dev 7 - violent presence

Another one is caught in the net. For where the Midnight Animal picks up the traces of nearby magi, the creature is quick to follow the trail, emerging from the flying state in which it follows Lion- perhaps, Lion could tell that there's something following them, but..

Impulse makes itself apparent rather quick.

"Curious. Very curious."

Even now, the suffocating presence of energy is present. The synergy of the atmosphere seems to be drawn out, and the resonance of the masked tribal seems to be speaking of naught but impeding violence and horrors that were painted upon its face the other day.

"Who. Are you."

"What. Are you doing. Here?"
(Impulse)

Lion strolls along until trees and its enshrouding shadows until the forest turns much lighter, the air saltier and crisper of one of Esshar's beachsides. Strangely, she her steps seem to slow around this point as though soaking in the place, even heedless of a shadow that was not of an animal or simple tree.

Strangely, she seems to simply accept the draining of energy despite it crackling out from the creature.

"...Big Cat?" Lion murmurs with emotion, looking up toward the floating beast. If there was even one chance for the masked and bloodied person to be so, then...

"This does not look like you, but you always skulked this place..."
(Lion)

"Wrong. Answer."

The resonance of the place shifts. So much so that azure orbs flicker inside of the mask, and the beast shifts so ever closer- if Lion possessed even the slightest of survival instinct, it could practically scream inside of her of a single, most certain fact about the Midnight Animal.

It's dangerous.
And it's here for blood.

A pair of gloved hands extend towards Lion, all in attempts to wrap themselves around her throat. While they do not necessarily squeeze too hard for her to speak, provided the woman is caught, it's rather certain that the beast does not intend to let go so easily, nor it intends to go on its way.

It is the same maddened creature that haunted the forests.
The same creature that crippled magi after magi.

"Answer. My. Questions."

"Who are you. What- are you doing here."

Its tone picked up to be louder, the glimmering orbs inside of its mask only sparking further with insane, violent intent. Everything seems to be bleak..

Even on a bright day like this.
(Impulse)

And so makes the second time in Lion's life that she was outright strangled.

All of her sentimentality for old memories of Big Cat and curiosity for the bloodied man are ripped away like the violent end of a nightmare, except a situation like this was only worse.

This was definitely not Big Cat... was the final realization in Lion's (slow?) mind. Gods, she really is being strangled and this was something she never wanted to happen again.

With Ghost Catcher in hand, she does not even have the mind to cast her spells from far away. Sharp edges of ice form around the staff as she attempts to jab it into the animal's arms over and over again with a struggle.

"Get off of me!" Lion screeches with bloodshot eyes, "Get the fuck off of me...! I'll kill you!"

And when her violent blows do not seemto deter it, only then would words scramble even further past her lips.

"Come... on. I've been," she coughs, "Staying here. At Moonfall. I was passing through for ore..."
(Lion)

The blows to its arms seem to do little. There's something about its arms that cause it to harden to extreme toughness, and as much as it seems to flicker with blue each time its struck.. otherwise, the Midnight Animal does not seem to be in pain - or at least, it doesn't react.

Eerily so. After all, these two azure orbs keep staring at Lion while she struggles and thrashes in its hands, and while the threats, the attempts to get away are for the most part the ones that do not receive any answer, there's a single sentence at the end which it answers to.

"Your. Origins."

"How do you. Know. Of Big Cat."

At the very least, it does not squeeze upon her throat; as much as she's held, there's not an attempt to kill her.

So far.
(Impulse)

Frustrating, frustrating, frustrating. Lion realizes that she is not the only predator in this jungle, but--

She knew she played with fire to be around Moonfall. ...Even if these outskirts turned out to be more dangerous.

She even attempted kicking the thing with her feet. And gods was she pissed, but even the grip on her staff weakened as she had another 'out.' Her breath was still saved to answer its questions...

With her head bowed to not look at the bloodied creature, simple sentences roll out of a shout-torn throat. "Big Cat-- a kin and rival of mine. Always wanted... to find them again..."

"'Not Big Cat. I am Lion-- from Osrona's Drain. And I have been here to help Moonfall. Introducing myself. Meetings... have spoken with Deimos and Jingles."

Lion takes the simple plunge, despite not knowing if this creature even was from Moonfall. But she could not have been in any more trouble than she was now. She really wants to clear the air when all is said and down.
(Lion)

"Osronan drain.."

It's at that mutter that she could feel the grasp over her throat tightening, albeit briefly. Where she expects something foul to happen after that, instead, at the elaboration..

The creature suddenly lets go of her throat.

"You are. Lucky."

"Osronans. Must die."

Even now, the synergy between this place and the resonance it carried was putrid, vile. The glimmering, azure orbs remained so ever present, so much so that it looked as if it could lunge just about any moment - should even a single wrong word be said. And yet, with a final gaze given to her, it merely speaks.

"I am not. Interested in Moonfall. Dying."

"So long. As you are. Truthful."

"But I will watch. If you are. A liar."

It looms over her; briefly so, almost as if trying to size up the woman. It is rather clear that whatever rumors have been spread about this creature, they're truthful- for blood stains its attire, its mask, its gloved hands.. a testament to the many that suffered at its hand.

To many magi that were butchered by the creature.
Time and time again.

"I will kill you. If you lied."

"Now. Go."

Without another word, it already turns- the echoing resonance of violence follows it in suit, almost as if it could snuff out just about anything that it crosses.

She was not one to suffer today.
(Impulse)