Fascinating. Genesis had spotted the nine menu leaving Adeluna shortly after she separated from Elwin, chasing after something she couldn't quite make out in the sky above. The men had strong and sturdy mounts, beasts she had come to know were called "horses" in the common tongues with the ability to traverse greater distances than most others could in a day. Learning what might give these creatures such notable stamina alone had almost given the chimera cause to salivate, let alone the experience of new flavors. The excitement drove her to revert to her beast-shape in an effort to keep up, with little warning to her new companion before her departure. Genesis had no doubt they would encounter one another soon enough, of course - the kind man had offered her food, and the lack of will that began its spread throughout the city had turned it into a veritable paradise of free food ready for harvest, but this … the thrill of the hunt always filled Genesis with such vigor, far more than absent-minded prey simply waiting to die.
Days came and went. At times Genesis would fall behind - rocky terrain, dangerous precipices, and the many dangers of extended travel through the wilds were all common obstacles - but fortunately, the trackers had the same difficulties, keeping them from getting too far ahead. It was often enough that Genesis could typically regain lost ground in the evening hours when they rested and made camp, following the musky, acrid scent of their horses through the wilderness. So honed was the chimera's focus she paid little mind to the gradual shift into more structured environs, the remnants of a society long lost to time coming and going as she rushed past. The entire time, her heart raced with adrenaline, driving her on; her hunger, growing stronger with each passing day only served to excite her further for the moment she would take her prizes.
And thus, it finally came. The unwitting prey finally stopped long enough for Genesis to arrive, finding the horses completely unattended. Tied to nearby trees and unable to escape. Easy kills, but still alive and very much willing to live. There would at least be some kind of struggle, unlike the humans back in the city. Predatory claws dug into the soil, barbed tendrils waving from her back, ready to strike, but just as she readied to pounce … the men's voices were raised. Another voice, a commanding yet still vaguely feminine in response. An argument. Perhaps another opportunity to dispatch those with a more apparent threat.
The chimera crawls forward silently, careful not to make a sound as she weaved between the trees, closing the distance. Their words became more clear, their scents more distinct, blended with that of another. Perhaps the thing they had hunted? The group comes into view. The argument seems to be escalating between the men and … a winged human? She was enormous. Powerfully built. A shiver ran down the length of Genesis's spine. Even just a bite of that flesh … Genesis could do wonders with those adaptations. Strong. Durable. Perhaps an answer to her inability to adapt flight until now. But Genesis knew just looking she would never win this fight fresh with so many unknown variables. She needed to soften things up.
Genesis kneels down and unhinges her jaw, scooping loose soil into her mouth. Fluids fill her gullet and mix with the material to make mud, and in a decisive moment expels the mass of earth at the nearest man's back, knocking him into the woman, and in an instant, the fight exploded - and ended poorly for the man. The others were poised, not quite ready to start it seemed, but still ready as their comrade's remains twitched lifelessly on the ground. Gathering up another ball of mud, Genesis spit again, knocking the one who looked most ready to fight forward. Get the battle started. Wear them down. And whoever was left … well, Genesis was tired, but not entirely exhausted enough to be counted out of a possible victory at that point.
