Huckleberry saw him shake. She saw him fear. The alarm in his eyes, but he did not scream. He did not run. No! He was supposed to give him a good show! He was supposed to scream and run and call for help! The terror was supposed to take him, destroy him, crush his soul! Well, if he wasn't going to scream for fear, Huckleberry would make him scream in a different way!

Still running towards him, the hybrid let out its terrible, honking screech as it leaped forward, raising one of its sharp front talons to bring it down on the pathetic bird's head. Slam it to the ground, trap it there! It cannot move, it will not move! Make it cry, make it hurt!

Its desperate cry pleased his need for its fear and he cackled. "Made you fear! Made you scared! I'll do it again! I'll hear you scream, I will!"

Round: 3
Attempt: Hold him down
Defense: none
Injuries: minor bruising

@Xervas

Xervas felt the bird foot come down on him. He did not dodge; he regretted that. He should have been more prepared! He would not lose against something like this! This strange, terrible combination of bird and not-bird. He did not like this creature.

"Let GO!" He said, shrieking and flapping his wings. He summoned his powers, the mostly-black stone at the base of his tail glowing. He would not lose. He couldn't lose.

He sent out a shockwave--he only knew one spell--in the vague direction of the large Gembound. Xervas was hoping that maybe it would do something. Punish the hybrid for what he had done to him.

Round: 3
Attempt: Dispel; shove Huckleberry off/away/etc
Defense: Nothing, he's pinned
Injuries: Burns, minor bruising


"Speech."

@Huckleberry

Blackberry watched her child with pride but also with a growing sense of worry. She looked like she was beginning to lose control. She narrowed her eyes and took a step forward. "Calm, Huckleberry! We are not here to kill him! Perhaps another time, but that is not the point of this training!" Was this what motherhood had done to her? Staved her from the kill, from ending of lives? She had always wanted to kill, never showing mercy.

No, that wasn't quite true. It wasn't until she had come out of her chrysalis for the second time, from death, that murder had been so present in her heart. She had simply been...rude and loud before. Perhaps she would return to that.

It, at least, gave her comfort that she would never lose her fighting spirit. She would never stop loving battle and blood.


___________________________________________________________

"Lock the doors and close the blinds"
We're going for a ride.

tags:
notes:

Huckleberry was about to send another shock down towards the bird, hissing and howling all the time, but she suddenly found herself being thrown back through the air. She screamed with rage as she hit the ground, not as far this time, but it had hurt! That stupid bird deserved to pay!

She leaped to her feet and was about to shoot towards him again when Mama's words touched her ear. Instantly she snapped back to standing and folded her twitched wings back at her sides. Of course, no need to kill! Just training! Training fighting! With a young bird that was in it too! "Yes, Mama, sorry Mama!" She gave Mama a smile before turning back to the bird. "Sorry, bird, I didn't mean to want to kill you! I also didn't mean to scream in your ear! I hope we can still have a good fight!" She cast another spell, the first one she had ever learned towards the bird and gave him a shy smile. "I hope this doesn't hurt too much. I've probably done you enough damage, right? At least you won't be able to move too much!" Well, that was the plan. If he couldn't move, then she wouldn't have to hurt him, right? And she could just be the winner! Mama would be proud!

Round: 4
Attempt: Slow his heart and make it hard to move
Defense: none
Injuries: minor bruising

@Xervas

Xervas felt a burst of satisfaction when he felt the weight on his back lift off. He got up right away, though he felt a burst of pain when he moved his wings. Nothing seemed broken, at least; that was good.

He heard the hybrid say that they "hope it doesn't hurt too much". That what wouldn't hurt?

Shortly after, as if in response to that, his heart began to slow. Not to the point of death, of course. He went to move for the bird-not-bird creature, but he found that moving was exhaustive. Xervas felt like he needed to rest. Surely, this is what Huckleberry had been talking about.

Xervas had to search for his magic. It was elusive, but after a brief internal struggle, he got it. He unleashed it in the form of a shockwave, as normal, though it was weak. What a surprise! He was annoyed with himself.

Round: 4
Attempt: The usual; dispel to knock Huckleberry over/away
Defense: Nothing
Injuries: Burns, minor bruising.


"Speech."

@Huckleberry

The blast that came at Huckleberry this time was a lot weaker then the ones before and didn't throw him off his feet, but merely staggered him a little bit. He almost lost his balance, but managed to keep his composure. He blinked, looking down as his feet scrabbled at the ground and smiled when they stilled. "Wow, good try! Maybe I can knock you over now!" He bent his head and focused, trying to call forth a lightning bolt that would be strong enough to knock him off his feet.

