30

My form changed quickly, and I swam forward to dodge the disturbance in the water. The speed at which I could move was amplified. I wasn't struggling to swim anymore, and I wasn't floating up anymore. I could observe the changes later, but for now I would focus all of my mana on closing the portal, healing, and maintaining this form. My wounds healed progressively as me, and the beast circled each other.

I could move faster. I would move faster. This beast wasn't as fast as I was. I wouldn't have been able to track it moving if it was. I kept watching it carefully, and realized something odd.

My lungs were filling with air. I smirked to myself. Looks like I have gills right now. I waited for my lungs to fill. I wouldn't be able to use my fire element down here, but I had done something to freeze some of those rats.

I just needed to do it again, and right up against this things tough skin. The beast made the first move as it suddenly darted towards me instead of circling. I dodged its teeth only to get struck by one of its fins. I slammed my talons into its flesh leaving behind five shallow, but long cuts. My body hurt, but a plan was forming in my mind.

I just needed to hit it right there. Over, and over again. If something has armor you don't go after all the armor at once. You pick a point, and keep hitting it until it breaks. I didn't want to die trying, but I would win.

It would take me too long to bleed it out with shallow scratches so I needed to inflict a deep wound. One should be plenty as long as I didn't let it stop bleeding. My lungs still weren't full enough for me to hit the bastard with lightning again. I really wanted to hit him again since that had been enough to stop him temporarily. I rolled of the beasts body, and stabilized myself quickly before moving out of range of its next snap.

I circled around behind the portal so the beast would have to swim around the portal to get to me. Swimming into that spatial distortion around the edges was more dangerous than I cared to mention. The beast would know that on instinct. I couldn't wait for him to make the first move. I needed to take the initiative.

I am faster than him. If I keep waiting for him to make the first move I'll always be a step behind. This portal is much larger than the other two. I can't waste all my mana on healing myself. I won't be able to close the portal if I do.

I rushed at the beast. Trying to predict all the moves it could make based on what it had shown me already. I struck down close to the wound I'd already made on the bastards side. I missed most of the cut only slicing along the side of the original wound. That was fine though.

That gave me a bigger target to strike at. We circled each other again. Again I dove in, and struck in the same place where I'd cut him the first time. Over, and over again I dove in. Digging deeper, and deeper as the beast got angrier, and angrier.

My lungs filling slowly as my gills filtered fresh air into them. They were nearly full. I needed that to hit him with lightning, and stop his movements for a little while. Then I could dig out the hole I was working on making through the stupid things skin. Progress it from a nasty sore to a full fledge wound.

Maybe even a fatal one if I worked at it enough. My wings flared as I got ready for his next attack. He was getting really irritated with me as I continued to not get hit badly over, and over again. The beast stilled in the water. Slowly moving toward me as I backed away.

The beast roared in the water. The water rippled in a way that made my bones shake beneath the skin. It hurt my insides in a way that made me want to throw up before the beast just appeared inches from my face. I had no clue what he did, but it had something to do with magic. A creature that hadn't used magic throughout this entire fight, suddenly used magic to nullify my speed advantage.

My body reacted automatically as I drew my neck back as far away from the creatures teeth as it could go as I grabbed his lower jaw to use it as leverage to get myself out of harms way. His teeth snapped around my around my fingers. Severing them all as I shoved off of him with my back feet. Throwing my head back as far as it could. My head flashed past the tip of my tail as I released a stream of lightning into his underside.

The big beast froze up as the lightning burned hot angry welts into the beasts belly. I used what was left of my fingers to grab the beasts fins, and swing myself back up to the hole I was digging through his skin. I bit at the hot tender skin, and ripped out a chunk of skin. Then did it again. The beast regained his ability to move, and smacked me off with his fins.

I could feel the pain of the damage as it reverberated through me. My wings extended as I used my feet to propel myself away from him once again. A quick flap of my wings, and I was clear of the nasty bastard. I swam around so I was behind the portal again. Making it difficult for the beast to charge straight at me.

The blood in the water was starting to make the world around me turn red. I was starting to get lightheaded with all the damage I was taking over time. A headache pounded throughout my whole head. Making it feel like my whole brain was pulsing. I shook off the feeling.