Merrick was simply out exploring, sniffing around the musty mangroves for anything interesting. Since he was fairly new to this land, he thought it wise to learn everything that he could about it and that included the lands somewhat close to Elysium. What if he had to go on some fancy mission? Better to be prepared, right? Besides... maybe he could find something interesting to take back with him.

As the giant brute padded along the edge of the mangroves where the land hung out over the water, the earth gave way. Big paws scrambled at the bank, but it was no use. The purple marbled brute tipped backwards and went into the drink. His head went under and he was fully submerged for a moment before surfacing once more. A sputtering growl found its way out into the world, but that wasn't the only thing that was found...

Pain lanced through the dire brutes thigh and a powerful force drew him back underwater. Through the now silty water, Merrick could just make out the long, thick body of a snake. Fuck... Vaguely remembering a sloping bank before he'd fallen in, Merrick kicked towards it, surfacing now and again to draw in a deep breath of air before the snake pulled him under again.

Big paws found the bank and it took all of his might to pull himself upon it. The massive anaconda was quickly wrapping itself around his back half and Merrick grimaced as he felt the thing squeeze him tight. Teeth bit into what he could reach, but he couldn't get a good enough grip. Not with the loops of muscle wrapped around him. Fuck.

"Merrick Mendacium"

Relm had made the move from Auster to the eastern island after Kefka's death, but she still struggled with being outside the pack lands because of that ghost fear that he was still out there. Agria still haunted her too, but as time went on she forced herself to make leisurely strolls outside of the pack lands. Usually she was only doing hunts, she had a purpose to be out here. Not today however.

She had traveled most of their known world, so the mangrove was not new to her. As she trekked along the slopes, she heard some commotion in the waters in front of her. At first she really thought nothing of it. She wasn't necessarily the save the day type. But when she heard just a vaguely familiar growl come out it had peaked her interest. With just a little more pep in her step, she made her way to Merrick who was almost struggling to pull himself out of the bank, and it took her a moment to realize he was getting tangled in a large snake just as she was not so long ago. She could almost laugh at the sight, and she would have if it had been a year ago. She wasn't meant for much emotion these days.

As it seemed it would be her turn to save him from certain doom, she carefully and quickly made her way over the waterways showing just how much she knew the land. Looking at the tangled mess of the snake around Merrick, it was hard to see if there was even an end to it. She ended up holding it down on some part of it's midsection to try and figure out where it's head was, hopefully it would egg it on. Unfortunately she was at the tail end that flung around and put one loop around her too before she bit into the bulk of the snake.

"Relm"

The snake continued to squeeze and Merrick continued to try and bite. He was unable to curl his spine to use his teeth to his advantage and surely would have been a goner if a familiar form hadn't suddenly shown up. Relm bit into the anaconda and began pushing at its coils. Merrick growled out, "We've got to stop meeting like this," just before the snake squeezed and the air was pushed from his lungs.

Spying some rather sharp looking rocks situated to the side of the bank, the marbled brute fought to drag his trapped form towards it. Once there, Merrick threw himself down upon it, the jagged edges of stone cutting into the flesh of the reptile. The snake shifted just enough for the man to take a deep breath. "The head, "he choked out, "My thigh." Then the snake was squeezing him again, only this time he was trapped on his side.

The shifting snake had given Merrick just enough room to land a good bite to the back portion of its body. Teeth ripped into scaled flesh, tearing off chunks as he could, but already the snake was squeezing the air out of his lungs again. Little spots began to flare before Merrick's eyes, but he refused to give up. He took another bite.

"Merrick Mendacium"

Relm huffed a quiet chuckle, such a norm for her. Being so far out from the pack, it was quite strange to run into him out here. She wouldn't question it, that was stupid. Especially in their situation but really she didn't care. She was just at the right place at the right time.

Biting into the snake, her ear swiveled as Merrick coughed out enough to give her the idea of where the head was. She kept her paws on the body of the snake as she searched his hip and found the head of the snake near there.

She immediately spun around and placed her paws down on Merrick's side and rump or at least where the snake was. Their again closer proximity was surprisingly not uncomfortable for the awkward girl. Her position over him was almost second nature in the ways of their situation. She wasn't intentionally holding him down or about to put her face down near more sensitive areas. She bit down hard on the head of the snake pulling her head back and causing Merrick to roll on his back towards her while she hoped the snake would die off quickly and release him.

"Relm"

Relm caught his drift and began poking around for the head of the snake. She eventually grabbed it and rolled the big man to the side. The action pulled the teeth in his thigh, ripping it a bit and he could feel the burning pain. Tearing at the snake's head had worked, however. The anaconda began panicking and it released the tension in its coils just enough for Merrick to get free.

Sucking in one big breath of air, the brute spun on the snake, jaws latching into it again and again as he tore chunk after chunk away from its long body. The snake squirmed and rolled, trying to pull itself back into the water and to freedom, but Merrick wasn't having it. The fucking thing had tried to kill him! There was only one end for the snake. Just as he had with the previous one, the soaking wet, muddied bastard bit into the neck area. Placing his paws down on the thick back, Merrick thrashed his head, ripping off a very valuable part of the reptile.

Bleeding, sore and tired, Merrick stood and watched as the last quivers of muscled, bloodied flesh ceased to move. "Fuck," he growled out, obviously still angry that he'd fallen into such a stupid natural trap.

"Merrick Mendacium"

Merrick took chunks out of the snake as he went along, and soon he would help Relm with the kill as their faces became real close to each other. Relm snapped over the jaws and Merrick tearing it apart at the base of it’s throat. It would die quicker than the last, maybe from Relm’s tight hold over it’s face prior.

The two stood there as the snake flopped even after death and eventually coiled into itself before it went still. Relm let out a short chuckle but refrained from actually looking at him, "Don’t be too embarrassed, otherwise I’d have to be too. Being in the same boat and all." It was a joke, but Relm was struggling to keep them social and it was more obvious than the last few times they had interacted. "We’re you going to head back soon? I don’t mind keeping you company either way."

"Relm"

Relm's jokes didn't fall upon welcome ears. Merrick was too pissed off to find humor in the situation. Anger flared within him and his lips were still curled back in a snarl as he looked at the dead snake. A low growl rumbled up from a wide, obsidian chest and he kicked the head of the snake into the water. He would have been bested had it not been for Relm and Merrick didn't like owing anyone anything.

The woman's words met his ears again, asking if he was going back and he snapped with a little too much growl. "I don't have much choice." His leg was bleeding and the teeth of the anaconda had been longer than the teeth of the python. The muscle was a little torn and this time, he would need to be tended to. With a grumble, the soaked, marbled brute began limping back towards Elysium.

"Merrick Mendacium"

Relm wasn't much offended by his attitude, but it did dim down her own rather drastically. She didn't yell or scold him, there was no need but she simply wasn't that way. She could easily be pushed around if he pressed further, but for now they just needed to get back to the pack so he could be tended to. She didn't say anything as they moved on and she accompanied him back to Elysium. There may have been a little tension but she didn't let it fester. She was used to acting just this way, so a silent trip back was nothing new to her. She'd keep it that way as long as he did. She wasn't much of a talkative type at least. To some that was a positive trait. She could agree.

"Relm"