Fair's fair. He dipped his less-laden head to her, letting her forge her own path up the cliffside.
The rumbling- and subsequent burst- caught his attention as he made to ascend behind her. Shit- shit, it was even larger up close. How the fuck did anything exist that was that big? Masters save him- his brain defaulted as he scrabbled on rock, base instincts pummelling into his experienced brain.
'Here's an interesting thought!' His brain decided to interject. "Actually, fuck this!" He isn't sure if he simply thought that last part, or cried it out- more likely? It's the latter. Yeah. So what? Not like anybody's focused on him as spells fire off behind him.
That wolf could make it on her own, Desert Rose was outta there. A few wingbeats- one, two, and he's soaring, fleeing the scene to the tops of the canyon in an attempt to escape the battle below. It could still reach him up here, his mind screeches, but the fuckheads in charge don't give a rat's ass about who actually kills the damn thing, he's sure. He'd... Oh, he'd just say he was in the way! Yes, that'd do-
But... But was he proving his worth? Claws tensed on the precipice of rock and his muscles twitched with adrenaline and fear. Yeah, he was proving his worth to survive.
The others were filing away, which was grand, really, but he still fretted. "Come on, come on-" His words repeated in a murmur as he watched everyone shuffle into their own places. A brief nudge here, and nod there- they're good. They're safe. They have to be, otherwise he'd keep worrying.
He jumped as the worm burst into focus, barely at the gap he'd followed Mirage into. "Oh nonono-" Maybe he crowded them in, but he shuffled back closer to Mirage in a fearful sort of huddle. "Mira- Mirage, I'm here, where-" His fur pressed against her wing. "There- I'm here."
His vision was gone in black snow and rock, and he trembled to hold on to his sanity as frantic, swiveling ears pieced together the tapestry of every noise rumbling around them.
The barreling monster crashed along the narrow ravine, boulders smashing and cracking in its wake. Warrior's shards glanced first off its hide, tearing a few shallow wounds that leaked pale blue blood: barely a cat's scratch compared to the beast's full breadth. Its vast maw swept over the ball lightning, engulfing it, and it vanished with but a weak spark. Ivory and Virgil--their horns tore tiny holes, barely enough to make a mark; the blood that streaked along was only a thread as it smashed past them. It crashed back down on the ice spike that Wynter had thrust upward, the ice snapping off and protruding from the hide, again nothing to its size-...
The Ice Worm turned, a screeching bellow shaking snow off the cliffs in drifts, thrashing, the canyon shuddering and cracking. It wheeled on Agate where it clung to the Ice Worm's back; and then to Shida, careening wildly for her with all its bulk behind it.
...And then Hargrave thrust the enchanted knife into the Ice Worm's hide. A strange, ice-colored light flared up from where the enchanted knife lay jammed into the Ice Worm's hide.
The slight scratches caused by Warrior's shards, by the horns of Ivory and Virgil, suddenly split wide. Silver-blue blood ran in thick rivulets down the Ice Worm's scales, and its frantic thrashing sent it out in sprays. There was a jittering shudder as Fisher's ball lightning flared back up, sending sparks dancing along the bristles, lightning horrific, charring lines across the Ice Worm's hide. And Wynter's ice shard suddenly split through the Worm's gut, blood pouring out in blue rivers.
The light flaring from the knife began to solidify, a thick ice coating beginning to form across the Ice Worm's flesh, gradually slowing its movements. The Ice Worm thrashed in protest, its screech deafening: and it threw itself at the canyon floor, attempting to submerge.
But there was only rock.
It shuddered, and thrashed, its body threatening to crush anyone unlucky enough to be caught by its movements. Saliva--hundreds of gallons of it--sprayed forth, slicking the canyon and into the air and and instantly freezing into ice, threatening to flash-freeze anyone caught by its mist.
Those in the dens would find their homes shaking, partially collapsing, though for now they were uninjured.
_____________
Gembound must again roll to attack, or to avoid the battle. Those who succeed may harm the worm as they see fit; the damage appears to be magnified by the enchanted blade. Those who fail will, as before take critical injury if attempting attack, or injury if attempting to hide. Injury may be caused by falling ice or rock, the ice spraying from the Ice Worm's maw, or its crushing, flailing, hundred-ton body against the rock walls.
Failures will have further consequences in the following round.
Imp and Kalama will join the battle in this round.
@Desert Rose Thirty-Five (Null, Quentin)
@Imp (Ivory, Warrior)
@Agate Two-Three-Six (Wynter, Fisher, Mirage)
@Virgil (Hargrave)
@Shida (Palefur, Lyra, Oleander)
@Kalama
