the Rift


[JUDGED] stormborn [spar]

Nyx Posts: 292
Deceased atk: 7.5 | def: 9.5 | dam: 6.0
Mare :: Unicorn :: 16hh :: 11 HP: 72 | Buff: SWIFT
Dominus :: White Lion :: None Snow
#1

The days all blurred into one down here, but the steel soldier had enough awareness to judge that it was almost dusk. She wandered through the caves without purpose - she seemed to do a lot of that these days, in the absence of anything else to entertain herself with. Nyx had been sheltering beneath the surface of Helovia for longer than she cared to remember now, and she was growing more and more bored with each hour that passed; she was an active mare with a quick mind that needed stimulation, so she was not suited to hiding in these tunnels like a rabbit waiting to be dug out by a fox. She was simply biding her time, waiting until she detected some like-minded individuals to band together with and rise against the darkness that swarmed like mosquitos above their heads.

Her aimless meandering had ensured the iron woman knew the cave system like the back of her hoof; she knew where to rest so no loose rocks dropped onto her, she knew where to find the patches of sunlight to bathe and pretend she was outside. It was nowhere near as enjoyable as the Edge that she now considered home, but it would do - it was certainly preferable to being devoured by one of the demons that roamed around up above. Tonight her path led her to the underground waterfall that she had discovered mere days earlier; having a flowing water source meant she now only had to go above the ground to graze, and it was far more relaxing to be able to sate one's thirst without fear of being zombified from behind. With the thundering roar of the cascade in her ears, Nyx moved to the water's edge and dipped her head to drink; her neck arched, muscles twitching as droplets of spray landed like flies across her silver pelt. Once sated, the mare turned and began to move away from the water, careful to put a bit of distance between herself and it (she didn't want a wraith appearing out of nowhere and trying to drown her, did she?)

Idly moving her neck from side to side to exercise it, the mare began to flex every muscle in her body in turn. It was difficult to keep in shape when she was confined to the caves, and she hungered for open fields to stretch her legs and keep herself in top condition. As it was, she had to settle for long trots through the twisting labyrinth of caverns, trying to ignore the echo of her own hoofbeats that jarred her sensitive ears. She itched to engage an opponent in the most primal dance of blood and glory; she knew a fight with the zombies was likely to arrive sooner rather than later, and she needed to train if she was to have any chance at defeating the undead. Perhaps, if she was lucky, somebody would turn up for her to engage with...

""

____________________

@[Archibald]

In the Sunken Falls, early evening, quite near to the water. Feel free to use magic/companion Nyx is in my head like NUUUUU. 800 word limit, no stats/dice.

Words: 496

0/3


Other characters have permission to use magic/violence against Nyx at any time.


Archibald the Dauntless Posts: 386
Absent Abyss atk: 6.0 | def: 9.5 | dam: 8
Stallion :: Equine :: 18.3 hh :: 10 years HP: 80 | Buff: SHIELD
Loretta :: Alaskan Malamute :: Time Slip Time
#2
ARCHIBALD the DAUNTLESS
Cause You gotta be bigger, be faster, be stronger
If you're gonna survive any longer

The caves were proving to be something that Archibald would never be used to. From his years in Helovia he had never been to a place he disliked more, not even the depths of the north that he spent several months scouting for the sake of the Grey and the Foothills. He had found nothing on his travels except wildness and malice, but no thread that the Dauntless was not keen to destroy quickly. These caves were quite similar, desolate and full of nonsensical threats. The wraiths and the darkness that Gaucho had spoken of, the memory of Isilme and the shades still etched like a hot coal in the back of his war-torn mind, did not seem to affect this underground fortress. Of all the difficulties and disagreements Archibald had inwardly with these caverns, the idea that his children and his mate were safe within the solace brought a calmness to his mind, despite the pulsing panic that brought his memories flooding into his mind. He could still taste them, the darkness of the Shades, the faces of his herd members and others alike that he had known, attacking him. The scars that littered his pelt burned with the memory, and the Dauntless shook his body as if to rid himself completely of the hide.

The former general snorted and tossed his head, moving his colossal body towards the sound of the raging waterfall. Loretta, the red and white cur so faithful to her core, followed carefully at his heels. The sound of the pair moving through the tunnels was a thundering sound, reverberating off of the stone walls with a rhythm so different than how they sounded on the surface of Loorien. This sound, however, pounded in the warlord's chest and reminded him of his power. If he felt the need, the beast could bring these walls down, solidifying the bones of the inhabitants to pause them like statues in the chaos, bringing them all swiftly to death. The idea seemed to lighten the mammoth's fancy, his muscles itching subconsciously for a kill. Mandrake did not raise a stagnant son, and even in her death her training still pulled at the draft mutt's strings. He needed to taste the blood of another on his tongue, to feel the way his hoof thwarted them. Gaucho had said that the Wraiths would be too difficult to take headlong with only force, but the burning in the conscript's hooves would not be so easily quenched.

