<div> Chapter 4: The Serpent's Claim
 'Who's there?'
 Another talking animal? Or... an actual person? He couldn't quite tell.
 Fenrir stepped forward, glinting his single golden eye warily.
 "We don't mean any harm. We were just trying to return home," his voice was steady, but edged with caution.
 For a heartbeat, there was only silence. Then, the voice rang out again, clearer this time, and laced with authority.
 "And yet, you barge into my territory so brazenly?"
 It was feminine—sharp, yet carrying a certain regal tone that sent goosebumps all over him.
 The trees rustled, and the leaves were quivering under the weight of an unseen presence.
 'Territory? Are we in someone's place?'
 The voice continued:
 "Have you forgotten the Accord? Or do you wolves now believe yourselves above the law of the forest?"
 <div style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:10px;text-align:center">
 <div></div>
 </div> 'The... accord? He frowned internally.
 Fenrir was the first to speak, his tone was measured but respectful.
 "The Verdant Accord states that one may pass through another's territory if no harm is intended or inflicted. We carry no malice, nor do we seek any quarrel with you."
 The voice responded, and its tone was tightening.
 "And yet... you did violate another clause. Or have you forgotten the full breadth of the accord?"
 Before any of them could respond, something stirred above. The Branches shifted, and the leaves were raining down as a massive shadow coiled overhead. His gaze followed the movement until she came into view—a colossal snake, her scales were glinting like polished emeralds. Her body slithered effortlessly along the trees, with the branches bending under her immense weight yet never breaking.
 Each of her movement seemed... fluid, and dangerous. Her golden eyes gleamed with intelligence—and irritation.
 He unknowingly gulped at the sight before them, and his tiny chest tightened.
 The snake lowered her head, locking her gaze onto the infant nestled in the basket. Her tongue flicked out, tasting the air, before she spoke again:
 "One must not blatantly take another's ration, young Fenrir. Or has your pack grown so desperate that you'd steal from others' stores?"
 Her eyes narrowed.
 "That child was marked—claimed as provision. You knowingly trespassed and took him."
 'Provision?! Am I some kind of... food to her?!'
 Fenrir stepped forward with an unwavering gaze.
 "If there is a mark, I see nothing of the sort indicating it on the child," he stated firmly.
 "Regardless, we will let the Grandmaster handle this matter. He is best suited to resolve disputes of this nature."
 At the mention of the title, the massive snake twitched. Her golden eyes narrowed, and the branches beneath her was groaning under her weight as she shifted.
 "Tch," she hissed, curling her voice like smoke through the trees.
 "In the end, you will cower back to him as usual."
 Fenrir remained unfazed, flicking his tail once.
 "I do nothing of the sort. This matter," he glanced down at the basket,
 "is beyond what we can handle alone. It is only logical."
 <div style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:10px;text-align:center">
 <div></div>
 </div> Without waiting for a response, he turned on his paw and began to walk away. The white wolf gave the serpent a glance, then followed suit, padding his paws against the forest floor.
 Inside the basket, the baby boy watched the exchange with a mixture of disbelief and...was that smugness?
 'Yeah, that's right! No food for you!' he thought, scrunching his face in what he imagined was a victorious expression.
 The massive snake's tongue flicked out, tasting the air. Her eyes were locked onto the retreating wolves.
 "You speak of logic... yet you conveniently ignore another clause of the Verdant Accord."
 Fenrir's ears swiveled back, he then stop his steps.
 The snake's body coiled tighter around the branches, causing the bark to cracked beneath her.
 "Those who trespass with what is claimed," she intoned, "must face the territory's judgment. Ignorance is no excuse. Retribution—inevitable."
 And with that, she struck.
 Her massive form blurred, launching toward the wolves with terrifying speed. Fenrir and the white wolf leaped apart, narrowly avoiding her lunging jaws.
 'Whoa—she's crazy!' his heart was pounding in his tiny chest.
 But it quickly became clear—her target wasn't Fenrir. Her focus was on the basket. On him.
 "Skoll, protect the boy!" Fenrir barked.
 Skoll—so that's his name!—darted away, weaving through trees with impressive agility, swaying the basket from his jaws. But the snake was relentless. Her body lashed out again, shattering the nearby branches as she pursued.
 Fenrir intercepted, hurling himself sideways into her coiling mass. The impact sent a shockwave through the ground, causing the two titans to locked in a clash of force. He dug his claws into the earth for leverage.
 The snake hissed, retaliating with a swift coil aimed to constrict him. Fenrir twisted free just in time, countering with a headbutt that sent her reeling back, snapping trees in her wake.
 'Whoa... they're fighting like something straight out of a movie!'
 His infant body jolted with every quake and clash.
 Skoll kept running, but the snake's tail whipped out, carving a trench through the dirt. Fenrir lunged in, biting down on her scales, but she retaliated with a twist, sending him sprawling.
 "You wolves are always so predictable," she sneered, tightening her massive coils as she launched herself again with terrifying speed.
 Fenrir braced himself, rippling his muscles beneath his thick fur. Their collision sent a shockwave through the trees, cracking branches and scattering leaves into the air.
 The white wolf—Sköll—kept his distance, weaving between trees, the basket's handle was gripped tightly between his teeth.
 "Sköll! Keep moving! Do not let her get a clear shot!" Fenrir barked between blows.
 <div style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:10px;text-align:center">
 <div></div>
 </div> The serpent's tail swung out, aiming to cut off Sköll's escape route. The white wolf leapt over it, but the tail grazed his hind leg, making him stumble. The basket jostled, sending the baby's heart racing.
 'Hey! Careful with the goods—by which I mean me!'
 The snake's voice echoed through the forest:
 "I'll end this quick."
 Her massive serpentine body began to glow, radiant streaks of jade light was pulsing along her scales. The trees above trembled, and the leaves were rustling as the very air seemed to distort around her. The glow intensified, illuminating the surrounding foliage with an eerie green hue.
 'Wha—what the hell is she planning?!
 Fenrir, watching intently, clenched his jaw.
 "Tch... no choice then," he muttered.
 A dark aura erupted around him, shadowy tendrils were licking the ground as his fur glistened with obsidian light.
 'Him too?!'
 BZZZT
 [System Alert: H1gh-l3v3l 3ntiti3s 3ngag3d. H0st saf3ty c0mpromis3d. R3commendati0n: PRAY]</div>
 

<div style="margin-top:10px;margin-bottom:0px;text-align:center">
<div>

</div>
</div>

Chapter 4: The Serpent’s Claim

Chapter 4: The Serpent's Claim 'Who's there?' Another talking animal? Or... an actual person? He couldn't quite tell. Fenrir stepped forward, glinting his single golden eye warily. "We don't mean any harm. We were just trying to return home," his voice was steady, but edged with caution. For a heartbeat, there was only silence. Then, the voice rang out again, clearer this time, and laced with authority. "And yet, you barge into my territory so brazenly?" It was feminine—sharp, yet carrying a...

Anomaly of Fate

Chapter 4: The Serpent’s Claim

Anomaly of Fate - Chapter 4: The Serpent’s Claim