Mibbet took one look at the predators outside, and she was NOT happy. Now usually a monster comes in one of two flavours. You have your standard Biped, and quadruped configurations. (Technically speaking there were also variants with more peds, but Mibbet was a frog, which meant that five plus appendages, excluding tails obviously, simply got filed away as food.) Fluffentuftens threw this equation off, Mibbet was willing to swear it was out of spite, by being a tripedal monster with no less than THREE stingered, and prehensile tails, strong enough to weaponise, and act as stand-in limbs when needed. Weapons training definitely did not include how to battle a monster that seemed to change methods of locomotion on a whim. It was cheating, that’s what it was.

Even that sin could possibly have been forgiven, if not for the distinct lack of cute factor, and a rotating maw that was the stuff of nightmares. These things stood at 4 foot tall each. With big mouse-like ears, pincer like mandibles, and most worrying of all seemed to be tactically minded.

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Sir Leeroy said a word that traditionally shouldn’t be said in the Presence of Princesses, and promptly prepared for combat. While Addy pounced from the back bars of Trundles, aiming to crush one of the beasts. A tactic that would have been much more successful had the damn thing practically OOZED free. Mibbet gave a grimace at this, no creature but a feline should be capable of cat physics.

On the subject of Cats, Rascal seemed to have noticed the plentiful supply of potential prey outside, and decided now was a good time to pop out for lunch. Joined promptly by Alba who did not wish to be left out of all the fun. It quickly became apparent to Mibbet that the two must have been sneaking out to practice hunting on the sly, as they were clearly working together far better than they ever had previously. Alba turning so Rascal was directly behind her to maximise coverage.

Even little Bandit seemed to be in on the fun, calling out whenever something got into Alba’s blind spots. (There were a few of those, Owl-bears do have one major design flaw remaining from both their donor species. This was the eyes front arrangement that many predators shared, including unfortunately hellcats, meaning little Bandit pulling double duty. Good for them that when it comes to warnings most things notice when you make trunk noises. Even if it is only to try to figure out where the pint sized pachyderm is.

Mibbet was only a short distance behind the decidedly deadly duo in disembarking. Coming out swinging, and managing to chop a potential predator IN the chops. Carefully trying to avoid those teeth, as if she hit those it would take weeks to get all the nicks out of her blade, if it didn’t break on the spot from such treatment in the first place.

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The Coachman, seeing the incoming trouble, of course released the reins and released the pack of Pegasi. Knowing that they would look after themselves for the moment, and probably far better than he could. Usually a coachman would not do this, but he knew they would come back if he bribed them with a few mints, and he had no desire to try moving way too much carriage without their assistance. Then that done he headed back to the carriage, and ducked into his firing spot beneath the seat. Then after shutting the lid tight, lined up to the firing holes, and started to take pot shots.

Elvira of course, positioned herself on the roof, where she had optimum stabbing opportunities for Spikey The Motivational pike. While Errol took up prime position with his back to Trundles (when your back is to the wall it is nice to know said wall is mobile, and controlled by your side.) Between that and the armour, that really did not leave much of anything uncovered. He would occasionally spring out, give an enemy a Donk they would never forget, then resume his position. Of course at one point in time a Fluften popped under the raised wheels of the wagon, attempting to sneakily grab him when his guard was down. This backfired, as anybody who knows Errol knows that his response to unexpected surprises is to hit them hard, and repeatedly until they go away.

This was quickly learned by their enemies, via the ouch educational method. The Fluften in question being pummelled senseless by the heaviest bone club in the kingdom. (Not that the competition for that particular title is particularly tough, but in all fairness, bronzing a bone, and filling the cavity with lead shot, then putting it in the hands of a nervous brat who will swing it at sheer speed of panic does have a tendency to be an effective tactic. Especially if said brat happens to have started the gradual process of awakening as an Aura Master.

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Mibbet was doing her best to combat these things, and swearing if she ever got her hands on the person who gave them such a cute, friendly, weak sounding, name she would kick them in the nadgers so hard they’d spit them up. But it was like fighting a non-Newtonian substance with a grudge, and teeth. You swung at them and they somehow coiled their limbs around your weapon, and absorbed the full force of the swing. It was extremely creepy, and Mibbet swore that once this fight was over she was having a spiky bit added to the top of choppy, you know? Just in case any other enemies decided that the laws of physics belonged in the suggestions box. On the plus side, her Dragon-kickers were coming in handy. These creatures seemed somehow less able to handle punctures that slashes, and boots had the added advantage there were two of them. Still, these THINGS were not giving up on the attack, and it was starting to get a tad dark. It seemed this was going to be a long night.