The water would have been great if it hit where the cub had burnt him, prior--but it didn't. It hit, instead, on his other side, the crack of a rib audible with the force of the jet, sending the horse tumbling in the underbrush.

He knew what he had to do, to escape--even if he didn't like it. With a stumble and a snort, feeling the sharp pain in his side, he came back to his feet. He would charge the cub--it was hidden in pitch black, so if he missed, he would try to just keep running. But he knew where the fire had spewed from, had seen its glow, and if he could trample the little creature, the others would be forced to choose.

To choose to chase Khloros, or to save Sebastian.

With a loud snort and a surge of black-slicked muscle, the horse charged the direction from which the fire had come. He aimed to run right over the cub--to step on it, to hurt it, to send it tumbling--and then to run onward.

The others could chase him... and leave the injured cub behind, if he managed to hit. Or they could, or so he hoped, stop their pursuit, their attack, to aid their little comrade.

Assuming they don't try to track me later. And perhaps with more allies...

________________

BRING OUT YOUR DEAD

@Sebastian @Rui

Sebastian bristled, stepping back out of the way as his Magick failed, digging his claws into the dirt. He wanted to help, but he didn't think it would be a good idea to physically touch the beast. It looked slimy and disgusting, and he was fairly certain he'd get ill if he neared it.

He startled as Rift launched himself at the horse, releasing a torrent of water that struck the horse on his side, audibly cracking a rib. Unfortunately, it didn't seem to have much of an effect, except to make the horse mad.

His eyes widened as it suddenly began to charge towards him, and he froze. The horse, despite seeming so ill, was surprisingly fast, and he cried out in pain as he was thrown aside, hearing something pop several times in his torso. Reflexively, he attempted to launch a spell, only for it to falter and stop before even leaving his stomach.


"Speech looks like this."
Thoughts look like this.

@rift
@rui
@khloros

Rift smirked as his jet of water smashed into the horse's side, throwing him to the ground. There was a sickening crack as the jet hit his side and Rift felt a twinge of guilt for hurting him like that. He hadn't...really meant to, but, at the same time, if he needed to hurt the horse to protect his home and friends, he would do that. He would kill him if he had to! Could I do it, though? Could I kill someone?

He didn't have much time to ruminate on the answer as the horse got up and began charging at Sebastian. He watched in horror as Sebastian, instead of throwing himself away, attempted to launch a spell that seemingly failed. "Sebastian!" With a cry, he leaped forward, sending a shock of magic into the ground as he stepped. "Stop him!" He couldn't let the horse touch the black puma - he'd get sick!

The plants heard his call. A number of vines from the trees and thorns from the earth threw themselves in front of the horse's path, just where his hooves would pass, trying to trip him or at least hold him back.


___________________________________________________________

"And if it ever starts to feel sad little fang"
Remember that your gifts are your gain.

tags: @Rui @Khloros
notes: here

The horse was tripped up, not only tripped but knocked flying, face-first down into the brambles and logs with a sharp grunt.

He was left winded--burnt, now, and wet, and the broken rib aching. Too dazed to stand, yet.

If they continue, I will kill them now, he decided, anger finally trickling through the muted cold.

Slowly, he began to push up, trembling with weakness and anger--though very much open to another attack. He found the roots and brambles bound around his hooves, and as he started to pull himself free, kicking, he swayed with dizziness from the fall.

________________

BRING OUT YOUR DEAD

((ooc note - I had intended to remove Khlor from the thread awhile ago, as I'd prefer him not to DIE this early on in the plot, but if he's stopped much more it has to become a fight really!))

@Rui @Sebastian @Rift

The Puma gasped, trying desperately to regain the breath that had been knocked out of him. As he staggered to his paws, Rift launched himself forward, sending vines and thorns to stop the horse from escaping.

Finally getting to his feet, he cringed as the horse went sprawling. His ears flicked back, and he turned to Rift. "Rift, wait. I... I think we should let him go." he frowned. "This doesn't feel right." The black big cat turned to the horse, face taking on a hardened expression. "But if he ever comes back, he'll have us to deal with." he growled.


___________________________________________________________

"Speech looks like this."
Thoughts look like this.

tags: @Rift @Khloros @Rui
notes:

Rift breathed with relief when the horse tripped over the vines he had set in front of him. Sebastian was safe and they were getting the situation under control. Now, to teach the disgusting creature a lesson.

He crouched, snarling, his magic pulsing in his paws as he prepared to reach into the earth for the aid of the plants when Sebastian stepped to his side. He looked over at the puma with surprise. Didn't...didn't he want to protect the plants? The forest? Didn't he want to destroy this creature?

But, when he said it, Rift realized he was right and, suddenly, he was snapped out of his rage. He felt the heat ebbing away in his chest and he suddenly panicked, realizing that it was the same rage that had taken over two times before; once in his first cycle with Ritonai, and then when Blackberry had come to destroy the forest. He was getting out of control and it was time to stop.

