Chapter 22: A hellhound's ascent
Unbothered by the frazzled hunter he left behind, Evans was enjoying his possible new favorite dessert-Legiana limbs. "Reminds me of those popsicles on a stick really. ill probably grab some more later."
Over the next few months, Evans would have the same routine: sun bath, eat, explore, repeat. Occasionally he would mess with the other wyverns within the area. Naturally, this hasn't gone unnoticed by the commission, however, they leave him be for the time being, much to Evans surprise. That doesn't mean a few denser individuals don't come around to try their luck.
Evans looks at his latest handiwork of 'mucus murals'. Two hunters, one male and the other female, are stuck to the coral around them. the male hunter has on arm stuck to his head with the other hidden under the adhesive. His mouth was also covered, much to his disgust judging by his almost completely pale face. 'he's probably a germaphobe.' The female hunter on the other hand was hanging upside down encased in a stretched booger, almost like spider webbing.
She struggles as much as she can to shake off the disgusting trap this anjanath made. "EWWWWW! Lance if this was your funny idea of an 'easy hunt' I am SO gonna find another hunting partner." The huntress furiously declares, occasionally staring daggers at Evans.
HRAAAAAAAAASSSSSHHHth!
The three individuals all stopped what they were doing hearing the strange sound. They turn their eyes to the edge of the cliff where it was heard the loudest. It appeared before their eyes. jagged, blood red scales cover it from head to toe. Claws and fangs sharpened to the highest degree, wth blood still marring some of the back teeth. Eyes that speak of a ravenous hunger and a fate that guarantees endless pain. The trapped hunters pale as they watch it rush towards them. The monster rips out Lance's throat, blood splattering the coral nearby.
"LANCE!" The huntress wails having seen her hunting partner perish in a gruesome way. She has no time to mourn though as the creature turns its attention to her. With a leap faster than lighting, the fanged wyvern separates her head from her body. The jaws snap shut, grey matter and bits dripping from the newly made corpse.
Evans, watching from start to finish, has a somewhat peeved look on his face. For the wyvern that appeared before him was an odogaron. Evans hates these things for these were one of the earlier wyverns that had caused him to fail or abandon MANY of his quests. The odogaron, done savoring its meal yet still hungry, turns its attention to Evans. Saliva oozes from its maw as it imagines having a feast from Evans' flesh.
With a roar, the odogaron blitzes forward. Instinctually, Evans kicks out his leg, a small ravine forming as he attempts to kick the odogaron. The cruel claw wyvern leaps back, barely avoiding the large foot. The odogaron counterattacks with it's claws, ripping some bits of flesh. Evans retracts his foot and hurls a fireball at it. The wyvern is forced back but seems otherwise unharmed. 'Stupid fire resistances, fire might as well NOT be an option to use in hunts!' Grumbling to himself about how common fire resistance is, Evans wracks his brain for a different way to harm the odogaron while tanking some of the lesser lethal hits.
The odogaron, now agitated at the slow progress, rushes forward again. Expecting another claw attack, Evans dodges to the side. However, things don't go as planned as the odogaron's tail lashes out from behind it. Evans roars out as the spear like tail creates a gaping hole in his thigh, blood leaking from it. Evans crashes to the ground, unbalanced with a now bloody hole in his leg. The odogaron's eyes light up as it bounds towards Evans.
It leaps atop Evans leg, using its claws to not only secure itself to Evan's leg, but to cause more damage. Evans grimaces as the fanged wyvern scrambles its way up his side. The odogaron then sinks its teeth into his flesh, ripping out as much as it can. Evans face scrunches into a furious state as he lashes his head to his side. Probably from days of going hungry, the odogaron doesn't see the rapidly approaching large fangs until its to late.
Evans, with the odogaron trapped between two of his larger fangs, pulls the cruel claw wyvern off. He then drags the odogaron across the side of a large coral structure, chunks of coral and red scales free falling from the brutal impact. The odogaron tries to claw at Evans' face, attempting to free itself, to no avail as its joints are held in place. Evans finally slams the wyvern into the ground, leaving it laying there, unable to move with its now mangled limbs.
Evans, now a bloody mess looks at the wyvern barely alive on the ground in front of him. He then walks off before the odogaron's eyes. Believing to be mercy, the odogaron struggles to its feet, thoughts of vengeance at the forefront of its mind as it prepares to limp back to its lair. A shadow suddenly covers the wyvern. confused, it turns its head, only to come face to face with a boulder larger than itself rapidly approaching.
Dust rises into the air as the odogaron is crushed into mincemeat by Evans with the boulder he carried in his jaws. Sure that the creature is now a stain on the ground, Evans crushes the boulder between his jaws and puffs a stream of air from his nostrils. 'Odogarons...I HATE THEM!' Done cooling off Evans, trudges off to his makeshift cave nest, snagging a vigor wasp along the way to hasten his recovery.
The next day Evans returns back to where the odogaron first came from. The corpses of the hunters have begun to rot, with a few shamos taking small bits with them. Ignoring the small scavengers, Evans peers beyond the edge. He doesn't see the bottom but knows its there since how else would an odogaron get here? And with that thought in mind Evans dropped himself over the edge, curiosity growing at a chance to explore a new terrain.