When his condition finally improved and he tried to express his thanks with gestures, the snake licked him with its long tongue, as if praising a child.
From then on, Leander came to adore the giant snake like a real parent.
One day, while trying to be useful by gathering nuts and medicinal herbs nearby, he saw others.
They were beastmen like himself, with the same kind of ears and tails, though they were of a different race.
When he moved closer out of happiness, the other side seemed to notice him as well, and the eyes looking at him widened in shock.
"Um…"
"Don't come any closer!!"
"?!"
Along with the sharp shout, something was thrown, and a sudden pain shot through his forehead.
He touched his forehead feeling startled and found a small amount of blood on his hand.
"…Why?"
Not understanding what was happening, he looked at the beastman man in front of him.
The man was staring back at him with a face twisted in fear.
If he had thought about it calmly, it would have been obvious.
Behind Leander at that time was the giant snake that had come with him to gather supplies,and the man was frightened of the snake.
The stone that had been thrown as a warning did not reach the snake.
Instead, by bad luck, it struck Leander on the forehead, as he was standing in front of it.
Still very young, Leander was shocked and frightened by being attacked by someone who should have been a fellow beastman.
He stepped back and then ran away from the scene as if fleeing.
From that day on, he came to see not only humans, but even beastmen as enemies.
He desperately trained himself to become stronger so he could protect his family, the giant snakes.
Several years passed and just when Leander felt that he had grown strong enough, an incident occurred.
The egg of the giant snake who was also his parent was stolen.
Thinking that the birth of a younger sibling was close, Leander and the parent snake searched the forest in desperation.
But the forest was vast.
Though they were anxious, they split up to search, and before long, a strong smell of blood filled the air.
He rushed toward it in a panic, and there lay the giant snake, soaked in blood.
Right in front of it was the egg they had been searching for.
Worried, Leander checked the snake's injuries, and saw that a spear was deeply lodged in the back of its thick neck.
From the amount of blood, it was immediately clear that it could not be saved.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. If only I had arrived sooner..."
"Shaaa… shaaa…"
Forcing its aching body to move, the giant snake licked Leander's cheek, as if to tell him that it was not his fault.
Leander looked like he was about to cry, but he stayed still and let it lick him for a while.
Then, suddenly, the giant snake lifted its head and began to hiss, "shaaa, shaaa," toward somewhere in the distance.
"…What is it?"
He asked what was wrong, but the giant snake kept hissing.