He took a deep breath and sat back on his haunches. "You're right. If he wants to leave, he can leave." Instead of calling to the plants to help him destroy the horse, he merely willed them to untangle themselves from his hooves and merely stand at the ready, should he attack again. They carefully unwrapped themselves from the horse and pulled back against the trees.

He took a moment to calm himself before turning back and glaring at the horse. "Don't you dare step foot in this forest again." His voice was a furious snarl and a warning that there would be blood if he came back.


___________________________________________________________

"Speech looks like this."
Thoughts look like this.

tags: @Khloros
notes:

Khloros staggered heavily.

His ribs ached where they had broken. His other flank seared where it was burned. His mind reeled where his head had struck the ground and he was dizzy, finding it hard to find his feet--but the plants, they were loose.

When the cats relented, he did not wait. He had no reason to stay around and fight--no pride, no rage... very little anger. Some instinctive fear, the fear of a horse for the claws of the mountain lion, still rippled through the back of his mind.

As they released him, then, he simply stumbled into the dark, and broke into a weak gallop, fleeing Eridanus. He raced out of sight, unsteady hoofbeats fading.

The cave of Life was thus safe from his brand of death--defended, protected, by these three strangers, these felines who had banded together against him and his madness.

And, too, he'd left behind samples of his "gift." Where he'd rolled in the ferns, fighting his way free--where he'd fought the brambles--there were slicks of gruesome pus dripping from the leaves. It would not hurt the plants, no--but perhaps a skilled mender could examine it, incubate it...

Cleanse it, learn from it, or even use it.

Khloros himself did not care--he was unaware. He was already fleeing. But the plague-slicks left behind could be a tool, or a weapon, in the right hands.

________________

BRING OUT YOUR DEAD

ooc -- exit Khloros, ty! I'm sure he will be slain at some point but meanwhile... feel free to interact with the plague however you wish. They could probably work out that fauna cleanse can cure it, etc!

@Sebastian @Rui @Rift

Once the mad, diseased horse had galloped into the distance, Rift released a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. He padded forward to inspect a bush that had the horse's disgusting mucus and plague sprayed upon the leaves. He sniffed it, careful not to touch it, before backing away, disgusted. It smelled just as bad as him, if not worse. If that stuff came off of him wherever he ran, then he shuddered to think of how the forest looked now.

Without really thinking, he focused his magic into a paw, a need to cleanse and to clean and pressed it against the plague. For a second, he couldn't believe himself, but then the blood was fading from the leaves as a small sizzle came from the liquid. Steam rose as a warmth traveled through his paw. Once it was gone, he pulled his paw away and looked at the pad. No traces of the plague anywhere on his skin or fur.

He looked up. He knew what he had to do. The forest was probably crawling with the horse's disease. He had to deal with this.

But he couldn't do it alone. They didn't have all the time in the world. With a heavy heart, he turned to Sebastian and gave him a serious look. "Sebastian, I'm going to need your help. There's still plague here. Anyone that touches it or ingests it could be infected and he left it everywhere. I'll do the best I can to stop it, but I...I'm going to need your help. Anything you see that has the plague...burn it. But just be careful not to harm any healthy plants."


___________________________________________________________

"Speech looks like this."
Thoughts look like this.

tags: @Sebastian
notes:

Sebastian bristled, tail lashing as he looked between Khloros and Rift. He feared that Rift wouldn't do as he said, that he would continue the fight, but it didn't seem right. Rift was no killer, that he could say for certain.

Thankfully, it seemed, he got through to Rift, as the puma sat back, giving Khloros the opportunity to leave, releasing him from his vines. He warned Khloros away from ever returning, and Sebastian watched on as the horse staggered away.

He watched Rift, concerned, as he approached the bush that was sprayed with the horse's sickness. Was Rift risking being infected? It itched at him to step forward, to pull him away, but after a moment he saw Rift use his magic to cleanse the plant.

Rift asked him to help burn the plague, and he nodded, saying "Alright," as he approached. He concentrated on his Magic, feeling it rise and give birth to heated bile.

Which seemed to get caught in his throat. He choked, wheezing as smoke began to come from his mouth and nose, eyes watering. Any cat would recognize the sound, as he finally retched up a burning, smoking... hairball.


"Speech looks like this."
Thoughts look like this.

Rift barely noticed Sebastian's failure, too intent on the task ahead. His tail was lashing nervously, realizing how much of the forest could already be crawling with plague. When he turned, he saw the smoke coming out of the puma's mouth and twitched his whiskers. "Are you alright?" He looked him over, but it didn't seem to be that bad. Once he knew that Sebastian would be okay, he turned back towards where the horse had disappeared.

"I'm going after him to cleanse anything he touches before it spreads through the whole forest. You find the trail where he came in and follow that. We'll meet back here and I'll cleanse you if you've caught the disease." His voice was filled with purpose and was deadly serious. He crouched and bounded away, softly touching mucus-covered plants that sprinkled the area with his pelt, letting magic flow from his fur to the leaves. He needed to do this quick or he'd have a real problem on his hands

*exit


___________________________________________________________

"Speech looks like this."
Thoughts look like this.

tags: @Sebastian
notes: