(Warning this is just an excuse for me to have two girls mud wrestling. It is not edited, and very long, fatigue is a real thing.)
He had gobbled food up, when full he fled…but the food kept coming, fear so backwards it had come full circle into terrific bravery. Stupid, deadly bravery. Then came another. These foreigners…they stood well on his land.
~~~HAHAHAHAA—AHAHAHAAHAAAAAAAAAAAA~~~
The rest had fallen back, huddled figures in the dark. Those who had run with Tablas now either stood behind the cover of moss strapped and leaning trees, or lay in the mud up to their ears while going through the simple rituals of ceasing to be alive, among them: drowning, blood loss, pulverization into a bowl of thick soup, the sudden and shocking removal of limbs, and perhaps one heart had failed under the weight of grief and terror.
Through the branches trickled and ran rays of light, though, last any had seen, the sky had been none so illuminating that day, and run those rays did, as though the sun too was searching. Strobbing lights revealed all.
Thick and heavy, equally serpentine and amphibious coils sloshed mud high into the air, even as the greatest bulk of their bodies stood motionless, arms crossed above the bounty of their breasts.
Great storms could hurl fish to new heights and further leagues, and that would explain why Tablas, armed with sword and dagger, stood before the seductresses of land and sea. They, being adults, were massive. Hunger shown in their eyes, for him and his herd, and for each, for there was no love lost between cousins.
‘They see me.’ He thought, watching the flickering gazes they threw him, aware that he was something more than human, but unsure as to what. With mesh built from people, galvanized by words, Lawrence was grateful to his shield, the first strike from the Lamia had been fast enough that when they had finally seen her, it was in leaving—even now blood glistened on her lips, and the length of her body was swollen, full and pregnant with a young, suffocating girl. ‘And if I leave it alive…it will follow me for more…’
The lamia lay upon her coils; by her beauty a fool would sooner think her lounging in wait than ready to strike. Those black eyes carried intelligence, searching the greatest threat for a challenge through a curling curtain of her perfect and dark hair. Her jaws could take in the full width of a man, but her smile welcomed all, particularly her blond, bruised, and beaten cousin.
In desperation, the mermaid hurled herelf over land, an eel-like tail thrashing, who would have thought that these creatures could fly. She beat the water until gravity lost all hold, her missing scales still issuing blood! Ahead of her, came her claws!
Tablas, already on the balls of his feet, already crouched, was one step running and his sword, Black Mesa, coming down. Claws met sword, and were defeated. Tablas in one stride brought himself down into a roll, but still felt the shatter of talons and the dragging weight against the blade as it went through a feminine hand to hit the wrist and explode free in a burst of blood and bone. He felt that instant and the thick enveloping darkness carry him out from underneath a creature still in mid-air alongside half a ruined hand.
He stumbled to his feet, and saw the shadow dart past him. The lamia, emerald and black, chose the larger of the two to kill, he caught her hair as he looked up. He caught her tail against his knees, and was knocked face down.
The mermaid, beautiful in the sea, had starved on land; ribs showing, eyes sunken and screaming in screaming in pain, the sea witch reached new and horrifying sounds as her cousin bit deep into her side.
The greater serpent was pleased with the taste, and bit for more, her mouth naught but fangs. Once, twice, and then amidst undulating muscles, her jaws opened and her own pain sounded. Fact: A mermaid’s jaws extend just as much as a lamia’s might come unhinged. Nature has equipped all animals with weapons, and unnatural creatures are armed in tens of new ways. They, those naked and beastly creatures turned on one another so swiftly that their bodies were soon entwined, teeth snapping, fists and claws thrown.
Black hair flew, the lamia’s head snapped left and right by unnaturally swift blows. The sea had the blond bitch strong With four pale knuckles she tossed the Lamia’s stomach, and still choking on her breath two more cracked the lamias’ eye and brow toppling her over. She spat teeth and blood in her fall.
Quick to finish things, the lady of the sea, followed. Her hands huge, she wrapped them about her foes neck, and, knowing nothing of the mud except that neither her gills nor lungs would take it, crushed the lamia into the soft, enveloping earth. Still starving, the blond took hold of that other’s left breast, deep furrows and trails of blood showing that she had been there before. She pulled- and saw the world flash white and black as her neck struggled not snap in the moment. She fell, a boulder, easily three times her own huge head, falling beside her.
Free, the drowning escaped the sucking mud, gasping as mud escaped her open mouth. She saw her enemy, she saw her limp and unconscious, and looking about found her savior. She found him, fatigued she did not bother to wonder at his help, the swarthy creature called man, but she smiled as instinct said. And she frowned, and hissed too, hearing his tone, “Filthy creature…”
Tablas stood, still fresh if still filthy, well aware that there would never be a better time. “And the thing understands, she’ll make a smart shoe, fine bag, and an excellent pair of garters!” There was no mirth in him, his words broadcast hatred and anger, whether he felt it or not was not important, just the ugly bitter timber of his voice. He flipped the dagger in his downturned hand. And when she turned back again from an easier meal, he threw it, underhanded in every way.
Instinct closed those pale green eyes, but instinct could do nothing as the steel blade of Stolen Virtue cut the lid and iris open…to bounce from the rim of the left socket.
KRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAH
The beast screams radiated through the air, and the earth shook as fell clasping at her face and her coils thumped and beat the air. If the mermaid had not been poisoned and concussed from the mortal world, she would have awoken, but her soul, in departing into the primal dark, still wondered as to the source of that horrible noise.
