Transformation (Scoria)

Unsatisfactory. The elven settlement was now probably miles behind him. They hadn't offered him much for entertainment. Though currently weak, they had the potential of becoming a deadly force, but they were still so early on in development. Styx decided to let the village stand for now, as it could eventually pose as an adventure to destroy. If he wiped it out now, there would be no excitement. There would be no art.

A thought had plagued his mind ever since his battle with the mighty devil blade, Vaskalen. He realized that day that there were still fights worth engaging, but they were one in a million. He would have to put every fiber of his being into finding the most difficult warriors to clash against. There were probably monsters out there that had only been thought of in legend, beasts who could destroy cities with one swipe of their talons. He'd seen a plethora of bizarre creatures since first visiting this world, it was quite possible there were monsters of godly proportions out there just waiting to die. He simply needed these challenges.

He trudged eagerly through the dense woods, completely oblivious as to where he would end up. Massive trees loomed over him, trunks as thick as small houses. The tops of the trees were thick with life, a volley of chirps and tweets filling the air nearly every waking moment. It was almost unbearable. In response to nature's song, he replaced it with his set of headphones. The sounds of progressive rock soon filled his ears. He didn't care what the birds had to say.

Something strong suddenly wafted across his nose. It wasn't a rancid stench, simply one that was out of place. His keen sense of smell picked up on it immediately. It was reptilian in nature, but something seemed very off. Now he could feel its presence, something Knives had shown him to do. Strong, very strong. He turned off his music player, hoping for an unpleasant surprise. He continued to walk casually, though toward the source of the presence. If it didn't show itself soon, he would find it.

It better not be another disappointment. He'd had far too many of those lately.

The issue wasn't gold or silver, just that he had been shorted on a few. Tuariv did some work occasionally, a bounty here, a bounty there. He was no petty thief so he chose to abide by the laws that man made and obliged to take part in their monetary system of coin for trade. Just the rare item here or there that he needed, getting your cloak ripped to shreds on a regular basis tended to cost at least a couple pieces of silver every month.

Vacation away from his white castle of a "home" was nice. The Dome wasn't too polite, at least in Tuariv's view. Being treated like a king there was nice, but he had to work hard, and yet it didn't want him to leave. Very unsettling was the way that Tuariv perceived it, but he would live with it... for now.

This vacation was a nice getaway from it all and Tuariv took the time to enjoy his peace by the riverside to catch some fish for lunch. A nice quiet day, just listening to the water trickle by as the wind blew across his face and into the woods. And while he enjoyed the wind Tuariv still knew better by now to keep his hood up and body contracted, time had taught him that at any moment a stranger could just waltz by and accidentally see what he was.

The young man preferred that only allies know what he is. And life just worked slightly easier in that way....

"Oh!" There was a tug in Tuariv's talons, he'd caught a nice little fishie!

He was right on top of it now. The source, this immense power, it could very well be what he was looking for. It felt simple, yet deadly. After facing so many insignificant forces, he felt starved for a challenge. Hopefully it would be up for a fight, otherwise he'd be pissed.

It was just on the other side of one of the enormous trees. He slowly eased his way around it, arms hanging loosely next to his pistol holsters. No excuse for battle was coming to mind, he'd simply have to find a way to start a fight when he confronted the creature.

Finally, it came into view around the tree's corner. Styx's expectations suddenly plummeted. It was merely a man dressed in gray shrouds. He approached regardless, there could still be something to him. Usually, one shouldn't judge by appearances.

“Hail, traveler!” Styx greeted, though his voice didn't sound all that friendly. “What brings you to this neck of the woods?” He was getting thirsty. He hadn't had a good solid drink for nearly a full day now. If this man was nothing, he'd drink his fill and leave him for dead.

Tuariv gently moved for a moment, staying where he was by the river as this person approached him. He had been cooking his fish, as seen by a tiny fire to his side, fishing pole now down in front of him. He coughed, covering up a growl as he began to speak, "Greetings." It was a quiet and solemn word, the roughness in it was hidden for the most part.

Tuariv hadn't even turned to him but now the stench of the stranger filled his nostrils, blood and death was all over him. But he knew better by now about this smell, seems it was all over the place now despite the many peaceful places that could still be found. So all he did was continue with the fire quietly crackling under the fish, gently poking the twigs that fuel it with another twig.

The stranger didn't like it... or at least it seemed that way as he approached. Generally not getting much of a response meant "Go away" or "Leave me be".

