweat.

***

Claude watched with anger as team 1 swooped in and saved them, killing the snake with ease. "I can't even save my own team members?" He thought to himself. He wanted to prove that he was strong and could contribute to a team— being saved by Tai and Veronica did the very opposite. He kept his eyes on the dense vegetation the snake came from as he replayed the embarrassing moment in his head.

The vegetation was trampled and flattened against the forest floor due to the heavy snake slithering over it and he could now see behind it.

It revealed a wide open expanse of land, no trees or plants just grass for about 100 feet. At the end of the opening was a cave, it had vegetation all over it and vines hanging in front of the entrance like a tattered green curtain.

As Claude continued to survey the area he noticed hundreds of broken eggs in a makeshift nest in the grass near the cave entrance. "Wait are all of the snakes in these redwoods babies?" Claude wondered in horror.

After Claude took his eyes off the eggs and dropped the scary thought that they were fighting babies he heard what sounded like large rocks sliding against each other from inside the cave. Soon enough he saw a gigantic snake emerge from the cave.

This snake was way bigger than the others in the redwoods, it was at least 12 feet tall. The snake slithered out slowly with its eyes closed and its tongue flicking wildly. As it's head fully emerged from the cave he noticed it had two large gazelle like horns spiraling from its armored head. "What....the....hell" he thought as he looked at this creature that symbolized a monster in every sense.

The snake pointed its head to the sky and flicked its black forked tongue out to smell the air, once its monstrous horned head was pointed towards Claude its body went rigid smelling the death of its children.

The monster snapped its eyes open instilling so much fear in Claude he could feel his heartbeat in his throat. It's eyes were a bright and cruel shade of vermillion that seemed to direct all of its hate and maternal rage at him.