the Rift


I'll bite you | Gull Challenge
Ascended Helovian

Gaucho The Wildfire Posts: 1,004
Deceased atk: 8.5 | def: 11.5 | dam: 8
Stallion :: Pegasus :: 17.2 :: 12 HP: 85 | Buff: PINNACLE
Mara :: Black Mamba Snake :: Paralyze & Vorsa :: Plain Zephyr :: Phoenix Odd
#1
[Now that I'm not an idiot and challenging someone who was already in a challenge... x.x]

[Gull] “All right, Dreamboat,” he called, “I’ll tangle with ya, if that’s what you want.” Seeking the flashing pair of eyes, he smirked, adding, “Winner takes all?”

Fire surged within Gaucho's system, flaring brightly on his wings. This outward indicator of his inner emotions had never been a hindrance to Gaucho, who normally wore his emotions on his sleeve. Though if Gull couldn't already tell that his humour was unwanted - as were his attempts at hitting on Nephele - surely the fire would warn him.

He heard himself growl in response, that trying to steal from his herd was not a topic of amusement, that it would not be tolerated. And yet somehow, despite the terseness of his voice, his clearly aggressive posture, and his rising flames, Gull did not quit. He said that the Dragon's Throat and its mares deserved respect, to which Gull seemingly ignored, deciding to instead continue to heckle and harass Nephele.

The dun would too flabbergasted to find any sort of virtue in this. Perhaps at another time he might have ... commended Gull's bravado? Or at the very least acknowledged his clear shamelessness. For now, it took everything in Gaucho's power not to burn him on the spot. Stealing from his herd deserved punishment, but it did not deserve death. At least not on its face. However continued threats did - and Gull was already pushing himself close to meeting that metric.

Listen buddy, it’s nothing personal

"Is personal." Gaucho interrupted, flaring his wings and striding forward even as Gull continued to try and act like he was in charge here, and that Gaucho would simply go away.

As Gull's own wings spread, Gaucho's ears pinned against his skull. I’ll even let you have the first shot. Bite me. The words were directed towards Nephele, but Gaucho didn't care. This charade had gone on long enough.

Gaucho lunged forward, jaws agape. Thought it wasn't only his jaws which reached for the ashen pegasus. Mara's attack was fast and calculated. She aimed for the thick veins that ran along the left side of Gull's neck. Her teeth shimmered only for a moment in the sunlight before they attempted to plunge deep into his system injecting in him her naturally produced toxin. Simultaneously Gaucho tried to body-check the stallion backwards - using his considerably bulkier and larger body. His goal was to both unsettle Gull as well as knock him off balance - to demonstrate physically that he would not be pushed around, verbally or otherwise. Finally, his teeth snapped towards Gull's right ear, hoping to slam his blunt ivories on the delicate folds of skin. The attack was so much less than Gaucho could have delivered - as if to indicate that even now, Gaucho was not worth his time.

He wasn't worth anyone's time.


Gaucho is challenging Gull for "leave the Throat alone"


WC: 464
Attack:1/4
Setting: Riptide Isles, midday, Tallsun.
Summary: Gaucho tries to body-slam Gull and bite his ear, while Mara tries to inject him with her toxin.
@Gull


Gaucho the Wildfire
If this is to end in fire
Then we should all burn together

Art by: schwartze @ DA
Please tag me in every post! Magic/Force is allowed on Gaucho at any time.


Gull Posts: 120
Absent Abyss atk: 5 | def: 9 | dam: 6
Stallion :: Pegasus :: 16 hh :: 9 (Tallsun) HP: 64.5 | Buff: NOVICE
Splat :: Royal Zephyr :: Phoenix Shady
#2
Gull!
underneath it all, we're just savages

There’s nothing that kills the mood as quickly as an interloper…especially when said interloper is charging at you with over a thousand pounds of muscle and his ride-or-die snake, and both are jonesing for your blood. While most would hold this truth to be self-evident, it was a lesson that Gull was to learn the hard way today—and from none other than the one they called Gaucho the Wildfire.

Ah, silly boy. If only he hadn’t been so busy batting his eyelashes at Nephele, perhaps he would have noticed that something was amiss: namely, Horsey Hulk himself boiling over in the background. It was a mistake that would cost Gull dearly, for any chance of retreating evaporated as he taunted the mare. Not that it would have made much of a difference, to be fair, for what Gull lacked in brains he made up for in bluster. Provoking the reigning battle champion of the land, you say? Not a problem! He literally commands his own army? Even better! It would not have mattered if Gaucho had charged him now or later. Gull was not the type to stand down to a challenge, even to one as blatantly unbalanced as this one.
 
