Xairo's paws tingled with excitement as he led his siblings through the dense undergrowth. The scent of autumn hung heavy in the air, a mixture of damp earth and decaying leaves that made his nose twitch. He glanced back at Ludovic, Ravana, and Sericea, a smirk playing on his muzzle. They were following him - mostly without question, just as he liked it.

Suddenly, a loud splash echoed from beyond the treeline, followed by an unfamiliar, guttural grunt. Xairo's ears perked up, his curiosity piqued. As they emerged from the undergrowth, Xairo's eyes widened at the sight before him. There, half-submerged in the river, was a massive creature unlike anything he'd ever seen. Its body was rotund and grey, with a huge, square snout and an enormous jaw. The creature's mouth gaped open, revealing enormous yellowed teeth.

"What is that thing?" Xairo whispered, more to himself than to his siblings. He felt a tremor of uncertainty ripple through his lanky frame, but quickly suppressed it. He was the leader here; he couldn't show weakness. The massive grey beast let out another thunderous grunt and began to heave itself from the water, sending waves splashing towards the banks of the river. The creature shook off the water with a forceful spray. And once it’s attention resettled on it’s audience- it surged forward to charge them.

Xairo’s heart raced as the creature barreled towards them, an instinctive wave of adrenaline coursing through his veins. He made the decision to meet the creature head on- or at least pull it’s attention to himself and dart away at the last moment to prevent his siblings from being bowled over and trampled all at once. "Hey! Ya big, ugly fuck!” he barked, a commanding edge to his voice as he tried to confuse the creature in their scramble.

"Xairo Saxe"

Sericea watched with wide, acidic green eyes as the massive grey creature charged towards them, water spraying from its immense body. Her analytical mind raced, trying to make sense of this strange new beast. Its thick, wrinkled hide and enormous teeth were unlike anything she had encountered before. As Xairo shouted and darted forward to distract the creature, Sericea felt a surge of protective instinct rise within her. She couldn't let her brother face this threat alone. With a determined growl, the young pup launched herself forward, her sleek red fur rippling in the autumn breeze.

"Xairo, watch out!" Sericea barked sharply, her voice cutting through the commotion. She circled around to the creature's flank, looking for an opening to strike. Sericea lunged forward, her sharp teeth bared and ears flattened against her skull. She aimed for the massive creature's rear leg, hoping to unbalance it and draw its attention away from Xairo. Her jaws clamped down on the thick, leathery skin, the taste of mud and river water filling her mouth.

"Sericea Praetor-Inferos"

Ludovic's eyes narrowed as he assessed the beast. His instincts flared, urging caution, even while a smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. Xairo could be as brave as he wanted, didn’t mean Ludo would let him do it alone. He padded forward, weaving just out of reach as the massive creature surged forward. "Gutsy move, Ugly Fuck," he called, his voice laced with steady confidence and slight mischief. He saw Sericea move in and shot a glance back at Ravana who hadn’t moved yet, his dual toned gaze taking in her reaction. "Should we have some fun with it?" His tone was smooth, almost casual, but there was a glint in his eyes—a readiness to turn the beast’s brute force against it if Xairo’s lure and Sericea’s distraction didn’t hold. But he didn’t wait long, joining in the fight the boy swiped at the hippo’s face, running along its side to always keep in motion. Keep it guessing.


"Ludovic Praetor-Inferos"

Ravana’s lilac eyes were bright with excitement, her pulse thrumming with a mixture of thrill and curiosity. She watched Xairo’s reckless bravery with a wicked grin, sharp teeth flashing in the sunlight. Sericea charged in too, but Ravana was still taking in the chaos and reveling in it for now. "So big, so dumb," she muttered, her tone dripping with mockery as she trotted closer, close enough to feel the pounding of the creature’s steps. Her gaze danced with mirth as she shot Ludovic a look in return of his goading. "Don’t we always have fun? What's the difference between this oaf and a walrus?" Her own paws moved lightly over the ground, showcasing her agility against the creature’s size and sluggishness, but she couldn’t deny wanting to have a taste of that rubbery looking hide… So she backed up, nails digging into the ground before shooting forth to jump atop the hippo’s head and hopefully find purchase at its nape in the struggle.

"Ravana Seraphim Saxe"

Xairo felt a surge of pride as his siblings joined the fray, their courage and skill bolstering his own resolve. He darted nimbly around the massive creature, his paws barely touching the ground as he wove a dizzying pattern of feints and lunges. The beast's small eyes followed him, its massive head swinging back and forth as it tried to track his movements. Xairo seized the opportunity to strike, launching himself at the creature's broad snout- about the same time Ravana was trying to claw her way on top of it’s head.

His jaws clamped down on the rubbery flesh, the taste of mud and river water flooding his mouth. The creature let out a deafening bellow of pain and rage, thrashing its head from side to side in an attempt to dislodge him and his sister. But Xairo held fast, his teeth sinking deeper into the thick hide. He could feel the creature's hot breath blasting against his face, the stench of rotting fish and fetid water nearly overwhelming him. But he refused to let go, even as the beast's thrashing intensified.

"Xairo Saxe"

Sericea clung tenaciously to the massive creature's hind leg, her jaws locked around its thick hide as it thrashed and bellowed in rage. The beast's movements were powerful, threatening to fling her off at any moment, but she refused to relinquish her grip. Her acidic green eyes blazed with determination as she sank her teeth in deeper, trying to hamstring the creature and bring it down.

