Guidry's Arc

Chapter 10 of 14

The water rose as they approached, deeper than Guidry expected. He studied Croaker's map again, searching for another path. The chamber entrance was marked clearly, but that route now sat three feet underwater. The only dry ground cut straight through the creature's trail. Guidry killed the engine and studied the gouged earth ahead. Fresh claw marks carved through the mud in deep trenches, still wet at the edges. Scattered scales caught the light between flattened marsh grass. The trail led directly to the ruins, exactly where they needed to go. He could wait for the water to recede, maybe come back tomorrow when the entrance cleared. But Croaker leaned forward, watching him measure the choice. Stryker shifted in his seat. They'd come this far because Guidry knew things other guides didn't. Turning back now would prove he was only good for safe routes. He restarted the engine and nosed the boat toward the dry ground. "We follow the trail," he said. "Stay in my footprints and don't touch anything the creature marked." Croaker nodded and stepped out first, testing the mud. Guidry followed, scanning the torn vegetation for movement. The scales crunched under his boots. This wasn't navigation anymore—it was tracking. And if he could read the creature's path well enough to walk through it without dying, he'd be the only guide in Serpent Village who could claim that skill. He pressed forward, each step turning forty years of pattern-reading into something darker and more valuable.