Her. Archibald stopped when Loretta broke into his thoughts, his eyes, with color so pure and intense they dulled the sun, bouncing up to meet the sight of a familiar stranger. She was at the meeting; she spoke of weakness. Should we show her? Loretta moved out in front of Archibald, circling around the mare's left to dip her front paws and muzzle into the pool. Archibald's ears flicked flat against his neck for only a mere second, taking in the mare's physical. She was a tall and slender mare, speed and agility dominating her gene pool with obvious ease. Her legs were solid but thinner than his, sporting no feathering. Her neck was arched and tight with muscle, and her refined head ended in the spiraled tip of a solid, black horn. It reminded him of his youngest son's main horn, the onyx appendage reaching towards the sky with dignity. "Archibald the Dauntless," He spoke his name, his deep and orotund, bouncing off of the cave walls to be finally absorbed by the raging percussion of the waterfall.

The ground beneath Archibald's solid hooves was firm, the stone unmovable except at his own will. A warm dampness filled the chamber, resonated by the pool and the falls. The knight had no framework idea as to where the sun hung in the sky on the surface, but the sunlight that flitted through small cracks and holes in the ceiling did solidify in his mind that it was still perched somewhere over the horizon. The kingly beast's eyes had adjusted to life in the caves over the course of his dwelling time, and the lack of a true source of light would not be a hindrance should this mare choose to lock with him in their shared art--her warrior prowess no mystery behind the glint of her powder blue eyes. "Show me your weakness, mare, for you spoke of it as a sad story."

Archibald's neck arched, his muscles tight and ready, his shoulders and haunches coiling to become springboards to carry him gallantly over the stoney floor. Loretta, still near the pool, lowered her head and rolled her shoulders forward, scruff tightening to protect her neck. Archibald's ears flattened away from his pale face, and his chin tucked with trained readiness.





[WC: 795 | PC: 0/3 | M&C: 0/2 | Archibald is using his buffs Dance and Aim. || Good luck, Snowwy, feel free to attack first!]

Image Credits


Through the ages of time
I've been known for my hate,
but I'm a dealer of simple choices;
for me it's never too late.


please tag me

Nyx Posts: 292
Deceased atk: 7.5 | def: 9.5 | dam: 6.0
Mare :: Unicorn :: 16hh :: 11 HP: 72 | Buff: SWIFT
Dominus :: White Lion :: None Snow
#3

Suddenly there was a thundering, very different to the crashing of the falls; this was a rythmic pounding, the unmistakeable sound of hooves on stone. The mare's ears pivoted, capturing the sound as she subconsciously prepared for an attack; perhaps it was a wraith, come to show her the way into the darkness. She stood tall, neck arching, wondering what it would feel like to have her body devoured from the outside in - what it would feel like to have her sanity flee her body and lock her consciousness behind a steel wall. Yet as the hoofbeats grew nearer, Nyx realised it wasn't the demon of her nightmares, but the earth-shaking stallion from the war council. By his side was the dog, to whom the soldier's eyes flickered; she was still wary of anything with sharp teeth, regardless of whether it was bonded to a fellow herbivore. Meat-eaters could not be trusted, and she almost shuddered to think of the creature's jaws around her neck, biting her life away. The man spoke, and Nyx's muzzle twitched into a wry smile. "Nyx the nobody," she replied, skull dipping in a nod of greeting. Then he spoke again, a clear challenge - "Only if I can see yours," came her cheery retort. O, her weakness - she had many, more than she cared to count. But right now, her focus was on discovering his, on exploiting them and praying he did not do the same to her.

Even as she prepared to strike, she knew she faced an uphill battle. He was massive, almost three hands taller than her, and one blow from those hooves could shatter her bones like glass. He had his hound by his side and his magic to quake the ground beneath her; in every way, he was the victor before they even began. The only advantage the grey dove could see was that he must surely have the maneuverability of a double-decker bus, whereas she was designed for speed and agilty, for quick blows and rapid barrages. Perhaps she could use her surroundings to her advantage, too, and she thought of the falls behind her, their soaking embrace waiting to caress the body of any equine who happened to accidentally enter. If she could get him to charge her...Of course, she wouldn't want him to drown, but a good drenching could ensure success. She had risen victorious in Helovia already, but that was against a green colt, untested in the art of war. Now she was against a man grown, who clearly knew his stuff and was armed to the teeth with everything the iron lady craved.

Finally her gaze ceased its momentary assessment of him, her mind coating itself in steel as she prepared to begin. "Don't hold back," she said, not that she thought he would. She wanted to test herself, to feel the pain as blows rained down upon her, to face her fears and engage with his fanged companion. She would not pull her punches, and prayed he would return the favour.

The mare charged, running straight for him - her neck arched, her obsidian blade brandished like a sword before her. It was all she had over him, and she was keen to bathe it in blood, combine black and crimson. She barrelled forwards at a steady canter, as though she was going to try and sink her horn into the centre of his chest - but at the last possible moment, the soldier feinted to her left, hooves clattering on the stone ground as she aimed to run parallel alongside him, right side to right side, head to tail. Her feet scrambled for purchase as she sought to arrest her momentum and come to a halt, pushing her weight onto her forequarters in an attempt to swing her hindquarters hard to the right. It had worked with Tamlin; she hoped to crash her meaty, muscular right flank into his right shoulder and the top of his right foreleg, hoping to use the thickest and sturdiest part of her body like a wrecking ball. She didn't have a hope in hell of knocking him over, as he was built like a tank on steroids, but she hoped the impact of her powerful backside might jar his muscles and cause some pain.