"I asked what you are doing here, stranger." The man spoke again, but Tuariv only let out a grunt. This was his peaceful time and he wanted it to be his own. It only took a flash of a moment for intentions of the approaching person to be obvious though. The next thing Tuariv heard was only a snapping of twigs, a rush of wind, and before he knew what had happened this thing, not person, had latched his jaws onto Tuariv neck through the cloak.

But the only sound that was made right then and there was almost like knives on a metal shield...

Styx jumped back from his meal, mind rushing. He simply did not expect that. He couldn't help but chuckle. “Haha, whoa!” He staggered a bit before catching his footing. That was an interesting surprise. He reached into his mouth and yanked out a loose fang. “Damn.” He knew this would get good. Blood was seeping from his gums, though this time it wasn't his victim's. A new fang slowly poked its way through, regrowing in mere seconds. He looked down at the cloaked man, who was now staring him angrily in the eye. It was then he realized he wasn't dealing with a human.

Even if Styx had bit down with his full strength, he probably wouldn't have been able to pierce his skin, or rather armor. His teeth just weren't hard enough to pierce it, he would have just shattered his own mouth. “So skin of steel, eh?” The creature stood to its full height, silent. He was big.

Styx grabbed Panic from its holster and lifted it level with the beast. “Well, let's see how your armor holds against armor piercing rounds.” He pulled the trigger.

Two piercing blue eyes stared down angrily as Tuariv stood up, the cloak opening slightly to reveal some clothing from underneath. But they blinked however. His nostrils flared for a moment as he sniffed and eyed at this object, "Gunpo-"

*BANG*

There was an explosive sound, another, and then another. Each time Tuariv's shoulders moved backwards with each flash of light until finally he stumbled back a foot and ended up on one knee. A massive green claw emerging from under the gray cloth to clutch at a number of black spots in his shoulder area.

A deep resonating growl came from Tuariv's chest but was only silenced by a laugh from the stranger as he ran over to curb stomp Tuariv's shoulder into the dirt. "HOW INTERESTING! Some kind of monster with tough skin and giant claws! What. Fun."

Styx reached down and grabbed a side of the cloak, pulling it up until he paused to stare at a green and scaled tail. "Haha, Jeeeesuuus CHRIST. What the hell are-"

He never finished the sentence though, his throat was squeezed silent by that massive talon he had seen pop out of the cloak. Only this time it was followed by an arm that had a bicep larger than his own waist side. What stared at him was a hideous head and face like a dragon of legend. Panic fell to the dirt, letting off another shot when it hit the ground. Tuariv's wounds were in plain sight now from the tattered cloak, and Styx saw that each bullet successfully hit the monster.... however they had only just pierced the surface, sticking halfway out from inside the flesh.

Tuariv growled as he held Styx up high with a single hand by the throat, dangling him two feet over the ground. "I don't appreciate being bitten and shot," his voice rumbled deeply over each jagged tooth in his jaw.

Styx stared down at the dragon, its claws latched snugly around his neck. He was very strong. To lift over 450 pounds with one arm on a whim was no small feat. He felt his adrenalin rush through his body; he hadn't been this excited in a while, but he kept excitement stifled.

“So you've decided to get serious, then.” He remarked, sounding bizarrely calm from his dangling position. It was a wonder, to the uneducated, why he could even talk in this state. He grabbed the reptile's massive fingers. Slowly and effortlessly, he pried them free from his neck. With a sharp shove, he jumped back to the earth, knees slightly buckled.

Against his better judgment, he decided to hold off on using Bones. For now, his machete would do. Although on its own it wouldn't be enough to pierce the lizard's armor, with enough force it would break him. He grabbed the blade from behind his back and whipped it out, right hand gripped tightly around its hilt. Bearing a silent smirk, he lurched toward the beast. Pulling the weapon low at his side, he dove in for the meat, tip of the edge poised to pierce.

The two eying slit pupils watched as the smaller figure flew forwards, so without hesitation Tuariv placed his hands together and then slammed them both into the ground with the force of a rocket. Dust, dirt and chunks of earth flew in every direction. As well as Styx. However he wasn't flung, he dived quickly enough to the side. The thought of that almost being his skull was in his mind for a split second before he tightened the grip he had on his machete before lunging for another strike, this time the tail or legs, whichever he could slice first.

