Annubis felt the presence of the beast long before he actually laid eyes upon it. It was an odd feeling, a sense of being stalked with unseen eyes. It was as thought he was being watched, but not in the same manner as the silly bright colored bird that flitted back and forth among the branches overhead. It was not uncommon for them to grow curious of the horses that had come to call the jungle their home. For whatever reason, the birds seemed to congregate around him, or so the silver colt assumed for he did not see them often venturing towards his sire or the other less brightly colored residents of Paradise. When he did let his mind wander, Annubis found himself wondering if the small creatures were drawn to the stark contract of his sterling silver coat against the dull green and brown vines.

When he was younger, a mere boy still, Annubis had enjoyed watching them. They would begin by gathering above him in the large rough branches or low hanging woody vines and slowly one by one move lower. For the most part, they tried to move when his head was bent to graze or turned away from them completely. Inch by slow inch they would stretch their bodies across the branches and follow suit with the small clawed feet. Once they were near as they dared to move, the small birds would twist their heads this way and that as though the different angles would provide them with a better understanding of the large creature beneath them. When he was feeling particularly naughty, he would lunge towards them, toss his head up or rear just to see them explode into the air in a flutter of brightly colored feathers. Aside from annoying his younger brothers, it was his greatest source of entertainment.

However today, the feeling of being watched was something different altogether. Always he found himself preferring the slow moving waters along the edge of the river, where it pooled deepest in the shadow of the great gnarled paw paw tree. Annubis liked to think that the water was sweeter here but truthfully he knew it was a foolish thought, regardless he always found himself moving away from where the rest of the herd gathered near the water-smoothed rocks. Usually, Annubis rushed into the deep pool, wading until the sluggish waters reached across his back. Usually he never felt the odd sense of unease or nervousness. Until today.

As he draws near the water’s edge, there is something in the silence that hangs thick in the air. There are no squawking birds squabbling over the prickly fruits, no boisterous monkeys screaming or lemurs glaring at him with tails flicking back and forth in the same manner as an agitated cat. Today there is only silence and the soft ripple of water as it brushed against the soft earth. Unusual. Raven tipped ears rotate back and forth atop his head as the green-eyed son of the jungle pauses for the first time in his life and glances around him. He sees no immediate danger, no black spotted cat scent or rustling in the shadows of dense shrubs. There is nothing.

He was being foolish. At least that was what he told himself as slowly he stepped into the pool of cool water, his reserve evaporating as the cool water’s washed over his skin. A content sigh escapes his lungs as sterling neck stretches forward to take a deep dragging sip of the water. It is then he notices it. At first he thinks it nothing more than a turtle, popping its head up from the water to eye the strange intruder into its watery world. However it is closer studying that reveals the large head slowly rising a few inches from the surface until its golden eyes meet his own. Snake. Tension prickles his skin as he stands immobile before the creature, watching with a mixture of fascination and fear as the serpent kept him locked within its gaze. For a long moment, neither moved, as though a unspoken battle of wills was being waged in which neither was willing to admit defeat. Annubis snorted loudly, his emerald gaze narrowing as he took an almost nervous step forward. The snake, its long body already draws towards his own by the sluggish water current brushes against his leg and it is all he can do not to explode in panic.

The snake, apparently deciding it has no hope of ingesting the grown stallion, finally dropped its head once more below the water surface and slithered towards the edge of the bank. Sensing the danger had passed, Annubis found himself watching with interest as the legless creature pulled itself up onto the skeletal remains of a half submerged branch and wove itself around the thickest part of the trunk. For a moment longer, Annubis allowed himself to meet the creature’s gaze, admiring the bright green colors of its scales and the way the water seemed to roll from its large body. It was a dangerous and yet beautiful creature and he wanted so badly to touch it.

Unbidden, he takes another step towards it, but this time, the creature seemed to think it was far enough for it turned with a quickness that Annubis did not think was possible. Wide jaws open as the creature lets out a vicious hiss as though daring him to make another move. The threat was enough to prevent the silver stallion from testing his luck. With a single snort he takes a step backwards and turns to the shore, only when he is on the shore does he turn back to give the creature one final glance. Once more it has untangled itself from the branch and submerged into the murky waters leaving only its nostrils above the water surface. Mentally he made a note to inform his father about the creature. Vaguely he remembers hearing tales of a snake that preyed upon the herd many years ago. A mare or two had been injured if he remembered the story father had told him. Since then, Rougaru was ever vigilant when it came to snake sightings, especially with young foals in the herd. Perhaps he would seek out Monster too, it seemed only smart that he also inform the Paradise queen so she might spread the news through the rest of the herd. Though it was highly unlikely that any mares or a foal might come across the snake as long as they stuck to the more shallow edges of the watering hole, but still… it was better to air on the side of caution. He would not be able to forgive himself if his absence of word brought the death of a foal or injured a mare. They were not his, a fact father was reminding him more and more of everyday, but still… maybe one day they would be.