Joanna & The Gutter Knight

         As a large set of yellow, reptilian eyes scanned through the twisted brambles of Surrounding Gorselle berry bushes; it was in search of any wondering prey, in the area. As the beast's stomach growled in hunger, the creature 's vision came across a delicious looking Specimen; it was a large, furry, bipedal creature, currently rifling through the surrounding plant life, while humming a tune to itself. This sasquatch-like being was what's often known as an Hominus Megazonian, or a "Zonie" for short. In most cases, it's difficult to make a distinction on genders, as the race was mostly homogenous from a distance, as all seem to be packed full of lean, firm, protein rich muscle, from head to toe. Much more of a physical challenge then a shorter Generally bonier human (Which came with the bonus, that their weapons, weren't nearly as advanced). With this in mind, it would be no surprise at all to anyone watching her that this creature had been walking, picking and packing the whole day. Afterall, the Zonie lifestyle is often very work intensive, and laborious. However, if pressed to make a hypothesis, judging by its long hair cascading from its head, as well as the woven skirt, and crop top, which covered the squatch's large, meaty mammaries on its chest, the one in question appeared to be female, at least 4 meters tall, and seemingly looking for food, in these bushes. Little did she know, she wasn't the only one on the hunt, this evening. It must be nice for her though, she simply got to reach out and grab her food, no problem. It must be nice, not having to wait on the perfect time to strike her prey.


"MMMM Good harvest, today."


         Drawing back her large, clawed hand from the intersecting branches of a berry bush, Joana the Zonie woman inspected the fruits with caution, while wiping the sweat from atop her brow. It had been quite a long day from foraging the woods, with her fuzzy, 11 ft. frame doing her no favors in the summertime heat. but now, both of her rucksacks would be filled to the brim; one with a mix of nuts and seeds, and the other, almost an entire bush worth of fresh Gorselle berries. That was always the worst part, as between handfuls, Joana had to carefully check her palm, to ensure that she only kept the yummy royal blue ones, and not the blinding, poisonous Dark blue ones. Unfortunately, a lot of the bushes she previously checked had an uneven mix of the two types of berries. This meant that after scouring 3 bushes, barely 1/3 of it was even edible. 'Labor of love.' Joana thought, tossing the royal blue berries into her sack. She Was Just Lucky her big brother, Ivan decided to help her with the trapping and hunting this season.


          "Family will settle for one Gorselle berry pie, this month', she thought. Although, upon further reflection, it was really her older brother's ravenous appetite that would go unfulfilled. She chuckled inwardly remembering one December, where the big lug had devoured a roasted boar thigh, and about a pie, as a "Late night snack". Though with the work he did to help both her small home, and his aging parents, it's not like the Ivan didn't pay it forward. She longingly sighed, as she thought back to those days. When was the last time her and Ivan even spoke about anything fun? Come to think of it had been a long time since her and her family really spent any time together, in bonding. Sure, her father, or brother would help her pump her well if it got stuck, or assist in things like maintenance or clearing out rattlesnakes in her new hut. However, it seemed that unless she were bringing over her supplies to them, or they helping with her new home, there would otherwise be no interaction between her family at all. 'What would we talk about, anyway?' Joanna thought. 'Nothing ever happens around here, anymore.' As she took in the quiet scenery, around her, she couldn't help but think back to her childhood, huddled together with her siblings, as her parents told them stories of their youthful misadventures, filled to the brim with great hunts, action-packed fights whether against wannabe tyrants, or fearsome beasts terrorizing the lands. They also, told tales of large, intricate, celebratory feasts. They would feed entire tribes, whether for reunions of family, or to celebrate heroic deeds. As her father would reminisce, feasting and fighting were the staples of Zonie culture. She once asked her mother why she had never seen any type of family celebrations in her lifetimes, like the ones her dad spoke about. "It's simple Joanna.' Her mother would say boredly. "No one has done anything to earn one."


         Indeed, since she had been a teenager, things around these mountains had been remarkably quiet. No banding together to fight back a greedy company enacting deforestation/pollution, no Legendary beast destroying everything in sight, no awesome threats to overcome, no sense of excitement, no new stories to tell, no adventure to make anyone feel alive! Joanna found the peaceful serene life around her at times to a wonderful gift, a blessing That gods new, Creatures all over would kill for. But other times, it was just too boring. Now, her family were drifting further, and further away from her, lost in mundane day to day life. 'Maybe, I need some time away from here.' The Zonie thought sarcastically, as she scooped the sacks under her arms. 'Maybe, I can go into a nearby town, and have the villagers chase me with pitchforks again. That'll get some excitement in my life, I suppose.' As she hoisted her large sacks under her arms, she was stopped in her tracks as a low, sinister growl. It sounded like that of a hungry stomach, but much louder. 'What was that?' Joanna thought, trembling. The awful noise sent a chill up her spine. "Wh-who's there?!" Joanna hissed, trying to maintain a threat of Ferocity, the type Zonies were feared for, though she found it hard to hide that she was trembling in paranoid fear. 'Something had been...watching me?!' Joana questioned herself in panic, as she reached above her head, and ripped away a large tree branch, leaves and all, to use as a weapon. Joana figured it'd be better thing to brandish then her comparably dinky pocket knife.


