The next day, Adrian once again set off toward the human village to observe whether anything had changed. The decision was deliberate. He had no intention of acting recklessly; he merely wanted information. Knowledge, after all, was survival.
The forest was quieter that morning. A faint mist clung to the underbrush, and the air still carried the lingering warmth of the early sun. Adrian moved smoothly between tree roots and fallen branches, his newly enlarged body adjusting quickly to its increased length. Each movement felt heavier than before, but also more powerful. The ground responded differently beneath him now. He could feel the subtle vibrations of insects burrowing and small animals scurrying in the distance.
Along the way, he encountered prey.
A rodent emerged cautiously from beneath a shrub, nose twitching as it searched for food. Adrian froze instantly. His tongue flicked out, tasting the air, confirming direction and distance. When the rodent turned slightly, exposing its flank, Adrian struck. The motion was swift and precise. Venom did its work quickly, and the animal's movements ceased within moments.
Later, he ambushed a small ground bird scratching at the forest floor. It attempted to take flight, but Adrian's increased length allowed him to intercept it mid-movement. The hunt was efficient.
By the time he neared the village clearing, Adrian had accumulated another nine evolution points.
He slowed as the scent of humans grew stronger.
The clearing came into view gradually through the trees. Adrian positioned himself at the edge of the forest, partially concealed beneath a cluster of low shrubs. From there, he could observe without exposing himself.
The poorly constructed barricade stood as it had before, little more than uneven logs stacked and tied together, forming a rough defensive perimeter. It was crude. Functional, perhaps, against wild animals, but not against anything truly determined.
Looking through gaps in the barricade, the village appeared much as it had during his first visit. Women moved between huts, carrying baskets or tending small cooking fires. Children ran across the open space, their movements erratic and careless.
There were no men. They were probably out hunting.
Adrian noted that carefully.
He considered moving closer. With patience, he could likely slip through a gap in the barricade unnoticed. His smaller form once would have made such infiltration easy. Now, however, his increased size made stealth more complicated, especially within an open clearing.
He decided against it.
The risk outweighed the reward.
One significant change, however, caught his attention. The village had expanded rapidly. When he first discovered it, there had been perhaps ten huts scattered loosely around the clearing. Now there were more than twenty, arranged more densely. New wooden frames were under construction near the southern edge. Freshly cut logs lay stacked nearby.
They were building something.
Adrian's mind worked through possibilities. Population growth? Preparation for winter? Reinforcements expected? Or perhaps they were fortifying against an external threat.
Humans were rarely idle without purpose.
After observing for several more minutes and noting no immediate abnormalities, Adrian turned to leave. Remaining too long in one place, especially near humans, was unwise.
It was only when he had fully rotated his body that he realized something was behind him.
The scent of humans in the clearing had overwhelmed most other smells, masking nearby presences. Only when he shifted position did the airflow change enough for him to notice.
There, standing only a few steps away, was a small figure.
It appeared to be a young human boy, no older than seven.
He stood frozen, eyes wide, staring directly at Adrian.
For a fraction of a second, neither of them moved.
Then the boy inhaled sharply, chest expanding as if preparing to scream.
Adrian reacted instantly.
He surged forward with explosive speed, covering the short distance in less than a heartbeat. His body coiled upward, climbing the boy's small frame before the child could release a sound. Adrian wrapped himself around the boy's neck and lower face, tightening just enough to seal his mouth and restrict his ability to shout.
The boy stumbled backward under the sudden weight and fell to the ground with a muffled cry trapped beneath Adrian's coils.
"Why is a young boy out here alone?" Adrian wondered briefly.
The question flickered through his mind, but it was irrelevant in the moment.
What mattered was what he would do next.
From his position, he could end the boy's life in seconds. A stronger constriction. A venomous bite. Both were viable options.
The calculations began immediately.
If he killed the child, the body would be found. Panic would follow. Humans might send hunting parties into the forest. Traps. Fire. Magic.
The old woman.
Adrian remembered her distinctly, the one who had used magic during his previous visit. If she investigated, she might track him. His territory would no longer be safe.
The boy squirmed beneath him, hands clawing weakly at Adrian's body. His breathing grew shallow and erratic.
Adrian's coils tightened slightly as he adjusted his grip, preventing any sound from escaping. He brought his eyes level with the boy's.
Terror stared back at him.
The child's pupils were wide, unfocused, tears already gathering at the edges. His small fingers trembled as they tried, uselessly, to pry Adrian loose.
Adrian increased pressure gradually.
Not enough to kill.
Just enough to remind.
The boy's struggles weakened as oxygen dwindled. His small body slackened, and he collapsed fully onto the forest floor.
Then it happened.
A voice rang out from the direction of the village.
It was loud, sharp, and filled with urgency. The language was unfamiliar to Adrian, but the tone required no translation. Panic.
The voice repeated what sounded like a single word, over and over again.
Likely a name.
Adrian shifted his head slightly and looked back toward the clearing.
Through his infrared vision, he saw multiple heat signatures moving rapidly away from the barricade. Several adult women were running toward the forest's edge. Behind them, slower but unmistakable, was the elderly woman he had seen before, the one who wielded magic.
The distance between them was closing.
Adrian made his decision.
It was not worth it.
Killing the child would bring unnecessary escalation. He had gained nothing of value from this encounter beyond confirmation that the humans would notice if one of their own were to go missing. That knowledge alone was sufficient.
Without further hesitation, Adrian loosened his coils and withdrew from the boy's neck. The child collapsed fully to the ground, coughing violently as air rushed back into his lungs.
Adrian wasted no time.
He propelled himself northward, moving swiftly through the underbrush. He deliberately chose a direction away from his shelter, ensuring that if the humans attempted pursuit, they would be misled.
Branches snapped lightly as he passed, but he did not slow. Only once he had put significant distance between himself and the clearing did he reduce his pace.
Behind him, human voices grew louder, then gradually faded.
—————————
Tallow lay sprawled on the forest floor, gasping desperately for breath.
Red marks covered his mouth and neck where the serpent's coils had pressed against his skin. Each inhale burned. His vision blurred, then sharpened again as he fought to remain conscious.
The world felt distant and muffled, as though he were submerged underwater.
He coughed violently, rolling onto his side. Dirt clung to his cheek, and tears streamed down his face uncontrollably. His small hands trembled as he pressed them against his throat, as if reassuring himself that it was still there.
The forest seemed impossibly large now. The trees towered above him like silent witnesses.
Mustering every ounce of strength he had left, Tallow forced air into his lungs and screamed.
"Help! Someone help me, please!"
His voice cracked midway through the cry, but it carried.
Moments later, shapes burst through the treeline.
The adult women of the village came rushing toward him, skirts snagging on branches, expressions stricken with fear. Their movements were frantic and uncoordinated, driven by pure panic.
Behind them, the elderly woman approached more steadily, her eyes scanning the ground and surrounding forest with far more focus.
Tallow tried to speak again, but only weak sobs escaped him.
The forest around them remained silent.