Auroch warmed his hands by the fire, his only source of warmth in the damp cave that he currently called his home. Where he was exactly he was not sure. All he knew was that he was in America and he was far from human civilization, just the way he liked it. Auroch rubbed his hands together and took a warm breath into them. It was a cold night tonight and Auroch was alone, just the way he liked it. His large sword sat across from him against the cave wall, its blade shining magnificently in the light of the flame. Its sheath sat next to it, as colossal as the blade itself. Auroch grabbed the rabbit he had skinned and skewered on a stick and placed it in the spit he had made himself, leaving it to cook over the fire.<br/><br/>A noise outside caused him to become alert. The sound of crunching branches and heavy footsteps echoed through the cave. It sounded much too large to be any of this place's animals. The sound continued and then stopped right outside the cave. He stood up and walked over to his large sword, gripping it in his hand and strapping the sheath around his body and sliding the blade into it.<br/><br/>"COME OUT REAPER!!" a voice exclaimed from outside the cave. "We have followed you for the past two nights and have you backed in a corner now! Come outside and meet your fate, you have lost!"<br/><br/>Serpentiles then, and they didn't seem to know much in the way of subtlety. Auroch left his rabbit to cook over the fire and walked to the mouth of the cave, prepared for whatever their numbers could be. Exiting the cave he could see only one clearly in the light of his fire from the cave, six more encircled the mouth of the cave, their features hidden in the dark. The one in front of him resembled a person, though its eyes had slit pupils. This one was able to retain a human form, for the most part. Based on the forms in the dark the ones that accompanied him were not as successful. He placed a hand on the hilt of one of his smaller swords and remained ready.<br/><br/>"You're quite an old one aren't you?" the lead Serpentile inquired.<br/><br/>"Years of battle takes its toll on one such as I." Auroch replied.<br/><br/>"If that is an attempt to scare me away it will not work." the lead Serpentile said, his arm beginning to coat itself with scales and his face doing the same. He was a snake Serpentile, as Auroch had predicted. Auroch responded to his shift by drawing both of his smaller swords from their sheaths. He looked around him and saw all the other Serpentiles tensing in their place, ready to attack. "Even in your age your soul will be more than enough sustenance for me and my friends." the Serpentile turned his head to either side and regarded his allies, nodding and giving them permission to attack.<br/><br/>The beasts attempted to rush him all at once in a rather hasty attack. Auroch leaped clean over them and let them all run into each other. Landing out in the open beside them. Enraged, the pack attacked them, a tiger Serpentile out in front lunging at him. Auroch deftly dodged to the side and parted the beast's arm from his body, the beast's head soon joined it. The second one was the snake Serpentile leader, who attempted to claw at his face with his right arm. Intercepting it with his right sword, it attempted the same thing with its left arm, which he blocked with his left sword. Swords crossed, the blades sparking against the creature's skin. He aggressively headbutted it and drove it back before two more of the beasts attempted to close in from the side. Slicing to the left with both blades he was able to score two cuts on the closer and more immediate threat of the left beast. He quickly spun around and slammed the hilts of both the swords into the lion-shaped Serpentile that was now behind him, hearing the bones in its face break. Kneeing it hard in the gut he grabbed the lion beast by the neck and threw it over his shoulder, its body colliding with the crowd that tried to advance and overrun him. The Serpentile he had scored two cuts on earlier advanced on him alone, only to be ran through by one of Auroch's blade. He pulled out the blade and circled around him, slicing both blades down its back and tearing apart its flesh. If it wasn't killed by the first attack, it was definitely dead now. The last five Serpentiles had recovered from their ally being thrown at them and stood before the Reaper apprehensively, unsure what to do after two of their numbers had been quickly slain.<br/><br/>"Don't just stand there, there's five of us and one of him we can easily kill this guy, ATTACK!" the snake-faced leader yelled out. The pack rushed towards Auroch, their blood lust driving them to tear him limb from limb. Auroch responded with a guttural yell and ran forward to meet them.<br/>---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br/>Auroch stood among the corpses of all the Serpentiles, flicking the blood off of his blades. He slowly sheathed them and took in the smell of blood and battle. He had to admit that a part of him got high off of it, relished in it, wanted to constantly be a part of it, but if he was to give in to that inner desire he would be nothing more than a beast like the slain creatures around him. He looked over his shoulder at his larger sword, left unused in its sheath.<br/><br/>"Sorry Ash, today was not your day today." he said, the name he had christened the blade rolling affectionately off his tongue. He looked back into his cave and could smell the scent of cooked rabbit over the irony scent of blood. "Just in time for dinner." he said to no one in particular. Auroch walked, weary and tired back into his cave to dine on his well earned meal.