         Another growl sounded out, when a rather Large purple claw shook the ground with its heavy impact, flooding Joana with panic, as she tried to maintain her fighting stance. The snarl was soon followed by another footstep, and another, as an enormous purple colored reptile emerged from the surrounding brush. 'MacroWyrm!' Joana thought, terrified. As a child, her people would tell stories of them, but she had never thought she'd ever see such a monster, face-to-face like this. The reptile licked over its jaws, as the large, beakish snout blew a Jettison of steam, as its mouth let out a menacing roar to the Zonie woman. It was looking at her, like she was...Food!


'Run, Joana, run!'


         With a shriek of terror, the Zonie did as her brain's previously unused flight instinct had told her, and took off running through the trees. She was at a loss for what to do, upon seeing something she had yet to encounter in all of her years; A predator bigger than her. Surprisingly for the Wyrm-like beast's large size and the Zonie's Chagrin; its speed was phenomenal, as the reptile's Jaw's snapped behind her. To make matters worse, despite her adrenaline spiking, and as much as Joana sought to stay away from the beast's mouth, she could feel her pace gradually beginning to slow down, With the beast's razor-sharp teeth, tearing a large part of her skirt's fabric. Joana's breathing became labored, as her legs, though very much athletic and fit, were beginning to burn. It appeared the day's foraging would be the death of her. "This can't be happening, this can't be real!" The Squatchette repeated to herself, as she stole a curious glance over her shoulder, in hopes this was all a bad dream. The purple beast roared impatiently, as it swiped one of its front paws at her, it's connecting claw managing to knocked her off balance, and send her rolling into a nearby tree with enough force to at the very least dent her spine.




         Dazed and exhausted, Joana's fears became renewed upon seeing the large lizard clomp towards her, it's glowing yellow eyes narrowed. Another puff of steam, likely to represent the dragon's irritation, left its nostrils, before the Wyrm launched its head towards her in a viscous bite. Confused on where to go from here, a eureka moment hit her with a possible solution. Her father had once taught her, that, unless in a thunderstorm, a Zonie's best bet to avoiding an unwanted conflict was in a tree. As a child Joana would brush this advice off, but as she got older, particularly the higher she would climb to avoid cougars, and bears, it began to make a little more sense. Most animals were not as good with climbing as their kind, and often had an ingrained fear of heights. Most woodland creatures, that were smart enough not to chase them up the trees until they fell, would simply abandon the chase entirely for an easier meal. 'Doesn't look like he's got any wings on him.', the Joana thought, as she took another glance at the snarling lizard, behind her. 'Let's see how smart he is.'


         With this in mind, Joana quickly swatted at the Draconic monster with her tree branch, making extra sure to concentrate her efforts, on the beast's eyes. Its scales seemed tough, and too heavy to be pierced by even a large branch, but eyes? Always a weak point! whacking it in the face with her leafy club, Joana took a small pleasure in scratching its face. As the beast roared in pain at its irritated eyes, The Zonie was afforded a momentary reprieve to catch her breath. However, she knew she didn't have time to waste, and scrambled up a nearby oak, as fast as she could with her injured back. Higher, and higher, she ascended, determined to never look back, at the monster down below. Her rucksacks made the climb difficult to continue, but she stayed determined to not stop until she reached a safe distance. Upon climbing 3 times her own height, the exhausted Zonie halted her ascent, breathing a sigh of relief. A chuckle escaped her lips, as she watched in amusement, as the large reptile, struggled to maintain ahold of the trees bark, as its heavy body tumbled back down to the forest floor, after a few feet of climbing content to sit and wait it out, until the lizard would inevitably grow bored, and leave her alone.


         "At this point you're only hurting yourself, foul beast." The Zonie jeered, as she sat back in relaxation, atop the tree branch. This was the perfect spot to rest her aching back, and from so high up, the view of the surrounding landscape was Breath-taking. Surely, she could take some time to sit and enjoy it. Besides, she was more than happy to let the dumb animal, that had tried to eat her, tire itself out, however long it took.


         As Joana began to admire the orange glow of the setting sun, a powerful thud shook the tree, threatening to knock her from her branch. As she began to slide off the branch's base, the Zonie hurriedly dug her claws into the surrounding bark. Scanning the forest floor, to locate the source of the disturbance as another crash shook the tree she was in, what she saw filled her with dread. "Oh no." the Zonie said, as she watched the awful Wyrm down below, furiously ramming its scaly head into the tree's base. It was determined to either knock her out of her perch, or collapse the tree, and eat her after she hit the ground.


