The stag snorted, like a bull, rage in his eyes. The armor at his neck and back clanked a little as he came to a sharp halt, still some distance off the Bloodberries. His mist continued forward, to engulf the combatants. He turned his mind first to the magic, but words were already whirling in his mind.

He knew what he was going to say. It distracted him some--slowed him--so that his magic caught Rift in its grip, as well. He couldn't exclude the one who was in the center of the fight. But he couldn't hesitate--not now. He drive his magicka through the mist like a spike, where it now lingered all around the Bloodberries--and he boiled it. The steam hissed and sizzled, roaring into liquid, and then steam again, bubbling away and superheating the air all around it. If they don't run--if they don't move--let them boil. Let them burn.

"BLACKBERRY," he roared, hoping his magic drove them back enough that they would have to listen to his words.

"You claim that FAMILY means something to you. Now is your chance to PROVE IT. We have your daughter! We have BANEBERRY!" His voice, though fluting, was louder than it had ever been, and he paused only for an instant to get their attention. They would all hear him, from here, surely.

"Leave now, and you have my word she will be released unharmed. CONTINUE this fight, and we WILL kill her! Attack Rift, come for ME, and prove to your family that you are nothing but a bloodthirsty monster--willing to SACRIFICE THEM ALL for your madness!"

Everything was going to hell, and fast. Oliver's eyes widened--Jayberry was threatening him?! And Rift--why were--why did they want revenge?!

There was mist ahead, and Oliver plunged for it, leaping up and gliding down, ear-tufts flattening back and eyes squeezing shut.

"Don't--hurt him!" he cried, frantic. "He heals the forest! He's nice! We can talk about it!?" As he lunged, the mist around him boiled--searing heat ripping at his flesh, making it impossible to breathe, to think. He just wanted out--out of the pain--but he didn't know which way was which, now, and all he could do was flounder and gasp in agony.

He'd tried to get to Rift--to help him--but he found himself thrashing in the rapidly-wilting leaves, unable to see or act.

{Table code credit to Madison, altered a bit!}

@Huckleberry

Huckleberry tried to struggle to his feet but the fall had been painful and he was shaking too hard from nerves and fear. He didn't have time to get out of the way as the root of the tree came crashing down. He cried out as it smashed into his side, sending him rolling across the clearing. It wasn't a particularly hard hit, but it was a large piece of wood hitting him. It hurt. It threw him right into the boiling mist and he screamed as it began to soak into his skin, burning his fur. He scrambled at the ground, trying to get away when he heard other cries of pain. He blindly whipped around, trying to see who it was but he was so consumed by terror that his vision was blurry. "Mama? Mama!"

Mama was probably hurting! And Elderberry! And...Cloudberry! He had to save them! He had to do what he could!

He focused for a second, trying to calm himself, and a jet of air blew from the side, pushing against the mist as he tried to blow it away. He kept it going, despite it being weaker then normal. He had to get all of the mist out now, before it burned his whole family!

He only stopped when the boiling sensation on his skin died down and he collapsed, tears running down his cheeks as he curled up against the wounds on his skin and wept into himself. He was in so much pain...he didn't want to fight anymore.

The heat of fire was the most dreaded thing Beyr had faced in his, almost uneventful, life, at least it was until he heard the cries of gembounds echoing through the trees.Oh no! Someone's in trouble!! he immediately thought. The draft horse abandoned his patch of ferns. The slow and steady process of regrowing the underbrush would have to wait.

Heavy hooves raced through the forest, tearing through the thickets and vines. Beyr tried to be mindful of the saplings, but such destruction was unavoidable as a big, clumsy equine rushing through the trees. He cringed at the thought, through if someone was truly in trouble he knew he would fail them if he took sweet time.

Beyr broke through the wall of undergrowth, broken vegetation clinging to his locks. The horses eyes grew wide with terror at the scene unfolding before him. Rearing, he let out horrified neigh. Beyr had stumbled upon at bloodbath, gembounds fighting gembounds. His kindhearted soul had never known such violence. He did not even know such disgusting acts could exist. "Wha-why are you doing this??" Beyr threw his head back, his mouth gaped in terrified bewilderment as he pleaded. "Stop! Stop it! Stop hurting each other!!" He rushed towards them, hoping to use his weight to break up one of the fights.



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

@Blackberry @Huckleberry @Rift @Oliver @Pride @Jayberry @ Enka @Elderberry @Sebastion

The tree had suddenly stopped thrashing as Rift fell from his perch. It was almost like a silent bell, signaling the start of a violent turbulence in the typically peaceful forest. Gembounds were shouting, crying, fighting all around the clearing. It was mind boggling to try and keep all the activities straight. There were gembounds she had never seen before who had rushed forth to either attack or help defend her Mentor, her Father. Even Uncle Sebastian had appeared, attacking a truly monstrous looking beast of feathers and teeth. Never before had her simple and carefree life been so horribly shaken. Not even when the fires erupted and spread. She should be frozen in fear.

Yet without realizing it, she had rushed towards the creature that had attacked her mentor. To do what, she did not know. She did not even realize that instinct had taken over and that she had plunged forward. Enka’s mind was racing, trying to process this impossible scene. Tears welled up in her eyes, furiously blinked away.

The springbok never got the chance to figure out what she would do as a strange, winged, green creature rammed into her side. The sharp beak broke into the delicate flesh, running along the stripe on her side for a short distance before Enka was able to move away. She leapt up into the air, turning to face the creature. A look of fear and dismay covered her face as her tail and skin flap of her back flicked. Ears spun between the creature in front of her and the sounds of fighting all around.

