The beach exploded into a scuffle as the Lessers fell upon the investigators, eyes wide and blank, epidote crystals glinting off of the light.
The kyte that lunged for Lichen hit first, as the dragon put herself in harm's way to shield her partner. The crystal points that served as teeth sunk into her shoulder, as did claws a moment later, tearing at her, bucking its head and making sweeping scourges with its claws to try and peel the flesh right off of her muscles.
Aurelle, next to her, would warp for a moment to match that of her partner's attacker, and she was flooded with a sudden emptiness. Like all of her has been hollowed out, and what remained were mere echoes, bouncing around on dark stone walls. A deeply painful sense of loneliness that felt foreign seemed to weigh down its entire system, as did a hunger for power. Not out of the sake of ambition or malevolence, but desperation. It needed to be stronger!
As for why it was attacking Lichen, though? It was helping. Whatever it was that gripped this Lesser believed in the echoes of its presence that she would be better off without her flesh. After all, without flesh, there would be no pain.
Coilean would feel the sharp, biting pain of the basilisk sinking its fangs into his leg. If he were familiar with this particular species of Lesser gembound, he might expect a searing hot agony, like fire travelling through his veins, but no venom passed into his bloodstream. Instead, the snake held on tight, digging its fangs in deeper as it jerked its head. Like it were trying to break its own fangs off.
The lava rat, meanwhile, was the one that didn't get its claws in its target. A wave of force from Callista threw it back violently, and there was an unpleasant crackling sound as shards of epidote were flung into the air. The rat rolled back and immediately scrambled back to its feet, moving to attack Callista again with the same amount of fervor. But this time, the force had ripped open the decaying flesh of its face, revealing a skull partially overtaken by the epidote. Bone showed from beneath the crystal that grew to encompass it, and no blood flowed beneath its fur.
The catsquirrel, as soon as Eulogy falls from Coilean's shoulder, jerks its head towards the escaping snake. It shoots forward after them, surprisingly swift for a half-crystal zombie. It still seems to retain the speed it once had in life. It quickly catches up to the newly-hatched gembound and reached a crystal-studded paw out to try and snatch them by the tail.
As Dread's roar deafens the battlefield, the Caroller, who had looked as if it were about to launch at Aurelle, pauses and looks up. It only blinks once before its wings open and a strangled screech comes out of its throat. Enough feather remain to sustain flight as it launches itself into the air to meet the dragon in the sky. Surely, just to greet him to their gathering!