         "Stop it! Stop it! Go away!" Joana pleaded, close to tears, as the large Ape continued clutching desperately to the tree, as the monstrous reptile continued to strike it with all of its might.




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         A crimson red apple is tossed up into the air, soaring high as it continued to gain altitude. After a few feet, the launched apple reaches its peak height, before beginning to descend back down to the forest floor. Before the fruit could hit the ground, a large, brownish blade, swung through the air, with the intent of cleaving it in two.


>Ssshnkt<


         However, as opposed to two separate halves, the still-intact apple bounced off the grassy ground a few feet away from the drop point, Joining a scattered collection of other fruit, across the ground. It seems that, like all the rest, the current apple was simply blown off its course from the heavy sword's momentum, as the weapon, whizzed through the air. "D-damn... Missed again!" The sword's owner cursed in breathless frustration, as he went to retrieve his downed weapon. This was his sixth miss, and drop today. "Christ I really gotta get a better grip on this thing." Michael Vernon thought, doing his best to wipe off his sweaty left hand before picking his sword up. It had been a long day, out here, in the woods. His right arm, under his cheaply made gauntlet was no doubt sopping wet under there. With a tired swing, he tucked his sword into its scabbard, resigned to take a break from his practice for now.


         " God, I suck. With such a crappy swing like that, I'll never be a knight. No wonder I washed out of the training camp." Michael spoke, smacking his forehead. It wasn't fair, he was expected to come with his own sword to spar with? Ridiculous! And, it wasn't his fault that the only Great sword he could afford was a rusty hunk of junk. According to some of the recruits, his slingshot skills were second to none. Unfortunately, a lot of stock was put on swordsmanship, with no room for new snipers on the battlefield. He originally thought, his natural affinity for Arcane enchantments would wow the recruiters, showing them just how awesome he was. While the judges and recruiters agreed that his shields, and elemental coatings were very impressive for an enhancer, as young as himself; It wasn't at all what they were looking for. No, they only needed conjurers, that could make more munitions, scoffing at his "Accessory spells".


         As for his swordsmanship, he figured it would be an uphill battle, but to see how wide the gap was made him feel so small, almost insignificant. Most of Michael's fellow trainees had classical training in fencing, eyebrow raising education, or family connections to help them along their journey to knighthood. It was as if to become a royal guard, you had to come from damn-near royal stock already. Apparently, he was too poor to be a proper knight, though that was hardly a surprise to the young man. For years, he'd been. just scraping by, pilfering on the streets, as a homeless teenager, and now into his young adulthood. Every day was a struggle, just to eat, just to survive. The worst part was that he couldn't even count on generosity from his fellow man. While, begging on the street, the looks the other villagers would give him. They saw him as a disgusting cockroach, or a dirty rat, they looked at him like he was...an unwelcome pest! Hell, it got to the point that, as he and his family were seen around the village more often, they were widely known as; the Vermin clan.


         Enraged, Michael barely heard the stretching leather, as his right fist clenched tightly at the thought of that insult! No, they were not vermin, they were human beings. So, what if they fell on hard times, they would bounce back, surely. His father used to say, every day you're alive is a chance to make a change. With this in mind Michael set out to be something else, anything else, rather than another bum. The young man would do anything necessary to get enough money to go back, and bring his family out of that ramshackle homeless shelter. For the last few months, Michael picked pockets, he struggled to make horseshoes on farms, he even scraped change from cleaning chamber pots. Anything that didn't go to help his family went to his second-rate knight supplies. His sword may have been rusty and dull, as opposed to newly sharp ones, he'd see others at the camp brandish. His aluminum steel gauntlet and ill-fitting helmet may not have been shiny like the stainless-steel sets, issued to true knights. Maybe his coin sack was filled with an assortment of enchanted marbles, as opposed to elven tokens, like what slayers were handsomely paid. Still they were stepping stones, one step closer to being something else, a knight, a hero, something great!




         'Yeah, I'll be something great.' Michael thought, with new resolve. 'But I'm not going to get there through sitting on my hands.' picking up one of the previously dropped apples, he unsheathed his brown sword, tossing the produce in the air for another try at his swing. Shielding his eyes from the blinding sun, he heaved the big blade, angling the swing to meet the falling fruit.


