[IC] Bible of Ichor: Septet for the Dead

[VitaVitaAR]

With the creature thus restrained, and Aleksiya able to get a better look at it, she came to realize it was no oversized chicken at all. Even in a state of such decay, it was quite obvious she was looking at a rather more familiar animal then she had expected.

A tropical and exotic bird that had no right to be here, except for the fact that the one at the source of all this was fond of them.

Aleksiya sighed heavily.

"Wonderful, I can't even make fun of you, now," she lamented as she raised her hand, slowly tracing her finger through the air. Along the same course her hand too, a crystalline line began to form, developing a sharpened edge, widening into a wedge shape as vapors poured off of its form, "I hope you're happy."

All it did now was seem sad and pathetic, more than anything else. And what it foretold was nothing particularly good.

Still, it was an obstacle. It had to be removed.

The blade of ice was sent hurtling through the air, a whistling sound accompanying it as Aleksiya targeted the point where the straining, bound wing met the body. It would tear free soon, so grounding it and then finishing it off was their best option.

@Rune_Alchemist@Rune_Alchemist@Asuras

[Pyromania99]

Mom and Dad that were mauled by beasts in her early life? For a human that must be rough. Akyasha thought on that for a few short seconds until Julene brought up her sibling like relationship with a Gilles. "Hmm. I see." The vampire mentioned, trying to think of her past. She couldn't remember much of anything before she had become a vampire. Hell, she couldn't even remember how long ago that was. And then, Julene asked about her family.

"That's a fair question to ask, especially when I brought it up first." She pondered the question for a few seconds before opening her lips again. "Truthfully, my memories are slightly vacant. I have no recollection of my childhood nor my actual age by number. If I were to assume, my parents were dead far before I had lost them or I would have found some clue. No other family by birth with that in mind. The only real family I have are those I travel with now." The redheaded vampire said with a small amount of somber tone to her voice. "Well, the past is the past. It's unchangeable by most accounts aside, perhaps, long dead gods."

Akyasha went silent again as she didn't have much more to add to that topic. She thought about how this human had connections with one Gilles but didn't mention anyone else. It seemed her relationship with Gilles was more of one between brother and sister than anything else... Still, it didn't hurt to probe and see if she had any other close relationships. "Asides this Gilles, is there anyone else in town you're close with? Truthfully, I'm almost surprised no one came to check on you after what happened with that house. Then again, I guess there were some other troubles happening."

[Click This]

Giselle de Farry

Undead Princess, de Farry

---

With the giant bird immobilized, Giselle was also able to get a good look at the decayed abomination after dancing away from its fumbled attack. Like Aleksiya, she was finally able to recognize it as one of Kordelia’s exotic pet birds, now long corrupted and twisted into a true abomination, yet apparently still loyal to the end. It was a little sobering, but it was obvious what needed to be done.

Aleksiya had been closer to the princess of beasts than she ever had been, so she let the smaller girl take the lead against the vampire lord’s fallen creature. In the end, if they did manage to bring back Kordelia, Giselle supposed it would be better to hear that Aleksiya had put down her oversize bird than Giselle. She had to wonder for a moment if she had been corrupted or twisted herself before finally being brought back. If she could, she would have shuddered at the thought of herself terrorizing the lands that she once tended and shepherded.

All the more reason to end this.

“Aleksiya, I’ll leave the coup de grace to you,” she offered, as she moved to further restrain the creature. As her counterpart tore into its wings, she sliced into its legs to leave it only able to thrash about on the forest ground before they finally ended it.

[Rune_Alchemist]

Location:
Julene’s cabin
@Pyromania99

---

“Awfully convenient.” Julene replied with a dismissive grunt. “But no, not particularly. The folks here are friendly enough but, well…” Julene paused for a moment, pouring some water into some mugs as she’d turn back to the cooking meat and some water into a pot that she would add a few vegetables too. “I don’t do well talking to them.” She shrugged. “Can’t say I blame ‘em. I’m not the friendliest sort.”

