Elias was doing some exploring. He didn't have any water to laze in, in this place. But he had his spell if he needed it. There were bones covering the ground, and Elias did stop to inspect them. It didn't look too exciting, the bones. Surely they belonged to some kind of being, though.

It was tiring, all of the moving that he was doing. The gator was so much faster in the water compared to on land, and it really showed.

So taking a break was in order. The gator took the time to lie down for a bit. Maybe laying in bones wasn't the best idea because he would camoflauge, but the gator didn't notice.

Tahi-shei had been traveling with Aran for a couple days now. While unusual, the other deer didn't necessarily make poor company. Conversation was a bit of a drag, and Aran was somewhat morbid, but Tahi-shei talked enough for the both of them and he had plenty to talk about. Today, he was on his way to visit Giggle -- not really for training today, but just to chat with her. It struck him sometimes that someone as old as her had to be lonely -- especially since she'd made him promise to keep coming back. Surely, she'd lost Gembound before. Tahi wanted her to know that she didn't have to be alone.

He'd been tracing this path through Canis frequently enough that he didn't even notice when his feet took him a different way, subconscious mind noticing the camouflage of an alligator more than his conscious one did -- still, the back of his neck prickled, and he raised his head towards the Bone Fortress. Was the Collector watching him?

His eyes instead caught a rainbow bumblebug floating by. Huh, that was unusual -- Canis didn't have many plants! In fact, Tahi-shei totally forgot what he was meant to be doing, and almost trailed off to follow it...


@aran

Aran traveled with the other deer like promised. It wasn't much a drag that he thought it would be, plus having company of another like him was nice. Even if Aran didn't exactly know how to keep their conversations going. Tahi talked enough for the both of them anyway.

As they moved through Canis (Aran hadn't cared to ask what they were doing), aran's eyes were watching over things. It was kind of boring here, he realized.

And then his leg got caught on something next to a bunch of rocks (he assumed it was another rock) and he was sent forward a few paces, hardly keeping balance.

@Elias [so I remember]

Elias felt something move against his tail, tripping up against him. And that made him mad - why did so many just up and step on him or trip up on him like he didn't exist? Elias wasn't a fan of that deer that had done that, or the companion of the deer that didn't even say anything to warn the bigger one about it.

If they wanted to pick the fight first, Elias would follow up.

"What do you think you're doing?" He snapped up with his jaws, anger obviously evident in his voice through the hissing noises that were coming from his body. He moved in a rush to go try and chomp down on one of that guy's legs.

Round: 1/5
Attempt: Bite Leggum
Defense: None
Injuries: None

Aran was startled by the sudden snapping of jaws in his direction, and the hissing noise that the gator made that he didn't notice before. His surprise was only ephemeral and he quickly tried to step back to talk this out until something snapped onto one of his front legs. Sharp, cutting into his skin. The alligator's teeth. If he wasn't thinking of attacking back, he might have complimented the gator for how his skin looked, all beautiful and patterned. But he couldn't now.

Not when he was striking back.

His magic was sent flaring to life, in a spell to defend himself.

Round 1/5
Attempt: Make Elias sick so he can't attack next round
Defense: None
Injuries: Being bitten on leg

Tahi jumped in surprise when Elias popped up. His eyes grew wide, and every muscle suddenly froze -- a regular deer in headlights. It wasn't an act, either. Tahi-shei's mind was immediately racing. This was really happening? Someone else, initiating a fight, snapping at Aran with a violent snarl and oh, Slime Molds, I'm about to watch someone die, he realized, startling clarity in his mind.

He was paralyzed with the decision of it. Part of him, wanting to fix this and another, darker part knowing that he would be betraying his promise to Aran. Knowing that this wasn't on his stone... was it? He wouldn't be the one delivering that blow, he-- was absolutely not trying to reason myself away from murder, what the hell?

This was the Collector's fault, he knew. Somewhere, he swore he'd have sworn he could hear the damned creature laughing.


@aran

Elias had no way of knowing that the larger deer had casted a spell, the only thing he could feel as his teeth clamped onto the deer's leg was a burning sensation in his throat and stomach. Like it was unbearably hot. Elias was forced to let go and instead dry heave since he'd not eaten anything, a glaring look on his face as he did so.

"What did you do to-" He gurgled, stumbling to grab the deer again but failing because of the spell.

2/5
Attempt: None
Defense: None
Injuries: Feeling sick...

Aran found out his spell worked with the way the expression of the Alligator changed - he went from looking fine to breathing funny and heaving as if he was trying to expel his innards but failing. Which was good for Aran, but not that guy. He wondered how bad it felt - for that spell to take effect. The feline that he targeted with it before didn't have a good reaction, either.

He attempted to activate another spell to see what would happen - even if it didn't do as much damage. He wasn't going to talk back to the alligator now, not after he attacked first. The possibility of working it out left as soon as those teeth came into contact with his leg.

Round 2/5
Attempt: Make Elias' insides not very good
Defense: None
Injuries: Bite marks on one leg
Note: I know the spell is less effective when its being used on someone with a weakened immune system - i don't know if nauseate would cause that but lol

Aran's magic struck at the alligator's immune system, and it struck true. Preexisting nausea had no effect on the severity, but it certainly didn't help what symptoms arose; they were a bit like a allergic reaction.

Over the next few minutes, Elias's body would start to heat up to be uncomfortably warm, exacerbating the dizzying sense of nausea swimming through his throat - which was swelling closed behind the flap. Breathing became laborious, but not impossible. Just through the nose wasn't enough.

@Elias

Elias felt off, even moreso when something else hit. He was forced to open his mouth to breathe well, and that just didn't suit the gator right. He needed his mouth for attacking! It didn't matter - even if he had a little trouble breathing he would just need to continue on. He could still win! At least, it felt like he could in his head.

Elias pushed forward despite the aching feeling in his body and attempted to shove the deer.

Round 3/5
Attempting: Push Aran
Defense: None
Injuries: Feeling sick, having trouble breathing, feeling hot