The Serpent And The Spear

She stealthily made her way through the forest, spear in her hand, shield and rifle on her back, her backup pistol within reach. Her footsteps so gentle she could barely hear them over the sound of the wind, she steadily moved forward. If it had been anyone else, she'd have ordered a unit of three. But right now, she felt it was best if she went alone.
Keeping one eye on the track and another on her surroundings, she kept following. They were fools to run away into the woods. Even a firefight would have given them better chances at survival. But she had to follow all the same, if only to guarantee they were gone.
As she reached a small clearing, she noticed a bump in the bushes. She froze for a second, which made the creature realise she had noticed it. Up rose the snake, an extraordinarily large Serpens. She knew the species. Vicious, almost malicious. It would not back down. She knew its weaknesses, could take it down within a few minutes. But it did not look like it had eaten her targets, and she did not have time for this.
Looking the Serpens straight in the eye, she raised her left hand at it. She reached out to the fire in her mind, causing her burn scars to glow, a pain she now was familiar with. The panic in the creature's eyes came directly after, just before blisters started forming on them as she boiled its blood from the inside. While the creature struggled on its death bed, she set its fate out of her mind and continued on her way.