Just as suddenly a wave of pure heat blasted into the clearing. A creature from the savannahs, she was use to higher temperatures and yet sweat easily broke out along her form. Her mouth opened with a slight pant from both heat and nervous energy.

“Stop! Please stop! Please don’t hurt him! I don’t want to fight! We can help, just tell us what’s wrong. Please don’t hurt my Father!” Enka had no way of knowing that her extortion was to be in vain for most of the bloodberries. Even if she did, she would have tried. She had never met anyone she couldn’t befriend before.

Instinct was already taking over as the sweating ceased and her third horn between the antlers began glowing. Her cheeks bloated as water drippled from the edges. Suddenly a stream of water burst forth from her mouth towards the green creature in front of her. She had meant to simply meant to use it to counter the simmering heat. Yet the pressure was high as water spewed forth and may cause damage or at least discomfort to the creature targeted.

---

Speech
Thoughts

Tags: @Yewberry
Notes: Bad puppy bird! You get the hose! XD

The she-wolf shook herself as Oliver fled, barreling off into the mist. Well, good riddance then. She didn't want to hurt him, and now she didn't. But then - she was hot. So hot, boiling beneath her fur. Her head snapped around, trying to find the source, even as her tongue lolled from her mouth.

Pride had sent it - that worthless white stag. He - his family? - had Baneberry! But his words were grating, and she flashed her teeth with a snarl.

What was that spell she had learned from the monster? The one she had fought with the stag himself? Ah! Her eyes closed, and she focused, her tooth burning in her mouth.

And she built an image in her mind, forcing it onto Pride. He had seemed rather attached to that green weasel when they'd met the pair back home, hadn't he?

The green weasel was screaming soundlessly - it hadn't been transformed yet, was merely green without its mantle - as it was consumed alive. The various Bloodberries whirled around it, lunging forward to bite into it, their beaks and fangs and various other facial appendages stained with its blood.

She stood still, helpless, as she cast this spell on Pride.

"She speaks." 'She thinks.' She does.

Oh, this was fun!

Aside from her brawl with Mother, Yewberry had never fought before. And the feel of her beak sinked into flesh, separating meat and fur, was incredible.

She faced the springbok as it leaped, whirling to face her. The bird-wolf's long tongue flicked out to lick along her beak, tasting the deer's blood, before flashing a fang-filled grin that was more a dropping of her beak than anything.

But then it was hot, and a voice was calling out. Baneberry? Well, she didn't recognize that name, so it didn't matter. Her tongue lolled out, nicked on her fangs, and she ruffled her feathers to try and release some trapped heat, spreading her wings wide. "That's not going to work!" she chirped in an oddly friendly voice, tilting her head and squinting her mis-matched eyes.

Her face didn't change as she was sprayed with water, even as she felt her skin sting, some of it splitting from the sheer pressure of the water, tearing away some of her feathers. Instead, her gemstone began to gleam, and she tilted her head just enough to meet Enka's gaze, pushing her magic on the springbok.

Brother, understand whySee it's burning me to hold onto thisI know this is something that I gotta doBut that don't mean I want to

How dare she?

How dare she?!

Rift had never been anything but kind, and yet this beast had brought her entire family - and what a bastardization fo the word that was! - to try and destroy him! Hadn't even given him a fighting chance, had tried to outnumber him! If he and Enka and the others hadn't come running, Rift wouldn't have stood a fighting chance.

He was going to kill her.

The panther snarled, something primal and furious bubbling in his chest, as he drew back a massive paw, preparing to smack her head clear off her neck. But then - agony.

He screamed in the way only a cougar can, high and ready and like a woman being murdered, shaking his head and staggering back even as he released a superheated blast of air in his pain. His paw came up to rub at his face, only causing himself further pain as blood ran down from his pierced eye-socket.

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

What I'm trying to say is that, I love you I justI feel like this is coming to an endAnd it's better for me to let it go now,than hold on and hurt youI've gotta let it burn

Something was happening.

The stag raised her head from where she had been trying to guide a flower back into bloom, eyes on the tree that had begun to shake violently, before going suddenly still. Something was very wrong.

Bold raised his head, drawn from his nap by her alarm, What's wrong? And Artume, for a moment, was frozen with indecision.

But, no, she needed to protect her forest. "Get help," she bugled, and he grunted, rising to his feet and taking off in the opposite direction of the fight, seeking any who could come to the forest's aid.

Artume whirled, and raised towards the forest, head lowered and rack forward. She charged into the mist, aiming for the shadowed figure that she could see.

But the mist distorted, and she skidded past, spinning to face them. Raising her head high, she stamped her hoof, and puffed through her nose. "I commend you for wanting only honorable combat."

@Elderberry

Nemophilist (n.):

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

Everything was chaos.

Cloudberry looked around, an emotion breaking through her tumultous, forced calm: fear. It was too much; there were Gembound crying out, shouting. What was this about Baneberry..? Who was this stag, who was threatening to kill their sister--and hadn't Mother said that she was dead to them? Had left them? What if--

Before Cloudberry could continue this thought, the great, bronze-pelted horse came galloping in. He was huge, and Cloudberry instinctively fired her magic for the ground beneath him, her only thought If he reaches us, we're all dead.

Though it would have been a weak zap at its best, it didn't even work. The hybrid felt her terror spiking higher, and drew back, wide-eyed, back amongst her family--behind them, even. She felt small, a feather blown about in a storm.

She didn't want to be here.