There wasn’t any malice in Julene’s voice, at least, so it didn’t seem like she thought less of the people and she was speaking more as a matter of fact it seemed.

“Right about that though, can’t change the past. Would be nice though, considering what those idiots in the previous era did to the world, hmph.” She’d grumble, throwing a few more bits of wood onto the fire.

Forest of beasts

---

@Click This@Asuras@VitaVitaAR

The beast shrieked loudly, Luna’s ethereal chains breaking the instant Aleksiya’s spear of ice would rend its remaining flesh from its bone, ripping a hole straight through its shoulder. A horrid shriek followed as the beast brought its beak down, slamming into Giselle and knocking her clean across the clearing like a doll, but she had achieved her objective.

Down a wing and now limping slightly, the undead avian shrieked again as it attempted to flap its wings, failing to find any air as its lame one uselessly laid now at its side.

So it chose the only option it had left. It reared its head back a shrill cry as it inhaled…turned its beak towards Aleksiya and shrieked. Another stream of razor wind, more powerful this time ripped across the ground, shredding the ground and scraggly trees around it. It followed by frantically scrambling along the ground, what would have been a fearsome charge reduced to a pitiful looking, half crawl as it opened its maw and would attempt to slam its beak around the vampire.

Location:
Forest of Beasts
@crimson Paladin

---

The massive beast growled as blood obscured its vision. The vampries blade found its mark, slashing into the hide of the beast, turning aside one of its paws as he’d parry the blow. The second soon followed, the beasts momentum not allowing it to stop itself as the blade cut another long gash along its paw…but both were shallow, and barely any blood seeped from the wound. Its body twitched lightly in a mildly unnatural way.

Ultimately, the beast charged past Argus a few feet, giving the vampire a few brief moments to think about his next move as the creature would turn to face the vampire once more, snorting aggressively as it seemed unfazed by the injuries on its paws. But it remained docile only briefly as it would rear up on its hind legs once more.

Charlotte, the witch, seemed mostly entertained and was writing in her journal a mere few feet away from the fight.

[VitaVitaAR]

This time, the barrier of ice shattered almost immediately. It was regrettable, knowing that she still wasn't back to the level of power she needed to pull off such a feat without effort.

But it had done enough.

The bird's beak yawning open, its body maimed, only barely recognizable as what it once was.

Aleksiya sighed, the air around her arm suddenly growing frigid. Water collected, coalescing around her pale limb, as the diminutive vampire formed a spike of ice that entirely incased it. It glistened, gleaming, shining, its point like that of the finest blade.

"Go to sleep. It's long overdo."

Her arm blurred as she thrust it forward. The length of the spike she had conjured was plenty, she was certain, to pierce the roof of re ruined avian's mouth, through the bone, and up into its brain.

To sever whatever remained of its life instantly, as it attempted to shut its beak around her.

Typically, Aleksiya took pleasure in slaying her enemies. Joy in destroying those who set themselves against her, threatened her companions, those people beneath her. Those who would trample over others.

But there was little joy to be had in this.

@Rune_Alchemist@Click This@Asuras

[Crimson Paladin]

Captain Argus Fellborn

The creature's thick hide made it difficult for the vampire to injure, and it didn't seem fazed by any injuries. Many aquatic creatures were the same way, their thick layers of skin and fat making it difficult to get to their blood and vitals. If he wanted to kill this thing, he'd need to either cut deeper, or take another approach. After all, as tough as this thing was, there were so many myriad ways to bring about the end of a mortal being's life.

Fortunately, when the bear-boar reared up, it gave the vampire better shots at its vitals without damaging the pelt. In fact, it was precisely the underside where it'd need to be skinned from. Argus thrust his sword at the bottom of the creature's chest seam and thrust upward. Even if he didn't hit anything immediately vital in the process, this ought to make it easier to find and strike at something that would put it down, right?

