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When the thing suddenly darted at him, it was with no warning whatsoever. Damn it was quick! Bounce, bounce, and then it was in the air--
He was tiny and quick, though, still young, and his jaws lurched upwards, barely snagging onto the rat's leg and haunch as it sailed toward his neck. Its leap arrested midair it fell heavily onto him; Dragon did not let go.
It kept biting, and scratching, and even went for his eye--which he closed tightly. He immediately did the only thing he could think to do--he submerged, again, turning and diving down into the deep black water. Cold engulfed him; his wounds stung badly, stabbing at him. The rat itself kept biting, frantic now, most likely realizing in some instinctive sense that there was little chance of survival for it now.
Still, Dragon could barely keep a hold on it, couldn't keep it from scratching him, from taking frantic gnawing chunks from his back and the side of his neck.
OUCH, OUCH, OUCH, OUCH, OUCH--FILTH-REEKING MUD-DRINKING DULL-TOOTHED LITTLE--... BIG JERKS!
Down and down he went, the thing thrashing in his maw, blood streaming up behind him. Hopefully Aquarian did not pick this exact moment to surface, and to eat him.
With a growl--bubbles streaming back up toward the surface--he shook his grip. He could immediately taste blood, and the rat's efforts redoubled--and then weakened. Then slowed. After another few moments, it was merely twitching.
He remained submerged, rat gripped firmly in his jaws--now just drifting limply to and fro in the water--until he could no longer hold his breath. Only then did he risk returning to the surface. He was exhausted, he was cold, bleeding and hurt, and he was, truth be told, a little afraid. But the rat did not miraculously come to life, and so he slowly crawled back onto his pile of bodies.
He'd eat some of the rat, then find someplace warm to rest. But he knew that the bodies would attract even more scavengers. What would he do if another rat came, weakened as he was? Or worse, two?
THREE? No, he had to make some plan, some way to deal with this. He'd learned a valuable lesson: never leave anything to chance. He had to foresee the outcomes and prepare accordingly.
Perching atop the pile of rotting carcasses, he began to tear into the rat's still-warm flesh.
It was time to come up with another plan.
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