Ivory - bless her heart - was doing her darndest to help what may have very well been a lost cause.

The bison swayed on her feet, looking blearily concerned as some magical misfire drove a banana peel straight into the other's eye. She looked blearily at the rest of the Gembound as they planned, as the ear-shattering noise of the gong resounded like a magnet, a homing beacon.

It seemed like she'd barely blinked and everybody had started to go off into safety or higher up and just thinking about that climb made Virgil tired. She was so tired and cold, losing her will to stay awake despite all her efforts to hold tight onto it.

She shook her head lazily at Ivory's questioning, mourning the loss of her support as the ice worm thundered into the ravine and the hybrid beast charged at it.

Rather than stand here waiting to blink for the last time, Virgil was going to go down swinging.

Her moments were clumsy, but momentum carried her heavy, charging gait straight at the beast's hide, head swinging up in her own sort of goring attack. It glanced, but blood that wasn't her own spurted onto her right side. Virgil took a few staggering steps forwards, heaving, adrenaline pulsing through her unwilling limbs. The bison's knees locked in place, a desperate attempt to keep from falling over.

It had all gone just so well before. Wynter stood in the middle of the crowd, watching as the injured turned to hide, and the others move forward to take their places and ready for an attack.

Wynter stood by Hargrave and Desert Rose, and the others who were still planning their way forward. He had to make a decision, to stand and fight... Or to fall back and protect the others. Either way, he would be fighting for them all. It was just a matter of if he was capable.

He summoned his strength.

From his hooves, a sheet of ice launched itself forward into a defensive, spiky spear in front of him. It wasn't the greatest-- but the worm was coming right for them, so... So maybe it would run straight into it.

... And then plow directly into him. His sideways icicle was no where near the harpoon he had been hoping for. His knees shook, but he stood his ground among the remainder, and prayed that this wild plan would actually work.

WYNTER HASIRA
Like walking in the rain and the snow
When there's nowhere to go
And you're feelin' like a part of you is dying

"They're not broken! They just, uh, they aren't working well." She bristled. "You're the idiot!" Kalama didn't have the wit for a full on comeback.

Kalama squawked when Imp's paws clung to her arms. Her first instinct was to shake Imp off, maybe fight. But but this was kinda like riding a giant bird, right? "Yeah! Like that big bird! But--don't tell anyone I let you fly me." Her legs dangled, as Imp flew. New pain with every flap, or when they skirted along the snow. She muffled a cry of pain as a claw touched the snow.

"Fly better!" She snapped.

Kalama folded her wings in, gripping her sides. The way the ground lurched towards and away from her instilled a kind of fear.

think "speak"

Kalama is letting imp fly them to victory

M for like... like so much... so much swearing.

Imp had been patient, and he'd been, for all he imagined, nice.

Kalama, however, had been mean! ...And ONLY mean! She'd called him names, not the least of which was Nemesis which he still didn't entirely understand but he was pretty sure it was a bad one; and anyway, fly better?!

"Fly better?! Fly BETTER?!" He bobbed midair, as if the very shock of his anger made him lose focus on his wings, nearly falling from the sky. Panting with the effort of hauling the bird along, he broke into a furious rant.

It was probably audible over the roar of the worm in the Crucible. (Realistically: probably not.)

"WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU MEAN, FLY BETTER?! WHY ARE YOU SUCH AN ASSHOLE?" Imp demanded. "YOUR DUMB ASS ATTACKED THE GIANT FUCKIN' ICE WORM AND NOW YOU'RE ALL BROKEN AND SHIT AND YOU CAN'T EVEN WALK RIGHT WITH HOWEVER MANY LEGS YOU EVEN HAVE, AND YOU JUST KEEP TALKING SHIT! DO YOU WANT ME TO JUST FUCKIN' PUT YOU DOWN AND LEAVE YOU HERE?! Oh I know what you'll say, you'll go YEAH JUST PUT ME DOWN, and then I put you down and YOU'LL FUCKIN' DIE OUT HERE, you dumbass! I TOLD you we shoulda gone BACK THE OTHER WAY, ASSHOLE, and now your--WHY ARE YOU THIS HEAVY?!--now we gotta go THIS WAY? WHY?! CAN YOU HEAR THAT SHIT? CAN YOU HEAR what we're GOIN' TO?"