Let's see what you look like on the inside, monster.

@Rune_Alchemist

[Pyromania99]

"Well, I'm sure most of the people didn't intend for the current state of the world." Akyasha mentioned with a small smile. "Others perhaps. That aside, I find you quite friendly though perhaps not an upfront kind. After all, you let me in your home and let me rest." Her smile receded a small bit before she continued, "I would, however, prefer if you didn't call my situation 'convenient' I can assure you it's not. Though, it has led my existence since." The vampire's injuries had mostly recovered by now. Some small bits of pain and such but it wasn't half as bad as it had been.

"Well, I suppose you could say I've gained some rather 'convenient' gifts in that path. Companions, faith, strength. Purpose." She went silent for some short seconds before speaking up again. "Now, it's not much, but allow me to present my own gift to you, Julene." Akyasha said as she walked up to Julene. "Allow me to touch your person once more for but a few seconds." The vampire would lean in closer and ran her fingernail gently along the side of the blacksmith's head and through her hair. She would feel a gentle scratching before the Vampire removed her hand.

Soon, a small lily began to grow on the side of the blacksmith's head stopping at a small size big enough to be a pretty hair decoration. "A lily for you, my favorite flower. I hope you find them as beautiful as I do." With that done, Akyasha would step back giving the woman space.

[Click This]

Giselle de Farry

Undead Princess, de Farry

---

Giselle was not amused when she failed to properly dodge the unfortunate bird and was knocked aside like a ragdoll. Thankfully, she didn’t land like one, bleeding the momentum and coming to rest with a graceful rolling stop before springing back up. She immediately took a guard position in the event that she had erred in her blow, but she had done the job. Reigning in the urge to retaliate for the injustice meted out on her, she watched silently as Aleksiya landed the killing blow on the suffering pet.

The princess lowered her silver blade, but didn’t sheath it as she briefly knelt to inspected the fallen bird. Satisfied that Aleksiya’s spike of ice had truly ended the creature, she stood back up, taking the time to mend the minor battle damage to her dress as it stitched itself back together.

“Unfortunate, but it had to be done,” she consoled the smaller vampire, before pushing forwards into the forest towards where Kordelia surely was.

“Time to convene with a peer.”

[Rune_Alchemist]

Location:
Julene’s cabin
@Pyromania99

---

“I’m…sorry, what now?” Julene stared, somewhat perplexed at the flower that had quite literally, just been grown on her head. “...I mean, I suppose it is pretty.” She’d say, plucking the flower from her head and observing it. “But I dunno, I don’t do flowers. Is it supposed to mean something?” She’d gruffly reply, not seeming too particularly impressed by it. “It’ll wither and die…like everything else here.”

A somber sentiment, it seemed like Julene had towards the current world. Perhaps, Julene just needed to be given something irrefutable and maybe, a little bit of hope for something other than this bleak, lightless world.

“Ya want food or not?” She’d say, finishing up the stew she seemed to be makin. “More for me if not. I should probably get back to playin lookout soon anyways.”

Forest of beasts

---

@Click This@Asuras@VitaVitaAR

The beast fell.

A loud thud, kicking up dust and debris as its body fell limply to the ground in front of Aleksiya, its beak now propped open as the blade would sever whatever remained of its life. A victory, if not a particularly pleasant one or one to rejoice over. All that left now, was to find their way towards the source of this unpleasant business.

Perhaps, their old friend and comrade wouldn’t be difficult to work with.

Beyond the small clearing was a river that the trio would find themselves stepping out into. Yet, the river was not of water. No, they could smell and see it clearly. This river, was tainted beyond reason. Ichorious blood had tainted the water of these woods, completely and utterly. It was no doubt, then, that even if plants could grow…this would see to it all would soon wither and decay. And the beasts? No doubt twisted by this tainted water supply. Thankfully it was downstream of the village, sparing them from the taint.

