Life Struggle [Open to All]

[The Creature Account]

Creature Identification: Blind Serpent
Size: 12 feet long; 900 lbs
Health: Poor

The sea was choppy and gray, angry at the world. It had lashed out onto the shore and boiled over the rocks that attempted to stand firm against it. The wind forced the water to form massive swells that surged over everything in it's path. The storm had been raging for the better part of the day. Things above the sea as well as below were suffering the wroth of the Great Spirit's dog, Nature.

Deep in the depths a thick, red form was propelling himself up to the surface for a meal. He was a blind serpent, and could smell the turmoil above him. It was dangerous to hunt in such a storm, however he was older and had not been lucky the past few days when it came to eating. He was forced to take a life threatening risk just to chance a meal. His massive jaws opened and snapped at a terrified shoal of fish that was swimming deeper. He managed to get one or two, barely enough to be considered a snack. He needed a meal.

He was close enough to the surface to feel the affects of the winds hounding the slate gray waters. Despite his speed in the water, he soon found his body, weakened from hunger, pulled into a rip tide. He thrashed against the pull and tried to free himself. However, the great best was over powered as a sucking wave pulled him upside down, disorienting him. He felt his body surge forward as the wave rushed to the rocky beach. Panic set in. He was not as skilled in shallow water due to his size.

The crest pounded him into the shallows. He grunted as he felt his scaly body hit the bottom of shallows. He felt bites and cuts from shells and sharp rocks. Pain seared through him, he was on his side and was unable to move toward the deeper water with the waves hitting him so. He was half-way beached upon the shore, his head and main fins were on wet sand and barely inches of water. He thrashed again trying to move his great bulk back into the water to no avail. The waves kept pushing him further up the shore, he could feel a suffocating feeling as half his gills were pinned to the muddy sand and the other pair was exposed to air. He found a few respites as waves crashed over his body.

With a mighty effort he flipped himself to his belly. However now the softer part of his body was digging into the rocks ad gravity slowly began to crush him with his own body weight. His mouth gaped, exposing his anger in his many rows of teeth. He was beached, and in just enough water to keep him there. The waves were helping to elongate his diminishing life.

The storm, as if satisfied with it's destruction for one day began to lessen. The water, though still choppy, returned to a manageable lap upon the shore. The wind softened enough to let those sheltered come out to view the tumultuous ocean. Waves broke over the beached serpent, but he was struggling. The sky remained slate gray as the clam began to settle back over the shore.

[Diamanta]

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[atrb=background, i1218.photobucket.com/albums/dd415/Somatra1/dback-10.jpg] "Speaking" Diamanta had planned on spending a tranquil vacation in the Cove, luxuriously lapping up the sun while letting the salty water cleanse her body and engaging in daily sand exfoliation to improve the sheen and silky texture of her scales. She had even taken up a temporary den within the caves for her stay and was looking forward to the delectable sea food buffet that awaited her in the warm waters. Yes, it was going to be a sensual spa, a paradise all to her own and who knew what male she might meet during her stay. Perhaps it would be more than her hunger for crustaceans that would be satisfied; now she was certainly not opposed to be that even though this was supposed to be a solitary retreat. The wind had greeted her arrival that early morning after her nightly travel, blowing perhaps a tad too strong for the gaian, but all the same it blew up sand and created a good first gentle exfoliation, however despite her initial belief that it would quiet down later in the day, the wind had intensified. The wind had brought great rolling clouds of deep grey to cover her pristine blue sky, casting the beach into a disquieting overcast and dulling the tropical colors she was just beginning to enjoy. The waves had begun to foam and move about restlessly in anticipation of the sudden change of weather and Diamanta, sensing something dark was looming on the horizon, had proceeded to seek the shelter of her temporary cave den. Curling her tail comfortingly about her body she had watched anxiously as rain had begun to pelt the sands and the wind had waged war on the ocean. Giant waves came crashing down on the beach, as though trying to reach for her sanctuary and so terrible was their wrath that she had shuddered and whimpered as their reach became ever so longer. The day had been awfully long and she had only drifted into a restless sleep after many hours of keeping vigil over the beach and the storm finally settling down at the end of the afternoon hours. She woke from her slumber in time to see the sky return to a more rested gray and by the signs of the settling wind the next day might indeed turn out beautiful. Hungry and charged from her nap she left her den to meet the coming night as was usual for the night wolf, determined to find some beached sea food to munch upon. Nosing around in the sea weed she pulled out a half open clam, liking at the slimy white meat that she simply adored. A small crab and several oyster followed suit until she was content to simply walk along, making a couple return trips to her den to decorate it with some pretty sea shells, starfish and sand dollors. By the time she was done with her decorations she decided it was time to check out the other side of the beach, where the rocks grew in numbers and more rare treasures would lay waiting for her discovery. The sand was slowly beginning to dry, but would not be right for a tumble until the sun had worked its magic and dried it completely. She had made it past the first defense of rocks when a startling and certainly alerting sight greated her dazzling eyes, drawing a sharp breath of surprise from her maw as she hid behind a rock. A sea serpent! And a massive one at that! Peeking out from behind a rock she noticed that the immense creature was actually rather stuck and helpless in his current condition and she cocked her head undecided at what to do. She could easily turn around and let it die, but somehow the fact that it was also a creature of the water made her want to stay, that and her emoticon powers were kicking into high alert as its feelings of distress began to transmit to her own. Sighing she cautiously emerged from her hiding spot and approached the serpent warily, giving a mild bark of warning as she worked on calming it through its emotions. D i a m a n t a' s . S o n g

