Defending a friendDAY 1"The forest is restless. It is filled with fog, howls and eerie snarls I have never heard before. I feel unprotected and head for a more secluded spot. My journey is halted at the Dandelion hill when a familiar figure appears from the fog. Father? He looks older - somehow wiser. The time outside has changed him, but I am glad to see him.There are others here as well. I see them now in the fog, next to the ruins. And..a faint light shines from the scar in the earth. I curiously venture closer, a familiar presence drawing me in. Sir Dag? It..it cannot be. I thought you were believed to be dead. What is going on?I am told what is happening. It is also known that it will happen again, soon. An attack. An attempt to steal the name that belongs here, in this forest. Despite my apprehension caused by the current lack of my antlers, I know I cannot walk away from this. I remain, silently standing beside my father to guard the flower that currently holds the life of our friend in it's roots. Iaurdagnire, you will be protected. The first beast is spotted.I must admit that I feel my resolution waver at the sight of it. It has claws and teeth and even though it's behaviour is slightly cowardly, I know damage can be done with those. I take a deep breath and stand my ground. Gehirn, father and the others are here. When we stand together, we are a force to be reckoned with.Those creatures will need to work extra hard if they wish to get through all of us. A chase breaks out. Me, father and Gehirn remain with a few others to make sure that no one will reach the flower. The creature is really fast, and I quickly learn that my lack of antlers in this situation is a serious disadvantage. It's not long until I feel claws on my hide and retaliate with sharp kicks of my own that drive the creature further away. Suddenly, there are more! They are appearing from the fog like shades, like phantoms of the deep. Sharp claws, teeth and antlers now seem to be everywhere around us. It feels almost claustrophobic in a way, not knowing where to turn or what to do. Whenever I look one way, a creature attacks from behind us. One is chased away, two take it's place. It is chaos, which we struggle to keep under control. The creatures eventually all lie defeated. Many waves came at us and we fought together to keep them at bay. Now, the moment of calm is used to catch our breaths and rest. My lack of antlers seems to have one advantage - I am lighter on my feet than the larger males and able to give chase a lot easier without tiring so quickly. However, my lack of defense has left my hide scratched and bitten. It aches already and I am sure that it will only feel worse later." --------------------------------------- DAY 2"I awaken alone next to the precious dandelion. There are others nearby but not within sight. The accursed fog makes seeing anything beyond the hill almost impossible. I can hear the snarls of the creatures occasionally, coming from different directions. They have re-grouped and are getting ready again. I grimace and get up on my feet to see further. My body aches and feels weary despite my rest. I know that no matter what happens today, I will not feel better afterwards. The first one appears. Father is here with me and so are a few others but our numbers are much smaller than they were yesterday. I fear we'll have quite a struggle if more of the beasts arrive. For now we are doing well - one creature is not enough to intimidate us or break through our defences without being harmed in the process. I recognize Illrose as the large doe comes to our aid. I feel a bit intimidated by her appearance but welcome any help we can get.  The creatures come back now as well, and are growing bolder by the minute. Instead of running, they approach as an united front, responding to our threats in kind, not looking frightened at all. I am starting to feel nervous but press that feeling down. I must not show fear or they will only grow stronger in return. We press forward and the creatures scatter. I find myself locked in a duel with one. Head on, I am at a disadvantage and the creature makes a lunge for my throat, hissing and growling. I pull back just enough to prevent a fatal bite but the creature's teeth bite deep into my neck nonetheless. Grunting, I rear and lash out at it, landing a strong kick and forcing the creature to let go. We dance around each other for a while until Illrose comes to my rescue and I am able to defeat the creature with her help. We return to the others and rest a little. There is no chance to really let our guard down, but I do my best to gather my strength. My fresh wounds throb painfully but I have no time to tend to them - they are back already. They toy with us, mock us. I understand that they are trying to bait us and lure us away - but seeing them mock us makes my blood boil. They have no right! I try to threaten them but I don't think they think of an injured, antlerless stag as much of a danger. I will prove them wrong. I may not be the strongest fighter in this forest, but I was not raised to turn my back and run. I am here to fight for my friend, and I will not back down! The fight is long and hard. We gain reinforcements along the way - I recognize at least Djinn and Ephire. Many more join us. This is good, for my own strength is rapidly fading. My chases are brief now and I am forced to stop due to exhaustion. When I do, my feet shake and I know that I need rest soon. There's blood on my fur - theirs and my own. It is not pretty and I take no pleasure from this. But it is necessary to protect what we hold dear. The last of them is defeated. We hear no more snarls from the fog. It is a temporary peace, we all know that. But even that is greatly welcomed as everyone settles down to rest together. I am exhausted, bruised and bleeding. I grimace at the sight of myself - a dip in the pond is definitely in order once I can gather the strength to walk again. For now, I sleep." ---------------------------------------DAY 2, Nightfall"The fog remains. I have spent some time soaking in the cool water at the pond but the sun is setting now. I feel it's time to return to the hill as the creatures will undoubtedly return to test