But it wasn't done. The tree remained infected. The mold could easily spread from its trunk to the forest floor. It lurched forward, rearing up to scrap its claws across the tree's surface, clawing at mold, shredding leaves, smashing the branches with brute strength. How effective it was at actually clearing the infection was not clear, but the tree would not receive any mercy even after being felled.
After a little while, the Gravedigger seemed to grow bored with constantly scratching and shredding at the same tree over and over and over and so moved on, leaving a pile of wood, leaves, and ripped up fungus behind. Somewhere in the trees, Azrael followed. He would clean up, surely. Not that the valkhound noticed or cared. There was still energy to release.
He stormed down a small clearing, with much of the mold here fruiting into full mushrooms, peeking out between many of the blades of grass, nestled in tree roots, and clinging to leaves. None of it was safe. With the acid dripping from its mouth and its claws and weight thrown everywhere, it devastated the mold, smashing, ripping, and melting everything in reach.
Azrael, indeed, followed behind the Gravedigger, keeping well out of its sight as it rampaged through Eridanus. It wasn't hard to track, the noise it made was quite obvious. He wondered if that was wise, if any of the Hive were listening and preparing to strike, but then he decided he didn't care. If they came, they would be destroyed.
As the demon followed behind, short bursts of flame were sprayed onto the places where Gravedigger left its destruction, ensuring that the mold that had been torn apart and piled up would be unable to grow again. No spreading spores anywhere else.
A disturbance in the force. Mother had sensed his thirst for a fight. Something that proved his worth to her and those who witnessed. The fight with Cyneweard had been a slaughter, and he'd been denied the opportunity to battle with Saran'zol. Despite the flaws, the growing cracks in its crystalline armour... It craved the purity of battle.
It wanted to hurt something that deserved it, for once. For her children's safety, and their future.
It recognised the fire, the misshapen body of the demon. He had not arrived here alone, which was a shame. So neither had Juggernaut. It focused briefly on its tether to the Vindicator, sending a feeling akin to an affirming squeeze of the shoulder. The time they'd shared previously had been brief and... Complex, but all would fall away in battle.
If you are weary, wounded... Fall behind me, sibling. It is what I am made for.
As soon as it saw the first glimpse of Chaos, it addressed them directly - hoping to at least get a word in before the fight. "Halt. You shall burn this forest... No longer. Scum."
It had remained in Eridanus for a while, patrolling, quiet and carefully hidden from any antagonistic forces. It had been silent for a while but then the stain arrived, bringing disorder and destruction to what was becoming a pristine haven of the Hive. They had been knocked back, sure, but they came back strong. And yet, still, Chaos sought to push back against their regime and Mother once again pulled for her children to defend.
Mother...and Juggernaut. It did not take much convincing for the Vindicator to join his side, drifting out of the trees to join him as they approached, a steely resolve sent across to her brother. But it could not hide its own nerves. It had yet to experience proper combat and it could not help but fear. It had not been built for battle, yet battle was upon their doorstep.
And even so, it desired a taste of the horror that its family had experienced. It could see and feel it in their minds, but shared memories was different then the experience. It wanted to know what it was to fight for mother, and to truly fight the forces of Chaos. Not that it would...physically fight, not against these brutes, but it would support the Juggernaut, as it knew it could.
Thou hast mine support, it whispered as its magic flowed from the hollow of its body and wreathed them in Mother's power. With the Juggernaut taking his place, the Vindicator, lingered behind, statuesque against the trees, blending into the white of the forest. Its senses looked up, wondering if it should scale a tree.
So engrossed in his mission, and perhaps slightly deafened by Gravedigger's continued rampage, Azrael didn't see the drones until they were upon him. He felt them just before the voice spoke, like the fur raising on the back of his arm, a shiver of familiarity down his spine as the power of Order washed over the area. He turned, just in time to see the Juggernaut stepping out of the trees.
His eyes widened, but it was not in fear. His heart skipped a beat, but not in terror. It took a second to process, but then excitement rushed into every vein, ever pone, ever strand of fur on his body shivered as he turned to face his enemy and thanked every lick of chance, every alignment of fate, that at last, at LAST his enemy revealed themselves to him.
His lips curled back as a feral grin split his face. "YOU!" His roar was jovial and trembling with his rage and fervor. Not only was this one of Mother's soldiers, but the one from Leo, the one that had REFUSED his battle and FLED from him. Coward! He would not flee this time - Azrael would ensure this. "You present yourself freely to YOUR DEATH!! I will enjoy this!"
He roared, a call for Gravedigger to join him, as his magic flared and struck towards the lights lining the ceiling above them. He and his companion would navigate fine in the dark - they were both creatures of shadows and caves, but would Mother's bugs fare as well?
The lights flickered briefly and then winked out, plunging the entire cave into darkness. A few in the distance remained lit, but they would do little to help. Azrael brought up a hand to cover the glow in his chest and closed the eyes on his palms. The grin widened, although none would be able to see. The darkness...was so comfortable. It was like armor on his body, a weapon in his hands. They would call him a coward...but why should the predator care for the opinions of his prey?
