ORIGIN

Rarely did he truly wander through Eridanus. Typically, he found himself at an entrance grazing, or bee-lining toward the next exit. He traveled around a lot, so sticking around just didn't seem to happen. Today, though, he decided to have a good look around. He'd come across a towering mushroom; one that made his eyes grow big and curiosity wander. He nearly stumbled off into the fern-filled trench, awestruck by the size and depth he could see.

Hours of exploration later, he found himself at the twin pools, looking back at him with reflective eyes. He pulled up gallons of water into his trunk to drink once, then sprayed two more trunk-loads of water over his body. Atsila lacked knowledge that these pools might of represented something to someone out there. He personally saw two perfectly good bodies of water that warranted a good roll. Something like 8 tons splashed around in the water, legs kicking up. He looked like baby, aside from his size and massive ivory tusks.

Eventually, the elephant found himself laying his head head on the bank, trunk sprawled out while his body lay in the pool. A nap seemed perfect after a good splashing roll and lots of grazing. There didn't seem to be much a beast as large as him needed to worry about. So, without any hesitation, he let his eyes close, drifting off into a deep slumber. Snoring, of course, was included.

----

"Speech."
Thoughts.

OOC:
Tag: @Gadanai

It was calm and quiet. A perfect day that he could of slept through forever, had the air hadn't suddenly gone from his lungs. He awoke in a panic, hauling himself to his feet only briefly. His knees gave out, his gaping mouth agonized for air while his trunk searched for relief. Finally his eyes found what his trunk could not; another elephant with a vindictive glare. Common sense told him she was doing this to him.

Desperation aroused adrenaline. With not an ounce of air in his lungs to propel him, he flung himself forward in a weakened charge. The world was getting blurry and his feet kept catching the ground. His trunk grabbed at his own neck to now avail. With whatever he had in him, he aimed his large tusks for the attacker, giving one last heavy thrust with his legs when he assumed he was close enough. He collided with something, head spinning whilst he prayed for air to return to his burning lungs.

----

"Speech."
Thoughts.

OOC:
Tag: @Gadanai
Injuries: Out of Breath
Attack/Defense: Charge the aggressor.
Rounds: 1 of ?

Charging was somewhat a success, but he didn't have the power he wanted. Her attempt to shake him was laughable, but he was in no position to be giggling. He tried to burn her with his smoulder, but she managed to put distance between them before he could touch her, but he held it regardless, eyes and trunk glowing the brightest.

With a bellowing roar, Atsila let the entire room know that he now meant business. He also fanned out his ears and held his tail appropriately to signal his aggression. He gave threatening shakes of his glowing trunk, swinging it at her. He waited for her to make the next move, trumpeting with hot breath. They circled each other with eyes locked together, sizing each other up. He found himself very calm in the face of the much smaller cow, already having forgotten she'd strangled him moments ago.

----

"Speech."
Thoughts.

OOC:
Tag: @Gadanai
Injuries: A bit out of breath.
Attack/Defense: Spark up the heat!
Rounds: 2 of ?

The cow came for him and he struck out. Unfortunately, the blow wasn't what he had hoped, his smoulder snuffing out before his connection was made. She slammed into him full force, a tusk piercing his trunk while another scraped his cheek. Atsila roared, this time in pain, then shoved back into her. The pushing match became intensified in that moment, with bellows, dirt, and tusks flying about. Atsila was backed into a tree, which eventually toppled over as nearly ten tons of muscle fought against it. Whoever she was, she seemed perhaps more experienced. She was certainly strong and now, he was definitely intimidated.

----

"Speech."
Thoughts.

OOC:
Tag: @Gadanai
Injuries: Wound on trunk and cheek.
Attack/Defense: Inflict burns by swinging his trunk while pushing back against her.
Rounds: 3 of ?

It was such a relief when the pressure from her was relieved, her footing denying her the win she wanted for a moment longer. As she backed away, he found his bearings again. The thing about being so huge - especially in these caves - was that there was so much weight and mass to work with. It was difficult to provide a clean fight that didn't result in some topples, but what happened next was something he was completely unprepared for.

Gadanai announced herself and he took her monologue as an opportunity to strike. He lunged forth and made it enough strides to be at full speed before an arched, unearthed root became his demise. His large foot was lassoed by it, sending every inch of him right to the ground. Atsila slid, his unscathed cheek now covered in scrapes and debris from the forest floor. His right foreleg ended up under him in an odd angle. He was extremely happy it was dislocated or broken, but as he slowly wobbled back to his feet, he realized he was still severely injured for a beast like him.

Adding weight to the leg made him want to scream, but he had to make due. He did his best to stand his ground, trumpeting, but carefully backing away. Perhaps if he just left she would leave him be, but he doubted it. She initiated this while he napped; she was worse than a young untaught bull on musth and he was, quite frankly, terrified for his life.

----

"Speech."
Thoughts.

OOC:
Tag: @Gadanai
Injuries: Wound on trunk and both cheeks. Pulled right foreleg.
Attack/Defense: Take a turn to charge at her.
Rounds: 4 of ?