As soon as Adrian moved, the Tiak went crazy and whipped him with his tail. Tailwhips were a Tiak's preferred way to engage in combat, and by using them, Huruk had started a duel with Adrian. This was what Skaha had been wanting to tell Adrian.
The Tiaks were extremely sensitive to noise; even the lightest movements could alert them, especially when they were super focused.
Generally, when Tiaks fight, they fight in silence, relying on their agility and strength. Once someone breaks the silence, the battle starts, and when the battle begins, to them, it doesn't matter whether their opponent is a beast or not. They tend to go all out, using their tails as their primary weapon, as Huruk did with Adrian.
The Tulkas were usually trained to battle against Tiak from a young age. However, Adrian had no knowledge whatsoever about these things. To him, all of this was a new experience, and it looked like it was going to be a miserable one.