The dog gurgled.

Air came down his mouth, but didn't reach his lungs. It clogged-clogged-clogged, and his lungs burned - his eyes watered, and they burned too, and he'd have worried if he could get enough air to think. He reached, bile and spit dripping from his jowls, swaying on unfeeling paws, and then -

a moment, he only had a moment, but he staggered back, reeled as though struck, and collapsed. An attempt to stand, and he retched, heaved bile, and collapsed again.

A bird hasn't much of a chance of fighting against quicksand - all she could do was wriggle, her wings pinned close to her sides, and scream.

So when Nassir came for her, she could have cried. She went as still as she could, fighting the instinctual urge to thrash against the sand that pulled at her, gasping "P-please," at the massive cat, 'I want to go home, I never should have come here.'
His teeth scared her - her bones were hollow, thin, fragile, and he could snap her like a twig, but somehow he managed to get her up and out, though she was flung, striking the ground with a smack and splattering of wet sand.

If it weren't for his cry, she would never have thought to look, but already the cat was gone. She didn't dare to approach, slowly climbing to her talons, shaking off her feathers and staring in horror at where he'd been last.

But there was nothing to do - even if there was something that could have been done, she was only a bird where he was (had been?) a massive cat, and would only have been killed as well, putting his own sacrifice to waste. So all she could do was try to keep on, knuckle walking as fast as she could after the others.

Speech. Thought.

A light through the darkness came as the first torch was lit and a rollcall was called for. "I'm here," said the ocigoat, relief breaking through its voice as it heard others joining it. Had they all... had they all gotten out okay?

There would not be enough time for a question or an answer on that matter.

Very quickly, everything was spiraling away, out of control, into the darkness, into a split version of the light they had all been so briefly and so cruelly granted. Too many voices, too many screams, it felt like even if it wasn't. All the ocigoat wanted to do was stop it all. Make it stop. Freeze time and just tap everyone into the right places... but that was impossible for it. Impossible. Simon was leaving. Dying. Impossible. Remember, Kini-yolotl, there is one impossibility that no creature here could account for but you. Less than 9 under your devoted jurisdiction? Less than 9 alongside you, living with you, or heck, even just living for you?

Impossible.

"SIMON. SIMON, COME BACK, DON'T DO THIS!" Sora could've been right. In fact, Sora probably was. Simon, JUST after Kini had said no playing hero. Simon, who, like Pumpkin, had so much to learn. Trying to scamper off into the darkness, off of Kini's own horns. Well, Kini wouldn't allow it. A desperate knee-jerk reaction had Kini trying to rear its head up to throw Simon off course, but it was too late. Owlface was going as well into that darkness, after their sibling; Kini wished they hadn't, but then again, it was as much their duty as it was Kini's.

"I am going after Simon. If I don't make it back, everyone listens to Morganite. If you hear voices, if you see something, anything that would lure you out of this light... you do NOT follow it. No matter what. I don't care about your excuses. From now on, you stay alive, and that is all." Kini took one more step before stopping again, just for one reverent addition: "I love you all."

Then, into darkness Kini would spiral as well.

KINI is rolling to protect SIMON and OWLFACE.

Anemoi

She calls out happily, a loud and joyous "Here!" in response to her sibling calling out - the last few seconds had been terrifying, and she's so glad! Yes, there was less light now, the dark licking at her heels, but as long as they stick together they'll be fine!

We're all going to make it, we'll be-

Then the dark began to speak with the voices of those who had died.
Then everyone began to look for the dead.
Then her family began to flee after each other in the dark, and she's stopped mid impulse by the pleas of her family, to stay, stay alive -

The cold rips at her lungs, fear inviting it right in as suddenly, everyone begins to die, to die for real, and so she bolts for the brightest thing near her, and pulls on her magic once again to make a wall between her and the dark.

ANEMOI is rolling to survive.

Burning. Burning and pain and darkness. Each breath seared his lungs and tore at his eyes as if flames licked against his lenses and waited to melt them. He could see, blurry and distorted as if looking through water, the light move on in its fainter glow. He could not make out the other creatures, could not pin point who was who, everyone was a blob of colour or a moving shape, larger and smaller. Ifrit was easy to make out for she was the largest shape that moves, Morganite, Kini and Simon were the loudest, something was going on there but no matter how much he tried to twist his head to watch all he could see were light and dark shadows.

