[quote]Though the Elwet was much heavier than a normal chicken, it was still smaller and lighter than the Runt who came charging at it with a stone knife. Though Lazash's initial plan succeeded, and she slammed into the monster from the side, as its feet left the ground there wasn't enough resistance from its body weight to really drive her sharp stone home. She pierced a thick layer of feathers and drew blood, but somehow her instincts warned that this wouldn't be fatal. As they tumbled together, the beast's wings and feet flailed wildly at her--and its sharp talons raked her soft belly, leaving several slices that burned with pain, before she finally came up on top and managed to wrap her tiny hands around the fire breathing neck!

But now, despite weighing more than it and perhaps being stronger, the Elwet proved that it, too, was stronger than its size hinted. Clucking furiously, it began to scramble and try to run--with Lazash still on its back! Though her grip tightened every moment and the bird's eyes bulged from lack of oxygen, it simply poured every ounce of adrenaline and survival instinct into a mad charge for freedom--[/quote]

[quote]Grunthor put his whole body weight into a charge much like Lazash, but whereas her goal had been to pierce a feathered heart his, from the start, had been to get his string-bean arms around the crowing terror and bear both their weights to the earth. In this he succeeded--though most of the Elwet's body was hugged against his chest. This left its beaked head free, and even as he buried his face into its...surprisingly soft chest, he could feel the pointed appendage drawing a pattern of bloodied dots all over his bald head, seeking his eyes!

But up came Grunthor's arm, and down came his sharp rock! He missed the first shot but clipped one of the antlers, and now that he knew where its body was in space alongside him the second blow hit its mark! The Elwet cried out once more as one of its eyes was blinded forever by the chiseled stone edge! In this moment of weakness Grunthor could secure his mount and finish the creature off--but if he raised his head to do so, he'd see another twenty-something pounds of feathered fury, carrying a further weight of exactly 1 Lazash, coming straight at him in a mad charge for freedom--![/quote]

It took all of a split second for things to go awry.

The presence of four Elwets in a single instance did not do anything to change Esfir's plan. It was still logical to have three of the runts dogpile one bird, killing it quickly. They could track the others afterwards, if they ran. They could focus down another, if they fought. Four would become three, three would become two, two would become one, one would become none. But they didn't do that, did they? She began to question how [i]human[/i] they really were.

Her hand flexed, her eyes flickered. They all lined up well, well enough that she could freeze them all. Three birds, three runts. How much could she eat in one sitting? The martial artist, knocked back by a surprise beating of wings. The gawky male, tangled in a messy grapple. The one who spoke to the warrior, dragged along for a ride. If she ate them too, would she gain their gifts?

Unclenching, clenching. A fist from within that swirled with the essence of a blizzard.

...

It would take too long to eat them all in one sitting.

Her fist opened, two hands grasping upon the stick she had, and Esfir leapt in, interposing herself between the pinned Elwet and the charging one. One end of the stick she thrust into the ground, the other end angled towards the one that dragged the talkative one. Bullets had been expensive. Bows required practice. But a hunting spear had been something that even her brothers learned how to make, and with proper planning, they'd have venison or boar on the table that night. She had no particular delusions about the amount of strength she had, but perhaps its momentum will be enough to impale itself upon her stick. Chicken bones broke easily, though the flesh itself may not be pierced by such a blunt instrument.

And if that couldn't be accomplished either, then so be it. She'd have given time enough for the runt behind her to finish off his quarry.
[sub][@Kazemitsu][@King Cosmos][@Crusader Lord][/sub]