And the source of this would soon become apparent.

Further down, the river, was a sight most would be familiar with.

The long dead carcass of a great Gorebat King - and something that was Kordelia’s reliable partner. A giant ornate spike of stone had been carved and impaled it into the ground, through its wing and right through its body, securely locking it to the ground. Its chest, had been completely hollowed out, reserved for what now seemed to be a small altar that someone had build inside of the creature…right next to its faintly, still beating, heart that was the source of all the blood pooling into the river.

And on top of this altar?

A sarcophagus much like the ones they had woken up in, and in front of it, was the familiar head of blond hair, a pair of small bat wings extending from her head, and a furry pair of similar wings from her waist. She was kneeling in front of the coffin, unmoving even as they approached.

They however, could not help but to feel watched.

Location:
Forest of Beasts
@crimson Paladin

---

Argus was swift, his blade lashing out…but just as the tip of the blade met the tooth-like zipper seam on the creatures underside, the entire thing just…split apart. Muscle and sinew ripping itself apart like some cavernous maw, but inside was neither mouth nor stomach. A single large, skeleton with multiple hands, seemingly puppeting the bear-boar from the inside like some sort of macabre parasite. It lashed out with one of its hands, gripping argus by the wrist and trying to pull him inside of the beast.

The bear, meanwhile would much follow suit, using its large frame in an attempt to ensnare the vampire inside of it.

[Pyromania99]

"This flower is no simple flower to be squashed under the foot of some simple beastman in the forest. No. It is a manifestation of my devotion. In some places long lost to time and strife, this flower... The Lily, represents purity and innocence. Furthermore, it also symbolizes rebirth. The thing I consider every time I look at one." It was the natural course of things. Rebirth from once being a human to now being a bloodthirsty vampire. A change for the better, if nothing else. A cause to devote herself to despite her lack of knowledge of the past.

"As for that stew... Thank you for the offer but I don't find myself eating food much." Akyasha mentioned, looking towards the stew the blacksmith cooked. She can not even remember a time when she ate solid food for sustenance. Not since her transformation into a daughter of Ichor has she had a burning desire for food aside perhaps bloody steak. "Might I ask a question of you, Julene? Much like this Lily symbolizes, if you were reborn anew with new power, what would you do with it?"

[Crimson Paladin]

Captain Argus Fellborn

Argus was shocked upon seeing what lay within the bear-boar as he beheld its true nature. Not a mere beast, but an undead puppeteer and its fleshy puppet. As a necromancer himself, he was no stranger to just how deeply nature could be twisted with a little creativity, but this thing managed to be unnatural on every single level.

The shock was only momentary, however, and quickly was replaced not with horror or disgust, but aggravation. Even after heading onto land, these undead were still hounding him. He wouldn't even get the consolation of the beast's blood- this thing was surely well past the point of feeding upon.

At least the skeleton could serve an outlet for his frustration.

Ever the dirty fighter, Argus lunged his head forward and bit down upon the skeletal wrist of the hand that had grabbed him, intent on biting the hand off and releasing his sword hand from its grip. Once his arm was free, he'd swing his sword diagonally at the skeleton within, aiming to strike both its neck and a few of its arms. Without its appendages, the puppeteer might not be able to manipulate its puppet.

@Rune_Alchemist

[VitaVitaAR]

When she saw it, she sighed.

Such a sad sight was only to be expected, knowing their collective fates. She had already expected as much. Still, the macabre and twisted treatment of Kordelia's companion, fashioning its body into a twisted altar, housing its still-beating heart...

How disgusting.

There was no doubt this was the source of the corruption.

And there she was. Her face obscured, there was no doubt the one before them was Kordelia herself. Or at least, it appeared to be her. The circumstances could not be ignored. Nor could the sensation of being watched.

Aleksiya was no fool.

And yet...

The diminutive vampire took one step forward.

"... If you can hear me, Kordelia," she began, "I have no doubt this sight pains you. No matter what else you may be feeling, what circumstances you may be under. If you are in there, I know this hurts you. But that's no reason to abandon yourself, is it?"

That wasn't the way of the endearingly teasable Beast Princess she knew.

Of course, Aleksiya fully understood that what they saw was not necessarily the truth. But the sarcophagus, at least, marked this as the place Kordelia lay.

If they had returned with their minds intact, then even if Kordelia was not currently of sound mind that meant they could return her to it.

@Rune_Alchemist@Click This

[Click This]

Giselle de Farry

Undead Princess, de Farry

---

Giselle remained on guard as she pressed forward with Aleksiya. Passing through yet more dead trees, they were met with a small river, the type that would have added a quaint, pleasant accompaniment to a forest landscape with the comforting gurgle of water. Unfortunately, this was not a normal river, but a stream long-tainted with corrupted blood. This river had ruined the forest.

They followed it upstream, but each step they took provoked a further sense of decay and wrongness, and the white-haired vampire unconsciously tightened her grip on her weapon as they continued. Giselle didn’t have to walk much longer to come across a new scene that made her tense, until she realized that the familiar great beast on the ground had long fallen. The Farisian princess only relaxed for a moment before she caught sight of the altar and what was on it.

Kordelia.

She looked exactly like the day that Giselle had last met her, in better times. Giselle almost immediately approached to greet her, but held back. There was something deeply uncanny and unsettling about this situation. Her eyes flicked between the dead Gorebat, the beating heart that fed the tainted river, and sarcophagus. They were definitely being watched, somehow.

Something was very wrong here, even if she couldn’t reason why.

It was not difficult to suspect that the being that looked like the Princess of Beasts might not be their former friend.

Giselle began to hold out an arm to stop Aleksiya from approaching, but the diminutive vampire had already stepped forward and spoken.

“…Kordelia,” she tensely greeted, preparing for what might come next.

[Rune_Alchemist]

Location:
Julene’s cabin
@Pyromania99

---

“...rebirth, purty, and Innocence, eh?” Julene narrowed her eyes, giving Akyasha a critical gaze. “...must be nice, not having any self awareness.” She’d snort, filling a bowl of food for herself as she was posed a question. “New power? What sorta power?” She’d query back in ponderance. “...Good question. Probably kill every man-eating beast and blood-thirsty creature I can get my hands on?” She’d only answer half-heartedly, though, as if she wasn’t quite certain of her reply herself. “What’s it matter though? Not like a human could get power like that. Not without becoming a monster themselves.”

She’d set the bowl on the table.

“I don’t intend to become one. Ever.” That seemed rather final.

Forest of beasts

---

@Click This@Asuras@VitaVitaAR

The figures’ head lifted up, hearing their voices.

A small moment of silence followed as Aleksiya finished speaking, Kordelia slowly moving to her feet from where she was kneeling. For a moment, it looked like she was about to fall over, her movements a little uncoordinated.

“They’re back…I knew…it…”

Kordelia didn’t turn, only turned her head up towards the cut open midsection of her pet and former companion.

“You idiots might have killed me once, but if you think you can…just come here after what you did to him. I won’t…let you.” There was not a hint of recognition in her eyes as she turned to face them, eyes void of any intelligence, only the hint of a red-star embedded in her pupils. Her mouth, slightly agape with elongated fangs.

“Stupid…stupid stupid! All of you just die and let me eat you already!”

She was fast. Much faster than the three of them were. In mere seconds she had lunged the distance between her and Aleksiya, her arm twisted into the claw of some savage beast attempting to simply rip Aleksiya in half.

It was clear at least, whether from hunger or something else, Kordelia was not in her right state of mind.