>Ssshnkt<


         As two halves of the fruit hit the ground, a jolt of excitement slowly built up in Michael's core, before erupting from his mouth, in a scream, the young man barely recognized. "Whoooo! Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes! I got it! Sliced down the midd-." The young man's mirth was interrupted as a loud crashing sound echoed through the forest around him. "The hell was that noise?" he thought, clutching the sword, in a defensive stance as he scanned his surroundings for the sound's source. He flinched, as another crash sounded out. It was such an odd sound. It's kind of reminded Michael of a battering ram, slamming into a wall. But, why was he hearing that way out here? Maintaining his grip on his sword, Michael began following the ramming noise through the woods, determined to investigate.




         The deeper into the woods Michael went into the forest, the closer the sounds got. As a roar, seemingly from some foul horrid beast, became clear, the young man began to wonder if this was a situation he really wanted to get involved in. As he cleared yet another bundle of surrounding foliage, he came across the source of the sounds, and safe to say, he was not prepared for what he saw next. It was an enormous MacroWyrm, ramming itself into the base of a tree. The sight was perplexing to the vagrant, as he wondered why was this creature doing such a self-destructive thing, like that? As he pondered the question further, a shrill scream, sounded from high, up above. 'So, that's what it's after.' Michael said in realization. It was a Megazonian, and by the looks of it, the beast looked to be a female, and it was obviously in great distress. Apart of him wanted to leave well enough alone, and not get between a hungry Wyrm, and its prey. Besides, if that large, muscular-looking Zonie, a race known for their destructive power, can end up as prey, what could end up happening to him, he wondered? Still, seeing the pained expression on the Zonie's almost-human face, seeing that desperate plea for help he had seen on family's, friends', even his own face, gnawed at his sense of empathy.


         "Go away! Stop it!" The sasquatch begged, gradually losing her grip on the shaking bark. This shocked Michael from his daze. "D-did that Zonie just speak?" He asked himself confused. He had heard plenty of stories that concerned sightings of zonies, but never where they could speak. This was a trait made her seem all the more human. S, the question now was, could he leave this sentient creature, clearly in need of help, to fend for herself. 'No, that won't be me.' The armor-clad man thought, clenching his tarnished sword, tightly. 'I won't decline someone in need. I'm training to be a knight after all' He thought, jumping around to get the large reptile's attention. "Hey, over here!" He yelled, waving his cumbersome blade, with slight difficulty. Unfortunately, he once again lost his tentative grip on the large blade. "Dammit, why does this keep happening?!" Michael shouted, in frustration, quickly covering his mouth, worried his outburst had attracted the lizard's attention. However, it seemed that the Wyrm didn't even pay attention to his attempt. 'He didn't even notice?!' Michael thought, as he began getting closer to the scene. Michael tried again to divert its attention from the tree, chucking loose rock nearby, towards the creature, as he did. "Look at me, your ugly cretin!" He shouted, Get out of here! Go! Leave her alone!" he screeched, throwing the rocks at the reptilian hide, as hard as he could. This time, he got both creature's attention. Joanna, at such a height, had to squint to get a good look at the smaller being, responsible for her current reprieve


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         "Hmm, is this a knight?" The Squatchette wondered aloud. If he was, it appears this one was lost. She'd often see her brother come home with groups of 5, 10, heck, even more, when he was home from war. The tiny man wore a helmet and had armor on one arm, and his feet. It wasn't a full set, nor were the few pieces he had very shiny like other knights she'd seen wear. In fact, his outfit in general looked rather piecemeal. Plus, as the little thing briefly scanned the area, to try and retrieve his dirty looking blade, it seemed much too big for him. It wasn't the only thing dirty about him though. To be honest while most knights lived within the lap of luxury from their employing king's towers, this one looked more like those humans she'd observe wandering a village's poor areas, like the slums or gutters, in search of garbage scraps to eat. "Is that what he is, a pretender, like a... Gutter knight?" While Joana debated if she was truly saved or not, she certainly appreciated the risk he was taking for her sake. "Thank you, Gutter knight." She whispered in gratitude., as she began climbing down the tree, taking advantage of the distraction. As the Wyrm, took a look at the small human, Michael stood as firm, as his shaking legs would allow. For what seemed like forever, the lizard just... stared at him. It was as if it was sizing him up, debating how to engage him. Soon the silence was interrupted, by an inconsistent flurry of reptilian grunts. Michael was very confused, as to what these sounds meant. Was the beast trying to communicate, was it growling under its throat, maybe it had a cough? 'No, that's not it. I see what he's doing now!'. Michael discovered, as the great Wyrm's head reared back, his mouth wide open, as its grunts amplified into an uproar of amused bellowing, as if tickled by an unseen feather.


