The ground rumbled. The Nargacrypta wasn’t slowing down. It refused to stop. Owen bounced through a narrow crack, slipped under a low arch of stone, dove through a puddle too small for any sane snake to follow—but that thing still ca.
"WHY THE HELL DON’T YOU STOP CHASING ?!" Owen scread, wobbling through a cluster of sharp rocks that looked like fangs.
The Nargacrypta burst through after him, its spiked scales shattering the stone with violent force. He tried everything.
He went straight to a wall and stop, he waited and the narga slithered straight he imdiately move aside dodging, The narga hit the wall of rocks falling to it’s body But It screech loud that rocks fly away and hit its eye—it flinched and screeched when one hit, leaving a deep scar across its face. But it didn’t stop.
He flattened himself paper-thin and slid through cracks no creature should be able to follow through. But still... it did.
Owen gasped, mind racing, until sothing clicked. "The Nargacrypta species has strong nurturing instinct!" He nearly tripped over his own thoughts. "If I rember right... they’ll chase down anything that threatens their young. They don’t give up. Not until their baby is safe."
"This must be the reason, It keep chasing ." He yanked open his inventory and took out the egg. "STOP!!" Owen shouted, raising it high in the air like a trophy.
The black Nargacrypta froze. Its body tensed. Its eyes locked onto the egg. A low, throaty hiss rumbled from its mouth, but it didn’t move.
"I-I’ll leave it here! Just stop chasing !" Owen said slowly, kneeling and gently placing the egg on a flat stone.
The snake’s head lowered. It slithered forward, face nuzzling the egg, rubbing against it with sothing like affection.
Then— "Psst!" Owen jerked his head. From a small dark hole in near rock wall, Axelius peeked out. "Co here. Hurry!"
Owen gave a small nod and started sliding toward him... but halfway there, he paused. The Nargacrypta gently licked its egg. Axelius whispered harshly, "What? Why are you stopping? Hurry, before it changes its mind!"
Owen’s voice was soft. "I can’t... This might be the last ti I taste sothing that good. For the first ti..."
"What?!" Suddenly, Owen shot up, leaping high into the air. In midair, he stretched out his slimy limbs like elastic ropes and yoinked the egg back into his arms.
The Nargacrypta’s head snapped up, eyes wide with fury. Before it could react, Owen twisted mid-air and transford into a Bogbelly Glutton, stretching his maw wide and gulped the egg whole.
"Aaaah~ So delicious—even if I just swallowed it." he said, bouncing on landing.
From the hole, Axelius muttered, "YOU FUCKING GLUTTON!!!"
The Nargacrypta screeched with blinding rage, its voice a piercing shriek that echoed through the caves. Axelius leapt down, grabbed Owen by his blob-arm, and together they dove into the hole. They slipped and tumbled, sliding fast through the twisting tunnel as the Nargacrypta lunged after them.
"Sorry, Axel! I really couldn’t help it!" Owen wailed as they tumbled.
Axelius laughed like a maniac, "You ate its egg in front of it! It must be really angry! Hahaha! Didn’t know you had the guts! Just LOOK how angry it is!"
They dropped out of the tunnel and slamd into a mossy ground. Owen bounced, but Axelius landed crouched, already pulling sothing from his belt—a pouch full of glowing blue flowers. He scattered them across the stone, even chucked a few up into the hole above.
As the Nargacrypta erged, the flowers’ scent hit it. The beast screeched in pain, reeling back. Its body twisted violently and it slithered away, disappearing into the tunnel.
Owen blinked. "Whoa... How did you know its weakness?!"
Axelius stood, brushing off his clothes. "I didn’t. Lunabreath Blooms, ss with the sense of sll in Beast Serpents. I just hoped they’d work on that thing too."
"...Lucky guess?"
"Pretty much." Owen plopped on the ground, tired but satisfied.
Axelius then patted Owen’s head with the usual rough thump like a small smack. "Pft– Hahahaha! You little monster!" he grinned wide, eyes still wild from the thrill.
"Do you know just how much psychological pain you gave that thing? Eating its egg... right in front of it? Hah! That’s next-level cruelty!" He laughed louder. "You’re learning from !"
Owen didn’t share the laughter. He sighed, his sli body wobbling slightly. "It’s not funny... That was the most delicious thing I’ve ever eaten. I couldn’t resist it."
Axelius leaned in, eyes narrowing playfully. "More delicious than the food in my estate?"
Owen’s eyes widened. "Yeah! Way more! Ten tis better!"
"Hoh~? Now I’m curious!" Axelius spun on his heel, already turning toward the way they ca. "Let’s go back! I want a taste too—"
"No!" Owen shouted, hopping forward to block him. "Are you crazy?! You saw how angry that snake was!"
Axelius burst into laughter. "Relax, it’s a joke! I’m not suicidal." He looked up at the now quiet tunnel and chuckled. "Tsk, we’re just lucky to escape that alive."
Suddenly— SCREEEEEECHHHHH!!!
A bone-shaking shriek echoed down from above. The rocks vibrated. The walls rumbled. Both boys froze. Their eyes slowly turned to each other.
"...Run?" Owen muttered.
"Run." Axelius confird.
The two bolted instantly, bouncing and sprinting into the dark tunnel. ... Nothing followed. After a mont of running, they realized the shriek had stopped.
Owen slowed, puffing. "Maybe it... just wanted to scare us?" Axelius, hands behind his head now, let out a short breath. "Or maybe it realized we’re not worth it anymore."
Owen nodded. "Good... because I don’t think I could outrun it again." "Don’t worry,"
Axelius said, smirking. "If it did co back, I’d just feed you to it again as an apology."
"HEY!"
"Just kidding," he chuckled. Then looked back down the way they ca, eyes narrowing thoughtfully. "Still... that egg. You said it was more delicious than anything else?"
Owen stared back at him with full seriousness. "Yes. Better than at. Better than fruit. Better than sweets."
"Hmm..." Axelius scratched his chin. "We really are gonna have to go back one day."
"Don’t you dare!" Owen shouted, hopping after him.
Axelius chuckled, "I said one day."
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