Related to the
Rock Hound Event.
This will be another opportunity to fight more of the rock hounds, and the Endless Forest deer will get some unlikely help this time. If you'd like to participate, let me know. Anyone can join in.
Participating/Planning on participating:
Cay Lynn
Illrose
Kahlan
Nathaniel
Phion
Roe
Zera
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"Dig faster! I think we've found something here!", Iugulare's voice ordered. She watched as Anirapio and Nekumbra dug deep into the ground near the Ruins. The dragon and spider-doe huffed with each stroke into the ground, and little by little a massive skull was uncovered.
"That's enough. I'll take over from here.", the stoat spoke, and climbing down into the ditch that the other two had dug, she studied the newly found bones.
"Interesting...this is another wolf skeleton like the rock hounds, but...", she began, Anirapio finishing her sentence,
"It's huge compared to the others. This must have been the leader."
"Leader? I'm confused, I thought those 'alpha' rock hounds were the leaders.", Nekumbra questioned. Iugulare looked over to her,
"Mhmm...those ones were high ranking, but even they bowed down this this one. I'll have to forge another crystal, it shouldn't take too long...", she replied, and climbing out, she said to them,
"Guard the skeleton. I'll be back in a moment.", and hurrying off she slunk into the darkness.
Time passed, and Iugulare returned with a new crystal...one pure white and glistening brightly. She climbed into the ditch, and inserting the crystal along with some infection into the wolf's skull, she stepped out and watched as the skeleton came to life, pulling itself out of the bedrock as the infection connected the bones and created tendons. The skeleton was indeed much larger than them, seeming to tower over them as it bent down.
The great wolf skeleton was able to speak through telepathy much like Anirapio could,
"You have freed me and my clan from our prison, and for that I thank you. Now be on your way, as I have much to do. Those foolish deer of this Forest will be exterminated by my pack for refusing us."
The words bothered Iugulare, who replied,
"You will follow my orders alone. I have a deer for you to hunt...", but the skeleton laughed and spoke,
"You dare give me orders? I am the leader of the Sonoma Tribe, I am the one who gives orders, not take them! This is your last warning as you are already annoying me - leave me to my work or die!"
"How dare you! I am the one who brought you back into the world, and you defy my commands? I can easily remove my infection and let you rot in the ground!", Iugulare spat angrily. The great wolf skeleton scoffed, and with concentration, the Deadly Trio heard something strange from within the wolf. The white crystal within shattered into countless pieces, yet the wolf remained in-tact and in control. Iugulare could no longer command the infection on the wolf's bones, and it lowered it's great head toward them and said,
"What little control you had over me is no more. I wonder how it would feel to devour you and your little friends. I loved feeling my prey squirm within my stomach, and I may not have one anymore but this blackness you have given will be suitable." The great wolf lunged at them, all three managing to escape in time.
"It's too big for us to handle!", Anirapio called. Iugulare hissed and then called,
"Fall back!". The trio escaped, and the great wolf looked down and watched with pleasure as they ran. Turning, she let out a massive roar that shook the ground, calling out to her wolves.
-----------------------
"This isn't good!", Nekumbra spoke, catching her breath. Iugulare paced angrily,
"It wants to kill all of the deer! If that happens, my plans will be ruined! I've got to have live hosts if I'm to have my army for invasion!" "What could we possibly do? This has already gotten out of hand.", Anirapio questioned.
"We can't fight it with brute force. How else could we defeat this giant wolf?", Nekumbra asked. Iugulare sighed at this point,
"There's only one option I can think of...and none of us will like it."
-----------------------
The blackbuck was lapping up pond water when he raised up, sniffing the air. Quad turned in time to see Iugulare, Anirapio, and Nekumbra approaching him. Immediately he grew the wings on his back, and standing his ground, he expected a fight here and now.
"Wait, Quad! We're not here for this. We...", Nekumbra began, unsure of the words to speak.
"Your kind is in danger. I know, it's odd that we would come to you for this, but...", Anirapio continued the sentence, letting Iugulare muster the heart to speak.
"We need your help, Quad."
The fat blackbuck tilted his head, not believing his ears. Were his enemies actually asking him for help?
"Is this some kind of trick?", Quad questioned immediately.
"No trick this time.", Iugulare spoke, and at that time, a loud crash sounded nearby. Quad turned in time to see a massive creature roaming in the distance, knocking trees over and roaring. Several of the small rock hounds could be seen underfoot, running and 'barking' alongside the giant wolf skeleton.
"That's the creature there. I lost control of the infection on it."
Quad backed turned toward the giant wolf skeleton in the distance, backing away enough to where he was standing beside Iugulare and the other two. At this point, to Quad, enemies didn't matter. He wanted this thing stopped.
"Alright, I'll fight it, but I'm going to get some help. There's too many of the rock hounds for me to handle at once.", he spoke.
"Quad, don't think for a moment that this makes us friends. I still despise you...but in this case, having a common enemy is enough for a truce.", Iugulare spoke bluntly.
The blackbuck nodded, and turning, he said,
"Meet me at the pond in a few moments. I'll have some others with me to fight.", and immediately he ran off.
-----------------------
Word spread quickly that the Forest was in danger, and those able to fight were to come to the pond. Quad awaited both his friends as well as the Deadly Trio, the precious moments seeming like an eternity to him while the great wolf and the rock hounds were running rampant.
