Out in front of Sacram’s gate, shaggy grass gave way to dusty ground which spread through the rest of the canyon.

Mirak patted Alden on the shoulder as he passed him. The hunter raised his shield ten feet in front of Alden and braced his feet in a defensive posture. His rosewood spear beat a rhythm against the edge of his shield. Grath flanked him to the left. Sunlight gleamed in the silver veins of the enormous greataxe which Grath held high overhead to strike at a moment’s notice. Powerful breaths surged through the Aibeck’s chest, and his bulging muscles flexed as he loosened them for the coming battle.

Felka passed Alden and whispered, “Keep behind us and follow my lead.” She took up a position flanking Mirak on his right, completing the diamond formation. Dust settled in her long black hair and faded the dark color to ash. The huntress held her greatsword in a low position behind her and took a wide stance. Her hazel eyes were hard and focused.

Alden’s heart thumped in his chest and his breathing quickened. His slick hands fumbled on the grip of his greatsword, and the black-haired hunter had to wipe his palms on his rough hide pants. He clenched his greatsword’s hilt until it squeaked. Clouds of dust billowed up into the air and burned his throat. He squinted his eyes to spot the snake hidden in the haze. Every hair on Alden’s body stood up straight, and his body quivered with nervous energy. He’d hunted puklo with his tribe and had even finally been allowed to score the killing blow, but he had never hunted a predator. Ragged breaths shook his slim chest as Alden struggled to remember anything Grath had taught him about petal snakes.

The petal snake rose into view with a gurgling hiss. The snake towered over the band of hunters and nearly reached the top of the enormous gate. Golden scales covered the monster, with vivid blue scale patterns looping across the beast’s massive coils. From a distance the scales looked as beautiful and graceful as petals, but Alden had been taught to fear their touch. The razor-sharp edges could slice through human flesh as easily as the snake now glided through the billowing dust. Large bone antlers rose from the snake’s head. Each point was as long as Alden’s arm.

The monster’s elongated serpentine face regarded the hunters. Glistening fangs as long as Alden’s leg sparkled in the snake’s gaping maw. The giant snake shifted its triangular head from side to side and made that gurgling hiss again as Mirak beat on his shield. Echoes bounced back from the canyon wall to the hunters’ right, each beat pounding in Alden’s ears.

Felka’s voice cut through Alden’s fear. “Little brother, climb the rocks to our right and see if you can land on its back.” He followed her gaze to a small trail of footholds cut into the canyon wall to their right. He darted to the stone wall and vaulted up the crumbling ledges toward the canyon rim above.

He was halfway up the wall when the mighty beast snapped at Felka. Glistening fangs extended fully from the snake’s jaw as its wide mouth descended on the huntress.

Mirak hurled himself in front of Felka. The snake’s face struck Mirak’s huge bone shield with a resounding crash. The monster’s head was easily three times the size of Mirak, and the force would have hurled any normal man hundreds of feet away. Instead, Mirak dug in his heels, gritted his teeth, and slid backwards only one pace through the dust. The hunter’s tattoo under his right eye glowed with emerald light. Fangs scraped on bone as the snake strained against the shield and tried to bash through, but Mirak held firm.

Felka’s tattoo glowed a deep blue. She leaped ten feet through the air and brought her greatsword across for a sideways strike across the snake’s face. But one enormous yellow eye swiveled to focus on Felka. The snake turned its head and intercepted her blade with one of its antlers. An echoing crack rang out across the battlefield, and a small chip of antler spun off to embed itself in the rocky canyon wall just beside Alden.

Alden continued pumping his legs. Blue light burned from his cheek tattoo as he scaled the canyon wall in huge bounds which gobbled up the distance. The black-haired youth reached the top and quickly surveyed the fight from on high.

The snake reeled back from the force of Felka’s blow. It reared up when Mirak bashed its face with his shield.

Alden grinned. “Don’t drop your guard in front of me, snake.” He launched from the top of the canyon wall toward the beast’s head thirty feet below and angled his sword to plunge it into the back of the snake’s neck and into the spine. But his surging adrenaline got the best of him. Alden shouted as he fell, remembering too late that Grath had cautioned his trainees against battle cries during the hunt.

The snake jerked its head around to look at Alden.

Alden’s sword hit the petal scales just to the left of the spine. His sharp bone blade carved deep into the armored neck, shattering scales with loud tinkling noises. The weapon bit deep into the flesh beneath and hot blood squirted from the wound, but he was off target.

Alden’s landed hard with both feet. The razor-edged scales pressed into his soles through his hide slippers.

The snake screamed, a high-pitched warbling sound pierced that Alden’s ears. Before he could recover, the beast whipped its head back and forth.