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[The Creature Account]

All he could comprehend at that moment was pain. The biting of the rocks into his belly, the suffocating pressure of his own weight upon him, and the strain on his lungs as he was getting less and less oxygen from the water that broke over him. He made a guttural sound to vent his increasing frustration.

His hearing was distorted, usually he was able to hear things four times faster underwater, and smell things from miles around. He was out of his element and on the door step of death. Despite it being overcast, he would feel his scales and skin tightening in the open air. He thrashed as another swell came over him. Perhaps he could scoot himself into the ocean. It was a hopeless endeavor, but he had to try it. Soon, though, he became fatigued. The few fish he had munched up minutes before had not been enough to give him the energy he needed to free himself from the rocks.

The slow process could take hours, maybe even days. Odds were he would suffocate before he starved, but both options seemed possible for the great beast. He was old and weak, but still had enough fight in him to keep trying. After a while he heard a strange noise, being of the underwater world he had never really heard a bark like the one that seemed close to him. Usually they were yelps or screams of the animals as he ambushed them and dragged them under to drown. He had not had the opportunity to heard a wolf not in distress. Soon his nares flared as he caught the scent of a semi-dry wolf and sand.

He turned toward the scent and sounds, his lips pulled back to reveal his many rows of teeth as he blindly warned the wolf. He hisses softly, he was torn between self preservation and hunger. He wanted the smaller predator to keep it's distance so his being would not come to harm, yet he wanted it to come toward his large mouth so that he might get some sustenance to fight for his life against the dry land. Fear. Distress. Aggression. Frustration. As well as the gnawing need to hunt. So many things were pumping through the dying beast.

He kept his blind face turned to where he sensed the wolf female. She smelled mildly of sea. Perhaps she was one of the water wolves, he was not unfamiliar with gaians and caella. He had hunted them in the water many times. They were clever prey, but worth it if he could catch them. There seemed to be a lull in the tide, and he found his mouth gaping again, trying to gulp water to oxygenate his body. Pain and strain racketed through him again, causing him to shudder with the effort.

[Diamanta]

