The Battle Majestic (Round 4 - Magpie Skies)

Originally posted on MSPA by Schazer.

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Sen risked only a hateful groan in Vexmagog's direction before careening down the beach, away from the whooping and screaming hunters. Though their primitive weaponry was no match for the agility of Magog's monstrosities, hitting a target as large as Sen wasn't beyond the natives' abilities. Several spikes plunged into the Tender, one in its neck just above the right shoulder, and another deep in the neon stomach.

A dozen or so women peeled off from the group pursuing the fleeing Tender, and cautiously approached the flailing glass arms, spears raised. Sen fled the scene, managing to put on a good turn of speed despite the spears. In fact, as they stirred up whatever ungodly substance Sen was composed of, the fire-hardened wood was swiftly metabolised by the Tender. On the exterior, more pale gel crept up the shafts, but did not dissolve the madly waggling spears. The one in Sen's neck was swinging about especially wildly with the ungainly gallop he was employing to run down the beach, producing a rhythmic clack as it struck his swinging tail with each loping stride. The noise spurred Sen on, and alerted Jacob earlier to the approaching monster and natives.

Jacob raised his broadsword, ruefully noting the deep fuchsia aura. Not as violet as he would've preferred it in a situation like this, but enough to smooth over any problems. Like the one gallumphing towards him now. He was about to initiate a spell, when a change in the action ahead made him pause. Although Sen was still going full kilter, graceless upon his spidery stork-legs in the soft white sand, the women behind the beast had slowed, staring at the swordsman and muttering uncertainly amongst themselves. While the deliberations continued, Sen sprinted past Jacob, only paying him a strideful of sand to the face as it galloped by. The chronomancer scowled as he squinted and raised an arm to deflect the shower; before the ululations of the charging women reached his ears.

Beating the sand off his suit, Jacob took in the situation as quickly as he could. The green monster must've realised the exposed strip of beach extended onward for a while, because it was leaning in to flee into the wood. A spear arced through the air towards him, and missed by a wild margin - but the natives certainly did not look happy to see Jacob. They were much better equipped for a chase, too; despite the enchantments on his chestplate the armour was no picnic to run in. And of all the potential factors that could lead to them all getting killed on this island, Sen was probably the biggest. Jacob cursed his luck at being the contestant having to take care of that monster, and gave chase.

As the chronomancer ran, a small bubble of warped physics blossomed around the Tender. The perception of the world about it suddenly speeding up did not go unnoticed, but the swordsman was already jogging towards him. Admittedly, it wasn't the best solution; as evidenced by Jacob's stumble in the sand as a spear hissed by him; but, considering his mana reserves, probably the safest. The time-slowing field had been centred around the seed pod in the Tender's chest, so rolled along with it.

Hoping his training in horseriding would have some application here, Jacob caught up to Sen, and entered the bubble. The turning of the green beast's head sped up as the pair's time started moving at the same pace again, and the amazons were now positively sprinting down the beach. The Tender chuck-clicked warily at the man, but he ignored its protests as he used the embedded spears as footholds to mount the creature. Sen was too surprised by this sudden affront to argue with more than a baring of teeth and a hiss of pain; not to mention as soon as Jacob had enough of a foothold he disengaged the temporal distortion. Further complaint was curtailed by the cries of the hunters, and another volley of spears. The pod-loaded tail swung about with the rest of Sen to bat them away; the swinging motion nearly dislodged Jacob, who was quickly realising Tenders were nothing like horses.

"Run into the forest, you stupid brute!" Jacob yelled, equally furious with the stupid brute, as well as himself for thinking this was a good idea. Sen's baleful glare gave him just enough time to wrap his arms around its neck, before it darted off through the trees. Jacob almost fell off, unaccustomed to the beast's locomotion. The broadsword was a further unexpected hitch; to successfully hold onto that and hang on to Sen meant he had to grasp it with both hands and stick it out the front like a very unwieldy jousting lance. The natives refused to give up their pursuit, though the undergrowth at least prevented them from throwing their spears. Their agility at navigating the tangle was matched only by a ducking and weaving Sen, who seemed to freely switch from bipedal lope to almost-Jacob-dislodging overarm brachiation. During the rather concentration-consuming process of hanging on for dear life, Sen's rider noticed a few things.

First, and probably fortunately; the hunters were lagging behind.
Secondly, and perhaps disconcertingly; the hunters were lagging, thanks to brambles and branches that hadn't been there when Sen had dashed between those two trees just moments prior.

Jacob made a hurried note of it as the whoops and yells faded behind them, before the Tender banked sharply to avoid a tree it hadn't anticipated. There was a loud smack, and a furious "Damnit!" as Jacob's stinging hand dropped the glowing sword, after it crashed into the tree and nearly broke his wrist. The chronomancer had no time to curse Sen's stupidity, before the Tender leapt clear over a fallen behemoth of a tree, its trunk at least a metre and a half thick. The impact on the other side would've certainly dislodged the swordsman were his concentration still split between sword and Sen, but he managed to hang on despite how grossly unsuitable this creature was to ride. A blatant disregard for the rider's need to stay upright, along with no good place for one's legs to go, meant more often than not Jacob was simply hanging off Sen's neck, before his right foot found the spear-shaft and he could heave himself atop the Tender again.

The swordsman couldn't hear the natives at all now; and Sen wasn't the kind of creature to crash through rainforest. In fact, were he not seething at the loss of his sword, Jacob would've noticed for such a large creature, the Tender had inflicted little damage on the leaves or bark in its travels. Jacob would've jumped off now that the immediate danger was passed, except ideally they needed this creature dead. And having it run around doing god-knows-what, god-knows-where, on a geothermally active tropical island, didn't seem all that conducive to that plan. So despite the discomfort, he persevered - at least, until a few paces later when the creature halted in a clearing formed by a felled tree, crouched, then stood swiftly with a forward lurch. If Jacob hadn't preemptively slid off the beast's back, he probably would've been sent flying.

Sen looked surprised to see Jacob at his feet, rather than inadvertently airborne, and hop-strutted a few paces away and crrrruuf-ed at him curiously. It didn't seem to have figured he was responsible for the temporal distortions it had been subjected to, and was more curious about what had possessed him to ride the Tender all the way into the thickest part of the jungle. A towering cliff face, a possible slip from the stream they had just crossed, hunched over them. It was steep, but negotiable. Jacob didn't care too much about the local geography at the moment, though; he was still completely infuriated. The Tender looked curiously down at the pacing man, who seemed to be trying to compose himself a little before dealing with the green menace.