He would not, could not approach that chaos, and so Lawrence was left to wonder until she was done. ‘Why do all the myths make of these feminine things some kind of romance, a fish…a serpent…a lion with breasts? Such things are beyond foolish, the only use such things might have for breast are lead men by cocks to their doo-‘
Tablas side-stepped, a boulder inches away stirred the air he had once stood in. Grinning, grim, and daring Tablas turned to see the last enemy of the hour had ceased her cries, and held her face with one hand to breathe and hiss vengeful loathing in deep huffs. “Well,” he said, taunting her as took a light stance, drawing up his sword, and hopping on the tips of his feet, “here I am, suffer me a little longer…heh, please.”
“AAAAK-HAAAAAAA!!!!!” A fitting reply for limitless rage, there is no translation in any language for such a natural urge to kill and maim and devour! She would beat his body on the trees! SUCK FROM HIS FLESH HIS EVERY BONE! And after all that, she'd have his soul...
Faster than the mermaid, weaving, bursting forward! She was upon him, and where her cousin had gone high this one struck for the heart! The bob and weave was pushed to new levels, ducking lances of white knuckles and filth crusted nails. Tablas was armed, yet Tablas was nigh running, unable to parry one blow lest the next leave him flat.
At the mercy of her furious pace, she chased him in a circle about the swamped clearing, and it should surprise no one when from beneath the murk a length from her tail, from the sixty, tripped him.
Seamlessly, from his back backward he rolled twice, the serpent’s fist blasting up water, leaves, leaches and other vermin into the air. Tablas and the beast had never been so close, and crouched as he was, he sprung, short-sword aimed straight for the heart or lung Tablas could only guess through the warm, blinding spray was there. He stabbed.
He met nothing, the creature was gone… Tablas turned, wildly, and was met by an open hand from the right. The serpent, its single eye gleaming malevolance at Tablas through the fingers she snared him in. She held him tightly. He could not gasp for breath as her free hand sought to collapse every cavity in his chest. From above, from below, she hammered at him until he hung from her grasp, limp.
She thought him dead: she was wrong.
Black Mesa’s white blade skewered her arm, stealing all strength from her tendons; she dropped him, recoiling and hissing even as he pulled his sword free to stab and kill. He hacked a deep trench ‘neath her womanly hip, and when that free left hand struck to ward him off, he turned, well within her reach, and severed that arm just below the bicep.
What was her rebuttal, aside from her guttural scream? To lash him across shoulder, neck, and cheek with her ruined arm, the back of her hand leaving in Tablas a sense of vertigo that did not diminish as he hit the ground some seven feet away. He had been unconscious of the horrendous crack they had made together, the only sound in his darkness: the gentle slosh of warm water. His eyes stung, but it was hard to close them.
“BRAVE SAILOR! NEW FRIEND! BE YE LIVE OR DEAD?”
‘Wha…what a stupid question.’ He thought, swimming among so many other thoughts, imperceptible nothingness finally reaching him, for the first time and finally he would…he would…die…wait…what! ‘No, no, never again! Oh, there aren’t enough gods or devils to make that fate mine again...’
Crawling to his knees, Tables blinked and wiped away the cloying filth that blinded him, and what he saw next was the sight of his flock creeping to his aide, the lamia bunched tightly, hurt, terribly hurt and crying. She hissed at Tablas’ people, slowing their creeping advance. She looked away when she heard it: the steps of closer feet.
Tablas stood, not ready and waiting, but looking for his sword, only to stop when he heard the deep rumble from the coils of his enemy, and saw that she had seen him, and the hate she felt at him for wounds she knew would kill her, only showed through gaping depths of darkness as she opened mouth wide, and an infinite array of monolithic teeth shown yellow.
Unarmed, for Tablas, there was nothing to do but make one more effort. He raised his hands, and planted his feet, his boots soaked through. He did not have the stamina to dodge the lunge. This would be over soon.
Her body already drawn tight, the serpent sprang, her jaws open and her aim still true.The loss of the left eye no great loss at all now. With a power only gods should have, the world a blur of chaos, she hurled herself…into his hands.
Hands strong enough to overpower the greatest men, arms that pulsed with new strength daily, and electric power surging through them, Tablas made to make an end of things. His arms shook, bulging with the strain as he caught the destroyer of men by her brow and shoulder, his arms locked, back straight, and legs shifting on a ground that liked nothing better than spew in all directions than stand firm beneath him. She carried the length of two yards before the charge failed her. She went ridged when bolts of electricity shocked through her body.
Great splashes were sent up, trees shaken, and bats knocked from their slumber as the serpent flailed helplessly. She was only stunned when the voltage stopped, she flopped uselessly, her head only suspended by her hair in Tablas’ grip. There was nothing left to do, he took her chin, and drew her in under his left arm, twisting until the thick column of her spine snapped. The sick pop of bones unhinged shook Tablas to the core. He twisted once more to be sure, and dropped her lifeless torso into her native soil.
With that done, he stood still…turned, and fell atop her, using the lamia’s still warm body to seat himself as leaned his head back, gasping for air and trying not to vomit.
“You okay, sir?” He heard from the safety of the trees, real concern from real people.
“Just…just find my weapons, I’ll be fine. And this,” he smacked that scaled ass, “will be our dinner.”
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