There wasn't much he could do, there wasn't much he could see, he thought he knew that they lost some (there were just deciding to stay by the flame though, they weren't dead of course) and he could hear voices. So many voices. Were they coming from the shadows or the light? It didn't matter, just keep moving. He would not answer the call for his name, as if to add to the cacophony that was going on would be a mistake.

Oren, in a bid to just be around someone he knew he knew, the monkey hybrid attempted to stick under the moving fuzzy light by Ifrit's side. Unlike himself, though, he said nothing, made no joke. He had already lost half his sight, his throat hurt too much to make any semblance of words, and he was gosh darn afraid of what lingered out in the dark.

Why were they here? Why them? Just keep your legs moving, Oren, stay in the light, the family can look after themselves for now.

ORENSTEIN is attempting to stay in the light

TRIAL OF HYDRA - DARKNESS

ROUND 6 - THE SECOND LIGHT

It was quieter, this time. The chaos. The whispering dark was almost an embrace, a gentle cloak sweeping out to engulf those who came willingly.

Simon, whose kind and gentle heart left his heart-wrenching farewell hanging in abandoned light. His voice, calling out for Nassir, meant to be a beacon of hope: instead fading into the void beyond.

Morganite's anguished cries did nothing to disrupt this shroud: the distraught shriek of "SIMON!" was lost to it, only barely reaching his ears in his final moments. Owlface, rushing in, a thread of desperate friendship becoming a tether to death itself, dragging them down, and down... "Simon? Where are you?" The crack of panic in the voice and then they, too, were gone. And Kini-Yolotl, the most heroic of hypocrites: desperately ordering the rest to stay safe while it, itself, charged selflessly into the shadows, and out of the sanctuary of the wisp's light.

All three of them would be lost.

Less spectacular, in fact in a tragic quiet silence, three others slipped away. Styx had never truly recovered from the poisons that shrouded him: he was caught in it, trapped, the acrid gas corroding lungs and vision and consciousness. Past his struggles, his gurgling would fade, and then so would he.

And Elyon, her great form one of battle, had chosen to fight something that could not be fought: a risk unneeded, as her hand gripped her questionable prize. The halberd was cold in her hand, its whispers assuring her of her death, making promises of the darkness beyond, urging her to simply succumb. Shadows swathed up, pouring around it to wreathe her; and ahead, she would see the last of the wisp-light fade into the distance without her.

Last of all Howl, struggling on alone, lost in himself as much as Hydra--but no; the poison gas was in his lungs, too, driving the world into confusing and fading flashes of color, lungs burning, eyes streaming tears. Yet as the shadows closed in, a shape: massive, smooth coils, a glint of mud-hued scales, and Usingizi swept around him. Her form would drive his to safety--but the poisoned air would take her, instead. Her heroism was unasked-for, a moment of true selflessness in the consuming dark, a moment no one else would see.

_______________

For the rest, there was survival. Perhaps with the bite of defeat at its heels, now: so many lost, and who knew how far they had yet to travel in their shrinking light..?

Ahead, there was a shape: a black shape, a bipedal dog-shape, wreathed in a cloak and it was not standing; it was sinking, eyes closed, jaw open, limp on the quicksand that was rising up to drag it down. It was gone in seconds, a black form vanished from sight, no trace of it remaining.

And the wisp carried on, passing over the spot without pause or thought of its own, an automated lure to lead them to safety, or to death. Beyond this lay the second torch: another tall tangle of wood, scented like fuel, ready to be lit.

Ready to cut their light in half again.

_______________

Usingizi, Styx, Elyon, Simon, Owlface, and Kini-yolotl must write their final posts. It is unclear if they are immediately dead, but they will lose consciousness, and this post should be written as their last. Simon, Owlface and Kini-yolotl will experience gripping cold, a suffocating lack of air, and something unseen tearing at their bodies at the very end.