Bobbing slowly along, Imp paused to listen.

The distant roar of crashing rock, the screech of the worm. "--Can you hear that-? he repeated, a little quieter, this time.

Whatever that was, it... didn't sound good.

At least the sound made it easy to not get lost.

And at least carrying Kalama's fat ass was keeping him warm, from all the effort.

Asshole.

Hare-brained as her idea seemed to some, they saw no better option - no other way to go.

Or, perhaps, no other way to go fast enough as the earth split open again and snow, rocks, everything started to crash down around her. Hargrave shook her head politely at the small dragon approaching half-antlered, fiery eyes appraising him for a moment. Even if she did feel safe being airlifted by a stranger... he seemed entirely too small.

The Gray Hare went up a path on her own, scorched paws recoiling harshly and forcing indents into the hilt of this blade. Her heart was beating out of her chest and dread was settling in deep. There was a keening desire thrumming in the back of her head with all of that anxiety, pulsating and working across her brain. She shuffled back as the ice worm emerged, all horror and gnashing teeth hurrying for her.

Red sat in that horrific mouth, freezing her in place for a moment.

Electricity crackled through the air and the smell of ozone was cloying. There was shouting and distraction - as expected - and Hargrave begged herself to move. One step, two steps, and she pushed off from the cliff entirely, head tilted to the side slightly so the honed tip of the sword faced the worm most.

Her neck popped painfully as it found home somewhere on the worm, and she set her paws out to brace herself against the ice worm's skin, grimacing through bloody gums from how hard she was biting down.

Fair's fair. He dipped his less-laden head to her, letting her forge her own path up the cliffside.

The rumbling- and subsequent burst- caught his attention as he made to ascend behind her. Shit- shit, it was even larger up close. How the fuck did anything exist that was that big? Masters save him- his brain defaulted as he scrabbled on rock, base instincts pummelling into his experienced brain.

'Here's an interesting thought!' His brain decided to interject. "Actually, fuck this!" He isn't sure if he simply thought that last part, or cried it out- more likely? It's the latter. Yeah. So what? Not like anybody's focused on him as spells fire off behind him.

That wolf could make it on her own, Desert Rose was outta there. A few wingbeats- one, two, and he's soaring, fleeing the scene to the tops of the canyon in an attempt to escape the battle below. It could still reach him up here, his mind screeches, but the fuckheads in charge don't give a rat's ass about who actually kills the damn thing, he's sure. He'd... Oh, he'd just say he was in the way! Yes, that'd do-

But... But was he proving his worth? Claws tensed on the precipice of rock and his muscles twitched with adrenaline and fear. Yeah, he was proving his worth to survive.

The others were filing away, which was grand, really, but he still fretted. "Come on, come on-" His words repeated in a murmur as he watched everyone shuffle into their own places. A brief nudge here, and nod there- they're good. They're safe. They have to be, otherwise he'd keep worrying.

He jumped as the worm burst into focus, barely at the gap he'd followed Mirage into. "Oh nonono-" Maybe he crowded them in, but he shuffled back closer to Mirage in a fearful sort of huddle. "Mira- Mirage, I'm here, where-" His fur pressed against her wing. "There- I'm here."

His vision was gone in black snow and rock, and he trembled to hold on to his sanity as frantic, swiveling ears pieced together the tapestry of every noise rumbling around them.

“

i will refuse to break

···

Her legs buckle as she's ushered forward into the group, warily glancing back to watch Hargrave begin her ascent. 'Good luck,' she'd say. She'd break that silence for her, break that to cry out with fear, to scream her hopes and give herself to Hargrave's success.

But for now, the best thing she could do was to squirrel herself away. Others had split, and she shuffled closer to someone- anyone- she didn't recognize anyone she was beside, eyes glued to the beast breaking into the air and swivel towards Hargrave. 'No.' Her mind pleaded for whatever is out there to keep her safe.

