ORIGIN

She was so bored.

Splotch hummed tunelessly, trotting through the tunnels. She'd slipped away from the Grow Room to explore, but had seen nothing interesting. All of the Gembounds seemed to be hidden, not to be seen or sensed. She hadn't seen a single living thing in hours!

However, it seemed, her luck was about to change.

Her nose twitched, picking up the scent of a lesser gembound, a rodent of some sort. She lowered her head, sniffing at the ground. Suddenly, there was a flash of movement, and she looked up, seeing a Cave Mouse fleeing from her, its gem flickering.

Before she realized it, she was running, paws thudding against the soil. The rodent was making good time, scrambling ahead on miniscule legs. Her teeth clicked short behind its tail a handful of times, but she never got anything substantial. She kicked it into high gear, running as fast as she could, and finally her teeth clamped tight on the mouse's flank, flesh giving way under sharp fangs.

The mouse vanished down her throat in two quick bites, and she licked her lips to try and clean them. Looking up, she realized she was at the edge of the Crystal River. So, she stepped forward, dipping her muzzle in the water to try and clean it. Her tongue flicked out, lapping up the chilled water.

"I'm speaking..."
'I'm thinking...'

Her stomach now full, Splotch allowed herself to enjoy the water. It was pleasantly cool and pure, sliding down her throat easily, and soothing her thirst. Her mind slid away to think on what she'd gone through so far in the Caves, her time with Rift and the cub Sebastian.

So lost in her thoughts was she, that the Wild Dog didn't become aware of the Goose until much too late. She only had the slightest warning, seeing the goose in the river, before there was a sudden, loud cry behind her. The dog whirled around, staring in horror at the monster behind her.

It looked like some sort of bird, but not. Its beak seemed to grow back, covering its back. Its eyes were a horrific red, and its feet like talons. There appeared to be claws on its stomach, and as she watched the claws seemed to spread, revealing painful looking wounds.

Splotch whined, attempting to step back only to encounter water - she was cornered. She hunched down in on herself, ears flattening back and tail tucking. "I-I am! Please, j-just leave me be!" Splotch pleaded.

"I'm speaking..."
'I'm thinking...'

Splotch whined, flinched back as sparks flew from the monster's wings. She attempted to make herself as small as she could, radar-like ears flattening against her skull, her tail tucking between her legs and her stomach pressed against the ground. Her lips peeled back from her teeth in a fearful grimace, trying to get the monster to leave her alone.

The monster took a step forward, and she slunk back, only for a paw to dip into the water. She whined quietly, shaking off the paw and looking around for a way out. But, unfortunately, she was cornered by the monster.

There was something in the Monster's eyes that scared her, and she whined pitifully, trying to show she was no threat to it. The monster cackled, and she whined again. In a flurry of feathers, the monster was open her, and the Wild Dog made an awful screaming sound. There was a sharp, searing pain in her face, and everything went dark. Panicking, she began to snap her teeth together, biting at anything she could.

Round: 1
Attempt: bite anything
Defense: none
Injuries: burst eyes

"I'm speaking..."
'I'm thinking...'

Splotch cried out in fear and pain as the monster didn't seem to react to the pain, instead laughing gleefully as flesh and feathers gave beneath the Wild Dog's sharp fangs. She tightened her jaw, attemping to get a good grip, only to lose it as the bird suddenly took off, out of reach.

Before she could react, the bird was back on her, sharp pains erupting on her side as the monster's stomach-claws dug into her. Her legs buckled, and she squealed loudly, twisting her head and attempting to snap at the bird's side.

Round: 2
Attempt: bite Blackberry's side
Defense: none
Injuries: burst eyes

"I'm speaking..."
'I'm thinking...'

Flesh and feathers gave under the Wild Dog's teeth, and she tasted blood. But still, the mad bird didn't react any, continuing to tear at the Wild Dog's side. Splotch squealed, yelping loudly in pain, and thrashed beneath the smaller Gembound, trying to free herself. Her eyes, or where her eyes had been, hurt, throbbing and stinging, and without thinking she lashed out, teeth snapping inches short of the bird's wing.

Round: 3
Attempt: Bite its wing
Defense: none
Injuries: burst eyes, torn up side

"I'm speaking..."
'I'm thinking...'