"The bastard has the kid as a hostage!" Jawbi's deep voice rung out from among the crowd below where Lilo was atop the dragon's head.
Lilo was currently frozen in shock, unable to look away from the disturbing figure of the sentient glutton.
It wore Bubbles head and spoke with her voice, with its body still remaining a translucent curvy figure.
It's uncanny smile disappeared upon hearing Jawbi's comment.
"Captive?" It furrowed thier brows and stared into Lilo.
"Am I holding you captive? Do you not enjoy my company? Or do you wish to return to the bloodshed?"
Its question was odd and Lilo was still unable to accept Bubbles voice coming out of that vile creature.
He shook his head, unable to speak from shock and continued to stare back blankly.
The creepy smile returned and she reached out a hand in a seemingly friendly gesture.
"It's nice to meet you again Lilo. You can call me Cavity." Her hand hovered outstretched for him to shake it.
A few moments of awkward silence passed as Lilo was still unsure of what to make of the bizarre circumstance he was in.
But eventually he shook himself from his daze and chose not to provoke the powerful monster before him.
He took her hand and shook it hesitantly, afraid she might rip his arm off and eat it if she simply choose to do so.
Her emotionless smile remained and her touch felt cold.
"What do you suggest I do to convince them?" She asked following the end of their handshake.
"C-convince them?" Lilo's voice came out hoarse and ragged from the dry throat he was experiencing from anxiety.
Cavity nodded towards the crowd of warriors behind Lilo.
Lilo turned to look below them and immediately regretted it.
The height was already a factor in his fear, but seeing the maw of the colossal dragon below him made his stomach turn from nervousness.
He truely felt powerless and at the mercy of this creepy humanoid monster before him.
He felt like his body's age. A mere child in the midst of a war of cataclysmic power.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a flash of pink merging with a flying Griffen.
Jawbi's shout must have alerted his cohort about Lilo's predicament.
It wasn't wise to come and interfere; but Lilo feared that's exactly was Burberry was on his way to do.
"Convince them to comply with your demands?" Lilo restated his question.
Cavity nodded again with the expressionless face of Bubbles, wearing that unruly smile like a mask to deter the idea of it being the true monster it was underneath it all.
"Well usually you need an ultimatum… an offer to gain what you want… you demanded human flesh to breed? Why should they comply?" Lilo was surprised to hear him banter with this sentient glutton so casually, but seeing he had no choice, he entertained the conversation with caution.
He could see the Griffen in his periphery grow closer, and with a new third figure being held in its talons that he couldn't quite make out who it was.
"I burned them. Is that not reason enough?" Cavity said nonchalantly, as if staying an obvious fact.
Which to be fair, she had every right to feel that way. For most creatures the threat of death was enough to make them succumb to submission.
However for humans… their stubborn pride would not allow it.
Lilo shook his head in response.
"That only angered them and brough more vigor to the battle field." He answered candidly, although not sure where to lead the conversation.
He knew he wasn't willing to give her what she wanted but he wasn't sure how to avoid it. Was there a compromise or a solution he could come to an agreement with the monster of?
He shook his head. Gluttons are not to be reasoned with. No matter how sentient.
A few more seconds passed in silence as Cavity was deep in though behind her aloof gaze.
The Griffen was approaching in steady pace, and Lilo was certain the dragon as well as Cavity had noticed them by now.
"How about a captive then? Surely there's someone they value over others… perhaps yourself?" Her response was surprisingly well thought out in a cold valuation way that made Lilo shiver.
She nodded towards Lilo's rescuers behind him, insinuating that he held value to those who had concern over Jawbi's statement.
Lilo looked behind him and saw the third figure being held in the griffins talons.
Jawbi, in his fully hardened armor of cursed candy, was wearing a ferocious expression as they landed rapidly on the dragons head.
To Lilo's surprise, the glutton had not commanded the powerful dragon to burn them before landing; and the dragon itself paid no mind to the Griffen lading atop its giant head.
Half of the space atop the head of the colossal dragon was taken up by the giant Griffen with Lilo and Cavity on the opposite end of the intruders of their conversation.
"You Kilo freak!" Jawbi yelled as he charged with rage.
Burberry hopped off the Griffen as well, holding his staff of obsidian like a club over his head.
Bubbles in persuit beg bind the two large men.
Cavity stared at them with indifference and her body shape shifted into a culmination of all three of the offenders.
Her head remained as Bubbles but her upper body resembled the hardened crystalice body of Jawbi.
Her height toward to match Burberry's and her legs matched his black uniform perfectly.
Lilo scooted away to avoid the colossion but to his surprise that never happened.
Before they could reach her, they froze, as if bound by an invisible force.
Lilo could feel it in the air. The ethereal strands of mana, tying down each of the three rescuers limbs.
"You wretched monster. We'll end you. On the gods I swear we'll end you!" Jawbi snarled as he fought back his restraints to no avail.
Cavity tilted her head upwards in mocking disgust, her dark eyes mirroring Bubbles horrified expression.
