[EVENT RP] Reduced Punishment (Ganyma + Forera + Vulpin)

[quite uneventful]

The thing on her back slashed at her, making her wince and cry out in pain, sobbing onto the ground as she pressed her forehead to the purple leaves, teal blood streaming down her body. Forera didn't know she had that much blood in her. A loud scream rattled her again, and Forera looked up to see Ganyma... coming back. No, no, no, he wasn't supposed to help her! Ganyma was supposed to have left me, no, no! She wasn't doing anything but bringing him down, especially when he could've run away.

He should've left her, that big hearted idiot, ********...! She would've been fine! Watching the tealblood gain momentum but staying down, the female felt her pump biscuit sink when she saw Ganyma kick the s**t out of the lusus, and she used this second to make up for lost time, wrenching her shoes off, hands shaking as she grabbed Ganyma's hand, no protest. "I owe you," she said, tightening her grip around Ganyma's hand and instantly running, finding newfound strength even though she was deathly pale. A loud echo of something that sounded like a cross between sadness and laughter rang throughout the woods, chilling Forera to the bone.

They'd be fine, everything would be alright, completely alright... right?

 

[zeflamigo]

Vulpin snapped his teeth back at the heron, staring at the lusus with darting, wild eyes. He was ceased by the creature, arms enveloped by the creatures neck. He bit into the skin he could reach, but to no avail, all he got was a mouthful of feathers. Still he continued to struggle, squirming until he recognized the height he was being held at. His blood-pusher stopped. He had never been afraid of heights, but this was entirely different. His feet dangled, wind brushing up against his soles. At any moment the lusus could drop him, and he'd be a mess of blood and broken bones on the forest floor. It would all be over.

Teal blood dribbled down his chin. He started to pant, adrenaline slowly being replaced by anxiety. He clutched the stolen dagger in his hand, his own blood from the scuffle dripping down the handle. That hunter was dead. Vulpin killed him. It wasn't like killing an animal, where he had to keep calculated and collected. He acted mercilessly, heightened wrath and fear making him behave like the very beasts he had been trained to kill. He couldn't believe it.

But he didn't regret it.

A teal flare shot off and Vulpin bit his lip. Something told him that it wasn't meant for Ganyma. The other hunter seemed to think so too, and sped off in the direction of the flare. Vulpin snarled. They were playing games with him. They were faking him out, wanting to see how he might react, playing with his emotions. He tensed, anger bubbling up inside him again.

Vulpin spotted Forera and Ganyma from above and inhaled sharply through his clenched teeth. They were in deep trouble. From what he could tell, they sent the most clever after himself, and the other two were left with the hardest hitters. Forera and Ganyma— they were covered in blood. Forera especially was in terrible condition, losing energy from bleeding out. Vulpin sneered, blood pusher filling with an unfamiliar emotion. He bit his lip again, trying to keep his emotions concealed and his mouth shut. It was no use.

"FORERA!" He shouted, the hair on his neck prickling up. "WHAT DID I ******** TELL YOU?"  

[Sypon]

Finally, Forera took his hand. He ran with her, quiet and focused. She didn't owe him anything. Frankly, he'd prefer she just drop it. This wasn't forgiveness, or an excuse to see her again. He just didn't want to see her go down without a fight. She could be better than that. Ganyma grimly forged on. The bladed lusii was on their tails, and worse yet...

Tritch flew up above, cackling. The dipping and cavorting of her lusus made the ride disorienting for any troll. Whipping her steed around, she lowered herself to the forest floor. "That you goddamn girlfriend?" She squealed at Vulpin. Tears streamed down her face. "Th-that your girl? That your girl?"

She was unable to control herself. With a yell she commanded her lusus to land -- cutting Ganyma and Forera off with the enormous bulk of her lusus. The heron's neck coiled around Vulpin and squeezed dangerously. "L-look what I've got!"

Five heads honked and at Forera, snapping and aching to take her head clean off. Tritch was barely able to restrain herself.

