The attack was blinding, a slash, a duck, Vazi suddenly turned toward him and facing him, a shouting, angry voice and then searing pain. He cried out, a strangled, choked squeal, and fell back away, the wound that had been torn open over his bony ribs only starting to seep crimson a few moments later. He staggered, dazed, trying to get up and move back, bewildered by the suddenness and the violence of Vazi's attack. Bewildered, even though he'd been expecting it. He wound up stumbling backwards until he was a few yards further back, crying pathetically in repeated mewls and finally lying down, turning to try and lick at his sudden wound. He wasn't thinking straight, or he might've remembered that his cries made Vazi more angry. That he wasn't meant to mewl and whine, like a weakling. Like filth. When Beast looked back up, still dazed from the strike, he could see that he'd failed. Maybe, even, his hopes of holding peace had backfired; the brown creature was moving in for an attack, and panic again filled the young lion. "N-no!" he cried, struggling to stand back up, gasping for air as his malnourished body struggled to cope with the sudden stress and the fresh wound. "Don't h-h-hurt him!" His words were wracked by frightened half-sobs, and even so, it wasn't sure who he was begging to not be harmed--Vazi, or Leon. Maybe both. ______________

@Hasira

VAZI HASIRA

"shattered innocence"

---

If he hadn't been shouting and had been paying attention to the bear perhaps he would have had a comeback to his words. Perhaps if he had been in his right mind he wouldn't have turned his back on a carnivore. From this he would learn and teach to his other pupils. Never turn your back on a carnivore. They'll try to eat you as soon as you do.

"Get your filthy hide up and-- AUGH!" As he had been reprimanding beast he felt the pain first at the back of his head. It was a terrible burning sensation like his very head was about to be burned away. His great antlers touched the ground as he bellowed in pain and shook his head to try and dispel the horrible burning. He tried to summon his magic, the water, to put the burning out but he had no time. He felt the bear on his hindquarters, holding and pulling.

He had to get him off. Get him away. He could feel panic, instinctual panic. The bear was on him! He would eat him! He would kill him! Fearfully he let out a bellow and tried to lash out with his rear legs to get the bear off and injure him if he could. He kicked and thrashed with his rear legs, his attempts to throw him hopefully not in vain.

---

Round I of V
Attack: Lashing out with his rear legs to dislodge Leon and kick him.
Injuries: Burned back of head, puncture marks in his hindquarters.
Defense: Thrashing.

words: 230
tagged: Leon, @Beast
ooc: ---
muse: 6/10

"Talking looks like this."
Thinking looks like this...

His aim landed true, thankfully; the bear had not yet been clouded by his own fury, and maybe his intention - true and justified as it was - convinced some fate to allow him to nearly take the stag down on his first try. If he could just down the stag for a little while, through whatever means possible, then maybe he could make off with the lion... he was a little too big for Leon to carry in his mouth, but he doubted it would take much convincing to get him to run away with him. His gaze flickered briefly from Vazi to the lion, and his heart twisted with pain watching the blood seep from his wiry white fur, hearing him mewl like a pathetic kitten - he wanted so much to take the lion to safety, and yet when he begged not to hurt him - Vazi? - he snapped his attention back to the stag.

Just in time for Vazi to land a vicious kick to his hip, damn near shattering the bone. "Shit!" Leon scowled as pain blossomed in his lower torso, the bone most certainly fractured from the stag's powerful impact. He released the deer and fell backwards at the force of the blow, landing on his injured side with a loud, scathing groan - but Leon was quick to get back up again, rolling to his paws and rising forward. He kept his eyes on the stag's powerful antlers, unwilling to risk being gouged by them - rather he tried to remain behind the stag, where he attempted to mind his sharp hooves, too.

What better way to do this than to blind him? In a split second decision he summoned the burning heat to his skin, hoping to emit a cloud of smoke that would distract the stag so Leon could continue to angle himself behind Vazi, or at least to his side, far enough away that his antlers wouldn't be able to reach.

Round 2/5
Attacks: Char - creating smoke to blind and distract Vazi
Defenses: Watching his hooves and antlers, staying behind Vazi
Injuries: Hairline fracture in right hip

VAZI HASIRA

"shattered innocence"

---

His hooves connected with the bear but he was turned in the wrong direction and couldn't see where. He just felt the soft flesh bending beneath the impact and the bone beneath his hard hoof. It was enough to get the bear to spew forth some fowl language and release his hold which Vazi used to bound away a few feet. He didn't know where the cub was at this point, almost didn't care so long as the creature didn't run away. Well, even if it did run away he would track it down after this whole ordeal was over and done with. "You foolish carnivore! You will not win! Even if you beat me now I will have your hide lining my nest later! I gave you a chance but you did not take it!" His words were cut when he Leon began to burn his own hair to create smoke.

Coughs wracked his body as he attempted to escape. Where was the bear? He couldn't tell... He didn't want to get grabbed again. Next time he could go completely down! The skin at the back of his neck throbbed with the smoke touching it. He needed this to end, to stop or he would surely die of the inhalation. Head lowered and ears raised to try and pick up where the bear was walking. He could charge but it would be blindly so he would use this opportunity better. He tapped into his magic and attempted to drain Leon's water as he had done with the canine all those weeks ago.

