The tears blurred Lana’s vision, but even through that she could see the mortified grin of a human skull leering up at her. She could even make out the City Guard Pendant that the Lead Scout Gloria had worn around her neck. Lana immediately realised that the pile of shit had been her point warrior. Barely an hour before, Lana had seen her, stern faced and proud as always, a beacon of hope to her often downtrodden people. Now Gloria was just another pile of gross brown snake shit, littering the jungle floor.

The Firesnake interrupted her morbid line of thought by slamming its entire weight over her, completely swallowing the girl in one gulp. Lana’s screaming face could still be seen through the thick hide of the beast.