Fenix and Maya darted through the forest, scanning the undergrowth with growing frustration. They had no clue where the Ashserpent might be hiding, and with time ticking away, every second felt like it mattered.

  "Where do you think it could be?" Fenix asked, his eyes sweeping the surrounding area.

  Maya shrugged, then gnced around thoughtfully. “Well, most snakes like tall grass, right? So maybe we should be looking for that.”

  Fenix raised an eyebrow, his expression incredulous. "How do you even know that?"

  “Random Metube videos,” she said with a nonchant wave of her hand. “I scroll for hours sometimes, and the weirdest stuff pops up.”

  He smirked, teasing her. “What exactly were you searching for that led you to snake videos? Something to do with tentacles?”

  Maya shot him a look, one brow arched in a warning. “Don’t ask me what I’m watching if you don’t want me to ask about what you watch.”

  Fenix grinned, zipping his lips in mock surrender. “Fair enough.”

  They hurried on, weaving through the forest as they hunted for a patch of high grass. Time seemed to blur as they ran through the dense woods, ducking beneath low-hanging branches and avoiding thorny bushes.

  Finally, after what felt like forever, they stumbled upon it—an open clearing where tall, green bdes of grass swayed in the breeze. The grass stretched almost waist-high, shifting like a living sea.

  The grass bdes were vibrant green, but the tips glowed faintly with a fiery orange hue, almost as if they'd been scorched by the sun. The light pyed off them, creating a shimmering effect that made the whole area look alive, like a field of fmes that flickered and danced.

  Fenix checked the area. “Alright, we found the grass, but where’s the serpent?”

  Maya frowned, her confidence wavering. “Maybe I was wrong…”

  Just as she said that a faint rustling sound cut through the air, followed by a slow, slithering movement deep in the grass.

  “There,” Fenix whispered, pointing at the grass. His heart skipped a beat as the shape came into view—an enormous serpent moving through the undergrowth.

  Its body was thick and muscur, covered in scales bckened with ash and soot, each scale appearing charred as if it had crawled through fire. Sharpened bones protruded from various parts of its body like jagged spikes, giving it the appearance of something out of a nightmare. Its glowing red eyes scanned the area, flickering like embers.

  The Ashserpent’s forked tongue flicked out menacingly, tasting the air as it slithered closer, its massive head swaying back and forth in search of prey. Above its head, an icon bar hovered, reading: Ashserpent.

  The creature’s appearance was chilling. As Fenix stared, his breath caught for a moment. “You might have been right, Maya. We did get the most dangerous one.”

  “Dangerous or not, we’ve got to kill it quickly. We don’t have much time,” Maya said as she gripped her machete tightly, her knuckles whitening.

  Fenix nodded, his eyes narrowing. “You’re right.” He scanned the area, thinking fast. “Alright, here’s the pn. I’ll grab its attention while you attack it from the side.”

  "Okay," Maya nodded.

  "Are you ready?” Fenix asked as he took off the knapsack and pced it to one side, out of the way.

  Maya shifted her stance, machete in hand. “Ready as I’ll ever be.”

  They didn’t have to wait long. The Ashserpent reared up, hissing loudly as it spotted them, its eyes glowing brighter as it prepared to strike. Without warning, it lunged forward, its massive body slicing through the tall grass like a shadow.

  Fenix moved quickly, sshing at the serpent with his machete to grab its attention. The bde barely scratched its thick scales, only chipping away a small amount of its health as a gauge appeared above its head. The serpent hissed, enraged, and chased after him through the grass, its massive body knocking aside the stalks like waves parting in its wake.

  The grass seemed to come alive as the Ashserpent pursued him, the orange-tipped bdes swaying violently. Fenix sprinted, his heart pounding as he zigzagged through the tall grass, dodging its snapping jaws. He could hear the serpent’s body cutting through the grass behind him like a giant, living scythe.

