Itzel advanced first. She kept her eyes focused on the gnawing Jagmaw that rested only a few yards away. Still taking cover behind one of the enormous will trees, she turned her head back to Janus and shushed him with her fingers. The physicist adjusted his glances and poked his head as far forward as possible to examine the specimen.
The Essencima made long, drawn out grunts as it continued to chew on the Primore. It wiggled its entire body, making both Itzel and Janus dart back a bit. It wasn't long before it returned to its relaxed chomps.
After a deep breath Itzel took the first step. She pressed the toe of her boot against the soft ground, making sure not to make any sounds. Once the first foot was past the safety of the tree, her other foot followed behind. Janus trailed behind her, making sure to mimic every step and following in her footsteps exactly. Both turned their heads back and forth, their attention constantly jumping between the Jagmaw and where they intended on taking their next step.
Their pace quickened. It wasn't long before they were both to the Jagmaw's side. Another tree provided them cover from the bulking creature. Itzel took the last few steps in stride, disappearing behind the bark of the willow tree. As soon as she reached cover, the Jagmaw began to stir. Its jaw opened wide again along with its bright yellow eyes. It blinked a few times and Janus froze, completely unable to move his vision away.
"Come on!" Itzel shouted in silence, her mouth forming the words with any sound coming out. She desperately waved her hands to make Janus hurry, but her actions were to no avail. The physicist remained stuck, paralyzed as the Jagmaw started sniffing. The Essencima's head took a sharp turn directly at Janus.
"Now of all times!" Itzel whispered as she put one foot past her protection. She extended her arm as far as possible took hold of Janus' wrist. She gave him a tug and pulled him close. The sudden movement made Janus take a sloppy step; his boot crushed a stick as he struggled to find proper footing.
The Jagmaw angled the rest of its body so that it faced the source of the sound directly. It let out a low grumble as it waddled across the mud towards the pair.
"What's wrong with you?" Itzel whispered softly. Janus tilted his head towards her to hear her almost inaudible words. Both sat on the roots of the tree with their backs pressed against the trunk.
"Sorry. Didn't want... to make any sudden movements..." Janus muttered back.
Itzel's face squinched together as she stopped herself from saying something else. She turned away from Janus and looked back towards the trees. Her head poked around before turning to face Janus again. "I don't see it."
The roaring returned, louder than before. Itzel's eyes moved up, opening wide. She pointed upwards with a trembling finger. "J-Janus..."
A huff of rancid air rushed past Janus and rustled Itzel's hair.
"Run!" Itzel stood up and sprinted in the opposite direction. Janus followed her, turning his head around just enough to see the Jagmaw take off right behind him. The Essencima opened its jaw wide and lunged forward, snapping at the physicist's feet. In his haste, Janus stumbled forward over another root. The creature's bite narrowly missed him, making the Jagmaw chomp on thin air.
"Serrated Gale!"
Itzel tossed a wind projectile at the beast, making it blink as the attack burst on the Jagmaw's eyes. As it blinked away the discomfort from the Technique, Itzel grabbed Janus by the hand and pulled him upright. "You need to pick up the pace!"
"Right, sorry. I'll take the blame for that one." In seconds Janus was upright and running alongside Itzel. Both looked over their shoulders and saw the Jagmaw sprinting across the ground, crushing branches and rocks with its massive feet as it darted in pursuit.
"There's no way..." Itzel pulled Janus on his arm, forcing him to make a sharp turn to right. "We can outrun that thing!" The slid on its belly, drifting across the mud with its ravenous eyes dead set on the pair.
Itzel and Janus hopped over a toppled tree on for the Jagmaw to follow behind and plow straight through it. "Are you saying that we'll have to fight it?"
"It's our best bet!" Itzel jumped over another fallen tree, this time standing on top of it. Janus climbed up behind her and watched as she started scaling an adjacent tree. He looked back at the ground and watched Jagmaw leap from the ground. Janus quickly lowered his body, almost laying prone against the sideways tree. The Essencima flew over the clearing, its stomach grazing over Janus' back before crashing on the other side.
"Let's get to higher ground! At least then we can come up with a plan!" Itzel held onto a think branch a few feet above Janus and waved at him. She beckoned for him to follow by waving one hand.
"I'm coming!" Janus scrambled across the decaying platform and watched the movement of the Jagmaw with the corner of his eye. The Essencima slammed the side of its hide against the bottom of the tree, making it shake violently. Janus wobbled and stretched his arms out to stop himself from falling to the side.
"Hurry!"
With a burst of speed, Janus made his way to the side of the upright tree. He leapt up and caught one of the branches. His feet dangled as he held onto the branch with all his might. As his body swung around, the Jagmaw continued its barrage. The decaying tree broke apart, making the sound of cracking wood echo throughout the area. Splintered wood scattered across the ground as the toppled tree collapsed. After half a minute of incessant bashing, only bits of rotten wood remained.
"You've got to go up!" Itzel sat on her branch and continued to wave both her hands.
The physicist pulled himself up on a lower branch. He took in a deep breath as he rested on the bulky branch. The Jagmaw jumped up and snapped its mouth again, aiming for Janus' dangling feet. He bent his knee back, barely avoiding another bite. "Have you started on any plans yet, Itzel?" Janus called out as he stood himself up on the narrow footing.
"Try not to get eaten!" Itzel shouted back. She set herself upright and threw another Serrated Gale at the raging creature. The projectile hit the Essencima's scaly back before dissipating into nothingness.
"Do you know of any other weaknesses this breed has?" Janus asked as he watched the Jagmaw jump up again. The monster snapped its jaw only a foot beneath his branch.
Itzel shrugged her shoulders.
Janus adjusted his glasses and stared down creature. It slowly circled the area below, keeping its eyes looking upwards. It grumbled again before opening its mouth up and flashing sharp rows of teeth. "This thing looks hungry!"
Itzel shot a cold glare at Janus. "Observant," she said firmly.
"You think its insides are as tough as its outside?"
"Oh. I see where you're going with this. You mean like what happened with the Sand Carver, right?"
"Yeah. We might have to take it out from the inside."
Itzel shrugged her shoulders. "It's better than just waiting around."
The Jagmaw stood next to the base of the tree. It angled its head to the side, priming itself for another swing. "Hold tight Itzel!" Janus called out. Both exterminators braced themselves as the creature followed through with its swing. The skull bashed into the bottom of the tree, making the entire plant rattle. The force was enough to send leaves and small branches plummeting back to the earth.
"That thing can hit hard!" Itzel said as he held as tight as she could to a branch above her. Janus kept both arms wrapped around the trunk as tight as possible.
"I don't think I'd be able to stay up here if the Jagmaw plans on doing that all day!" Janus replied.
"Don't let it know that!"
The Jagmaw followed up with another bash. The tree rattled again, this time knocking down a massive branch from the very top. Itzel and Janus turned their heads away as the massive chunk of tree broke through the canopy above. It crashed through the thinner branches with ease, cracking them and sending them downwards. Bits of wood rained on the pair, pelting them in the back.
Once the snapping of wood stopped, both took their attention from the Jagmaw to the top of the tree. A branch the size of the Essencima below lay strewn perpendicular along the canopy above, still held up by the higher branches.
"What did I say, Janus!" Itzel shouted. "You gave the Jagmaw an idea!"
The physicist squinted upwards. The part of the canopy above them wiggled with a gust of wind, ready to send to the massive branch tumbling down on them in any moment. He groaned before looking down at the Jagmaw. It shook its head and snorted before pacing the bottom of the tree one more time.
"Looks like it's getting ready for another swing!" Janus said with worry.