Her jaws snapped to the right, blunt teeth aiming for his own right flank. She aimed to give the area a good hard nip, wanting to bruise and injure. The mare hoped that her combination of attacks would confuse him and allow at least one to hit, although she was painfully aware that she was exposing her own hindquarters to a retaliation from his greedy teeth - after all, nobody liked being bitten on the ass, did they?

____________________

Good luck to you too c:

Words: 793

1/3


Other characters have permission to use magic/violence against Nyx at any time.


Archibald the Dauntless Posts: 386
Absent Abyss atk: 6.0 | def: 9.5 | dam: 8
Stallion :: Equine :: 18.3 hh :: 10 years HP: 80 | Buff: SHIELD
Loretta :: Alaskan Malamute :: Time Slip Time
#4
ARCHIBALD the DAUNTLESS
Cause You gotta be bigger, be faster, be stronger
If you're gonna survive any longer

The cave was instantly ignited with the sound of battle, of raging hooves slamming on the stone ground with a force of trained fury. The iron lady flew towards the Dauntless, her lithe body collected. Her words, spoken just moments before, were lost on the beast. He cared not for what she had to say, for her actions in this cave would determine his opinion of her forever. Golden lights reflected off the water danced on the mammoth's vision of the mare as she came towards him, horn ready to engage his flesh and rip it from his bone. Archibald knew the dangers of horns well, remembering how Leyra's horn felt as it scraped over his hide, the feel of Evers' claw-like appendages ripping into his neck; today, the Dauntless would not let her obsidian horn touch him, within his ability. He would have the upperhoof in strength, his body towering over her like a behemoth. She would surely be quick, her lithe legs carrying her with maneuvers the Dauntless only could imagine. He had fought many like her before—as most were smaller, faster, more agile—but only the form of Locket played in his mind. This mare already was moving much like the panda-marked Arabian stallion.

Powerful haunches launched Archibald forward, body arched with muscles rippling like the waters of the pool, his massive frame working forward with every intention to slam directly into Nyx and throw her momentum backwards. However, the grey moved to her left as the distance closed between them. Locket had done much the same move, and Archibald snorted haughtily. Archibald followed suite, moving opposite her and planting his forehooves on the ground, bringing his body to a halt. Nyx's intention to bring them parallel to each other was thwarted as the onyx stallion pivoted his backend towards her, hoping to bring himself perpendicular to her, tail to shoulder. Archibald felt her stop as he was coiling for attack, his balance moving to his forehand as his head tucked down and his hind legs kicking up, attempting to land a double hit on the mare's ribcage, just behind her shoulder. Nyx shifted her weight behind him, throwing her hips towards where Archibald thought the mare wished he would have ended up, but her attempt to ram him was an assault to empty space. Archibald's hooves fell back to the stony floor with a thunderous clash just as Nyx's maw snapped towards him. She landed a bite on the king's dock, pulling a mound of tail hairs from the base of his thick tail. Archibald grunted and pulled his body to spin around completely. His dock tingled with the memory of her bite, a small sting forming another grunt to push from his lips. The warlord did not grimace, did not flinch. He had endured worse, and this mare’s bite would not bring him to his knees today.

Loretta sprang into action then, sprinting towards the grey. She was growling, her lips curled back to reveal her ivory weapons; her teeth the bars, her mouth a cage of death. Springing from the ground towards Nyx's neck, Loretta's jaws parted and she hoped to slam them shut just behind the mare's throat latch. 'Move' Loretta connected with her bondmate, paws attempting to gain purchase on the sides of Nyx's neck to scrape at her with blunt claws. Archibald was completely spun around at this point, his intentions to face Nyx perpendicular again had she not moved, though with his head pointed at her and not his hind. Lurching forward, Archibald struck out with his forehooves, the feathery masses hoping to slam into Nyx's right front knee. Simultaneously, the warlord bit towards Nyx's face, his neck outstretched to protect his body from her horn.

The hard, cold ground beneath the Dauntless’ hooves proved for good purchase. In his years he had fought on many different terrains, though the closest to this cave was the packed desert floor where he discovered his second magic. He had fought Gaucho then, a stallion this mare seemed to know from the meeting on the other end of the cave system. Nyx was much like Gaucho in movements, attempting to be a hefty force whilst being an agile serpent. Archibald’s blood pumped in his ears, heart fueling his desire to defeat this mare. He would paint her with red, test her as a warrior, and make her see his power and might, just as he had many before her. After today this mare would not look at him with skeptical doubt, instead, he will be a war leader to her. He was going to be a part of leading the effort to protect Helovia from the wraiths, and this mare will respect him and loot to him for guidance.





[WC: 797 | PC: 1/3 | M&C: 1/2 | Archibald is using his buffs Dance and Aim | Sorry this took so long!]