---

Round II of V
Attack: Suck out Leon's water.
Injuries: Burned back of head, puncture marks in his hindquarters. Burned throat.
Defense: Ears raised and listening.

words: 263
tagged: Leon, @Beast
ooc: ---
muse: 6/10

"Talking looks like this."
Thinking looks like this...

Clouds of smoke rolled off of the bear as his skin and fur ignited, smouldering under the sudden high temperature that his body took on. With it came the rancid smell of burning hair, and it scorched the bear's sensitive nose - but other than that, and the mild burning on his skin, he was fine. Thankfully, he was able to fill the immediate area with smoke, making it difficult to distinguish him from anything else nearby. He had to be careful that the deer didn't mistake him for the lion - or worse, make off with the lion while Leon was preparing his next attack. There was tingling on his skin, and the bear moved silently, side-stepping around the deer as he sought the best point to attack. Each step came with a wobbly limp as he was met with the unanticipated pain of his fractured hip, and he gritted his teeth trying to stifle any sounds of pain that itched to slip from his lips.

Vazi's taunt made it even harder to remain silent, but the bear persisted, pursing his lips and restraining himself from answer. He moved still, slowly advancing closer - until that tingling in his skin grew to something else. It grew inside of him. The tingling slowly turned into numbness and then pain as he felt the water in his body quickly being wicked away. Leon's eyes widened as he glanced back at his shoulders and could see droplets of water bubbling up from his skin, and he felt it climbing his throat - before he knew it, the water was leaving his body against his will. No!

Leon snarled silently and pumped up his body temperature. If the deer thought he could take Leon's body water, he'd be disappointed to find it would come at a cost. Steadily growing dizzy with dehydration, Leon grounded himself and tried to focus on the heat, remaining hidden in the smoke several paces behind Vazi.

Round 3/5
Attacks: Heating up surface temperature of his skin to boil the water leaving his body
Defenses: Legs braced and grounded, still hiding in the smoke behind Vazi
Injuries: Hairline fracture in right hip, dizzy with extreme dehydration

They were fighting. They were hurting. He could hear the scuffling, the violence, see the smoke billowing and feel the pull and tug of hostile magic, the temperature spikes, the sear of steam--even so far away. The battle was brutal, and the cub felt wholly responsible--and terrified. If only he'd stayed put when Vazi had told him to... The cub scrambled up, his terror and guilt driving him toward the fight instead of away from it, so that he was nothing but a tumbling streak of lopsided white--streaked with scarlet--that bolted directly into the battle, still crying. "NOOO!" he wailed, his voice a pathetic, high-pitched mewl, wracked with sobs. "I'm sorry! Please don't fight! Please stop, I'm sorry--I'M SORRY!" He was putting himself in harm's way, but that hardly mattered anymore. ______________

@Hasira

VAZI HASIRA

"shattered innocence"

---

He hadn't planned on absorbing the water himself but he wanted to use it as way to weaken the bear but it had failed. The water as it left Leon was boiling and steaming as it rose towards him. He could feel bits of it touch his fur and he danced away, pushing the boiling stuff away from him. Hmph. So he wanted to play with fire? Well he could counter that and use ice!

His neck was stinging something fierce now but he ignored it. He couldn't just allow this bear to have his way. He prepared to hone his magic again but he heard the call of the Beast. His eyes angrily turned towards the cub and he bellowed in anger as he tried to stop the fight. "Stand down, filth! This does not concern you!" He stamped his hooves at the thing, hoping to scare the creature away. If not perhaps he would learn to stay out of things that he didn't belong in if he was burned or punctured with ice.

He focused on his magic and then partly with water in the atmosphere and partly with Leon's own water he attempted to form the water into icicles to drop on the bear's head.

---

Round III of V
Attack: Drop icicles on Leon!
Injuries: Burned back of head, puncture marks in his hindquarters. Burned throat. Burn at the back of his head stinging from steaming water.
Defense: Ears raised and listening.

words: 200
tagged: Leon, @Beast
ooc: ---
muse: 6/10

"Talking looks like this."
Thinking looks like this...

So much water had left him that for a moment, Leon wavered - he lost his balance and his vision blurred, turning black. The bear snarled and shook his head, trying to regain his composure but it was difficult after having lost so much moisture from his body. He stumbled over and before he could focus on the fight, the lion had come bursting into the cloud of smoke, crying out for them to stop. His ears twitched, and again that parental instinct kicked in - for a second he stopped, snapping his orange eyes in the direction of the feline, but he couldn't tell where he was - until he saw a sudden movement in the smoke, the stag, stamping at him. Again his fury drove him forward, towards the stag - no, the lion. Leon found himself emerging from the smoke in a limping lunge, close enough to the lion that he could see him now.

The air above crackled. Leon glanced up - the water pulled from his body was hovering in the air and freezing, turning into sharp, pointed icicles suspended in the air just above he and the lion. He moved on impulse, advancing on the lion and shoving him down with his massive, barrel chest, standing over the lion and ducking his head just in time for the icicles to manifest and drop on him. They collided with his skin, some of them sliding off his hide while others pierced into his flesh. Leon gritted his teeth as the pain curled over his back, hitting him like acid raindrops, one of them knocking him right in the back of his skull, even.