In the chaos, the branches and leaves of the forest shook. The lusus that had assaulted Ganyma lurked, pacing on its hands as its charge caught up to speed. The purpleblooded hunter was small and shrewd, wielding a shortbow in their hands. They shifted behind a tree. The three were surrounded. There was a distinct sound of stretching as an arrow was set in the bow and pulled back.

Ganyma looked around, his pace coming to a stop with the blockage. His pulse pounded in his ears. The blueblood ahead had an agenda -- but the purpleblood was keeping them pinned down. Any move could create a hair trigger, and if anyone was to take the isolated hit of an arrow and survive, it would be him. Forera and Vulpin might stand a chance together. If not, they could run.

The pain of his regeneration was already taking effect. He could speed this up if he tried -- it was a chance he would have to take. Ganyma flexed and felt his muscles tighten. There was a tap on the tealblood's back. The head of an arrow barely pierced his skin.

He whirled on his heel and shot towards the purpleblood, filled with newfound fire.  

[zeflamigo]

Vulpin snarled at the blueblood. Her relentless antagonizing was driving him mad. Forera was not his girlfriend! Their relationship was nothing like that. The blueblood couldn't possibly understand, and Vulpin wasn't going to waste his breath.

As if they had read his mind, the heron tightened its grip. He exhaled painfully as the pressure built on his chest. His head rang, disoriented from the descent. Vulpin started to see spots in his vision, trying with difficulty to keep his eyes open. He wouldn't give up. He couldn't.

He moved to stab the heron with the dagger. It was futile, he simply didn't have enough mobility to make a lasting hit. The neck coiled even tighter and he let out a pained cry, dropping his head. No, he told himself, he had made it this far. He wasn't giving up now. He had to be strong. He could think his way through. But what more could he do?

Vulpin lifted his head. Through clouded vision, he saw Forera. Her bright teal streaks shined brilliantly through the static of his vision, and he made a plan. If he tossed the dagger to her, she could free him. She alone was his only hope of survival. But Vulpin couldn't rely on another troll. There were too many factors that would result in a horrible failure. His blood pusher sank. What if she took it and ran? What if she left him for dead?

Who was he kidding. She wasn't that smart.

"Rera!" Vulpin choked, vying for the tealblood's attention amidst the chaos. He flicked the knife over to her, the best way that he could with his limited mobility. A sinking feeling warned him that he made a horrible mistake. He tensed, expecting the lusus to tighten its grip once its charge noticed his plan. But that didn't frighten him as much as the idea of Forera leaving him behind.  

[quite uneventful]

The female tealblood followed after Ganyma as fast as she could, but really, it was Ganyma that was doing all the running. While the blood dropped off her back like a bread trail. She felt lightheaded and woozy from bloodloss. Wait... was she hallucinating, or were Ganyma's wounds repairing themselves? She blinked hard before discovering that yes, she was lucid... How awesome!! A small amount of childlike excitement entered her before she realized that the moment wasn't right. It was definitely not right. Throwing a glance behind her, she almost felt her eyes glaze over from how fast they were going. Finally she focused, catching a glimpse of the terrifying creature hot on their heels and squeezing her eyes shut. She ran with more passion and forced the dizziness out of her head— She needed to stay focused. If she didn't, well...

A loud scream rang out in the distance— was that her name? Wait... Is that...? Looking up, Forera saw a large lusus slamming down. It landed only a few meters from them— If Forera hadn't been holding Ganyma's hand, she would've fallen from the abrupt stop. It took a few blinks before she realized Vulpin was also there, trapped and... Covered in blood. A bloodcolor that looked like her own shade... Did he manage to defeat another troll...? Watching the monster curl around her teammate, the tealblood couldn't help but feel sick to her stomach. Why was the orange blood captured?! At least he's alive. A voice whisper text to her. She pushed it away. Of course he was alive. Now, her real question was... Why were the lusi and the crazy blueblood hunter staring at her? With wide eyes, she stayed still as she heard the sound of a someone stretching something... A bow's string? A glance around her told her they were surrounded... Taking a chance glance at Ganyma, the troll watched his body heal faster... She knew it hadn't been a trick of the eye.

