[Order vs Chaos] THE BATTLE FOR CANIS

ORDER VS CHAOS

BATTLE FOR CANIS

They were here, now, and uncontested. But a series of failures had ensured that they'd barely managed to safeguard their situation.

They'd need to shore up Canis against attack. Mother urged them, in their minds: "Your siblings' distraction is working. They have bought you time... but I do not know how much. Be swift to build your walls and traps, your towers and your magic... be swift to guard this place against Chaos."

There was no way of knowing how long it would be before the cave's forces noticed the incursion. Order would need to restore just that--Order--while it still had time.

She cave no command in regard to Sergei, Kerberos, or the rest--she let it be known that her soldiers were welcome to use their discretion, here. But there was urgency in this, for one Praetor at the rear was dropped in a sudden thrashing frenzy before its link was abruptly severed: a sharp moment of pain and alarm silenced by death. Sergei's spear had ended it quickly--and the others turned to face him.

They came for him, enormous jaws gnashing: their first target of the night.

The forces of Order are yet being commanded to destroy Chaos opposition where they find it, but more importantly to now shore up Canis's defenses. They have successfully assaulted the cave: they must now eliminate opposition and defend it.

Sergei must roll to avoid becoming Praetor meal (or chrysalis).

See the Order vs Chaos Master Thread for scoring and more information!

SCORE TALLY
This will be updated as the thread progresses.

Her pale eyes flashed toward Giggle as she heard her name--and took in the massive dogs standing by her side.

"We are not here for you. Stay away," she roared in answer, and though her words offered fair warning and fair conduct, there was none of her old softness in them.

It occurred to her that flame... fire... was no longer truly her element. Or rather--it was; but she had spent so long in Ursa that she now felt more kinship with snow and ice than heat. Mother's magic had seen to that, cycles past.

This time, then, when she swept in a low curve around the edges of Order's group, she aimed not flame (bones would not burn so well, anyway) but frost for the ground, aiming to create a barrier of ice on the floor a couple meters wide and dozens long. It wasn't a wall, just an ice patch, one that (with luck) would slow or trip up anyone trying to cross it.

It was with satisfaction that she saw it take: a long, thick stretch of shining ground crackling with cold and brimming with frosty steam. It narrowly missed Sergei, but otherwise, if anyone tried to draw too close, they'd need to be very careful not to simply slide into the maws of one of Bone's new brethren.

The message it had sent, though not exactly well recieved, was acknowledged. It tried to supress the guilt that pulsed in response to Orthrus' complaint, continued its march for moments longer - until, of course, it is stopped by other obstacles. It almost wished that the smaller mammals in their path were corrupted; The solution to these problems would be much simpler that way.

The guardian of Canis. He was large, lacking in the chitin that most of his siblings (this included the praetors) sported. His own pairs of red eyes blinked at Kerberos' - Similar maybe. Juggernaut reflected on the chances of the creature joining them one day. Ace handled the diplomacy for the group. He found him fascinating, speaking aloud with so many words, describing things in strange new ways. He admired that, the difference between the two, even though it could breed discomfort as easily as curiousity.

It tried to echo Ace's sentiment - not intending to steal the spotlight of course, but simply to support. "Move." It lingered over each sound, as if reading it aloud for the first time. Its voice was a rumble and a hiss, accentuated by the rattling of mouth-parts. Its tone was stern, perhaps too much so - "Please." It added, softer this time.

His processes are again rudely interrupted, but by something much more concerning. The panic is echoed as it shoots down the link, continuing long after the silence. Who had been taken from him and Her? Tendrils lashed and spear-limbs clicked as it glared at the aggressor. The other praetors were answering, and Juggernaut would not be able to close distance quickly. He too would allow those closer to deal with the bear, shuddering at the feeling of dread that lingered. Death was not a pleasant thing.

Instead, it refocused on the other outsiders. Their numbers had appeared to triple in a curious way, but Juggernaut would not pay much mind. Regardless of their numbers, the questions remained similar. Perhaps he could comfort them? Attempt to, at least. "Corruption- It consumes all." He gestured a tendril in a circle motion. All present were included in this statement. "We protect all. Please move." It tried again, not wanting to antagonise while conflict was not yet inevitable.

Its focus would largely remain on the outsiders and helping to diffuse the situation, so its physical efforts remained minor for now. Still standing closer to Orthrus, it moved to sweep bones within its reach towards its sibling this time, partly in apology for earlier.

Alcina's position seems perfect enough. Atleast, until the Praetor's death rampages through the link. It hurts Alcina's head, their protector reduced to nothing in an instant.

Flower-petal jaws yawn open, returning Sergei's challenge with her own roar. Her black eyes, now plainly revealed, skim over the bones, finally landing on the interloper who dared touch a child of Mother's.

"COWARD! Look at this one who defies our gifts!" she howls, before leaping of the tower of bones in a raging charge. Jaws snarling wide, she tries to clamp them on Sergei.

The surge of Praetors was... terrifying, and infurating, all at once.

The Barbearian yanked back his Chrysoprase-tipped spear, roaring a challenge again--lips dangling, spittle flying--and then backed away, struggling to keep the Praetors at bay. He couldn't outrun them--but he dodged around a large outcrop of time-bleached stone, playing the world's most deadly game of keep-away. He thrust the spear clumsily for the first Praetor that rounded the stone--he was bottlenecking them, but these beasts were immense... His strike would not even harm it, but if he could just keep it at bay for a moment-

The spear struck home, and he could feel his heart thudding frantically in his chest, hear his own breaths ragged and fast--the Praetor was merely deflected.

They were still coming.

The lunging monstrosity roaring toward him--a split head, the word COWARD on its lips--no, jaws--was a horror out of nightmares.

Had Sergei room to think, he'd have wondered that these were 'Mother's' newest children. The true face of her. The monster, the ugly, the destruction, as much as she preached love, and Order. The snarl on his face, black lips peeled back around shining gums, was one of utter, horrified disgust.

On one side of him the praetors were undoubtedly recovering, charging--but Sergei thrust his gemstone spear straight for Alcina's open maw and gullet.

It missed--as they had missed him--both crashing past pointlessly, the bear stumbling with his own misjudged strike.

Tranquility was broken, the silence of the bonecave was shattered and its emptiness filled with roars and screams. Anubis raised his head, peering out of the small cave he was inhabiting, newly opened again after the rockfall had trapped him for so long. He'd been out before, of course, but he was still growing used to the light again.

Reaching forward and picking up the small body in front of him, he turned and padded out of the cave and over the crest of fallen rocks that barred his view of the rest of Canis.

He could see it from here, althought distantly. Shapes moving around, streams of magic blasting between two groups. Much of one group was in various shades of white, strangely enough, and the other was...well, Anubis wasn't sure but it looked like the Bonebound.

Humming softly to himself, he let his feet carry him closer to the battlefield, politely curious, and sat himself down again a safe distance away. He could see better, but he was not in the line of fire. He found a good dip in the bones, so that he was partially obscured, and settled down to watch.

The mouse he was carrying was set carefully in front of him. "This is interesting, Aati," he whispered. "There is violence. What for? They are angry. What stirs their rage? Will they kill one another? What forces are at play? I have not seen anything like this." His eyes gleamed as he watched the battle unfolding before him, but the mouse before him did not respond. It breathed, shallowly, but it seemed to be unwilling or unable to run. Perhaps it had something to do with the multiple patches of mold-like fungus disrupting its fur.