Famu left the swamp island.
He slipped silently beneath the black water and swam toward the vibrations.
The old monkey returned to the troop. Soon, a group of young White-Faced Monkeys appeared from behind the leaves, perched in the canopy, all watching the direction in which the giant black beast had disappeared.
The underwater world was much quieter than the land, with only water flowing past him. But beneath the surface, the vibrations from the east were unmistakable. They came from another Typhon.
The Samei Rainforest was vast. A single water system could run through hundreds of kilometers of floodplain, and the apex predators of different regions might never enter one another's sight before dying of old age.
Running into one of his own kind here was a hell of a surprise.
Famu wasn't ready to face another of his kind. He was only a year and a half old, after all, and wasn't sure he could effectively counter the threat one posed.
But there was one thing he knew.
Typhons were the creatures that truly stood at the top of the Samei Rainforest. Apex predators rarely engaged in pointless conflicts with one another. Fighting an opponent of the same caliber usually meant paying a price, and neither side benefited, so generally one would glare, the other would roar, and both would retreat.
The best outcome this time would be for both sides to back down, and for him to get Headscar back.
So Famu thought.
He didn't want to lose Headscar.
Though the young Nightmare Leopard was weak compared to Famu, he was a useful scout.
At the edge of the Blackwater Swamp, the water turned a murky yellow-green.
Famu saw the intruder.
It was an astonishingly massive green Typhon.
Her torso was even several feet longer than Famu's, and the keratinous scales on her head had the dark green appearance of an ancient pool. Pale yellow oval markings ran symmetrically along both sides of her body, swaying with the water like halos spreading across its surface.
Overall, the Green Typhon looked like a green anaconda enlarged to that scale.
The Green Typhon was coiled gracefully in the middle of the hollow.
She had Headscar trapped inside the coils of her body.
Headscar was still alive. Famu could still see the Nightmare Leopard's heartbeat.
In other words, the Green Typhon hadn't killed Headscar, only trapped him.
With Famu's strength, killing a Nightmare Leopard would take only an instant, let alone for an individual even larger than him. Her constriction could crush Headscar's bones and organs into a puddle of blood.
That meant she was waiting.
Waiting for the true master of the Blackwater Swamp to break through the water.
She knew this little cat belonged to the master of this place.
Splash—
Famu emerged, water sliding off his scales.
He sized up the two of them and confirmed that he stood a chance in a fight.
His muscles tensed as he stared at the Green Typhon. Since she knew Headscar was his cat, she should understand it was time to negotiate terms now that he'd appeared.
But then something happened that took Famu completely by surprise.
The water vibrated, carrying a voice.
"Who are you? I've never seen you before."
Famu froze for a moment.
He wasn't sure he'd heard correctly.
It was a young, pleasant female voice.
Of course, that was how he understood it with a human mind, through the Typhons' mode of communication.
The actual sound still came from vibrations beneath the green Typhon's head.
The other Typhon was female.
There was no doubt that Typhons were an intelligent species. Otherwise, a beast with a meager brain couldn't have accommodated Famu's human thoughts. But the intelligence of the Typhon species seemed to exceed his expectations. They could actually converse with their own kind, and if a race possessed language, it should have a civilization.
Did these giant snakes have a civilization in the rainforest?
Famu felt a shiver of fear.
The female Typhon studied Famu. His daze, in its eyes—no, he should call her "she" now.
She thought Famu was merely taciturn, or perhaps a little shy.
Now that the real owner had appeared, the little cat was no longer useful. The Green Typhon released Headscar and gently swept him aside with her tail.
Headscar scrambled awkwardly onto the muddy bank.
He looked back at the two colossal creatures confronting each other in the water.
"I've never seen a male your size," the pleasant female voice continued.
Famu remained silent, his body poised beneath the water.
"Is that little cat your pet? I'm sorry I hurt him." The green Typhon swam about, watching Famu as she stirred up the water. "This swamp is too barren. Why would you stay here? You should come with me to the Mara River. There's more food there than you could ever eat."
The Mara River. Now Famu knew where she had come from.
In the area where they had hunted the Giant Forest Beast, Famu and Headscar's actions had alerted the Green Typhon.
The green Typhon continued to approach, showing Famu goodwill and acting very friendly.
But communication between Typhons didn't mean they shook hands like humans. Courtesy in the natural world had a wild side.
The Green Typhon gradually closed in on Famu along the current. She intended to press her head down on top of his, her body coiling ever tighter.
"Would you be willing to be my husband?" The voice was full of temptation.
But the black-iron-like serpent head turned, clamped directly onto the green Typhon's neck, and slammed her away.
Famu hadn't listened to another word the Green Typhon said. He had simply been provoked.
Whichever one lowered their head further during contact acknowledged the other's dominion over these waters.
She wanted to rule him.
What kind of joke was that?
The two colossal creatures rolled beneath the water, sending spray flying. Headscar stood helplessly on the bank; he was useless in a fight of this level.
The troop of White-Faced Monkeys rushed over in a panic, staring in terror at the violently churned water.
They prayed from the bottom of their hearts for the black Typhon's victory. No one knew what the hunters and offerings of this forest would face if the Blackwater Swamp gained a new dark green overlord.
At least under the black Typhon's rule, things here were stable enough.
Water roared as Famu clamped down on the Green Typhon and dragged her into deep water.
The Green Typhon was on the defensive.
She had underestimated this black member of her kind. She had thought his size was merely an abnormality, that his build only rivaled a female Typhon's, while his actual muscles and bones were still on the level of a male's. But when the clash began, a single strike from Famu made her realize that his powerful build wasn't just for show.
Famu's strength far exceeded his appearance. His skeleton was sturdy, his muscles powerful, and his scales hard. He was completely on the level of an adult female Typhon.
But she was a super hunter too. Her serpentine body wound and swayed in an elegant art of combat.
The Green Typhon had a longer, more flexible body. As Famu suppressed her with brute force, she looped back around his body like a strand of waterweed, trying to lock the black monster in place.
Famu sank to the bottom and let out a low growl. The vibrations from his resonance chamber made the water within a hundred meters boil at once, and white foam surged from the gaps between the two entwined Typhons.
The vibrations loosened the Green Typhon's coils, and Famu bit her again. Now the Green Typhon had no chance of winning.
She pulled away of her own accord, freeing herself from Famu's backward-hooked, serrated teeth and retreating beyond the Black Typhon's striking range.
She had to admit that this swamp belonged to the Black Typhon.
This guy is way too good at fighting.
Grandmother Zonna above, could this male be a lost offspring from some territory? Has he lived as a Savage Species all his life? He can't even understand the most basic conversation.
The Green Typhon sighed helplessly to herself.
What a waste of such a fine appearance. Pure black Typhons are rare.
After confirming that negotiation was impossible, the Green Typhon withdrew, retreating toward the waterway that led to a tributary of the Mara River.
Famu had won.
From the bank, the dark green Typhon could be seen departing underwater, while the Black Typhon held the center of the swamp, coldly driving away the intruder.
Headscar roared, and the monkeys in the trees cheered along with him.
The Green Typhon cast one last resentful look at the Blackwater Swamp before disappearing along the river channel.