Still, it would have been nice to have seen it coming. Anticipating a blow from Nephele, the silver stag had been counting on a few seconds to shimmy away from any love-bites that she might send his way. Gaucho’s attack caught him off guard, and he squealed in surprise as the larger stallion surged toward him with a murderous expression on his face. The amorous grin flickered, then died as Gull realized too late the awkward position he was in: with wings outstretched and Gaucho barreling towards him like an out-of-control freight train, he stood to have a limb ripped off…like, now.
 
Panicking ever-so-slightly, the grullo snapped his wings shut and made to whirl away, hoping to buy himself some time. However, the sand underfoot made it difficult to go anywhere fast, and as luck would have it this put him in exactly the wrong place at exactly the wrong time. With the full length of his side exposed, Gaucho’s wrecking ball of a body slammed into Gull’s, and he heard a sickening crunch as bones succumbed to the overwhelming force. Gaucho’s teeth snapped shut on empty air, but the damage had been done. The section of Gull’s right wing just past the second joint had borne nearly the full brunt of the attack, and to his growing horror, now hung uselessly at his side. An unearthly scream filled the air as the injured stallion staggered sideways, eyes rolling in rage. He did not yet feel the pain (nor the slight pulse of the venomous scratch that Mara had left upon his neck like a ticking time bomb), but his body was burning nonetheless, yearning for revenge.
 
And somehow, underneath it all, lay the sting of betrayal. While of course, he had never fully expected the flaming Goliath to stand down, Gull hadn’t taken him to be one who fought dirty. With the primal dun’s bulk and fire, he had wrongly assumed him to be above that sort of behavior. But Gaucho had been the one to charge without warning, teeth bared like a wild animal, while he had proffered his body to the mare for the first strike. Still, Gull could have forgiven him even for that. He had been wrong to underestimate the brute’s cunning, unnecessary as it was. What lit the fuse in his chest was the sheer brutality the beast had displayed in his attack. While Gull could understand a fight to impress the lady, he could not comprehend its intensity. Was Gaucho prepared to maim him over a matter so ultimately trivial? Though they were rivals, Gull had trusted in some lost sense of brotherhood, never considering that one pegasus could hate another so much as to deprive him of the gift of flight. Until now, it had been unthinkable.  
 
However, the silver stallion would not go down without a fight. Injured wing clenched tightly to his side, he completed the clumsy pivot and rocked forward, putting his weight on his forelimbs as he thrust his back legs out violently in a series of bucks aimed at Gaucho’s head. Though kicking the playground bully in the face would by no means repay him for the damage he had inflicted today, it would be a heck of a consolation prize.

"talk talk talk"

WC: 746/800
Attack: 1/4
Summary: Gull tries to wheel away from the oncoming freight train Gaucho, but ends up exposing his full right side to the attack. In the process, a section of his right wing is broken, and Mara's fangs scrape his neck. Enraged, he lets loose a series of bucks aimed at Gaucho's head.

Image Credits || coding by Tamme, tweaked by Shady


@Gaucho
Please do not tag Gull except for in opening posts or spars!
Ascended Helovian

Gaucho The Wildfire Posts: 1,004
Deceased atk: 8.5 | def: 11.5 | dam: 8
Stallion :: Pegasus :: 17.2 :: 12 HP: 85 | Buff: PINNACLE
Mara :: Black Mamba Snake :: Paralyze & Vorsa :: Plain Zephyr :: Phoenix Odd
#3
If Gaucho could have known the thoughts brandishing themselves like unwieldy knives in Gull's mind, he might have tried to set the grullo straight. Might have told him that he was an idiot for thinking that Gaucho's attacks were unprovoked - or at the very least - a surprise. Had he not noticed the fire glowing ever higher on Gaucho's wings? Had he not heard the growls of warning? His words advising that Gull leave Nephele alone? If not, was Gaucho's reputation alone, not warning enough? That he had descended out of the sky in a flurry of testosterone, muscles, and fire, declaring that Gull's failed stealth was a gross miscalculation on his part - and knowing what Gaucho did to those who tried to harm his family...Was that not evidence enough, of what Gull's continued treachery would get him?

Not to mention that it was Gull who was stupid enough to turn his wing-joint into Gaucho's attack.

But Gaucho knew none of these things, and so he proceeded in precisely the same way as he had before he attacked Gull, and before rage had declared itself the victorious emotion inside of the grullo.

Gaucho felt the give of Gull's bones beneath the weight of his attack, but thought little of it. His intent was not to destroy the boy's body, but to destroy any further plots against Gaucho's family. Still, after all of Gull's continued lustful aggression towards Nephele, he did not deserve Gaucho's restraint. Although the dun's teeth snapped on empty air, mentally Mara indicated that her fangs had graced the flesh of Gull's neck. Although she had released her toxin, she couldn't be sure whether or not it had found its way into his blood stream - if the grullo became disoriented or collapsed to his knees, they would know that it had. 