Image Credits


Through the ages of time
I've been known for my hate,
but I'm a dealer of simple choices;
for me it's never too late.


please tag me

Nyx Posts: 292
Deceased atk: 7.5 | def: 9.5 | dam: 6.0
Mare :: Unicorn :: 16hh :: 11 HP: 72 | Buff: SWIFT
Dominus :: White Lion :: None Snow
#5

Despite his bulk, he was faster than she had anticipated; her hips swung into nothingness, and her teeth landed upon the join of his tail rather than his rump. Out of the corner of her eye she saw his hind hooves unfurling like a promise from beneath him, and knew she was in trouble. A double-kick like that to her ribs would shatter them, and likely cause her death as they punctured her lungs. Not likely. She rooted her forehooves and swung to her left, using her planted front half as the pivot; as a result, she was stood directly behind him as he kicked out. His hooves landed with sickening, dull thuds on her muscular chest, and she felt the area blossom into an obnoxious purple bruise, vivid and majestic against her steely fur. It hurt, quite considerably, and her lips peeled from her teeth in a hideous gurn of disgust. As fast as she could, she lowered her head and jousted sharply forwards with her horn, aiming for his dock once more; she timed the attack for the same second that his hooves hit her chest, in the hope of landing it before he whirled away. She aimed to sink the obsidian tip into the exact same area as she had bitten moments before, in the hope of further injuring the region - and, if her aim should happen to be off or he shifted, she might end up with a nice Archibald kebab. Although, admittedly, the notion of butt-horn wasn't a particularly appealing one.

She saw his dog move into action, shooting towards her like a furry rocket. Terror gripped her; this was what she had feared ever since entering Helovia, the idea of tangling with a creature with fangs long enough to shred her throat into pieces. Oh, she was scared; her ears laced against her skull, eyes rolling until her pupils were replaced with the ghastly whites. As a result of her turn to face Archibald's backside, Loretta now came towards Nyx's left side, and her teeth ripped into the upper part of the soldier's left foreleg whilst her claws rasped against the lower region. The fangs caused deep wounds which bled profusely, whilst the blunt claws barely nicked the surface of her thick flesh. It hurt, and a deafening scream rang from between the mare's clenched jaws. She vaguely noticed the stallion move to turn, and she seized the opportunity to turn herself, hoping to use her superior agility to accomplish the movement before he did; she threw her weight to her hindquarters and spun on them, swinging to the left in the hope of facing Loretta head-on. The spray-soaked ground beneath her hooves aided this movement, allowing her to turn on a sixpence, something she had mastered over the years due to her average build. Even as she turned, she was rearing - not high, as she did not want to expose an inch of tender underbelly to the fanged monster, but high enough to ensure there was a considerable amount of force gathered in her body. She then brought her weight down, hoping to crush the dog beneath her front hooves whilst her still-tucked head jerked downwards, ebony sword hoping to sink into the dog's back. At the moment the dog was the predator, a threat that she needed to target and eliminate; pragmatic, matter-of-fact, like drawing up a battle plan. Her horn was her greatest asset, and she hoped to run the beast through with it.

Due to Nyx's movement, Archibald now faced her right side rather than her front, and his forehooves slipped beneath her and onto nothingness. His bite succeeded in snapping on her right ribcage, creating another small bruise; painful as this new wound was, it was nothing compared to the stacatto throb of her chest. She made no move to retaliate; she couldn't, so focused was she on attacking the dog. It was a formidable task to deal with two opponents, as she was forced to split her focus - at the moment, her attention was fully on the hound. Its master was strong, of that there was no doubt, but he had only blunt weapons and hooves at his disposal, not the savage arsenal that his dog possessed. The silver mare's natural instinct was to flee from anything with fangs, but she knew she couldn't, not without hiding her head in shame for evermore. She would not let Archibald see her weakness; no, she would prove her prowess, prove that magic, companion and sheer size could not always overwhelm the stubborn spirit of a soldier with a heart of steel. In everyday life she submitted to stallions readily, especially powerful ones, but the battlefield was her domain, and she was not easily bested by her male counterparts.

____________________

Words: 798

2/3


Other characters have permission to use magic/violence against Nyx at any time.


Archibald the Dauntless Posts: 386
Absent Abyss atk: 6.0 | def: 9.5 | dam: 8
Stallion :: Equine :: 18.3 hh :: 10 years HP: 80 | Buff: SHIELD
Loretta :: Alaskan Malamute :: Time Slip Time
#6
ARCHIBALD the DAUNTLESS
Cause You gotta be bigger, be faster, be stronger
If you're gonna survive any longer

Just as small rays of lights danced over the cave walls and floors, remnants of the iron mare’s attack shot a white hot whip of pain of the onyx warrior’s back, Nyx’s horn puncturing the very spot she had managed to clamp down on moments before. The wound stung and throbbed instantly, the sword a formidable foe against any opponent. Archibald sucked in a breath, clenching his jaws together tightly. The pain, however, was lost in the satisfaction of the thud of his heavy hooves against her smaller chest. It was not his intended target, but the muscles and organs beneath his purchase would feel the wrath of his attack just as much as if he had hit her ribcage. Nyx was a quick beast upon the solid ground, her hooves finding purchase and throwing her away from him. The Dauntless was glad not to be fighting on the slippery knolls of the Foothills as he had against many before—Romani, Jackal, Locket—nor the needle covered ground of the Deep Forest where he had killed the Stormchaser so long ago. He had better ground here, the hard stone keeping his footing steady and solid.

