On this episode of Crocodile Hunter
11-11-2018, 10:52 PM
Dea wasn't sure what had brought her so far south. Auster wasn't a place she recalled fondly. For her, it was the long trek here that had destroyed her family, what had started the beginning of the end. Making sure to avoid Wraith's Woods, Dea made her way westward. It was slow going, apparently, the ground had been saturated by floods. She could see the damage done by the flood waters, trees that still held the thick red clay dirt from the area around them halfway up their trunks. It was almost as if someone had come and painted the trees, with as the thick sediment coating the bark. Rains had washed most of the clay off of the foliage that made up the plains she now walked along. Here, the earth was still soft and wet beneath her feet, and she wondered if she might be getting close to a body of water. Auster had never been marshy before, it was a strange feeling to be trudging along through the long grasses and have to suddenly fight her paw out of a mud hole. Dea was minding her own business, fighting her way through the marsh-like lands around Cattail Creek when a low rumbling hiss could be heard just to her right. Freezing in her tracks, Dea thought she had only imagined the noise until she began to move again and the same sound was ushered forth. Her ears twitched and she felt her heart thud harshly against her sternum as if begging to be freed. Bright pink eyes rolled around as she looked for the source of the sound, though it was difficult to see with all the reeds and long grasses in the way. She considered for a moment if Archon's Fallen God had suddenly paid her attention and decided she was only a plaything, gleefully toying with her mind. Then, the sound came again, this time with movement from her right. Startled, Dea growled and moved away, facing what she had thought was only a log just seconds before. Two sickly green eyes stared back at her with a wide gaped mouth that showcased very white conical teeth in long rows along the jaws. A demon in true form if she ever saw one, the beast of a crocodile launched itself toward her, forcing her to back peddle in reluctant retreat. It continued to hiss at her, though Dea's more obstinate side began to show itself. The reptile blocked her path, and while she was up to her ankles in water, she still wanted to get further down the banks of the creek. She needed to see the extent of the flood damage, curiosity was a powerful driver behind this need. Snarling at the crocodile, Dea looked around to see if she could spot anything to help her against this demon. Nothing of use was in the reeds, and while she could retreat, she didn't want to feel cowardly. It would bring her down in her own psyche and she would never forgive herself. The croc hissed and lunged again, forcing Dea back while she thought of how to attack, looking around for anything to aid her. She knew from playing with the smaller ones from the ponds of Wraith's Woods that there was a way to stop their bite, but with one this size, she wouldn't be able to handle that job alone. Sharp pieces of petrified wood jabbed her in the hind end as she backed away from the fearsome beast, and the wheels began to turn. It was during her search for aid that God deemed fit to send her help, a stranger passing along in the distance caught her eye and she howled to get their attention. She couldn't take her eyes off of the crocodile for long however as it turned to almost circle her, trying to decide the best angle of attack. If she could get the stranger to surprise the crocodile, and close its jaws and hold the reptile until she could get the piece of wood in position for a roll. The stranger could clamp the crocodile on the jaws with theirs - effectively holding its mouth shut and triggering defensive instincts - the beast would go into the trademark roll as a defense. Once the wood was in position, she would tell the stranger to grip the demon in their mouth by its jaws, then to roll with the creature until it speared itself on the wood that she would be holding steady. It wasn't the most sound plan, proven even more foolhardy by the obvious agitation of the crocodile. She shouted to the stranger for help, hoping they would heed her call. She was cornered against the petrified log with an angry croc shining its teeth at her! Seasonal Prompt - Skill: Fighting Word Count: 800 Locate & Identify target: ✓ Draw target out of hiding: ✓ Strategize how to handle target: ✓ Walk, "Talk" Think |
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