         'Laughter.' Michael thought, a hollow pit forming in his stomach. It was at this point, the young knight in training would've preferred to sink into the dirt. 'The monster, at the mere idea of my challenge, saw me as a freaking Joke!' he thought, dejectedly. After a final mirthful chuckle, the Wyrm blew out a brief jet of steam in the human's direction, before jerking its head back towards the tree, resuming its efforts to snap at the fleeing Zonie, as she kicked and screamed at the beast, forced to stop her quiet exit as the monster's tongue worked its way around one of her leg, attempting to pull the ripe female into its predatory jaws. As the comparatively larger primate, continued to flail around, a stray kick made a connection with one of the dragon's eyes, causing it to gradually swell from the trauma, as the beast growled in anger. Michael couldn't even believe what just happened. Without any words at all, the message was made crystal clear. "Did he-did he just refuse to attack me?!" Michael thought, incredulously. 'I can't believe this, I wasn't even worth its time. I was an Amusement! It's just like back on the street, only this time, I'm taking this from a non-sentient beast?!' Michael thought furiously rifling through his marble bag. The Wyrm looked at him like he was worthless, a simple annoyance, like...nothing. He wasn't even a good distraction. But, if he couldn't even distract the creature for long enough, that poor Zonie in the tree would die, painfully, as food. "I'll be damned!" Michael spoke, through grit teeth. "Maybe you didn't hear me, monster." He spoke, as he pulled his slingshot from his hip holster. "I said- "Michael continued, drawing back a handful of electric blue marbles, his shot aimed right for the side of the draconic head.


         "LEAVE HER ALONE!!!"


         As the speeding projectiles burst against the Wyrm's scaled face, the beast roared with pain, as surges of blue electricity flowed through its body. "Got him." Michael said in confirmation, as the Zonie finally shimmied down the base of the tree, running away from the Wyrm as quick as she possibly could, right as it exited it's stunned state, and resumed its chase. The Large sasquatch bounded in the human's direction, causing a small wave of panic to form as everything, from the mild earthquakes her feet made, as well as her towering form, let Michael know just how big she was, compared to himself. As the sasquatch bolted past him surprisingly fast, the human reached for his sword, only to be met with an empty scabbard. "Wait, where's my- crap!", Michael cursed, dodging one of the Wyrm's large paws, as it made a large footprint. He had lost his big sword, and was dealing with a MacroWyrm, which apparently, had the goal of stomping him into the ground. "OK, no sword? That's fine, I'm starting to thing I work better without it anyway." Michael said aloud, as he loaded more marbles, to shoot. As the orange orbs rocketed towards their target, they gradually picked up speed, before penetrating deep into the monster's skin, eliciting a pained screech from the MacroWyrm, as it halted its chase. "You're welcome...I guess." Michael called out to the Zonie, as she disappeared into the brush. This did Not go unnoticed by the dragon, as it began advancing on the human, in anger at seemingly losing its meal. "Ah, I see you're pissed off, huh? And you wanna take it out on me. Guess I'm not so funny now, huh?" With a roar, the big purple beast picked up the pace of its charge, its avian face twisting in malicious intent. Marcus, took note of this look, realizing, he was in deep trouble. Plus, by the feel of his marble bag, he was running pretty low on ammo. It was about time he stops fooling around. "OK then big guy, guess we outta wrap this up." He said, pulling out a fistful of large black bogies.


         "Here's the finisher, you son of a bit- Woooaah!" a huge paw, from the Wyrm launched forward, knocking Michael through the air, as he prepared what was to be his last volley of marbles. As the explosive shot missed their target by an increasing margin, the dragon huffed arrogantly, as multiple explosions scorched a cluster of trees behind its head, as it clomped towards the downed opponent, licking its eager chops. Though the human, was a scrawny one, it had cost him the more robust Zonie. And after all that work, the Wyrm was determined to fill its hungry belly with something. Perhaps, he would chew this human slowly, savoring every crunch of bone, and tear of flesh. Michael tried to recover as quick as he could. Before he could stand back up, he was pressed into the ground, by one of the Wyrm's crushing paws, causing Michael to groan in pain. A low rumbling growl sounded from the lizard's mouth, as the heavy weight continued to push down on him, determining to crush him into paste, before consuming him.


         Michael pushed at the reptile's weight with all his might, but, try as he might; He was simply too weak to get it off of him. Every muscle in his body ached from exhaustion, as he was finally smashed into the grassy earth, the dragon letting out what sounded like a celebratory chuckle. 'No, not like this.' Michael thought in tears, as the clawed appendage curled around his body, bringing him to the horrifying beast's face. 'I-I was supposed to be something great. I promised everyone I would." He thought in despair, as the maw before him, opened to show a ribbed pink chamber glistening with slimy saliva, lined with dagger-like fangs which could easily tear him apart. The worst part was the sight of the beast's deep dark throat, the hole that would transport his body, alive or not, to the place where all food goes; Into the stomach. It was a horrible thought to have in his last moments. Screwing his eyes shut, he tried his best to think happy thought, positives, 'Yeah, I chose to get involved when someone need help. I wounded such a powerful Wyrm, with nothing but a slingshot, and some fancy marbles' He thought, fighting back a fresh wave of tears, as the Wyrm's awful breath drew close. 'M-most importantly, I got to...I got to help that poor sasquatch go free. That's enough for me, right? That should be satisfying, right?!' He asked himself, as he fell into the creature's mouth sliding across its wet tongue. The shock of his landing caused him his eyes to fly open instinctively, giving him a chance to take in his horrid surrounding. As the light from outside faded into darkness, Michael's already forced resolve crumbled away entirely, with him croaking out a pitiful whimpering, as the draconic Jaw sealed itself shut.


