You Don't See That at SeaWorld
04-10-2023, 12:02 AM
Whatever their reasoning was for traveling farther north, Sephiran was starting to regret it. He had hoped to find something interesting in their journey beyond the market, which hadn’t been what he was expecting. The farther they traveled, the more intense, and bothersome the weather became. It snowed nearly all day and night, and was much colder than what he was used to. Even with his thick coat, it felt like the winter chill seeped all the way into his bones. And he hated it.
So when they were met with another expanse of white that seemed void of life, he considered telling Aresenn to turn back and head south. He didn’t care for the submerged pine trees that poked out from bottomless layers of ice, as it didn’t interest him at all. “This is boring.” He snorted, pivoting away from the pirate boy to gesture him to follow. There was nothing for them to see here.
"Speech"
04-10-2023, 12:09 AM
(This post was last modified: 04-10-2023, 12:10 AM by Sephiran. Edited 1 time in total.)
But something caught Aresenn’s attention. Sephiran turned back around, bicolored gaze narrowing to peer across the tundra. A large creature, which was hard to examine given their distance, had emerged from the water's edge to sprawl out on the ice. It had something in its mouth, crushing it with its jaws, which caused blood to squirt onto the abyss of white. His nostrils quivered, saliva pooling inside of his mouth. He could smell it even from here.
Aresenn spoke up, asking what he thought the creature was. “It looks like a seal.” He said, moving forward to cover a few feet of the frozen terrain. Back home, his pack had an annual seal hunt, which was an event they had inherited from their grandfather. But, those seals were small, and came from warmer waters. This thing seemed otherworldly compared to what he was used to seeing. “But it's way bigger than any seal I’ve seen.” He mused aloud, mulling over what exactly this thing was. The leopard seal must have noticed them at this point, as it lifted its head from its meal, snorting out a burst of misty breath before taking another bite while looking in their direction. It didn’t seem scared of them at all.
"Speech"
04-10-2023, 12:27 AM
When Aresenn nodded in acknowledgment, Sephiran exchanged a glance with him before moving forward again. The beast kept them in its sight, gnawing on the carcass it had within its jaws, which again alerted him to how dangerous it may be. But that didn’t deter him. And when his companion asked if he thought they could take it down, haughty laughter bellowed from his throat. "Only one way to find out." He said, his lips contorting into a smirk that revealed nearly all of his teeth. Surely this would be just as challenging as fighting a bear or a cougar, which was a feat they had accomplished before. "Just stay clear of the water." He warned, before moving towards their left to try and make a large circle around the beast. "If you fall in..." He wanted to move out of its line of vision, so they could ambush it. "game over." The words rolled off his tongue nonchalantly, but the threat was all too real.
"Speech"
04-10-2023, 12:53 AM
Somehow, despite their impulsivity and lack of a plan, the teenagers were typically successful in their schemes. So, his plan was bland and lacking any real detail. All he conjured up was getting close enough to ambush the thing and avoid falling in the water. Aside from that, he just wanted to rip it to shreds. “Plan?” He huffed under his breath, trying to stay quiet as they crept forward, using larger mounds of snow to conceal them from the leopard seal. "Keep taking chunks until it bleeds out.” He mused, before reiterating his warning. “And avoiding the water at all costs.” He abrutply stopped, lowering himself almost onto his belly to sink down into the snow. Silence settled into the small clearing, before he heard the creature start to shift on the ice. He shot one last glance to Aresenn, giving him the signal that it was time.
He suddenly surged forward, leaping out from behind the mounds of snow and onto the ice. His claws scrapped against it, and he had to really focus on his balance to keep himself upright on the slippery surface.
"Speech"
04-10-2023, 01:08 PM
As they charged out from their hiding place, the leopard seal twisted its body to face its attackers. It snapped its jaws, barking at them to deliver a clear warning. Attack and die. But the boys wouldn’t be deterred by the danger, even though they were at a serious disadvantage. Their paws were slippery on the ice, and the water’s edge was only a few yards away. Their only hope of success would be if they could keep it out of the water long enough to bleed out.
With Aresenn at his side, Sephiran moved forward, a guttural snarl bellowing from inside his chest. He snapped at the creature, barking and lunging forward before reeling himself back a few feet. He nearly slipped while doing so, but his actions were meant to distract the seal, so Aresenn could make a move. The seal smacked its tail against the ice, which caused a wave of vibration before it slid forward to pursue the Saxe boy.
"Speech"
04-10-2023, 01:34 PM
Aresenn caught the gist, understanding what Sephiran wanted him to do. While he kept it distracted, the pirate attacked its shoulder, tearing away a chunk of blubber and muscle before retreating back to a safer position. Aresenn took the seal’s attention with him, as the creature used its front flippers to pill itself across the ice after him. And, with it distracted, Sephiran lunged forward to make an attack of his own. His jaws splayed wide and he grabbed behind its flipper, where it connected to its belly. His saber fangs sunk in deep, drawing spurts of blood to the surface that sprayed across his face.
His fangs gave him an advantage in depth, but it also created a problem. He wasn’t able to quickly retract himself as Aresenn had done. The seal twisted with him still attached, lurching its body to throw him across the ice and towards the water’s edge. He slid about a yard, clawing at the ice as he neared the ledge of the ice, stopping himself with only a few feet to spare. That was close.
"Speech"
04-10-2023, 03:48 PM
Pulling himself back onto his feet, it took a few moments to regain his balance and a grip on his surroundings. Which happened just in time for him to see the beast grab one of Aresenn’s limbs, while he shook his head to fortify his attack. Sephiran surged forward, haphazardly sliding across the ice, as he closed the distance between himself and the seal. With its attention on Aresenn, he launched off his hind limbs, propelling himself forward with open jaws that closed around the side of its neck. His fangs sank deep, penetrating through blubber, muscle, and into the vessels hidden beneath those layers. He also wrapped his front paws around its neck, his back claws clawing against its slick skin, as he held on for dear life, hoping their attacks would work together to bring it down.
But of course, it wasn't going to go down without a fight. It started to flail wildly, twisting on the ice to try and throw them off. He snarled through the flesh in his mouth, biting down harder, as the seal started to make a dash for the water. But with the amount of blood covering Sephiran's face, it was only a matter of time until the blood loss made it dizzy enough to lose its balance. He just hoped that would happen before it could reach the water.
"Speech"
04-10-2023, 04:39 PM
The leopard seal kept writhing and thrashing, trying to make its way to the water. This went on for what felt like an eternity, but in reality, it was only a few minutes. It lost its bearings just before it could slip into the ocean, as it came crashing down onto the ice with enough force to cause it to splinter beneath them. It released a long, sorrowful groan, drawing its last few breaths before it became very still. The usually white ice and snow were now stained red, steam rising from the ground from the heat of the blood. Sephiran stood there for about a minute, trying to catch his breath and retract his teeth.
And, just as he pulled his fangs out of its body, the splintered ice cracked beneath the weight of the seal and its assailants. In a panicked daze, Sephiran pivoted and bolted back towards the land, reaching it with only seconds to spare, as the ground shattered beneath them. The deceased predator fell into the ocean, sinking down into its depths and leaving a stream of red in its wake. Which left them with no prize to claim for their efforts! With his tongue hanging from his gaping jaws, Sephiran panted to catch his breath, looking for Aresenn to see if he had fallen into the ocean or escaped with him.
-insert dramatic ending xD-
"Speech"