Ch. 1: The Beginning

The world was in chaos, with humans turning to be the most dangerous creatures, while the hunters turned to be the hunted. Animals and beasts alike became humanity's main enemy and a target for what they termed as hunting games. This made every beast alive live in constant fear. Waking up every day with uncertainties of whether you'll live to see the sunset was not something anyone would live up to.

Inside a dark cave, a young man, probably in his mid-twenties, was rummaging through the cave, turning the pots upside down in disbelief. He picked another empty pot and put it upside down as if that would change the fact that it was now empty.

"Damn it. I can't believe there's no food here. How did I fail to recognize it?" He put the pot down before he ran his fingers through his messy red hair. The cave was a bit dark, except for a few holes that let in the rays of the burning sun.

"That means I have to go look for food," he said and walked near the entrance. And now that he stood near the sun, one could have a clear look at what he looked like. He wore nothing on his upper body and his skin was covered in what looked like golden scales. His hair was dark red, a rare one especially from the snake clan. A red-haired member of the Snakemen clan would only come from the royal lineage, a true descendant of the ruling family of the Snakemen clan. His lower body assumed the form of a snake so that he now looked half human and half snake.

But due to the overhunting of beasts, their numbers had greatly reduced and the few that were left were too scared to stay in this place. And thus, for the first time, the snake clan got dispersed. The few that were left with the ruling family got almost annihilated by the cruel humans. Those who managed to survive lived in constant fear and in hiding. They would only come out when looking for food. This was the time that humans liked hunting. And since most of the beasts hunted during the mornings, evenings, or nighttime, the humans also hunted them at this time.

It was the wee hours of the morning. Parish, the golden-snaked clan member, stood by the entrance of the cave. He shaded his eyes with the back of his hand as he stared at the vast land. It was always good to make sure that no humans were lurking in the lands before he went hunting. When he was certain that all was clear, he closed his eyes, and just like that, his human-like body shifted to that of a complete snake. He slithered on the ground and wound his way down the cave.

Being a snake in itself had an advantage. His senses were heightened and he could detect an enemy from afar. His movements were also agile making him run from constant dangers. And for some odd reason, the morning sun was somehow hot. Parish could feel the hot soil as he slid his belly on the ground. He didn't understand why it was so hot yet it was still early in the morning. The hot sun came with its disadvantages too. It made it difficult for the snakes' clan men to detect danger, especially in their human-like form.

Pushing the bad thoughts at the back of his mind, Parish heightened his senses. The smell of something delicious filled the air. He followed the strong scent until he appeared in an open clearing. This scent! He had never smelt it before yet it smelt so good. What type of food was it exactly? His moonly eyes searched the clearing and he saw a piece of paper placed on the ground. Curiosity got the better of him and he found himself crawling closer to where the paper lay. But what he saw inside almost made his heart jump out of his chest. Gun powder!

Gunpowder was one of the greatest invention of humans commonly used weapons by humans to track the snakemen clan. Humans had come to discover that the snakes liked the smell of the gunpowder. They would always be drawn to it as if spellbound. This was the technique they used most to capture the snakemen clan. And now, Parish had fallen for it. He eyed his surroundings suspiciously and he could already detect some movements. Oh god! What had he gotten himself to? Slithering away as fast as he could was the only option that he had now. He turned around to leave but was met by a black boot on his way. He looked up to only be met by a hand and an ugly face. The human lifted him by his neck and tossed him on the ground so hard that his limbs hurt.

Two more men appeared carrying some equipment that Parish was certain was used to either catch or harm the snake's men. He tried slithering away but the guy who had tossed him on the ground quickly stomped him on his tail. Gods! That hurt! He bared his fangs at the guy but the human was quick enough to catch him by the neck. These were the times that Parish wished he was venomous. He knew these humans knew his kind was harmless and that was why they hunted their kind without fear of being bitten. He cursed in his mind.

"Bring me that knife," the man holding Parish said. One of his companions rummaged through his belongings and fished out a dagger. Its shiny surface reflected in the morning sun making Parish swallow in fear. Whatever it was this guy was planning to do, he knew it wasn't good.

"Don't you wanna share the fun?" Asked the other person handing the knife to the one that held Parish.

"No. He's mine to take. I am the only one who has not had fun with a golden one," he said and took the knife from his companion.