Not one to pull away once a fight had begun, Gaucho was not far behind Gull as the grullo began to pivot away. Given this proximity, even as Gull's weight shifted to his forehand and his hind legs rose, there was simply no where for Gaucho to move to avoid the attack. However given the height difference between the two and Gaucho's proximity, it was not his skull that Gull's hooves managed to find, but his neck.

Pain rippled like a freight train through Gaucho's entire system - emanating from the two dull points of burning pain on the underside of his neck, and spreading out with reckless abandon. Immediately his lungs tried to suck in air but found that the rapid swelling in his neck made this difficult. Stars began to form before the Wildfire's eyes as his body continued to instinctively try to breathe. And although Gaucho knew that he needed to calm himself in order to breathe deeply, his quickening pulse made the need for oxygen all the more dire, and so all the more difficult to achieve. His ears pinned against his skull as the feeling of overwhelming pain that now seemed to cover his chest and head like a blanket, began to meld with the blackness creeping in from the edges of his vision as his body was only able to gulp small mouthfuls of air. 

If the pain and lack of oxygen hadn't been so completely devastating and distracting, Gaucho's mind might have commended the strength of Gull's attack. The dun had trained long and hard on the sands of the Throat - and so the beach did not prove to be a difficult battle ground. Yet many who were not used to the stamina-sapping powers of the sands found their attacks to be left wanting. Gull seemingly was either lucky, or better trained than Gaucho had thought.

Though currently, neither of those things mattered.

Relying on his years of battle-fortitude now to give himself strength, Gaucho forced his mouth to open and to slowly draw in a breath. The muscles which contracted around the swollen and already bruised portion of his neck screamed in discomfort, though his lungs happily accepted the pain. Knowing that his system could not handle any large movements until his breathing was more regular, the Wildfire withdrew into the sovereignty of the Sun God and the magic that he had bestowed upon Gaucho. Because really, it was for the Sun God that Gaucho fought in the first place - it was not Gaucho's herd that he defended, but the Sun's.

Pulling his wings back and then beating them forward, Gaucho ushered forth a wall of fire that gushed and blazed with light and heat. A strangled cry of discomfort and pain left his lips as he sucked in another ragged but deep breath, filling his lungs and slowly clearing his vision of creeping-blackness and stars.




Gaucho is challenging Gull for "leave the Throat alone"


WC: 768
Attack:2/4
Setting: Riptide Isles, midday, Tallsun.
Summary: Gaucho gets hit in the neck and is hurt/struggles to breathe. He throws a wall of fire at Gull.
@Gull


Gaucho the Wildfire
If this is to end in fire
Then we should all burn together

Art by: schwartze @ DA
Please tag me in every post! Magic/Force is allowed on Gaucho at any time.


Gull Posts: 120
Absent Abyss atk: 5 | def: 9 | dam: 6
Stallion :: Pegasus :: 16 hh :: 9 (Tallsun) HP: 64.5 | Buff: NOVICE
Splat :: Royal Zephyr :: Phoenix Shady
#4
Gull!
underneath it all, we're just savages

Thud.
 
It was a dull, fleshy sound, an ugly sound, one that bespoke blood and bruises—but to Gull, it was music. He grunted deeply as he felt his back hooves connect with Gaucho’s neck, pounding into the well-developed muscle with a thwack! that wove itself into the beat of the escalating battle. While he would have preferred the sharp crack of a jawbone over the rather unglamorous sound of pummeling bodies, the dusty paint felt a rush of savage pleasure at the success of his attack. The strike had not been the most graceful, nor had targeting Gaucho’s trachea been entirely intentional, but hey: he’d take what he could get. Though he may have forfeited style points, through happy fortune his offense had ultimately been more efficient. From the sound of his opponent’s labored breathing, it seemed that he had done something right.
 
The shock of the impact sent tremors reverberating back through his hind legs, but Gull was ready. Using the force of the rebound to his advantage, the smaller stallion sprang away, trusting in his agility to give him time to regroup. There were only two problems with his plan: one, sand was not conducive to fast getaways; and two…it wasn’t exactly possible to outrun the form of retaliation that the dun had in mind. They say revenge is a dish best served cold, but of course, Gaucho would prefer it flambé. Though he might have expected another round of snapping teeth and vicious hooves, Gull was by no means prepared for the wall of fire that came roaring after him, licking at his heels and setting his left haunch aflame with startling quickness.
 