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         As the reptile began to chew its meal, a slight chuckle escaped its throat, sadistically enjoying its prey, and its futile attempt to avoid the razor-sharp teeth, trying to bite into him. It didn't matter though, it would succumb like other prey before, there was no avoiding his place on the food chain. Honestly, this silly little human's fate was sealed, once it tried to attack him. It should have just left well enough alone, so the Wyrm could have enjoyed the much more filling Zonie. Perhaps the next day, it would track another one, maybe two, maybe a whole community, to make up for the day's loss. However, for the moment, the Draconic beast sat on its haunches, resigned to enjoy its constellation prize, as best it could. Swishing what it saw as its temporary play thing throughout its maw, the big reptile had hoped that the boney thing in its mouth could at least keep it fed, until morning. Looking into the sky, the Wyrm's head cocked to the side in curiosity as it gazed at the incoming moon, when something strange happened


         "No! NOOOOOOOOOOO!" The MacroWyrm heard an odd sound erupt from its mouth, as the frail creature's form inside curled into itself, forming a ball. This odd sensation became even more strange to the Wyrm, as the ball then began to...get bigger, as the beast had tried to swallow it down. The new shape was Pressing hard onto its tongue, shoving upwards against the roof of its mouth. What was this human doing in there?! Suddenly, the pressure became even greater, as the Wyrm's good eye became bloodshot in surprise. Against its will, it could feel its jaws gradually parting open. At first the creature wondered if this was an unconscious act on its part, before its frilled ears picked up the panting noise, of the human it had been trying to eat. Michael, extending his body as wide as he could, powered by his sheer adrenaline, pushed with all his might to keep the mouth open. "No, I refuse to go out like a martyr! I'm not throwing away my chance for a new day, to change! I will not be food for some ugly, bestial Wyrm! My goal is to be more, to be great! And nothing, not even being eaten alive is going to stop me!" The young man shouted, in defiance. However, looking out into the wilderness, he slowly began to have doubts that he could back up his claims. He was so High up, from the roaring creature's mouth. That wasn't even considering that the dragon was trying furiously to clamp its Jaws back down over him, wrapping its tongue around his waist to drag him back in. Still, Michael stood firm, determined to hold on, as much as possible, he just needed to hold on, and maybe; Pray for a miracle. Being so close to the beast's loud roars meant he had no idea his miracle was coming sooner than expected.




         "HHYYYYYYYAAAAAAAHHH!!!" Bounding towards the Wyrm, Joanna, the Squatchette ran at full speed gripping a large weapon. She let out a battle cry, as she plunged the sharp end deep into the Wyrm's hide, before she pulled the blade out stabbing it in the same spot. Her Zonie pride was in full swing, ad she penetrated the beast's scaly flesh. "No one makes a meal of me!" Joanna Declared. "Nobody!". Again, and again she stabbed at the creature, as its wounds began to ooze a Viscous green slime. The Wyrm whipped its head around, losing its focus on the human in its mouth, as it searched for the source of its pain. The resulting Jolt, and slack of the creature's Jaws, sent Michael soaring from behind the creature's teeth, heading towards a nearby cliffside. "Oh...Well this is going to hurt.' He thought with dread, as he flipped his visor down to brace for impact. As the human's body Fell to a crumpled heap on the ground below, the MacroWyrm, roared out, filled with anger and annoyance at the persistence of the two pests. It's Eyes fell on the Zonie, who had previously fled, now piercing into its flesh repeatedly with a bulky brown colored stabbing tool. Hissing at him, the Zonie Raised the weapon defensively, ready to engage the monster if need be, though her trembling stance was begging her to do just the opposite. This item may have been too big for the gutter knight that wielded it earlier, but it was just the right size for her. As the Wyrm's stance looked pained, and full of struggled as it began to weakly snap at her. This time Joana didn't run, instead, batting away the beast with its blade, slicing at his face every chance she got. As Joana Panted, she gave a brief glance to the Gutter knight's direction, only to see he as nowhere to be found. 'Odd, had he run away?" The sasquatch thought in confusion.