Loretta’s attack landed similarly: not in her intended target, but in such a way that made the beast grin with joy. Blood dripped into her mouth as her teeth ripped into Nyx’s leg. Her blunt claws found gain on the mare’s skin, ripping away, albeit without the same blood draw her jaws brought. Loretta dropped to the ground just seconds after her attack, legs bending to collect pressure from impact. A rabid snarl danced in the air with Nyx’s scream, a joyous song of tragedy and mirth. The beast scrambled quickly forward, an attempt to escape iron hooves and obsidian horn. Loretta mostly succeeded—Nyx clipping the cur’s left hip with a forehoof as well as scraping her horn over the set of her tail. Loretta yipped, pain jostling her body. A rage unmatched ripped through Archibald as he watched Nyx attack his bondmate. A deep, rumbling neigh erupted from the king’s throat as he lunged forward, his assault of a bite on Nyx’s ribcage hitting well, though his attempt to crack her knee was lost to the cave.

Visions of Lace driving to kill Loretta filled the back of Archibald’s mind as his bonded fled, moving with a fierce limp towards the pool of water. He had wanted to kill the grulla then, and now he felt the same towards Nyx. The idea of Loretta injured—or worse, dead—racked the ex-General’s brain and heart. His red and white malamute was a part of him; she shared half of his soul. She was a soldier at his side, and the desire to protect her and fell any threat to her was greater than he had ever felt for any comrade in the past. Archibald began to tremble with and intense anger as he pushed himself forward, hoping to land parallel with Nyx on her right side. The Dauntless shifted his movements ever so slightly, using his left shoulder as a battering ram in an attempt to push Nyx to the side, away from Loretta. As he did so, Archibald curled his neck in towards her and let loose several bites, all aimed for the neck and withers, hoping to pull skin from muscle and leave his mark.

As Archibald pushed into her he sent out his magic, hoping to incase the mare’s internal structure as a statue. If she were to be still Archibald would demolish her. He wanted to feel her bones shatter beneath his strike, though he had not begun the spar that way. This was certainly the cruelest use of his younger magic to date, for he had not wanted to break Gaucho’s or Ailith’s bones as much as he wanted to cripple the grey mare. Archibald remembered the fear and defeat that danced in the grapefruit eyes of the buckskin mare so many moons ago, and he wondered if Nyx would feel the same sensations. Again, the heavy draft struck out with his left forehoof, hoping to crack it over Nyx’s right fore-canon. The rage that rippled through his body and fueled his muscles now dulled the pain in his mind, though the warlord knew well he would feel the wounds with more force in the coming days. Archibald’s ears lay flat against his neck, his golden eyes narrowed. His breathing was coming in hot, short spurts at this point, rhythmic to the thrum of the water in the background of the brawl. The beauty of the cave, dotted with sunlight and glistening water, was lost to the rage that rattled Archibald’s brain. Many tactics jumped through the warlord’s mind, memories dancing solidifying each one in turn.




[WC: 797 | PC: 2/3 | M&C: 2/2 | Archibald is using his buffs Dance and Aim. || Sorry for the wait, dear. Feel free to smack me ^^; ]

Image Credits


Through the ages of time
I've been known for my hate,
but I'm a dealer of simple choices;
for me it's never too late.


please tag me

Nyx Posts: 292
Deceased atk: 7.5 | def: 9.5 | dam: 6.0
Mare :: Unicorn :: 16hh :: 11 HP: 72 | Buff: SWIFT
Dominus :: White Lion :: None Snow
#7

Her horn found its mark on the stallion's backside, but Nyx's main satisfaction was the sensation of one hoof clipping the dog's body; the yelp was a benediction, a confirmation that yes, the beast could be harmed. Perhaps the iron woman should have felt guilty for hurting the animal; after all, this was just a spar, and had she killed the dog it could have ripped her bonded apart. Yet Nyx's fear of carnivores was so great, her hatred of them so strong, that her most simple and primal urge for self-preservation had devoured her. She cared not for the dog's feelings, nor the rage of her stallion, only that she had ensured an attack by the creature and lived to tell the tale. Not only that, but she had fought back. The dog fled towards the pool and another spasm of macabre glee spread through the mare's body at the pain she had managed to cause - in the cold light of day, once the blazing blood of battle had left her, she would feel apologetic towards Archibald and his companion, but for now the steel soldier felt only sick pleasure at the fact she had managed to target her greatest threat, and eliminate it.

