Sebastian made a proud chirping sound when he saw the rat fall, greasy fur going up in smoke. He'd not been sure it would land, all things considered, but now he was quite glad he'd tried. Now, hopefully, the rat wouldn't be able to spread its disease. But still, they had to deal with this horse, or risk it just spreading to more rats. To be honest, he feared fighting this thing; it didn't even look real! But he didn't dare think about letting it continue its plans.

The odd looking cat, whom he'd yet to notice, suddenly began to speak. His eyes widened at the words it used, feeling uncomfortable. He'd never heard any words like those before. And he'd never have imagined someone being so cruel to another. Holy crap!

Hearing Rift address him, he nodded. "I did!" And he was glad for it, too!

He bristled as the horse began to approach Rift and himself, snarling through bared fangs. He felt something not unlike a hairball climb up his throat and, without thinking, launched a mouthful of burning bile at the horse as it charged them.


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

[rui tells someone to go die again]
"end your own cycle and leave me in peace, is what i'm saying, you walking scab. i happen to like living, and being alive," growled the wildcat, his tone less urgent but still cutting and irritated. it was clear this hulking eyesore of a beast was insane and not to be reasoned with, but he was still unwilling to touch it, so something had to be done.

to his great shock and pleasure, the little black cub who had been following the older cougar was the one to place the first strike--with fire, no less. rui worried for the cub's control over his element--they were surrounded by trees, after all--but he was also probably his only shot if the older cougar didn't act up any time soon. he'd need to stay out of the big, rotting creature's range if he wanted to really make an impact without getting stomped by what was surely a more powerful adult.

rui's jaw parted and another growl, this one lower, less angry, rose from his throat. a tiny pinprick of white light could be seen radiating from inside his mouth as he summoned his magick once more.

within moments, shadow fell upon the creatures below him, shrouding the area in darkness. some small areas remained exposed, as if light was peeking through the leaves of the rainforest, but artificial shadows had covered most of the ground. instead of the complete darkness rui had planned, the forest floor resembled that of a thicker, darker part of the forest, but creatures in the shadows' path would still blend to the surroundings much easier.

"get outta there, hit it with the fire and stuff! you're sneaky now!"

his allies in this fight were cats. like him, he thought, they would be able to see their target just fine. worst case scenario, whatever that big, nasty thing was could see in the dark too.

notes: kinda unsatisfied w this but im hungry Bye
tags: @Khloros @Sebastian @Rift

"speech."
others' speech.
image by emammal on flickr, edited by me.

Rift growled. This creature was mad. He had no idea what he was rambling on about, but he wasn't going to sit around and take it. He prepared to give him a scathing remark, but the horse was suddenly in motion, his putrid body on route to touch his own skin. With a hiss of surprise, his fur puffed up and his magic poured into the ground on instinct. A small barrier of thorns shot from the ground between them, halting the horse's attempt to disease him.

With a loud hiss, he stepped back, pawing the ground nervously. He didn't want to fight, but he knew that it was coming. He couldn't touch it, though. He'd have to ask his friends to help. And then Sebastian might have to burn them afterwards. He inwardly winced at the thought of sacrificing more of the plants' lives. But this had to be done. This creature had to be driven away or killed before he did anymore damage. "Please," he breathed, "I ask for your forgiveness. I need your help again."

He crouched before the creature, his tail lashing with agitation and his ears pulled back. "Are you sure you want to fight all of us at once?"


___________________________________________________________

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

tags: @Khloros @Sebastian @Rui
notes: here

Khloros felt the searing agony of something melting through his very flesh--dulled, as ever, but still enough to make him kick out high and sharp with his hind legs toward it. It wouldn't hit, of course; the cub was low down, and the horse was kicking high, expecting something larger.

A baleful glance back showed him nothing; the cub was somewhere in a pool of unnatural shadows behind him. A look forward had the brown cat spitting more words from behind his brambles.

Khloros felt nothing, really--no pride, no anger. He calculated, for a beat, and simply decided to leave the situation as it was. No. I cannot fight them all. He wasn't a creature of combat--and anyway, he'd plagued a rat already. It was already spreading.

Or so he thought; he was still unaware of the melanistic cub's successful efforts to stop the rat.

With a snort, the skeletally-thin black horse wheeled, turning to leap off into the jungle and attempt to merely race away, hopefully hidden by the thick undergrowth. He found himself stumbling in the brambles, however, his pus-slicked coat brushing over leaves and grasses as he tried to push his way through.

He knew that for the moment, should the cats have some way to attack him further, he was vulnerable--though they risked, should they touch him physically, infecting themselves with his plague.

________________

BRING OUT YOUR DEAD

@Rift @Rui @Sebastian

The little Puma cub perked up when the attack launched successfully, flames shooting from his maw and colliding with the beast's inanimal scales. His ears twitched at a low growl, and he spared a glance upwards, seeing the odd-looking feline bare its teeth and growl.

He startled as a sudden pinprick of light appeared in its mouth, and then there shadows cloaking him and Rift. He blended in a bit better, thanks to his dark coloration, but it also did a good-enough job at hiding Rift, despite his lighter coloration.