Roleplay continued in comments 
"T-thank you.." she said and
Illrose gave a nod as
'Thank you.' She then began to beat her wings as she took off again. For a moment Illrose circled the place that had now turned into a battleground, before she stretched out her hind legs - much like a bald eagle catching a fish - and crushed two wolves under her feet as she landed again. She picked out the stones from their skulls - one red and one blue - and placed them in the pile together with the stone from the wolf Anirapio had held. She didn't notice the orange rock hound that sneaked upon her until it spitted it's infection at her. The infection hit right under Illrose's right eye, where the scales and skin were a bit thinner, and she could feel how the infection burned when it hit her. Illrose roared angry, and tried to brush the goo off by rubbing her head against her own body, before she lashed out at the orange rock hound, sending it flying through the air. She then slammed her foot down on it, ripping the orange stone out while she glared down at the motionless wolf.
Hearing the pained sounding
He heard Nek call for help, but at the moment he was unable to help her, surrounded himself, by a few rock hounds, mostly greens, they seemed to have worked out that it took him time to defeat them, which worked to the regenrating hounds advantage slowing him down a fair bit. Time for a new tactic. He held out his arm a little, a drew his sword across it, an odd looking action for those around, but it was a neccessary one. Blood smeared along the edge. Not that much, but that was all he needed, that allowed a more powerful chaotic energy to be placed along the edge, hopefully compensating for the green hound regeneration.
A slice into one, proved that theory to be accurate, as the crystal came back out with his sword. He tried to advance closer to Nek, but thus far they were still surrounding him, he would have to hope someone else would save the last remaining person in trouble.
Anirapio looked over to
Quad stood up and approached the writhing orange-eyed rock hound. The hound spat infection at him, which struck him in the chest and legs. The stag continued, then when he was beside the hound and the tree, he wrapped his wings around the skeleton and created a concentrated light burst, incinerating the infection both on the hound as well as on himself.
With another orange crystal collected, he stumbled back, losing his footing and hitting the ground once again. Iugulare hovered over him and Cay Lynn, keeping the infection from the other orange-eyed rock hounds from striking them before help arrived.
((Jeez, that was alot to
Too far in into the water to help anyone, Zera cursed. She shook her head and created another wave that knocked some more rock hounds out of her path. She ran back to shore arriving next to the, suddenly very angry, dragon who had many bits of dead wolf anatomy resting nearby.
"Oh, er, wow... Nice work!" she called up to Illrose, making a mental note not to get on the wrong side of her. Her amazement was interupted by a ripple of sound to her right. There was a blue snarling at her but, with intense concentration, she turned the sound waves back on it, leaving the crystal lying in a heap of fine dust. She laughed with joy before heading onwards.
"I can heal them from here,
((Hello, I hope I'm not
The day had started out like any other, but quickly the young stag had noted the unusual heavy atmosphere in the forest, that had been followed by an unusual amount of the wailing howls that he had learned to associate with the deer wearing skulls on their heads. But there was something else in the air as well, something he could not pinpoint.
And he then heard a great howl strike trough the still air and he felt himself covering when the magic of the forest was stirred beneath his feet. What was going on?
Niki lifted his head, ears flicking in to every direction around him.
The forest had always been so peaceful, what had shattered the idyll he had come to love in the year he had spent here.
He sharply turned his head to his side and felt his eyes widen when he locked them with those that glowed a sickly yellow color. The creature hung it's head low as it kept it's eyes trained on him, Niki nervously lifted his hooves from the ground a few times, before the bony wolf lunged at him with a growl.
By instingt born from his spars with his best friend, Niki reared back and swiped at the wolf with his hooves before lowering his antlers at the creature, flinging it to the side immediately after.
He stood still, looking in to the tall grass he had flung the creature in to. There was a creacking sound like a low moan, before the wolf sprung from the foliage again and Niki bounced forward to dodge the lunge. He tried to turn around again to face the creature, but was surprised when he felt it's teeth almost sink in to his flank immediately after.
This thing was too fast for him.
Niki bolted trough the woods and ran aimlessly trough the trees, trying to drop the creature that followed right at his heels. There was a howl to the side and he managed to change his direction just as another wolf leaped from behind trees at him, and collided with the one that had been chasing him so far.
Niki didn't stop to see what had happened in the collision, with his luck the the things would have somehow merged and leave him to face a creature with two sets of teeth instead of just one.
He hurriedly ran up the first hill he saw to get a better position to defend himself in and the statues of the twin gods greeted his sight. And behind that, a destroyed sliver of land filled with piles of bones that had at some point been the same kind of hounds that he had just ran from.
There were deer too, fighting valiantly for the forest and it's inhabitants who hadn't yet ventured out here.
Niki's thoughts flew to his friend and his family for a moment before he heard growling from behind him and turned just as the yellow eyed wolf lunged at him. He managed to pin it to the ground with his great white antlers af ter a while of dodging bites and lunges from the beast.
But now what?
She smiled down at the deer
'Thank you. And likewise!' She answered. She had seen how the deer seemed to control the water. Quite impressive. She could then feel how the burning feeling right under her eye disappeared, and she looked over at Kahlan, knowing it must have been her that healed her.
'Thanks.' She sent the simple word into Kahlan's head, before she turned around. For a moment Illrose's eyes traveled toward the large wolf again. Somehow she was certain the wolf wouldn't do anything yet. Perhaps it waited to see who would win the battle between the deer and the smaller wolves. She then concentrated on the battle going on, picked up a green eyed wolf that passed by and removed the stone quite easily. She then noticed a new deer that had entered the battle, perhaps one that hadn't fought one of these before and didn't know how to 'kill' them. Illrose dropped the stone in the pile, before she flew over to the stag that struggled with a yellow eyed wolf.
