In the thick greenery of the forest. 10 men were sitting around a campfire as the cold night breeze blew their hair, revealing their faces, struck with depression.
"What should we do, Head Hunter?" A young man in his teens asked, looking gloomily at the dancing fire before him. "We have been hunting for 4 days and have only managed to catch 2 monsters. That is not nearly enough for the tribe."
"Tomorrow we will change our hunting style," Vir stated. "We will split into two groups. I will lead one, and Rao will lead the other."
An older man nodded, agreeing to Vir's decision. He had short black hair with a hint of grey, symbolizing the effect of time. His body was on the leaner side, compact, and appeared more agile. His most noticeable perk was the terrifying, long scar on his neck. A mark most likely left by human hands instead of a monster's fangs or claws.
"The groups will contain 5 members each," Vir continued. "I will lead mine to the east, while the other group will go to the west. We will meet here again after four days, and if a group does not return on time, then we will consider it an emergency and immediately commence a search. If there are no more questions, rest now, as we will need our strength."
"We understand," the 8 hunters answered simultaneously.
Early in the morning.
"Does anyone have a question about our discussion last night?" Vir inquired, scanning the faces of every hunter in front of him. After seeing that no one reacted, he nodded and followed. "Then let us move. May we return with abundance!"
"May we return with abundance!" All the hunters shouted.
A few minutes later, Vir's group was running towards the east, searching for any tracks that could lead them to a monster.
Soon, the 5 hunters stopped as a roar reverberated from a distance.
"A monster?" one of the hunters asked.
"No, that was a beast," Vir corrected. "Let us go there. Move more quietly this time."
Without wasting any seconds, the group disappeared, sprinting towards the sound.
Several moments later, they all halted, crouching in the bushes, hiding their presence from any danger.
Before them was a dry canyon. Beneath were two huge creatures, engaging in a life-and-death battle. A Lion with white fur, sharp claws, and fierce canines. Its opponent was a massive snake with black scales, a long body, and a third eye on its forehead.
The lion was on its last leg as its white fur was tainted with its own blood. In comparison, the giant snake was mostly intact with only minor injuries here and there.
"Is that the white lion?" one of the hunters asked. "Wait, why is it losing? The white lion is the ruler of this part of the forest. How can it lose this badly?"
"That confused me as well," another hunter added. "And what is even more confusing is the black-scaled snake. I do not think I have seen that beast in this area before."
Finally, the Black Scaled Snake moved by whipping its tail at the Lion, landing a direct hit, furthering the four-legged beast's injury.
All the hunters, including Vir, narrowed their eyes upon witnessing what happened.
"The white lion did not evade. Why? Was it too injured?"
Vir shook his head and then pointed his finger behind the White Lion. "No matter how severe the injuries of a beast, they will not just stay and take the brunt of their enemy's attack. I think it is more due to the thing it is trying to protect."
The 4 hunters focus their attention on where Vir's finger pointed.
Although it was hard to see because of the distance, the group could still discern three white balls that occasionally moved around.
"What are those?" one of the hunters inquired.
"I think those are the white lion's cubs," another commented.
"The white lion is protecting its cub from the snake; thus, it cannot fight properly?"
The Black Scaled Snake continued to barrage the Lion with tail whips, knowing fully that its opponent would not dodge its assault.
Still, even with an overwhelming disadvantage, the White Lion had not completely become passive. Every time the snake would commit an attack, the four-legged beast would utilize its sharp claws to counterattack, ripping the scales from the slithery beast's tail.
However, regardless of its desperate measures, it would only slow down the inevitable.
As the battle prolonged, the Three-Eyed Snake's tail whips became fiercer, while the White Lion steadily lost strength.
Soon, the bloodied beast's legs gave out.
The massive snake didn't waste the opportunity and immediately slithered its way to the White Lion and agilely wrapped its long body around the beast.
The White Lion, though weakened, still managed to use its canine fangs and claws to attempt an escape, leaving gashes and puncture wounds all over the snake's body. Nonetheless, the snake did not let go of its constriction.
With the slithery beast's tightening grip, the White Lion couldn't do anything but release a final roar as its body and bones slowly got crushed.
The hunters knew the fight was over. The majestic White Lion, respected and feared, was now dying before them as its whimpering stopped and eventually succumbed to eternal slumber.
With its enemy's death, the Black-Scaled Snake hurriedly opened its mouth and began devouring the four-legged beast, starting from its head.
"I cannot believe this… One of the rulers of the forest has been dealt with this much ease. For some reason, it is saddening watching its struggle while defending its cubs."
The other three hunters nodded in agreement, while Vir silently spectated everything.
After devouring the White Lion whole, the Black-Scaled Snake glanced at the three cubs and then left.
"It appeared it was too full to bother with the cubs," one of the hunters said. "What should we do, Head Hunter?"
"We should check the area and see if there is a monster," Vir ordered, then jumped below.
The four hunters followed, without questioning their leader.
Upon sweeping the area, all of them gathered where the three cubs were located.
"Find anything?" Vir asked.
The 4 hunters looked at each other and then shook their heads.
Vir didn't say anything and stared at the small White Lions. Their white fur was tainted by their mother's blood, their canine fangs barely protruded, and their small paws lacked the ferociousness of the mighty beast. It appeared the three had just been born not too long ago.
"What should we do about them, Head Hunter?"
"If we are in a normal state, I will not even glance at these monsters, but with our dire situation, we have no choice but to bring them back and let the Elders decide."
"We understand."
Three hunters walked to the cubs and lifted one each, then they placed them inside the small basket on their waists.
"We should get moving; we have to find more prey," Vir commanded.
The group disappeared, leaving the bloody scene with the memory of the previous ruler.