"You're right, I shouldn't just grab things here." Leon said, his fingers almost grazing the surface of the jewel. The red color caught too much of his attention, investing his curiosity in dangerous territory. What was he thinking? Going to thank the bone-man-creature-uh-person, he turned around, only to see Kettle with a weapon pointed at him. 

"Kettle..." he started.

"Goodbye." She said.

His instincts weren't working, he didn't know what this was. Nothing in his life was like this, no betrayal or conviction from someone he trusted. Bones in his fingers twitched with readiness to act... but what could he do to save himself. 

But save himself from who? 

Kettle was kind to him before and just recently with the ride in to the forest, how could he expect [i]this[/i]? He tried to return that favor of kindness with an open hand and open mind about this adventure. But was he really just here to die? Did it even need to be him? Were all these people just lambs for slaughter, chosen because they were ignorant? What could drive a person to this.. insanity? Was Kettle really... the one he trusted so much that he traveled the world to see her?

He didn't know why she wanted this but.. that was an answer he wouldn't get to get. Resting his hands in fists, he kept his anger on his brow, staring at her face. He wouldn't forgive her for killing him.  

Then behind him the statue moved, awakening him from the petrified glare he was giving Kettle. He turned to see it, the statue growl. Then the vines around it snapped like string around an ox's legs. 

Thinking quickly Leon knew he didn't stand a chance at running away, not with his peg leg. 

He could try to make some kind of diversion, using... using what though? He didn't have time to think for long, he backed up, observing more than trying to just flee. Watching for whatever it did, looking for its behavior any kind of heart beat, a vulnerability within its body. That growl meant predator, fiercer than tigerboars and gryphons. 

Remembering that Kettle was about to shoot him, he wondered if there was any surviving this day. However. he'd be dead if this thing didn't start moving around. Was that some kind of sign? Some dumb divine intervention? What purpose was he serving now? Why was he alive at all. Everything wanted him dead at this point, why try to live? 

That was the question wasn't it, why live?

"If you're going to shoot me, do it after you're a safe distance away from this big guy. I'll keep it distracted while you run. But if I live through this then you owe me answers, Kettle. Got that?" He said, making sure he could be heard. 

Knowing his luck he could only rely on dodging its grasp of hands and open mouth. He could be nimble with the peg leg, especially if he was fearing for his life while angry. One of his most reliable memories of his father was him saying that the best way to stay alive is to keep surprising your enemy. That meant looking like a rock but moving like a rabbit, his best bet was to watch for some type of predator behavior now, then estimate when it was ready to strike, like crouching to pounce.