While shock had spared him most of the pain thus far, the fire Gull felt immediately. It tore into his flesh like a rabid animal, and he howled in appropriate agony, thrashing this way and that under its merciless jaws. Time seemed to slow as he flailed wildly, driven into a blind panic by the flames that had earned Gaucho his reputation. All the while, the skin on his hindquarters blistered and burned, filling his nostrils with the indescribable and awful stench of charred flesh. There was no escape; it was everywhere. Gull felt as if he were being consumed by fire—even within him, he felt his lungs begin to burn and the air within them thickening. For the first time since the battle had begun, fear pricked at his heart, and the realization overwhelmed him: this was something much darker and deeper than he had signed up for. Hind end still alight like a demented firefly, Gull opened his mouth to scream once more—
 
—But all that came out was…smoke?
 
The cloud billowed forth from the depths of his chest like an avenging angel, raining down suffocating ash and soot upon anyone who stood in its path. Given his decidedly unchoreographed writhing, it was uncertain whether or not any of it would reach his aggressor, but Gull had already lost track of Gaucho. Wracked with pain, his world had narrowed to the ocean and to the distance between himself and the water, and he now streaked toward it with animal determination. In his desperation, even the accidental discovery of his own magic meant little to him. For the moment, the choking smoke was inconsequential—unless, of course, it would buy the burning stallion some time to reach the water.
 
WC: 563/800
Attack: 2/4
Summary: Gull tries to use the force of impact to spring away from Gaucho but is caught by the wall of fire, which sets his left haunch aflame. As he runs for the ocean, he accidentally discovers his magic by breathing a cloud of suffocating smoke.
 
:: [ Magic: DarkxFire | Ability to breathe thick, choking smoke that can be used in battle to restrict opponent's breathing. ]
:: [ Restrictions | Cannot suffocate anyone. The smoke isn't magical and its effects are the symptoms of smoke inhalation. ]

"talk talk talk"

Image Credits || coding by Tamme, tweaked by Shady


@Gaucho
Please do not tag Gull except for in opening posts or spars!
Ascended Helovian

Gaucho The Wildfire Posts: 1,004
Deceased atk: 8.5 | def: 11.5 | dam: 8
Stallion :: Pegasus :: 17.2 :: 12 HP: 85 | Buff: PINNACLE
Mara :: Black Mamba Snake :: Paralyze & Vorsa :: Plain Zephyr :: Phoenix Odd
#5
One might think that Gaucho was used to smoke. That his propensity towards fire had afforded him a fortitude to its effects, but of course, magical fire is a different sort of beast entirely. Smoke never rose from the flames on his wings, and, unless his arcing fire magic or spectral animal-shapes actually touched something which would burn and yield smoke, they remained completely whole and untainted by ash.

And so as smoke billowed from the nearly-cooked stallion, Gaucho was surprised to see any sort of vapor coming off of him at all. He hadn't appeared to have been covered in wet leaves or anything similarly ignitable...and so it was for the second time in a matter of seconds that Gaucho's breathing was once again compromised. As the membranes of Gaucho's respiratory tract became irritated by the smoke and tried to compensate, the dun could feel his airways once again becoming restricted, and had to fight (quite hard) the urge to bellow is outrage and frustration. Kicks, he could take. Bites and thuds and even hair pulling, he could take. But this? This was not an attack. This was like having magic that merely hobbled your opponent. This was a challenge for honour, for protection, for justice and decency...Though if Gaucho had stopped to think about it, his frustration might have dimmed slightly; shouldn't he expect this of Gull? That one so stupid as to harass a member of his herd and then blindly run into a challenge with Gaucho, would also fight by handicapping his opponent?

But win the fight against his ire Gaucho did, and instead of screaming he focused on his breathing, honing his focus to a white-hot point of intense concentration. Breathe. A cough racked his lungs - followed by several more - and Gaucho spat a wad of black spit onto the ground. As he turned slowly to try and follow Gull's movements, his gaze was painfully blurred by the smoke, and despite the tears that welled up in his eyes to protect and clear his vision, needle-like points of pain danced before his steely gaze. He felt his balance shift and stumbled to compensate - though because nothing had in fact shifted, this movement unbalanced him even more. The Wildfire's wings splayed from his sides and bright stars dangled in front of his vision.

Another painful racking cough seized Gaucho as he steadied himself. Fine, he thought with an inward sigh of defeat. If Gull want to play this game, Gaucho play too. Handicapping was something that Gaucho was more than able to facilitate.

Mara slithered down Gaucho's neck, shoulder, and leg. Her body blended in well with the sands, and her lightning-fast speed drew her to the water quickly. Alongside her were five huge eagles composed of fire. The eagles tactic was to try and come at Gull from five different angles, trying to force him to stop in the water - or to dive under it - but they made no move to necessarily attack. Simultaneously, Mara slipped into the frothy waves, her body moving with intentional lateral beats, trying to bring herself closer to Gull without being noticed. The fire-eagles flashed their talons and snapped their beaks of fire to try and hold the grullo's attention. As soon as she thought she might be close enough, she struck, aiming for whatever meaty part of Gull's body she was closest to - likely a shoulder or belly. She had already expelled her natural toxin and had failed. But she had another toxin stirring in her veins - a more magical one - which had the capacity to paralyze.