As soon as she saw the arrow slam into Ganyma's back, the shorter tealblood gulped and looked back to Vulpin... Hoping for some sort of comfort that— wait, was Ganyma running at the purpleblood?! Forera whimpered standing on the ground, alone, with no way to defend herself... A tense feeling spread through her with each moment they hurt Vulpin, making Forera bare her teeth in anger. Her body hunched into attack position the more she saw Vulpin struggle... Watching Vulpin let out a few tired groans out of the corner of her eye, the tealblood tightened her hand into a fist. She was willing to fight her even if Forera was definitely not in a good state. Watching her like a snake, Forera flicked her tongue, eyes narrowed and dangerous. No one hurt Vulpin but her. And even then... Ugh, she needed to help him!

In the few seconds that she tried to come up with an idea, Vulpin was already two steps ahead of her, throwing the dagger at her feet. She grabbed it, looking for any way she could use it to save them all from the situation... First things first, she needed to get Vulpin out while Ganyma attacked at the purpleblood. Looking at Vulpin, she nodded tersely, gulping hard. In a bolt of movement, the tealblood ran in Vulpin's direction, not having good plan but hoping she could at least get him out of there...

 

[Sypon]

Sharp twangs and impacts struck Ganyma as he barreled through the brush. He couldn’t be deterred by arrows, and the purpleblood registered this all too late. He drew back his shoulder and body-slammed the highblood, sending them straight to the ground. He whirled around and dropped hard, using his elbow to send another reminder of his size straight through the hunter’s core. He wasn’t nearly done yet. All sounds from the bush ceased as Ganyma delivered a sleeper hold.

--

The herons tracked the dagger as it flew through the sky. Tritch shrieked as the huge bird bucked, nearly throwing her off. One of its necks released Vulpin, and all five focused in the blink of an eye on Forera instead. She was close enough to strike. But so were they. And in releasing the brownblood, Tritch had her prey. She gave her lusus a quick pat and its needle beaks snapped open. Forera’s path turned into a torturous obstacle course. Heads crossed over each other, confused and furious, until they could barely see straight. Clicking, snipping and near misses met her journey, until finally Tritch had had enough.

“Not so fast!” This was for Jaklip.

One of the heads snaked out of its tangled fellows, maw wide open like a living pair of scissors. It snapped shut with a crunch, directly on Forera’s weapon hand.  

[quite uneventful]

Forera grabbed the dagger tight in her hand, adrenaline coursing through her veins as she ran toward the brownblood, thankful for her small frame and her speed. Now she was closer— but she needed to get closer to cut those necks off of him, s**t... Of course, her getting closer caught their attention, and the first thing they'd done was leap at her and let go of Vulpin. Crap, now how the hell am I gonna get out of this?! As she managed to avoid any major hit from the extremely fast monster, the female clutched the dagger tighter, lunging and attacking wherever she could. Right now, she didn't give a s**t. Stupid birds, stupid b***h doing this, stupid rebels, STUPID VULPIN! With a snarl, she lunged again.

She saw everything from start to finish.

The mouth came out of nowhere— Forera was too slow. It was poised to kill and snap off anything in its way. And that it did.

It was a clean slice.

Forera stared in shock for a moment, numb as the pain took its sweet time to reach her. Dumbfounded, she watched her hand fall to the ground, still clutching onto the dagger as if it's life depended on it. Her eyesight went blurry, and suddenly the pain was too much to bear. She let out a bloodcurdling scream of pain, body shaking as she continued shrieking, tears falling down her face as her eyes stayed wide, and frightened, ********, ********, did she really loose her hand?! She screamed curses and profanities, anger building up in her, overwhelming the scared side of her— She reached down, eyes filled with a blind rage, grabbing the dagger firm in her hand and loosing all sense of self, scream tearing through her small body as anger and sorrow exploded in her. NO. She was fighting, she was ******** fighting as she didn't give a s**t. She lunged violently, waving her hand holding the dagger with reckless abandon, eyes wild with bloodlust. She didn't care what she did. She didn't care if this s**t for brains birdbeast hurt her. I just want to go home.