'You must remove the stone it has inside it's skull. But be careful with that black infection.' She said as she landed quietly next to the stag and the wolf. Illrose didn't interfere in case the stag wanted to fight the wolf alone, but she was ready to help if needed.
Zera nodded and watched as
Again, with a concentrative grunt, she focused the sound waves that were echoing around the place onto the rock hound so it was crushed into a fine dust. She smiled again before kicking the green crystal into the pile. She turned to the big one again, finally able to examine it properly. It was a huge terrifying creature that sent shivers down her spine. The time was coming soon when one of them would have to destroy it.
Niki pushed the creature to
He turned his ears towards the sound of wind and the steady beat of mighty wings before he heard the words the other one spoke.
The warning about the infection cauth his ears first as he looked at the struggling creature beneath his antlers. It smelled cold, rotten and dead. The sheer thought about touching it in the first place sent an almost paralyzing fear down him but he fought it for the sake of keeping the creature down as it tried to snap it's jaws at his ear that he hastily turned to the side again.
And a stone?
A stone inside this beast's skull that would need to be retrieved in order to defeat the beast?
It would explain the un natural glow of the creature's eyes, but the nezt problem would be getting this stone.
He was no beast with jaws that could crush a skull if he tried, he had no special strenght to rip the thing apart. But for the sake of his home he needed to do his best.
Niki shook his head slightly, keeping his antlers on the wolf and was rewarded with a tell tale clutter of bones as the wolf's position changed enough for him to reach the skull. He lifted his front leg and repeatedly stomped down on the creatures skull before it gave away and he managed to twist the yellow stone out of it.
The wolf stilled and Niki lifted his head, shaking the few bones out of his antlers that still clinged, and turned to see the person who had come to his aid.
He immediately felt the instingt to cower away from the mighty dragon but stood his ground, if the beast hadn't attacked him while he was struggling before, it wouldn't attack now either.
He panted slightly from his long run trough the woods.
"Thank you for your advice".
He said before turning to look at the still raging battle before his eyes landed on to the huge form just behind the tree line.
"What is going on in here? Where did these beasts come from?"
((Got totals updated, 41 rock
Quad was nearby, and he approached the newcomer. His body was currently being healed from afar, and it gave a moment for him to rest, "Someone brought them here to cause trouble, but we're working on getting rid of them. From what we know, they were living here before the Endless Forest was created, and they asked the Twin Gods to be allowed into the Forest so they could hunt us as deer, but the Gods refused, so since then they died off with a lot of resentment toward us. So now that they were brought back, they're coming after us. Hopefully we'll deal with this soon, and any help you can give is great, even if it's just assisting the others in the fights.", the winged deer (Grand Talux) spoke. He turned, with his body healed from Kahlan in the distance, he looked for more of the wolf skeletons to fight...
Stupid thing erased what I
Roe watched as the rock hound tore into Nekumbra. The spider doe managed to shoot web at it and slow it down, but she was hurt. Fury rose in Roe as she watched the beast struggle against the webs. She launched herself at it, all of her weight landing squarely on its ribs. The beast roared in rage, lashing out with its massive paw. Roe jumped to avoid it, but the beast was too fast. Its claws swiped her side, leaving little more than deep scratches, but the pain was sharp and searing. Roe didn't let it phase her. She leaped in the air again, this time landing squarely on the thing's skull. One hit with her sharp hooves was all it took to shatter the skull. Roe bleated triumphantly before rushing to the injured doe's side.
"I can help you," she said. "I'm a healer." Roe spent only a couple of minutes locating the items she would need. A thistle needle and some dull brown mushrooms. Roe bit a small hole in one end of the thistle and plucked several long hairs from her tail. She very carefully knotted the hairs together end to end and threaded them through the hole in the thistle - essentially making a needle and thread. "I'm going to place the mushrooms against your wound," she told the doe. "The mold that grows on them should help fight off any infection and the mushrooms themselves should provide enough pressure to stop the bleeding." Roe then took the thistle needle and began sewing closed the wound, knotting each stitch for extra strength. She moved quickly, keeping an eye out for any attackers. "That should take care of it," she said as she finished. "You shouldn't fight any more. You need to rest so you can heal." Roe looked around again warily.
((Alright, Nek will be out of
The spider doe smiled, "Thank you, darling. I'm going to get to safety and watch from the distance.", she spoke, and standing up on her spider legs, she ran as fast as they would carry her. She soon was deeper into the Forest, far enough to where the wolves wouldn't chase her but close enough to where she could watch.
Niki turned his ears towards
He seemed strong, and clearly was older than he was. But what captured Niki's attention more than his build, were his eyes that spoke of far greater battle experience than Niki himself felt he could ever achieve.
Niki lowered his head slightly towards the ground as he heard the deer mention helping others.
"I'm not very strong or skilled in my young age, but I will do my best to aid in any way I can to drive them back.
That's the least I can do to for the sake of our home".
Niki's ear twitched at a sound that came from behind him and he hurriedly turned around to see a panting red eyed wolf climb on top of the hill he was standing on.
Hadn't he seen that one before?
Oh yeah...
It had been the one that had collided with the other wolf a while back.
