The snake had eaten his rat!

Dread stared from the ferns, afraid and jealous as the far larger predator struck with startling speed, snatching the rat and--it was gone. Consumed. Dread had never eaten before, so he didn't exactly understand this, but he knew the thing was supposed to be his and now it was gone!?

Then the snake was slithering vaguely his way. He scrambled back, not exactly subtle or quiet, the spines along his neck bristling. A couple defiant squeaks were hurled its way, and then he was coughing smoke. The pain of his magic as it came unbidden--drawn up and out violently by his sudden defensive urge--burned through his throat and mouth. He had never breathed flame--not yet; his skin was fresh, tender, unscarred. He had built up no resistance to this pain, and it was blinding.

He let out an agonized screech and turned, bounding first one way and then the other in a very rapid, frantic rush, looking for some respite. There, there was shore--and a single leap and wingbeat-glide, and he was jamming his face down into it. Steam billowed up, but the relief was sweet.

Throbbing pain lingered; he jerked his head free and looked around, wondering where the snake had gone.

It had been near here just a moment ago-... hadn't it?

@Septiezal

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"

@Dread

He hop-flapped back to shore, heart hammering in his chest again. This was really not his day. And it was his FIRST day!

The tiny dragon clambered onto the loose stone, panting, and turned--and out of the corner of his wide and frantic eyes, saw the big snake coming for him. He couldn't get away in time--not this time--and he reared back, scurrying backwards while he pulled another big suck of air into his lungs. All the tiny spines along his neck stood erect like hackles, and he screeched in defiance, as if hoping to deter the much larger predator.

The hot air that spewed from his already-burnt mouth hurt like hell--and while it plumed out hot toward the inexorable snake, it speared his maw in pain. He kept scrambling backward, but clamped his mouth shut after barely beginning to blast, the burning agony and his fear of Septiezal struggling for superiority. All the while he kept shrieking high-pitched at Septiezal.

"SQUEAK! --SQUEAAAK!"

Round: 1/5?
Attempt: Blow hot hair at Sept's stupid snakeface
Defense: None
Injuries: Burnt mouth
(we decided to do a fight lol)

@Septiezal

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"

Round: 1/5
Attempt: Lava spit! Show 'em how it's done!
Defense: hisssssss
Injuries: Fresh rat bite on nose

@Dread

Dread was still reared back when the snake reared too, and for a moment he was instinctively relieved--if it was going to put on a threat display, then maybe it didn't see him as prey after all.

Then, blindingly fast, the gob of molten liquid shot from its threatening jaws, splattering directly into his chest and down his left flank. He staggered merely at the impact of it, the weight on his tiny body--and then the heat hit, searing. Agony ripped through him; his body was melting, his torso, and he couldn't think. There was only pain.

Instinct again drove him and he rushed forward--for the water--before realizing that the snake was in his way. Panicked, he tried to leap for Septiezal's face, to clamber onto it and bite, every bit as frantic as the trapped rat had been. He had to get the snake out of his way, get to the water, and avoid burning to death.

His tiny wings billowed briefly as he leapt into the air, then narrowed, sending him arrowing for the serpent's face; he tried to grab on, to latch there, to rip and bite at the snake's eyes and drive him back. He wasn't sure how much damage he could do, but he just wanted to survive.

Maybe he could drive it off; maybe he could be too much trouble to be worth a meal.

Desperation pounded through him.

Round: 2/5
Attempt: Attack Sept's face.
Defense: None
Injuries: Burnt mouth, bad spitfire injury down chest/flank (that's gonna leave a mark...)

@Septiezal

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"

Round: 2/5
Attempt: wrap around Dread
Defense: twisting
Injuries: rat bite and tearing on face, bleeding.
@Dread

The little dragon flapped frantically as the big head he was latched onto rapidly withdrew. He lost his balance for a moment, clinging in terror and swinging his tail and wings about to regain himself. Wrenching pain still burned at his chest and flank, and he knew he'd not be able to hold onto the much larger, much more muscular and powerful animal for more than an instant.

Heat welled up in him again, and this time he opened his mouth to blast another superheated jet of boiling air at the snake's eye, before being forced by the powerful coils to let go his hold. With a jerk and a stumble he fell sideways, down into the water--and at least the snake had reached the shallows, now, for the cold brought instant relief to the wound.

Dread floundered in the shallows, scrambling to right himself; it was a race against time. If the snake managed to crash down on him before he could get away... If he hadn't done enough damage to drive the python off, it might coil around him and drag him relentlessly down and crush him.

He most certainly did not want that. Or--rather than such coherent thoughts--he was blind in his terror, scrambling to get away.

Round: 3/5
Attempt: Blast hot air for Sept's eye!
Defense: None
Injuries: Burnt mouth, bad spitfire injury down chest/flank

@Septiezal

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"

Round: 3/5
Attempt: Bite Dread
Defense: None
Injuries: Bitten and clawed face, partially blinded in one eye
@Dread

Dread shrieked in sharp, loud fear and pain as the big shape crashed down into him before he could scramble away, briefly pinning him in the water. He thrashed. The teeth were like needles, and he could feel them pressing into and then abruptly puncturing his thickly-armored hide--he was dragon-scaled, but the scales of a hatchling just weren't up to deflecting teeth of this size. The sensation of the points breaking through flesh was agonizing.

He turned, flailing and scratching and biting frantically, but his own claws and teeth had trouble penetrating anything. Terrified, he whipped his blade-like tail up, with its obsidian edge, trying to punch it up into the snake. It wasn't large--an inch or two long at the most--but it was all he had.

The blade lashed for Septiezal's neck or jaw, all Dread could really reach--then again, the snake was pretty much all neck.

Dread continued to frantically thrash, meanwhile, squeaking desperately as he tried to break free.

Round: 4/5
Attempt: Lash his tail for Sept's neck/jaw
Defense: None
Injuries: Burnt mouth, bad spitfire injury down chest/flank, being bitten by a giant python

@Septiezal

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"

Round: 4/5
Attempt: wrap around Dread (again)
Defense: None
Injuries: Bitten and clawed face, partially blinded in one eye, pierced, slashed, and bashed by obsidian.
@Dread