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[atrb=background, i1218.photobucket.com/albums/dd415/Somatra1/dback-10.jpg] "Speaking" Diamanta watched the great beast slowly suffering in the pool of water that but barely kept it alive, trepidation and uncertainty on her face as her tail flicked back and forth nervously. Sea serpents were vile creatures at best, and they had devoured many a water tempted wolf like herself without a second thought. Pursing her maw she narrowed her eyes speculatively, wishing she could somehow talk to the creature, though all she had as communication was the over flow of emotions coming off it and as she slowly attuned herself to the serpent’s aura she was beginning to see exactly in how pain it really was. Frowning slightly she moved around the serpent, shuddering slightly at the vocal warning it gave her, to try and see what was the issue, keeping one eye on her odd companion. The incoming water might have posed a problem for a smaller wolf, but with sturdy, compact paws and a tail for balance the still strong waves were not so much of a concern. The flesh of the beast seemed to be weighing down heavily on some jagged beach rocks, the tips no doubt slowly impaling themselves in its flesh as it stayed stagnant in its watery grave. The water was still turbulent after the storm and therefore it was still making its way in the dugout, but as soon as the tides quieted the beast would be in greater danger. The only saving grace might be whether or not the tide was going in or out, and Diamanta could not recall which it was given the intensity of the storm. Leaping on to some rocks she glanced out at the darkening beach, narrowing her eyes to try and find a point of repair to help her out. And there it was! The small grouping of rocks down the beach and she was sure the water had risen since she had walked past it! Hopping down she moved back towards the creature, head cocked curiously as she debated how she might help such a large creature when she was so small. She certainly could not physically push him, but perhaps she could help it regain some strength and alleviate it’s pain. The storm had beached large quantities of seaweed, slimy and slippery they were still wet and might provide a meager barrier between its flesh and the rocks. Moving around the serpent she began the tedious work of gathering the ocean plants in her maw and packing them under parts of the creature. By the time she was done she was well out of breath and her muscles hurt from the physical exertion of trying to lift parts of the beast’s flesh while working to soothe it’s fear with her powers. The tide had continued to rise and now more water was beginning to surround the beast, Diamanta needed to hunt some fish for it if she expected any help from its part when the water raised high enough to try and push it into the ocean. Moving to the pools she began the demanding task of extracting fish and bringing them to the serpent, paying attention not to linger long enough for it to try and take a snatch at her, she would not put it past the predatory creature and not for a second did she trust the beast. In fact she wasn’t even sure why she was bothering to help it, for surely if the roles were reversed it would delight in having a tasty meal left out for it without having to hunt. Sighing dejectedly she look without much hope at the water that was rising. Even when it reached full tide she did not know if getting the beast back in the water would work. The slick sea weed would help it to wiggle and the water would provide some maneuverability, but Diamanta doubted it would be enough, fact was she was beginning to believe she would need some help. D i a m a n t a' s . S o n g

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[The Creature Account]

Through the muddle of pain and desperation a shred of confusion was seeping into the simpler mind of the giant sea beast. The wolf seemed to be circling him, was she looking for weakness? He tried to thrash his head to follow her scent and sounds. She was moving out of reach of his jaws and he hissed another warning. Not that he could really do anything, his energy was rapidly depleting.

She seemed to move away from him. He gave a shudder has his body relaxed, he grunted as more rocks dug into his soft flesh. He tried to wiggle his way back to the ocean, however the rocks seemed to be holding him in place like the jaws of some even greater beast. Maybe if he just rested he would feel better enough to try again. The strain of having little to no oxygen was making him lethargic.

He lifted his head in alarm as the wolf had sneaked up on him and started touching him. He felt cool, slick vegetation on his drying hide. He tried to turn his head to investigate. His lack of sight made it hard for him to pinpoint her, but he could smell her. His tail lashed a little, but he was more curious than aggressive at the moment. There was an odd soothing sensation as the damp seaweed touched him. A few waves crashed over them, giving him another swallow of oxygenated water. The shallow pool he was in seemed to be more substantial now. Perhaps the tide was coming in. If only he could hold out long enough....

It took a long while, but eventually the wolf surrounded him with seaweed. He grunted or hissed slightly every time she lifted bits of his flesh up to shove some padding under him, however after a while it became more of an empty threat. He was exhausted and hungry, after a while he seemed to slip out of consciousness to rest as she finished her task. He came back to the waking world when he could smell fish near him. He snapped at the scent, trying to get sustenance. He seemed vaguely aware that the wolf was tossing fish at him. He snapped the morsels up eagerly, though he seemed to want the warm blooded feeder more than anything. The craving became less as she kept giving him food. Maybe she wasn't so bad after all. She seemed to almost be wanting to help him.

He thrashed his tail again, testing the rising water. It was crawling, but deepening. It would only be a few hours before he was able to push himself back into the sea. He just needed to hold out long enough, provided his age and bulk would allow.