Bring him down Gaucho commanded silently, as he used his remaining strength to beat away the smoke around him using his wings. The dun took a staggering step forward - and then another, and another - and could almost immediately feel the positive effects of fresh air in his lungs.

His blood shot eyes opened, seeing his eagles circling furiously.

"Treat Dragon's Throat with respect-" Gaucho spat, his voice still hoarse and strained from the lingering effects of the smoke. "-treat mares with respect." He finished, edging towards the water with his flaming wings splayed. Although tear marks tracked down his clenched jaws, and despite the massive bruise which continued to edge outwards on his neck, Gaucho was still a pillar of fortitude and determination.

Nearby, Vorsa lingered beside Nephele, ready to thrust her burning body into action should Gull's focus switch from Gaucho back to his original target.


Gaucho is challenging Gull for "leave the Throat alone"


WC: 747
Attack:3/4
Setting: Riptide Isles, midday, Tallsun.
Summary: oh no more trouble breathing. Gaucho sends 5 firey eagles (medium-dog sized) to try and force Gull to stop in the water and distract him, whilst Mara slithers and then swims towards him trying to use her paralyze ability.
@Gull


Gaucho the Wildfire
If this is to end in fire
Then we should all burn together

Art by: schwartze @ DA
Please tag me in every post! Magic/Force is allowed on Gaucho at any time.


Gull Posts: 120
Absent Abyss atk: 5 | def: 9 | dam: 6
Stallion :: Pegasus :: 16 hh :: 9 (Tallsun) HP: 64.5 | Buff: NOVICE
Splat :: Royal Zephyr :: Phoenix Shady
#6
Gull!
underneath it all, we're just savages

You know when things go from bad to worse? Well, it looked like Gull was having one of those days.  As soon as Gaucho’s flames found their mark, any luck that Gull might have formerly possessed seemed to have taken one look at the hulking demon it was up against and run screaming. While his luck went one way, Gull threw himself in the other, into the waves, and incidentally into the gaping jaws of misfortune, though he did not yet know it. The sea welcomed him with open arms, and he mistook it for a friend, exclaiming loudly in wordless relief as it quelled the flames on his rump. The salt stung fiercely in the fresh wound, but at last the burning grip was gone. Yet…still the sound of fire filled the air. Chest-deep in the ocean, Gull wheeled in horror, coming face to face with Gaucho’s burning eagles.
 
If his opponent had wanted to create a diversion, it was working well. Mara’s slender body slipping through the sea certainly paled in comparison to a flock of fiery birds hellbent on carrying out their master’s orders. As intended, Gull didn’t even notice the snake. He was too busy a) dodging the white-hot talons, and b) trying not to panic too  visibly over yet another display of Gaucho’s magic, because HELLO: the dun was conjuring fire demons. Fire demons!  What was next?? The larger stallion seemed to have an entire arsenal of magic at his disposal, and there was no telling what he’d reach for next in his little grab-bag of hurt. Even in his dilemma, Gull had to admit that it was  pretty badass.
 
Still, Gaucho’s magic show brewed resentment in the grullo’s belly. He could do little to escape as the flaming birds circled him, holding him in the place until their master could move closer—to gloat, no doubt, Gull thought darkly, yelping as one of the eagles swooped a tad too close for comfort. Cradling his injured wing and wincing at every spray of the seawater upon his already-blistering haunch, he glared at his opponent. Given Gaucho’s seeming fondness for excessive force, Gull had a feeling that the dun wasn’t quite done with him yet.
 “Back for more, are we?”
he muttered through gritted teeth, face contorted in pain.
 
As it turned out, he was right. However, it was not Gaucho who dealt the next blow, but Mara. Camouflaged in the waves, she had moved close enough to strike with savage accuracy, and her fangs found their mark deep in his shoulder. A startled stream of profanity spewed from his lips, and he rocked forward to buck…but found he could not. Injected by Mara’s paralyzing bite, Gull could only stumble a few steps forward before the magic took full effect, and then he could barely stand as every muscle in his body seemed to lock. Though his mouth was frozen shut, if he could have opened it, Gull would have screamed in terror. It was one thing to be body-checked, another to be set alight, but this? Thi s he could not outrun, this  he could not fight. It was a special form of torture, for it forced him to wallow in his helplessness, and that he could not stand.
 
