The blood snake lay weak, pitiful, and helpless.

Under the relentless stomping of the wolf pack, the soil above it was further compacted. Though the blood snake had opportunities to emerge, the wolves ran so quickly that every time it surfaced slightly, it was immediately trampled back into the ground.

Dozens of minutes later, the wolf pack had moved far away. Only then did the blood snake slowly seep out of the dirt. Under the moonlight, its small pool of blood ...