Those words fell on deaf ears, but perhaps in a day of blissful peace, looking back, the great beast would remember that moment-- that brief moment-- that the lion reminded her of her own family. Niru and her weren't much different, but in the heat of the fight, neither would admit to it Perhaps that was the best.

As she charged at the lion, he charged back. Foolish, she sneered, keeping her head low to impale him. However, where a charging rhino could hardly turn, the agile feline could spring to the side and lash out with his claws. The tawny fur swerved and she put on the breaks, digging her flaming feet into the dusty earth. Claws scored across her face, but she was already lashing back out in return.

She threw her head into the cat's claws, pressing forward with her trifecta of horns, tossing her goring prongs at him, hoping to spread more than her own blood. She wanted to scar him, to mark him, so he would never forget that messing with her and her family would only bring him pain.

And maybe he would take this message to not only his father, but to all gembound he met: That the Merrymen were not to be trifled with.

{ FIGHT STATISTICS }
NEMESIS v. NIRU
ONE TWO THREE FOUR FIVE ???

{ ATTEMPT }

~ goring niru with her horns

{ DEFENSES }

~ blocking her body with her face frill and horns :D

{ INJURIES }

~ prior injuries;;

• freshly mutated

~ current injuries;;

• scratches along her nose

@Niru ! <3

### words

outfit

tagged

“

and where i may have been successful, the glory would be short lived. so short lived, that when the monstrous thing thrust her hulking skull, the trifecta of intense weaponry struck me. the one about her muzzle scraped along my rib cage, taking carapace and fur with it. the one closest to me scraped against my cheek and across my nose, whilst thrusting me away. but not before the last and third horn scraped against my neck and jaw. each newly opened wound bled, staining the golden strands crimson. i roared out in pain, and as i was thrust back with the motion i fell atop my side - where the pain from the prior attack was even more excruciating. in this time, i flitted in and out of consciousness. my eyes whirled, my mind spun, and my body ached from the pain. though, a strange numbness began to take over. in this celestial time of my subconscious threatening to take over, i couldn't help but picture a rather blissful situation in that, this was all a dream. a terrible nightmare that would suggest my undying devotion to defend cancer's honor. but alas, this was all too real, and i realized that as soon as my consciousness snapped back to reality. i rose to my feet - barely - attempting to hold my head up high even from the pain. it was apparent that i needed to attack from elsewhere. if i wanted to make any more attempts that is. i was weakening, this much i knew, and the blinding rage was forced to break it's hold on me, huffing away the clouded fog of my mind. slowly, almost brokenly, i skulked toward her again, veering far to the side of her to keep some distance. while i was injured and hurt very badly, i milked the injuries - trying to throw a bluff her way so she thought i was worse off than i really was. diaphragm heaved labored, heavy breathes as i kept attempting the circle. jaded lenses fell upon the tail of the beast. and without warning, i lunged. jowls ajar as i now attempted to chomp down on her tail. i would be meticulous though, for the hind legs might be able to deliver a nasty blow if i was directly behind her. if successful, i would be careful to stick to the side while gnawing on her tail. all attempts were swift, calculated, and timid.

"spoken words"

”

notes

round;; four out of undetermined
attempt;; bite her tail - barely successful
defenses;; standing out to the side so as to attempt to avoid getting kicked
injuries;; prior: none, current: possible broken ribs;;large scratch to the rib cage, neck, and face.

♥︎

@Nemesis

Nemesis snorted, pride filling her barrel-shaped chest. She had seriously wounded that ignorant cub, leaving him limping to escape. She turned away from him, raising her head with a cockiness that was probably undeserved.

"Get out of my sight--" she began to command with a haughtiness she had picked up from Diamondfang. Her heart beat steady as the flames on her hooves smoldered out in the dry air, the burns sore and fresh but somehow satisfying. The feeling of tempered flames chewing at her flesh was a familiar one, one that she had missed.

It was then that she heard the scrapping of claws on the dusty earth, a lunge for her tail. Her head whirled around but she herself could not pivot fast enough. The cat was going for her tail, even after she had proven herself stronger than him. With a roar of anger, she lashed her thick, mammoth tail, determined to smack him away with it, some how, before he latched on and began doing too much damage.

"Get off! Go away!" She screamed, wishing she hadn't killed the fire magic so quickly. She could have backed up, trampled him, burned him-- but now all she could do was try and hit him with her tail, and in the meanwhile, try to rear around so she could use her horns on him again.

{ FIGHT STATISTICS }
NEMESIS v. NIRU
ONE TWO THREE FOUR FIVE ???

{ ATTEMPT }

~ nemesis used tail whip

{ DEFENSES }

~ none

{ INJURIES }

~ prior injuries;;

• freshly mutated

~ current injuries;;

• scratches along her nose
  
• puncture marks in tail

@Niru !

### words

outfit

tagged

“

i would be foolish to think i was stronger than the monstrous beast before me. there was hardly much comparison. she wielded fire magic whilst i...whatever the hell i had. perhaps i could one day be strong, but in my meager adolescence, i was a rag doll for her. such a thought is generally scary, something that would usually send me running in the opposite direction. but this time it was personal, entirely too personal. she'd insulted the very being, the only reason i was alive. she lashed her tail about, and i'd hoped the hold i had on her was stronger then what i had initially thought. and luckily, i was able to keep my grip. i wasn't about to let this go without some damage. so far the creature had only sustained what i'd given to her, a few scratches and punctures. she'd scarred me for life. as i kept my hold, hoping she was unable to dispatch me from this position, a guttural, yet still distinctly juvenile snarl erupted from my ajar lips and clenched bridgework.

