The Snake in the Ice

The Shaman's Tears of Rage

There was no time left to lose!! You had to get going right now before it was too late! The mother just bestowed this gift upon you to save the little girl. Y/S/N slithered over to you and you held the delicate egg out to her.

She unhinged her jaw and grappled it in her mouth. Holding it carefully as she slithered out the way you had came. You quickly slid out after her as fast as you could, ignoring how much your wrist was straining at this point.

The bushes rustled as you crawled out. You picked your snake up and she curled around your torso as she gently dropped the egg into your open palm. You turned over to Shila with wide eyes.

" We did it! The mother left us an e-" You were cut off as he held his hand up and shushed you for silence. You cradled the egg close and stared over at him with wide eyes as he looked around the jungle warily.

" Were being hunted." Was all he said as he pulled his bow off of his chest, slowly knocking an arrow with it. What?!?! what did he mean by that?! Hunted by what?! You started looking around wildly, getting a killer headache as your brain tried to process the darkness through only one eye.

You cried out in pain as an arrow whizzed by your head, clipping your ear and causing you to fall over. Your bodily reaction was almost to reach up and cup your ear, but you ignored it and held the egg as close as you could.

Shila shouted something into the jungle before releasing his own arrow in the direction the one that hit you came from. When it disappeared into the shadows the area was suddenly alive with the hoots and hollers of unseen stalkers. You could hear the branches of the jungle plants shaking as they moved through them.

Shila turned around, trapping you and hoisting you up. You stumbled a bit on wobbly legs. He shoved you forward and it took everything you had just to not topple over and land on the ground again.

" Go! Run now! Get to the boat!" Shila shouted at you. You turned and started limp running as fast as you could. Your breathing was heavy as you panted with extension. Your legs could barely get you across the village how on earth were you going to get back to the river.

You glanced behind you, noticing that Shila was not following you. You shouted for him but he only yelled at you to keep going. To not stop until you reached the village. Another arrow struck the ground right at your feet.

You jumped back and Y/S/N let out a rattling hiss at the shadows as she bared her hooked teeth. You took one last pleading glance at Shila before following his wishes and running back the way you came.

All of your scars started burning from the sprinting you were doing, and you were clenching your teeth so hard that your jaw was straining painfully.

Your feet were numb and bloody by the time you reached the hut. You gasped and panted for breath as you slowed to a stop. You were breathing so heavily, wheezing for air but every lungful you took in only seemed like a small breath in.

You collapsed onto your knees. Your entire body was throbbing as your wounded flesh protested heavily against what you just did. You did not have time for this!!! You had to keep moving.

You tried to stand but your legs immediately gave out from underneath you and you fell onto your side. Still clutching the egg as close as could be. You hear footsteps approach over the pounding in your ears.

Even before you turned your head to look at them you knew it was bad news. The steps were slow and methodical, not running towards you to help you if it was Shila.

You squirmed around until you were facing the direction of the oncommer. It was defiantly a person you had never seen before. It was a shortish man absolutely covered head to toe in white body paint. Red markings covered him and coughed as you realized the red markings were made of dried blood.