Provoking A Snake - Printable Version

Comet strolled once again into the lush greenery of Eridanus. Peaceful, it was, and today she was not going to be doing any hunting. She decided to collect some fallen fruits from the trees to bring home. Walking around the rain forest, she eventually came to a spot laden with fruits and berries. She picked the juiciest and biggest ones to take home, gathering them all in a pile.
Eventually, she had cleared the area of the best fruits when she came upon a single on that looked different from most. It sort of looked like a fruit, so she closed her jaws around it to pick it up, not knowing it was actually the tail of a snake.

It was perhaps forgivable to mistake the Golden Charger for fruit, given its bright yellow upper scales. But the creature did not particularly appreciate being bitten, even if lightly; driven by instinct it whirled to bite. As it lurched up from the detritus, its whole body became visible: coal black laced with gold, its scales heavy and thick like pointed armor. Three gleaming red eyes were situated to either side of the head and more, false eyes shone on the fan-like tail.

Worse of all were the fangs: long, wickedly-hooked, and many in number, serrated and lining the entire, powerful jaw. These were not only venomous; they were meant for cutting. The lunge, however, was a defensive one: intended to bite once, and drive this strange predator away from it. It aimed for what happened to be closest as it whirled: Comet's right paw.

Should Comet fail to avoid this strike, it was possible that its "Stonerot" venom would take hold: a painful, rapid calcification of her bitten paw, leaving it permanently insensate and hard, stiff, like rock.

Comet felt the fruit she was picking move out of her mouth. That was strange, maybe she just dropped it on accident? But when she looked closer, she saw it was not a fruit, but a huge SNAKE. Black, with golden on the top, and many eyes. It seemed there were even eyes on the tail. This was one of those moments where you felt instant regret, she really hoped that this snake was not venomous. "Woah! Okay, I'm just going to back away slowly..." But before she knew it, the snake had darted for her paw. She jumped in the air, hoping to dodge the hit.

@Game Master Dark

The snake struck dirt, and whipped back--slower than its slimmer brethren, but still with the speed of a venomous predator. It recoiled, jaws opening to emit a low hiss, coiling back along the foliage. It didn't flee, however, instead continuing to coil and hiss: a territorial beast, warning the young wolf away.

Comet sighed in relief when the snake bit into the dirt instead of her paw. She couldn't imagine the damage that possibly could've been done if that had happened. She watched the snake coil back into the ferns and continue hissing at her. Usually she would have walked away right there, but she noticed in the ferns behind the snake were some delicious looking berries. Perhaps it would be worth the risk to try and move-- or kill, the snake.
Comet looked closely, to see if it had any weak spots. Since it was in a coiled position the head could strike no matter where she tried the bite the snake. But maybe if she decreased its accuracy... She kicked up some dirt nearby and attempted to blind the snake.

@Game Master Dark

The warning had been given--and ignored. The toss of dirt had the snake's hiss briefly silenced, the head flinching away and jaws closing as dirt slapped over it. But like most snakes its eyes could not blink, instead covered by a clear shell of skin, over which the dirt cascaded--and the snake twisted, lunging in a briefly blind strike for where it had last seen the white wolf cub.

This one hit nothing, jaw slapping down on dirt, the snake perhaps briefly vulnerable if the cub could get through its armor--and if she wished to risk it.

Comet felt a whoosh of air as the snake struck where she had been only a moment before. That told her that the dirt had worked. Now was her chance, to potentially kill the snake. Where was his weak spot? The tail wouldn't do, it would cause barely and damage. Possibly the body, but that would make her neck an easy target for the snake. That left only one thing: the neck. It would be hard for the snake to bite something directly behind them.
Comet bared her fangs and darted forward in an attempt to bite its neck.

The snake twisted back, and as the wolf came for it it did what snakes do best: it lunged. The cub was moving a little fast for it to calculate, however, and closed jaws smacked against Comet's nose: not a damaging bite, but instead a recoiling hit, the snake immediately drawing back for another strike.

Comet snarled as she missed. That was a great opportunity right there! And she missed it! This snake was really going to pay. Next thing she knew, the snake had lunged and hit her right on the nose. Luckily its jaws were closed, doing no damage.
She was lucky this time, and wasn't sure how much more lucky she would be if she decided to attack it again. What should she do? Her two voices echoed around her head, debating if she really needed to kill this snake. Then her main instinct took over. KILL IT. Comet gathered all her energy and tried again to make another killing bite. Hopefully this time she wouldn't miss.

@Game Master Dark

Jaws closed on snake neck, only to find that the wolf pup's mouth hadn't found soft flesh but the sharply-pointed, armor-like scales of the Charger. This, as much as the venom, was its defense; and this was what thrust for the pup's palate as she bit.

Tiny teeth punctured from beneath, however: while the armor was up top, and might well cut Comet's mouth, the bottom was less protected. The taste of blood would be abrupt: sharp, tangy and strong, as the snake was fatally injured by the bite.

It would be unwise to let go before it was dead, however.