Unfortunately he was met with a back handed blow to to jaw, flinging him well across to the other side of the river in a heap of himself and grass. Tuariv only snorted as he slowly turned to look at his handy work and stroll towards the side of the river that he was on.

Styx cracked his neck as he got up, standing to his full height with the right side of his jaw loosely hanging out of its socket before he easily snapped it back into place with a sickening squishy crunch. "Quite the brute, aren'tcha?"

The lizard only responded by opening his jaws wide, every single sharp tooth visible to Styx, but he wasn't phased by the sight. However he was confused when Tuariv neither spoke, nor growled at him and for some reason the air in his face began to heat up incredibly quickly...

Styx had been holding back. Usually, he started battle at his lowest level of strength and worked his way up the ladder. This time it was different. A punch like that, one to actually knock his jaw loose, was beyond reasoning. It was much stronger than the average human, yet he could tell that this monster was barely using his full strength. This was frightening. This was encouraging.

Styx's eyes widened as a burst of orange flame barked from the giant's maw. In a swift, single movement, he sheathed his machete and unleashed the massive sword from his back. He slammed the tip into the ground and activated its shield just as the wave of fire slammed into it, washing past him like water. So he'd have to use Bones after all.

When the fire had stopped, Styx regained his posture. Lifting his seven foot blade with his right hand, he shifted his weight. Like a flash of lightning, he jumped free of the ground. Craning his sword back, he swung it directly into his enemy's center of gravity. The blow lifted the beast off the ground several feet and sent him careening backward. A tree broke his fall, allowing himself to land on his knees rather than his back. Styx jumped forward once again, hoping to get a second strike in.

The next blow connected straight into the side of Tuariv's head, forcing him into a spinning slide through the dirt. Styx laughed at this but continued, he knew to not let up, most certainly not on this thing. He spun around for a momentous swing and forced the cleaver heavily into the ground for a rumbling burst of rocks and dirt.

Had he killed the thing? No... it had disappeared all together! Styx gritted his sharp teeth together, carefully holding Bones over his shoulder to protect his rear. "Something that massive doesn't just disappear into thin air..."

There was a thumping on the ground... another... and then another... Styx heard a crash in the woods just off shore, something tearing through the bushes and trees! He slammed Bones into the ground just as it was about to get to the shore when he saw a faltering distortion in the light and then everything went spinning for a moment. It wasn't just some kind of force moving through the forest, another choking sensation wrapped around his throat and the lizard came back into view, only this time he was running and didn't seem to stop.

Over the scaley shoulder attached to the hand that held the vampire in place once again, Styx saw Bones falling out of view as Tuariv squeezed tighter and tighter, jumped the river, and continued on into the rest of the forest. Each jagged tooth lined up with each other in Tuariv's mouth, Styx actually made out a devilish smile on the monsters face!

Tuariv roared with laughter as he positioned his claws over the top of Styx's neck skin, "Haha! I have to thank you! I gotta admit I had been moving incredibly sluggishly back there, but now you got my blood pumping pretty nicely!"

Styx was just about to slip out of the grasp of the talon when he felt some smash and splinter against his backside. Trees zoomed past as Tuariv moved faster and faster, his massive weight and strength fueling a nonstop locomotion. He didn't even bother to move out of the way of trees for himself, smashing both him and Styx into each and every one that was in front of them.

Yes! Fantastic! Styx would have smiled along with the beast if it wasn't for the constant slamming his body received, being smashed through all variations of foliage. His dropped sword was long out of sight, but this monster kept running. Truly his strength matched his own. This was a once in a lifetime encounter!

Styx's durable skeletal structure and thick skin were the only things keeping his body from shattering to pieces. He was trying to regenerate the best he could while they moved, but the lizard was unrelenting. His speed was almost as remarkable as his strength, though not quite as fast as he would have hoped.

Styx managed to free one of his arms, grabbing his last pistol from its holster. He made sure he had a firm grip, as each tree they crashed through made it hard to concentrate. He aimed the pistol for the monsters head and hammered the trigger. Over and over again, the bullets ricocheted off the dragon's armored skull. It only seemed to make things worse. Despite his apparent pain from each hit, the lizard tightened his grip and picked up speed.

