[SkyWolf11]

He was there.  She could feel him watching her.  Waiting for the opportune moment to attack.  Still she struggled to get to dry land, her head bobbing above the water as her body froze every few minutes.  Her energy was leaving her and fast.  Something floating towards her in the water surprised her and she stopped momentarily, trying to get a good look at this new possible threat.

The waves brought it closer where she could identify it.  She gave a weak smile and swam toward it with renewed hope.  'What luck!'  The object was a large piece of shattered wood, no doubt from the demolished deck.  The waves must have washed it out to sea.  She was grateful they had.  As she reached the wood she hoisted herself clumsily up onto it.  She collapsed onto it, her lower half still in the water.  'Dang!  Not enough strength left.'  She huffed, resting her body as the waves shook her back and forth on the wood.

Then she had an idea.  She could get to shore without wasting much energy now.  She began to kick with her hind legs, propelling the makeshift raft along in the shore's direction.  Small fragments of splintered wood drifted pass them.  So it was wood from the deck the werebetta had smashed.  When she thought about it, the werebetta's past actions were actually saving her now.  She smirked at the thought.  But she still had to be on the alert.  He still had the advantage.

{14}

[Yomegami]

Forza halted as the slynx clambered up onto the piece of shattered wood. Although he had been stupid to smash the dock in the first place, the slynx wasn't going to get much farther.

He darted downwards, back into the depths - and when he went deep enough, he charged back up forcefully with an open maw, aiming right underneath the feline and her raft. Hopefully, he would seize the cat in his jaws, and the force of coming back down would slam his mouth shut, finally ending this fight and getting the meal he had spent the last...hour? day?...trying to get.

[SkyWolf11]

Continuing to paddle her way back to shore with her feet, Kuay struggled against the waves to stay afloat on the plank.  Suddenly, she received chills up her spine.  She could sense the danger from below.  She growled in frustration, knowing she wouldn't be able to make it back to shore in time.  Should she just stop and let her fate be sealed by this monster of the deep?  Just...forfeit her life to him?  No!  She couldn't!  She wouldn't!  Becoming fish food.  Surely this wasn't the end for her.  

She looked over her shoulder at the shining water.  She caught glimpse of a growing shadow.  It was him no doubt.  She had to think of something!  The shore was so close now!  She tried to judge the distance, spitting out the sea water that barraged her face and open mouth.  She could possibly make it!  If only she could provide a distraction or something, just long enough to reach dry land.  Her body could hold out a little longer, she believed.  

Lifting her tired legs from the water, Kuay managed to scramble up the rest of the way onto the wood.  She dug in with her claws for support.  Maybe this way he would get more wood then flesh.  She could only hope as she panted, desperate to get air into her body.  

{15}

[Yomegami]

The monstrous werebetta didn't stop for a second as the slynx finished getting the rest of herself onto her wood. If he wasn't going to get his food before, he was now.

Although he didn't have time to stop and chuckle, he laughed manically in his mind. He was going to have some fun here, he thought.

He speeded up a few seconds before impact, hitting the wood with enough force to propel it and himself 10 feet above the water. Frantically, and eagerly, he attempted to get the wood - and the slynx - in between his jaws.

[SkyWolf11]

Kuay gasped as she was rammed above the water.  Her body was just beginning to relax, but she knew it wouldn't have lasted long anyhow.  She retained her grip on the plank as the werebetta's dagger-like teeth shredded the wood to fine splinters on both sides.  

She had to act fast.  Should she jump?  Would she make it if she did?  'Ah man!  What can I do?'  She sized up the shore.  There was a slim possibility she could make it in a leap.  A very slim chance.  But she had to try right?  She straddled the razor teeth and gripped the board.  She began to flex her muscles in her arms, legs, and lower back.  This one had to count.