"spoken words"

”

notes

round;; five out of undetermined
attempt;; keep a hold of her tail - barely successful
defenses;; standing out to the side so as to attempt to avoid getting kicked
injuries;; prior: none, current: possible broken ribs;;large scratch to the rib cage, neck, and face.

♥︎

@Nemesis

Nemesis could feel the cat's teeth sinking deeper in to her tail, and lashing it around wasn't doing any good. Frustration bubbled up in her as the cub let out a childish snarl. The sharp, stinging pain ran up through her spine, making her wince, and she knew she had to do something to dispatch the lion.

Blood rushing through her veins, she felt an instinct to do the one thing she knew she could do: Run. With a furious roar, she bolted, lunging out towards the open plain of her homeland. The twister had more or less died down, so she couldn't rely on it for help this time-- but she could run. She'd stampede until the damn feline's teeth fell out for all she cared.

Her eyes spotted the gorge in the distance, and with all her strength, she surged for it. If she could get the cub to the cliff and flick him off of it, that would be the end of that. Maybe he'd break a leg, but she didn't care. She was fighting for her home, for her family, and she didn't give a shit who she hurt doing it. Hell, if she didn't have Maggs to watch out for, she'd throw herself off the cliff with the cat, just to make sure.

{ FIGHT STATISTICS }
NEMESIS v. NIRU
ONE TWO THREE FOUR FIVE SIX ???

{ ATTEMPT }

~ trying to drag niru around to get him to let go (taking him to the gorge)

{ DEFENSES }

~ none

{ INJURIES }

~ prior injuries;;

• freshly mutated

~ current injuries;;

• scratches along her nose
  
• heavy wounds on her tail

@Niru

### words

outfit

tagged

“

she'd had enough. and i hadn't anticipated the monster to take off charging. that was one scenario i did not calculate in, and when the beast did so, i was yanked with her. the action was far too quick, unable to actually catch myself. my jowls still locked upon the appendage, my anchored limbs were scraped across the rock flooring. the abrupt halt sent me flying, up, over, and back to the ground where the momentum caused my broken body to roll, and when i did i found myself dangling over the cliff's edge. claws ejected and scraped, dug deep into the rock and was able to grapple onto the ledge before i was sent plummeting. i roared a frightened, angered roar and tried to climb upward, but failed. i was panicking now, and my anxiety got the better of me. grasping my heart and clutching hard. i screamed, huffed, snarled, gruffed, but was then able to claw my way back up to the solid ground. it was not easy, and now, i knew i'd had it. my entire body was aching, agonizing pain swooped in like a tsunami as the adrenaline drained from me. i glared at the monster as i jogged/trotted far, far away from her. i needed to go home. i needed to find cancer. oh, where the hell was he? in my moment of weakness, i questioned myself. i questioned why, why i did that. just for his honor. but had i retreated before things got too violent, i would feel guilty for not doing what i just did. either way, i'll file this experience away forever. keeping it locked away, but not quite, hm? i was certain these still bleeding gashes would tell my story of failure forever. and all would ask.

"spoken words"

”

notes

round;; ended.
attempt;; none
defenses;; irrelevant
injuries;; prior: none, current: possible broken ribs;;large scratch to the rib cage, neck, and face. sore back, sore mouth.

{niru exits}

♥︎

@Nemesis

"AND STAY OUT!" She roared back, letting him claw his way off the edge and limp away. He fled, and she watched, her eyes narrow and cold. If he even tried to pull a fast one on her, she'd chase him down-- but no. He limped off, leaving as fast and as quickly as he could. He had been beaten, and he knew it. With a snort, she lashed her tail and turned her eyes back to the cliff she had nearly killed him with.

Panting, Nemesis knelt by the edge of the gorge. She was exhausted-- from the fight, from her spirit, from her magic. She had done well, she thought, but she couldn't press herself so hard. She had just come back to life, and those two weeks spent in that gem-shell left her physically with less energy than she needed to do things like she did when she was just a babe.

"Good job, Fire, good job. You still got it," she cooed to herself, eyes fluttering closed. After dispatching that foolish cub, she felt pride surge through her as the adrenaline wore off. Satisfied, she wanted to rest, to nurse her wounds. She sighed, settling her face on the dusty earth, and let herself slip away into unconsciousness to rest.

;; nem exit!

Character: Nemesis Age: +4 (4 Cycles) Magic Level: +3 (Brawlerl) ROUND 1 Attempt: +13 Penalties: -0 ROUND 2 Attempt: +20 Penalties: -0 ROUND 3 Attempt: +7 Penalties: -0 ROUND 4 Attempt: +18 Penalties: -0 ROUND 5 Attempt: +9 Penalties: -0 Total: 74

Character: Niru Age: +2 (2 Cycles) Magic Level: +1 (Fledgling) ROUND 1 Attempt: +5 Penalties: -0 ROUND 2 Attempt: +7 Penalties: -0 ROUND 3 Attempt: +14 Penalties: -0 ROUND 4 Attempt: +10 Penalties: -0 ROUND 5 Attempt: +12 Penalties: -0 Total: 51

WINNER: Nemesis