#This moment is also before Scarab goes “you're my friend- stop putting yourself in dangerous situations”

[azuremliam]

Mentioned before that Liam's eyes glow in the dark even more when they get older- well, they also intensify a lot in their glowing when riled up! Also, Scarab's so clearly seen because that's Liam vision (they're looking right at him debating if they should call him over) vs Scarab vision in the dark heh Another fact about Liam, is that they can sort of sense when a Beast is nearby- not accurately, but just enough to know that's something is VERY dangerous in the the area they're in. And a vague sense of the size of the Beast.

It is like a magnet though, the closer they get to one, the more intense the feeling of anxiousness they get. Until they're right next to it and the anxiousness changes into something else. (Depending on the size of the Beast- it's usually pure fear when its the massive ones) What Liam slayed was a very young Beast that was trying to hunt them down; but they turned the tables on it. A tidbit of story underneath the readmore this time! :) (Heads up it does go into detail of how Liam hunts and slays the Beast)

The moment they all started setting up camp for the night is when Liam felt it.

An intense sense of unease.

That familiar cold shiver up their spine. The way the hair on the back of their neck stood on end. And that irritating, strange, nonstop tickle in the back of their head.

...

Just like that time when that Beast took Chiron and Vale away from them.

Liam clenched their eyes shut and bit at the inside of their cheek. 'This isn't the time to be thinking about that.'

Besides, the feeling was bad- but it wasn't as anxiety inducing as the energy that colossus had them feel. Even that bird Beast that snapped up Scarab couldn't compare. This one was even less than that foul feathered fiend. Which meant-

It was a small one.

They stopped fixing up their sleeping bag and stood up straight and tense, scanning their surroundings and watching for any sudden movement in the dense clovers.

All they saw were their brothers and Scarab leaning against the roots branching off the flower they were sheltering under.

Finn and Jake were completely unware of the odd energy they felt in the air. Much to Liam's relief. Their little brothers were already settled in for sleep. Finn tucked away in his sleeping bag, snoring the night away. Jake was nestled right beside him, ever the faithful guardian to his little brother.

The two wouldn't notice them slipping away into the dark- they wouldn't- couldn't follow them on this lil trek they were planning.

That just left Scarab.

Liam gnawed at the inside of their cheek again when they turned to look at him.

The God Auditor was staring right at them, arms crossed and eyes narrowed.

His usual pose for analyzing a situation, or person, they've come to recognize.

He had already noticed how they tensed up, how they gazed wirily at the foliage surrounding them. As if anything could jump out at any moment. For a moment, Liam wondered if he could sense the foreboding energy as well. He was a Cosmic Being after all.

Them glancing at him spurred his questioning. "Is something the matter? You look nervous."

Excuse! They needed to think up an excuse! "I just-" Liam's eyes darted back to the cloves. "I-" Their face heated up as they thought of a decent excuse. It was embarrassing, but it was one Scarab would probably believe. Them almost always being flustered under his gaze helped too, much to their dismay.

"I was looking for a spot where it wouldn't be in your eyesight for me to use the restroom."

They weren't looking at him, but they heard him make a rapid clicking noise and the sound of shuffling. He had turned around they realized.

"Go on then." Scarab waved his hand at them, as if shooing them away, "I'll keep an eye on your brothers."

Liam felt bad for lying, and just knew they'd get an earful for it later. But they feared he might not let them hunt it down if he knew.

They've done this before, before he was even journeying with them. They'd be fine.

"Thanks, I'll try to make it quick."

-

They, in fact, did not make it quick.

Liam frowned. 'By now Scarab must be suspicious.' From what they'd learned of him from their recent travels together, was that he'd be on their trail without a doubt by now.

He stuck by them like pine resin to an unfortunate burrower.

It'd still take him a while though, with the pace they were going.

Liam had swiftly wandered far from their makeshift camp, following the sensation of growing anxiety grating at their brain.

When it was nearly overpowering they slowed their pace.

It was close.

The sense of unease slowly ebbed away, like a calm settling in before the storm.

They crept cautiously amongst the undergrowth in the moonless night. Mindful of any breeze, any sound, any movement that felt off. Their mom and Gramps had taught them how to hunt, and how it felt to be hunted.

Caution, vigilance, how to wait for the right moment to strike and defend. So when Liam heard leaves crunching underneath the weight of something, they froze.

And listened.

The heavy steps were coming just a little ways to the left of them, walking away from where they were.

Heading towards the camp they realized.

Liam held back an angry hiss, instead focusing on kneeling down and practically crawled their way towards the noise.

It didn't take them long to spot it.

Its four golden eyes glowed in the dark, tongue flicking out and tasting the air in the direction of where their brothers and Scarab were. The lizard Beast was indeed small, slightly smaller than them- but still large enough to cause serious damage to a resting group.

Liam unsheathed not their sword, but their hunting knife, quietly, as practiced hundreds of times before when training with Gramps.

