He heard the beast long before he saw it. The thing was crashing through the woods, smashing through trees as it ambled about. Nevin had thrown himself up against a tree and was currently peering around it, looking at the beast that lumbered on the other side.
The thing looked like a deer, but wrong, so very, very wrong. This creature was easily twice the size of a normal deer, and Nevin could see why it was able to knock over young trees as it swung overly large antlers against them. What was worse to his eyes was the frothy drool dripping from its opened mouth - a sign of insanity, rabies. Just what he needed to deal with, a beast that by its very insanity wouldn't pay attention to the pain that his whip would inflict on it.
Then a tremor of unease and disbelief wormed down the alchemist’s spine. The deer-thing turned its slavering mouth to the side and opened it, a strange screeching growl hissing forth. And the teeth, the teeth. Deer were herbivores, plant eaters that masticated their food. This thing though, plants were not on its menu. No, this thing had razor sharp teeth that were flecked red and white, the frothy foam of its rabies stained with blood.
Any doubts Nevin might have had about the urgency of keeping the strange magical corruption in this area contained were now completely abolished. There was no way this creature belonged in this world, it's very existence spat in the face of everything that was normal. When he left this place, he would need to see about gathering a group to exterminate the unnatural beings that were populating these woods.
And then he froze in place, as the mock-deer’s head swiveled towards him, it's wide nostrils flaring. Disbelief battled with the evidence of what he was seeing - the creature was now approaching the tree he was occluded by, the foam around its mouth thickening as its lungs pumped with exertion. The blasted thing could smell him, no doubt. Whatever mockery of nature had spawned this thing had twisted it to its grisly function.
So. He could already tell the damn thing could run faster than him, but at least the trees would slow it down somewhat. He needed to get somewhere he could bait it into charges and evade it - he needed a clearing, one with enough space to fight it. Thankfully he was close to the base of the tower - Nevin could see it through the trees beyond the slowly approaching monstrosity. He took a deep breath and steeled himself.
crunch. Whuff. Whuff. Skree- the beast was there, on one side of the tree, and some of its drool fell onto his arm. Nevin twisted and ran, sprinting around the other side of the tree as the beast screeched and tried to bite him. The hot breath of the mock-deer washed over his back and the alchemist heard a clicking snap as its teeth clashed together, just barely missing his back - but he was away, unhurt for the moment, and he stumbled for a moment before he picked up speed, bursting through the tree line into the wide clearing around the base of the tower.
He had made it. But now, he could hear the monstrosity coming, hooves pounding as it charged after him. Nevin spun, flicking his whip from its holster, and prepared himself.
