The little dragon felt the massive coils grip him, and begin to tighten. Almost at once he felt light-headed and weak, the feeling of impossibly strong bands squeezing his body agonizing. His bones felt like they would all pop out of their sockets; his ability to struggle at all was being severely hampered, his limbs mostly tightened against his body or down below. Even his tail, now, was being restrained. Only one wing was left free, flapping weakly.

Absolutely desperate, he felt the agonizing heat in his gut roil up, giving everything he had for one last-ditch effort to drive the much larger predator off of him. With a weak twist he planted his tiny jaws against Septiezal's scales. For a moment he felt nothing--the crushing wall of muscle nearly stopped him managing at all, and his fear spiked even higher. Then he felt the agonizing pain of fire added to it, twisting along his throat and guttering into the snake's shining side.

A single defiant word, angry and terrified, escaped him, more a squeaking gasp than anything, as the pain and fear tumbled into a miasma of nightmarish unreality around him.

"NO!" This couldn't be real; this had to be a dream. He had to still be sleeping in his niche. He couldn't be dead the same day he had hatched.

Round: 5/5
Attempt: Cauterize-burn Septiezal's hide to cause pain
Defense: None
Injuries: Burnt mouth, bad spitfire injury down chest/flank, bitten & being SQUISHED

@Septiezal

Finally, he had restrained the nuisance. Like quicksand, his muscle coils crushed and squeezed tighter with each desperate squirm his victim let lose. For a moment, it seemed like the dragonling had given up. Septiezal felt relieved, but also, a little disappointed. This gemling had a put up an unexpected fight, more so than any other small gembound had, and he only smelled a day old. Such a shame.

Then, Septiezal felt heat grow in the hatchling's belly and suddenly, searing pain tore through his flesh and muscle. Septiezal let out a muffled squeak of agony as he tightened his jaws in anguish.

Despite the burn that bubble on his side, a flash of stubbornness over took the serpent. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, and a burn for a burn. Setpiezal's mouth grew hot as he summoned his magicka once more. A smoldering touch was given to the python's lips and jaws, he could burn hides too.

"speak"

Round: 5/5
Attempt: Burn Dread too!
Defense: None
Injuries: Bitten and clawed face, partially blinded in one eye, pierced, slashed, and bashed by obsidian, nasty burn.
@Dread

Character: Dread Age: +1 (1 Cycle) Magic Level: +1 (Fledgling) ROUND 1 Attempt: +7 Penalties: -0 ROUND 2 Attempt: +11 Penalties: -0 ROUND 3 Attempt: +15 Penalties: -0 ROUND 4 Attempt: +13 Penalties: -0 ROUND 5 Attempt: +8 Penalties: -0 Total: 56

Character: Septiezal Age: +20 (20 Cycles) Magic Level: +3 (Pupil) ROUND 1 Attempt: +20 Penalties: -0 ROUND 2 Attempt: +3 Penalties: -0 ROUND 3 Attempt: +17 Penalties: -0 ROUND 4 Attempt: +13 Penalties: -0 ROUND 5 Attempt: +14 Penalties: -0 Total: 90

WINNER: Septiezal

Regardless injuries dealt to him, Septiezal was overall impressed. This youngster had fighting spirit. In the end, it would be a shame to snuff out such a unique life for the sake of a meal. This gemling was no rat, and he was no deer. He was like the serpent, powerful and full of potential.

For the first time, he did not have it in him to kill his prey.

Reluctantly, Septiezal released the little dragon from his death grasp, and swiftly slithered into waters to avoid any further rebuking from the lizard's teeth or claws. With him giving the gemling a wide birth, he hoped it would be smart enough to see this as an opportunity to escape, otherwise, the python's judgement would be sorely misplaced. Septiezal slithered unto the sandy shore a little further from where their vigorous tussle had been. He turned to watched the dragon for a bit, to see what he would do, then promptly retreated into safety of the bushes, back to his sunning stones to nurse his wounds. He would share this island with the little one for now, at least until one of them overstayed their welcome.

-Exit Septiezal-

"speak"

@Dread

The pain of the fresh burns was almost nothing; he could feel everything going distant and dark. Fading. Abruptly, just as fast as it had begun, it released--and the agony flooding back into him was almost as bad. He found himself floundering in the water, the massive muscles around him twisting away.

He didn't stop to think about whether it had spared him, or whether he had injured it enough to chase it off, or whether this had all been a warning of some kind--he didn't have the mind for that, yet, anyway. He was far too young. All he knew was that the trap wound around him was slithering away, and he floundered weakly at first--then frantically--through the shallows.

Staggering, exhausted and burnt, bleeding from a dozen tiny pinprick wounds, the hatchling dragged himself back away as quickly as he could. He still had not eaten, but for now, he had no strength to try to hunt. Not noticing the serpent watching him from the shore, he scrambled blindly and weakly into his niche once more, where he collapsed, slipping into an immediate, deep sleep. His fear and pain were nothing compared to his exhaustion.

It was not a good first day for a hatchling--but at least he was still alive.

- exit Dread -