He tasted dragon in the air, and he felt its movements in the brush. The gemling was near, very near. At first, he slunk towards its radiating heat, but stop abruptly when awful squeaking sounds erupted from the dragonling. Septiezal noticed the scent of burnt flesh. Its going to breathe fire! Panic spurred him away and into the water. Fire could not touch him here.

He laid at the shore's bottom, expecting a plume of flames in pursuit, but nothing happened. Suddenly, there was a horrible, muffled screech followed by the unmistakable reverberations of splashing. Then, he tasted dragon in the water. Septiezal couldn't believe this creature had actually jumped in with him. Its spell must have gone awry, that's why there was no flame. It must have jumped in to sooth the pain. It's not acquainted with fire.. of course.. Septiezal felt silly for fleeing.

Determined not to let another opportunity like this go again. He stalked towards the dragonling like a shark, whose head was now above water. The water and sand stirred under his massive coils. Septiezal cringed, he did not mean to make a mess. Perhaps is luck would hold out and the gemling wouldn't notice, but Septiezal did not believe in luck.

"speak"

Whipping his coils wildly, Septiezal launched forward in a slither after the fleeing the dragonling. He wasn't going to give it up, not now. His prey turned to meet him head on. It wants to fight for its life.

Septiezal found that trait admirable. Too bad its fate was to be the same as the rat's.

Suddenly, the dragonling reared and its spines splayed apart in a threatening display. Septiezal sensed heat building up in its throat and tucked his head back in anticipation. Hot air shot across his face, stinging his scales and burning his rat bite. Septiezal winched at the pain paint on his wounded flesh, but in the end, it was weak for a fire spell, and he will endure worse.

Septiezal hissed in retaliation. Rising up like a cobra, he too summoned his magick. Heated bile rose up in his throat like bubbling lava. The pain was scalding, but unlike the gemling, Septiezal had cycles of discipline on his side, making it quite potent. In one swift motion, he mercilessly spat the bile forward like searing venom, aiming directly for the little dragon.


"speak"

Septiezal could practically feel the agony dealt on the dragonling and a twinge of guilt pricked his heart. Normally, he did not spew superheated bile at his meals, he didn't need too. They never put up this much of a fight. However, his sympathy was short lived as the dragonling rebounded and grabbed his face. Septiezal hissed in surprise as the gemlings weight sent him crashing into the sand.

Sharp pain erupted from the frenzied tearing on his face and instinctively, Septiezal recoiled his head back into his twisting loops. His large coils writhed and squirmed as he dragged his head further back, reaching the shallows. The water lapped the blood leaking from his face and stung his wounds. So far his body had failed to seize the dragonling that was ripping into his eyes. He hoped his erratic thrashing would scare him off before more damage could be done.

"speak"

Blistering agony ripped into the serpent's eye as Dread blasted it directly with heat. Septiezal retched his head back, his mouth agape in pain. With his spectacle--a clear scale over his eye, burned and clouded, Septiezal found that he was partially blinded on that. It was the very injury he wanted to avoid, yet here he was.

A shadow bounced and flickered and Septiezel hissed angrily as he snapped his head over that direction. His tongue flickered, painting a picture of what his left eye could not fully render. The gemling was trying to flee. He almost let it happen, but a vendetta was out against him, for his eye. Now, it was personal.

"It's time to end thissssss!"The serpent hissed as he slithered after him.

Septiezal lurched back, then launched forward at the dragonling, his jaws wide open, lined with sharp, needle-like teeth. He intended to snag this one like rat, or a deer. It sure was causing more trouble than both prey combined.

"speak"

As his teeth sunk into the gemling's flesh, Septiezal reeled his head back with the aim to wrap his coils around him and silence his thrashing once and for all. The more the hatchling pulled, the deeper his backwards curving teeth sank. Still, the little dragon fought back, slapping his tail against the serpent's body. Septiezal felt his hide rip as the obsidian gem stabbed and slashed at his scales. At one point, the tail clipped his jaw, threatening to break it.

Septiezal pushed through the dragonling's violent protests and twisted a heavy loop around his squirming body, tightening his grasp like a trap. However, he wasn't sure if he was wrapped around the dragonling's chest, or if he even had a good grip. It did not feel like it. It would be a slow and painful strangulation if he was below the ribcage, and the gemling was thrashing to much for him to make sure.

"speak"