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Re: Fire Cow (Talon)
Posted: Thu Apr 01, 2021 11:51 am
by Senara
20th of Glade, 121xx
The moment Senara saw Talon swooping down she bolted to the right, heading straight for Brianne who had already begun to prepare for the take down. The woman mounted her crossbow quickly then twisted to grab a long metal chain from one of the saddle bags. With all the speed she could muster she worked to fasten it to the horn of her saddle just as Senara came bounding up next to her.
With an open mouth, Senara caught the chain that Brianne tossed her way and skidded to a halt. She thrust herself back towards the beast with fervor.
She had no time to be scared of the bull, no time to notice the painful blistering of her lips or tongue as she sprinted alongside Brianne who matched her speed on horseback. The chain rattled between them, scraping the bare ground a few times and knocking up rocks and debris around them.
“You take the far side!” Brianne called, loosening the chain as Senara took off like a bullet in front of the raging bull and earning no attention from it as it’s single eye stayed locked on Talon and the burning embers he held.
She raced. Faster. Faster. Seconds later the chain was pulled taut between them and as the bull raced towards Talon with the rage and promise of death in it’s chest it’s legs caught on the chain. Brianne and her horse braced themselves against the tension while on it’s other end Senara winced as the pain of the chain aggravating her lips shot through her skin, tearing the skin open. But she didn’t let it slip, and when a loud cry was heard as it toppled over and came crashing down, sliding across the ground and snapping off a few of the spines on it’s back, Senara bolted forward.
She raced towards it and felt the heat of it’s aura with each step becoming more unbearable. She had to work quick- coming upon it she wrapped what she could of the chain around it’s leg. The burning, smoking embers from it’s scraped, torn hide stung her eyes and the already blistering flesh upon her lips but she ignored it as best she could. Brianne pulled her horse back and sent him galloping off to drag it’s body. The entire operation happened so quickly that the bull hardly had any time to react, but the pull of it’s ankle from the warhorse sent it into a frenzy. It thrashed against the pull and in the fight it’s ankle snapped and sent a loud crack into the night followed by a loud wailing bellowing.
Senara and Brianne both dropped the chain, the white wolf now covered in smoke and soot as she backed off from the beast and glanced at Brianne. The woman was huffing on her horse, brows furrowed and focused. Then they widened. “Get back, you two!” She called, taking off in a gallop with a kick to her horses sides.
She didn’t know what was about to happen- but the bull had begun to glow. It’s spines shook and it hobbled up on it’s three good legs with a rumble in it’s flesh. Seconds later, it’s spines erupted from it’s flesh around it’s body and into the sky. Nearly a dozen all shooting out like an eruption of volcanos.
Senara had not run- turning one's back only meant the inability to see what was coming. Instead she faced them head on and dodged as best she could the scattering of spines. One after another she jerked away from them, dodging with ease at first until one grazed the side of her hip. She yelped as it seared her flesh but the fur along her back kept it from cutting too deep.
“Are you okay?!” Brianne yelled from afar, earning a quick squish of Senara’s tail in response. A simple yes, and glad that she seemed to have made it out of range of the attack- but what of Talon?
The wolf growled at the beast as she lowered herself towards it in anger, waiting to see what it’s next course of attack would be and looked to Talon- hoping to find him alright.
Re: Fire Cow (Talon)
Posted: Sun Apr 04, 2021 11:24 pm
by Talon
Fire Cow 20 Glade 121
He was struck with a sense of guilt. The Dread Mists had come to the valley and spread throughout the Warrens as well as the surrounding area earlier in the season. Talon had been struggling with a sense that somehow, their appearance and his ascension to demigodhood were not unrelated. The appearance of the mists and his return had been uncanny, so much so that it was impossible to believe they were anything but a direct consequence. The result had seen a surge in warped creatures in the surrounding area as well as the Warrens. He had committed himself to helping clear out as much of the devastation as possible. It was the least he could do. It was, in fact, the right thing to do.
