Li was only partially aware of what was going on. She knew she was moving, carried by the deer. She could only hope they were heading far, far away from the fire. What would it take to extinguish something like this? Would it ever even go out? It was so much worse than compared to when she started the fire.

The sound of a voice snapped her out of her thoughts for a moment and she struggled to make sense of the words spoken. She let out a cough from the smoke. "My...my paw," was all she managed to get out before coughing again. Soon, the fire seemed to be gone. Had she escaped? Were they free? Her thoughts seemed to be answered when the deer kneeled down, and she managed to get off albeit a bit ungracefully.

As soon as her paws touched the ground, she seemed to collapse, her paw unable to bear her weight. It hurt more than she thought it would've - probably from running on it before falling again before the deer found her. She let out another cough before looking around. Upon seeing that the fire surely wouldn't get to her, she visibly relaxed, though she was still tense, far tenser than she should have been. She couldn't stop the thoughts of the last fire, of being with Imperia. The images flashed before her eyes and she closed them in an attempt to block it.

Speech. Thought. @Artume

Artume wheezed, stumbling as she skidded to a stop. Her heart thudded in her ears, and her knees buckled as she knelt to allow the cat to dismount.

Attempting to rise to her feet, she staggered, falling back down. Her legs, and underside, were burned, and she needed to rest. Resting her head on the ground, she panted, "You can rest on me, rest your paw. I can try and grow some plants with healing sap soon." Stretching out her neck, she nudged at the cat in an attempt at comfort.

@Aaliyah

Nemophilist (n.):

a haunter of the woods;one who loves the forestand its beauty and solitude

What? No no, that couldn't be right. Rift was obviously overreacting to all of this. No one would actually do this on purpose, would they? "No no, only bad people would make this place like this. And bad people only exist in stories! They can't possibly be here!" A mild annoyance, that was all it was. A mild annoyance. Yellow squeezed his eyes shut, doing his very best to block out everything around him. He didn't even move when big brother grabbed him again. This couldn't be happening. No. No. No. This could NOT be happening. It was all a dream, that's all it was.

Eridanus was peaceful. HAPPY. It was a WONDERFUL PLACE. There was no such thing as evil here. No such thing as death or destruction. If I repeat that enough times, it'll be true.... and then we'll all be happy and healthy again. Which was good, which was VERY good. He wanted his brothers to be happy and healthy.

Just ignore the bad things and they'll go away.

Just ignore the bad things and everything will be good again.

Everything will be all right.

Even if it's only in my dreams.

@Sebastian @Rift

"Siobhan!" Pavonia cried as he saw the cub, little more than a sooty blur in the smoke. The cub leaped easily, and the pair clung to each-other, heads buried in the crook of each-other's necks. "I didn't think I'd ever see you again."

For a time, he just shook, feeling the deer move beneath them. He wanted to be safe, be gone, but where was safe? All he had known was Eridanus, he didn't even know that there were other rooms in the Caves!


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

Siobhan clung to Pavonia, licking the top of his neck nervously, taking in his scent. He didn't know what he would have done if the cub hadn't made it - he would probably have just laid down and refused to ever get up again.

He dug his claws into the deer, trying not to hurt him, but also not wanting either of them to be thrown. How horrible would it be, he thought, for Pavonia to be rescued, only to perish by falling off of his rescuer?

@Pride

Pride could feel the points of the claws in his hide, feel the prickle of blood as it rose to well in the little wounds. He did not, however, feel the pain from it: the adrenaline was running too strong, his focus too intent on his spellwork, on finding his way.

He moved unerringly, unhesitatingly, crashing through the brush and leaping over ditches, all the while cautious of dropping those upon his back. He was following, with his mind, the double that ran some distance ahead--the double that plunged through the smoke, only to find flame. The double that doubled back--and found a way beneath a half-fallen tree. The double that found a trail to follow, but in the middle of the flames--and then a way around. It was difficult to do--to concentrate on his own movement and the other's, to focus on his path, on his magic, and on the cubs. But Pride was one who had long practiced and mastered his magic, and his self-discipline had been honed through hard work.

He did not falter.

When no one responded to his calls, he fell silent. Only once did he warn, in a panting voice, over the heaving of his white flanks--"Hold on." Yet despite the double's help, and his own swift speed, he found himself lost.

It is this smoke, he thought to himself, grimly. It obscured everything, and he had no idea where he was.

At the very least, the double found a creek--and Pride splashed into this, and began to make his way with the flow of water. Perhaps he could reach a lake, he thought, or a pond, and stand in it, and so avoid the burning undergrowth and falling limbs. His mouth hung open now, his eye-whites showing, as he tried to catch his breath.

He had to get these little ones to safety.

@Siobhan @Pavonia

The tiger cub clung onto the deer, his sharp baby-claws keeping him perched onto its back. He was so scared but, he knew, so long as Siobhan was here, he was safe.

He was beginning to cough, having long enhaled more smoke than he should have. His eyes were watering, crusty and painful, and his tongue lolled from his mouth. He hurt, oh, he did, and everything was beginning to go dull. But then some water began to hit him, and he regained some awareness.


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

The fox wheezed, shivering as he clung to both the deer and the tiger. His tongue lolled from his mouth, and his ears flopped over, tongue limply hanging over the deers ribcage. He was struggling to catch his breath, everything blurry and glassy, even his brother next to him.

@Pride

Li breathed heavily, grateful to be away from the smoke. She let out a couple of coughs before looking at the deer, her rescuer. She felt her nudge her, and she slowly, a bit hesitantly, moved closer, resting her paw lightly on the deer. It hurt, but this helped. And if the deer could grow some plants with healing sap...well, maybe just this once she won't fear magic and what it can do.

Speech. Thought. @Artume

Artume took a deep breath, reahing out with her magic. There were at least a few plants with healing sap growing around them, and so she began to cast her spell.

The plants seemed to explode into bloom, growing rapidly, and even multiplying. Her eyes widened, and they quickly found themselves surrounded by various plants with healing sap.

"Take your pick," she hummed, leaning forward to bite into the stalk of an aloe vera plant.

@Aaliyah

Nemophilist (n.):

a haunter of the woods;one who loves the forestand its beauty and solitude