[Diamanta]

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[atrb=background, i1218.photobucket.com/albums/dd415/Somatra1/dback-10.jpg] "Speaking" Diamanta`s efforts were greatly hindered by the creature`s incessant thrashing and she growled in reprimand, a quick flash of white fangs as her ears flew back. All she received in return was another swipe of the creature massive tail, this one actually connecting to its target and she felt herself being propelled towards a cropping of rocks, her body rolling through the water until it came to smack against the harsh surface. For a minute or so she remained still, her breath seeming to generate a flux of stars over her eyes and a sharp ache forming in her head. Slowly she moved into a resting position, giving the sightless beast a scathing glare, damn if it couldn`t at least cease its thrashing for but a second! The water came to pool about her body and she remained still within her comforting bath of sea water, listening to the waves and the beast`s growls. She had cushioned it, as best as she could under the circumstances, and even gone as far as to hunt for the beast and her limbs were sore from the assertion of the hunt and the pulling and tugging, so she let the water work its soothing charm on her slightly battered body. An errant strand of sea weed rested behind her ear and nearby a crab scuttled up a rock as though to see what was causing such an unusual racket. Diamanta`s tail came to lash out and smash down upon the crustacean, cracking its shell on impact and sweeping the still body closer so that she could pick it up and pull it apart. For awhile she was content to munch upon the tasty treat, patiently waiting for the water to rise and staying well clear of the serpent`s reach. The water level had now risen quite a bit, and she could feel its insistent tug on her own body, though she doubted whether it was high enough yet to affect the creature. Grumbling discontendly to herself she cursed her misfortune, had she been smart and not oh-so-independent she might be in the Enclave, enjoying and lovely night with her dangerous lover, instead she was here...Cold, miserable, sore, covered in salty drying water and in less than ideal company. Sighing she started to hum a soft tune without words, the melody comforting and soothing with an almost gypsy intonation, it was one that one of her mother`s first mates after Diamanta`s birth had sung to her. Diamanta remembered very well that wolf, he had been dark and alluring much like her own current interest and he had been able to sing the most wondrous of songs. She not repeated the tune, the words long ago forgotten but the warm notes of the music strong and clear. A sense of peace and determination settled over her, and she rose to half swim through the water towards the beast. The tide had risen quite a bit and the darkness of the night had finally settled, only light by a half crescent moon smiling gleefully down upon the creatures below him. She had to move slowly through the thick water to keep her balance and she constantly flicked her tail to help her movements as she walked around the serpent, deciding that as the beach was on the slope they might stand a chance of wiggling the beast into the deeper waters that waited outside the crop of rocks. How to get it to move without being squashed or mauled was the issue at hand and so she tried giving some commanding barks to get it alert. Running forward she took a leaping push at its side, trying without words to tell it to try and move, rather frustrated by the whole affair. D i a m a n t a' s . S o n g

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[The Creature Account]

The moon rose slowly and he felt the water start to trickle in around him. The tide was beginning to come in, slowly, but it eased his bulk a little. He turned his head toward the sound of the wolf that was helping him. He snorted a little, despite not having nostrils. He opened his mouth to hiss slightly, but most of the threat was done. She had fed him and attempted to make him comfortable. It had taken the beast a while to realize it...but that morsel was trying to help him survive another day.

He heard her begin to make a strange string of noises. It was odd and melodic. His kind did not have a gift to sing, but he had heard whales call to each other in haunting tones. Perhaps wolves had something similar. Communication was important to most species. His tail lashed a little, attempting to judge the depth of the water that was rising at a snails pace. He seemed to be lulled into a certain peace as her notes flowed over him.

He turned his head slightly when she stopped singing. He tried to pinpoint her locations with scent and sound. She was splashing toward him? That was strange....was she going to attempt to help him again? Maybe bring him more food? He was startled by the sudden commanding barks. He growled in response, was she going to attack him? He heard her paw falls through the water and attempted to wriggle to turn himself toward her to fend off the attack.

His maw gaped as she hit him hard in the side. He bellowed and lashed, thankfully though, his body began to slip as the sand and seaweed began to move under him. One of the rocks holding him also slipped his bulk began to slide free. He didn't feel the fangs of the wolf on him, so he realized again that maybe she was trying to push him. If he had a sense of humor he would have laughed at her attempts. Though he tested his new position. He gulped down a mouthful of water as a large wave crashed over him.

He could move a little more. He was coming free. He tried to find the wolf again. He grumbled low in his body, trying to sound less aggressive. It was a tone he used for wooing females. A low, rumbling sound similar to a crocodile's mating vibrations. Non aggressive and trying to be enticing. It was the only way he could think to encourage her to try again. His emotions had moved to hope and determination, there was a chance he could make it out of this terrible fate.