The Beast wasn't paying attention to its surroundings.

'Too focused on the hunt,' Liam thought to themself as they crept closer and closer, hilt of the blade between their teeth. 'Too fixated on the other's scent to realize I'm here.'

Their feeling of unease was replaced with something akin to hunger.

A sign they could take this Beast on. A sign they'd win.

They didn't know why their body reacted like this when in the presence of a Beast, but it was useful sometimes. Especially now. Liam was close enough that they could reach out and touch its tail now if they wanted to.

But they waited.

...

The Beast had paused in its march to the camp, taking another moment to smell the air.

It turned its head left, one flick of the tongue. Right, two flicks. Left again, three flicks.

Its eyes all blinked together as it raised its front up in the air, just barely noticing an extra scent.

They carefully positioned their knife in their hand- watching- holding their breath-

It flicked its tongue one last time, refocusing in the direction of the camp. The same scent was coming from there. Confused, but not disturbed, the Beast lazily lowered itself back to the ground.

...

And that's when Liam pounced. (It's very brief but skip past this part till you get to the other - marks if reading of details of stabbing makes you feel uneasy)

- - - - - -

The screech it let loose when they landed on its back made their ears ring. But they paid no mind to the discomfort- they had to do this fast!

Their legs and arm not holding the blade wrapped tightly around Beast's neck-

It screeched again bucking its horned head back- Liam hissing as some horns grazed across their cheek and hand. Its eyes were frantically looking in every direction, tail thrashing against the ground and limbs tensing to rear back up-

Liam bit down at the back of the screeching Beast's head and drove their hunting knife into the hide of its neck.

Another garbled screech and loud snap of teeth on nothing but air. Like how Vera taught them- they twisted the knife and pulled it out before plunging it back in- once, twice more!

...

It twitched and then stilled, but Liam still hung on tightly as it began to slump over. Their breathing was heavy, their eyes wide and their body shook from the brief but intense hunt.

They removed their blade one last time, and flicked the golden blood off the knife.

- - - - - -

Liam released their hold finally, ignoring the metallic taste in their mouth as they hefted themself up and away from the fallen Beast.

They didn't feel that foreboding feeling anymore.

'Good.' They thought, 'That means this was the only one.' Had there been more...Liam shook their head.

Best not to think about that either.

Taking a deep breath, recomposing themself, they looked down at the creature before them.

…It was a waste to leave good meat behind. The Beast would be good trade material too, for the next Hive they were going to visit.

It'd take them a while, but they'd drag this back to camp and properly prepare it. Without further ado, Liam wrapped their arms around its neck again, and with a grunt began to drag it back.

-

Finally nearing the vicinity of their small camp, Liam wasn't surprised when they saw a familiar flash of red in the dark.

Scarab had been certainly looking for them.

They bit the inside of their cheek again, nervous now for a different reason. He was just a little ways from where they stood past the bushes, and Liam heard him calling out their name.

For a moment they debated just sneaking by him, but in the long run that'd make him more upset. Liam winced, time to face the music. "Over here."

Scarab turned to them instantly, "What are you doing out so la-" He was interrupted by his own surprise at the sight of them. And what they were hauling with them.

Before he could question them further, Liam was quick to answer, hefting the creature's head up, "There was a Beast nearby." They dragged it over to him, "I've hunted small ones like this a lot already- before you were with our group- so I knew I could handle myself."

Liam was staring down at the beast in their arms, speaking quickly, and not noticing how Scarab was looking them over. "It was heading to the camp- I had to deal with it- small ones like this can be more tenacious than the big ones when it comes to hunting- so I-"

Their ramble was cut short when his hand grabbed their face and made them look right at him. His red eyes were trained on the cut on their cheek, "You lied about your reason for leaving."

Right to the point. Liam swallowed dryly.

"I thought you would stop me if you knew... Sorry."

"I would've." His thumb wiped off the dribble of blood on their cheek. Liam blinked- a bit stunned. This wasn't the reaction they were expecting from him at all.

They had expected shouting like how he screeched at and threatened the mantid brothers when the two almost stole their supplies. He was clearly upset still, they could tell that much.

"You can be very reckless. It makes more work for me," Scarab grumbled and his eyes narrowing back to slits, "and sometimes its very tiring to work with you." Liam was about to retort when he released his hold on them, and surprised them by snatching the Beast from their grasp.

"So next time you hunt one down-" He slung the Beast over his shoulder and turned back towards the camp, "I'm going with you."

#bug world au #scarab #the scarab #blood cw #tw blood #its golden monster blood but still #just in case #adventure time oc #fionna and cake oc #adventure time #fionna and cake #liam #this blog is a mixture of cute stuff and then suddenly BAM local cryptid time Liam hunting a beast down #This moment is also before Scarab goes “you're my friend- stop putting yourself in dangerous situations” #it 100% leads up to it #scarab the god auditor