Illrose gave a nod toward the
'You are welcome. And you're doing great.' He would do great, once he found the right technique to fight off the wolves. His question she could not answer though, so she listened as well when Quad came over and explained why those creatures were here. When Illrose heard this, she almost felt sorry for the wolves. This had been their land, after all, they had all right to want it back. But she then remembered the fawn she had found, bloody and dead. It made her dislike toward the wolves spark again, and she gave the Grand Talux and the other stag a nod before she once again rose into the air. Together they had fought many wolves, but many were still left, together with the great one. She soared low, and was about to land when a yellow wolf came running out of nowhere. It leaped high up in the air, and closed it's jaws around one of her wings. It didn't puncture the membrane, but the extra weight threw her out of balance and since she already was close to the ground, Illrose crashed into the grass before she managed to straight herself up. Illrose quickly got back up, shaking her large body before she grabbed the yellow eyed wolf in her mouth, and tossed it hard into the ground. She then stepped on it, held it firmly to the ground while she removed the stone from it's skull.
Phion thanked the healer with
Diving in to the fray, she had only to but a few from attacking her before she had had enough. A very upsetting cry emitted from Phion as a burst of light blew forth from her center, cremating every rockhound that was trying to attack her. Several crystals littered the ground. As the next wave came about, Phion snorted. The pictogram blazed atop her crown like a sun as pulse after pulse of light singed away the world around her, her power of growing bringing the foliage back as soon as she burned it up. Crystals littered the ground, blackened by the light.
The Spirit Heart of the Forest fell to her knees, pulsing as she killed off the last of the hounds that wanted to mess with her. Grinning, she let blood drip down her face from her tearducts. Phion rose to her hooves and let loose a bellow, charging forward and in to the trees.
She was going to go after the Great Lupine and try her hardest to kill him.
(thanks, starling! The avatar is amazing! And Thanks Pretzil for the siggie!
His sword was coated in the
The second one he destroyed was a green that had been pestering him, and had prevented him from reaching near Nekumbra, since he had begun fighting. Now with it gone, he could move closer to her, though she had since moved off the battlefield, he felt obligated to stand between the main hoarde, and her to make sure she recieved no further injury.
"How ya doin' back there Nek?" He asked, as he began a fight with a yellow. This one a more agile fighter than the others, but still, he was trained in the sword that he fought with, and he was winning agianst the thing. It would not be long before he broke it's crystal as well.
((Yo Moonsoverwater, I need
I need to know the crystal colors, too, so I can record how many of each type are left. I want to give everyone a chance to fight some before they're all killed off anyway
Sorry, I hope I'm not coming off as angry here, I just need that previous post to be worked on some
((Oh she is not too
(thanks, starling! The avatar is amazing! And Thanks Pretzil for the siggie!
Ambling through the trees the
A throaty growl stopped the beast dead. Turning a mutilated neck slowly Teradeer saw a skeletal dog stalking out from between the trees, from the direction of the pond. Turning on heavy metal hooves the deer dipped a leg in greeting, keeping half-lidded eyes locked to the blue-glow of the rival's skull.
Growling the Rockhound lunges but as it locks sharp jaws around the creatures neck it's growl turns to a confused whine. What should be hard, bleeding flesh is molten and sticky, not so unlike the black tar that fills the hounds own bones. Trying to pull away the hound is drawn into the bubbling, fleshy ooze. A last whine of distress and then...nothing.
Teradeer lounges, a puddle of filth on the otherwise picturesque forest floor. A face rises lazily from the pool and, with a belch, spits forth a blue crystal. The rock glows indignantly, as though discontent at this turn of events. With a chuckle Teradeer draws itself up back into tired legs and knocks the gem as a bored child might kick a can. In this manner it sets off to leave the gem near the pond, hopefully someone there will know what to do with it.
(At this point I don't know if Teradeer will join the brawl proper, as a rule it doesn't really fight but the mental image of this was too funny to pass up. Hope this was ok by your standards Quad! I didn't want to ask for fear of ruining the surprise.
Roe watched Nekumbra scurry
There were no rock hounds immediately around her, so Roe ran to see if there was any other injured deer.
((That was perfect, Tera!
At this moment, the giant rock hound began to step in, noticing how many of her hounds had been defeated. The deer were weary from the fight, and it was the perfect opportunity for the giant wolf to finish the fight.
Quad, noticing this, stood gathering the last of his energy to fly toward the giant skeleton. He focused and began to glimmer vividly, tucking his wings in to gain momentum. He sliced through the giant rock hound's neck, emerging on the other side of it. The wolf howled though seemed unphased. It quickly lashed at him, snapping viciously. The massive fangs pierced into Quad's body and wings, and he let out a cry so loud that it made everyone - deer, rock hounds, dragons - stop and look over.
They watched as the winged deer plummeted and crashed into the ground below. The giant wolf skeleton, pleased, lifted a bony paw and crushed Quad underfoot, his cry silenced there.
It approached the Pond, surveying to see who would be the easiest to pick off. Iugulare took the time to run to Quad's side, actually quite horrified to find a bloodied mess of a blackbuck antelope in the small depression in the ground. The stoat slowly approached and lifted his shattered body, holding him close. A very harsh reality hit the stoat.
She...actually loved Quad...despite all the hateful words she spoke, despite all the death threats...she actually loved him.
((I'll be announcing real soon who will be the one to fulfill Hex's prophecy, by the way. So please don't try to kill the big rock hound unless you're character is the one I announce. You can certainly try to attack and hurt it but only one person I choose will kill it))
Illrose noticed an orange
'No.' She whispered, before she looked around. Everyone else seemed to have heard Quad's cry as well, deer and wolves alike. But Illrose now noticed the large wolf were coming closer. She bared her teeth at the large beast and snarled as a warning. In the corner of her eye, she noticed the stoat running to Quad, but she remained where she was, her eyes now at the great wolf.