"You? End me?" A light chuckle escaped Cavity's lips. Her first sign of genuine emotion slipping for a brief moment. Her next words came as a prophetic sentence.
"No, You."
Before anyone could react, a loud crack could be heard from Jawbi's figure.
A series of creases broke across his hardened body like webs and a gutteral groan escaped his lips.
Jawbi's entire body contorted violently.
It twisted and crunched, shattering pieces of his flesh crumbling to the ground.
It was like he was caving in on himself.
The air was heavy with mana strings, but it was pulling away from Jawbi how they normally would act.
They well pulling in on himself, towards his own heart.
Limb by limb, bone by bone, flesh and organs alike; they all crunched and absorbed into himself, creating a visceral scene of imploding death.
A gasp of sorrowful pity escaped Bubbles lips and an uncanny smile grew on Canvity's lips to juxtapose the expression of identical faces.
When it was over, a puddle of blood meddled with unrecognizable flesh and candy was left where Jawbi once was.
A single round candy, prestine and tantilizing, was atop the pile.
Lilo's jaw clenched in dissatisfaction.
He was never close with Jawbi… but he was friendly and part of the cohort that was kind to him.
He also respected him. Being a man versed in close proximity combat spoke volumes in a world full of powerful monsters.
This death was brutal and sudden. Not deserving of such a jovial man.
His disturbed expression grew to a growl and a look of vengeful disdain was directed towards Cavity.
She backed up with her hands up in sarcasm and spoke in her usual even tone.
"He cursed at me first." She said as she turned to survey the crowd below them.
"Now where was that other guy that cursed at me earlier?" She scanned the crowd with a stern coldness that made the silence following Jawbi's death seem an answer to her chaotic actions.
"Aha! There he is." With a swoop of her hand, Wonka appeared atop the dragon's head.
He looked just as dazed as Lilo was when he was telekinetically summoned up.
Burberry and Bubbles remained silent, but tears brimmed Bubbles eyes.
That was the most emotion Lilo had seen from her. She was usually so calm and sure of herself.
He wasnt sure if those tears were out of fear for her life or the loss of Jawbi.
Lilo himself was not taking the situation very well, his heart pounding rapidly from crippling anxiety.
When Wonka regained his composure he noticed the slushed corpse of Jawbi instantly.
The hardening candy was an obvious tell of the unrecognizable puddle, and Wonka's expression went from analytical to worry.
"What-" his question was interrupted by Cavity who captivated his attention immediately from her uncanny mixed appearance.
"Are you their leader? Someone worth bartering with?" She asked in an even tone.
Wonka didn't answer with words, completely in shock of everything he was witnessing, any trace of his confidence when flipping her off earlier totally lacking in his submissive composure.
He nodded in reply but with a hint of uncertainty about the second part of the question.
'Oh gods. Why did I plant this idea in this creature?!'
Soda was of no help still, remaining silent in Lilo's mind.
"Good, now command everyone to stop fighting. You should very well know it's useless to fight back. You seem smart enough to know that much. And you should also know, I could kill all four of you here now if I wanted." Cavity said with no hint of emotion in her tone.
There a moment of brief hesitation but Wonka swallowed his lapse of judgment, submitting to Cavity's statements.
He looked over his shoulder and shouted atop his lunges over the caucophony of battle for everyone to stop.
It took a moment, but upon realizing who commanded it, they did.
"Now tell them to retreat. I'll hold you hostage until morning. By then I want all of your cravers delivered in chains to become my fodder." She demanded.
Bubbles began to speak to deter Wonka, but Burberry stopped her from doing so.
Everything was happening so quickly.
Wonka swallowed in defeat and nodded, obeying her every command.
Lilo stared in disbelief.
The once brilliant and confident man he knew, that was potentially from the same world he was, was now at the mercy of a menacing sentient glutton.
He didn't blame him though. Even Lilo didn't dare interfere.
He was frozen with fear. Unwilling to stand up and challenge a fight he knew was hopeless.
The army was reluctant but when Wonka informed them that his life was the randsome, suddenly the lives of the cravers was deminshed.
Cavity let go of the binds holding back Burberry and Bubbles, allowing them to take Lilo back in retreat with the rest of the army.
Before Lilo left, he took one last look back at Wonka who stood beside Cavity with his head hung in utter defeated despair, and snuck Jawbi's candy out from the pile into his tunic pocket.
The wind roared in his ears as they flew away, leaving the chaos of war behind.
But the physical chias subsiding did not mean Lilo's mind was not suffering a chaos of its own.
His first field day - more accuratly described as an insane chaotic surprise war he just endured - was over and it was a colossal disaster.
An impending doom hung over all the cravers… including Bubbles.
There was a choice to be made and Lilo was conflicted for his own self interest over his morals.
Was Wonka - the only person he knew of from his old world - worth the lives of all the Cravers?
'I mean, they're just dogs. Muzzled and kept on the fringes of society because they're nearly turned into monsters themselves.'
No. Lilo knew that was wrong. But he wanted to it be right so desperately.
Bubbles hair wafted the scent of euphoric candy as the wind blew it in his face.
The scent reminded him of his death.