But it seemed she had incensed Archibald, and understandably so. He had replaced his dog as her main threat, and her warrior's mind instantly zoned in on him. He shot towards her, and Nyx gritted her teeth, spinning to her right and throwing her weight onto her forehooves as he charged towards her in the hope of reaching her right ribcage. Agony exploded in her injured chest and a bellow of agony fled her jaws - oh, she would regret this movement afterwards, as she could feel the tender muscles of her chest rubbing together, sending electric shocks down her spine. Her hind legs unfurled from beneath her and she aimed to kick him sharply in his own chest and leading left shoulder as he attempted to ram it into her. His bites peppered her dock and rump, bruises erupting where his teeth hit until her backside resembled a minefield. But the pain would all be worth it if she managed to kick her obsidian hooves into his onrushing chest - they didn't have the sheer wrecking-ball power that his own feathered weapons possessed, but they could sure as hell pack a punch, especially when the stones of the cave floor clung to them and gave them numerous sharp edges.

After a single kick she returned her hindlegs to the ground, hoping to prevent him barging her over should he redouble his efforts. As she did, a sensation spread through her - she felt stiff, her muscles seizing up and her bones solidifying. Her ears pinned, but even that felt sluggish; it was like she was in a dream, running through concrete. She had thought he held only his earth-shaking magic, but this was something else, and a vicious hiss of disgust fled the mare's stone lips. She tried to turn to face him, but each movement was a huge effort - his hoof struck out, crashing into her right hindleg, mercifully just above the joint so her bone wasn't shattered. Instead a spasm of agony shot through her frozen body, this bruise large enough to rival the one on her chest. She continued to try and turn, her still-lowered head pointing in the direction of his chest with a desire to use that black sword of hers to do as much damage as possible, as now she, too, was angry and hell hath no fury like a woman with stone bones. Time seemed to slow down but finally, mercifully, she began to unfreeze. She had no idea how long it had taken, nor what untold damage had been done to her insides; a cold smile spread across one side of her face as it began to regain feeling. "That was just rude," she said, but her tones were equal amounts amused and jealous. She wanted power like that, and dammit, one day she would get it.

She shot towards him, horn still pointed at his chest as she aimed to sink the lethal point right into the muscle and meat of the area. She aimed for the right side, not wanting to penetrate his heart and kill him; she wasn't that pissed off, but she did hope to cause considerable pain. At the same time, her left forehoof lifted a fraction off the ground and aimed to stomp sharply down, hoping to rasp down his right foreleg just below the knee. Again she hoped the sharp stones that clung to her hoof would give the attack a razor edge; would serve him bloody right if she cut his leg open after what he had just done to her.

____________________

Words: 800 (yay!)

3/3


Other characters have permission to use magic/violence against Nyx at any time.


Archibald the Dauntless Posts: 386
Absent Abyss atk: 6.0 | def: 9.5 | dam: 8
Stallion :: Equine :: 18.3 hh :: 10 years HP: 80 | Buff: SHIELD
Loretta :: Alaskan Malamute :: Time Slip Time
#8
ARCHIBALD the DAUNTLESS
Cause You gotta be bigger, be faster, be stronger
If you're gonna survive any longer

Loretta, limping and whining in soft tones, plunged into the water, hoping for solace and safety. The cur winced as the cool water touched her body, the cut on the set of her tail stinging with the rush of water surprising it. I'm fine. Finish her. Loretta snapped at Archibald, feeling his rage seeping through her own ribcage and heating up her heart. Archibald snorted, no satisfaction rolling over his mind as he landed several intense bites on Nyx's rump. In any other circumstance Archibald would deal blows and rejoice, if only for a second, in their success, but now he only wished for Nyx to be abolished under his hoof for the lashing Loretta took. As Archibald tore at Nyx's hindquarters the mare launched her own assault, onyx hooves aimed for his thick chest. Her hooves cracked against Archibald's breast, thrusting a grunt from his gut. Pain rippled down his descending pectoral muscle, the nerves jumping as electrical circuits spasmed and screamed. Something about her kick was different, however, and Archibald's mind pinpointed on it when he felt a spread of warm blood dampen his fur where the rocks stuck in Nyx's hooves had sliced his skin. The cut was small, an half inch at most, which seemed like a feeble wound on his monstrous body. Archibald's trained mind worked quickly, and he pushed forward, continuing his assault as planned.

Nyx returned to a solid posture, though she seemed to fall victim to the overpowering might of his magical ability. A cold, dark look clouded over the warlord's molten gaze. Satisfaction, possibly, though it would be impossible for any innocent bystander to see. The soldier's hoof landed hard on Nyx's hind leg as she turned her body, her movements slow like the sap inside of a tree caught in the dead of winter. Archibald took the advantage of the slowness he forced down on her to rush forward to hopefully land parallel to the mare on her right side. Archibald then thrust his head down and away from Nyx, to protect his face and delicate bones from another blow of her hooves. With ears pinned back, the Dauntless moved his weight to his forehand, twisting his body to attempt to close more distance into the mare's right side. Archibald threw both hind legs in the air, hoping to land a devastating, double kick on Nyx's right shoulder or ribcage. He felt the stoney mare's horn move past his thick thigh, just out of reach of slicing into the skin and muscle. He was relieved, though only for a second that his mind would allow, for his movements and the magic that had granted him the ability to, hopefully, gain purchase where he wanted. Nyx's forward scrape of her hooves came all too soon, however, clipping Archibald's left heel as his hooves came back towards the ground. It was smooth underneath his mass, the footing as excellent as when they have first begun.

