Chapter 169: To Coil & Strike
How long had it been?
Windy hissed low, his pale scales disappearing against the frost-covered ground as he slithered through the snow. The sting of failure gnawed at him, sharper than the icy wind. His ambush had failed, leaving his body battered and his pride in tatters. The best he could do was slither around, avoiding the man's attacks with evasive movement.
Behind him, heavy footsteps crushed the snow. His instincts screamed to flee, to vanish into the safety of the deeper woods.
But he didn’t.
The serpent wanted to ask himself why, but deep down, he already knew the reason.
The cold bit into him, numbing his pain, but it was a double-edged sword. The snow sapped his strength, and he couldn’t linger here long.
The hooded man’s voice rasped through the quiet. “Hiding, little snake? I’ll tear you out by your fangs.”
The serpent burrowed into the snow, leaving faint tracks leading one way, then doubled back silently. His pale form weaved through the frost like a phantom, coiling beneath another drift. His tongue flicked again, tasting the air. The man’s injured arm hung stiffly at his side, the deep gash still raw despite his lack of reaction to the wound.
'That’s the weakness. That’s where I strike.'