Totoka River keep cool but care

roll here

neck opened down to the flesh – the heavy warmth of open jaws over fur through fur – then the fangs are gone – the rain and the salt sting in its place streak white heat through like the cut of teeth pulling

yunxu snaps-snarls and he is not thinking there is something within his teeth and he is biting down – blood blooms hot and sharp across his tongue, salt and rain, someone is laughing and someone is gasping and someone is screaming –

staring into the deep sea-green of an eye the ocean at high tide the red welling beneath it, a predator under the water growing closer and

there

is the predator, teeth over jaws and muzzle, snaps down and yunxu is not thinking of the pain now, those eyes unblinking in front of him a challenge and he rears back and up, tears himself free blood and water rolling down

paws lifting up for his shoulders back legs sliding in the mud yunxu comes down mouth open for jaws to grip in his and bite