Alden tried to brace himself with his sword stuck in the monster’s flesh, but he’d only scored a glancing blow. He lost his grasp on his sword and tumbled against the pointed scales. Their razor edges shredded Alden’s right arm and leg and lacerated his back as he rolled down the snake’s coils.

Alden fell another thirty feet and hit the canyon floor with a jarring crunch. The breath rushed out of him, and he gasped in a mouthful of hot dust. His ribs throbbed when he moved. Only the strength of Alden’s spirit blessing kept the fall from killing him. His falling sword stabbed into the ground inches from his head.

“Alden!” Felka screamed.

Alden lay face down in the dirt, unarmed and too injured to move. He knew the snake could pierce his exposed back with its fangs at any moment, but his shaky arms wouldn’t support his weight.

A hide boot appeared beside Alden’s face.

The injured hunter managed to turn his head. Mirak stood over him, shielding his new brother with his massive bone shield. Above the two men, the snake weaved back and forth with its fangs extended, looking for an opening.

Grath loosed a guttural roar and charged in, swinging his greataxe’s mighty three-foot bone blade. Crimson light poured from the four spike tattoos on Grath’s cheeks. Hot snake blood sprayed across the Aibeck’s chest and arms as his axe bit deep into the snake’s flesh.

The snake screamed and squirmed, kicking up more choking dust. The beast dodged the purple hunter’s next attack, and the battle moved away from Alden.

Felka skidded to a halt and knelt down beside her brother. Her warm hand seized the back of his neck, and the soothing warmth immediately spread to his entire body. Sapphire light poured from Felka’s tattoo and dazzled Alden’s eyes as she healed him. She poured her spirit energy into Alden’s shredded and battered body. Wounds stopped bleeding and closed over. The sharp agony in his ribs eased until Alden could draw a deep breath.

Mirak and Grath dueled the snake thirty feet away. Gurgling hisses and warbling screams rattled Alden’s teeth. For the moment, Grath’s raw ferocity and Mirak’s calculated angling were keeping the beast on the defensive.

Felka grabbed Alden under the arm and lifted him up. Her hazel eyes swept over Alden’s body as she scanned for any unhealed injuries. “Are you okay, little brother?”

Hot shame swept through Alden. He felt his cheeks burn. “I’m being rescued during my first predator hunt.”

Felka gripped Alden by his breastplate’s braces and pulled him close with a feral grin. “You’ve shed blood for the tribe. It won’t be the last time.”

Alden clenched his teeth and returned the crazed grin.

Felka shook Alden once in approval and released him. He yanked his blade from the ground, and the two hunter siblings turned to join their band. They fell in behind Mirak and took turns darting out to swipe at the snake when it got close. Mirak took point, pounding away with his shield. Grath stood away from the group to pincer the snake and swipe at its coiled flank.

Together, the band of hunters drove the snake away from the village. The beast was now three hundred feet from the gate. Alden could hear the assembled viewers on top of the gate and the canyon walls cheering him and his band to victory.

The monster lunged at Grath with its mouth gaping wide, trying to swallow the Aibeck whole.

Grath leaped toward the giant face. He passed just over its top lip, stepped his purple foot on the creature’s snout, and pushed off again, hurtling straight at one of the creature’s antlers. Both of the Aibeck man’s legs split at the knees and unraveled to each become three thick purple tentacles. The six appendages wrapped around the snake’s antler and anchored the purple man in place on top of the head without requiring him to touch the snake’s scales.

The petal snake shrieked and thrashed its head, but the Aibeck held on tight. Crimson light poured from his cheek tattoos and his powerful biceps flexed as Grath swung his axe down on the snake’s other antler.

The huge monster lashed out in all directions. Its fang-filled mouth snapped closed again and again as it twisted and bite Grath. The monster’s razor-sharp coils boiled around Alden, Felka, and Mirak, kicking up even more billowing dust.

Mirak’s shield formed a bulwark against the encroaching serpent’s body. The new husband battered away any scaly coil which came close to his family. Alden and Felka took turns darting out from behind Mirak to score more strikes on the beast. Their attacks left bleeding gashes in the huge snake’s writhing body.

A mighty crack split the air as Grath chopped through the other antler. The massive branching rack plummeted to the dirt below, and the ground band had to leap aside to avoid being crushed. With the protective antler gone, Grath hacked at the back of the snake’s head instead.

This new violation sent the beast into a writhing fury. Its iridescent coils slapped against the canyon wall. Stones fell as the beast pounded its head against the rock wall in an effort to smash Grath.