Hind hooves fell back to the smooth floor of the cave, and something within his warlord's brain clicked. Where did the small stones stuck in her hooves come from, and why had Nyx not been injured by the sharp edges? Archibald knew well from his travels the bother that small stones could be, getting stuck on the bottom of his feet and causing bruising and uncomfortable movements. The kingly stallion snorted and turned to his right, hoping that the mare would feel the pain from what she had used against him like small daggers. The onyx man hoped to bring his hind end perpendicular with her's to create a sort of ninety-degree angle. Quickly and sharply Archibald cow kicked out with his right hind hoof, hoping to land a blow near Nyx's ergot, though the potential for him to snap his kick on her canon or flex tendons would still be as satisfactory to the Dauntless. Snorting again, Archibald cantered forward, away from Nyx, before turning to face her again, his head low and ready for another attack.

Archibald's neck was arched, muscles bulging along its length, his body tense and prepared to strike and defend. The ex-general's breathing was labored, and sweat began to soak the fur along the crevices of his body. Archibald snorted again, tossing his head as a warning. The dark knight stayed silent, however, the rage inside of him boiling although he could hear Loretta reassuring him of her condition on the back of his mind. Nyx would bow to him, grovel under his might and power, and beg his forgiveness. Archibald the Dauntless was born a protector, a stronghold to defeat all opponents, and those designs amplified when the situation dealt with his companion, Circe, or sons. The Dauntless had killed, and he would kill again to protect what was his.






[WC: || PC: 3/3 | M&C: 2/2 | Archibald is using his buffs Dance and Aim. || Sorry for the wait, dear. Feel free to smack me.]

Image Credits


Through the ages of time
I've been known for my hate,
but I'm a dealer of simple choices;
for me it's never too late.


please tag me

Nyx Posts: 292
Deceased atk: 7.5 | def: 9.5 | dam: 6.0
Mare :: Unicorn :: 16hh :: 11 HP: 72 | Buff: SWIFT
Dominus :: White Lion :: None Snow
#9

She was still dazed with the aftereffects of the man's magic, and her innards still felt a bit squiffy. Any guilt she felt about attempting to hurt his dog had long since left - he was taking things too far now, and if he thought she would submit like some common whore then he had another thing coming. Her hooves found their mark, and his grunt gave her a morbid sense of satisfaction that she had finally managed to cause the giant oaf at least some pain, even if it was no more effective than a midge bite.

She was still so weakened and baffled by the bone-freezing magic that she could do nothing to prevent him moving around her; somehow he avoided severe damage from the lethal length of her horn, and she just caught sight of his platelike hind hooves lifting again. No chance. She swung her hindquarters to the left, hoping to bring herself to face his rear end again - summoning her last vestiges of energy she threw her weight to her left, hooves clacking as she sidestepped. As a result, only his left hind hoof made contact with her - it collided with her already-bruised chest, and the agony was something to behold. Her gaze threatened to fuzz out as pain roared through her like a wave, drawing a feral hiss from her jaws as her ears laced into her mane. She wanted to collapse, to fall at his feet, but she would be damned if she would submit to him; he might be bigger than her, he might be able to shatter her bones with a single kick, but she did not doubt he had an inflated sense of his own importance, like every stallion that ever walked the earth. Asshole. Asshole asshole asshole. She could feel the pinpricks of pain from the stones beneath her hooves pressing into her, yet the vast majority circled the hardest, most insensitive part of the hoof and thus caused mere discomfort.

He turned in the hope of cow-kicking her; he might be fast for his size, but he wasn't that fast. Nyx shifted to her left again, and his hoof whistled past a hair's breadth from her right foreleg. She felt a certain thrill of horror at that - had it hit, it would likely have shattered her cannon bone like a sapling and ensured her slow and infinitely painful death.

Well, wasn't he such a gentleman.

Sweat beaded the iron lady's body, her breaths coming in quick, painful gasps due to the tightness of her injured chest. He cantered away from her, and she used the time to draw in a few more deep breaths, but he didn't charge at her to attack again as she had thought - she quirked a brow, mouth coated in froth as she fixed him with her piercing blue gaze. "If you think I'm going to bend the knee and kiss your ass, you can piss off," she said cheerfully - a final grunt fled her blackened muzzle, knowing their fates were in the hands of the gods now.

____________________

Good fight 8D

Words: 513

Closing defence


Other characters have permission to use magic/violence against Nyx at any time.


Official Posts: 847
Administrator
Stallion :: Equine :: ::
Official
#10


N y x | A r c h i b a l d
- - - - -
By my verdict ARCHIBALD is the winner.

NYX -- post 1 (attack only)

[Realism]
+ 1| Attack: feint
+ 1| Attack: butt bump
+ 1| Attack: bite - careful, you’ve made yourself very unbalanced. Since you already threw her hips to the right, your balance depended on the counterweight of her head being left, but now that you’re biting towards the right you’ll be very easy to knock over.