their luck once the sun sets. My movements are slow as I walk to the hill, reserving my strength. I have a feeling I will need it tonight. My whole body aches, but I am determined to see this through to the end, no matter it's outcome. That way, I will know that I have done my best.The sight of the hill makes me frown. It is a mess. Those demon creatures – their remains are littered around the surrounding area and the scent of blood is strong in the air. This was one of my favourite spots in the forest. It will be a long time until it returns to it's former glory – if it ever will. It is a shame for the beautiful place to be tainted in this way. I try to find a relatively clear spot near the precious dandelion and lay down heavily, glad to be off my feet. I briefly wonder if it's a good idea for me to be here. A few others are here with me and though I do not recognize them, I am glad for their company. There are already quite a few of us here at the moment and more arrive all the time. I see Reed here and for once am glad for the big stag's presence. Illrose is here too – I know she will be of help to us. Father settles next to me and although we do not speak, I am reassured by his arrival. I have never seen father lose a match – and I am sure that he's not willing to let it happen now, either. I have dozed off, unwillingly. It does not last long and once I wake up, I notice that our numbers have at least doubled. Takeshi, Ephiré, Gehirn..these are just a few of the friends I recognize in the thick fog. No one speaks. By now we all know why we are here. The silence is almost deafening as we stand, motionlessly observing our surroundings. It is broken at times only by snarls and hisses from the fog – the creatures taunt us. Just as we know to expect them, they know that we are here as well. I shake my head to clear it, wishing I had my antlers still. Then the mind games these creatures play would not intimidate me so much. I am not the only nervous one, though. There are smaller ones among us – some does, some stags. I admire their bravery against such overwhelming foes and move myself close to them to offer my comfort and protection in case they need it. A snarl, close! Immediately, the whole herd is on high alert. I see the reindeer, Toukan, dash into action to fend of the first of the creatures. Illrose stands guard over the dandelion almost tenderly, using her massive form to keep any attackers at bay. Despite my body screaming it's protests, I dash after Toukan to fend off our foes. The creatures are not playing around now. Gone are the mocking and the games. They allow us to chase them, but they do not seem that afraid. They are looking for their chance. I think I detect a hint of desperation in their behaviour and I welcome the change. If they are desperate, maybe it means that we are finally a threat – not just a game to play. Come at us, demons! The moment you step near this flower is the moment a stampede of antlers will come your way. There are many of them. Ephiré seems tireless in his task of chasing them with a few others. I have to admit that I have to stay back now, reserving my strength. My wounds have re-opened because of the running, but my determination gives me strength to push back the pain. The demons attack in groups, scattering our forces and causing chaos among our ranks. They attack, pull back and vanish – only to attack again moments later. It is chaos, plain and simple. It is all I can do to avoid the claws of the beasts and the antlers of my fellow deer. Gehirn and father furiously defend the flower from oncoming attacks as I take a brief moment to rest and catch my breath. The creatures are all around us now – but none get close. They try, desperately so – just to be met with a furious wall of antlers and and sharp hooves. We may not be predators like these creatures but I would not want to be at the receiving end of the onslaught our herd is dealing them. A dash here, another there. I briefly join the chasing again, trying my best to tire down our adversaries. However, I must admit that it is me tiring now instead of them. New demons take the places of the ones we manage to defeat, not letting us rest for long. At one point, we were sure we had already gotten them all, only to be proven horribly wrong as more demons pour out of the darkness. I'm starting to feel desperate. I glance at the core group that stand vigilantly over the flower. They are an unmoving wall. There are friends and family here – all defending one of our own. It is a common goal that drives all of us onward. The eyes of my friends reflect the same tiredness, the same dullness I feel inside. Is there no end to these demons? Are we fighting against overwhelming odds? For a heart-chilling moment, I wonder if some of my friends will not make it until morning. So far, only demons are scattered dead along the slopes of the hill – but we grow tired. We need to end this soon, or the tide of this battle may turn. Sir Dag? No..it is not. What is this? For a moment, my tired mind was fooled by the sight. Others were not, though – and the moment that creature went for the flower, I shook myself out of my daze. It seems that the appearance of this mockery has enraged the whole herd. They are filled with new strength and rush out to meet this new danger. At a closer range, I can see that this is indeed not the wise stag I knew. This one was an abomination – a cruel trick to play on all of us. The flower remains under the protection of it's guardians as the rest charge, antlers lowered and ready to strike. The battle is not easy. Even alone this massive creature is a much greater danger than the smaller demons. Our hits seem to not bother it, not at first. But it does bleed – and eventually does tire under the onslaught. Once the beast lies defeated at the feet of our comrades, an eerie silence falls. It seems almost as if we are all in disbelief. Is it over? I see looks exchanged – tired smiles on the faces of deer who can barely stay on their feet. I can feel mine tremble as I gasp to catch my breath. The fear caused by the battle is diminishing, replaced instead with elation. Some of us raise our heads in triumph, bellowing out into the cold night air.
