Mike woke with a jerk, a pained groan tearing from his throat. Not a single part of his body felt anything but battered and broken. A glance around revealed he was halfway down a steep hill, his skin a roadmap of scratches. A few meters away, the great snake lay lifeless, its coils having unwound from him somewhere during the violent tumble.
He refused to be negligent again. Ignoring the screaming protests of his body, he dragged himself toward
10