ORIGIN - [Event] The Trial of Hydra

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Anemoi

Anemoi watched as her siblings ran off into the darkness, a gasp catching in her throat as she watched the others break down around her. Morganite, Pumpkin... Pumpkin.

She couldn't let anyone else die, or get hurt- no... she wouldn't let Morganite do this alone, either. She saw Sora place a hand on Morganite's flank and let her comfort what was essentially the family's mom. Anemoi made her way forward and tried to herd those she could into the middle before clenching her jaw as she saw Pumpkin fly off.

"Pumpkin! Get back here, now!", she said, trying to mimic the stern tone of voice she'd heard from Kini many times.

She caught movement out of the corner of her eye and saw Puck throw a tantrum, and darted forward to try and catch the fleeing bird before anything happened, throwing her magic up to try and protect the two of them.

Anemoi is attempting to protect Pumpkin.

Charles was lucky - it fell only a couple of inches into the darkness and he immediately got back to his feet to jump back within the sanctuary of the light. And whatever creature was there was, perhaps, too busy with others to worry about the bird that had only barely touched the darkness.

Breathing heavily, Charles, returned to Morganite's side, eyes wide with terror as he looked around for the ones they were missing. And, to his horror, they were missing too many. "Simon, Owlface, Kini...where are they?!" They were gone. They were lost to the darkness. And Charles had failed them, failed them all, because he couldn't stop them. He hadn't even tried. But what would have been the point? For him to fly off into the blackness, only to die as well? He couldn't do anything. He was useless. He wasn't a protector or a soldier, he was just a silly little poet with nothing in his head but dreams that would never come true. Not for his fallen family, at least, and what was the point, otherwise, if only he lived to see those dreams? He didn't want to see any part of that dream if they all weren't there with him.

He had gone silent. Amazingly, he was quiet. He didn't cry, too shocked and horrified to even make a sound. His spirit had lost its voice as the true horror and realness of the situation sank in. They were dying, one by one. And there was nothing he could do. His words could do nothing to save them, his imagination wouldn't help them through the darkness. No poetry could stave off death.

The only thing he could hope for was that nobody sacrificed themselves for him. Because he would not be able to live with himself if he survived only because they had given themselves for him.

He walked slowly behind. It didn't matter if he fell out of the light. It didn't matter, did it, if he died? No...it didn't matter.

CHARLES is rolling to stay in the light.

Just as soon as the figure had appeared before them, it vanished, melted; Ifrit shook his head in disbelief, but the wisp kept going. It bobbed right over the area the shadow had been, and there was nothing there. As the wolf—Fireheart—began to speak, Ifrit's ears turned back as he tried to pay attention to two things: the speech, and his family. He had been idly listening for the rest of their family to answer the roll call, and when some of them didn't, his head turned back to look for them—and the sounds of their final cries scratched at his ears.

For a moment, he could not move anymore. He was dumbfounded, really. Had they... were they really gone? Simon, Owlface, Kini... And now Pumpkin flew forth with Anemoi following. Sora and Morganite were near him, but as he looked for the others, the tiny monkey had thrown one of the fire-sticks toward someone else. Ifrit only caught sight of it as it arced through the air, gas finding Puck's face, and as the giraffe continued to turn and look, he briefly glimpsed Charles near the rear.

Everything always happened so fast. He felt like there was never a chance to breathe. Another quick sweep to confirm the others were still not back, and during this one he noticed the larger, thicker snake was also missing. Was she with Simon, maybe? Two snakes in the dark...? As Fireheart lit the next torch, Ifrit slowed from the group to lower his head, searching for Charles.

"Charles? Charles, keep up," he urged, offering his nose to his brother.

Here, at the back of the group, it was darkest and coldest. He searched within himself for his eyes to stay bright, so that he would not be lost, and tried his best now to be warm.

"I've got warmth," he added, but as much as he tried, he could not shake the sadness beginning to grip his heart. And no matter how warm he felt, that sadness grew like a cold fist within his chest.

IFRIT is rolling to protect CHARLES.

