Lips peeled away from their fangs as Angel hissed. It was slowing down, but Angel was still hurt.
They decided the mimic needed to go, and now.
Others had the same idea. Genghis was at its back, peeling at something metal- something mirrored on the other side. Its mouth was full, making it a struggle. Angel's growl grew louder, and they wheeled on the thing, darting to its other side and doing their best to try and reach in.
The biggest had to go, and the person closest to the top was reached for. "Take my hand!" They flailed, hissing at the gnawing maw, holding on as the mimic bucked; they could barely keep on. It took shoving in their arm a little too close for comfort and-- there, they got both hands gnarled into Audland's fur and tugged as hard as they could to get him out.
More bodies joined him in the scramble within the mimic, and though Callista was rather soft, Audland very much wasn't (though he was on fire when he'd joined them in the gullet); the former was bound to be absolutely crushed, and he would be next if the bully and treasures kept bashing into him.
Needless to say, Menkheperre was beginning to panic. His conscience was slipping for a more frenzied, cruel impulsivity that he was woefully familiar with already, and when Audland is offered a helping hand (just because he's on top!) and escapes from the maw, Menkheperre claws after him with a snarl.
When he falls short and his knuckles are briefly clamped between gnashing teeth, the Valkhound instead snatches for Audland with his magic, and trades his place for the other's; landing on the ground covered in saliva and stuck-on coins, panting and heaving and wincing at his corrupted burns without (for the moment) any further thought for the morality of having punched back a little more violently than appropriate for him.
Yeah. Eleven preferred her food dead, thanks. She spat out the tentacle as soon as it detached. It was hard to determine if she'd done any lasting damage.
But hey, it'd done something. She tried for a bigger one this time, not quite comfortable putting her teeth near the metal hinges, even if they were coming loose. Maybe it'd slow it down?
But immediately upon moving in again, the mimic aimed a sharp corner directly between her eyes. Ow. She stumbled off, dazed and in pain, clawing helplessly at her forehead.
Spark curled defensively against the wall, eyes wild and breath heavy. The voices of the others, directed at them or otherwise, were muffled against the roar of panic as they pressed against the stone behind them for any kind of comfort. They found little in the cold, hard surface.
But the shape appearing in front of them side snapped them into focus, as they studied Genghis as he took the initiative to defend both of them. It'd been a while since they'd met anyone so... Kind. He was small too, not even full-grown. But still, his support calmed Spark almost instinctually.
But before they could even thank him, he was off again, clearly noticing some opening for an attack. They followed him toward the mimic again, but not to attack. There were still others inside - it was the least Spark could do to help pull them free.
Spark could've sworn the hairy, blue Gembound was free just a second ago - but their eyes told them otherwise. They reached forward, hoping to grab them just before the mimic shut again - but either they'd hesitated, or the mimic was just too fast. It slammed shut inches from their talons, and shoved them away, sending them tumbling across the stone.
Fleas could only stare wide eyed as she watched Spark get snapped up in the mimic's jaws. The caves birthed new horrors on the daily. Before she could shake herself from her stupor, all other gembound had jumped into action. Fleas felt more than a little guilty, but she had issues of her own. The Mimic was careening towards her. Most of the other gembound had already acted. But, miraculously, Thalia hadn't. The mimic stalled for a moment as Thalia jumped on it, doing something with a stick...? Fleas was too busy trying to to die to wonder what that stick was. She took the lapse in attention to slip behind it, unnoticed. Her heart thundered in her chest, but she was unscathed for now.
Fleas shook hard, her fur standing straight, and her already bulging eyes bulging even larger. Things were going from bad to worse. She watched as multiple gembound flung themselves at the mimic. She couldn't understand why, nor how they found that bravery. She realized, standing at the back of the mimic, that there was a hinge, squeaking as the chest went on its rampage. Maybe there was something around, something she could jam in there to pull it loose. Her eyes darted about. Nothing in the room caught her eye, more coins and unbroken chests. Between her panic and the direness of the situation, her mind wasn't moving fast enough to piece together something to use against that. The Mimic recoiled from something, and Fleas wasn't paying attention. If she was, she would've realized she was in the perfect spot to get collateraled. A tentacle lashed out, and Fleas was swatted aside into the gold, battered and prone.
I used to think that the day would never come
I'd see the light in the shade of the morning sun
Inside the chest, Callista coule barely breathe. There were too others in there with her and they were much much bigger then her. She was squashed between them, getting ever-more crushed by the second, not including all the treasure that was banging around and battering them too.
She hissed and shrieked and struggled, but she was incredibly weak compared to the valkhounds, so she tried to stop and think. Tried to calm the panic that was taking over her nerves. Her fists and teeth clenched as she wildly went through what she knew and what might work.
Her eyes shot towards the top of the mimic, the...head? Lid? What the hell were you supposed to call it? She'd go with lid. She could get it open. And they could all climb out, right? She didn't want to fight them for the rights to get out of the chest (especially since they seemed to be fighting each other?) One of them was suddenly gone, but she was still being smashed by the remaining valkhound and the...treasure.
She unsheathed her claws and scrambled up Audland's side as best as she could so that she could reach up with one paw (with a small little "Sorry! Sorry, lemme just...get..." as she scratched the shit out of Audland) and sent a blast of force towards the lid of the chest to wrench it open for just long enough for her to leap off and throw herself onto the ground in front of it, covered in saliva and shaking from the stress.
That my life would depend on the evening moon
That the night would never comе
Maybe in a less hectic scenario, Halcyon would've lingered to indulge in the self-satisfaction buzzing within gills at their well-executed throw and the resulting flinch it'd elicited. Unlike certain individuals known, however, they favored survival instinct over glory. That very practical sense demanded they regain distance from the mimic, running away to another safer spot within the room to reset and aim once more. As they fled, steady hands sought another stone within their bag and rearmed the sling.
A vulnerability had exposed itself in the middle of the struggle. From their vantage point, skidded to a halt behind the rampaging chest, shiny metal flapped about. They weren't the only keen eyes to capture this weak point; already the canine had lunged jaws for it. Instead of directing their shot as well here and risking injury of the useful Gembound, perhaps the better plan would be to see if another hinge could be loosened to further ruin the mimic's chomp.
Soothed by their current range and the repetitive motion using their weapon entailed, they settled the staff over their shoulder again and waited until the backside of the mimic fell exactly inside their aim. Breath filled Halcyon's chest in preparation for the final swing, and it released alongside soaring ammunition. They knew from their strong grip perfection was at hand.
It takes a moment to get her bearings after getting tossed by the mimic, especially with all of the chaos occurring near simultaneously. The majority of the group were going after the newly-revealed weak point, but Mai's gaze was on one of the freshly coughed up victims of the mimic's ravenous rampage.
She TRIED to race over, but yet another tentacle caught her off-guard, and she was once again batted away like nothing. She groaned, twice-bruised and honestly a pretty embarrassed by her lack of combat prowess at this point. At least the kit seemed okay (if rather shaken.)
Zephiran was hit! Scraped by the chest itself. As he was not able to move fast enough, unable to get his paws underneath him fast enough. But as many creatures went to attack and help defeat it. The silvered wolf went forward with his shield, aiming to protect someone. Anyone that might need it. The chest scared him, but he wouldn't show it. Not while all the others are working hard to defeat it. Zephiran did not want to stand there and let others get snatched.