Her breath hitched as Hargrave latched on. Here she was, useless, leaning against rock in a hole, hidden away. Rocks tumbling in front of her drove her back, slightly, into the shallow crevice- would this be enough? Could Hargrave really do it?

The barreling monster crashed along the narrow ravine, boulders smashing and cracking in its wake. Warrior's shards glanced first off its hide, tearing a few shallow wounds that leaked pale blue blood: barely a cat's scratch compared to the beast's full breadth. Its vast maw swept over the ball lightning, engulfing it, and it vanished with but a weak spark. Ivory and Virgil--their horns tore tiny holes, barely enough to make a mark; the blood that streaked along was only a thread as it smashed past them. It crashed back down on the ice spike that Wynter had thrust upward, the ice snapping off and protruding from the hide, again nothing to its size-...

The Ice Worm turned, a screeching bellow shaking snow off the cliffs in drifts, thrashing, the canyon shuddering and cracking. It wheeled on Agate where it clung to the Ice Worm's back; and then to Shida, careening wildly for her with all its bulk behind it.

...And then Hargrave thrust the enchanted knife into the Ice Worm's hide. A strange, ice-colored light flared up from where the enchanted knife lay jammed into the Ice Worm's hide.

The slight scratches caused by Warrior's shards, by the horns of Ivory and Virgil, suddenly split wide. Silver-blue blood ran in thick rivulets down the Ice Worm's scales, and its frantic thrashing sent it out in sprays. There was a jittering shudder as Fisher's ball lightning flared back up, sending sparks dancing along the bristles, lightning horrific, charring lines across the Ice Worm's hide. And Wynter's ice shard suddenly split through the Worm's gut, blood pouring out in blue rivers.

The light flaring from the knife began to solidify, a thick ice coating beginning to form across the Ice Worm's flesh, gradually slowing its movements. The Ice Worm thrashed in protest, its screech deafening: and it threw itself at the canyon floor, attempting to submerge.

But there was only rock.

It shuddered, and thrashed, its body threatening to crush anyone unlucky enough to be caught by its movements. Saliva--hundreds of gallons of it--sprayed forth, slicking the canyon and into the air and and instantly freezing into ice, threatening to flash-freeze anyone caught by its mist.

Those in the dens would find their homes shaking, partially collapsing, though for now they were uninjured.

_____________

Gembound must again roll to attack, or to avoid the battle. Those who succeed may harm the worm as they see fit; the damage appears to be magnified by the enchanted blade. Those who fail will, as before take critical injury if attempting attack, or injury if attempting to hide. Injury may be caused by falling ice or rock, the ice spraying from the Ice Worm's maw, or its crushing, flailing, hundred-ton body against the rock walls.

Failures will have further consequences in the following round.

Imp and Kalama will join the battle in this round.

@Desert Rose Thirty-Five (Null, Quentin)
@Imp (Ivory, Warrior)
@Agate Two-Three-Six (Wynter, Fisher, Mirage)
@Virgil (Hargrave)
@Shida (Palefur, Lyra, Oleander)
@Kalama

M, because of course it is

There. The screeching was unmistakable. The way it echoed through the canyon gave even Imp's relatively inexperienced bat-ears the guidance he required.

Whatever Kalama's response to his numerous insults, Imp could not both carry her and dive into battle.

Which he most certainly intended to do.

"Sorry, chicken-tits, this is where we split," he barked, flapping down a little. He half-bashed off a rock wall, spinning, but dropped to deposit Kalama once he felt some resistance; a ledge. Or maybe just a shelf. He wasn't sure, and it didn't matter; he wasn't gonna sit this one out.

The hybrid then turned, dropping back down after having released Kalama, angling for the surging and churning and thrashing sounds.

Thrill overtook him. Never mind that he couldn't even see what the fuck he was attacking; Imp threw himself toward the sound tiny claws and jaws first, grinning broadly. "HERE I COME, FUCKFACE!" he shrieked--and what terrible last words those would be.