Karat, the Hysuan, launched the black bead at a nearby javelin tree.
The golden string coiled around the thick trunk, and Karat then pulled.
*Woooshh*
Karat then got flung extremely fast, only a red blur visible.
But the Meneric gave chase.
"Get him Elfane!"
The other Menerics shouted after the chasing Meneric, Elfane, as a third of them also began going after Karat.
That was the intent, go and support Elfane.
After a while all of the Menerics came back.
Elfane was too fast for them.
———
"Captain...?"
"Come in."
The Reserve forces had set up their tents out in the wild.
Not really.
Only the foundation of the new outpost was built, and everyone just set up their camps on it.
Hlemam, the short Hysuan and strategist, entered his captain's tent.
"Karat's not in his tent again."
Karat apparently trains exclusively at night.
"Don't worry about it Hlemam. He does that all the time."
"But it's his watch duty tonight."
Well,
"Don't worry, I'll cover for him."
"But capt-"
The captain turned.
The sharp emerald glance silenced the short Hysuan.
"I'll be taking my leave now."
The captain looked around, and grabbed one of the few staffs lying around.
A thin string and a barbed metal sphere followed.
The night is still young.
———
Meanwhile, Karat was being chased by a yellow-orange Meneric, 5 claws on each hand, Red, Yellow, Blue, White, Black.
"I guess some of you stick thin bastards have balls."
Karat really liked to annoy the hell out of people, he was truly unmatched in that field.
Elfane however, was also not to be underestimated.
"Ofcourse the guy with a thin stick is speaking of balls. Just stick to pebbles, lil bro."
"Wait no,"
This is the first time Karat finally got a worthy comeback.
"hear me out."
Elfane had three heads like all Menerics.
All three of them had a pair of ears, and the side heads have an eye each, with the nose and mouth on the central head.
"I targeted your entire race, and you just called my cock thin? That's petty."
Karat spoke as if his cock was actually stick thin.
"I am already pretty petty, so I don't see the point, Redhead."
Elfane was not talking about Karat's hair.
"Wierd considering that a line is made up of points."
They hurled abuses at each other like 15 year olds on steroids.
After 10 minutes or so, Karat moved.
Holding the Azure and Vermillion beads in his hands, he began swinging the golden string, the Black and White beads acting as anchoring nodes.
Elfane's claws shone with a 5 colored light, and he slashed forward in a X pattern, sending 10 Cresents out at Karat.
*tink*
*tink*
Two of the ten hit the beads, throwing it out of the way.
Karat released the Azure and Vermillion beads, immediately grabbing the string halfway along its length.
Elfane's claws all switched to Red, and he thrust one forward.
A thin spear of flame shot out from it, aimed straight at Karat's horn.
The Hysuan then spun the whole thing around, creating two circular blurs that extinguished the flame sphere.
The 4 orbs spun in 2 circles, the outer circle a blur of Azure and Vermillion, the inner a blur of Black and White.
Elfane thrust another finger, and another, and another, filling the space with flaming spears.
The barrage of flames did not touch Karat, even if they managed to get close witout being extinguished, they were thrown off course.
One attacker and one defender.
Neither backing down.
Until suddenly, Elfane's Claws turned white.
Not the normal metal white Menerick claws have, but the still white seen in snow.
Karat just barely registered the change when-
"
With a guttural growl, the Image of a White Tiger appeared behind Elfane, Golden pupils ready to blast through everything ahead.
Karat quickly pulled the golden string back, and coiled it to a loop, the beads shifted, Azure on one end and White on the other.
The White Tiger manifestation roared, and Elfane shot forward like a bullet.
Holding the Azure bead, he swung the entire thing in an Arc, and a long, serpentine Azure Dragon formed along its length, head at the Azure bead, Tail whipping the Amber Meneric's Beast.
*WWWWWOOOOOSSSSSHHHHH*
*RRRRROOOOOAAAAARRRRR*
The Tiger raised its claw to strike, just as Elfane appeared a meter away from Karat.
The Dragon's tail hit the tiger just as Karat lowered his head to strike.
*BBB OO O OO MMM*
*SHING* *CRUNCH*
Just as the large beasts collided, Claw and Hand struck, off the target.
Elfane's claws, instead of hitting Karat's neck, cut a part of his upper ear off, and also a few black hair strands, even cutting his right shoulder slightly deep, through the Armor.
Karat's horn missed Elfane's heart entirely, and thrust through his forearm, taking out a small chunk of bone.
The silence that followed was a curious one.
None moved, and just inspected injuries.
Not their own, but the other's.
"Ofcourse the one with the thin d-stick didn't manage to hit."
Elfane was the one to break the silence.
Profanely.
"Shut the fuck up Triherd, You missed a sitting target."
Karat hissed back as he rubbed the thin Meneric blood off his horn.
He was holding his horn like a spear, and moving his hand up and down.
"Isn't this public? Are all of your kind like this?"
Elfane really loves grabbing opportunities.
"Fuck off, get healed, I don't want you to die with any hands that are not mine."
Karat just pulled the string and beads back.
"If I bleed out, it'd still be your kill."
Seeing that Karat was ready to get out, Elfane tried to make him stay.
Why?
No idea
"I said that I want to kill you with my hands. Not my horns."
Karat replied.
He was waiting for him to ask that.
"So you're gonna just turn around and leave?"
Elfane asked.
The intent was to speak in a threatening manner.
"I can just kill you the moment you turn."
He ended up sounding amused.
"I know you're acting tough. Your tail is shivering."
That made Elfane grab his tail lightly.
"Dumbass stickmin,"
Begrudgingly,
"I guess some of you have a brain."
Elfane immediately tore off a piece of cloth from under his chestplate, and wrapped it around the hole in his arm.
"That's not how you do firs-"
"Weren't you leaving, shorthorn?"
The string again coiled around a Javelin tree, and with a strong pull, Karat was gone.
Elfane too, stood up and went back to the Assault camp.
A small bush nearby was cut into pieces by 4 sword like appendages.
"The Elders going to be so pissed when I tell them this shit."
The Arachnoform spy muttered under her breath.