North-Western Isles

The flyers were out and word was quickly spreading with each passing day. Activity amongst the isles had become a bit stagnant and difficult, more so of boats that attempted to hop between them. Sailors and merchants employing them were disappearing, with little to find other than wreckage and trashed goods - usually washed up on shores and beaches. In addition to this, there have been reports of certain beaches that have been clearly disturbed with dug-up sand pits and trees with their bark and trunks demolished rather than cut down. Between the ships and the land, the destruction displayed it rather messy and rugged - evidence of teeth and claw marks as well as bash indentions.

Something was hovering around the islands, and whatever it was it was clear it was violent and dangerous.

The first merchant ring she would find was already rattled upon her arrival, and were quick to start barking in frustration and alarm. Despite the fact they had amassed further inland of the island to try and avoid the potential encounter with whatever was attacking the boats and eating the sailors, the beast had managed to sneak up within the trees and appear in a seemingly violent rage - stampeding through their goods and tents and tossing a club tail and tusked head to break through anything it crossed.

Someone said it was a reptile, showing Minerva a few shed scales that were almost as big as his hand that he had collected in the aftermath. Two more recalled vividly how it whipped it's thick tail around and smashed almost clear through the trunk of a tree and brought it crashing down with little effort - pointing out the fallen log and more importantly the splintered break to show the fresh, yellow core beneath the bark. The destruction this creature was capable of was terrifying.

Drag marks and scratches in the dirt indicated the damned creature had gone back through the trees and across the beach - and disappeared back into the water, leaving rubble that it had hauled along from the wreckage along the way and broken planks of wood and torn fabrics floating just away from shore as it had been swept by the tide.

Further venturing, however, would have Minerva stumble upon a small merchant's ship that had just pulled to shore and a few hearty men were pulling tug lines to help ensure the boat was wedged well in the sand to avoid it slipping away as they unloaded. Watching the work was a short, portly man with a greying, receding hairline of his short mop upon his head - nose buried within a small ledger book in his hands and making marks as crates and barrels were walked off the ship.

The man spun around and peered up at the woman, scrutinizing the stranger carefully. It was rather uncommon to be sought upon landing, but she didn't seem to mean any harm. "Mmmmm, it depends on what you're looking for. I may have it, I may not," he hummed, tipping his nose just a little bit higher as he attempted to stand up straight - a little peeved that she stood almost a head over him. "What is it you are looking for, madam?"

There was a sudden shift of the ship and a bit of a wave rushed up on the far side of the hull out of nowhere. There was a bit of commotion from the sailors that were on board, and a single barrel was rocked free near the ramp so that it tumbled all the way down and landed with a heavy thud in the sand - the top popping partially free and letting several fresh, colorful crabs tumble out.

The man jumped at the sound of the creaking barrel as it was damaged and turned, balling a small fist and shaking it up at the boat and his workers. "CAREFUL WITH THAT, YOU IDIOTS! YOU DAMAGE OR LOSE ANYTHING AND I'LL MAKE SURE IT COMES OUT OF YOUR WAGES!"

The initial pull on the tusk, now firmly in the grasp of the spiny whip coil, jerked the head slightly - where it seemed to not give a damn as it continued to crunch down on the contents in it's mouth, a rather unnerving sound of creaking metal from the barrel's framework at one point that indicated it wasn't anywhere near strong enough against the jaw. However, the more effort that was exerted on the head and forcing it to bob slowly in Minerva's direction gained the beasts attention - starting in a very low, threatening hiss as the maw stilled it's bite. The wide eyes poised on the side of the head gave it a clear view of the woman, and the pitch slit pupil settled on her. It yanked back hard in return, looking to regain it's placement. It could smell more fresh goods in the wreckage it had created of the boat and wanted it.

Just the first snap of the bladed coil against the thick, leathery hide was met with a very menacing reaction as the body arched sharply away from her - the tusked head turning to point at Minerva with the maw parted and baring the jagged teeth while hissing loudly at her again. This was the final warning.

The next snap actually sliced through the hide enough that it was more than felt, and the beast lunged towards her - the long, reptilian body swaying in a salamander shuffle on four powerful legs to close the distance in a few, short, terrifying seconds. However it wasn't the teeth aimed at her, rather than a wide but powerful throw of the tusks on it's head in an attempt to throw her out to the water.

The stab triggered another violent shake that had the massive head flailing side to side in a desperate attempt to remove the flea from it's back, as well as thrashing the dangerously clubbed tail though to no avail as it was not made to swing across it's back. Minerva had a relatively safe placement to avoid teeth, tail, tusks and claws. However it was only a few moments of bucking around that the creature realized it only had one option - to head for water. With all haste it made for the waves as they receded from the sand.

Though the underside of the body was, indeed, softer than the rest it did not slice too easily - though the bladed pieces dug right in and threatened to rend the flesh to a bloody mess. The beast hissed and ceased the shuffle to the water, instead it began to thrash side to side again rapidly in another attempt to dislodge the bug from it's back. The massive tail slammed to the sand repeatedly, kicking up a cloud of dust and particles over and over, as well as swing wild to accidently take more damaging swings to what remained of the boat. It was impossible to approach from the ground in this whirlwind of destruction, but at least Minerva was relatively safe from the direct impact from her seat.