A loss. Another. And another. His family, siblings, brethren, those that held his heart greatest, were losing themselves to the darkness and he couldn't even see well enough to watch their last departure. Was that a good thing or not? The monkey hybrid began to stroke his own ear, a comfort, to soothe his beating heart and raging thoughts. They all knew that this would be a bad idea, so much so that one of them even tried to run before it began and got killed for it, and now they have no choice but to continue on and they are dying anyway.

One might say that this means there are less to look out for, less to care for, but all Oren felt was that there was more pain in his chest and it was harder for his legs to carry on knowing they were leaving the family behind. He cared about the others, the strangers, the one who was lighting the torches and the ones that were being lost to the darkness too. They just were not as important as the ones who stuck around and were with him for the most important stages of their lives.

It didn't take much for him to wander slowly, scared, over to Morganite (following their voice for he could distinguish only shapes in the light now), reaching out to try and pat their side. "Maybe this is all a joke and everyone will be waiting for us in the light at the other end of this thing." He kept his eyes straight as he tried to walk beside Morgan and Sora, attempting to keep his voice steady and upbeat, be the light in the dark for all of them. "Not a very funny joke but I've said a few of those and no one's got hurt yet." A smile to spread around the group, yes, it was all a joke, just get to the end, everything will be alright. He didn't believe it.

Stopping when the light seemed to stop, for that was his only marker now, he could feel everyone moving around him for there wasn't much space but they were all just dark shapes. Hopefully they light this next torch and they can move on, soon it will be over. They'll see their family again.

"You know what this means?" His voice was hoarse and breathing was difficult, as if each lungful of air was a chore, but he tried to take in a deep breath to accentuate his point - coughing afterwards but that's alright. "One step closer to the end!" Maybe he could go around and hug everybody? He sure would try, probably bumping in to many others as he stumbled in the haze, all the while trying to stay in the field of light, his arms outstretched ready to throw them around anything he came in contact with. The dark wasn't so bad when you're together.

It was what was in the dark that they needed to be scared of.

ORENSTEIN is rolling to protect the entire group.

Back into the light. Back into the light. Back into the light.

The bird shook, watched as the others scurried around, some chasing others. Down she went, huddling into her puffed up feathers, eyes wide, blinking slowly.

'Please, I want to go home. I'm scared...'

Light. She wanted light, the darkness was pressing in and she was afraid. Her magic pulsed, her beak throbbed, and a banana, a sad little thing, appeared on the sand, quickly gulped down.

Speech. Thought.

Hera is rolling to survive.

The gas was choking, choking, choking, suffocating. Flickers of memory bled through the other that had hidden and run away from this Trial. A low buzz, the stench of rot and decay in a hollowed-out rot, white white white - oh, they're being grasped at, coiled around. Mismatched eyes went wild, pupils shrinking to pinpricks and whites flashing. They didn't make rescue simple for Usiginzi; they thrashed and scratched, only relaxing with sputtering coughs when she vanished into the dark.

Howl stared for a while longer, muffled static in the mind. Voices clamored around them again, figures racing in the dark and distant sounds coming from beyond. The oppressive cold thickened, and fire arced through the air. They bristled, tail shooting ramrod straight from their back, and scuffled to get back in the center of the group. Lungs burned at the effort, and they could barely see, but they just needed to get to the middle. It was safe there.

It was safe there.

They just wanted to be safe.

The air smelled rancid, and they started coughing with such an intensity that blood sputtered from their lips.

HOWL is rolling to survive.

Into the group, thank everything, he managed to make it. Others were racing into the dark, risking themself for the others, and he called out "W-wait!" panting around the sand in his throat, stumbling forward, loose quills falling to the sand.

He rattled - he wanted to help, that's why he had come, but he hurt, he was scared and shaking and still coughing. So he reached for his magic, summoned a banana and wolfed it down, beginning to glow and calling "Here, come to me!" as he padded to the edge of the shadows, coughing violently as his voice strained his throat.

Mayngo is rolling to protect the entire group.

Her fingers coiled around the haft - death comes for the unaware. A pervasive, quiet whisper. But, it was so certain. So certain that she had to listen to them. We remember you, but did they? Or was that her? Her and her blackouts and blood sputtering everywhere to add teeth and fang and claw to a flail entirely too large for her? Pinprick red eyes beneath a dark hood with sharp whites grinning maliciously. Go into the dark and perish.

