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An afternoon cart ride was a great idea, least until the pair started to have a silly spat on who might be best. [i “I am able to know them better, and I have most of the time so-“] and Sherbet would interrupt her with [i “Well I’ve been learning so maybe I should be given the chance this time.”] and so on. They’d left her new friend and the rude chubby man back at the town where they still waited papers to pass. Here she was able to go about letting her tail show as well as unclamp her muzzle a bit.
Humming an old shanty she remembered while she looked over the muzzle that rested on her chest. She’d kept it because it felt cool to wear and to keep, at least that’s what she’d tell herself. For their safety as well. So that they could have a way to keep her from taking a chunk out of them were she to lose herself again. Her fingers moved into the slots and gently gripped. Flashes on when she was lost flickered through her head.
[Special+Elite [#ad1711 “The glowing one may still fear you… Butcher…”]]
That voice hissed in her brain. Her instincts, the part of her that knew the blood that ran through her. The blood of an apex predator, unmatched for thousands of years. The fear she remembered in Vela’s face and mannerism. The man was obviously hard to tell if you weren’t close but she knew the signs. A body tensed and ready to flee or dart towards the nearest weapon. A harpoon slamming into her shoulder. Knives thrown in an attempt to stop her… a stone, thrown at her right eye that nearly blinded her. A stone that was thrown by a child who looked at her and called her a-
[Special+Elite [#ad1711 [center [b “Mon-ster”]]]]
The cart suddenly lurching up and the sound of a horse’s neighing brought her back to reality. Her fingers were bleeding as she’d gripped the edges so tightly it cut into them. Quickly shaking her head to clear it, she pulled her fingers away to quickly wrap them before peeking out the wagon. Her head between the pair as she’d tilt it. Seemed like they’d come to a stop near a bridge, but the horse refused to move. That’s when she tensed and sniffed at the air. There was a different scent. It was usual to her but this one was… denser.
[Edu+NSW+ACT+Foundation [size22 [#2b559e “One moment Madam Chara, Sherbet. I’ll tend to this and bring us a nice meal.”]]]
She smiled, teasing them both before she hopped out of the wagon. When she noticed Vela about to follow, she waved a hand.
[Edu+NSW+ACT+Foundation [size22 [#2b559e “I’ve got it. Besides, I doubt you’d do any good in the water anyway. You’d be a beacon for fresh glowing bacon after all.”]]] she said while wagging a finger, sticking out her ever bioluminescent pink tongue before turning.
[i “I trust that’s true, but you best be careful! Don’t need me to save you again do ya?”]
The Callisto chided her now, the demi giving a slight huff as she moved into the mangrove trees by the bridge. That’s when they saw each other. Faintly glowing pint eyes towards predatory olive green eyes. Saltwater, but obviously larger than she’d seen. And much faster than she was at that moment. A massive splash of water, a yell from Harmony, and she was being pulled downstream. The young woman knew better but she’d fallen for the biggest trick. But it seems they both were in trouble as the river’s current was strong. Dumb dinosaur must’ve been wedged in a spot it felt would get creatures down stream or the edge of the water. Certainly not expecting one that would fight back so hard either.
She opened her mouth as she’d adjusted. Her arm in the beast’s maw pressed on its tongue as she’d bit down. The creature's lower body was not nearly as armored as the main hide, but she still strained to tear away. It quickly let go just as the pair were pushed forward in a rush of foam.
Ten feet… that’s how far the fall was before she hit water. The armor and weight of her soaked outfit slammed against her as well, and she thanked whatever deity blessed her with her trait. Because the air was knocked from her lungs and she gulped down water. She still coughed as she pushed up to gasp for air. Though she quickly looked around as the smell of blood was thick in the air. The rush of water from beneath her was all she needed to react. Disoriented, she was only able to dodge the initial bite; but not the slam of the heavily armored tail against her side. Bones cracked and she hoped, didn’t break just yet.
Her own tail pushed and she righted herself. Each movement already ached but she’d managed to dive down in the pond they’d fallen into. The beast was hot on her heels as she propelled herself up. Much like the creature she took traits from, she’d launched herself out of the water. Those eyes of hers shimmering as pink drool joined the water that fell from her chin while she adjusted. Her cleavers were drawn as she dropped towards the open maw. But just before they met, the girl whipped her tail. The movement pushed her to the side just as she’d drive the heavy cleavers into the middle of the crocodile's maw. Cracking of bone, both from the jaw breaking and her shoulders nearly dislocating from the sudden stop. She pulled one of the cleavers away, using all her brute strength as she slammed it into the head of the monster. But it had wedged between the scutes, only locking the blade into itself. Then it rolled and her grip wasn’t nearly enough.
Harmony was sent sailing through the air, wincing as she’d almost been skipped across the water before she heard a sudden crack as she came to a stop. Then it went dark.
[Special+Elite [#ad1711 [center “Not yet…”]]]
The demi shuddered as she came-to below the surface. The scent of blood burned her nose before she took a deep breath in, and the burning became something… intoxicating. She’d had so many fine drinks during her travels. Fine wines, aged whiskeys, spiced ales and even better rum from a cask directly from a pirate captain's flask. But this? It made her head spin for a moment before her pupils narrowed. Reaching into her side pouch, she opened the cork of one of her vials within the water. Taking a deep breath to swallow the herbs. The demi tensed as she chewed quickly to start her healing while she’d right herself in the water.She was disoriented from being dashed against a rock, and yet, she was able to focus directly on the thrashing of the wounded reptile.
[Special+Elite [#ad1711 “KILL”]] [Special+Elite [#ad1711 [right “CONSUME”]]]
Harmony burst forward through the water. When the crocodile rolled once more to try to free the weapons from itself, was the exact moment Harmony struck. A quick unclasping was all it took for the heavy pan to be freed. The water seemed to boil with the momentum and rush of movement as it crashed into the cleaver that was lodged into its head. A loud crack was heard even beneath the waves as the cleaver sliced through armored scales and bone. Harmony heard muffled voices but she was distracted. Her mind, her instincts, they wanted something more. The body still twitched as she adjusted and gripped at the beast’s leg. More blood soon warmed up the water around her as she dug into her prize.
A few moments later the demihuman slowly dragged herself out of the water. Well, herself, and the remains of the large reptile. The body was almost fully intact, aside from the large chunks of flesh and bone ripped from the beast’s gullet. The girl’s maid robes tattered and torn, stained with blood. Her white hair a faint pink from being stained by the blood, her pupils returning to normal as she’d licked her lips. The pink drool still trailed from the sides of her mouth before she did her best to wipe it.
[Edu+NSW+ACT+Foundation [size22 [#2b559e “A-Ah, I am glad you two were able to follow. I um… I’ve got dinner. And I… well I can salvage the top scales and tail. The underside I cannot. But the remains of it would-”]]]
Harmony trailed off now seeing her companions crossing their arms at her before she’d glance away. She knew what was coming. Her concerned ‘parents’ were about to berate her about going overboard again. But she took it, and smiled at the pats before she’d winced. It took a moment before she’d giggled softly.
[Edu+NSW+ACT+Foundation [size22 [#2b559e “Eh heh, y’see I got thrown. Aaand~...”]]] but the demihuman couldn’t finish as she careened to the side. The adrenaline brought on by her animalistic traits had its major faults. The main one? The exhaustion hit her harder than even the crocodile’s tail. But she lay in the grass before her friends, inches away from her recent kill. Sleeping like a baby as she snuggled her sheathed cleavers against herself.