The Aibeck gave a fierce cry of his own as he continued to hack at the snake’s skull with his greataxe. But the battering took its toll on Grath, and his strikes started to weaken. He screamed as the snake crushed his arm against the wall with a loud snap. The Aibeck hunter released his hold and used the momentum of the snake’s shaking head to slingshot himself toward the rest of the band. His purple tentacles braided together in the air, and his newly-formed toeless feet skidded across the dusty earth as Grath came to a rest beside Alden.

Alden laid his hand on Grath’s blood-soaked arm. The muscular limb was bent at wrong angles in multiple places. Jagged bones poked through the purple velvety fur. Alden’s hunter’s mark glowed blue. He touched the spirit inside him and directed the flow of energy through his hand into Grath’s body. With the energy, he asked Grath’s spirit to remember and return the body to its correct shape. Bone shards withdrew beneath the flesh and the torn flesh healed over. With a popping sound, the limb straightened and snapped back into place.

Mirak and Felka rushed forward to press the assault. But they skidded to a halt when the snake’s screams abruptly changed to choking, gagging noises. Convulsions twisted the monster’s coils. Its iridescent gold scales shimmered and darkened, as if dusk had fallen only on the snake. Black oozed squirted from its eyes, mouth, and nostrils.

Mirak raised his shield. “What in the goddess’ name is that?”

Alden glanced at his sister, but she just shook her head. A tremor ran through Felka’s knees. Alden had never seen his sister afraid before, and the sight froze his guts.

Beside Alden, Grath’s already gruff expression hardened. “This beast’s spirit has been corrupted by the Scourge. Its body is dead, but a dark spirit drives it.”

Harsh shudders shook the writhing serpent’s body. Black razor vines erupted from the beast’s flesh, shoving aside the darkened scales and twining around the serpentine body like vastly accelerated ivy.

Despite the hot dust billowing around them, a chill ran down Alden’s spine. His white knuckles clenched on the hilt of his bone greatsword.

“Grath,” Felka yelled, “how can this be? Our ancestors died driving the Scourge from these lands!”

The Aibeck’s mouth just firmed into a hard line as he glared up at the corrupted beast.

The shouts of encouragement from the walls turned to wails of fear as the oldest villagers spread word about the danger.

Shadows twisted across the petal snake’s coils as if the darkness itself were alive. The corrupted monster was no longer breathing. Repulsive, stinking black fluid poured from the beast’s clouded black eyes. All screaming and hissing had ceased completely. Instead, a bubbling, oily sound issued from the snake’s mouth.

Grath stepped forward and motioned Mirak to do the same. “Guardian, come join me here.”

Mirak struck a defensive stance with his shield where Grath pointed.

The Aibeck gestured to Felka and Alden. “You two Druids stay back. Score some hits if you can, but don’t let the monster touch you. That black ooze will burn your flesh. Long contact will spread the Scourge to you. Only touch the snake with your weapons or armor.”

Alden’s spine stood rigid with fear. “Grath, none of us has ever faced a corrupted beast. No one from our village has seen signs of the Scourge in at least sixty winters.”

“You see it now,” Grath replied. “Face what stands before you, Alden. If we survive this, we can search for answers.”

Before, the beast had been frightening in appearance, but at least it was an animal responding to hunger and self-defense. Now, the creature exuded malevolence. There was no animal mind visible in the unnatural stillness as the snake regarded the hunters. It did not move, not even to breathe, and may as well have been a statue except for the ooze bubbling from its face. But those monstrous yellow eyes still tracked them with a new and terrible intelligence.

Icy fingers of dread gripped Alden’s heart. Hairs all over his body stood on end.

All at once, the corrupted beast threw its whole body against the hunters. The snake thrust its remaining antler at Mirak, who barely blocked with his shield. One thick coil slid forward to crash down on top of Grath. The razor-edged tail slashed at Felka.

Mirak brought up his shield and met the pointed antler. Bone scraped on bone as the colossal forces met. Mirak’s tattoo flared brilliant green and reflected like firelight against the back of his shield as he leaned into the barrier and pushed forward.

The snake bashed against the shield again and again, seeking purchase. Tips of the antler shattered, and the fragments slashed at Mirak’s arms. Alden took refuge behind his new brother, and antler shards pierced his flesh also. Searing agony erupted in his flesh.

Alden placed his hand on Mirak’s shoulder and poured his healing energy into them both, desperately pushing out the corrupting influence. Fighting the Scourge felt similar to when he healed cancerous tumors. Sapphire light flared from Alden’s tattoo as he poured his energy into purifying the Scourge from their bodies and spirits. The snake’s repeated strikes against Mirak’s shield jarred both hunters.

The snake’s tainted coils crashed down around Grath. The Aibeck leaped into the air, using the rising coils as stepping stones to push off and leap higher. His velvet fur hissed as the unnatural shadows burned into the soles of his braided tentacle feet. The older hunter slashed with his axe as he climbed, leaving scores of bleeding wounds in the beast’s coils. Thick globs of black sludge laced the crimson blood that poured out. Poisoned blood splattered and hissed on his fur, but he continued to fight.