The red eyed wolf stalked
He was uncertain, he had never been in such a dangerous situation before and it terrified him to the bone, almost paralyzing him in the spot. Only the side of instingts that the deer kind had honed to perfection long before his birth made him keep moving and he kept his eyes on the wolf that tried to circkle around his great antlers to have a bite at him.
This one wasn't as fast as the other one he had just faced, so maybe this wouldn't be as hard?
But as the wolf finally lunged at him Niki realized his error in thinking so. This one wasn't as fast as the other had been, but it was clearly much stronger. He couldn't let it get the better of him, he needed to finish it quickly.
Then a cry ran trough the pond clearing and Niki looked up from the wolf, ears perked and attentative. The huge wolf was moving, it had bit and crushed the winged deer from before.
A shiver ran trough Niki as his eyes got glued at the giant form of a wolf.
Did it have a similar stone as the others?
What was it's weakness?
How were they supposed to defeat something like that at all?
Suddenly sharp teeth sunk in to his flank and Niki let out a bellow in terror and surprise as he kicked at the bony wolf to dislodge it's teeth. It held fast and Niki was terrified. If the huge wolf saw his struggle it would come for him, he was sure of that, he had been thought as a fawn that all beasts went for the weakest in a herd.
He turned his head, twisted his neck and somehow managed to lift the wolf off the ground and in to his antlers, before yanking it's teeth off himself.
A burning pain ran trough him as the bony teeth slid out of his flesh and he quickly rammed the wolf in to a nearby tree, scattering it's bones and the black mass withing.
Niki looked back at the big wolf and saw it looking around for pray. His ears flicked about nervously as he tried to think of what he should do now, but before he managed to think of anything the red eyed wold had somehow pulled itself by it's front legs to him and buried it's fangs in to his leg and promptly got stomped on by the young stag for it's efforts.
Phion saw through wavering
Phion finally collapsed mere feet from Quad and Iugulare. Her fury bubbled up. Seeing the shattered form of Quad, battered and lifeless had taken its toll on both the doe's body and mind. She would try her best, even if it meant dying herself.
Phion rose one more time to her now nearly-vibrating legs, taking in a shaky, loud breath. Quad... Nobody hurts my forest or its deer... not any. She grunted, bracing herself.
Pictogram growing with rage, pulsing with her hard-working heart, caught the light. It was focussed through the lit orb, and she released it. As she tumbled to the ground, the light burst forward.
Phion fell in to blackness before she had seen it hit. One small hole in the beast's upper jaw, a great tooth loosened but not fallen free. The smell of bone burning hit the air, but Phion was already unconscious.
Her dulled pelt moved listlessly in the wind, a last tear still burning its way down her cheek. Her pictogram was a faint point of light above her head, weakly smoldering like a coal.
Phion dreamed she was in a forest. She was laying in the brightest beam of sunlight she could find, the warmth a haven as golden stalks swayed above her head. She could hear rippling water nearby, along with the pounding of hooves. Were her friends playing by the magic fountain? She did not know for sure. Everything was dreamily blurred, her ears and eyes feeling heavy as she let the world pass by her within the dream. Everything in her forest was so pleasant....
(thanks, starling! The avatar is amazing! And Thanks Pretzil for the siggie!
Nekumbra's eyes watched as
"Oh Hex, you scared me!", the spider doe spoke.
"I just heard...my brother...", Hex replied, her voice quiet like a whisper.
Nekumbra lowered her head, "The big wolf just...well he's..."
"I understand. He was probably killed again. But it will be okay.", Hex smiled here.
The spider doe tilted her head, "What do you mean? Why are you so optimistic about this? I just saw Quad die right before my eyes.", Nekumbra asked.
"Quad has a unique gift from the Twin Gods. He can never truly die, not while Iugulare is here at least. In fact, he has died many times, only to spring back to life a few moments later. It can be seen as a curse, too, because he feels all the pain he had when he died. There have been days that Quad wished he could simply pass on, but he has a job to do, whether he likes it or not. I will expect those who don't know my brother as well as I do to think that Quad is truly dead."
"I never knew! How interesting! Oh, Iugulare's going to his side, this must be terrible for her."
Hex tilted her head this time, "I do not understand. I thought Iugulare wanted my brother dead. She repeated it over and over when I was in her captivity."
Nekumbra smiled a little here, "Iugulare grew up as a creature full of hate. I think when she first met Quad, she had just as much anger as she did before, but over time, she's developed a hidden soft side for him. Some could say Iugulare really loves Quad. She's pretty complicated, but the best way to explain it is that she really wants Quad all to her own, much like how she had kept you for so long. Who knows, maybe Iugulare will give up her desire to overtake the world if she and Quad somehow came to terms."
"I see. How interesting. Well, I came back to let everyone know I determined which deer it is that will defeat the big wolf skeleton. It's so clear to me now.", Hex said.
"Oh? Please tell me, it will really help us defeat it, since I know your prophecies usually come true."
Hex nodded, "The one called Kahlan will be the one to defeat the giant wolf and claim victory."
In her search for injured
She skidded to a stop as she reached the stag, a plume of dust forming around her. Quad's body was battered and broken. She looked at the doe who was at his side, her eyes betraying her thoughts. "I . . .I don't think I can help him," Roe stuttered. Roe was a very gifted healer but there were things that were beyond her abilities. She had to try, none the less.
