Post number 100, bay-bee!

Predators lurked in the muck - well, two that Phlegethon was aware of. It was one of them, of course. Aquarian resided somewhere deeper, leaving the eldritch monstrosity with the unfortunate duty of trying to keep an eye out for things treading the surface near this general area. Unfortunate because of the vast swathes of fire lying about and continuing to be added to.

In all of the commotion, it'd shied away from the shallows, away from the deafening pop of its diluted byproduct, away from the riotous explosion of pyrogel as fire came into contact with it. A veritable wall of fire and explosive goo lined a great part of the shore, so Phlegethon moved deeper, towards a far edge of Cetus and lying in wait.

Sensing...

Feeling the panicked stumble of a creature through the water. Phlegethon cracked open its jaw; and, upon seeing nothing that reminded it of an ally, lashed out with the full length of its neck. Finding purchase around a leg, the eldritch monstrosity dragged it under the water - essentially waterlogging it into shock - and righteously hurling it straight into the air. Only then did it give the sopping-wet mass of Howl a good look. Definitely not a familiar sight.

It craned its neck, then receded into a few neck rolls like a rubber hose snapping back from being stretched out. Spotting white on the hide, it howled across the scene: "THIS ONE IS INFECTED!"

See roll for attempt lol

This was all going so fast. Aure could barely keep up with all that was being shouted. At one turn of the wing, they'd barely begun. At the next, Dragon was shouting a kill order, having found the center of all of this madness. The Bone King hesitated to join on delivering those final blows - a faint niggling at the back of his mind warning against destructive magic, against what it might cause. He only hoped that nothing was inside of the stump they laid waste to. It was the very reason why he hadn't immediately shot energy into it to begin with.

But... they were winning at this juncture. Astraea hadn't come to their aid, but they were succeeding.

Aure swung a wide turn, staring below with a newly permanent squint. Shapes moved about, huddled in the muck and mire, and he called sharply to his allies, "if you aren't attacking the center, make sure any infected don't escape without a fight!" He tacked on not a second later: "we have to try and cleanse them!"

Just on time, too, did a furry mass go flying through the air at Phlegethon's behest. The massive beast's call didn't go unheard, and Aure dove despite the stink of rot and decay, infection at its greatest. His talons spread out, catching both stray forelimbs rather than all of that fungus on Howl's back. Flapping, trying to keep air beneath his wings with the added, sopping-wet weight, the wyvern wheezed. All of that smoke was doing him no favors, here.

Even with all of that strain, he tried to extend a magical grip on the fungus Howl had, to cleanse him inside and out. Aure's method was messy, feverishly fueled by a need to drop him before they both ended up drowning in this mud. He flap-glided towards shallower water, some part of the reeds that might not wind up with a drowned ape and broken-winged bird.

Aure is attempting to purge Howl!

All at once, he was off the ground. A yelp ran out of his mouth as splayed claws tore at the dirt, dragging along muck as he tried his best to hold back, only to be thrown right through the air.

Maybe he shouldn't've tried that cat, in retrospect. As he collided with a branch of a tree, the call for retreat rang out in his mind, soaring over the wind knocking out of his chest. Panicked, he scrambled up higher and found purchase on the material, halting as he searched through the connections.

They were being purged. He wouldn't risk turning around, fur prickling as he surged around trees, keeping to the terrain he knew so well after a year of navigating it. Tunnel H was out of the question- flickering eyes showed him the scene of that retched deer standing there, prepared.

They'd have to find him in the muck and rot of Cetus before they'd strip his livelihood away from him. If it meant keeping Mother, he'd brave anything. Maybe he'd brave this manhunt, too.

[M for disgusting rebuilding of skin]

The flash blinding him, white streaking across his vision as he recoiled, blinking hard. What the hell?! That thing was some kind of monster- probably not even a creature! Wincing, he rubbed at his eyes with a wrist before something plapped him right across the face, driving him to balk further.

Aure's voice cut him out of the hysterics, and he froze, feeling the pulling from his body before anything could take root. He could see, too. They were... They were fleeing? Briefly, he turned to his brother and nodded in acknowledgement.

Chaos kept reigning around them, and fire had begun to burst on the central part of the area, the hybrid backing up before he got caught in the middle of it. Everyone had been handled, it seemed, in terms of purging as far as he could see. The rest was up to those with flame.

Serek's chest heaved as he replenished his breath. Right, he was here. He backed up a tad bit more before he noticed the injured bird. Who was she..? No matter- she seemed to be a part of the attacking group, and Serek jolted to her side, kneeling down with wide eyes. He couldn't heal! "Hey, someone over here!" He barked to the others, pressing a paw to Hera's side.