Do you hear us, sir Dag? I hope you do. For we have emerged victorious. The dandelion still stands – battered but alive, much like the warriors I see around me. The forest has defended one of it's own." |
I love thiss. ; u ; You got
Thank you. ^_^ I'm glad you
I'm glad you like it.
This was interesting to read,
Woo! Awesome read, yup yup. I
Especially pictures with my lil doe in them|D.
Thank you, guys. =) I am
I am enjoying this event immensely. Working together with everyone towards a common goal is amazing and lots of fun to do.
Let's keep doing our best for the last slot!
(And if you read this, Dag: Big thanks for creating something like this!)
This is great~! ♥ The
By Leuvr ♥
Commenting on this so I can
Gah, the last part was great!
You really managed to capture every feeling and emotion while the battle was going on, and afterwards when everyone was just relaxing together when the last demon was defeated. ;;
Again, lovely reading and screenshots. I'm really glad I decided to throw Illrose in after all, I haven't had so much fun in a long time. :')
Weee I see Pho.Your
Oh wow...My computer must have been glitching badly,there was no fog on my screen,and alot of deer including Virgil and Ephire appeared as nameless.
Ah well,it was still a fun event none the less <3
I had a hunch the last one
Poor Zach, having to fight without his antlers. Glad that he made it out okay though. He's a brave boy. <3
Glad to see Zach again. Our
This was excellent. Great shots.
Absolutely love how you kept
Snow, I'm glad you enjoyed
I'm glad you enjoyed it. This came out longer than I originally intended, but I had so much to write! xD
I'm glad Illrose was in there with us. She did an amazing job protecting the dandelion with Virgil.
Wingeddeer,
Thank you. I tried to include as many participants as I could, but it was very chaotic during the slots so I fear some I may have missed..>_>;
I had sunlight at first as well, which is why I quit my game just before the final slot and thankfully managed to get the fog back. Connection issues, bah! xD
Myuu,
My game had a tiny lag at that point, showing my own picto on the last "Dag" demon. So it literally took me a moment to figure out why everyone was suddenly going berserk again. XD
Zach's going to sleep for a few weeks straight, I think. ;D
Kaoori,
Thank you. It was nice to see Takeshi and Kaoori too. =) It has been way too long. Too bad they didn't have much time to interact with the battle and all..>_>
Mis,
I'm glad you like this. I have literally hundreds of screenies of this. xD It was almost impossible to get any decent ones in yesterday's chaos. But..mission accomplished, I believe.
Zach went through a lot of conflicting feelings during the event, but all in all I think he feels proud of himself for going through it all with everyone. =)
You got some good shots of
I find it amazing you were
I'm so glad someone documented this, I'm really proud to have gotten so many to rally together for a game. Thank you! ♥
Pegasicorn, I know. It was
I know. It was really tricky to get anything good. especially during the last slot when everyone seemed to be there and I couldn't tell one deer apart from the others. XD
Thank you, though. =)
Dag,
I'm glad you like this. =) I sorta did this for you so you could look back and see what happened throughout it all. My secret to taking good screenies: Take tons. xD I literally have hundreds of the event alone and went through them all to try and find the ones that conveyed the action the best and showcased different participants.
Thank you to you, as well. I haven't had this much fun with complete strangers and friends for a long time in the forest. It was, as I have stated before, brilliant!
The fact that we were really close to losing really fuelled everyone on in the final slot. xD Poor demons didn't stand a chance.