It only served to make him angrier. Leon drew his teeth and launched forward, wobbling slightly and blinking as he attempted to remain focused. It would be foolish to approach Vazi while still cloaked in smoke, so he allowed the distance to remain between them for a few seconds more. Instead he continued to shift, trying to determine Vazi's location and stay behind him while the heat again crawled up his chest. This time, if he was successful, he hoped to spray the scalding bile at his legs - maybe that would trip him up and put them on even ground.

Round 4/5
Attacks: Spitfire bile at Vazi's legs while trying to keep behind him in the smoke
Defenses: Maneuving behind Vazi
Injuries: Hairline fracture in right hip, dizzy with extreme dehydration, back, neck and skull bleeding from icicle impacts

VAZI HASIRA

"shattered innocence"

---

The smoke hadn't lifted so he didn't know if his attack had worked and landed. He could only feel the icicles form and drop downwards but nothing afterwards. The smoke cloaked both the beast and Leon so that he was left guessing at the outcome. Vazi stood in the smoke, ears pricked as he listened for any telltale sounds of life. Would Leon survive? Had he killed his servant? Was Leon waiting for the smoke to clear too so that he could attack?

His answer came when he saw a bright light in the smoke. Uh-oh. He opened his mouth and tapped into his magic. He could feel the liquids in his body preparing to launch out of his mouth to counteract what Leon himself was going to spit at him. Leon had fire but he had water. The liquids launched out of his open mouth and straight at the bile that Leon spewed at him. The water helped to stop most of the bile, causing it to sizzle and fall harmlessly to the ground. "Is that all? You piece of filth! You hide and cower in the smoke while throwing attacks at me! Is that what carnivores do? Hide and cower and wait until they can launch an unfair attack?!" He stomped his hooves and lashed his tines at the air, attempting to goad Leon into an assault.

---

Round IV of V
Attack: None
Injuries: Burned back of head, puncture marks in his hindquarters. Burned throat. Burn at the back of his head stinging from steaming water.
Defense: Ears raised and listening. Spitting water at the fire to keep it from harming him.

words: 229
tagged: Leon, @Beast
ooc: ---
muse: 6/10

"Talking looks like this."
Thinking looks like this...

mature language :O

The stag was unfortunately quick to douse his flaming bile, but that was okay. Leon wobbled still, just barely catching sight of the water glistening in the diffused light - and with that he could determine approximately where the stag was. Leon was still a few paces away from him which was alright, but his energy was beginning to wane drastically. The mass dehydration caused by his opponent was really taking its toll on him and Leon was beginning to fear that they'd have to end this battle soon. The stakes were growing dire, and he wouldn't allow himself to leave without saving that lion from the clutches of this bat shit crazy asshole.

He made his move, beginning to quietly and slowly edge himself about the stag. He prattled on about how he was hiding in the smoke, like all carnivores - cowards, the lot of them, for sure. Yeah, dummy. That's how we catch food. Leon sneered. That was why he was so adept at keeping himself hidden in the smoke. Carnivores 1, Herbivores 0.

"What, you think you're gonna wear down my self esteem stating the obvious?" He let it all spill out, curling his lips back in a furious snarl as he stalked through the smoke. "Think I'm gonna be stupid enough to risk getting caught in those pointy sticks on your head, let alone have you see where I'm going?" At this point, if the stag was any good with his ears, he'd be able to pinpoint Leon's location anyways. But that was fine - Leon had abandoned all desire to remain hidden any longer. He was loping a wide arc around the deer, keeping his eyes pinned on his opponent and watching for any sudden movements. "Think I'm evil for valuing my hide over yours? Fine, but I'm not the one shoving around children, asshole. But, I digress," Eventually, his paws had taken him to stand in front of the stag.

Falling into position, Leon sought the stag's gaze through the slowly dissipating smoke. He leaned back onto his haunches and gradually rose, standing up at his most impressive height of nine feet tall, a monolith over the stag before him. The heat roiled inside of him, bred by fury and anticipation and hatred for the monster that had evolved out of this deer. It burned his stomach and lungs, hotter than ever before. It climbed his throat and seared his skin, he could feel his innards sizzling, his eyes burned and smoke poured out of his nose and ears. His jaws cracked into a snarling grin. "Short answer?" He rumbled. "Yes."

Massive maw parted to reveal the gaping void now illuminated in burning yellow - the light erupted from his throat and spilled forward in a stream of wild, vicious flames that would catch the smoke and ignite the air, bringing insufferable heat to the immediate surroundings. Fed so by his fury that the fire caught his muzzle and seared his lips, riding up his snout and head until the bear's entire front torso was consumed in merciless flame.

Round 5/6
Attacks: FIRE BLAST MOFUGGA
Defenses: None
Injuries: Hairline fracture in right hip, dizzy with extreme dehydration, back, neck and skull bleeding from icicle impacts, CURRENTLY VERY ON FIRE