...Snail? I'm looking at a seven foot tall beige colored snail. The shell on its back is covered in spikes and its eyes are on the end of two fairly long antennae, the actual eye a pitch black but surrounded by crystal spikes along the back and outside. It's tail has a stumpy tail with a large ball at the end covered in jagged spikes as well, the creature glances at us in apathy before it turns back to a pile of mold that after a few seconds I recognize as one of the plant creatures the blight used as guard dogs, this one having large bites taken out as the snail leans down and a barely noticeable mouth opens widely and takes another chunk out of the dead plant beast. Inspecting the creature I'm still stunned that Slab wants to tame this creature out of all the swamp beasts we could find.
(Mace Tailed Flail Snail Level 20)
Flail snails are lazy herbivorous creatures that are usually apathetic to other creatures unless they get to close. When threatened these creatures will charge at their enemies at great speeds while waving their eyes like a mace, the organs protected by both bones and earth elemental crystals that are almost as strong as obsidian. If injured the Flail snail will retreat into its shell where if continually provoked it will fire the spikes embedded in the shell like high speed arrows. These "Spikes" are actually earth crystals excreted by the snail over long periods of time and is usually a life or death use due to not being easily replaced. This Flail Snail has evolved once already and although shows apathy and laziness like its earlier form, is several times more dangerous due to the newly created tail which is formed out the same bone and elemental combination as its shell and eye stalks. A single swing of this tail can result in the death of creatures several times the size of the snail itself.
"Hey Slab, buddy, you sure you want that as one of your beasts? Not like a giant crocodile, or maybe a snake! Oh or maybe even some kind of bird or lizard?" I ask as I still doubt the ability of the creature in front of me as it finally finishes eating the plant beast and curls into a ball to fall asleep.
"Wait you plan on taming the menace!?! Are you two insane??" Nessa says quietly as we both look at her, Slab questioningly, while I have a look of incredulousness on my face as I ask her to explain.
"Ok so that thing showed up in this area before all the bad stuff started showing up. at first we figured it was just another snail monster eating the plants and we ignored it. Then we found it killing off a group of swamp wolves, barely taking any damage as well. After time it pretty much killed off and ate most of the area's predators and started to eat the native crops. This town was a foraging town and got most its food from the surroundings and hunting but soon it had eaten most of that too. Finally village had enough and sent the best hunters and warriors after it but the thing decimated them as well which is why this place was so under equipped. That thing might look lazy but it's a terror." Nessa explains as I glance back at the creature with a new sense of interest.
"Can your singing help calm it?" I ask as she thinks nervously before nodding her head slightly.
"It can but it won't be able to keep it completely calm. That things way more powerful than me and no doubt it has a resistance to my voice since it was never lured into our area like a lot of the other creatures. If whatever your going to do requires it to be calm or even pacified your going to need to help me." She says nervously while staring at the sleeping snail, a small bead of sweat rolling from her forehead.
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"The taming ritual I used on Jawbone needed me to maintain contact with him while going through a battle of wills. Basically I go into like a mental battle with the beast and I have to prove I'm worthy enough to be it's master. It was easy with Jawbone cus he was caged when I did it and he was near starving, I'm pretty sure this guy will fight back and hard too so I'll need it restrained or distracted as I attempt to tame it." Slab responds quietly as he stares at the snail as well, a calculating look on his face with tinges of excitement peeking through.
Well then you start your ritual and Nessa will start her song right after, I'll do my best to keep it on me without hurting it to badly." i say as I pull out the blight's war club and give it a test swing before I hear Nessa's honeyed voice float through the air.
Without waiting for a sign I cautiously walk towards the snail and freeze as one of its eye stalks raise up and glance at me quickly before dismissing me and focusing on Slab's form behind me. Before I even realize it the snail has already lurched forward with astonishing speed, a low rumble coming from its throat before I swing the war club and watch it bounce off the end of its tail. Instantly the snail turns on a dime and lunges toward me, both of its eyes blinking closed as it stops quickly and both of the spiked orbs whip past me and leave small craters in the ground slightly behind me.
"Shit your looks really don't do you justice huh. Lets just stay calm and let your buddy Noor get a good swing at your noggin huh friend?" I whisper at the beast before it rears back and tries to flatten me under its body.
I jump to the side barely dodging the body slam before realizing I've landed in one of the craters it made and the mud that's leaking into it is making it hard to get out. As I struggle I swear I can see the snail smile cockily before glancing back towards Slab before growling again and moving towards him. In desperation I concentrate and shoot out a psy blast at the retreating snail and watch as it has a seizure before going limp for a few seconds then getting up slowly in a daze.
"Bingo! big defense means its probably weak to mental or magic attacks! I got this!" I say under my breath as I finally stand and pull myself out of the hole. Watching the snail finally begin shaking its head and looking around, the creature appears more cautious as it's eyes land on me and a rumble comes from its throat before it rushes me with both it eyes flailing around in a twister of spikes and pain.
I hit it with another blast and notice that this time it still flinches and stops for a second but afterwards it continues coming towards me at a slower rate, it's body starting to slowly swerve side to side before it quickly speeds up and body checks me. I feel a pressure on my chest before I go flying backwards. My body hits the muddy ground hard with a splash, digging a trench in the ground from the force as I try to move and feel a burning jolt go through my back before I hear a rumbling. I squeeze my eyes shut after trying and failing to move any longer and hold my breath before I feel a pressure under my back, lifting me into the air and setting me on the ground.
"It worked! Say hello to my new friend Boss! And its all thanks to....hey....Boss?! Shit get Mog over here now! He's the mushroom man hurry!" Slab starts shouting as I hear Nessa agree and her footsteps quickly patter away.
"Next amnimal we bringsh Woog an Zerdin." I slur as I feel my eyes roll back once and I finally pass out from the pain.