What was more, the timing of Mara’s attack could not have been more devastating. As he stood, struggling against the bonds of the snake’s magic, the same tide that had soothed his burns now turned against him. Paralyzed, Gull could only watch in horror as a large swell grew, overwhelming in its massive size as it advanced upon him. For a moment, its shadow fell over his back…and then it slammed down upon him, shoving him under the churning water with brutal force. The breath was knocked from his lungs and his injured wing wrenched painfully from his side as the wave tumbled him violently, pummeling him underneath what felt like the wheels of a freight train. His body cried out for mercy, but the water took its time before spitting him unceremoniously onto the sand in a soggy and battered heap.
 
Disoriented as he was, the most primal part of Gull’s brain knew that he would have no time to recover. Choking and gasping, his body twitched, shaking off the final effects of Mara’s magic. In another bid for time, he coughed harder, reaching desperately for the magic that had helped him once before. If only he could get to his hooves, perhaps he would have a chance of making it out of this alive. As the black smoke spewed forth once more, he scrabbled in the sand, doing his best to stand. Gull didn’t want to think about what would happen if his offense failed—he had a feeling that Gaucho would have no mercy.

"talk talk talk"

Attack: 3/4
WC: 800/800
Summary: Runs into the ocean to soothe his burns, but is held in place by the fire-eagles and gets bitten by Mara. Paralyzed, is totaled by a wave. Sends more smoke at Gaucho while he tries to get back to his feet.

Image Credits || coding by Tamme, tweaked by Shady


@Gaucho
Please do not tag Gull except for in opening posts or spars!
Ascended Helovian

Gaucho The Wildfire Posts: 1,004
Deceased atk: 8.5 | def: 11.5 | dam: 8
Stallion :: Pegasus :: 17.2 :: 12 HP: 85 | Buff: PINNACLE
Mara :: Black Mamba Snake :: Paralyze & Vorsa :: Plain Zephyr :: Phoenix Odd
#7


[CUTTING IT A LITTLE CLOSE, HUH SHADY? :P ]

Gaucho's words went unheard. Or at the very least, back for more? didn't strike even Gaucho's primitive brain as an appropriate response to be fucking respectful. The response increased the level of infuriated that Gaucho's war-locked mind was currently sitting at. He had told Gull to leave Nephele alone, and had been ignored. He had given him a chance to walk away, yet still Gull recused himself of that opportunity. And now, when a simple alright, or yes, or even a nod would have ended this, not only did the grullo fail to recant, but he did so in the most egregious and infuriating way possible. Words couldn't pinpoint just what it was that caused Gaucho's blood pressure to suddenly peak; Gull was an idiot, but so were most. Gull had attacked his family, but so had many. Gull was a lost cause, but didn't know it yet, but that wasn't Gaucho's concern.

No. It had to do with the blatant disrespect, not necessarily of Gaucho, but of all that he held dear.  And for that, what could have ended with the waves washing Gull's battered body clean, would now end with blood.

With his ears pinned against his skull, Gaucho lunged forward. He meant to pin Gull down into the sands with his antlers, thus his head was already lowered as he charged.

And then it happened.

Not for the first time. Not even for the second time, but for the third fucking time, Gull winded and blinded him. As thick smoke chocked Gaucho's lungs with even more density than it had previously, did no part of the dun's mind think to reprimand himself. Never once did he think, Fool me once shame on me, fool me twice... There was nothing commendable about Gull's retaliation such that it would garner respect from Gaucho towards the grullo. Nothing that made Gaucho think, Ahh, I should have expected this, it's my fault for running into this smoke...No, once again this was cowardly and weak. If anything, Gaucho regretted that he had actually thought enough of his opponent to think that he would fight with honour, after sinking so low for his earlier attacks.  

As Gaucho leaned back on his haunches, trying simultaneously to stop his forward momentum by sliding on the sands, (and also to lift his nose higher into the air and hopefully out of the cloud of black fog), he felt his hind left leg suddenly buckle in pain. Despite the horse shoes that adorned his hooves, a pebble from the beach had lodged itself beneath the crystalline "U" of the shoe. On the soft sand he hadn't immediately felt it, but as Gaucho's hoof struck another larger rock, the pebble was pushed into the tender flesh of his frog. Gaucho's knee buckled and his balance was jolted. His black lips opened both to emit a scream of surprise and pain, but only succeeded in sucking in more smoke. Gaucho's instincts twice now had allowed him the forethought to slow his breathing, but his mental patience was now too thin. Gaucho was already disoriented - his steely gaze had tried to see through the fog, to place Gull and prepare for an attack, and so had been flooded and forced shut by the black cloud. Thick and gooey tears poured from his eyes, staining his cheeks and completely barring his vision. Pain warbled, ricocheted, and echoed through his left leg, emanating up from his hoof which felt as though it had been stabbed with a dull blade. He tried to retreat a step, blindly faltering, but his leg refused to bear weight while it was still on the rocky ground. With his ears pinned against his skull, Gaucho was forced to hop backwards on three legs.

