The lizard couldn't comprehend what was happening. One moment, it was doing its job, feasting as it had been instructed. The next, things were fighting back. At first, they had no success. Then suddenly the creature could feel the gnats fighting back get organized, as if they suddenly had a leader. Even worse, they seemed to know how to harm it. It could vaguely hear how someone shouted about belly. Moments later, the lizard screeched in pain as something sharp penetrated its softer belly. It tried to slash out at the source of the pain, but could not seem to find anything to strike.

Then the pain was even worse. Some sort of nasty-metal cut straight through its right foreleg, removing the wonderful claws! It a frenzied screech of agony, staring momentarily at the severed claws and the dripping of its precious blood. Wherever it struck the sand, it smoked. Before the lizard could even react, countless rocks started pelting it. pained, injured and shocked as it was, the lizard could not resist long. Digging its remaining claws into the ground did not give enough purchase, the rocks kept pushing it back.

When its hind legs were back at the emergence, the lizard realized it had no choice. The opposition was too strong here. It leaped into the hole, hoping to find somewhere to rest up and heal, then emerge elsewhere. If possible. The only consolation, it felt, was that before the two-legs fought back, it had bitten lots of two-legs. If nothing else, many more would die. Its job had not failed completely. It hated the two-legs. All they brought was pain. They weren't even particularly good eating. Too much bone, too little meat.

------

Angie watched helplessly as the others fought the lizard creature. She could feel the hatred permeating the air, even if the lizards thoughts, thankfully, could not be heard. It was too different. Canines were much nicer, she decided.

Standing at the edge of the tall balcony, she idly scratched her back, watching the proceedings below. She couldn't help. She didn't know how to fight, let alone wield anything more dangerous than a belt knife. After seeing how even swords bounced off the foul-smelling lizard's hide, she had resolutely shoved her small knife back into its sheath.

As quickly as it had started, the fight stopped. Some evoker pushed the lizard back into the hole it came out of, then dropped big rocks into the hole, sealing it. Following the guidance of the Kalesian soldiers escorting the embassy staff, she passed by where healers were treating some of the lizard's still-living victims. She broke away for a moment, looking at the wound on one that had been bitten in the right leg. A grown woman. She leaned down, sniffing deeply. "Dirty! Unclean!" she exclaimed in the momentary break between the woman's anguished screams as a healer tried to bandage it. Others around glared, staring as much at her as at the woman. Knowing she was unwelcome, Angie retreated back into the group escorting the embassy staff.

She didn't care overmuch about the woman, but knew well that unless they thoroughly cleaned that woman's injury, she would be dead within a fortnight. Possibly even sooner. Angie's back one again itched. She scratched at it more and thought she could feel tiny hairs beneath her clothes. It was almost as if she'd changed even more in the few hours since the morning bath. She didn't know for sure, but thought that her fingernails looked even more like tiny claws now. They were more pointed, sharper. Maybe even a little darker. She didn't understand why.

The area outside the arena was chaotic. The peace and organization of the morning was all but gone. Screams of agony and mourning could be heard all around. She wondered who could possibly do something like this, who could wish others such harm. Surely no sane man or woman would want this.