Single Mother of a Werewolf Baby novel Chapter 318

Chapter 318: Five Water Serpents

Eleanor waited until the frantic scratching of sand and the roaring wind finally died away. Then, slowly, she uncurled. A full-body shake sent a spray of grit flying from her matted fur. She sneezed violently, clearing the dust from her nose. Her first deep breath tasted of clean, still air, and it was the sweetest thing she had ever known.

She opened her stinging eyes to a world erased and redrawn. Familiar dunes had shifted, replaced by new ones. She listened closely, ears swivelling. No birds, no insects... only an eerie calm.

Thirst clawed at her throat, sharper even than hunger. Lifting her face, she caught a faint breeze carrying a distant, damp scent. She looked ahead. The treeline was still there. It hadn’t been swept away by the storm. A long sigh escaped her.

Steeling herself, she resumed her long walk, a solitary figure crossing the newly scoured land. Step by step, she pressed on. The trees slowly grew clearer. They were real. A surge of strength stirred within her. The sand gleamed gold beneath the sun, and the silence felt almost peaceful.

The sand beneath her feet was hot, the grains rubbing against her skin. She paused to rest, sitting atop a dune and looking back. Her tracks were already fading as a light wind brushed over them.

About an hour later, another sandstorm rolled in, much like the last. This time, she was ready. It took little effort to find shelter. She waited until it passed, then continued on her way.

With every step, her thirst deepened, hunger soon following. Weakness crept into her limbs, but she forced the thought aside and focused on placing one foot before the other.

The sun remained stubbornly fixed above her, unmoving no matter how much time seemed to pass, and the sand stayed searing beneath her. There was nothing to do but push forward, straight towards the trees.

After the tenth sandstorm, the trees loomed much larger. She quickened her pace and soon reached their edge. Green leaves swayed gently, and beyond them lay a different world altogether.

She spotted a lake filled with crystal-clear water. Without hesitation, she plunged in, first washing the sand and grit from her body. Then she moved to another spot and drank deeply, quenching her thirst.

When she climbed back onto the shore, exhaustion crashed over her all at once. She rested and meditated for a while.

A few minutes later, Eleanor felt most of her strength return. Unwilling to repeat the mistake she had made in the valley; she rose and surveyed her surroundings. Behind her stretched the desert she had just crossed. Ahead lay a body of water roughly two hundred feet across, though its length was impossible to judge... she could see no end to it. It resembled a river, yet the complete stillness of its surface said otherwise; there was no current at all.

Given the situation, swimming across seemed the best option. Two hundred feet was well within her ability. Avoiding the water meant wandering its edge, with no guarantee of finding an end anytime soon.

She made her decision.

After resting another five minutes to fully recover, she leapt back into the water. It was pure and clear, tasting normal, with no hint of discomfort. She swam steadily towards the opposite shore, conserving her strength. At the same time, she stayed alert for any sudden attack.

Her caution proved justified. Just as she reached the middle of the lake, five enormous shapes surged up from beneath the water, surrounding her from all sides.

"Water dragons? No... they lack the majesty of true dragons. Water serpents, perhaps," she thought.

Seeing the five serpents emerge, Eleanor couldn’t help but feel awe at their sheer size. At the same time, a trace of fear crept into her heart. She had no abilities, no weapon, and she wasn’t even in her human form. How was she supposed to overcome five massive serpents like these?

"This is a trial. It wouldn’t present me with something impossible. There has to be a way through," she told herself.

"HISS!" The serpents hissed in unison.

"Fuck!" Eleanor swore as her vision blurred. Her body staggered as though she were drunk, her mind slipping out of focus. The serpents’ hiss carried a mental attack. She realised that a bit late.

"This is bad," she thought grimly as her body began to sink.

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