The copper tang of blood filled Sericea's mouth, mixing with the muddy taste of the river. Her heart pounded in her ears as adrenaline surged through her veins. In her peripheral vision, she could see Xairo clinging to the beast's snout while Ravana scrabbled atop its broad head. Ludovic darted in and out, harrying the creature with quick strikes. It seemed as if they were actually doing an effective job at keeping the beast occupied.

"Sericea Praetor-Inferos"

Ludovic watched in between his own strikes, seeing Xairo’s tenacity as he clung to the creature’s snout, Ravana hopping up atop to cling to the beast’s neck fat. The wildness of his sibling’s attacks only fueled his own, and with a swift pivot, he lunged back into the fight again and again. His claws scraped along the beast’s side, targeting the tender patches of hide with fast strikes, aiming to add more pain and confusion to the monster’s growing frenzy. “Hold tight, Xairo, Ravana!” he barked, his voice cheerful but fierce, glancing quickly to ensure Ravana was still positioned. One wrong move and she could be detached and trampled. He surged forward again, matching his pace to the rhythm of the creature’s ragged breaths and jerking strides, waiting for the perfect moment to deliver another blow that might give them an edge.

"Keep it up, Seri!" he called, his voice steady with a hint of admiration. He darted back, using the others’ positions to his advantage, pushing the beast further off balance. They were working like a single unit, each attack weakening the creature’s resolve.
"Ludovic Praetor-Inferos"

Ravana clung fiercely to the creature’s head, her claws digging into the slick hide as she found herself face to face with its wild, panicked eyes for a moment. A flash of wicked satisfaction crossed her expression as she snarled down at the beast. “Not so big and scary now, are you?” she taunted, her tone laced with a dark thrill. With a nimble twist, she shifted her weight to keep herself steady, her paws slipping only slightly as the creature’s head whipped about. She clawed further up, glancing down and catching Xairo’s eye briefly, and a sly grin spread across her face. Her claws dug in fiercely as she clung to the creature’s head, her lilac gaze gleaming with savage delight as her jaws worked on gouging out a chunk from it’s nape. "Bleed! Bleed!" she taunted between tearing bites, her voice laced with hunger for victory.

"Ravana Seraphim Saxe"

Xairo clung fiercely to the massive hippo's snout, his jaws locked around the rubbery flesh as the creature thrashed and bellowed in rage. The beast's movements were powerful, threatening to fling him off at any moment, but Xairo refused to relinquish his grip. His piercing green eyes blazed with determination as he sank his teeth in deeper, trying to subdue the thrashing creature.

Through the spray of water and the creature's frenzied movements, Xairo caught a glimpse of Ravana clinging to the beast's head, her lilac eyes gleaming with savage delight as she tore at its thick hide. A fierce grin spread across Xairo's muzzle at the sight of his sister's ferocity. Together, they were a force to be reckoned with.

But the hippo was far from defeated. With a renewed sense of rage, it bucked violently, trying to shake off its tormentors. Xairo felt his grip wavering; the slickness of mud and blood made his paws slip ever so slightly. He let out a determined growl, pulling himself closer, refusing to be shaken loose. But of course, you could only hang on for so long. Xairo felt his jaws slam together as his grip gave way, his own form being discarded to the side. And as he hit the ground, all he could see was the beast making an attempt to flee back into the water.

"Xairo Saxe"

Sericea felt the sudden jarring shift as Xairo was thrown from the hippo's snout, and an alarm blared in her mind. The moment her brother hit the ground, determination surged through her veins like wildfire. Sericea's resolve hardened as she felt the powerful vibration of the hippo's leg beneath her, its urgency palpable. It was now or never. With a fierce growl, she sank her teeth deeper into the thick hide, drawing fresh blood and giving a defiant yank back against the creature’s momentum.

But of course, there was little she could do to halt it. And it seemed that it was coming to realize that fleeing was its best option. Desperation clawed at Sericea's insides as the creature lunged toward the water, its massive body thrumming with strength. She gritted her teeth, forcing herself to maintain her grip even as the ground rushed beneath her in a chaotic blur. And as she began to feel the bank of the river saturate her legs in water- she finally released her hold to avoid being dragged beneathe the water with it.

"Sericea Praetor-Inferos"

Ludovic saw as Xairo was hurled to the ground, a dark spark of worry and anger igniting in his chest. He barely had a moment to assess his brother's condition before his attention was drawn to Sericea, gripping onto the creature with fierce determination, even as it thundered towards the water. His heart hammered, admiring her tenacity, but he knew the danger was growing by the second.

He had stopped his attacks, chasing after the hippo as his sisters were still attached. He saw Sericea’s final act of defiance, teeth sunk deep to draw another gout of blood, but then her shape blurred as she hit the water’s edge and released her hold. But what of Ravana? Ludovic nearly rolled his eyes.


"Ludovic Praetor-Inferos"

Ravana let out a low, delighted laugh as she saw her sister’s grip on the creature never falter, the thrill of it all causing a raucous laughter to heave free from her lungs. When the hippo made its lunge toward the water, Ravana leaned forward, shouting from atop its head in playful mockery, “It’ll drag us in!” But when Sericea let go at the water’s edge, narrowly avoiding the dangerous submersion, Ravana’s face broke into a wild grin. “Maybe I should go for the ride?” she taunted with a playful spark, still gripping tight until she was under.
A few seconds went by, when the lavender girl finally popped back up with a hacking giggle.


"Ravana Seraphim Saxe"