Snippet #2739705

Cedric could hear electrical crackling, gun shots, and a screech. He still couldn't see what was happening.

"I think we only pissed it off!" Sora proclaimed.

Back pedaling as quickly as he dared in the blackness. He focused on his breathing, slow, deep breaths. He had to even the field, and the only way to do that was to be sure the manticore couldn't see him.

But how was it seeing him in this darkness? He began casting various wards to mask different aspects he thought the creature could sense. Smell first, then heat. He stumbled over something in the hall just as he cast a silencing ward on himself, sending what ever it was careening away. While he didn't make a sound the object in question certainly did.

Suddenly he could feel the manticore, it was directly over him, he could feel the warmth from its breath. It had moved incredibly quickly to the noise, unnervingly so. Cedric closed his eyes in spite of the darkness, moved his hand carefully. Between the blasts of warm air and the sound of the creatures rear legs scratching the ground he gauged his aim.

A shard of ice formed suddenly, like the tip of a spear thrusting upwards. The creature shrieked again, but this time it was a wounded sound. For a moment the darkness pulled back, revealing the massive creature above him with the shard of ice peirced through its neck. Burn marks traced along its skin and bullet holes marked one side. The manticore hobbled forward and then  leapt away as the darkness eminated from it again, this time trailing away as the creature retreated to some distant corner to attempt to deal with its wounds. Thick dark blood streaked down the hall behind it, a large splotch of it covered the front of Cedric's suit.

Standing up slowly he steadied himself, and then hurried back towards the others. "It didn't look fatal, but it won't be looking for a fight any time soon."

He hadn't expected a manticore, especially one that could exude darkness like that. The idea that it would make a valuable study hadn't taken long to come to him, and to that end he was a glad the creature might survive its wounds.