The only sound was a soft "tsk" of disapproval.

Another thump, as whatever-it-was slowly drew nearer.

@Aure

Tsk, thump!

Aure looked back down at the Wind Hoppers, reaching again for his magic and being careful to not nudge up against his freshly-made frills and break them prematurely.

"C'mon, c'mon," he urged softly, gritting his beak even as he did so - bracing himself for the worst.

@Game Master Dark

A vision, then: a great beast, gray, monstrous. Four-legged, almost dog-like in build but clearly larger from the way it loomed. Smooth-skinned. Its jaw, parted, held elastic-like strips at its corners; its sleek head was wholly eyeless.

It moved blindly, quietly, guided by the movements of a dog-like nose, and then it sprang, the bands at its mouth-corners snapping its jaws powerfully closed around the Windhoppers-... And then it stood, and sought further prey.

Sniff. The rushing echo of sharp breaths was audible.

The vision faded.

...Sniff.

It was drawing closer.

1/3

@Aure

Aure stepped away from the Lessers, feathers rattling against one another and smoothing down. There was a monstrous sort of creature here — and it was making its way towards him. No eyes, nose glued to the floor or sniffing at the open air.

The hybrid was... completely unsure of what to do, except to just traverse the room (to the other end, maybe?) and avoid detection and consumption by that beast.

Taking a calming breath, readying his wings, the hybrid made an attempt at masking his scent, hiding it beneath layers of that carrion-scent and musky fungus on a decaying log smell. He combed it through his feathers and fluttered up into the air, carefully skirting against the mushroom-ridden walls.

@Game Master Dark

The beast that slipped into sight a moment later was some ten feet tall, and fifteen long without its long, serpentine tail. It strode forward, slender and grey, its soft hide slightly pebbled. Nose lifted into the air, and aside from a quiet sniffing, its coming was silent.

The creature paced straight to where Aure had been a moment prior, nose dipping down over the Lessers and then back up... Sniffing. Searching. Seeking him.

@Aure

All things considered, it was... rather nice in here. Nice in the way that being surrounded by so much fungus seemed comfortable — not being hunted by an immense, canine-esque creature.

Aure didn't slide into a slow, soaring glide, though; getting to the other end of the room was the best course of action, right? And keeping an eye out for that as he did. He looked out to the abundant mycelium, even as he flew.

@Game Master Dark

Beyond the pool of dim light, the cave broke into honeycombed bays of more shadowed regions. The cave was not at all large, either; each split was a dead-end, dark, although a few of them were interlinked.

The beast turned sharply as Aure flew, honing in on the sound of his wingbeats. It pursued on the ground with long, swift steps.

Aure would sense fungus throughout the room--coating the floor, present in spores along the walls.

Everywhere.

@Aure

Nothing.

Just a dead-end here, a dead-end there.

The hybrid closed his eyes for a moment, shook off the ultimately useless effects of his spell, and peered underneath him to see it still in hot pursuit.

Aure paused in the air, hovering as high as the low ceiling would allow him to. Bright eyes turned on the creature, brow furrowing with hesitance. Blindly hunting or not, it was still a living being, and he didn't want to cause... too much pain or kill it outright.

Just... some of Mom's flesh-eating mushrooms, to deter it.

@Game Master Dark

Before Aure could finish his spell, the grey beast leapt skyward. The unnatural jaws, unhinged too far and guided by scent and sound, snapped for Aure's birdlike form. This would inflict heavy damage.

It grabbed, and shook; but lost its grip as it landed heavily. The spores had taken root, but not yet bloomed, and would not without further help.

@Aure

A shriek resounded from him as massive teeth ground into a wing, then a keening whine at the shaking and impact. Blood trickled hot from the crumpled feathers and broken bones. Aure's vision went white with every attempt to move the appendage, breaths coming quicker now.

This thing would kill him if he didn't stop it. Faced with life or death, lying on the ground and scrabbling to get up (and slicking himself over with mucuous fungus in the process) he practically begged the spores to take shape.

@Game Master Dark