         As Michael crept to the side of the Wyrm's body, the same side where it currently was lacking in Depth perception. taking aim at the beast's head once again with his slingshot. This time, he had a handful of high impact yellow marbles. With a glance, he saw The Zonie woman, fighting the Predator, and what's more, she was using his crappy sword to do it. "Glad someone made use of that crappy thing." He spoke aloud as his grip released on the cluster of marbles in his hand. "Zonie, Get down!" He shouted, as the enchanted glass Flew towards the monster's face. This attracted both Joana's, and the monster's, who were both barely able to react as the gold-colored marbles flew towards the Wyrm. The Dragon roared, infuriated that the pesky human was somehow still alive, and also that he was now launching yet another attack. Joana on the other hand, heard the previously missing human's voice, as well as his command to take cover. Upon seeing the launched marbles, she needed no further provocation to do as she was told, ducking down, and covering her head. As the marbles hit their mark on the beast's snout, an explosive bright light, filled the area. It was so bright in fact, it was like peering directly into the sun. An agonized roar echoed throughout the woods, as the light gradually faded back into night time's darkness, Joana and Michael looked to the roar's origin, taking in the perplexing sight before them.




         The Purple predator, the one that caused the pair so much trouble that day, was roaring in pain, as it blindly fumbled and stumbled its way through the trees, trying to get as far enough away from the light as it could, before its sight returned. However, Michael was sure, that a flash like that, especially at point blank range, would leave any creature permanently blinded, no matter how big. And as the Dragon itself proved, this was not the environment, where you wanted to be lacking in sight. If there happened to be any predators big enough to prey on a dragon, that one was in serious trouble, indeed. 'Poor bastard.' Michael thought, in shame. He almost wished he didn't have to cripple the lizard like that. Ultimately, it was just trying to eat, right? "Well, at least he still has his other eye... Or he will, when the swelling goes down." He spoke, trying to ease his own guilt. The female squatch Michael noticed, was walking towards him in a rushed, yet concerned fashion. Lifting him off of his feet, the furry hominid, busily looked Michael's body over checking for any wounds, or abrasions he might've suffered, throughout their mutual battle with the Dragon.


         Upon looking into his face, and seeing his shame filled look, Joanna grit her teeth, as a low growl rumbled up. Her throat. "Are you pitying that monster, little knight?" She spoke. Suspended by the Zonies grasp, Michael was rendered speechless, as he looked into the piercing glare the Zonie wore on her otherwise pretty face. She seemed to hold no sympathy for the dazzled beast, whatsoever. "Don't weep for that thing." She stated with rage. As she unceremoniously dropped him back to the damp ground, Michael took note that the squatch was still clutching his oversized, oxidized sword in her hand. "He should've listened to us, when we said-." She spoke as she stepped over him, slowly but surely beginning to pick up speed, before outright sprinting towards the sightless beast, seething with rage. "To GO AWAY!!!" She roared, Slicing the sword through the air, digging it into the ground, as the blade cleaved messily through the Wyrm's tail, severing a large piece off. "That felt...So good!' Joanna thought, her Saber-toothed mouth morphing from it's angered scowl, into a giddy smirk at her accomplishment. The young man meanwhile, cringed at the violent display, barely able to cover his ear quick enough to block out the predator's ear-piercing shrieks of pain.


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         "Christ, he was already down!" He whispered to himself, in distress. Soon the large MacroWyrm, with its earth-shaking footsteps, and it's painfilled cries faded away gradually. "Thank god this is all over." Michael thought, breathing a hefty sigh of relief as he listened to the residual noises of the still hungry, and wounded creature blindly stumbling through the darkening forest. the day's traumatizing events, played through his head on repeat. As Michael Hoisted himself to his feet, His body instinctively braced itself, as he heard the sound of large fast-moving footstep coming towards him. The human cursed his luck, as his eyes were still adjusting back to the darkness around him, as he meekly raised his hands in a defensive pose. Michael cried out in shock, as he was suddenly tackled to the ground, with no way to brace for the much heavier creature's impact.


         "Gutter Knight!!!" The Zonie woman squealed in excitement as she rammed into the smaller man, taking him down into the grass with her. As the Small man tried to regain purchase, she hurriedly grabbed him in to a tight bear-hug, threatening to Crush the life out of him, with her Zonie strength. "My hero, my hero!" She yelled in gratitude, barely able to hear the man's muffled response, smashing his head into her large, furry bosom. 'Well she sure seems a lot happier.' Michael thought, Shocked at rather Jarring change in mood. "Thank you so much, I thought I was a goner, for certain. But you came along and... Hahahahahaha!!!! We beat him. I can't believe I beat a MacroWyrm, well no- We beat a MacroWyrm! This is Amazing, I feel so alive!" She shouted out for all in earshot to hear. Michael for his part, could barely breathe, being held tight to the Zonie's body like that. From the Recesses of the squatch-woman's cleavage, Michael detected a powerful Gamey Smell, like berries and oak, radiating off the woman's tan fur. The loud squeals she was making, were thankfully stifled, through the layers of both muscle and fat, surrounding him. Judging by the sounds of her thudding heart, and her gradually tightening grip, this squatch woman was getting way too worked up, for Michael's liking. Prying himself free of the large woman's death Grip, Michael Finally found a. chance to interject her overzealous gratitude.