Sebastian nodded as the other spoke, although he waited for a moment to see if Rift or the horse would make a move.

And then Rift was speaking to his plants, thorns shooting up to seperate them. He startled as the horse wheeled, attempting to run through the bushes. They couldn't let it escape! If they let it escape, it would spread its disease!

His stomach rolled, and he released a mouthful of boiling bile at the horse.


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

the ocelot recoiled as the smelly creature below tried to bash its way into the jungle foliage, and he made quick work scurrying away across the tree branches to place himself at a flanking position. he was above ground in the trees, and had no plans of swooping down to touch the beast, but best to be prepared in case it were to target him.

as he moved, however, his spells began to jitter and fizzle, more pockets of light peeking through the earth below. it had been weak when he had cast it, not to mention the spell he had already maintained to keep himself in shadow, which fizzled completely when he startled.

inwardly cursing, rui parted his jaws once more, his distinct growl rolling out as he willed himself to focus hard and keep this one up. faint white light shone out of what looked to be the back of his mouth again as shadows manifested across the area again, and settled back into darkness once they returned. they were little better in form this time, still open to light in certain pockets where there appeared to be an illusion of cracks between leaves, and it wasn't immediately clear if those pockets were even any smaller this time, but at least they didn't seem to be any larger.

rui didn't speak this time, just watched as the cub released another ball of fire from his mouth at the vile beast. it was a struggle to even keep his mouth ajar when it meant he could taste the scent of disease (sucks when you're just too good at knowing exactly where food is at any time), but it would be important to focus on the spell and the movement of the animals below him if he was to facilitate this creature's death.

notes: ooc im indifferent but ic rui wants to Kill
tags: @khloros @rift @sebastian

"speech."
others' speech.
image by emammal on flickr, edited by me.

Lashing his tail, Rift sprung after the strange horse, trying to formulate what they were going to do and how they were going to do it. They couldn't touch the horse; his move in trying to infect by touch proved that. However, he knew that he and Sebastian had magic. He wasn't sure about the other cat, but he hoped that they could figure out something to do.

Meanwhile, as he ran, he turned to Sebastian. "I'm going to try and lock him down," he grunted. "I don't know what we're going to do with him if it works, but remember don't touch him. Use your magic."

His ear glowed and magic rushed through his body as his next leap sent his will into the forest floor. Some of the brambles that had caught the horse pulled away and prepared to lash over his body, pulling him to the ground. There weren't as many as he had wanted, and he had dared to hope that the roots of the trees would have come to his aid, but it would have to do for now.


___________________________________________________________

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

tags: @Khloros @Sebastian @Rui
notes: here

Khloros let out a sharp snort as another blast of melting, burning flame impacted his hide. The pain hit an instant later, flesh melting down to rib-bone--and the darkness seemed to cloud around him. Sharp brambles sprang up, wrapping him--not pulling him down but at least halting him, making him stagger hard.

He let out a shrill, sharp scream-whinny of defiance. The sound was unearthly, eerie, unnatural; it echoed through the ferns.

He paused, briefly--unable to go anywhere--and, rage-fuelled, summoned his magic around him.

"Life... ends in death," he said, and though it was merely spoken, the hollow voice carried.

Around him, Rift's brambles wilted and died... freeing him--and rejuvenating him, as their life essence was drained directly into Khloros himself. His stagger, legs splayed, turned into a strong upright swivel and stamp as their deaths strengthened his own power and health, and he turned with a furious snort, eyes blazing a bright and sickly green-white.

________________

BRING OUT YOUR DEAD

@Rui @Rift @Sebastian

The Puma cub shuddered as the shadows began to flicker, threatening to reveal their locations to the horse. Thankfully, the spotted cat was quick to respark the spell, keeping them from being easily targeted by the horse.

Hearing Rift speak, the Puma cub turned to look at him for only a moment. "Alright." he nodded, trying to focus his magic.

Sebastian grinned as his spell struck the beast, tearing through its hide and revealing its bones. And then Rift's spell struck, vines wrapping around the horse and staggering it.

However, his grin quickly faded at the inhuman shriek of the horse, cringing back, his ears flattening. The horse's voice was eerie, sending shudders down his spine, and it took all he had not to turn and flee.

His eyes widened as the brambles died, freeing the horse. The horse was quick to turn to face them, looking stronger than he had any right to be. He attempted to summon up a wave of heat, but nothing happened, so he stepped back, bristling.


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

@Rift, @Rui, @Khloros

When the brambles holding the horse down died before his eyes, Rift was consumed with fury. Intentional murder of the plants enraged him, but this, this was horrible. They weren't ripped from the ground or burned, they were diseased and decayed until they were nothing but blackened, dead, and shriveled carcasses. And the horse looked better then ever. He had stolen their life from them.

With a loud hiss, he leaped to the side to try and get around the horse, opening his mouth and summoning the magic from his body. He felt wetness in his mouth and, a moment later, an intense jet of water sprayed at the horse, aiming to knock him off his feet.


___________________________________________________________

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

tags: @Khloros
notes: here