Talon stepped forward to assist with handling the wrangled beast when it began to glow brightly. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end as the bull released a defiant cry. A blinding brightness filled the air and the only thing Talon could think of was how big of a target both Brianne and Senara were. Spikes, dozens of them, launched from the bulls body in all directions. Moving purely on instinct, Talon threw himself in the way of the spikes and Brianne, seeing Senara dart and dodge with a deftness he had come to know her for. As soon as he could, Talon threw up a field of force to protect himself and Brianne. The action came just a moment too late for him. He felt a burning piercing in his leg as one of those burning spikes stabbed him in the thigh. The young demigod screamed in pain as fire and agony seared the nerves of his leg. He dropped to a knee, his barrier wavering seeing another spike glance off the arm of one of his wings. He tucked his wings in close, squeezing his eyes against the pain as it burned.
Talon reached down, pulling the spike out of his leg with an agonized gasp. His vision went white for a moment as he broke out in a sweat. He tried to get to his feet only to collapse to a knee once more. What was left of his kinetic barrier dissolved out of his grasp as he lost the focus to maintain it. The brightness from the explosive display faded. The smoke from the fires only seemed to be getting worse. Talon coughed as he blinked to clear his eyes. The bull was readying itself for something else. Exactly what, Talon had no idea.
“Over here!” Talon called out, his voice a bit hoarse from the effort. He held on to his sword tightly, the torch having fallen from his grasp.
"I am Justice."
Re: Fire Cow (Talon)
Posted: Mon Apr 05, 2021 2:10 am
by Senara
20th of Glade, 121xx
S
he shouldn't care about him. She shouldn't care about either of them. But her own survival hung in whether or not they did as well. At least that's what she told herself as she glanced back at Talon who had placed himself just in front of Brianne.
The relief she initially felt upon seeing him alive was cut short by what soon came in to focus. He'd been wounded. Taken to a knee and grasping at his wound with pain flashing through his eyes and knotted in his brow. And all while protecting Brianne no less. The worry that flashed through her bones and anger that heated her blood betrayed all notions that her care for them was simply for her own survival as, with a loud growl and a snapping bark, turned back to the bull in front of them.
The beast's head turned towards the noise and with one good eye, it locked it’s gaze upon Senara. Rage burned behind it’s eye without a single thought, like all it knew in this moment was death and destruction. It was a creature driven mad by survival, confusion, and panic. Which meant it was all the more dangerous without care for its own life.
Senara knew that feeling well. How easy had it been, that first month, to get lost in her own panic? It had been so long since, that she no longer remembered what it was that helped her survive. She told herself now it had been the moons and the sun, their guidance, their warmth, and a blinded will to survive.
And now this bull had it, too. But it had gotten unlucky, succumbed to it’s rage, and was upsetting the balance of nature and the lives of innocents.
As Talon let out another cry and call to the group, the beasts head whipped in his direction. The torch still glowed brightly on the ground before him and in a few swift movements the bull was on its feet. Hobbling in the wreckage of the chains that rolled off it’s body it staggered forward on it’s three good legs and charged it’s way towards Talon.
Senara didn’t think. She didn’t have time to.
Her feet moved before her mind and matched the bull's speed. Then past it. Within a split second the wolf was between her winged companion and the bull. Sprinting across charred grassland with all the might of the mountains she reached down and scooped the torch from the ground, taking off away from Brianne and Talon praying the creature would follow.
And it did.
“Senara, no!” Brianne screamed after her. Worry poured from her voice like a waterfall but her injured student below her pulled at her attention more.
“Stay here unless you can fight!” She demanded Talon. There was concern in her voice- she didn’t want to be telling him to stay, she wanted to inspect his wounds and make sure no lasting damage had been done, but more in danger now was Senara, and she had no thought as to what the girl was doing.
With as much gusto as she could, Brianne dropped the chain from her saddle and took off at a full gallop.
The bull had followed the bright glow of the dragonshard lit torch like an angry moth to a flame.
