Thane crawled backward across the damp stone, keeping his body low as the argument among the Red Chains in front of him grew louder.
But the moment he sensed the snake's presence, cold and oppressive as a descending storm, he knew there would be no time to retreat.
"We have to hide!" Thane's eyes narrowed, and he gestured silently to Esau.
They could not slip back into the river this time as the serpent's approach was coming from that direction. So instead, Thane crawled sideways, hugging the cavern wall until he found a cluster of jagged stalactites jutting from the ceiling and forming crooked pillars below. The shadows there were thick enough to hide behind.
Esau squeezed beside him, trembling lightly but remaining silent. The two waited behind the stone teeth, watching the darkness ahead.
Then a faint glow appeared far down the opposite tunnel. A narrow path stretched toward the wide hall, and shifting shadows danced as more light drew closer.