She stepped close to Quad, looking him over, before lowering her ear to his chest. She heard a heart beat, followed by a long pause. Two beats in quick succession and another long pause. Longer than the first. His heart was failing. This, coupled with his horrendous injuries, was more than Roe would be able to manage. She could get his heart going again but would lose the battle tending to his injuries. She could work on his injuries, but would not be able to keep his heart going at the same time. She looked to the other doe again. "This is more than I can handle on my own. I need help."
Illrose's wings rustled as
Niki galloped as fast as he
He flicked his ears as he saw a doe with a pelt that reflected the starry skies at night rush to the fallen deer. He would keep that little group of allies safe no matter what.
Niki reared himself high as he lunged at a hound that tried to rush to the fallen deer and managed to thrust his antlers at it and swing it behind himself.
He only spared a glance at the group and lowered his antlers at the hound before him, Purple eyes, what did that mean?
The hound howled and the air around it twisted before the wolf was gone from sight, what happened?
Before Niki could think any more on the disappearance of the wolf before him the creature appeared in mid lunge at his throat.
Niki reared up and the wolf missed but it nimbly turned around as it landed and rushed at the yound stag again.
Niki managed to lift the creature in to his antlers as it rushed but the wolf wasn't defeated so easily, it twisted in the many tines that formed the great crown on the stag's head and managed to bite down in to the flesh of his neck.
He let out a long pained wail as the wolf's teeth ripped and tore at his pelt and flesh, a strange burning itch spreading down the stag's back.
He jumped and leapt around in a panic like state, he needed to get the wolf off, it's teeth were made of fire, it burned.
He shook his head and twisted about, if he were to fall to the ground now, he would be doomed.
"Help!"
He managed to wail out before renewing his efforts of dislodging the wolf.
One of the life energies had
Her antlers rammed the rock hound. She refused to use her powers upon it, she couldn't. If she did, the desire to use more would get stronger, and if that happened, she'd use it on everyone. Dealing with death came with the price of making her a servant of him, if she used too much. And since everything could die. Death demanded as much as she could give. She wouldn't fall to that state again. She felt a bite, but her power healed her as quickly...but that made her breathe a little heavier. Healing so many people...but she couldn't stop, nor could she stop fighting this beast. She wouldn't let them down. Her antlers pierced into the skull on maybe the forth or fifth ram. That jarred the crystal enough to stop the creature. That was another purple down. Hopefully she wouldn't have to fight another one.
There weren't many rock hounds left. That was good, Nathaniel surmised as his sword pierced through a red. Though that seemed to cost him, he recieved a bite to the leg from a purple, before it moved on. Nathaniel was about to cut the pain in his leg, when he felt the aura of healing energy that had been around the battlefield descended around his leg, and the wound began healing. Must be that doe over there He thought.
He heard Nek say something and dropped back towards her a little more to hear what she had said. The one that was with her said something about the vision indicating that a doe named Kahlan would be the one that defeated the giant rock hound. Whoever Kahlan was, Nathaniel wished her luck.
Hey. She spoke raspily, the
Phion felt the blackness creeping in to her eyes again, but blinked it weakly away. Her eyes tried to focus on the Grand Talux, the sun beating down just enough to allow her consciousness. Groaning, Phion tried to move her ears so that she could hear what was going on. Gods, even that was difficult.
(thanks, starling! The avatar is amazing! And Thanks Pretzil for the siggie!
Zera had heard Quad's cry and
With a small, horrifyed gasp she slid down next to Phion.
"Oh gods, oh gods, oh gods... Please Phion, please!" Then it hit her. With a small chuckle and then a grunt, she narrowed her eyes and examined all the light waves around her. The most common was sunlight. Translucent lines that made everything look a little bit blurry.
"Right, Phi," she muttered under her breath, "You've helped me before, so now it's my turn..."
With another grunt of concentration, she squinted at the lines that stretched around the area and imagined them being pushed towards Phion. They all changed tradjectory and a dome of light began to form around her sister. She just hoped it would be enough.
Cay healed quickly thanks to
Seeing it chasing someone
"How the hell is this Kahlan meant to destroy that?" He asked. He would have difficulty destroying it, he wasn't even sure what he would be able to do. This forest existed around so many magical rules that it prevented him from saying, causing a black hole to appear and suck it in.
The first thing she really
Hehe Zera! You did it! Your powers! She smiled, rising to her feet in the warm, healing circle of light. Like a plant, Phion grew strong from light. Her body seemed to glow in restoration as she shook the dust from her coat.
Striding free of the bubble, Phion embraced her sister. Zera had finally found her powers. She could help defeat the hound now. Kissing Zera on the forehead both as thanks and to restore her energy. Smiling, the doe tore off to help the healer.
Striding up, she smiled and offered her help. Each were incapable of doing it alone, but together they could heal Quad's wounds.
If we can do this, we can save the forest.
(thanks, starling! The avatar is amazing! And Thanks Pretzil for the siggie!
((Red rock hounds are
Quad's body reacted, and at that moment, the nearly lifeless stag let out a deep gasp for air. He shivered and gritted his teeth, his bones and muscles still painfully healing. Tears ran down his face and his legs kicked violently, wishing for the agony to end.
