Chapter 10: "The Beast Within"

Shawk looked at the hulking form where Caseus had just been. The Suchomimus had released its jaws from his tail as it also eyed this new arrival. During the course of their scuffle, the Beast had never said anything that betrayed any underlying intelligence; every roar and snarl was pure primal instinct.

Now, it assumed a cautious, defensive posture, holding its head low and slowly pacing, never taking its eyes off this potential threat.

Oh, my lord, Shawk thought. Things will certainly be different from now on.

For a moment, Caseus stood in place, panting. Then, a thunderous roar erupted from his throat. Muscles ripped beneath the mottled brown and black skin, while the blue and white streaks about his eyes appeared almost purple in the magenta moonlight. He raised the hackle of feathers that adorned his neck like a mane as he eyed the Sucho.

The two circled each other, each eyeing the other. But while the Sucho was operating purely on primal instinct, somewhere in that ferocious Tyrannosaur’s head, was the mind of a man. Though, for all his trust in his master, Shawk sometimes wondered how much reason and restraint was left in there.

“W-what in the gods-?” The woman Venator had managed to feebly climb to her knees, though she was cradling her injured shoulder.

“What IS he?!”

Arabella, for her part, had reverted to cowering behind Psaltria’s comatose form, weeping and suckling her thumb in terror. There was definitely something off with her, but this was hardly the time to address it.

The sound of a whip cracking was what broke the tension between the encircling Beasts.

“DON'T JUST STAND THERE, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!” the woman screamed. She cracked the whip again. “ATTACK!”

The Sucho flinched at the sound of the whip, then, with a roar, charged at Caseus. It slavered forward, driven by a mix of fear and aggression. But its opponent side-stepped with precision and cunning.

As he side-stepped, the Sucho’s jaws missing, Caseus brought his own maw down, sinking his teeth into its neck.

“What?!” The woman sounded in shock.

Shawk couldn't help but chuckle with a little pride. This is hardly my lord's first fight.

A faint wheeze escaped the dinosaurs' throat, as it stood immobilized. Then, Caseus shook. He swung his head from side to side, like a dog with a rat. There was a loud POP, and the Suchomimus went limp. Caseus opened his jaws, and the Beast’s lifeless body landed with a thud.

“T-that is not…" she muttered. "How…”

At the sound of the Venator’s voice, Caseus snapped his head up. His eyes narrowed, his teeth clenched in a snarl. And then he was charging towards her, covering the ground between them with blistering speed. The bloodlust was palpable, practically radiating off him.

The woman fell backwards, shielding herself with her one good arm. She was screaming, Arabella was wailing, and Caseus let out a roar.

“HALT!” Shawk's voice cut through the chaotic chorus. Both Caseus and the Venator's eyes widened as the Pachycephalosaurus dashed forward, firmly planting himself between them.

Caseus slid several feet, carried by his momentum, before coming to a stop.

“Please, my lord!” Shawk bellowed. “Do not slay her! Not now! There are things we must yet inquire of her!”

Caseus growled. It was unintelligible even to Arabella, but Shawk understood exactly what he was saying: “She has seen. She is an enemy. She cannot be allowed to live.”

“I understand, and I agree! But please, be patient! At least until the morrow!”

Caseus paused for a moment. Then, he gave a deflated snort, as if to say “Fine, you win.”

***

The night passed in awkward silence. Caseus and Shawk sat on either side of the Venator, neither taking their eyes off her. Arabella had fallen into a restless sleep against Psaltria's side.

After what seemed to be an eternity of waiting, the first rays of sunlight began to peak over the mountains.The Venator had begun to doze off herself, while Arabella and Psaltria seemed to just begin stirring from their slumber. The sharp crack of bone and cartilage broke the tentative calm. Caseus's enormous form began to contort and writhe, his muscles and bones contracting, shifting and snapping back into human form. Arabella peeked from behind Psaltria, who seemed to be watching the unfolding events with a silent shock. Shawk merely watched with a patient look on his face; he had grown accustomed to seeing this all years before.

As Caseus's skin began to regain its human color and texture, and his form shrunk ever further, there was the sound of dirt and rocks crunching underfoot. The Venator had sprung to her feet, seizing on the momentary distraction, trying to scramble away.

The elder pachycephalosaur simply snorted. She had been sitting right next to him, did she really think…?

A swipe of his tail sent her crashing to the dirt, moaning and grasping at her shoulder on impact. But that would clearly not be enough. So, Shawk lowered his haunches and sat on her. As a Pachycephalosaurus, Shawk was hardly the heaviest or largest Primordial Beast. But he could certainly keep even a strong man pinned beneath him with minimal effort.

“Get off of me, damned Beast!” she whined, futilely hitting his thigh with her one good hand.

Shawk snorted to say, “Oh shut up, wench.”

Caseus let out a groan. Shawk looked back, and was greeted with the human visage of his master. As always, seemingly dazed or perhaps a little drowsy, and, for the moment, not very phased by his state of undress.

“Good morning, my lord,” Shawk nodded. “I must say, I hope exposing yourself in front of ladies is not becoming a habit for you.”

***

After crudely fashioning kaunakes from singed scraps of Arabella's clothes, salvaged from the ashes, and a few pieces of his own shredded clothes, only then was Caseus able to breathe a sigh of relief. Though he didn't say anything, his face was still rather red.

“My prince,” Psaltria said, her voice still rather frail, “what has become of you? What is this… condition?”

“It is unlike any magic I can think of,” Arabella added. She had seemingly come out of her infantile state, though she still stayed close to Psaltria. Whether it was out of concern for her, or suspicion of Caseus, was unclear.

“For you two,” Caseus said, pointing in their direction, “I shall explain in due time, provided you answer my own questions.”

He turned about to face the Venator, glaring up from beneath Shawk, and pointed her own blade back at her.

“But first, you shall answer my questions.”

The woman spat. “Why should I? After all, you surely don't intend to let me live. Not now, now that I know your secret.”

“You are right,” Caseus said. He pressed the tip of the blade between her eyes. “I suppose the choice, for you, hinges on one thing: would you rather die immediately by the blade, or by the jaws and stomach of the Beast tonight?”