Maddy dropped into a defensive stance, her motherly instinct briefly overtaking her battle thrill. She stared at the severed limb in shock.
"I—I'm sorry, Dyralfa! I went too far… oh god, I just cut off her tail! I'm a horrible mother!"
Dyralfa didn't flinch. Her eyes glinted with amusement and steel.
"Don't apologize, Mother. You're not horrible! Those tails just grow back—I am part lizard, right? In fact… that was part of my strategy. You just fell right into it!"
Suddenly, the severed tail on the floor didn't stay inert. Thanks to Rapid Cellular Growth and her Autonomous Limb Reflex, it didn't just twitch—it hunted. Mineral spikes sprouted along its length, and it slithered like a possessed serpent, moving with deadly Serpentine Locomotion.
"Oh, right… I got carried away. I dislimbed my own daughter and forgot… she is part lizard. Old age and motherly love at its finest!"