After Styx had spent the round, he grabbed the barrel of Pain with his teeth to keep from dropping it. He snatched his machete with his left hand, whipping it out and stabbing hard into the reptile's elbow. This finally got the reaction he wanted. He didn't stop, but bent his arm inward just enough for Styx to get close to his goal. Pulling himself the best he could from his grasp, he bent both his hands around Tuariv's concealed claymore. In one movement, he pulled it from its scabbard and slammed it into the side of the monster's skull, sending it flying off course. It roared briefly, feet flying off the ground, letting go of his victim.

Styx felt himself soar high off the ground. He watched as the forest below him got smaller. His back slammed into one more object, a tree branch, before he finally rested himself on it, laying himself down on his stomach to catch his breath. The overgrown turtle below him crashed through at least one more tree before sliding to a halt. Styx was breathing heavily, but was still grinning, gun held tightly in his mouth. He spat it out into his free hand and holstered it once more.

What a being! He'd turned himself nearly invisible just before he'd grabbed him. That was something he'd have to remember. If he'd known beforehand, he would have been prepared. He should have known, actually, as his keen hearing and sense of smell could keep track of him at nearly all times. The only thing that threw him off was that he thought the beast was actually tunneling underground, not running directly for him. The way he shook the earth when he ran was a bit deceiving.

His mind returned to the now. His spine felt like it was fractured in three places, and he knew for a fact he had at least four broken ribs. The skin on his back was practically gone, the skin on his arms also peeling off. He stretched his limbs with a roar of his own, his bones and body parts all snapping back into place. His skin sizzled with heat as it grew back over his body. Soon he had recovered from most of the wounds. He stood to his feet, carefully balancing on the branch. He took a gander off the edge of the high tree, baffled by how high he'd flown. He spotted the trog immediately, unmistakable in the dark forest. He clicked his teeth together in a toothy sneer.

Styx pointed his newly acquired blade toward the lizardman. “What's your name, beast?” He called down to him. He snapped his neck to the side. His spine was still recovering, “I wish to know who I'm facing. That was some pretty crazy **** you just pulled.”

Tuariv stood to his feet, merely dusting himself off from twigs, splinters, grass and leaves. He slowly closed his eyes for a moment, feeling each pump of juice in the back of his neck get stronger and stronger. He wasn't in the mood to be trifled with, especially not now. The locomotion through the trees was quite... satisfying.

"What's your name, beast?" He looked upwards to spot his enemy not only questioning him but also holding his claymore. "I wish to know who I'm facing. That was some pretty crazy **** you just pulled."

The lizard readjusted himself and flexed his back to look over what he had done, a giant path now carved straight from the river, to the shore and going into the trees. It wasn't until now that he remembered the short blade lodged in his elbow. Tuariv ripped it with ease, the blade coming out of place with a thick light green liquid sprayed all over it like a bad paint job.

Machete in hand, Tuariv looked back up at the man in the trees and responded, "My name is Tuariv." And without warning he flung the machete at the stranger, curving the fling to make the blade fly by Styx's ankles and back into the direction of the river. The vampire only lowered his stance, he would go back for that machete, a more pressing matter was the monster below.

"I know your type, stranger." Tuariv continued.

"Styx." The man replied.

The lizard only continued, "I've dealt with so many like you before, don't bite off more than you can chew. They always do. And I have often been the one to..." Tuariv paused for a moment to feel a good rush, lightly rumbling from his throat, "... deal with them..."

Styx nodded, stroking his chin thoughtfully. “My type, huh?” He nodded again, mumbling something to himself. “Just what is my type, Tuariv? The... good looking, artistic, has a girl back home sort of type?” He smirked coyly, pacing on what little branch he had to move. “Maybe the kind of guy who was stranded here from another universe, enjoys a good challenge, and just so happened to accidentally become a vampire one day.”

He briefly thought about how annoying it was going to be to search the forest for his lost gear. He could probably sniff it all out easily enough, but still....

“I know your type too, Tuariv. Stop me if I'm wrong.” He cleared his throat. “The strong, silent type who was shunned by many for his appearance, but somehow found a niche where he belonged, maybe even formed a friend or two.” He smiled warmly as if he were serious, “He respects life, for the most part, but loves a visceral battle and cherishes the feeling of blood between his toes. That close enough to home for you?”

The lizard huffed. “If you're going to just hang out in that tree talking all day...”

“... Ah yes, I'm boring you.” Styx swiftly flicked his foot through the branch, snapping it clean off the tree. He fell fast and landed firmly without stumbling.

“Dig in!” Styx launched himself at the monster. No holding back. It was all or nothing. Scales or not, he would skin this snake.