Elyon sank down to her knees in the mire, steeping in the oppressive dark and her shattered exoskeleton. Coppery blue bleeding out of sight just like the wisp. She, nearly frozen into place, tossed the blackened halberd away - and her own and shield. The centaur clawed miserably at the edge of the sucking quicksand, gills flaring in the suspension against her will because this is water, breathe it in, breathe it in, suffocate, drown.

Four glowing eyes flickered in her conscious. Was this where it had gotten her? Pulled down up to her neck? The wisp several feet ahead? Her grip slipped. She barely knew the spawn of her stone, but she hoped it would be alright. It was a wretched little thing and a brat she regretted trading rats for, but it was strong and her motherly love for it was innate. She hoped it was okay.

She hoped it would... be... okay...

TRIAL OF HYDRA - DARKNESS

ROUND 7 - THE FINAL STRETCH

The second torch flared into being--a small baubled item hung across it, and then the entirety crackling with flame as Fireheart's magic ignited it.

The rest could cower or lie to themselves as they might: the darkness still closed in. As the wisp gradually began its forward motion, they found their pool of light cut in half yet again, as if the second torch had taken it from them.

Dark silence reigned, beneath their unnaturally-muffled voices; the shifting of sound in the darkness around them was unnerving. What was it awaiting them, out there..? What was that? But the wisp was moving on, and it was time to try for the third, and final, torch.

Of the group of them, only Howl truly fell behind: but Warrior would be able to save him, though the darkness would claim him in Howl's stead.

_______________

Warrior must write his final post; he will fall saving Howl's life.

Code:

<b>NAME is rolling to survive.</b>

(Low risk)

Code:

<b>NAME is rolling to protect OTHER NAME(S).</b>

(Higher risk)

Code:

<b>NAME is rolling to protect the entire group.</b>

(Highest risk)

A Gembound's roll must reflect their in-character actions.

@Pumpkin @Owlface @Orenstein @Rainstorm @Kini-yolotl @Simon @Styx (Mayngo, Hera) @Morganite @Charles @Puck (Usingizi, Quartz) @Howl @Warrior (Fireheart) @Sora @Ifrit @Anemoi

CW: Tragic Animal Death

He heard the coughing--and the heartbeat, though his magic was faint, was a red thread against the dark. Warrior turned, nostrils flaring, ears pricking, as he realized that someone had fallen behind.

Muscles surged as he bolted into motion, the whites of his eyes glinting in the firelight as hooves pounted at the sucking sand. As he reached Howl, he abruptly sank: plunging to his knees in the too-wet earth. There was little time to struggle--the gas would claim the hybrid, if the darkness did not--and so Warrior gripped the creature's brown-furred hide, not particularly gently, in his teeth. Gracefully-arched neck was put to brutal use as he twisted it back, and then flung the hybrid away.

By now, he was up to his chest.

He fought--he could feel it pulling him down, sinking up his hocks, his haunches, the unwelcome cold merciless in its grip. It was when it began to press against his flanks that he began to scream--not words, but that horrible squeal of an injured horse, a terrified horse, one finding itself neck-deep and unable to free itself. The darkness had wholly closed in, but still he had time to scream: as the quicksand rose, as the wounds began to tear at his skin; as the weight of the quicksand began to crush against his ribs.

Warrior had always found Hydra to be a peaceful home, but now, here, alone in the darkness and dying, he knew only fear, only panic.

Forelegs thrashed, and sank deeper. His tail, and then his mane, floated filthy across the quicksand's surface. Twice his knees broke out, only to sink again; his haunches sank, rose, and sank once more, exhaustion draining his strength away.

His squealing neighs--of pain, of protest, of terror, and finally of despair--shifted to gurgles when his head at last went under, when the choking drowning took him; and only then was there blessed silence.

He had no final thoughts, before his mind slipped away. Only flashes of his life, overlaid with mindless terror.

horse stock: colourize-stock.deviantart.com

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