“Fucking, FUCK!” Scarlet shifted behind Hunter and braced his fall. She winced as she landed on glass, it crunched beneath her nude form. It’s shards slicing her skin. She had no time for that. She shifted out from underneath him. Her fingers ripped through his jacket. She couldn’t let him die here. What kind of….no - no...Manticores were deadly poisonous. Shit, what if it was already killing him?
“I’ll rip your arm off before-” She paused. She was going to say before the poison had a chance to kill him. But where the stinger had….why was his arm stone? “Hunter...Why the fuck is your arm stone?” Scarlet dropped him and stood, brushing the shards of glass off her back. No - that wasn't important now, they needed to focus on the immediate. She could interrogate him about his arm - later. She hoped.

“What the fuck was that? I was fine. Why the hell wouldn’t I be?”

“...I thought…he did something to you....” Hunter’s voice was dazed, and choked. He was clearly trying to recover from the stinger slamming into him. He shook his head slowly and sat up, the fingers of his right hand brushing against the gouge in the stone of his left forearm.

Scarlet shook her head. “He used illroot. I’m not… fully immune to it, but a small amount shouldn’t affect me. If it does, it’d be delayed. Get up stone boy.” There was - an emotion, strained. She was relieved. Frustrated….Dammit Scarlet wasn’t sure. She was just thankful he wasn’t dead. He forced himself to his feet - and she winced at the fact that it took longer than it should have.

She turned her eyes to the Manticore to distract herself.. “So - do we kill it, tame it and keep it, or sell it?” She wanted to kill it. She wanted to rip off its damn stinger- she wanted to climb into its mouth and rip out the back of its throat. But- she had her mark. This….this could be his choice. That was what… what was it Erik called it? ‘Jolly Cooperation’?

“I took my mark. This beast, whatever happens is up to you.

He snarled. It was a low, angry, vicious sound, one that promised pain. “It needs to die. Here and now.” She heard the distinctive click of his weapon. She felt a tad disappointed she wouldn’t be able to take it on herself but she gave a nod. “We need to kill it.”

“Right.” Scarlet knelt down and took the keys from the dead traitor. “I’ll unlock the cage then you have at it. I’ll ….I’ll be here to keep an eye on you.” She hesitated. A manticore was a chore for her at close range. Just a single swipe of its stinger sent him flying. Scarlet took a deep breath. She ahd to have faith in his ability. If he died...then wouldn’t that mean he was worthless as a hunter? Wouldn’t that be …. The trash literally taking itself out? Still… the thought of him dying weighed on her.

She turned to the cage and with a click of the lock she rolled out the way just in time for the manticore to slam the bars of the door to the side and take a step out. It bellowed, an angry cry that shook the room around them. Hunter roared his own challenge back, the sound barely human - drow, she supposed. There was another click, and the man snapped his short, spear like weapon to full extension.

Scarlet grit her teeth and two snakes burst forth from her back. They hissed and spluttered. Emitting a dark and powerful energy. One that caught the attention of the Manticore.

Well fuck.

“I distract it. You kill it.” Scarlet called.
The manticore leaped at her, its tail swopped down to strike her exposed chest. Scarlet effortlessly sidestepped it. The manticore rose its paw and knocked her to the ground. Winding her. Scarlet coughed and spluttered. Shit… that was sloppy.

Why the hell did that traitor expect Scarlet to .. to sleep with the beast? Shit… the illroot. It was having an effect. She didn’t have the urge to fuck the beast. Thankfully but it was inhibiting her ability to fight it.

“H…..Hunter the fuckin.. illroot.”

The damn thing was distracted from its fallen foe though - by a large, sharp blade digging through its side. It screwed pain, and lashed out - but the thing that had hurt it was already gone.

“Dawn - Scarlet - Amari! get out of here! Now! ” Hunter - no, that was definitely too full of emotion to be hunter- that was Fil'ayn, yelling at her to leave, to get to safety. She could hear the fear and concern in his words.

Scarlet stood, ignoring the thick red gash against her torso. She had a new order ringing through her mind. Good. At least this would help her. The manticore roared and its giant maw lowered over Scarlet as if to bite her. She grabbed hold of its muzzle and used it to leverage herself up and onto its back. It screamed and thrashed. Its tail- fuck its tail. If she let it strike her. It’d pierce right through her and into itself. That poison would kill her - but it’d also fell the best. Enough so that Hunter would be able to beat it.

“Hunter - let it pierce me!”