Just another day in the life

[helluvachin]

WHO: helluvachin, angha_firebird, and turian_honor
WHAT: Raptors decide that Riah looks tasty.
When: Wednesday afternoon

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[angha_firebird]

It all started with the most beautiful scenery. Open skies. Green hills.

Zhaneel was there.

There was a golden sunset. Promises of sights unseen. Aara had been feeling better. She found herself on the Keep walls, holding her arms out, pretending to fly.

Wind to your wings...

Zhaneels parting words.

It felt like mere moments later when the scenery shifted. Rage and anger surged afresh in Aara's mind. She didn't know when she took angha form. She wasn't even of her right mind, anymore. She screamed, a roaring shriek splitting the air above the Keep. Emotions and hunger tore at her gut. Her mind blanked, vision seeing red. Talons extended in a need to tear and play with flesh.

And she found the perfect prey.

Diving, another shriek rents the air as talons extend outward as she swoops to claim her prey.

[helluvachin]

That did not bode well.

Instinct screamed at him to get away from whatever it was that was rolling towards him, but with all of his injuries and the adrenaline in his system dying down, his getaway was more like a fast limp than a run.

[turian_honor]

There's a flash of movement alongside the fleeing Zachariah. Something scaled, tall. It's ducking down a side passage, moving quickly, easily, with the long-legged lope of a predator.

And it seems to be getting closer.

[helluvachin]

His mind was racing but he couldn't think of what to do but keep moving. Everything he had been through in Deadworld couldn't have prepared him for something like this.

There was movement to his side. It was getting closer. Of course it was getting closer. It would have to be a snail for Zachariah to outrun it like this. He couldn't fight and he could barely run. What he needed to do was hide and he started looking for the nearest corridor to duck into.

[turian_honor]

It seemed like the creature chasing him was biding its time. Just waiting for the right moment...

Which it found, as Zachariah looked away, looked for that corridor. With no warning, the tall shape sprang from a darkened corner, talons stripped bare of blue armor. Its mouth and mandibles were parted wide, sharp, pointed teeth making for the human's exposed skin.

All that was missing from this giant Jurassic Park horror was a lashing tail and the scream.

[helluvachin]

His hair stood on end and Zachariah whipped his head around to see...something coming at him. Was it the same thing from outside? No, it couldn't be. It was only just bigger than he was.

Whatever it was it definitely wanted a piece of him and Zachariah wasn't really in a giving mood. He turned his gun on the creature and fired three shots. Unfortunately all his gun fired were BB pellets.

Why did he get the feeling that there was some greater force out there out to get him?

[turian_honor]

Bullets might have stopped it -- actually, no. Bullets would have stopped it cold. The pellets... bounced off of thick scales, no more injuring it than a casually tossed rock.

However, they did distract it, as it turned its head to snap at them instead. The motion threw off its trajectory, and instead of landing on Zachariah's chest, it smacked into the man's side, landing on the floor.

[helluvachin]

So maybe his luck wasn't dried up after all, but smacking into his side was still more than enough to knock him down right now. He crashed to the floor and his head bounced hard off the stone floor.

There was pain. Lots and lots of pain. The lizard thing had hit him in his already broken ribs and cracking his head against the floor gave him a full blown concussion. Stars exploded in his eyes and he had to fight to keep the darkness from overtaking him.

Don't stop moving. He couldn't stop moving. He had to stay alive. That was the single thing pushing him now. He wouldn't let Abeni find him like he found her. Rolling onto his good arm he slowly pushed himself up and tried to put more distance between him and that thing.

[turian_honor]

When it discovered there was no prey at its feet, the creature screamed. It snapped at the ground a few times, before the sound of movement caught its attention. Its head shot up, cocking to one side like a bird's.

Then it hissed. Jaws and mandibles spread wide.

Once again, it lunged for the human, snarling, trying to rake at him with claws and talons.

[helluvachin]

That was an absolutely horrifying sound and it spurred Zachariah to move even faster. Even with his new motivation though, it was no use. The creature struck him in his side with enough force to knock him into the wall and he cried out in agony.

Slowly he slumped the ground, staring back at the creature. There was a steely look of determination in his eyes. He had not come this far just to die. So Zachariah sat there waiting for the right moment. Whenever it decided to get closer he would raise his gun again and fire every last shot.

[turian_honor]

As if sensing it had its prey worn down, the creature stopped moving so quickly. Instead, it began stalking him with deliberate slowness. Its movements were jerky, yet confident. There was something birdlike in its step, and something completely alien. It watched him with pale eyes, jaw working into a quiet chatter of low, echoing sounds.

It paced around him in a semi-circle, looking for the perfect opportunity to strike. It bobbed in one direction, as if it were going to jump in from the right.

Before darting in the other direction, jaws splayed wide, and making for Zachariah's face.

[helluvachin]

Zachariah waited patiently. He could do that. He was good at that. All he heeded was the right moment.

When it went on the attack so did he. Deciding to attack his good side, well goodish, wasn't a smart idea on its part. He lifted his gun and fired every last shot in his clip and the creature's face. They were just pellets, but maybe they would throw it off again like last time. It didn't seem to be the sharpest knife in the drawer after all.