  Seeing the serpent’s attention locked on Fenix, Maya took the opportunity. She moved in fast, her steps light and agile, and sshed at the serpent’s side with her machete. The bde cut through its ash-covered scales, but the serpent whipped its tail around, catching her by surprise and sending her flying back with a thud.

  “Damn it,” she growled, scrambling to her feet.

  Fenix noticed a red bar hovering above Maya’s head. It seemed like the health gauges weren’t just for monsters. "Be careful, Maya! You’ve got a health gauge!"

  “Don’t worry, I’ve got this,” Maya called back, narrowly dodging another vicious strike from the serpent’s tail as her health dropped slightly.

  Fenix rushed in to help, stabbing the serpent’s side repeatedly. Green blood spurted from the wounds as he struck, and the serpent hissed in fury, turning its gaze back on him. Its fangs sank deep into his arm, searing pain shooting up as he grimaced.

  “Fenix!” Maya shouted, her heart pounding as she saw him in danger.

  Fenix gritted his teeth, stabbing his machete into the serpent’s neck to get free, then stumbling back, clutching his arm. Blood oozed from the bite, his health bar dropping rapidly.

  Maya cursed under her breath and ran to the knapsack, yanking out a healing potion. “Fenix, catch!” She tossed the vial at him.

  He caught it mid-air, uncorked it with his teeth, and drank it in one swift motion. His health bar shot back up, the pain fading away. “Thanks!” he shouted, wiping his mouth.

  The Ashserpent reared up again, its eyes glowing even more fiercely, but Fenix noticed something—its health bar was low now. Just a few more hits and it would be done.

  “Maya, its health is low!” Fenix shouted.

  Maya didn’t hesitate. She charged forward, her machete raised high and delivered a powerful ssh to the serpent’s neck. Her bde sank deep into its scales, and the Ashserpent let out a piercing screech as green blood spttered onto the ground.

  The serpent thrashed violently, but Fenix seized the moment. With a burst of energy, he rushed forward and plunged his bde straight into the serpent’s skull, the machete sinking in with a sickening crunch.

  The Ashserpent’s movements slowed, its glowing eyes dimming until they were nothing more than faint embers. Its massive body finally went limp, colpsing into the grass with a heavy thud.

  Fenix stepped back, breathing hard as he pulled his bde free from the serpent’s head.

  Maya buzzed with excitement. “That was awesome!”

  “I got to say, you were amazing,” Fenix grinned, holding out his hand for a high five.

  Maya spped his hand with a ugh. “I try,” she said, though the proud gleam in her eyes said more than words could.

  "Alright, let's get the meat we need," Fenix said.

  With those words Fenix and Maya quickly got to work. Maya crouched beside the serpent, slicing off chunks of its flesh, while Fenix stuffed the dark, ashen meat into the knapsack. The sharp scent of it filled the air, mixing with the earthy smell of the forest.

  Once they had what they needed, Fenix pulled out the map from the knapsack and opened it. His eyes scanned the route they needed to take. "Let’s go." Without another word, they bolted through the trees.

  Their footsteps pounded against the forest floor, weaving between thick trunks, dodging twisted roots, and leaping over fallen logs. The wind whipped past their faces, urgency clear in every stride.

  A low-hanging branch nearly caught Fenix’s head, but he ducked just in time, the leaves brushing his hair. Maya was quick on his heels, navigating the rough terrain like it was second nature.

  The timer ticked in the corner of Fenix’s vision—20 minutes left.

  They burst through the st wall of dense undergrowth, the trees suddenly parting to reveal the open clearing where the campsite stood in the distance.

  “Almost there!” Fenix called out, his voice filled with relief.

  Author Note:

  Want to read 50 chapters ahead? You can do that here: ko-fi.com/momocatt If you’re happy reading at the current pace, that’s totally fine too—I appreciate every single reader.

  But if you feel like sending a little support my way (maybe for a coffee or some extra motivation), you can also do that here: ko-fi.com/momocatt

  No matter what, thank you for being here and enjoying the story! (????)