Location:
Forest of Beasts
@crimson Paladin

---

The creature hissed in mild pain as one of its numerous arms and grey flesh was bit into. Biting the withered limb off was surprisingly easy, Argus’ teeth ripping right through it. A flash of his blade followed, but the creature would attempt moving quickly backwards, making the blow much shallower then it could have been as only one arm was severed completely while others only suffered deep gashes and a shallow cut across its neck.

Before more blows could be delivered, the beast’s chest closed, returning to all fours as the bear creature pawed at the ground as it would resume a bestial assault, lunging towards Argus quickly in another frenzied flurry of blows and attempting to use its body weight to crush the vampire.

[Pyromania99]

"Now, now, Julene. No need to harsh with your words. I am pure of heart. Believe it or not. Pure in my faith, as it were. And all things require a small of rebirth should they wish to better themselves. Reborn as a better them, at the least." Akyasha mentioned, shrugging a small bit. "Your answer does matter, however. It's a test of personality, truthfully. And an exercise in self introspection." Akyasha smiled, though it seemed a bit more self-sure than the previous times she had done so.

"Consider for me, what makes a monster and what makes a man? In my time, I've seen humans turn into monsters but still be human in all but actions and be put down like a beast for it. And I've heard stories of 'monsters' doing more for a human society than they would have done for themselves and be praised." It was not a lie. After all, many of her allied vampires, "monsters" in their own rights, have in the past risen human societies for their own ends.

She paused for a moment, allowing Julene to think on it in silence for even the smallest bit of time. "What makes the divide between a monster and human? Is it a sense of community and belonging?" A shake of her head. "A moral sense of right and wrong?" Again, a shake. "Perhaps is it looks and ability alone? A more inhuman appearance makes one more of a monster?" A shrug this time.

"You may have no intentions to become a monster, but what if you needed the power?" Akyasha questioned. "Would you rather die if you could grasp at the power to let you continue existing? Those around you?" Akyasha looked interested in what Julene would answer. Though, she wasn't really sure what she was expecting.

[Crimson Paladin]

Captain Argus Fellborn

So it's to be one of those kinds of fights, the pirate thought as the puppeteer closed the chest and resumed attacking with its puppet. He managed to sever one limb, but he wasn't sure what immediate effect it would have. It might mean the loss of control of one appendage, or it might do nothing.

Anticipating that this fight was about to become more intense, Argus spit out the chunk of undead he had bitten into, and drew his pistol.

The beast lunged at the vampire. While a more brutish fighter among his ilk might be comfortable meeting his foe's momentum head-on, Argus opted to take another approach. He fired his pistol and fired at one of the bear's eyes, then attempted to leap over it onto the creature's back as it got near. He hoped that even if the shot missed its eye, the muzzle flash would blind it just long enough to not catch what the vampire was up to.

And once he made it onto the beast's back? He'd surely figure something out.

@Rune_Alchemist

[VitaVitaAR]

It was as she expected.

She'd had to try speaking to her, of course.

But that wasn't enough.

It seemed in order to restore her senses, they'd have to try a more direct and less painless method.

Kordelia's transformed arm found a spike of ice. It was far less effective then the more cohesive barriers, but Aleksiya simply didn't have time to put more effort into it. It shattered only seconds later, but the short time it bought was enough for the diminutive vampire to leap back and out of the way of the raking claws.

"If that's how it is, then we'll just have to hold you down until we can knock some sense back into you!"

Aleksiya stretched out one slender arm, mist pouring off of it as a blunt slab of ice was conjured extending from her palm.

If they'd all regained their minds after being reborn, even in this situation there was no reason Kordelia couldn't. Even if they had to knock her around to do it.

Aleksiya swung the ice club in an arc towards the other vampire.

@Rune_Alchemist@Click This@Asuras

[Click This]

Giselle de Farry

Undead Princess, de Farry

---

Giselle thought things had gone better than expected, all things considered, but only marginally so. Better here meant that Kordelia had not turned into an eldritch princess like she had half expected. Unfortunately, the vampire lord was still a twisted approximation of her former self, either corrupted through the passage of time or by some other influence. From her words and the way she looked at her fallen pet, and the corrupted paladin back in the city, she wondered… Either way, it meant conflict. How many times had she been forced to fight in the past day now?