Senara didn’t know what to do now. Why had she even grabbed it? What in Ransera was she supposed to do with it on her tail? The chain was left in the dust and soot behind them and even on three legs the beast was thundering across the landscape behind her, closing the distance with every desperate stride it made.
But they were leaving the wreckage behind, and it was only as she burst through the cloud of smoke they’d created that she saw it.
A river.
The white wolf willed her injured, terrified body faster across the ground.
’Please work, for the love of gods please work.’
Soft pads and sharp nails carried her through colder ground as the beast behind her roared in anger with a lowered head and horns pointed straight forward. The torch flickered in the wind and threatened to snuff out with each stride.
Just a few more-
Three more-
Her feet hit cold water and with all the practiced grace of their training she leapt upwards onto a pathway of shallow rocks that trailed across the river. The bull didn’t stop- had it even seen water before? With the full force of a death charge the beast came crashing into the black waters. It stumbled through the murk that suddenly bubbled and boiled away sending scalding heat through the river. Senara jumped from rock to rock as the waters around her became hot to the touch, but the further in she went the further in the bull followed.
Finally, she leapt to the last set of rocks and turned towards the oncoming bull. Wide eyed, the torch was dropped into the waters that instantly sizzled it down as the bull approached. It was slowing. The waters around its molten hide now sloshing and boiling around it’s shoulders sending hot steam into the air. But- it was dimming. The creature's body, now overrun by the sheer weight of the waters, had begun to sink into the depths with each struggle of it’s legs through the mud. And upon it’s back where the spines had been giant holes once leaking molten lava that had littered their trail to the river were now hardening as the mass of cold water set into its body. The landcape slowly darkened as the only source lighting their fight became the twin moons watching from above.
It wailed. No longer angry it cried into the night in some desperate attempt to reach it’s herd for help. None came, and Senara watched with shaky limbs as it struggled backwards, slowly inching itself out of the water. But by the time it reached the edges of the shore it’s body had taken on too much water, and without it’s spines to regulate its body temperature and push the water from its insides, the bulls entire body slowly began to firm and harden.
The last pained cries of the creature carried out into the night as it turned into a statue of volcanic rock. Senara didn’t move. She panted, charred lips quivering while her eyes remained focused on the beast's body.
She flinched- the body moved. Cracks began appearing all over like chasms being struck across a rocky landscape and with a loud crack light lightening it’s body burst into a mess of hot volcanic rocks, gemstones, and ash.
It was then that Brianne and her horse came around the corner to a screeching halt, eyes wide as she surveyed the charred earth, cooling rocks, and glittering rough gemstones strewn about the ground.
“What the fuck were you thinking, Senara?!” She screamed, glaring at the wolf who had finally managed to hop her way back to the river's edge in front of the woman and her horse. Her back hip was certainly seared from the spine from earlier, but thankfully the wolf seemed to have avoided most of the damage directed at her. “You could have been killed!" It wasn't rational. Brianne could feel it from the bottom of her stomach that in any other circumstance, with any other person, she'd have praised them for their heroic efforts. But something was different here, something that made her want to slap the girl silly for putting herself in any amount of danger.
Re: Fire Cow (Talon)
Posted: Sun Apr 18, 2021 2:33 pm
by Talon
Fire Cow 20 Glade 121
Talon arrived to the two women as the form of the bull crumbled and cracked leaving only dust, ash, dragonshards and gemstones in its wake. He heard Brianne’s exclamation and chose to step in.
“So could I.” Talon moved up to the pile of ash and rock that was all that remained of the bull. He reached down, passing his hand over one of the dragonshards that had been left from its carcass. It was a smoldering hot piece of magmatyte. He carefully picked it up with his kinetics, bringing the stone up to observe it through the lens of his Semblance. It was of higher quality than what many could find easily on the open market, at least not without spending an abundance of coin to acquire it. He looked to the two of them, gesturing to the rubble. There were several pyrolyth stones as well as other gemstones in the pile.
“It looks like you have enough here to be worth a whole season of earnings.” Talon smiled then looked to Senara. “Well done, Senara. You saved my life. I am thankful.”
