He jumped as Imp came close to his peripheral vision. Wasn't that the blind-?

Oh dear. Desert's lips curled back in faux worry, turning to the quarry that was delivered near him. He had be honest, he didn't clearly remember her after bolting ahead of them all. He'd have to be wary before doing that again.

The dragon backed away from the ledge as the... Chicken? The chicken threw a fit, not unlike some of the children he knew, and he resisted the natural pull to draw the corner of his lip away in confusion. Why him? "You're not killing anything like that!" He tried to step closer on the sliding ice, delicately trying to make his way closer- but far enough in case she decided to turn her anger to him.

One misstep into more snow than ice, and his clawed leg went over, sending him careening over the side with a yelp. Wings flared to grab hold against the pull of gravity- his hind legs dangled way too close to that damn worm!

Oleander

Melt all your art and drink the paint

Oleander hid back in the same hole as Lyra, glancing back at the dog-thing that was curled pathetically on the ground, not even bothering to watch the spectacle. She leaned out, watching them all fight so bravely, her heart aflutter. They were all doing their best to protect the injured and weak. They were all so brave, it was making her feel light as a feather.

She was content to stay here and just watch the fight, eyes drifting from one competitor to the next. Did they all care that much about her? Not just Lyra and the fox and the others, but her specifically? Would they lay down their lives for her? That was a dreamy concept, breaking through the fear and daze she'd been trapped in for what seemed like days.

m for fisher's potty mouth

Fisher knew that it was time.

The mustelid stood on his ledge, summoning a dry storm above that made every hair on his pelt stand on end. The one thing that was a problem with summoning a lightning storm was that... Well... It wasn't the easiest to control where the lightning struck down.

But did Fisher care?

Hell. Fucking. No.

Fisher was going to become a CHAMPION, one that would be spoken of in legends! This was purely a move made in cocky arrogance, and also a desire to fucking kill that worm before anyone else threw themselves to their death.

... or, well, that was the plan. Unfortunately, as with all great battles, Fisher bit off more than he could chew-- and as lightning crashed down on top of him and turned his vision white, he could only think one thing:

Aw, fuck.

It was for the best that Fisher hadn't struck the massive worm with lightning, given that Gatto was still clinging to one of the spines of the beast. As gashed began to appear from the sword, they knew now was the time to strike.

It was difficult to discern most of what was happening as they were thrown about in the thrashing of the worm, but they flexed their tail, and drove it down in aims to jab the beast at the base of it's spine.

At best they made a glancing blow, but they didn't have much time to see what damage they did or didn't do-- the worm crashed into the side of the cavern, and they were thrown off of into the crashing snow and stone.

The only thing they registered was the sensation of pain, their world a blur of motion.

Oh good, their plan was working.

... And it looked very much like everything was going wrong because of that. Various gembound charged and vanished among the hide of the creature, some tossed away into the crevice's edge-- one was hit with a bolt of his own lightning. With a shiver, Wynter stood his ground, and tried to force the ice that had speared the worm to grow and spread, hopefully further impaling the worm.

Right now, it looked like if they didn't stop the worm, then lots of gembounds were going to die. The thought was chilling, and he focused on that; on the cold spike of fear in his chest. And then his ice began to grow, deadly spines bursting forth like a nasty quill, all into the massive worm.

"Everyone!" Wynter cried out into the deafening roar. "We need to work together! Save the injured!"

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

The Ice Worm thrashed and flailed. Every wound inflicted was amplified by that enchanted knife: the glass shards gashing its hide, Ivory's horns briefly slashing it a glancing blow. Even the strike of Shida's hooves sank deep, blood welling up from the impacts.

The knife drove deeper.

It was, perhaps, the ice that killed it; the irony was lost on the mindless creature. All it knew was pain. Wynter's spikes swelled, puncturing it, throwing sprays of silver-blue blood as it flailed, rising so high in its death throes that its head cleared the top of the ravines. And then, as if it knew its fate, as if it railed against it even in its final moments--as the ice spread, from knife and spikes, across its slowing body--it threw itself down upon them.

The hundred-ton body lifted--lifted--and came crashing down, the Ice Worm in its final act attempting to take the injured Gembound down with it. And when it came to rest, it at last lay still. All around it, the canyon roared protest at its fall: rocks falling, crumbling, snow crashing down...

_______________

Gembound who failed the previous round must roll to avoid the Ice Worm's fall, or the shattering rock caused by its death throes. Those who failed last round will die in this round if they fail to save themselves, or if they are not saved by another. Those who failed in attacking can only be aided by those who were attacking; those in hiding can only be helped by those also in hiding.

Virgil, Fisher, Agate Two-Three-Six, and Imp take critical damage in the form of disfiguring or crippling wounds from the last round. Null, Palefur, and Desert Rose take non-critical injury.

Imp must additionally save himself, and cannot be aided by any other Gembound.

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

Oh shit oh SHIT OH SHIT- His brain SCREAMED at his body to whip up- tail smacking his wings as wings batter along the canyon walls. The rough skin of the worm bashed into said appendage, and-

oh shit. He screamed out in pain, losing grip on that antler as he tried to pull himself up.

The ice worm were sending such intense tremors up the side of the ravine that the hole Palefur was residing in started collapsing. She scrambled to her feet and tried to get out, but not before stones were crashing down on her, sending her scrambling off the side of the rocks. She threw herself out the entrance, grasping for the path down the rocks, but the pebbles beneath her paws gave way, sending her flying off the side of the ravine with a wail.

She was free falling and, though she grasped for purchase on the rocks, she couldn't reach, nor would she have been able to stop her fall.

When the tunnel around her began collapsing, Lyra uncurled herself and, with Oleander at her side, hastily exited their bit of safety, good eye swiveling around, to take stock of the situation. To her shock, the ice worm was...actually dead. The warriors stood around it, bloodied and beaten, but alive. Or at least, she hoped they were.

A screech caught her attention and she looked up, just in time to see a pale shape, orange fur stark against the white of the snow, falling from the side of the cliff.

She yelped and raced forward. "Someone's falling!" She raced across the ground, trying to get to her as fast as she could, but she felt her pay catch on loose rock, sending her hurtling forward with a cry.

Oleander

Melt all your art and drink the paint

Oleander fled the little cave with Lyra, eyes still fixed on the fighting gembound and the iceworm, which was still now. She breathed with relief - they'd gotten through it. They were still alive. But Lyra suddenly jerking away distracted her enough to see the falling cat. Nobody else was nearby, except the other Hydra denizens - she could help. She...she could help!

She brayed loudly and sprinted after Lyra, eyes fixed on Palefur's falling form. But Lyra tripping on the ground had her stumbling out of the way. By the time she looked back up, she knew - she wouldn't get there in time.