Using her last surge of power in her muscles, she made a fool's leap for the shore.  However, her jump didn't go as smooth as she hoped.  One of her back paws caught on one of the fish's teeth, digging in to her foot and causing her to release a high pitch cry of pain.  The surprise snag caused her to land short of the beach.  Her body hit the water with a smack and she went under.  Her body drifted down onto an upward sloping sand bank.  Squinting in pain at the sandy hill leading to her land, she painstakingly grappled herself up.  

'Almost there!  Come on body don't give out now!'  Her hind quarters dragged behind her, completely shot.  She hadn't the energy left to make her entire body function.  She just had to rely on her upper body strength to save her.

{16}

[Yomegami]

Forza crashed back into the sea, somewhat annoyed that he didn't manage to snare the slynx. Spitting out the pieces of wood, he tasted something else - the slynx's blood.

Oh... Oooooooo, that's good..., he thought to himself, smiling.

Now, he wasn't just hungry. Tasting the blood of his prey made him bloodthirsty. And, as one might guess, a bloodthirsty werebetta is not a good thing to be near.

He thrashed around, looking for his prey. When he finally spotted her, attempting to haul herself onshore, he noticed her hind limbs were trailing behind her. This was an advantage to him, as there was a place to get his jaws on her.

[SkyWolf11]

The water around her injured foot began to turn a pale pink as blood exited from her cut.  Regardless of the pain she kept on crawling for the shore.  Rocks and jagged shells revealed themselves as her weight made the sand shift place.  They acted as a barricade as she struggled to haul her lifeless legs over them.  'Dang!  Everything seems to be against me leaving here with my life.'  

Her throat began to ache as air bubbles slipped from her mouth and nose.  She needed fresh air.  Finally she was able to maneuver her lower half over the obstacle and continue forward.  She was overcome with joy and fear all at once.  The shore was just in arms length!  But her body felt ready to forfeit to death.  Clutching a bulging rock, she reached her other arm out for the surface.  Her arm broke the water and was greeted by the warmness of the ocean wind.  

She swatted her arm back into the ocean, hoping to hook onto a solid, sturdy object to pull herself up.  Sadly, all she caught was loose sand.  'So close!  Oh come on fate or destiny or whatever you are!'  Swiping her paw across the sand, she ran across a protruding rock.  'Yes!'  Quickly, she clamped on and dragged herself up with all her might, pushing off the other rock.  Her desire to live had gotten her this far.  Slowly, she lifted her nose and mouth to the surface, carefully penetrating the surface.  Calmly she took in fresh air, giving her body relief.  No need to spend needed energy gasping for mouthfuls...she could do that later on shore.  That is...if she made it that far.

Eventually, she was able to haul herself onto dry land.  At least her upper half was.  Her hind quarters were still left dangling in the waves.  Now she could feel the burn in her muscles, pulling her dead weight.  Moving in the water had been easier but she wasn't going back that way for anything.  Continuing to pull, she could only hope she had gotten far enough up to where she was out of reach of the werebetta's deadly jaws...

{17}

[Yomegami]

Forza was only still for a few seconds before he charged. He was so close to getting his jaws onto his meal, and he wasn't going to give up now.

As he neared, he could easily see that his prey was having issues getting herself ashore. Not wanting to miss out, he picked up speed, cackling like a maniac.

When he was a few feet away, however, he noticed that the slynx's upper half had made it to land. But her lower half didn't.

Ashore or not, the werebetta was too frenzied and eager to care. With a mighty splash, he rode the waves ashore after the slynx, attacking in the manner of a killer whale after a seal. When he was close enough, he attempted to get his jaws around at least one of her legs.

[SkyWolf11]

A wave of water engulfed Kuay up to her neck, causing her to slide slowly back down towards the partly beached werebetta.  Fear powered her limbs, scraping over the rolling sand, trying to get back up the slope.  Suddenly she felt pressure on one of her legs.  "No!"  She screamed, still flailing in the sand.  