The remaining Gembound must choose whether to protect one other Gembound, to protect the entire group, or to take some other action like trying to light the torch, or investigating the vicinity. Players must CLARIFY after their post, AFTER their table, which of the following they are rolling for. More than one Gembound may aid in lighting the torch.

Code:

<b>NAME is rolling to light the torch, investigate, etc.</b>

(Low risk)

Code:

<b>NAME is rolling to protect OTHER NAME(S).</b>

(Higher risk)

Code:

<b>NAME is rolling to protect the entire group.</b>

(Highest risk)

A Gembound's roll must reflect their in-character actions.

@Pumpkin @Owlface @Orenstein @Rainstorm @Kini-yolotl @Simon @Styx (Mayngo, Hera) @Morganite @Charles @Puck (Usingizi, Quartz) @Howl @Warrior (Fireheart) @Sora @Ifrit @Anemoi

Pumpkin was losing his mind. almost his entire family was being lost to the darkness and the torch was up ahead. what was the point anymore? what would lie out there for him if he made it out of this? he let out a shaky breath, flying towards the torch, trembling

he tried to go forward, but his eyes began burning as he flew directly into a horrible cloud of toxic air, ceasing his twittering in a pathetic attempt to not breath any more in, falling to the floor

PUMPKIN is rolling to assist in lighting the torch

CW: Uh

'Help... help me...'

The dog thrashed weakly on the ground, wings flailing, throwing up sand in a cloud around him. Dull claws dug deep furrows, and his mouth dried on the sand that he swallowed in each desperate attempt for air, opening and closing like a fish out of water, inhales choking and gurgling, wheezing as they failed to get anything more than the barest hint of air.

Bloody bile spilled from his mouth, flesh going white. His eyes rolled such that the whites, usually hidden, could be seen, nearly red as blood vessels burst in his struggle, though his struggles weakened, wings twitching fit only for a pinned butterfly.

His heart pounded, leaped and raced, its beats numbered, trying desperately to keep him alive but failing all the same, beats going shallower and shallower, quicker and quicker as though it knew that it was nearing its end and was trying to make up for a lifetime of beats that it would miss.

Rainstorm could only turn their head away when the other gembounds were pushed into the shadows, lost. And then more, gone. So many of them were either dying or going missing. They wondered if they would be one of those gembound, that wouldn't come out of this alive. It was a hard thing to think about, though going into the shadows in the first place was a stupid idea, yet they did it anyway before. Now, they found themselves following the wisp as the others around were being swept away.

If they had teeth, they would certainly be clenching them. Before long, there was another torch, which meant more of their light would be leaving. They would be more squished together and had a higher chance of being shoved away from the brightness. Their eyes and lungs still hurt, though it was a distraction from all of the pain around.

They moved forward to help with the torch.

It just needed light, right? The ring around their neck, no matter how much the bird liked it, didn't actually give much light to help, though they still took it off and placed it atop the torch, hanging it on part of the wood.

Rainstorm is rolling to assist in lighting the torch

Morgan watched not just Simon disappear... but Owlface and Kini too. They couldn't speak, couldn't breathe, tears silently rolling down their face. They took a step back and gathered up everyone she could, not saying a word. It wasn't like anyone would listen to them.

They shivered in silence, turmoil raging within. They'd been left to protect the others. How could they? How could they protect their group when already, they'd watched their friends- their family launch themselves into the dark? How... how dare they do that to all of them? So many had been lost. Veterans, older Gembound who'd had much more experience in the world than they had. Simon, Kini, and Owlface never got to even see what was outside of the cave. None of them had. Not their sibling who'd tried to run.

Finally... they spoke, their voice dangerously quiet, their spirit damaged but not yet broken, "... No one else leave. Please. Stay close."

They swallowed down their sobs and bit their lip before continuing, "I beg you."

But would they listen? No one had, so far. Pumpkin had darted off, Simon had run, then Owlface and Kini... they didn't have much hope. They'd never been one to be stern or even a bit mean. No wonder ordering them around didn't work.

"And don't listen to the voices!" they said, voice a bit louder.

MORGAN is rolling to protect SORA, ANEMOI, IFRIT, PUMPKIN, CHARLES, ORENSTEIN.