Wait. Wait! He could heal, but- Oh boy. "Actually- uh- um. Hold still." The gentlest of presses to her wing would surely hurt less than what he was intending to do. "This is... Gonna hurt." As he held his paw up, hovering over the wound, he realized that it wouldn't hurt for her, particularly.

He cried out as lacerations slashed up his limb and shoulder. Had it misfired? Black rot bubbled as nerve endings broke and rotted. He couldn't think over the pain that lashed over him- oh shit. Was that- FUCK! Up his leg red flesh sloughed off, dripping hotly down the fresh skin growing over it.

He stumbled back, arm held up as an incoherent noise groaned out of him. It was healing under the wounds but that didn't stop the pain stabbing into his mind. "FUCK- I'm- AGH!" He was fine, he was fine, even if he couldn't see again, this time through the tears on his face. "Misfire! Fuck!"

That was the best explanation he could give as pink scars ran under red liquid on his leg. Nothing had broken permanently, but- well. There went his good fur.

He had no way of knowing Astraea's plans until the group of them smacked right into the middle of them. Mother was crying out for them to flee- but... But! He had to help! He skidded to a stop, panting laboriously as his gaze flashed onto the deer.

He... He knew this deer. The one from their memories. No! He was blocking the way with more fungus, and Solis barely had time to react. "Move!" He screeched, tail flickering as he attempted to lob flame to Astraea's body, only succeeding in spitting in a hiss of frustration.

There was no way to win a battle against him. His mind screamed in silence for him to run to preserve himself, and yet he couldn't deny the want to help his family thrive.

In order to do that, they had to escape. And with that goal, they couldn't do that while this beast loomed over the entrance.

He would distract him long enough to get the others to safety. There was no other way out- other than water- from that cave!

(feel free to skip selenite-gamma. it's just vibin.)

Reign
He who is to be a good ruler
must have first been ruled

And, of course, he missed.

A sprint, dodging fighting, killed any speed he had. His was a body made for short sprints, straight ones, not zig-zagging as he was made to.

He crashed down into the mud, golden fur soaked with it, and scrambled back up, shaking himself all over to throw off what he could. The little panda was still trying to flee, and so he dug in his paws and bolted forward, struggling in the muck that sucked his paws down, each stride a struggle.

Reign is trying to pin down Shoko!

The bear bellowed, and flailed beneath him, and then went down hard, and the coyote staggered away with a few confused yips--had he won? He thought he had, had he? He didn't really know, but he was gonna go with he had.

There was fire everywhere, though, so he scurried, yipping pitifully, until something very round caught his attention, and he didn't know what the HELL it was but it looked kind of cool and very worth chasing so he took after after it at a sprint.

Ischium is trying to pounce on Temperantia

Another decent-sized dent joined the club of those bleeding down its forelimbs, startling a harsh growl against Sergei's shaggy fur - but Alpha didn't let go. It kept its jaws fastened tight into his skin until he went down, and down he went. Finally, when he started to moan and apparently upchuck gnarled masses of white, the orthoclase shook its grip free, working its jaw as it stepped back. Acidic eyes narrowed, staring down at the bear as he settled into the muck.

That battle was won, but -

It twisted its neck, searching for Giggle abruptly, thundering over to her side when it did spot her. Relatively speaking, she hadn't been viciously mauled in the several minutes it spent tussling with Sergei. Alpha shook itself out, glancing out into the chaos of fire and shots flying at the center of the hive.

Sometimes, it was smart enough to know when not to tear off running through the mud.

Alpha's just vibing.

Nassir belatedly realized that maybe he should have simply held the snarling, twisting linsang until something that could purge them... well, purged them. Pale eyes narrowed, a quick spit at his paws in the mud announcing his slight annoyance. His tail flicked, gaze trailing after a pair of muddled, mud-slicked figures tearing through the swamp.

One went flying straight into the air, but there was no harm in quietly following the other while clad in shadows and glowing white eyes.

Nassir's also just vibing, but stealthing after Shoko.

Well, he'd most certainly gotten Azrael off his ass.

Thrown into the muck by the demon, Eythan just laid supine. Maybe if he got up, his breathing wouldn't be so strenuous, but the gryphon could honestly not bring himself to disturb the fresh burns. Mud was prone to give him an infection but he be damned if the cooling sensation didn't feel fantastic against raw, pink flesh.

As the last orders were called out and fresh torrents of fire slashed through the air, he finally found the will to roll onto his stomach. A soft tch! escaped him as he brushed his shoulder against the bottom. Dulled eyes, bleary with pain flicked side to side, his wings stretching out. Some of the primaries and secondaries on either side were charred, and the arms proper smarted... but he was doing just fine all-in-all.

Flames licked nearby, and he figured it'd be best to just keep his head down for a second.

Eythan is also also just vibing.