"Shh....shh...it's okay, Quad, it's okay...slow down...just breathe...", Iugulare's strangely soothing voice comforted him, holding him against her chest with one arm and stroking his back with the other. His body was going into shock and twitching uncontrollably, and with each moment he let out a gasp from the pain. He buried his face into Iugulare's infectious chest and let out a yell, muffled under the infection, but just audible enough.
Iugulare cradled him and began to rock back and forth in an almost motherly kind of fashion. She, too, was affected by seeing Quad in this state. She was like a whole other person there entirely, comforting and suffering with her rival.
The healing powers the others provided for him were doing well to ward of the pain he was suffering, but it would take a long time before he would ever be fully healed. And even so, his body would ache for days.
Resurrection to some may appear to be a blessing, but Quad thought otherwise - the pain he endured with each death was almost unbearable.
Phion's tears threatened to
Quad.... shhh.... try and tell me... should I do it? What I did last time?
Phion was afraid to ask, but did so anyway. Nuzzling the stag, she kissed his head to dull the pain of each convulsion. The doe then turned to Iugulare.
Iu... could you try and give him somewhere comfortable to lay? I mean, could you not infect him while laying beneath him to absorb some of that pain? The grass is hard.
It seemed the Guardian was taking charge, her mind working overtime to try and save the Grand Talux. He was her friend, not to mention her higher-up. Her gaze only flicked up to make sure the Great Wolf was not near them, but attacking the dragons and other creatures below.
Phion again kissed Quad's body, this time to harmonize a wound that had begun to bleed. Quad was suffering, and it really hurt Phion to see that.
(thanks, starling! The avatar is amazing! And Thanks Pretzil for the siggie!
Iugulare did not like that
The stoat flattened her body enough to where Quad lay belly-up, the infection creeping up his sides only for support so he would not roll off of her. This seemed to work, Quad's tense body seemed to relax a little, but his legs were sticking straight up and kicking, the pain in his legs continuing to torture him.
Iugulare's front legs wrapped around Quad's chest, gently caressing his belly. She rested his head now on her cheek, to where he was restrained but more comfortable. He continued to cringe and moan, it almost seemed as if he had no idea where he really was.
"Do what you need to do.", Iugulare spoke to the healers around her and Quad.
She felt the energy of Quad
Nathaniel's weapon flared as he sliced through a blue rockhound. Bloody hell, He thought, So many.... It might have been his imagination but he could have sworn that there were more attacking him than before.
"Illrose...need a little help, getting kind of swarmed," He called out.
Iugulare acted as a wife... a
I am going to kill him. As soon as I give the word, please let go of him Iugulare, and then get way out of here. I do not want to burn you. This is the last thing I can think of. And don't worry. I have done this before to him.
It was comical, the way she explained it. But her form of death was a lot less painful than this excruciating suffering. He would be ash in a moment, and back to life in the next.
Phion closed her eyes and stepped back, her pictogram pulsing as tears began to trickle down her face. She peered around to see if anyone objected, so that she could help explain before her power got too high and she became too focussed.
(thanks, starling! The avatar is amazing! And Thanks Pretzil for the siggie!
Roe was relieved when Phion
Roe quickly picked some poppies and ground them up between her sharp hooves. She placed the mush in Quad's mouth. "This will help relieve some of the pain," she whispered. Roe glanced at Phion and Iugulare. "I'll try and relieve more of his pain." Roe focused all her energy on Quad, chanting under her breath. Her words were in a language foreign to the forest, calling upon the spirits from her former home. Her eyes opened again, and she could see faint black tendrils raising up from Quad. Her chants were helping. They wouldn't take away all the pain, but they would surely dampin it.
((Quad's already died and
"Phion! Phion!!", the first words out of Quad's mouth. He was recovering enough to where he finally remembered what was going on. He took a deep breath and then spoke, "Don't kill me this time! I've already come back! Please, I have to go through this to recover!", he pleaded.
The healing effects from both Kahlan and Roe were helping him greatly, the pain was subsiding and his internal bleeding had ceased. Quad opened his eyes and weakly wiped the water from his eyes so he could see better.
He was confused and startled at first that it was Iugulare that was holding him. But even more, he didn't understand why the stoat didn't take this opportunity to capture him. The stoat gave a slight nuzzle to Quad's cheek, and understanding why he was so confused, she said something he didn't expect. "I want you at your full potential when we fight. I no longer want to use cheap tricks like these wolves to capture you. I want us to fight each other at our very best, so I'll know which of us really was the more worthy opponent to the other."
An odd statement for Quad's ears, but he seemed to understand. He rested his head on the stoat's infection and spoke, "Thank you all for the help. I'm still in pain but it will get better. There's no need to do that right now, Phion, but thank you for remembering."
The doe immediately dulled,
I am glad you are okay. She spoke directly to the Grand Talux.
To be honest, the doe was relieved that she did not have to kill her friend again. It was let known in an audible sigh as she stepped back to his side.
The doe still wondered something. Quad... we are all worried about you, but we also need to kill that. What do you propose we do?
Peering around at the rest of them, then to the wolf, Phion became very curious. She should be careful, considering it killed the cat.
(thanks, starling! The avatar is amazing! And Thanks Pretzil for the siggie!
"...Hex...we need Hex
The doe appeared behind them. "I'm here, Quad. I'm here.", she said.
"Sister! Please, do you know what we should do about the giant rock hound?", Quad asked immediately.
"The one named Kahlan, they will be the one to end this fight. I don't know how, only that the bones will fall before her. Those who can still fight and heal, help her, defend this Kahlan.", Hex spoke.