The snake lashed its tail at Felka’s belly with a sharp crack. She hurled herself backward and sucked in her stomach. The bladed petals at the tail’s tip passed less than an inch from the blue wedding dress covering her abdomen. Felka dodged again as the beast lashed at her a second time. The scaly appendage moved as if it were the head of the snake itself, darting at the black-haired huntress in an attempt to skewer her. She dodged the strikes she could and deflected the rest with her blade.

Alden wondered if their mother would consider a tear in the dress acceptable, now that they were fighting the Scourge out of tribal legend.

Mirak’s furious roar echoed across the battlefield. The Guardian bashed the snake’s face. Its antler tips shattered and pierced the snake’s face in several places. The beast didn’t scream at the wound, which further unnerved Alden. But the monster did tip its head back and forth to evaluate Mirak’s defense. The tail left off from attacking Felka and lunged instead to skewer Mirak.

Felka took advantage of the opening to step in beside her husband and chop off the sinewy tail. It sailed through the air and crashed down a dozen feet from Alden.

All four hunters lunged at the snake and pressed it on all fronts. The combined ferocity of the hunters drove the snake back against the canyon wall. But the profaned creature still displayed no fear. The Scourged snake worked its head back and forth trying to find an angle to strike at them, but the hunters were now united in their defense and offense.

Just as Alden felt a surge of hope, the snake’s body shuddered again. With a sickening pop, an black flower bud ruptured the snake’s right eye. Yellow pus sloughed off the slick bud. It burst open to expose putrid red petals surrounding a black and gold stamen.

“The Scourge is transforming the snake’s body,” Grath shouted. “Be wary!”

The beast lunged at Felka. She dodged its biting maw and slammed her blade’s razor edge into the side of the snake’s enormous face, opening its jaw in a gaping, bloody grin. Bloody ichor splashed as the beast lunged at Felka again, but Mirak stepped in and blocked the bite. More black ooze sprayed around the edges of his shield.

Mirak’s shift left Alden exposed. The beast’s remaining eye focused on the young Druid. Alden’s heart froze in his chest.

The snake’s gaping mouth rushed at him, but four winters of hard training took over. Fear evaporated as the mouth closed over him, and raw determination burned through Alden’s body. He had just enough time to brace his hind foot and thrust his greatsword forward.

The snake’s head bore down on the blade. The weapon penetrated the roof of its mouth and stuck fast. Glistening fangs reached for Alden as the beast tried to close its mouth on him, but the hunter stood firm. Dust and gravel churned under his booted heels as the snake’s momentum drove the hunter backward.

Alden’s rear foot hit the bone gate behind him. The snake’s fangs caged the young hunter against the gate as the greatsword flexed and groaned in Alden’s aching hands. The snake strained to bite the young man, though the effort drove his blade deeper into its skull. Black poison ran down the fangs to hiss in the dirt at Alden’s feet. Acrid fumes burned Alden’s throat with each breath.

Grath and Felka leaped to either side of the snake’s skewered head and hacked at its neck. The beast tried to wriggle free, but Alden’s greatsword held it fast as the young bride and the Aibeck hacked away. Each strike caused the snake’s head to twitch and nearly yanked the blade from Alden’s grasp.

Alden’s spirit tattoo burned blue as his augmented muscles strained to hold the snake in place. The determined Druid huddled held on with white-knuckled hands, dodging the scraping fangs to either side of him as the snake twisted.

Both Grath and Felka’s bone blades scraped as they met in the center of the neck, severed the spine, and sliced through the rest of the flesh under the neck. Dust billowed up as the enormous body crashed to the ground in front of Alden.

But even severed and impaled, the snake’s jaws kept gnashing. Alden shoved the greatsword hilt away and hurled himself back from the severed head. Stone chips bit into the young hunter’s skin as he rolled. He came up in a defensive crouch.

The severed snake’s head lay in the dust, still gnawing at the greatsword running through the roof of its mouth.

The band of hunters backed away as the snake’s body dissolved into black sludge. Its head followed. White bones poked through as the flesh sloughed off, and the sludge ate the bones as well. Alden’s greatsword somehow remained unharmed. The razor vines and red flower burst into showers of black goo. A thick puddle of putrid black slime spread across the canyon mouth.

Cheers rang out along the top of the wall and over the gate.

Alden turned and saw his tribesmen high atop the canyon wall waving at him in jubilation. The black-haired youth took a shuddering breath, then rose to his feet. He had survived his first hunt against a predator.

But instead of dwelling on his victory, his mind was filled with dread.