Talon was relieved to have stopped the rampage of a beast that clearly did not belong in the prime material realm. The closest place he could think of that this creature would have belonged would have been in the Otherwilds of the Warrens.
“Let us take what we have earned, get some rest and be grateful that we all still draw breath.”
"I am Justice."
Re: Fire Cow (Talon)
Posted: Tue Apr 20, 2021 2:21 pm
by Senara
B
rianne hopped off her horse with an annoyed grunt as the white wolf approached and began pulling her clothes from the pack on her horses side.
"I suppose you're right." The woman said, sighing and conceding to his comment, turning back to the girl. "You're injured. Shift and put these on, you can ride back."
Perhaps it wasn't the smartest idea to shift while injured but Senara barely cared. Pain was, after all, a normal part of her life. Bone began morphing and cracking, though thankfully much more smoothly than the first shift, and the double coat of fur on her flesh started to recede. Her once massive body shrunk with each second that passed. After a few moments of a painful shift, she stood before Talon and Brianne once more short, with messy hair and a gentle bend to her injured leg that trembled. It wasn't grotesque but the seared flesh still stank and oozed crimson from the ripping of skin when she'd shifted. Her lips, too, were blistered and bright red from the initial attack.
Brianne gritted her teeth as she looked over the wounds. They were slightly worse than she'd thought, and while not life threatening by any means it might have been smarter to not shift until she was healed. An oversight, one she'd keep in mind for the future.
"Let's collect what we can and head back. You need treatment. Talon, you got any healing powers hidden?" She asked, sighing in annoyance with his answer. So, they would indeed have to make the long trip back before she could be fixed up.
Talon...
Senara finally let her eyes rest on him. He was okay. He was okay. But what struck her off guard more than her own relief was his praise. Senara's eyes widened and a warmth she'd never felt rushed through her chest and spread throughout her limbs and face. The sudden release of tension in her body collapsed her injured leg and she fell forward with a light gasp, caught by Brianne with a start who steadied her back on her feet. "Careful, you're barely used to two legs let alone one." She chided. Senara looked away
"I'm fi-" A fit of coughs erupted from her throat, and her fingernails dug into Brianne's arm. The woman scoffed and pulled a waterskin from her hip, shoving it in front of the girl who snatched it from her hands and began chugging down the cool liquid.
"No, you're not. Don't be stupid, and if you're gonna do that shit again at least be honest when you're hurt."
After she finished, Brianne lead the white wolf to her horse and helped her up onto the massive steed. "Talon and I will collect what's left. You hang tight, we'll head home soon."
___
fin.
Re: Fire Cow (Talon)
Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2021 10:07 am
by Goule
Your Review
It was great to get to reread this thread. Excellent teamwork, you two! Although, I do worry about Senara biting first and asking questions about whether biting said thing will do her harm....
Rewards
Lore
Talon:
Blades (Longsword): Angling sword to cut through a monster’s jaw
Blades (Longsword): Gripping the hilt with both hand to enable greater control
Flying: Aileron Roll
Flying: Staying alert for signs of aerial predators
Reaving: Materializing the pact weapon swiftly
Reaving: Timing Returning to enable quick swordplay
Reaving: Dematerializing inflicts the pain suffered by a Pact Weapon
Kinetics: Weaving Seeming to enable swift movement around an aerial engagement
Kinetics: Utilizing Seeming to create an anchor point in the sky
Kinetics: Ripping apart the aether flux inside a body to create an implosion
Leadership: Directing a plan to deal with a dangerous elemental creature
Divinity: Accessing the Gift of Dominion
Senara:
Unarmed Combat
Tripping Four Legged Beasts with Chains
Dodging Medium Sized Projectiles
Taunting Elemental Opponent
Leading Opponent Away from Comrades
Using Yourself as Bait
Working in A Team of 3
Survival
Don't Bite What You Haven't Studied
Fire Creatures Die in Water- duh
Being Honest when Injured
Loot None
Injuries Quite old, and would have healed by this point
Points 8, for magic and non-magic
