Hungry Mouths

Surprise surprise, Ashmedai couldn't survive on alcohol alone. Even with a hangover thudding dully in the back of his head, he had managed to catch a rabbit. It wasn't a lot, but it should be enough to cushion him through his next bout of drinking.

A twig snap announced the arrival of some company. Ash's eyes scanned the horizon as his ears swiveled behind him. A pack of coyotes, huh? They flagged around him: two behind and two ahead. They took the defensive as they edged closer. Ash seized the rabbit in his jaws and let out a low warning growl. These little fuckers thought they were clever, didn't they?

With coyotes, Ash found it hard to figure out which one was the leader. Their pack structure seemed looser than wolves. Maybe they only formed bands and not real packs. Regardless, a snap near his left haunch let Ash know at least which of them was the boldest. Of course Ash turned towards him, like any reasonable creature would. Then, after a brief moment, there was a snap at his haunch again.

Okay, so that was the game. They were going to surround him and try to trap him into dropping his goods so that one of them could snag it while the others distracted him with half-assed combat. Okay, okay, that was a game Ash could play.

He waited until one of the coyotes snapped at his rear again, and dropped the rabbit to his left side as he pretended to turn in reaction to the one who attacked him. Just as he suspected, the idiot closest to his kill went for it. Ash whipped around just in time to seize a grip at the base of the coyote's skull. Of course a flurry of yipping ensued as the other three dove in to try to save their little friend.

Too late.

Ashmedai moved on the opposing coyote, using his stature and weight to his advantage. He shoved the coyote's face in the dirt, bringing both of his forepaws up to add to the force. The coyote resisted for a moment, then Ash let it go. It tumbled back, bewildered and exposed just long enough for Ash to dash in and tear apart its neck. He couldn't had made it quicker if he tried.

While two of the coyotes latched onto his ankles, biting down fiercely, one tried to snag the kill. Good. Next target. Ashmedai snapped at the ankle biters enough to make them withdraw momentarily as he dove towards his next victim. It had turned to flee, but Ash was on top of it, nearly in mounting stance as he unleashed a flurry of attacks on the coyote's back. It wasn't the quickest or most effective, but it would be terrifying enough for the one being attacked. It shrunk under him, dropping the kill. Ash grabbed its scruff and pulled it back, tossing it towards its comrades.

The thing barely regained its footing, blood beginning to trickle over its face from the injuries on the back of its head. Ash was pretty sure it wasn't missing an ear before, but now it was. Oh well. The now-trio didn't seem to be giving up that easily. Ash guessed when you were as dumb as these fucks, losing a friend or two in combat was normal. The injured one lunged at him.

Big fucking mistake.

Ash sneered, his maw covered in a mix of blood from both his prey and now his opponents. As the first one came at him, Ash shoved his chest in the way. The coyote hit it like a wall and Ashmedai could have almost laughed if he hadn't been dead set on killing it. He latched onto the thing's face with all his might. As long as he could keep a hold, all the struggling would help him. The other two didn't take kindly to this and they attacked. One got a nice grip on his shoulder while the other went for a front leg. Ash was able to keep his leg from being crushed, but the one on his shoulder got to gnaw away for a while. As he moved his leg out of the other Coyote's jaws with a jerk, its teeth sliced deep. Damn... that would leave a scar.

The coyote in his jaw twisted and Ash felt his jaw sink in a way that, when accompanied by the shrieking yelp of the victim, could only mean his teeth found an eye. Ashmedai pushed himself forward, shoving the coyote in his jaw toward the ground as his jaws bore down on its face. The coyote that had been going for his leg stopped his assault and went for Ash's face instead. In a split second, Ash let go of the one coyote and grabbed the jaw of his new victim. The lower jaw bones were easy enough to break, although the coyote's teeth scraped the roof of his mouth and the top of his snout. With a satisfying crunch, the coyote jerked back and Ash let it go, giving him the opportunity he needed to knock it over and finish it off.

Now that he thought about it, the one that had been on his shoulder had vanished. Looking around, Ash found that the motherfuck (yes, one whole motherfuck) stole his food and made off while his friends were getting mutilated. Ash laughed emptily to himself, shooting a glance to the miserable beings beside him. Well... one of them was still alive. Ash figured there was no point in leaving it to suffer. He walked up slowly to it as it made an attempt to get away.

"You poor miserable bastard. You chose to run with the wrong group," he said, a sharp smile coming to his face. "But don't worry... it'll all be over soon."



-Ash receives a scar on his left foreleg-