ROUND 1/?
100%
ATTEMPT: lights off in eridanus DEFENSE: none INJURIES: none
Gravedigger heard Azrael's voice and instantly snapped its attention to where the demon was shouting. Reason was still suppressed by the dripping corruption and it turned its attention to him. Any being close-by was subject to the valkhound's rampage. At first, it headed towards the commotion, intent on attacking the loud one (Azrael), but then the lights winked off and it paused.
Because it remembered - they discussed this beforehand. Should trouble arise, they would fight in the dark. They were both adapted to shadow and blindness, after all. Something made its way past that oily barrier that leaked from its mind. Enemies were here.
Its attention turned from Azrael to the other sounds. The other vibrations standing in their path, the presence of something massive disrupting its senses. The enemies. It didn't care who they were, what they looked like, its own excitement raced hot in its blood as the instincts instilled in it by its Master took over.
The crashing through the trees announced its arrival and the glow of its innards that, unlike Azrael, could not and would not be suppressed or dampened. It let out its own guttural roar before it was throwing itself right at Juggernaut, low-set and crashing straight towards its legs, full massive body-weight thrust right into the fight.
buried under broken bones
ROUND 1/?
100%
ATTEMPT: throwing itself at juggs DEFENSE: none INJURIES: none
The Juggernaut's mind was filled with violence, the memory of it. The bitterness of defeat, the gaping wound of her loss... Of all the things that afflicted its mind now, the simplest was the war it'd endured, it continued to endure. With new family and experience at its side, the fear of failure had dulled somewhat. It was manageable, for now.
And this one, the demon, provided and almost comforting level of familiarity. It understood and returned his disgust, his rage at the indignity of having to exist near what clearly was a stain on the caves, on life itself. It ignored the feeling of sickness that arose in it, when it saw those feelings so clearly reflected in another.
"And I will be proud to call you my brother."
The sudden darkness was an old trick, the lights in Eridanus shuddering to a halt. There was a dagger of panic, one that he suppressed quickly. He had other senses, if sight could not serve him - but his sight was good enough to know another attacker was charging forth.
As it hurtled toward his legs, he sacrificed balance for what would end this nuisance quickest. As they collided, the Juggernaut sent the serrated leg he had raised down with as much weight and strength he could muster, hoping to brace himself against the body slam by using his kebab'd opponent's mass to his advantage.
And it made sure to aim for the what it assumed to be a rib cage, the glowing sides near to its front. Spine, ribs, organs - whatever it contained. Whatever it took.
ROUND 1/?
81%
ATTEMPT: trying to break as many of the gravedigger's ribs as humanly possible with one leg stab DEFENSE: Bolstered by the Vindicator's spell, natural defenses INJURIES: Bruised, sore legs, lost balance (attempting to regain)
Darkness engulfing the cave was little hindrance to the Vindicator - it could still sense their vibrations and their heat (and they both ran quite hot) even if it was a little less precise then visual input. No matter. It quickly realized an issue with this setup, however. Juggernaut was taking all the hits - all of them - and it was going to wear him down fast. The Vindicator could play the support roll, but it was limited.
It could feel its siblings pain as if it were its own, the hard shell of his wretched opponent knocking metaphorical breath out of the Vindicator, just as it would the Juggernaut. And once the demon began his assault as well...they needed another on the field.
The idea came to it as a herd of frightened Jungle Deer jumped out of the nearby undergrowth. Thinking fast, it released the strengthening aura and latched onto the frightened lesser's mind instead. Within a couple of seconds, it had stopped running and was turning to face the battle at Vindicator's direction. It brayed and leapt forward, taking up position by the massive tank-drone. It felt no fear - Vindicator ensured that. Only a steeled resolve to defend its new family.
ROUND 1/?
100%
ATTEMPT: a jungle deer joins the fight DEFENSE: none INJURIES: none
The Juggernaut's comment caught Azrael off-guard. Confused, for a moment, but then the meaning rounded upon him and fury infected his every pore. A snarl rose into a roar - "YOUR WRETCHED MOTHER SHALL NEVER HOLD ME PRISONER AGAIN!!" As Gravedigger leaped past him towards the tank, Azrael quickly re-positioned himself, stepping around to the side quietly, an ambusher in the dark. He could see, dimly, the fight occurring - the valkhound knocking the tank off-balance and the brutal retaliation.
He sucked in a breath, preparing the fire in his chest for a blast, when something suddenly crashed out of the trees not far from him. He grunted in surprise and the spell quickly faded. He stared at the jungle deer, confused, but turned his attention back to Juggernaut, although the spell had been ruined by the sudden appearance of another combatant - was it a combatant? A distraction? He didn't understand.
ROUND 2/?
100%
ATTEMPT: flamethrower at Juggernaut DEFENSE: none INJURIES: none