The air shimmered like a living thing, vibrating with heat and power as Nathan stared down the flaming serpent.
A serpent.
No.
A living inferno.
Its body shimmered like molten gold, flames licking hungrily at its edges. Obsidian shards jutted out along its back like jagged spines, each one glowing with searing heat. Its eyes were twin suns, glaring at Nathan with a malice so palpable it made his skin crawl.
The serpent opened its mouth, revealing rows of molten teeth. A wave of intense heat rolled out, forcing Nathan to stagger back.
"Oh, great," Nathan muttered, wiping the sweat from his brow. "A snake made of fire. Because normal snakes weren't shitty enough."
Its molten coils rippled, glowing brighter with every breath it took. The ground beneath him cracked and groaned, veins of magma splitting through the surface and crawling toward his boots.
