Redtail Rise [M] Ah but working too hard can give you a heart attack-ack-ack-ack-ack-ack

The connection gave him a boost of adrenaline and for a second or two, Glawackus managed to pull away from the girl. She was wounded — had he done that with a single blow? His ego boosted tremendously! That brought with it a different curse: the bravado of someone young and ill-equipped for such a dire situation. Where before he had poised on the ledge and used a similar moment to pat himself on the back (so to speak), now he rebounded to face her and holler a sharp sound of pleasure for his success, which wasted his momentum, and meant whatever gap he had created was useless.

As she came careening close, Glawackus realized his mistake and had to choose a course of action: try to run (with only the slimmest chance to succeed) or fight (and probably, definitely lose); and there was no time to debate within himself what he should do!

Besides, she'd gained on him again, and was lunging for his face now that it was within reach — and all he could really do was brandish his own teeth to parry her attack, and earned himself some cuts across his lips in the process. Their teeth knocked and he felt one of his canines crack, and as he whipped his head around to snap at her pathetically, it fell away to be lost in the mud.