Tuariv was put on the defensive. Styx moved in erratic patterns, faster than any human could ever dream at moving, but Tuariv's keen eyes had little trouble keeping up. Were his motor skills fast enough? Styx would test that.

Tuariv stepped back just once before standing his ground, legs spread and arms pulled back for fast immediate thrusts or to guard himself with his shield like biceps. Styx moved everywhere around him after landing directly in front of Tuariv, moving in circles or zigzag lines with fast cut going every which way from the claymore. With every move that was made he saw that Tuariv's piercing eyes were looking down at him. Forcing him to stay moving as fast as he is able to manage, and Styx knew he could, otherwise he'd get a giant set of claws jammed into the chest.

The vampire's only problem was the speed. He backflipped over Tuariv, a massive talon following just after Styx's right foot as he slashed into the monsters back. Another slice at the backside of Tuariv's thigh before the tail moved in to grab at Styx who cartwheeled over it into another slice of Tuariv's left waist side.

It was the same every time though, he slashed with the claymore but it would barely break Tuariv's skin, if at all. He needed more power but that would slow him down and thus be caught.

Styx frowned unhappily, this amphibian just didn't bleed like the rest of them. The scent of the dragons blood was quite alluring, he knew he'd have to get a taste of that when he could, but if he didn't get a proper thrust in then he'd never even get a chance.

"Watch the head!" Styx laughed as Tuariv's fist nearly connected with the vampires head, ducking in time as he made a move to go between Tuariv's leg.

The lizard got better and better, every minute that passed by felt like another relaxing stretch to Tuariv. Like when your body is stiff and gets a new burst of energy. So with a clenched fist and a mighty roar he ignored Styx and sent his rocket powered boulder of a hand flying into the ground...

Striking fast, he was able to avoid all of the monster's techniques, but his slashes were doing virtually nothing. Although normally he'd be cutting flesh to ribbons at this point, he simply didn't have enough pull behind his blade. If he just had Bones, he'd already have the reptile begging for his life at this point. That's what you get for relying too heavily on one weapon.

Styx halted with his back against the lizard. The beast moved his body in a slightly different pattern than before. Styx spun his head around just in time to see the monster's fist collide with the ground. He moved in perfect sync, performing a last-second back flip just as a massive shockwave passed beneath him.

Twisting in midair, he landed on his back. His knees locked tightly onto Tuariv's hide. Focusing his full strength into his arms and legs, he pulled the claymore high over his head and brought it down in a sharp stabbing motion.

Styx was quick, but just not fast enough. Tuariv flailed with a powerful jerk. Styx found himself thrown off balance. He brought his blade down hard, but not before a long, muscled tail slammed across his chest, sending him skidding across the hard, rocky floor before slamming into the side of a tree. He eyed his match from the ground, the claymore sticking partially out of his back. Though it looked deep at a distance, Styx could tell the damage only piked in on the surface.

He turned himself over and scrambled to his feet. He placed a hand on his back, bending backward to pop his joins. The lizard grabbed the sword sticking out of his scaly hide and pulled it free, reclaiming what was rightfully his.

This was exactly what Styx had longed to see. Never before, never did he imagine he'd meet up with an individual with strength that surpassed his own. It was mind boggling, it was amazing! It intrigued him to no end. Even though Styx hadn't fed in nearly twenty-four hours, he'd imagined that even if he had recently drunken blood he would still be struggling. At this state, he was no match. He wouldn't throw the fight, hell no, he'd fight until he couldn't battle any longer. He would shine, but he just needed some... motivation.

He reached into a small bag attached to his belt, producing two small syringes. Usually he only took one of these things when the moment called for it, but this was an extraordinary circumstance. Twin needles, each containing the same formula, both illusively tempting. Styx popped their caps off with his thumbs and flicked the tubes, freeing them from pesky air bubbles. He now had Tuariv's undivided attention so he had to act fast.

Syringe in each hand, he stabbed the needles into both of his legs. Now the lizard was in full sprint, blade pulled back and ready to finish the job. When the venom left the tubes, Styx yanked them from his flesh, throwing to the ground. The claymore came down for his head, but he stopped it with both hands; one palm on each of the flat surfaces.

The lizard's incredible strength came down on him hard, forcing Styx's knees to buckle slightly. It took every fiber of his being to keep from collapsing, but he held his own. The stimulants now in his bloodstream took several seconds to take effect, but now they had kicked in. His legs straightened and locked, elbows suddenly firm and confident. One syringe doubled his strength, two syringes...