"NOT DISRESPECT SUN GOD" Gaucho roared, his lungs crackling as viscus black mucus built up in his chest and throat. Flapping his wings, Gaucho once again sent a burst of fire forward. Though he couldn't see Gull, his link to Mara and Vorsa indicated that enough of the grullo was above the waves - indeed most of him, as he stumbled to stand - that Gaucho's fire would not be completely doused. As soon as the words - and the flames - left him, Gaucho began to cough. His spit, a mixture of blood and ash, left his lips and dribbled down his chin and onto the sand with every exhalation. Leaving her position next to Nephele, Vorsa flew in front of Gaucho, trying to use her wings to beat away the smoke so that he could try to breath and see. The phoenix was not a fighter, but she could feel the strain on Gaucho's heart to continue to pump under such duress. Though she wouldn't attack, she would try to help him if she could.


Gaucho is challenging Gull for "leave the Throat alone"


WC: 800
Attack:4/4
Setting: Riptide Isles, midday, Tallsun.
Summary: Runs to attack Gull, meaning he runs right into the cloud. He tries to immediately halt, but doing so drives a pebble into his hoof. Inhales a bunch of smoke. Throws more fire at gull. Vorsa tries to flap away the fog.
@Gull


Gaucho the Wildfire
If this is to end in fire
Then we should all burn together

Art by: schwartze @ DA
Please tag me in every post! Magic/Force is allowed on Gaucho at any time.


Gull Posts: 120
Absent Abyss atk: 5 | def: 9 | dam: 6
Stallion :: Pegasus :: 16 hh :: 9 (Tallsun) HP: 64.5 | Buff: NOVICE
Splat :: Royal Zephyr :: Phoenix Shady
#8
Gull!
underneath it all, we're just savages

[That's what I doooo, Odd ;D]

As his hooves scrabbled in the sand, Gull had a feeling that it was already too late. From the corner of his eye, he saw Gaucho lower his head. Even as he struggled to his feet, he could feel the ground vibrate with every beat of his opponent’s pounding advance. Then the curtain of smoke erupted between them, and Gull lost sight of the dun.
 
For a moment, it was quiet. All he could hear was the crash of the surf just behind him, pulsing in time with his own racing heart. Until, suddenly: “NOT DISRESPECT SUN GOD,” came Gaucho’s primal roar. It pierced through the black blanket with fire on its heels, and Gull screamed as he felt the wall of heat rush towards him.
 
If he had had time to think about Gaucho’s words, Gull might have had the luxury of confusion. After all, what did the sun god have to do with this? Did Flamethrower here think that he was said deity? An outcast for all of his days in Helovia, Gull neither knew nor cared much about herd politics. Offending Gaucho’s patron god had been the farthest thing from his mind when he had approached Nephele. If the situation hadn’t been so serious, it would have been almost laughable—this talk of gods was beyond him, for Gull’s instincts were far too base to understand the depth of Gaucho’s religion.
 
As it was, he barely had time to react to the flames. Once again, adrenaline lent him strength, but his reserves were run nearly dry. The small burst of energy was not enough to keep him from harm’s way completely, for his battered body was too beaten to move with the speed that had previously saved him. Though he sprang up the beach, heading for higher ground, the flames were quicker. They boiled forth like the angry tide, and his face contorted in pain as they billowed around his back legs, coating them in a layer of blisters to match the ones he sported on his haunch. The burning wrenched a guttural yell from the smoky paint’s chest, and he kicked out wildly in a futile attempt to stay the agony. Son of a…!
 
However, Gull had no chance to finish the thought, for his thrashing had cost him his balance. While his legs were too damp and too coated with sand to catch fire, the sting of the fresh burns drove him forward. Without both wings to balance him, Gull pitched ahead unevenly, and he shrieked anew as he felt the sand give way beneath him and his uninjured side overcompensate. Stretched beyond their limit, the muscles of his left shoulder overextended, and Gull pulled up short with a limp and an unearthly howl. The pain was maddening, and his sides heaved visibly as the useless muscle spasmed, nearly bringing him to his knees. He was now doubly hobbled.
 
Though he was no master of quick thinking, Gull knew what that meant. Even if Gaucho were to abandon this battle, to leave him here would only mean slow death. Unable to run or fly without worsening his condition, his life would be as good as over. The breath rattled in his chest, and he swayed slightly on three legs, as if suddenly hit by the weight of this realization. To die, today? He certainly hadn’t penciled it in, but then again, death had a fondness for surprises. As he watched Gaucho’s bird swoop into the smoke, Gull’s eyes grew dull. What sense in there was continuing, anyway? No matter what he did, Gaucho was always ready to dole out much worse. For once in his life, he was tired of fighting. There was nothing left to fight for. They were all dead and gone, he thought, clenching his jaw. Ma, Bell, Muriel…what was there left for him? In the past, it had always been his own life. But now, robbed of his freedom, even that could mean nothing to him.
 
