Dazed, wounded, and in immense pain, the Kimenth found itself hardly able to stand on its feet- which were not perfectly morphed in any case. The tentacle that Hatot had severed writhed and twisted upon itself, though did not vanish into the beast as the first one did. The other appendage, limp and dragging, twitched dangerously; though neither did it disappear. The Kimenth, it seemed, was feeling the weight of its injuries rather keenly. Moonlight shimmered through the wickedly sharp beak on the remaining tentacle as it slowly bobbed like a viper. Heavy breaths filled the beast's lungs and its humanoid arms spasmed every now and again. Blood ran freely from its body, watering the hungry grass beneath their feet. It stood, but barely.
Sustenance lay just beyond its reach, the Akalak before it being the sole barrier. So it struck like the viper it so resembled, glass lightning before Hatot's eyes. An adept lateral movement saved the Akalak, for the razor tip punched through the air where his shoulder had been. A second stroke of lightning, Hatot's lakan came down on the fibrous limb. The force of his blow did not sever it, weakened as he was, though it convulsed dangerously as it split.
The vine limb whipped back though, the beak dragged along like a particularly sharp rock on a cord. It cut across Hatot's midriff, tearing the fabric and leaving a shallow gash across his stomach despite his backwards jump to avoid the second attack. The end of the limb fell heavily, clearly of little use now that the end could not be manipulated.
The Kimenth's shoulder warped and jerked as a stump grew from it. It warped and sprang forth, as if a snake were forcing itself out of the Kimenth's skin. The beast lurched forward a step, spines growing from the newly forming limb. A pained look crossed its face though, and a scream erupted from its lips as its eyes began changing. Their concentric circles vanished as they turned to clear glass, suddenly unmoving. It opened its mouth wide as the shrieking continued. It was unearthly, ingraining itself into the crevices of Hatot's mind, refusing to let go. Its teeth were suddenly of the same glass substance, the clear material of the beak spreading across the beast's face. Icy blossoms appeared on the Kimenth's cheek, spreading like frostbite to encompass the entire left side of its head.
Suddenly, razor sharp ridges burst from its spine, splitting its intricate structure with the organic chitin. The spontaneous morphing continued to wrack the beast's body as it fell forward, shaking as if possessed by abyssal forces. Had Hatot left the creature to its fate, it would have continued convulsing and shaking for several minutes. The agony the Kimenth felt wracked its body as organs and nerves turned to hard glass.
All was silent.
Sustenance lay just beyond its reach, the Akalak before it being the sole barrier. So it struck like the viper it so resembled, glass lightning before Hatot's eyes. An adept lateral movement saved the Akalak, for the razor tip punched through the air where his shoulder had been. A second stroke of lightning, Hatot's lakan came down on the fibrous limb. The force of his blow did not sever it, weakened as he was, though it convulsed dangerously as it split.
The vine limb whipped back though, the beak dragged along like a particularly sharp rock on a cord. It cut across Hatot's midriff, tearing the fabric and leaving a shallow gash across his stomach despite his backwards jump to avoid the second attack. The end of the limb fell heavily, clearly of little use now that the end could not be manipulated.
The Kimenth's shoulder warped and jerked as a stump grew from it. It warped and sprang forth, as if a snake were forcing itself out of the Kimenth's skin. The beast lurched forward a step, spines growing from the newly forming limb. A pained look crossed its face though, and a scream erupted from its lips as its eyes began changing. Their concentric circles vanished as they turned to clear glass, suddenly unmoving. It opened its mouth wide as the shrieking continued. It was unearthly, ingraining itself into the crevices of Hatot's mind, refusing to let go. Its teeth were suddenly of the same glass substance, the clear material of the beak spreading across the beast's face. Icy blossoms appeared on the Kimenth's cheek, spreading like frostbite to encompass the entire left side of its head.
Suddenly, razor sharp ridges burst from its spine, splitting its intricate structure with the organic chitin. The spontaneous morphing continued to wrack the beast's body as it fell forward, shaking as if possessed by abyssal forces. Had Hatot left the creature to its fate, it would have continued convulsing and shaking for several minutes. The agony the Kimenth felt wracked its body as organs and nerves turned to hard glass.
All was silent.