He threw the sword to the side, Tuariv still maintained his grip on it. Styx said nothing, only glared into the lizard's eyes, a confident smirk gracing his face. His legs thrusting out from beneath him, the vampire leaped at his prey once again.

The lizard may have had powerful armor, but his scales weren't as durable as the artificial ones concealed beneath the skin on Styx's arms. That's why, when he rammed his fists repeatedly into the lizard's body, flakes of his armor went scattering in all directions.

Soon, he'd taste that blood.

There was a now roaring from each side. Tuariv felt the burn of pain, every punch helped fuel him more as he zeroed in closer with his own counter attacks. Scratches now covered Tuariv front, the upper chest area of his shirt ripped to shreds. But he only grinned. More. And more. The rush only took him out of it as his body pumped faster and faster. Tuariv hadn't fought someone coming this close to his own brute force, enough so that his fists could harm the lizard. His heart raced and his breath rushed through the devils grin he had as Styx punched his front multiple times before he returned the favor with some of his own incredibly blunt, crushing blows to the head of the vampire.

Tuariv no longer even bothered to waste the weight of the claymore on his body. He lowered himself the second Styx went for a high shot and then blasted off into the air with his powerful legs, performing a front flip while tossing the claymore and then sneaking his tail into the loop at the base of its hilt before coming down with another earth shattering explosion like before.

Styx saw this one coming easily, cartwheeling out of the blast before scanning for his opponent. Tuariv didn't hide though, he snarled and roared out of the dust with a full on four legged type of run, diving with claws out at Styx who rolled under the lizard when he was in mid air. As Tuariv landed he didn't spin around to face the man though, he lifted his tail and slammed it down with a crushing force strong enough to bend the trees around them.

What confused Styx the most was when he wasn't hurt from the tail but still found a cut running down his forearm, that's when he saw Tuariv's tail holding tightly onto the claymore, the lizard himself in a stance ready to strike out at direction with any limb.

"So... what is that? Like a plus four to your agility and overall killingness?" Styx laughed.

The whiplash of the lizard's sword ran down Styx's left forearm. It split the skin from shoulder to fingertips, but didn't leave any real damage.

"So... what is that? Like a plus four to your agility and overall killingness?" He laughed. The line wasn't one of his best, but it didn't really matter. He doubted such a creature would understand the rules of RPG video games anyway.

“You want to see what's under my skin?” Styx grabbed the lip of the gash on his arm and yanked at it. Like a rubber glove, the skin peeled clean off and fell the ground. What was left was his own set of scales, artificially placed with the distinct purpose of protecting his arms and preserving his muscles' capabilities. “It's a little ironic, don't you think? I finally meet my equal and he bares scales not too dissimilar to my own.”

Tuariv lunged at him, Styx holding his ground. The abomination hit the ground like an avalanche, claws striking first. Their hands locked in a brief power struggle that quickly ended with both combatants breaking free before lunging back into each other.

Fists flew from both directions. Styx was hit a lot less, but only because he was moving so much faster. Tuariv was losing more and more of his precious protective scales, but each hit he landed took its toll on his enemy.

It was almost like Styx wasn't even bothering to dodge anymore. The more time he spent avoiding getting hit the less time he had to gather his strength into meaningful blows. He didn't care, though, he enjoyed it.

The more pain he felt, the more excited he got. The same appeared to be true for his opponent. They were both getting more intense by the second, each strike deadlier than the last. The very earth shook each time a fist connected, the trees swaying by the force of every blow. It was cosmic. In that small, isolated section of the woods, god-like strength was being released.

Tuariv growled fiercely, pounding down harder and harder with everyone single blast of a punch that he could. He wanted to hurt his opponent. He WILL hurt his opponent!

"Well since you're so kind to show me your arm there..." Tuariv lead on, his tongue beginning hang out of his mouth as he hissed.

He pounded a couple of more times down onto the vampire, each swing like a heavy hammer raining onto Styx's forearms. The vampire took a few of the blunt hits, one, two, three, a few more and then caught one fist.... then the other. Their hands interlocked with Styx's hands trying to hold against the two massive claws that began to slightly dig down into the one gray scaled hand and the regular one.

