[EVENT] The Trial of Hydra - Reclamation

The climb up wasn't fun for the injured beast but with a final heave it crested the top along with the rest of the Gembound forging ahead. The wound had, at least, stopped bleeding everywhere, in part thanks to the clumps of red-stained sand clinging to the fur around it, but that didn't stop it from hurting with each movement. It was getting used to the pain, at least. It could make it through.

Looking around, it realized the dangerous situation they were all in now. The vultures looked vicious, like everything else in this damn cave, and thinking about having to sneak up on them...ugh. Well, Ruby-Beta wasn't one to chicken out on something despite its reputation.

There was a nearby nest with an Eyehook standing close by. It narrowed its eyes and crouched down, reaching for a pebble by its paw. Easy. Lessers were stupid - this would work, much better then the worms. A quick toss and a clatter had the eyehook's attention and it turned the other way, giving Beta just enough time to dart forward and scatter a clumsy pawful of seeds in the nest.

Barely darting away again before it turned its attention back, it found itself in the clear for now. It turned to continue on and then paused, looking back at the group. It wanted to keep going but...it also wanted to survive. And it was injured. It wasn't going to be strong on its own.

If it had learned anything in its time in Draco, its that there was strength in numbers. And while it surely wouldn't risk its life for anybody else here, it was sure one of the others would if it found itself in need again.

Feeling only the slightest twinge of guilt, it hung back and waited for the rest of the saviors to make it through.

The stint in the shade had revitalized him somewhat. It didn't make his bones ache any less, but the harsh breaths that has hissed through teeth had softened to the soft whisper of air. He kept with the others, climbing to the top of the plateu. He shook out his bag of seeds haphazardly, as everyone else was doing.

And he felt many eyes burning into his back.

The vultures. They were all just lessers, obviously. But that didn't stop his blood from running cold, from a stab of pain ascending up his bad leg just as bad as the day it had broke.

He did not want to linger, so he broke into as much of a sprint as he could manage.

Though she never stopped moving, padding through the canyons of the crucible was practically a light jog compared to the awful desert trek. Her energy had trickled back in as she walked, and she had been feeling pretty good. Then, she passed the lip of the plateau, instantly blinded and burned from into the harsh, full force of the sun. She blinked fiercely, only for the sun to be blotted out seconds later. She looked.

Massive vultures circled above, and dozens more nested about around her, and even from this distance she could tell they were all big enough to kill her with a claw. Fleas bolted for the bottom of a skeletal bush, ears pinned and tail ducked instantly. She licked her lips and flattened herself, ignoring the way the branches poked and dug into her coat. She wasn't ready to die again. Not to those things, at least. She'd prefer something that didn't look like it'd eat her alive. She had to make this quick, she wanted to spend as little time up her as possible.

Silently, Fleas tried to reach for her bag. The branches rasped in complaint, digging further into her fur, but that hadn't been too bad! Then she tried to sneak out of the bush. Unluckily, half of that scraggly bush had come with her, snapping and crackling loudly enough to alert the nearby vultures. Fleas froze, unable to do anything but stare in horror as nesting eyehooks turned their menacing gaze onto her.

"When I speak"
When I think

He fired a warm, surprised glance to Conleth. "Just shout if you need help," was all he said to the two.

Warrior made the edge of the plateau with some difficulty, hooves scuffing at the rock. He knew what came next--what lay ahead--and his head was low, body partially crouched almost like a predator's, as he crested the rise.

Eyehooks. As far as the--well, eye--could see: great, predatory birds nesting entirely across the expanse of bare rock. No cover. "It's going to be a matter of who they attack, not if." With that certainty, he took a breath.

He could just wait for the others to all draw attention, and try to dart in; he could have hidden himself with magic and passed through alone, but he wasn't that sort of Gembound; he was too great-hearted for that. He'd come to help, not to win.

"I'll see if I can draw some off," he offered, and then dipped his soft muzzle into the pouch. Seeds in his teeth, he focused on his magicka again.

If he could summon up those ethereal wings, and just blast straight through, maybe they'd give chase--opening a safer path for those behind Warrior.

Shimmering gold again coalesced around him. Ethereal armor, and wings that trailed pure light, sprang up around his body and shoulders. A moment later he'd lifted off, and then he'd shot straight ahead and across the plateau, through the nesting ground, like a golden flare or beacon of light. With luck there'd be Eyehooks already rising, shrieking their indignant rage at this incursion, giving chase to clear a path for those who had not yet made the attempt.

Of course, as he went, he spat out his mouthful of seeds among the nests--he hadn't forgotten their task here.

- IVORY-

Ahh, shit.

Ivory--huge, barrel-shaped and white--was made for brute force. Brute force would not help her one bit with a huge swarm of giant, rip-and-tear-sort-of-birds. She definitely couldn't sneak past them.

Maybe if she could kill the first one that came for her it'd give the others pause-? She gritted her teeth. Well--everyone else was already charging out into the open, or sneaking around. She had to give it her best shot.

Teeth gripped her seed pouch, and she took a moment to adjust it upside-down so she'd be trailing it as she went. Then she braced herself, took a (terrified) breath (why the hell did I come here again?) and barged out into the open.

She did not, as it turned out, kill any. But the first that dove, she just managed to spin fast enough--in an oafish, heavy way--to strike a glancing blow with her nose horn; the next received a horse-like, if again glancing, kick. Then she was off and running, upending the seed pouch as she went, ducking her head and kicking and headbutting any of the Eyehooks that came for her. She emerged on the other side (either they'd seen her as too dangerous, or once she passed through she wasn't a threat anymore, or they'd been distracted by other Gembound) with a multitude of shallow punctures and scrapes bleeding on white hide--but no real injuries to speak of.