Celia swelled with heat. Immediately calling upon her new Modification without a second thought. Heat rising till it was at least enough to be transformed into a molten projectile. Which she spat at the immense interloper. Bracing herself for an expected counterattack.
But none came.
Instead, her ball of molten spit was effortlessly avoided. Gigantic form twisting out of the way. Curling and coiling to dodge it. And after it had it turned all of its eyes, all five of them, onto her.
They were pervasive, piercing, and judged her in an instant. A feral smile rising to its face as it did so. And Celia couldn’t help but shudder at the sight. A cold thing that went all the way down her spine. And it didn’t take her long to realize why.
Here was a true predator.
Not like Meroc who had been too big, too powerful to feel like a proper beast. But something smaller, closer, hungrier. And all the more dangerous for it. A creature that, she could just tell, lived for the hunt and nothing else. Something close enough in nature to herself to make her instincts scream.
And then it kept talking.
"So I am understood? Good. Now then, my prey allow me to explain the rules of a little game we are going to play. You will try to leave my forest or otherwise hide from me for three days, and if you succeed at either you will be spared. Failure will be met with death. And if any of you manage to significantly wound me, I will honor your strength by grafting you into me."
Silence was the only reply the horror received as it swiveled its head back and forth. Silence, alongside a few determined stares and snarls. Looks of slowly burgeoning defiance, as well as the hissing of a brave few.
But that did not discourage the abomination before her. No, it’s smile, a thing born or two faces, only seemed to grow wider. As if this was the perfect response it had been looking for. The glee it wore transforming into a chilling mask. One that plunged the camp into a second bout of silence. Instincts flaring up and reminding Celia, and perhaps all of them, that they were in the presence of a true monster.
And in that moment of harrowing revelation, Haet struck. His form a blur. Claws and stingers striking out lightning fast. A flash of red and black followed by E-10's massive form retreating a step. Multiformed head rising up and out of the way of a blood red knife tipped stinger. Tiger head releasing a roar, claws flashing through the air as the rear of its massive body came crashing down. Parrot wings opening up and revealing a coat of dark green eyes. A blast of something like acid released out of them.
But by the time the two pronged attack landed, Haet was already gone. The forest floor empty of his presence. Only for him to descend from above, both claws driving down into E-10's serpentine neck.
What came next was thunder. A deafening red roar that sent dust flying in every direction and left spots in Celia’s eyes. And when her vision cleared, she was caught off guard by what she saw. As instead of finding the battle continuing as it had, she found Haet on the defensive. Hastily blocking attack after attack from a body made of white and black stretching forth from the tigers mouth.
In its hands were two cleavers that flowed silver. Each a chipped ruin thing that was brought down in a rapid series of strikes. Each blocked by a red claw larger than some dogs. Both moving with the sort of swiftness that implied years of combat. Parries and attacks moving around and through the air so fast that she could barely keep track of it all.
What she could see, however, was that Haet was losing. Slowly but surely. He was being forced on the defensive and given no room for a counterattack. And if it continued that way for long, he was likely going to die.
So Celia, despite her screaming survival sense, through herself into the fray. Body heating up as she prepared a salvo of molten spit. It took her five seconds. And in that time, Haet’s defense had faltered. There was a thin line across his armored chest right below his right arm. One of his stinger tails had a dent in it, and a bit of his left wrist had been chopped off.
Celia fired her salvo. Five globs of spit sailed through the air towards E-10's seeming puppet. Ten shots that were deflected by a cleaver. The puppets body turning around with superhuman quickness to block the attack.
Which left him exposed from behind.
And unlike Celia’s little range attack, Haet was plenty fast enough to catch the serpentine abomination off guard.
Red armored body once again vanishing in a blur of movement. Claw slamming into the puppets back with a shockwave of force that made it go limp. Body falling as if it’s strings had been cut. And the bird once again moved, wings opening up to release another blast of acid.
Haet barely dodged it. Throwing himself to the side and into a nearby tree. And before the chimera of a creature could follow up, a cry tore through the camp as every able bodied member of Haet’s crew threw themselves into the battle.
Celia included.
No point in playing his game. The best chance for everyone to survive is to put him down now. It seems possible to fight back so far.