Cocytus basked in the orb-light as she floated, blissfully warm. Much time had passed since her encounter with the golem, but she had resolved never to go back to Polaris again. It wasn't very safe, as it turned out, and the last thing she wanted was to cause the death of another cluster of souls. Pegasus was more than enough for all her needs, though, and a comfortable home at that. Sometimes, she thought guiltily that she didn't deserve it.

But that's okay, because she's about to get murdered.

@V-Labradorite-One

I'd of blown the scoundrel up
Watch his head and heart hiccup
Erupt in tinsel and blue cinders
turn August into winter

Labradorite was restless. The need for improvement nagged at it. It trained so much but it didn't get better at anything, much less the things it needed to get better at.

The alligator basking nearby seemed like a worthy opponent. Small, but small meant agile. And it was aquatic. The only practice it ever got underwater was hunting lessers, and racing itself along the river's length. "You. Me. Sparring match in the river." It spoke curtly, with a commanding air, mainly to hopefully avoid any sort of questioning or conversation. It didn't want to talk, it needed to train.

@Cocytus

Cocytus was interrupted in her basking by a huge beast, dripping with a foul black substance. She stared, backing away. They wanted to spar? Why? Cocytus certainly didn't think she stood a chance. But there was no refusing such a request. Who knew if they might just kill and eat her if she refused?

She swallowed. "All right," she squeaked, feeling very small. Then she darted toward the river. Could she hide, maybe? Swim underwater a short distance, then pretend to be a rock? It didn't seem likely to work, but how was she supposed to fight the giant head on?

@V-Labradorite-One Round 1/?
Attempt: run away into the river
Defense: running away
Injuries: none

I'd of blown the scoundrel up
Watch his head and heart hiccup
Erupt in tinsel and blue cinders
turn August into winter

Its opponent seemed nervous- and why wouldn't she be? It was many times her size, a hulking beasts of oil with six glowing red eyes. And it had asked to fight her. An non-lethal fight, admittedly, but a fight nonetheless. Maybe it'd make up somehow, after the spar was all said and done, But you don't owe her such. It's your job to train, not befriend every gembound in the caves.

The alligator's nervous 'all right' only got a nod in response, Labradorite standing back to give her a head start. Once she had disappeared into the river, Labradorite followed. Its eyes squinted against the slight blur the water caused. The river was wide, and its opponent was small enough to easily swim circles around it if given enough open space. First thing. Corner her. Using its large size, it'd try to herd Cocytus towards a particularly rocky and steep portion of the river bank. Hopefully, it'd be too difficult to climb up, but she wouldn't be able to swim off without swimming directly past Labradorite itself.

Round 1/5
Attempt: Corner her?
Defense: Big. Slimy.
Injuries: none
@Cocytus

The beast let her have a head start, which was surprisingly generous of them. Or maybe they're toying with you, she thought darkly. It was a simple enough task to just keep swimming away once they entered the water after her, but she realized after a few moments that she was being herded toward a trap.

She couldn't let that happen. If she couldn't move around, she'd be easy pickings. Cocytus threw herself into a turn, trying to dart past Labradorite in a different direction. She'd misjudged the distance, however, and her path took her heart-stoppingly close to the giant's head.

@V-Labradorite-One
Round 2/5
Attempt: swim in the not rocky bank direction
Defense: just her natural armor
Injuries: none

I'd of blown the scoundrel up
Watch his head and heart hiccup
Erupt in tinsel and blue cinders
turn August into winter

Despite the large gaps in their incompletely-executed tactic, the Alligator swam closer and closer to the shore? Does she think she can climb that? Evidentially it was a mistake, because now she was frantically looking for a way to more open waters.

A flash a movement blurred by, alluringly, almost teasingly close. Labradorite lunged forward through the water, jaws snapping at the greenish grey blob. However, teeth snapped down on nothing but water. It huffed out a frustrated growl, though most of it was muffled by the water.

Round 2/5
Attempt: Bite Cocytus as she swims by
Defense: Big. Slimy.
Injuries: None
@Cocytus

Jaws snapped bare centimeters from her tail, and Cocytus was certain that Labradorite was toying with her now. But despite her helpless anger at what was happening, she'd take whatever opportunity she could get to escape this situation. Even if it was fake, and she'd likely be really eaten soon enough. She lashed her tail through the water, trying to pick up more speed.

@V-Labradorite-One Round 3/5
Attempt: swim away
Defense: swimming away
Injuries: none

I'd of blown the scoundrel up
Watch his head and heart hiccup
Erupt in tinsel and blue cinders
turn August into winter

Her opponent had practically ran right into Labradorite's maw and still it'd missed. Why couldn't it just do something right? And now she was getting away, and the smaller gembound was much faster and more agile than Labradorite was. It couldn't allow it to build any different.

It charged forward, leaving a murky trail of oil in the water that slowly dissolved into the rest of the stream. It's eyes narrowed with exhaustion, gills flaring to take in more oxygen. But the distance just got bigger. It was so much bigger than this gembound- why couldn't it catch up?

Round 3/5
Attempt: Chase her down
Defense: Big. Slimy.
Injuries: None
@Cocytus

The gap between them widened, slowly but surely, and Cocytus felt a burst of hope. Maybe she could get out of this without having to actually fight the giant Oil beast! False hope, she told herself in advance, just in case they were toying with her after all. The most prudent thing was not to set herself up for disappointment like I am every time she rolls a success. You're disowned.

But maybe, just maybe, she could let that hope grow. After all, she was putting more and more distance between them, and nothing terrible had happened yet. All this dashing through the water was slowing her down, but thankfully Labradorite was still a good distance behind her. Maybe they were getting tired too—she hoped they'd get tired quicker. Or bored. Or distracted. Anything to save her from a real fight.

@V-Labradorite-One Round 4/5
Attempt: swim away
Defense: bigger gap
Injuries: None

I'd of blown the scoundrel up
Watch his head and heart hiccup
Erupt in tinsel and blue cinders
turn August into winter

Come on come on COME ON COME ON!

It was LOSING it was LOSING to a tiny, cowardly little CREATURE. All she was DOING was running away like it had. like it always did. and it SHOULD be so much more BIGGER and STRONGER and POWERFUL but it wasn't. It was watching this tiny THING disappear further upstream. Losing to Khavur was understandable but this?? THIS??? THIS WAS A DISGRACE!
It swam. It swam as fast at it could possibly could. It needed to catch up. It needed to win. It needed to do anything than losing, like it always seemed to do. And it continued. to lose. Just like it always did.

Round 4/5
Attempt: Please just. catch up.
Defense: Big. Slimy.
Injuries: None
@Cocytus