Free Web NovelChapter 291: Slithering in the Darkness (1)
Just like Calen had said before, Azul and Azura traveled through the river while Roxanna and the others continued on land.
Since the river current flowed straight toward the ocean, Azul barely needed to move at all. He simply floated on his back and let the water carry him away, with little Azura resting peacefully on top of his chest.
"Now I’m jealous of that fish," Calen suddenly complained. "That actually looks fun."
Azul, who was currently lying there with his eyes closed, replied lazily, "It is fun."
Not only that, but several crocodiles were also swimming around him like loyal guards, keeping watch over the river ahead. At this point, Azul truly looked like a king of the water.
"Calen can swim too," Roxanna said with a small laugh.
Calen let out a dramatic sigh. "Yeah, and then his crocodile friends would probably drag me underwater."
"They’re kind," Azul replied lazily again. "If they drown you, then you’re probably the problem."
The moment Azul said that, the two of them immediately started arguing again. Roxanna could only shake her head helplessly because she was already far too used to their endless bickering.
Meanwhile, Zeir walked closer to her and said, "Since we need to reach the ocean in three days, we should probably take turns resting."
Roxanna tilted her head slightly. "Take turns? Like how?"
Zeir explained calmly, "Calen and I can switch between walking and resting. The one resting can return to their animal form so the others can carry them more easily."
Roxanna and Zeir’s animal forms were both small enough to carry without much trouble, but Calen was a completely different story. A big dog was obviously not easy to carry around.
"We can drag him on a large leaf," Zeir added casually, trying to ease her concern. "It’s not a big problem."
"I can walk too while you all rest," Roxanna suddenly said. "I can stay awake during the night as well!"
Zeir chuckled softly before gently patting her head. "The night is dangerous. I don’t want you staying awake alone."
His gaze softened as he continued, "It’s alright. You have three husbands with you now, so what’s the point of us being here if you still have to tire yourself out?"
After hearing Roxanna’s explanation, none of her husbands had anything else to complain about. Everything she said made complete sense, so in the end, they agreed with her decision.
"If that’s truly what you believe is best, then we’ll accept it," Cyrus finally said. "Luan and I will protect the settlement properly while you’re away, and I hope all of you will stay safe as well."
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The journey toward the ocean was both easier and harder than they expected. Their plan of taking turns resting worked well without any problems, but once they entered a forest filled with thick trees and heavy shadows, everyone had to move much more carefully to avoid stepping on a demon beast nest.
Even Azul stopped acting relaxed. He swam with his head above the water the entire time, personally watching the path ahead. At the same time, he held Azura tightly in his arms, clearly worried that the river current might carry his daughter away if he loosened his grip even a little.
By the second night, none of them could truly sleep. They kept hearing soft slithering noises somewhere nearby in the darkness.
"A snake... probably," Calen muttered under his breath. His golden eyes scanned the surroundings carefully while one arm stayed wrapped around Roxanna protectively. "They’re the type of demon beast I hate the most."
Roxanna tightened her grip on Zeir and Calen’s hands while repeatedly glancing toward Azul and Azura in the water.
Then she quietly asked, "Why?"
Calen’s expression immediately twisted in disgust. frёewebnoѵēl.com
"Because they’re creepy," he answered honestly. "No legs, cold eyes, weird movements... and they always appear out of nowhere."
"They also like to hide," Zeir added calmly while scanning the dark forest around them. "And they can watch their prey for a very long time before attacking. That’s what makes them dangerous."
Roxanna swallowed hard. "So... do you think that snake is targeting us?"
Zeir nodded without hesitation. "Absolutely." His eyes stayed fixed on the darkness ahead. "That snake probably has no intention of letting us see tomorrow morning."
This time, Roxanna completely held her breath because it was obvious Zeir was not joking at all.
As the slithering sound grew closer, her heartbeat became faster and louder inside her chest. It almost felt like the sound itself was creeping under her skin.
"What if—"
Her words suddenly got stuck in her throat because a giant black snake slowly slithered out from behind a nearby tree only a few meters away from them.
The moment the creature appeared, everyone instantly froze.
Its body was enormous, thick enough to crush a person with ease, and its black scales reflected the faint moonlight like cold metal. Its yellow eyes stared directly at them without blinking, making Roxanna feel a chill run down her spine.
Azura immediately let out a small frightened sound from the river, causing Azul to pull her even closer against his chest protectively.
"Azul, you need to hide," Roxanna said softly. "Don’t let that snake catch you or our daughter."
Azul looked at Roxanna and the others one by one before finally saying, "Take care of yourselves."
Then he slowly sank beneath the surface of the river, disappearing into the dark water together with Azura in his arms.
The giant snake immediately noticed his movement. Its massive head snapped toward the river, yellow eyes narrowing sharply as if it had just lost sight of its main target.
"Hey!" Calen suddenly shouted as he threw a large rock straight at the snake. "Your enemy is over here, ugly!"
The giant snake instantly turned its head toward him. It moved so fast that Roxanna could barely follow it with her eyes. Before she could even blink, the snake had already lunged at Calen.
Zeir quickly grabbed Roxanna and jumped backward just in time. Meanwhile, Calen only shifted slightly to the side, narrowly dodging the snake’s attack.
The creature’s head slammed violently into the ground, and the heavy impact sent dust and dirt flying everywhere.
"Calen!" Roxanna cried out in panic, coughing as the dust filled the air. "Calen! You’re alright, right?!"
