The taker moved through the jungle, eyes (and tongue) full of wonder. This place felt familiar yet so different! 

It took in the sights, new things, like trees with leaves of water, and trunks of mist, the water and wood mana especially strong here, the rain itself sometimes infused with soul, each droplet a short life. And there were things it believed lost, from times before descent, young saplings of seaweed trees, rosebugs and shadow chrysanthemum. And like the forest itself, many species, clearly distant relatives of those from its old home, tree wyverns, changed from their normal earth cousins, dew-crabs - an ocean crab no more, though tiny.

Finally, there were the Branchirds.

Tree affinity flying creatures were not something completely new to the taker, but they tended to be evolved forms of other more.. Meaty creatures. This however, was never flesh, or pure mana. It was a living tree, a form of treant, but capable of flight. And fighting. Especially fighting snakes.

Oh how furious it was when it met them for the first time. Surprised at the lack of serpentine presence, it searched for other snakelings. Eventually it found one, a brown viper, hiding on a tree. It observed the youngling, unusually small and thin, respectably waiting in ambush (the most noble way of fighting)... only for the tree crown to collapse on it! A flock of branchirds flocked on the small one, tearing it apart. 

Now, that itself was fine. Snake blood should not be thinned by weaklings that cannot survive by themselves. The ancient serpent was sure other, bigger, more capable snakes are the ones dominating other parts of the jungle.

How wrong it was! The famished snake that it saw torn apart, was the survivor! The flock was hunting for him due to his ability to compete with them! The vast majority of snakes are barely larger than a worm, hiding inside earthen pits, or in underwater lakes, and not hiding to hunt, but to not be hunted by those flops of nature! Even the pure mana snakes seemed to avoid this jungle, their mana blocked by the same rich mana source that affects everything living here.

What. a. DISGRACE! It shall not be! It can’t! Yes, while it’s the greatest snake of all, not looking for a companion, it’s pride won’t stand to be the first among such a lousy bunch! 

It believed that helping breeds weakness. Makes bloodline impure. Still, it watched.. Unusually quiet, not hunting, still hidden. 

Another snake, black, living in shadows, waiting for target of its poison… impaled in its sleep. A promising vineviper? Torn apart. All outstanding members were hunted. Only subpar ones left to procreate. The taker was furious, for it knew this method, something it performed itself before- a punishment reserved to most contemptuous races, one it hasn’t used in hundreds of years.

Still, it waited. Taking in the situation, slowly, patiently, completely… To be able to defeat all in one swoop and not let any survive.

And then finally, it found a survivor. An over 144 years old Spirited-cave snake.

Reisinling

In due time, this story will also be told from the perspective of Branchirds. Wanted to include more progression in this dream, but it got too long, and this seemed the best place to cut