'I think he has my leg!'  She growled, still feeling the pressure upon her numb legs.  It had to be him.  He must have had his jaws clamped shut on it.  She didn't know what else it could have been.  Without thinking, she let her instincts guide her actions.  With a screech of that of a cougar she whipped around her paw with claws spread.  She swung for his snout in a desperate attempt to free herself.  

{18}

[Yomegami]

Upon seizing the slynx, Forza whipped around, returning to the sea to feast. As it turned out, his meal wanted to go out with a bang.

She screeched and lunged for his snout, sinking her claws in a most painful manner into his flesh.

He, with some difficulty, managed to suppress uttering a roar of pain. If he opened his mouth for a second, he was sure he would lose his prey.

But - how much longer would the slynx live if he escaped his grasp? By the looks of it, the werebetta figured she'd bleed to death on the shore. He might as well make it easier.

A few more powerful swipes of his tail, and Forza vanished back into the sea, dragging the slynx with him.

[SkyWolf11]

She couldn't believe it!  She was right there!  And now she was returning to the treacherous waters to her doom!  She couldn't let him do that, not after all  she had been through.  Anger boiled inside her entire being.  If she was to die, then she would at least cause him as much injury as she was able.

With her other paw now free she swung at him once more, still clutching his snout with her other paw.  Then, she lunged at him with her mouth agape as bubbles shot from her nose.  She knew she was using up her air supply but she believed she had no other choice.

{19}

[Yomegami]

When he had returned to deeper water, Forza prepared to swallow the meal he had worked so hard to attain - only to find that it was still kicking.

Although he normally wouldn't have had any problem with eating his food alive, it would probably be best to kill this wildcat before he ate it. Judging by the damage she was doing right now, she would probably slash his throat open as he swallowed her.

However, if this slynx still wanted to put up a fight, he had one more trick to finally dispatch her.

Clamping his jaws down tighter, the werebetta shook his head violently, hopefully flinging the feline around like a rag doll and damaging her further.

[SkyWolf11]

As he bit down harder on her still lifeless legs, she tightened her grip on him as well.  Then he began thrashing, trying to smash her or drown her no doubt.  Thoughts began racing through her head.  Why had she come here, anyways?  She should have just put up with the others back home.  Surely being around them was better than this!  A final thought appeared and she could see the words and hear them being said...what would happen to Sky if she died...

Would she miss her?  She shook her head to chase it away.  Why was she even thinking about all this?  Did it mean she was nearing death...staring it straight in the eye?  She hoped not.  She continued to thrash around, now clawing at his eyes, trying to handicap him.  Pure will power was the only thing powering her body now.

{20}

[Yomegami]

After a few moments, Forza ceased shaking his prey. Even after that treatment, the slynx was still alive. Not to mention she was also trying to claw his eyes out. Shutting them due to a reflex, he tried to figure out a way to finally get this creature to kick the bucket.

"You're a very stubborn one, do you know that?" he muttered. Then he released his grip on the slynx's legs. He knew there was very little power left in the slynx as a whole, so upon releasing her, she would probably drown.

After releasing, he stood still, eyes closed tightly to minimize damage, waiting for the water and the effort of the slynx's attacks to take their toll on her.

[SkyWolf11]

To the werebetta's response she squeezed harder into his flesh with her claws.  Suddenly, her legs had no more pressure applied upon them.  She strained to look and saw he had released her.  She couldn't grasp why he had did so.  'Why release me?  What good would that be to him?'  Then it became clear as weight began pulling her down.  'What!?'  

Slowly, her lifeless legs drifted downward, taking her whole body with them.  If she was to fall to the bottom now, then she would never make it back.  She would either drown or surely be eaten.  Not fancying either of those options, she attempted to hook herself onto his side to avoid falling.  A familiar aching reappeared in her throat.  She was in need of air again but she fought the ache.  The only way of that happening would be to somehow reach the surface...another problem to solve.  Right now, however, she was only worried about staying afloat in the water and out of his jaws.  

{21}