And so, with a great cry, he rallied one final time, charging into the smoke for what he was convinced would be his last attack. He set his mark on the bird, for faintly beneath its glow, he thought he could see Gaucho. Every stride brought a fresh wave of agony to his shoulder, but Gull bared his teeth against the pain—he would not feel it for much longer, he was sure. He only slowed when he judged he was within range, then reared up on trembling hind legs, hoping to bring his full weight upon Gaucho. It was a clumsy maneuver, but with no intention of getting up afterwards, he figured that it did not matter much. If he was to die today, Gull wanted a proper sendoff. 

"talk talk talk"

Attack: 4/4
WC: 796/800
Summary: Gets his back legs burned, and pulls the muscles in his shoulder trying to leap away. Figures that he's going to die anyway, so does a hail Mary run at Gaucho, rearing up to bring his full weight down on him. Will likely not get up whether the attack hits or not.
Image Credits || coding by Tamme, tweaked by Shady


@Gaucho
Please do not tag Gull except for in opening posts or spars!
Ascended Helovian

Gaucho The Wildfire Posts: 1,004
Deceased atk: 8.5 | def: 11.5 | dam: 8
Stallion :: Pegasus :: 17.2 :: 12 HP: 85 | Buff: PINNACLE
Mara :: Black Mamba Snake :: Paralyze & Vorsa :: Plain Zephyr :: Phoenix Odd
#9


Vorsa, intentionally having recused herself from this battle, trilled a bright warning to Gaucho as Gull made his final rally. However her wings had already beat away enough of the smoke that the Wildfire could see the charging grullo for himself. He didn't expect the bright orangey-red creature to fight, but he appreciated her warning just the same.

Although part of Gaucho appreciated that it appeared Gull was actually trying to attack, rather than just blowing smoke into his face, he didn't feel the need to prolong this already arduous and played-out challenge anymore. The boy was beat, and despite Gaucho's overwhelming frustration, he saw no need to actually kill him. At least not this time. But should the grullo fail to heed his warning, death would be served to him swiftly and without remorse. For it was not for hubris or dominance that Gaucho fought, but for the Sun God and for the sanctity and safety of his herd. His family. Perhaps if Gull understood that, he would understand the seriousness and immediacy which fueled Gaucho's actions.

With clear eyes and full lungs, Gaucho easily stepped aside as the grullo reared up, only to collapse on the sands. His clumsy aim, lack of strength, and many wounds made it easy for the Wildfire to anticipate and skirt this last ditch effort. With ears pinned flat against his blocky skull, Gaucho snorted as his steely gaze eyed the defeated creature laying before him. Now that the chances of her being stepped on had dwindled significantly, Mara slithered forward. She edged close to Gull, trying to his in his ear as she did so. The snake had no problems basking in the glory of their win, even if Gaucho (outwardly) would not. She could see into his mind, could feel the joyous flood of emotions that failed to make their way to his stoic features. He knew that he had done well, had served their Sun Lord today in battle.

"This only warning, so hear it." Gaucho grunted. "Gull not to come to Throat. Gull not to steal from members of Throat. Dragon's Throat Gaucho's family, and Gull will leave them alone."

With Gull's life precariously sitting just beneath Gaucho's hooves, a strange feeling overcame the dun. Just say okay, he thought to himself, as his dark ears flickered forward to catch the grullo's words. Part of him suspected he would get some smarmy remark, but a strange part of him hoped that he wouldn't. Idiocy was such a pathetic reason to die. Perhaps it was because of the gift of healing that the Sun God had bestowed upon him, but in that moment, Gaucho would have been satisfied with healing the boy and sending him on his way with his warning, than having to damped the light in his eyes permanently.


Gaucho is challenging Gull for "leave the Throat alone"


WC: 800
Attack: Closing.
Setting: Riptide Isles, midday, Tallsun.
Summary: Gaucho side steps Gull's attack. Demands he leaves the Throat alone.

Continue in another thread? @Gull


Gaucho the Wildfire
If this is to end in fire
Then we should all burn together

Art by: schwartze @ DA
Please tag me in every post! Magic/Force is allowed on Gaucho at any time.


Blu the Bootyful Posts: 443
Administrator atk: 99 | def: 99 | dam: 99
Mare :: Other :: 5'7" :: 25 HP: 99999 | Buff: TWERK
Blu
#10
20+ HP gap, Gull defaults to Gaucho. Gaucho earns 1 VP, Gull earns 1 EXP. Gaucho wins 'Gull leaves the Throat alone'.
 HP: 1100

Helovia Hard Mode


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