"...Hex...", Iugulare's voice pierced her ears. The doe shuddered for a moment, hearing her voice speak directly to her, but then the blind doe smiled just slightly, "Iugulare...I never thought we'd meet each other again..."
Iugulare and Hex would stay with Quad, those who needed to go help Kahlan were asked to do so.
Her eyes had been fixed upon
'I'm coming.' Her voice reached his mind as she spread out her large wings and sprang up in the air once more. She then noticed the great wolf, it seemed to be chasing someone. Illrose snarled, and pointed her hind legs at the wolf as she dived toward it like a hawk. She gave it a kick in the side with her feet as she passed above it, hoping to get it out of balance enough for the chased one to get away. Illrose could feel some of the infection on her feet from the impact with the wolf, but her scales was too thick for her to really feel any pain. She then continued toward Nathaniel, landing right behind him while she roared at the wolves to make them back off. She then released a fireball from her mouth straight toward an green eyed wolf. The fire made the infection burn away, and the stone fell out when nothing held it on it's place in the wolf's skull.
"Thanks Illrose," Nathaniel
There were people coming towards her, and she wasn't really sure why. She looked at them, examining for serious injuries but she couldn't find anything.
"What is it?" She asked curiously.
Now that Zera knew her sister
Her mind was elsewhere as she walked, so when she came across a purple rockhound, trying to blend into the forest surrounding it, she growled at it softly. Thanks to her god given eyes, she was able to see it due to the pain it was giving her when she looked in a certain place.
So shocked that she was able to see it, it yelped and lost it's camouflage. The yelp rippled through the quietness like a stone dropped into a still lake. She narrowed her eyes at the ripples she alone could see and turned them back on the wolf. Like the others, the repeated bashing from the soundwaves turned it to dust. Zera grinned.
However, her grin faltered as a huge roar shook the area. The massive, translucent ripples that spread through the air made her go cross eyed. When she managed to shake herself back to normal, she could see the giant rock hound topple over taking out several trees. She ran towards it and by the time she got there, it had pulled itself upright.
She skidded to a stop beside it and looked around to see who it had been chasing. A black doe. Her examination of the other deer was cut short when the giant wolf turned to face her. With a curse, Zera backed away, but the tiny movement made the wolf snap. She jumped out of the way just in time and and surge of power coused through her. She snarled back at the beast and used the energy flowing through her to divert all sound and light away from it.
Suddenly blind and deaf, the huge beast flailed around gnashing it's jaws. It threw it's head towards her and, before she could move, clamp it's mouth around her body. There was sickening snap as her spine broke in two places and she just had time to scream in pain before her mind went numb and she disappeared down it's throat into the blackness.
((Sorry, sorry, I didn't mean for it to be that long ^^;
Anyway, I don't plan to kill Z, I'm just wondering what everyone else will do))
Roe ran off to help Kahlan in
That? THAT is what Kahlan was to destroy? Roe's legs felt weak.
A wave of guilt washed over
'You are welcome. And thank you for making it able to take this form at all.' Illrose replied before she targeted the blue wolf nearby. A new fireball burned away it's infection as well, and the wolf dropped to the ground as if it had been held up by strings that was now cut away. She roared again to make the remaining wolves keep their distance, when a sound made her look back to the large wolf, just as it picked up a deer, and crushed it between it's jaws so she could hear the deer's bones crush. A gasp was the only thing she mastered before the deer was swallowed, and Illrose silently looked at the others. What could they do now? She could of course try to burn the infection away, but that would certainly hurt the deer as well. And it had to be dead now anyway - at least she believed it had to be.
((Sorry for the wait)) Quad
Quad watched as Zera was devoured. The sight was terrifying to him, and his body shuddered to see his friend suffering.
"Let me go, Iug. I have to help.", Quad spoke to the stoat, moving his body just enough so she knew he could move.
"Quad, you're in no condition to fight!", Iugulare replied, holding him back.
But Quad lifted himself up, and Iugulare lost her grip on him. He straightened up, though his legs were wobbly and still giving him shocks of pain. He cringed and gritted his teeth, but he stood, and began to face toward the great wolf. He felt Iugulare's infection slowly slip off of him, as she let go.
Quad's wings fanned out. "Take cover, Iug. I don't want you to get hurt.", the Grand Talux spoke.
"But...", Iugulare began, but Quad turned and roared at her, "Now, Iug!"
The stoat reshaped her body, and slinking back, she fled, finding cover behind one of the thicker trees in the area.
Quad's hooves dug into the dirt, and at once his body began to glow vibrantly. He tensed up, and as his fur turned a glimmering white, he let out a strong beam of light. He cried out as the intensity of the light made his body burn, but at that moment, he didn't care what happened to him. The only person on his mind was Zera.
The beam shot from the Twin Gods' hill to the great wolf, striking it in it's bony ribcage. The infection boiled and fizzed, the wolf roaring in pain and falling to one knee.
At that moment, the infection that grew underneath the ribs gave way, and Zera's body slipped out, falling quickly toward the ground. Anirapio moved quickly, soaring up and catching her. "Gotcha!", she spoke through telepathy, and brought Zera safely to the Twin Gods' hill.
Quad collapsed, his fur color returning as the light beam subsided. He was gasping for air once more, but this time, he had a smile on his face. He only hoped Zera didn't suffer too much.
Nekumbra, onlooking, called out to Kahlan, "Kahlan, you need to act quickly while the wolf is weakened! Whatever you plan to do, do it!"