"You proud of that arm?! Let's see how it tastes!" Tuariv screamed as he pressed down, his full weight and strength beginning it bear down upon Styx as the lizard forced him into the ground.

The long green tail belonging to Tuariv slipped its way around, momentarily dropping the claymore it was holding to wrap around Styx's leg and then jerk it out from under him. In this moment Tuariv ripped Styx upwards and then forced him back down with his hands pinned at either side, the lizards gigantic jaw now locked into position, teeth forcing their way into the scales like an animal ripping apart its prey.

Styx bent his head to he side to look at his opposer, the giant reptile clamping its massive maw around his left arm. His razor sharp teeth pressed into the adamantium scales with intense force. Styx didn't imagine that the monster would be able to penetrate them, but his eyes widened when he heard the creaking of metal. The teeth were beginning to worm their way into his flesh.

Styx's face bore a half smirk, half grimace. He tightened the muscles in his right arm, lifting it off the ground, pushing against Tuariv's massive clawed hand. “Hey Tuariv.” He said with a grunt, his muscles tightened to the limit. The lizard's eyes locked onto his own. “That isn't my only armored limb.” Styx slid his right arm free with a final push, a layer of skin tearing off with it. Twisting his body to the side, he slammed his fist with all his might into the dragon's eye.

The beast loosened his jaw for just a moment with a roar, one of pain or one of excitement Styx couldn't tell. It was just enough for him to yank his left arm free, taking some of the beast's teeth with it. Without slowing, he slid around to Tuariv's back like a stealthy snake, grabbing the monster's tail with both hands.

Pressing his feet into the dirt, Styx began to run, not giving his enemy a chance to counterattack. Pulling the titan behind him, the vampire picked up speed, dragging the scaly mass of muscle across the dirt. From the way he held him, his victim had little options to work with to break free. Styx accelerated, moving as fast as he could possibly manage under his pain and constant muscle strain. The lizard slammed into tree after tree, rock after rock. Styx moved faster still, his own body being lashed by branches and debris.

Finally, Tuariv's claws latched into a firm tree trunk, stopping their second bulldozing of the forest. He used the leverage to snap his tail free, sending Styx tumbling through the trees, landing hard on the forest floor.

Styx laughed weakly, turning himself over on his stomach. His body began to repair itself as he stood back to his full height. His broken bones began to mend, the skin on his arms growing back over his scales. He watched his foe writhe and contort from a distance, trying to get himself ready for battle as well. Neither of them were going to quit this fight, it seemed. They would battle until their bodies failed them. Glorious.

The serum's immediate effects wouldn't last much longer; he would have to act quickly if he wanted to do any serious damage. Styx still had three more syringes left, but he wasn't sure if he wanted to use them or not. Overdosing on the stuff could very well do some permanent brain damage, it wasn't something he was willing to risk just yet. Besides, it was already getting so good.

Options. Options. Options!... Boulder.

Tuariv gripped at his jaw for a moment, he found some teeth missing and immediately spat out blood onto the floor of leaves and dirt. That was annoying, but his heart pumped faster to make up for it. He didn't mind the tooth loss, more would come back in a minute. The huge mass of a creature heavily forced himself up from the ground an wiped his chest of bits of wood and dirt, revealing a new clean layer of scales below. As he moved back up to a semi hunched pose he flicked the grime off his talon and rubbed his eye a bit and blinked once or twice before leaving it be.

About thirty yards down a trail was the vampire, picking his broken body up before flesh returned to cover his own wounds. But this isn't what Tuariv looked at, it was the two tiny holes in each of the leggings in Styx's pants. That's when the lizard took a deep breath and held it in for a moment, he felt each pulse in the side of his head and focused so very hard to slow it down.

"I know what you did," he said, taking a heavy step forward.

Styx carefully eyed Tuariv, he was confused by the words and cautious to watch his every movement. "And what is that, lizard butt?"

"I'm giving you this one chance to leave now," Tuariv's words became slow and his movements as well, working hard for the sentences to come out of his mouth against every instinct making his body twitch. "I know... what putting force on your body can do... I know that you injected... yourself... to work harder. But if you don't leave soon... I will FORCE you to use more stimulants..."

Styx said nothing. The two only stared at each other for some time, and the vampire knew that Tuariv was talking strangely... and yet was deadly seriously about what he spoke. Greed and desire told Styx that Tuariv had some kind of ace in the hole, or was just simply holding back more than he had back at the river. Self preservation said that he should be careful.