The first to attack, is one of those flying squirrels with fake wings. I snap at the creature, but its reaction time is swift, and it twists away from my jaws. Small claws that extend from the fake wings — and are likely just as unnatural — scrape against my scales to no effect.

Following close behind the first, the other four dive for me, each just as agile. I slide through a bend, reversing my momentum, and they sail right past me. Before I’ve even finished slithering through my first bend, I form another — an improvement gained in the climb up the column — and redirect toward the tail of one of the small creatures.

Despite how sharply they can turn, and the opportunity that gives them, they immediately disengage. I follow, but it’s only because I’m remaining cautious that I notice the projectiles from below. A dozen spikes of stone spear past me in an instant, faster even than those metal pellets from earlier. But as soon as I’ve avoided that, I find the air churns with turbulence before a beam of water almost as pressurised as the crushing depths rails towards me.

Any creature reliant on wings for flight would find themselves flailing in turbulent air as the water blade came for them. Fortunately, such is hardly an issue for myself. My momentum carries me through another bend and harmlessly out of the path.

I trace the origin, and find the three with strange lines covering their bodies to be glowing with energy. Water pools around the feet of one, while the other two — both tentacle-limbed creatures — stand together as the earth around them forms into rock spikes before spearing up at me with speed.

The rest rush ahead with those strange metal implements they carry. Only two run unadorned. In this wide open cavern, I have a far greater advantage over them simply by being able to fly, but that doesn’t mean they cannot reach me completely. Creatures this self-assured are doubtlessly strong enough to leap high enough to reach me. Doesn’t mean I have to stay still for them. Without distortions, there’s few ways they can redirect themselves mid-air, and with the pit behind me, they would be stupid to leap at me where they are.

Rock and water stop coming for me, just as those flying squirrels dive in for me again. They work together better than any other creatures I’ve seen. So much better than the Nareaus that fought each other rather than coordinated. If they’d stopped that rain of stone or beam of water any later, these little creatures would be dead… unless their appearance belies their strength.

Still not yet ready to engage fully — wanting to see what the running seven can do — I slide through a bend to avoid the squirrels’ strikes. Apparently, my avoidance annoys one. It diverts and strikes at me rather than disengage with the others. I don’t so much as give it the chance to dig those fake claws into my scales; my tail whips around and swats the creature.

The strike was barely hard at all — not even using the full weight of my smallest form — and yet the creature crashes to the ground. Its reaction time was incredible, and it did almost avoid my strike, but it wasn’t enough. Well, at least I know the squirrels aren’t a threat.

It is still alive, and quickly flings itself towards one of the rushing tentacle-limbed creatures, who throw it hard through the air again, giving it the speed it needs to rip through the air and join its kin.

Finally, the first few of the metal wielding creatures leap at me. I focus only on avoidance; creating bends that allow me to dodge the path of the sharp metal claws and slithering around their body as they attempt to strike. As the first two fall behind me, the third swings at me with a pair of blades. Deciding that none of their attacks have appeared too dangerous so far, I allow the creature’s second attack to collide along the lower end of my tail.

I’ve grown a bit of my tail back after my massive feast, but it wouldn’t be too terrible to lose it again.

The sharp edge knocks me away, and as I look down to assess the damage, I find my scale fractured and a small cut through the middle. It penetrated my scales, which isn’t all that comforting, but considering this is my smallest form, it hardly means much.

Now that I’m aware these creatures pose no threat to myself, I stop playing around.

I snap off my body, rushing to face the most recent of the antler creatures to leap at me. My body spins, and meets them head on. Their sharp antler of an arm extends towards me, as if ready to drive me through, but I twist through a bend and uncurl my tail on their arm with a snap.

With my body weighing as little as it does, there’s only so much force I can put into the blow, but I am still greeted with the sound of a satisfying crack as the antler shatters beneath my scales. They fall to the earth screaming.

Unfortunately, the strike cancelled all my momentum. Limited only to bends, I cannot rely on holes or rifts to escape, and leave myself vulnerable to attack while I curl up to spring off myself again. The five squirrels dive at me. Rather than wasting time dodging or striking at them, I form a bend right in front of the first.

The flying creature flies directly into my mouth and barely has the time to shriek before I’ve snapped my jaw shut and crushed it within. The others of its kind falter, backing away with shock written all over their faces.

I crunch the body once more and swallow. There’s little need to eat right now, but it is faster than spitting out right now. The instant death of the fake flying squirrel sends a sudden stillness through the gathered creatures; each stand with wide eyes, as if they can’t believe such a scenario. Well, that’s what you get for arrogance.

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My smaller size does give the appearance of a far weaker being, but while size is a fairly good indicator for strength, it is hardly a rule without exception. They shouldn’t be this surprised by the death of one of their own.

Apparently, I am wrong, as half the creatures below me scream with fury. One of the octopus-like creatures throws itself through the air, its tentacles spinning rapidly, each fully extended. The being twists with speed that might even be dangerous to my current size. Fortunately, the stone flinger behind them has started up their volley again. The spikes pierce the air in parallel to the octopus’ path. It is as simple as placing a bend in the path of those projectiles, and suddenly the tentacle creature is dead.