However, the one that came was weaker then before and made all of his hairs stand on end. All of a sudden, a wave of depression struck and he collapsed on the ground, screaming, tears streaming down his face. He was a disappointment! If he couldn't get a spell like that to work, how could he ever make his Mama proud?! "WAAAA, Mama, I'm sorry! I'm so sorry I'm such a disappointment, I'm sorry! Just kill me! KILL ME!" He screamed and kicked and flapped his wings in a very irregular tantrum, his face splattered with tears.

Round: 5
Attempt: Hit him with a bolt and knock him over
Defense: none
Injuries: minor bruising

@Xervas (skipping Blackberry)

Xervas watched Huckleberry stumble, though they didn't fall. And then was the second bolt; though it had a much less devastating effect than the one before it. He fell, but there wasn't as strong of a burning sensation; not really one at all. Pain, yes.

He was able to stand this time, though slowly, still tired and on shaky limbs. Huckleberry seemed to now be having a... tantrum? A fit? She was begging for her mother to kill her. Despite his wishes, he felt a burst of sadness. It hadn't been a bad attack; at least they had summoned something. Xervas had failed to do such a thing at one point.

He quickly set aside that feeling of pity. This was an opening! It was time to strike! Unfortunately, all that movement would have made it dangerous to get close.

Again, a weak summon; he had to search for the strands of magic again. But they were there, and he did summon it in the form of another shockwave. If only he knew something else! The vulture felt incredibly predictable.

Round: 5
Attempt: Dispel
Defense: None
Injuries: Burns, minor bruising


"Speech."

@Huckleberry

He heard Blackberry call something, but beyond his screaming and flapping, he couldn't make out any words. It didn't matter, it didn't matter! Death would come soon! Death would always come! He peeked out at Mama from under his wing and saw her shocked, confused, and concerned face and, for a moment, he stilled before another shockwave hit his body. He tumbled back, hitting a few rocks and everything went blank. Time to kill, time to tear apart. Just as Mama had taught.

Without thinking about anything, he shot forward, his front talons outstretched to slash at the bird, finally spill at least a little bit of blood. He'd been too gentle, too around-the-bush. Now it was time to do what his family did best. Mother had told them stories about her bloody victories, especially of the death of the bird who's decayed carcass was a trophy in their home and who's dried blood still caked the earth. His gem sat on her chest. Perhaps he would take his own.

His swipes were erratic, not focused or aimed properly, but still at least in the bird's general direction.

Round: 6
Attempt: Shred
Defense: none
Injuries: minor bruising

@Xervas (if you want to end the fight, just let me know whenever)

Blackberry didn't know what was wrong with her child. She stared at it, shocked, confused, and extremely worried as it feel to the ground with chaos. She took a step forward, calling out to him, "No, Huckleberry, no, it's okay, you don't need to die!"

But then the shock hit and she watched as Huckleberry lost control. Was this how she looked when she fell into her lust for blood? When she wanted nothing more then to tear and rip and kill? Was this how Blueberry saw her when she lunged into battle and tore out throats and ripped away gems? For a moment, a terrible moment, she was filled with pride. Her child was just like her, just as strong and with the same lust for death and destruction. But, at the same time, she didn't want him to be like her. Did she?

But not now, he was far too young to be killing anyone! "Huckleberry, stop! Please, stop!"


___________________________________________________________

"Lock the doors and close the blinds"
We're going for a ride.

tags:
notes:

He thought that the battle was nearly done. That perhaps that final shockwave would end it.

He regretted having not walked away. This hybrid, Huckleberry, they were much bigger than him. Sharp claws, swinging wildly in his direction. One of them did hit the bird low on his face, drawing some blood; luckily the wound was not deep. They would pay for this! No magic this time, the vulture decided.

He watched, waiting for the right moment. And he saw it: one of the front feet got close to his face. So the vulture lunged forward to bite the moosegoose's front foot. Aiming to truly punish them, at least as best he could. To draw blood.

Round: 6
Attempt: Bite that front foot!
Defense: None
Injuries: Burns, minor bruising, shallow cut on face


"Speech."

@Huckleberry

(Forgot to mention; maybe 8-10 rounds? You can decide but I just like even numbers for some reason lmao)