         "Um yes, well, I'm glad I could be of help. Really, it was nothing too special. I'd like to think that anyone that saw you in that predicament would've stepped in to assist." He said, modestly. "Hmm, well maybe, but you were the only one for miles, who even bothered to investigate, and I'm glad you did! By the way, my name's Joana. Do you have a name Gutter Knight?" She asked curiously. 'Gutter Knight?!' Michael thought, as he introduced himself. "Actually yes, I have a name, it's actually Michael. Well, Anyway, Joana-was it? It was a pleasure to meet you, but I must be going." Michael stated, slowly retreating backwards, into the surrounding bushes. "I have training camp to prepare for, and I'll need to stock up on supplies, speaking of which, you um, you think I can get my sword back?" He asked, sheepishly reaching for the large blade the Zonie was currently Leaning on. However, he found himself rebuked, as the Zonie gave a hearty laugh, one loud enough that Michael could feel it in his own heart.


         "Bahahaha, Oh, that's so funny, little Michael." She stated, in an entertained tone. "This weapon looks like it's far too unwieldly for you." She stated, as she removed her comparatively small hunting knife, along with its holster from her skirt. "Why don't you hold onto this one instead." She said handing Michael the smaller blade," And I'll take this bad boy home with me, it'll be like a memento of the day we took down a Wyrm, together." She said as she forcibly unhooked the Scabbard from off of Michael's belt. "Well- that and this tail, once we get it preserved. I'll let you keep it, if you let me have the sword." She said, stuffing the bloody, severed appendage into her rucksack.


         The human was dumbfounded, at what just happened, on one hand, he just lost a sword, one he kinda liked, to be honest. However, was he really going to argue with a Zonie? Plus, after inspecting the new blade in his hands, he had to say, it did seem to be a pretty good fit after all. Apparently, Zonie daggers were a lot like long knives to humans. Plus, taking home a trophy like the tail of a dragon?! Now, that was some serious knight credit. "Um, well I'll tell you what Joanna. How about you take the sword, and in exchange; I get that tail?" Michael suggested, doing his best to come off firm, and business like. Lord knows, without that tail, the guys back at the camp would never believe he took on a whole Wyrm, on his own. Surely, they'd let him reapply for knighthood, when they saw that. Hmmm." Joanna scratched her fuzzy chin in thought. "OK you got a deal, Gutter!" She said, squeezing the smaller man into her midsection. From inside Joanna's furry belly, a loud rumbling erupted, causing Michael's blood to run cold. "Oh no, I'm sorry." Joanna stated, blushing. "This day has left me famished. I must head home, how about you come with me?" She offered, her stomach continuing to growl. Michael offered a false smile as he considered. 'Dinner with a Zonie?' As a child, his mother used to read books from the bargain bins, of hungry Zonies eating evil children, that disrespected their parents. He really didn't want to stick around to see if the rumors were true. "No thanks. I appreciate the trade sasquatch, but again I really must be going now. Don't worry though, once I'm in the woods again may be we'll-." Michael started, as he attempted to jog away from the overjoyed Zonie. The Zonie was fast though, instantly clutching him by the back of his collar, before bringing him back to face her. "Nonsense gutter, we're going to get you clean, and rested up, and then tomorrow, Me and my family, will cook a feast in celebration. You simply must come. Pleeeeaase?" Joana whined, sporting a pleading look, on her ape-like face.


         "Well..." Michael pondered, scratching the back of his next. "I guess I could use a bath, and a nice warm bed, and cooked food-." Michael stated breathlessly, mouth beginning to water. "-Yes, Joanna, that does sound nice actually. Maybe, I-." Again, he was cutoff, as he was yanked into yet another Bone-crushing hug, into Joanna's large belly. "Yaaay! Oh, I'm so happy!" Joana, said, dragging him along with her, as she gathered her belongings, before beginning her walk home, through the woods. "Trust me Gutter, we're going to treat you like royalty (Wait, you're a knight, you're already royalty, huh?) Oh, I can't wait to share the bed with you. It's been ages since I was able to snuggle someone close. We're going to get all the best meat, and vegetables prepared for you too. Hey, do you like Gorselle Berries? Because, I make a great Gorselle berry pie!" The sasquatch continued to prattle on, as she continued to drag her reluctant companion behind her. 'Hm, so this is what being a hero feels like.' Michael pondered, as his body trailed across the ground. 'Not too bad.'