All limbs lose strength upon the first stone piercing the bulbous head of the creature, but the volley continues, pelting the already dead being with a dozen spikes. The blades fly outward, no longer held by the tentacles’ grip.

The one at the rear of the group stops the flow of stone spikes as soon as they realise what they caused, but it is too late. I dive for the next that rushes to attack me, sliding through a bend right before they strike at me with their bare hand. My teeth slide into the neck of the ape-like creature and pierce the spine within. It drops to the ground wide eyed and pained, but limp.

In an instant, I’m on the next. My body slides past the tentacles that strike at me and wrap around the body. I have to allow myself to grow slightly to get a grip, but soon enough I’m constricting tight while they grasp and flail, their tentacles unable to pull me off. The body of these creatures deforms immensely under the power of my muscles, clearly revealing the lack of bones within, but the pressure continues to grow.

As the body struck with spikes sails into the deep pit behind me and the beast in my grip grows desperate, I discover that the swarm’s actions have shifted. While they all appear furious or horrified, those with energy flowing along their bodies no longer strike, and the rest refuse to strike at their own. One even drops their weapon to pull me off, to no avail.

Before more of them can approach or the one closest can jab their fake-claw at my eye, the pressure of the body beneath me grows too great. The being bursts. It explodes, covering the others in its innards. It’s rather spectacular, in a macabre way; most creatures don’t pop so violently when you crush them.

There is silence for a moment, until as one they flee up the hill. A chaotic mess of noise echoing between them.

They are the ones that instigated this fight, so they can hardly blame me for hunting them down. Despite having had my fill, I can make room for those that deserve to be eaten.

I whip towards the fastest ones first. The flying squirrels have kept their distance ever since I ate the first, but they never fled like the first creatures with the metal branches. They scatter as soon as they realise I’m hunting them, but it doesn’t help much. They apparently have no way of gaining momentum themselves, relying entirely on being thrown by the other creatures, so it is no challenge to catch up. Fake wings will be inferior, after all.

I swallow three before the last can land on the head of a tentacled creature. Considering their size, it is not even a challenge to redirect them towards my mouth as soon as I’m close enough to create bends where they fly.

The next I target is the antlered beast with the shattered arm. I consider growing to a larger size so I can start swallowing these larger creatures, but with how fast they’re rushing up the slope, I don’t think I’ll be able to keep up. Instead, I settle to take them out with this size alone.

Antlers block my path to the creature’s head, but with such limited girth, it is no issue to slither between those protective bone growths and reach the soft flesh within. It dies quickly as my fangs crush their skull.

It takes a moment to extract myself from the cage of antlers as the beast falls to the ground, and by the time I am back on the hunt, those energy marking beings reignite their assault towards me. This time, they don’t use projectiles I can reflect back, but manipulate the elements in wider effects.

Water gushed down the slope, rising into a wave of spinning blades. I simply fly higher to avoid it. Pillars of dirt rise to block me, but they are thin by the time they reach the height I fly, and pose no difficulty to my bends. The only one that poses a challenge, is the gusts of air that try to slow me down and hold me back. Yet I am quick to adapt; soon the gusts — with the help of my bends — accelerate me forward.

I dive over the head of the last physical fighters that try, and fail, to hit me. My fangs slide into the squishy flesh of the one creating those air gusts. It will take too long to crush the beast, or let it bleed out from my fangs, so I press my body up against it and rip my jaw out, taking a significant part of their head with it.

At some point, they must have thrown the little flying squirrel, as they now sail far into the distance. I ignore that for now. The few remaining finally understand that there’s no escape. Not after their initial aggressiveness. They turn to me together. As one, shifting from fleeing to striking at my scales.

“Now!” they scream.

I falter, having heard them speak the words of the Beyond. Words not even I can speak. Their blades scrape against my sides. The creatures leave my scales torn up, but they barely pierced deeper. Even as they wound me, all I care for is the fact that these creatures speak.

I don’t know whether to be enraged or confused. Only sapient creatures can speak, and these critters are far too weak for that.

Another bend appears, allowing me to pivot from the front of a creature to its back. It’s the furthest bend I’ve yet made, so I take advantage of the opportunity and end the creature’s life instantly before spearing towards the last two with energy flowing across their skin. They try to throw up their defences, to hold themselves within a bubble or dome of their own elements, but it is all too easy to pass through by altering space. Both die quick.

The single remaining creature has a look of utter defeat across its face, but it stands to face me, anyway. I snap forward, but instead of striking at me, the creature welcomes me with wide tentacles. Tentacles that hold me tight, and stab a pair of those smaller claws down on my spine. It tries its best, but the sharp metal doesn’t pierce. I feel them squeezing, but they’ve chosen the wrong opponent to try such a tactic.

I constrict around the being until it too joins the rest.

Everywhere around, the swarm is active. They rush about like any other hive under attack. To my sides, I can already see the numbers gathering to take me on.

They are sapient.

I don’t know what to think of that. But what I do know, is that right now, I really don’t feel like fighting through an entire swarm. I’ve taken out the fools who attacked me first, but I shouldn’t give an opportunity to those who have not yet made such an offence.

I fly over their structures, and into the open fields beyond.