[Dego Mernoff]

The half elf had foreseen what happened after the shrieking scream of his dying target. That was why he had only placed one arrow in the dirt before him. As soon as the first bolt had been released his slender hand had already retrieved the second arrow. As the creature died and his brethren barked and changed their attention to him, Dego had already strung the arrow across his bow, and began pulling up. Finally as the apparent leader bolted forward, with one of the lesser beasts in tow the archer was already taking aim. All of these movements were simple, practiced, and relaxed. Three breaths, that was two more then needed for a shot.

The creatures were smart, and beautiful, extremely agile and athletic. However to charge headlong into an unknown enemy was an animalistic tactic. One to show dominance, or a lack of fear, that was what put cognitive thought above instinct, the ability to evaluate a situation and create a course of action. That is why when the snarling jaws of the Talwaska were sprinting toward the pale flesh of the half elf, he didn’t panic or flinch. His string drawn and his eyes focused down the point of the tick shaft he placed his projectile just below the creatures throat and above the belly. If his last shot had killed instantly then this shot should also, as it was at the same point only entering from a different direction.

Dego’s muscular arms held the bow steady and just as the creature in all of its sprinting glory made a gallop forward the string was released heading for a target suspended in air, approaching with all the force and speed needed to bury itself within its prey. That was the first breath, and the second already had a plan of action dedicated to it as well. As the bowstring still vibrated with force it was tossed aside with his left hand to a tree no less then a few feet away from its owner. The young mans right hand already reaching for the blade hanging at his left thigh.

This part had already been planned in advance as well. Before he had even seen his opponents the seal that held the blade tight in it’s sheath had been broke while the very hand that was now drawing the rapier had pulled his bow out. Now as his left tossed the bow aside and free of harms way, Dego’s sword hand pulled the polished blade upwards and free from its sheath in one quick and free movement. It was almost ironic that the half elf wore dragons all over his clothing and presented them on his weapons. Even this very sword had been hand engraved by him to carry a picture of a great dragon leaping down the blade.

Breathing out for the second time, Dego’s now free left hand reach to his back and found the Dwarven / Elven steel dagger the master smith Steakly Soulfire had crafted for him. His body rolled into a forward stance by dropping his left leg behind his right. His right arm bent at the elbow, parallel to his body’s width and held at a 45 degree angle to his side. The dagger held in his left was held in the blade down position, pointing inward at his own knee, while his legs rested in a half crouched stance. The entirety of this form was his favorite of all positions he knew for using his rapier. His body presented the least amount of target area to the enemy and they had to get past the long slender and quick blade of his sword before reaching flesh, while he could roll his body in 180 degrees and attack at very short range with the dagger held in his left. The half crouch stance gave him the ability to move, dive, jump, or roll around an enemy attack.

His final breath before the lizards were upon him was not let out in a controlled breath like the prior two. No this breath was released in the form of a warriors cry. Dego planned to use their own primal tactics against them now, he would show, that he too was not afraid, a predator of the same nature, and that he would kill them if they did not kill him first. “RAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!” he roared.

It didn’t matter if the first had fallen to his arrow and it was the second that attacked now, or if the first had survived the attack and still charged Dego’s initial attack would be the same for both. Whatever angle the creature came in at, dego would counter by rolling his body at the opposite angle at the last possible moment safe for him. At that time he would snap his wrist either around and up, or down on the beasts neck dependent on what direction he moved. It was a simple tactic used for charging foes; the sharp sword would be brought down/up in a kill sweep at the enemy’s neck to sever at least part of the head from the body, the most effective way to kill something.