[Prose]
+ 1| Easy Read
+ 1| Emotion
+ 1| Flow

ARCHIBALD -- post 1

[Realism]
- 1| Defense: feint - Archibald could not have seen her feint that far ahead to have time to do his own repositioning, especially considering their breeds.
+ 1| Attack: kick to ribcage
+ 1| Defense: missed butt bump - plausible due to Dance buff.
+ 1| Defense: bit on tail dock
+ 1| Attack: companion bite to neck
+ 1| Attack: forehooves to knee
+ 1| Attack: bite towards face

[Prose]
+ 1| Easy Read: typo “loot”, should be look.
+ 1| Emotion
+ 1| Flow

NYX -- post 2

[Realism]
0| Defense: chest takes kick - because you were angled more to your right for your attacks, this turn was more than 180 degrees and probably wasn’t completed in time. Also bruises are not visible in horses except sometimes in their hooves.
- 1| Attack: horn stab to dock - your timing description is what made this seem unrealistic. Saying you did this just as his hooves hit you is not plausible considering you were taking all that time just to move so your chest faced out, and additionally it discounts the damage and force of a double barrel kick which would at least stun her for a bit.
+ 1| Defense: companion attacks left foreleg
0| Attack: turns and horn to companion - with how close the companion is to you your horn is not very useful.
- 1| Defense: knee missed hooves - the knee actually would have been put back into range due to Nyx turning with the companion, as opposed to face to face with Archibald.
- 1| Defense: bite hit ribcage - again with her turn her head would be in range for Archibald’s bite. Either way he was aiming to bit an area ahead of his hoof attack and the ribcage is behind her chest where you said he missed, so it doesn’t make sense his bite would land there.

[Prose]
+ 1| Easy read
+ 1| Emotion
+ 1| Flow

ARCHIBALD -- post 2

[Realism]
+ 1| Defense: tail dock stabbed
- 1| Injury: you need to describe in more detail the effects of being stabbed since you just brush this off
+ 1| Defense: companion cuffed and scratched
+ 1| Attack: ram
+ 1| Attack: bites
+ 1| Attack: stone magic
+ 1| Attack: forehoof strike

[Prose]
+ 1| Easy read: typo of “and”, should be an.
+ 1| Emotion
+ 1| Flow

NYX -- post 3

[Realism]
+ 1| Defense: dodges ram by moving forward
- 1| Attack: bucks - considering how much damage her chest would have taken from his kicks, the fact she’s also running which would add more stress to those muscles, and the fact Archibald is already in movement and close proximity, meaning he has more force right now so kicking him would actually shove most of the momentum back into her. Her injuries should have been played on more here.
+ 1| Defense: bites to dock and haunches
+ 1| Defense: slowed by magic
+ 1| Defense: kicked in right hindleg
- 1| Injury: the kick to your leg should have been much more impeding and better described, way beyond a bruise considering he hit it square and hard given his breed and description.
+ 1| Attack: horn jab
+ 1| Attack: stomp

[Prose]
+ 1| Easy read
+ 2| Emotion
+ 1| Flow

ARCHIBALD -- post 3

[Realism]
+ 1| Defense: kicked in chest
+ 1| Attack: bucks at her side
+ 1| Defense: dodges horn - dance buff makes this plausible
- 1| Defense: hit by the stomp - this is awkward because of the timing. Nyx wrote the horn and stomp as happening simultaneously, whereas you split them up over the course of his buck.
+ 1| Attack: cow kicks at her leg

[Prose]
+ 1| Easy read
+ 1| Emotion
+ 1| Flow

NYX -- post 4 (defense only)

[Realism]
+ 1| Defense: hit by buck, grazed
+ 1| Defense: dodges cow kick


NYX

[Bonus]
+ 1| Breed
+ 2| Surroundings

[Injuries]
None

[Creativity]
None.

Comments: Overall you’re a definite skilled fighter, however some of your timing with attacks and defenses or the way you would move to attack or defend was not plausible or realistic. I would suggest you carefully plan out and use something to visualize your attacks and defenses to better understand the actual events as they occur. I’d also like to see more emphasis on injury and especially how sustained injuries affect you the rest of the fight. You got some major wounds here and then promptly ignored them. Great with the breed and surroundings mentions though and nice push for emotion, I’d just like to see more feelings next time, and rather than being told about your feelings, to feel them with you. Great job!

ARCHIBALD

[Bonus]
+ 1| Breed
+ 2| Surroundings
+ 1| Health


[Injuries]
None

[Creativity]
+ 1| Interesting idea of saying small pebbles in the hoof caused him more damage from her kick, just be cautious you don’t over do it and force it upon her as something she must mention because then it becomes a form of power playing.

Comments: As a whole you’re an advanced fighter, however at times you supply too many attacks in threads which can make it more confusing and difficult for your opponent to respond to. Take those words instead and supply more emotion which I felt a bit lacking in his posts, though there was some I know there could have been more given the scenario. Don’t just tell me there’s emotions, make me feel them! Similarly work on your timing and positioning a bit more, and don’t be afraid to take some damage, you just barely sprinkled wounds around but dance and aim won’t carry you completely. Great job with breed and surroundings though!

TOTAL
NYX - 72
ARCHIBALD - 77

Image Credit: dirkjankraan @ Flickr


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