The Farisian princess barely had a telegraph of a warning before Kordelia launched herself at Aleksiya.

She was far too fast. Faster than she had remembered… or had they gotten slow? That wasn’t something to be pondered at the moment as Giselle brought her sword up. The speed differential was terrifying… but she had the paladin’s silver sword. She just hoped that they would be able to simply disable her rather than making this a more permanent rendezvous.

For now, though, a regular fight it was. Coming in from the side, she took advantage of the exposure Kordelia had given herself by rushing for Aleksiya, jabbing out with her sword. Time to beat her up a little.

[Rune_Alchemist]

Location:
Julene’s cabin
@Pyromania99

---

“Introspection…? You askin’ some dumb questions and expecting a complicated answer, but the answer seems pretty simple to me.” She’d bluntly respond. “Monsters are creatures like them beasts out there. Bloodthirsty. Indiscriminate with their killing. They eat like lazy animals and gorge their faces on humans and can’t think of anything but their next meal.” Julene narrowed her eyes at Akyasha. “Power’s meaningless if it changes who you are fundamentally. No thanks.”

Forest of beasts

---

@Click This@Asuras@VitaVitaAR

Kordelia quickly retaliated, her other arm taking now much the similar bestial form as the other, grabbing the frozen club. The sound of ice cracking and crushing as the weapon would shatter just in time for Giselle’s blade to thrust towards the frenzied vampire…but the blade wouldn’t peirce Kordelia’s skin. A solid thunk as it instead, would clink against what felt like some sort of thick hide.

“Whywhy…why. Why…!” Kordelia would retreat slightly, leaping back just as fast as she had leaped towards Aleksiya at the start. “Tch. I get it. I get it. You all just wanted to kill me first, I get it! Cowards couldn’t even fight me fairly!” The vampire hissed, shaking her head and clutching her chest briefly as she’d turn her attention to Giselle, lunging forwards and striking out once more with her bestial claws, seemingly going for a rather deadly uppercut. However, at the very last second, the claw shifted, each of her five fingers changing into a living, breathing watery octopi tendrils and wrapping around Giselle, intending to grapple her and hold her in place.

Location:
Forest of Beasts
@crimson Paladin

---

The massive animal lunged. It might have been fast enough to outspeed a human, but compared to a vampire it still was slower. Its hulking claws swiped only Argus’ coattails as the firearm shot into the beasts eyes. Its already murky vision from the blood earlier going more as the bullet pierced its eyes, and right into its brain.

It briefly fell to the ground with a grunt of pain, giving Argus enough time to mount its back and figure something out, as it’d soon start getting back to its feet, and attempting to stand upright once more. A brief stagger of seeming confusion before realizing the pirate was on its back!

[Crimson Paladin]

Captain Argus Fellborn

The pirate had made it onto the beast's back- but now he needed to figure out what to do next. If it was a living beast, he might be able to wrap his arms around its neck and choke it out, but with that skeleton manipulating it like a marionette, he wasn't sure if it was truly alive. Even if it was, it wasn't a guarantee that unconsciousness would disrupt the puppeteer's hold on it.

No, if he wanted to bring this thing down- and without damaging the pelt- he needed to take out that thing inside of it.

The bear-boar was rearing up onto its hind legs again. Argus wasn't in any opportunity to try and get to the skeleton inside at the moment, but perhaps a little repositioning might fix that. The pirate slid off the back of the monster, tossing his hat away as he landed. Next, he turned around and wrapped his arms around the creature's lower torso and attempted to lift it up and back. He wasn't back to full strength so he wasn't certain how much he could have- if it turned out he did have enough strength to fully suplex it, he'd at least attempt to throw it onto its back.

@Rune_Alchemist