MBS #21: Gaira vs Skull Crawlers

Gaira VS Skull Crawlers

When he can, Gaira stands up in the shallow waters and then spins in a circle tossing the squid into a cliff across the water. The cephalopod hits the stone and then falls into the water. Injured and battered the terrified squid scrambles for deeper waters. Gaira does not pursue. Instead he smells the air tracking the scent of the humans it followed here.

Gunshots, screams, and a roar signal the direction the humans went. Gaira quickly rushes towards the sound. The humans are his prey, no other may have them.

Chapter Two: Hunted

The Captain bravely led his men into the forest. His first mate right by his side every step of the way. The first mate died first.

As the crew matched into the woods the sounds of roaring and fighting behind them became apparent quickening their pace. Soon the sounds of battle faded and the quiet serene noises of the woods soon enveloped them. The first mate runs to the front of their group where the Captain leads them, his eyes scanning everything for movement as the group rushes forward.

"Sir, headcount is 26. The damned tentacles took at least 3 of us and one of the new men was crushed when their boat crashes onto shore."

"Thanks for the update Simons, we'll get out of this yet with luck."

"I hope so sir, I've go- GUK!"

The sudden silence and slurping choking sound causes the Captain to turn around immediately raising up his rifle to whatever has just happened. A tree seems to have sprouted where Simons was. A bamboo tree like those all around them going through his body and out his mouth impaling the poor man.

"What the fu-"

One of his men starts firing up into the foliage above them which is when they see an insectoid body connecting several of the trees. The beast hisses and chitters at them as it removes its leg and begins to attack. Then another tree towards the back of the group kills another man. Two of the beast. Chaos erupts as everyone begins to either fight for their lives or run into the woods to escape the threat.

The creatures are known as Mother Long Legs, spider-like megafauna that have adapted and evolved to be perfect ambush predators in the bamboo forests of Skull Island. As such highly developed ambush predators the humans in their territory are at a distinct disadvantage as they were already frightened, exhausted, and on the run unable to think clearly. However above the sound of gunfire is another sound, one that neither the Mother Longlegs nor the humans could hear. The thunderous footsteps of an approaching predator.

The Mother Long Legs have killed and begun to consume 8 of the crewmen (leaving about 18 left. The humans have managed to run as they saw the tide shifting against them. The insects are so busy consuming their prey that they don't even hear the predator until it is too late.

A Skull Crawler, one of the larger ones on the island, about 60 feet tall, stalks the Mother Long Legs. Skull Crawlers love humans as a food source but these apex predators aren't picky. The Skull Crawler leaps onto the back of the Mother Long Legs its sheer size and weight causing the strong legs to buckle and drop. The Skull Crawler begins to eat, tearing off the head and jaws that were moments previous consuming a human. The monster swallows the piece whole and then roars to the sky announcing to other nearby Skull Crawlers that it has found food and that this kill belongs to it. The second Mother Long Longs grabs one of the human corpses and rushes away from the Skull Crawler.

Once the Skull Crawler has consumed a majority of the Mother Long Legs it makes a sound similar to a bark, other Skull Crawlers move in from the woods and feast on the leftovers. The large one smells the air and begins tracking the humans. It barks again and two of the smaller ones peel off the corpse and join it on the hunt.