[u][h3]Lyamis, Catacombs[/h3][/u]

Lyamis’ spear found another ridge hound as he stabbed it in the shoulder, then flipped it into the nearest Naga. As if predicting his intentions, easily done through this body language, she impaled the beast on her spear and tossed it away into another leaping at her right. Each Naga held her or his position easily while the giant of a man contended with the shapeshifter and Ssarak dealt with the Malice. The living ‘corpse’ easily fooled by the illusion, hissed and slithered her way past Grey until suddenly...Twap! Her head rolled from her shoulders and her body toppled to the ground, her body still never to rise again.

Silently, he noticed the lacking sounds of this Tyrael’s bellows among the chaos. He had either dealt with the Malice Naga or was killed, which if it was the latter than likely more trouble was about to overwhelm them shortly. Not wanting to dwell on matters unknown to him yet, Lyamis spear spilled more blood with his small, lethal movements while his tail slapped away the crumbling carcasses for the others to feed upon. It seemed to him the smaller the group got than the smarted some became. Like they were starting, finally, to learn their swarming tactics were no longer effective. That worried him deeply because if they kept thinning them out at this rate, only the intelligent ones would remain and that meant new issues.

When his eyes spotted the downed Malice, Lyamis had mixed feelings about the situation. It was good the Malice was down and gone as it was one less threat to kill them out and deal with later. However, their surprise attack and distraction had been revealed by one of their own. The male Naga frowned on  the lacking communication the guardsman and the student, something even a Naga would find it hard pressed to do. They might’ve been isolated and left to live on their own at birth, but each individual within the tribe depended and trusted the other to protect one another when a threat was about to kill any of them. To Lyamis, it was if the man expected Ssarak’s plan to be more harmful than good then take matters into his own hand. 

Seeming to sense their original plan, the shapeshifter quickly snatched the body then gulped it down in one bite. When the last of the tail vanished down her large, dragon like maw she then curled into a small ball. Sounds of cracking and grinding came from her from, seeming to shape change. However, it was far worse. Instead thin and thick spike ejected across her surface before they shoot out in all directions. With Ssarak in back of her and Grey in front, the Naga had been exposed to her needle like attack. Especially the Matriarch. 

Lyamis instinctive rushed to the side and covered the Matriarch, his body providing a thick barrier as the needles were aiming to pepper any Naga who was unaware. Grey was the closest to the Naga and most likely to shield a few Naga, including the Matriarch and Lyamis, from several needle projectiles and possibly saving their future. If he didn’t… one of them would likely not make it out of the catacombs alive. 
 

[u][h3]Ellys, Lyn’s hunt[/h3][/u]

Ellys approached. Her body skirting along the grey landscape and slithered closer, her torso seemed only prompted up by the bones that made it. Every movement looked sluggish and half dead when she approached Summer, the student closest to her. The Naga’s eyes were milked over and no longer seeing giving her an image that screamed wrong to any creature with common sense. Without warning, Ellys’ tail lashed out then hit squarely on the girl’s middle sending her into the nearest tree where her figure crumbled and fell into an unconscious heap.  Whether she was alive or dead could barely be known by looking at her. To other witnesses, it might’ve well looked as if the creature had killed her instantly. 

Her lowered head turned to Leith's direction. Her tail coiled and shifted underneath her, tightening in what seem to be a sitting position. Unless the hydromancer did something, he was going to be for a surprise when Ellys’ body shot forward, her hands reached out and seized him followed by her tail wrapping about his legs to trap him in place. Then the pressure would be applied growing into amounts that could easily crush bone into dust.  

[u][h3]Cosh, Lyn’s hunt[/h3][/u]

The Alpha was in territorial mode, his eye shifted to spot the illusion Annabeth created and the hairs on his fur rose in aggression. His legs stopped abruptly in place as he studied Mackendrick then made a soft sound between a snap and a bark just on the outer edges of the clearing. The two Cosh to his left moved quickly through the brush and started toward the masked man, their image hidden thanks to their stealth, since there was a faint scent of the vampire’s cherry blossoms on his leg. The Alpha and four others however, focused on Keri, the very creature that had wounded their Alpha’s pride and limb. Another of the Alpha’s whiffled cries caused one, the smallest, Cosh to lead the way to pan around toward her back. Once there, the smallest one erupted into the open area then darted right at Keri’s exposed back. Fully visible as a distraction. Most likely the vampire would be able to sense the attack, either hearing the soft rustling or smell the thick, rancid dog scent, moments before the runt snapped down her shoulder and brought her down.  

The other two sent toward Annabeth would wait until the moment Mackendrick was gaining on the horse and rider before they would rush out, and then leap on the man’s fast moving figure. They wouldn’t pin him as planned but their teeth would most likely find flesh and blood when he zoomed by their landing figures.   

[u][h3][color=pink]Lyn[/color] and her bear, Lyn’s hunt[/h3][/u]

[color=plum]”Lyn, hold on tightly! Whatever you do, don’t let go. We’re going to go to somewhere safe now.”[/color] Annabeth’s voice edged into the child’s focus, Lyn’s mind unable to tell if it was spoken outloud or within her head. Her body was already falling toward the ground that she tried to tighten her grip and balance on the horse. It was difficult in her current state. Both mind and body wanted to shut itself down, rest and recoop but she knew it was a dangerous moment to attempt it. Her weight leaned into Annabeth best she could. 

[color=pink]”I-I-I d-d-don’t-t-t know how long I-I-I c-c-can hold-d-d on. S-s-somet-t-thing’s not-t-t right-t-t.”[/color] Lyn whispered with a moan, her grip slipping more with each jar of Samson’s hooves. It would plain to anyone observate enough that Lyn was suffering from early stages of Blood Sickness thanks to her overly strong spell. Unless she was given something, she was getting dangerously close to falling off the horse and crashing into the ground during the break neck pace toward the college.  

Meanwhile, the bear felt its claws detach as its small, furry body was tossed away. Its claws useless against the metal hard body while its damage ceased causing the demonic toy to growl in frustration at being tossed. It smacked forcefully into the nearest tree where the branches snagged and caught on the furry then tumbled to the ground upon its back. 

Despite its size the bear’s weight hadn’t changed in the least making it very, very light and easy to toss. Shaking the daze from its head, the toy growled in irritation when it saw three identical men step out of Mackendrick as it bowed to Althalus, Keri and it. The bear wasn’t interested in the doppleganger when it spotted the real Mackendrick take off after Lyn. Without a moment’s glance, the toy rose to its feet then tried to follow.