With another battle scream, the tealblood trembled, eyes still angry but a lot calmer, more drained. The blood that dripped from her sliced wrist was heavy, and paired with the amount she'd been losing from the rest of her body, she was sure to pass out soon. Her eyes felt heavy, ad no matter how much gumption she felt in her soul to continue fighting, her body was lagging, tying her down. Within seconds the girl stumbled back into a tree, dropping her weapon and breathing a tired sigh, seeing double. She couldn't take much more. It was all too much...

 

[Sypon]

Ganyma was running. The purpleblood laid motionless behind, their lusus caught between checking to see the status of their charge and racing after their aggressor. But in the chaos, he was already gone. He'd helped Forera as much as he could. Ganyma pulled an arrowhead out of his arm and winced as he raced through the woods. Another attack like that and he was done for. The other hunter appeared to have vanished, perhaps stalking the two remaining prisoners.

Of course, that would be too easy. Ganyma had just started to slack off his pace when he heard a blade unsheath behind him, obscured by a tree. This wasn't any time for him to keep fighting. At least this way the others would have a better time escaping. He seemed to be attracting the attention of at least one other hunter, Ganyma acknowledged weakly.

The pain had spread throughout his body, and he could no longer keep up. Heavy, ragged breaths heaved from his chest accompanied by a teal spatter. This was it. He'd run until his legs gave out. Ganyma hardly even noticed the trees thinning. His vision was narrow and blurry.

"Hey!"

The voice was far away. Ganyma could have closed his eyes to get the same effect as he stumbled through the woods.

"Stop..."

It was gone. The echoing sound washed away with any discernable vision Ganyma had. He reached out for a tree to grab, to brace, but there was none. His vision filled with teal and he toppled. There was no gauzy image of Ganyma's life in his mind's eye. Just night sky, the moons, and then nothing. Night sky. No forest. At last.

Hivestuck

 

[Hivestuck]

The five-headed heron screeched with pain. Forera’s attacks were brutal and frequent, and from a lost eye to deep cuts the creature was in shuddering throes. But, one lost limb was not stopping the creature from its attack. With the satisfaction of removing the tealblood’s limb, Tritch screamed for the kill. She was still using the weapon, and it was sickening. Couldn’t she just die? It would be no great feat to get her lusus back into control. Tritch clutched its necks for dear life,

Her blood was painting the ground with surprising velocity. Only a second and another battle scream later, Forera had nearly stopped moving. It was the perfect opportunity to destroy her. “Go!” Tritch yelled. Her voice had a panicked tinge: with her lusus in this chaotic state, she wouldn’t be safe getting off of its back. She held on tight, impatiently throwing her weight onto the beast to get it to move.

Finally, the heads swung around. Sluggish and confused, the bird gained enough momentum to spot Forera and advance. One of the heads rushed forth, snapping down on a horn with the intent to keep Forera in place. Another was aiming for the final blow.

Kimbley Kitty

GET HER OUT OF THERE

quite uneventful

sorry about your horn

 

[zeflamigo]

Though his vision was clouded, there was no mistaking what he had just witnessed. Even if he could hardly see, Forera's screams were enough to make him panic. He had made a mistake, but it was one he never could have anticipated. He struggled in his confines, screaming and gnawing at the heron's neck until he was free.

Vulpin hit the ground, breathing heavy and moving quickly to pick himself up. His head was racing, and his vision was clouded with spots. With a rush of adrenaline, he ran, following the trail of blood to Forera. The glean of the dagger caught his eye and he bent to grab it with one hand, the other grabbing around Forera's knee. With a swift movement he stood, slamming into her abdomen to heave her over his shoulders, running away as fast as possible. He moved as quickly as his feet could carry him, knees already feeling weary under Forera's weight.

He panted, actions becoming frantic. He had to keep running. He had to. It was his only hope. It was their only hope. But Forera... she was losing a lot of blood, bleeding it all out on the forest floor. She could already be dead by the time Vulpin found their way out. He could make it all the way through to find out he had been carrying dead weight the whole time. No, Vulpin wouldn't let her die.

Vulpin quickly threw her off his shoulder, dropping the dagger and reaching into his pockets for his blindfold. He tied the wrap around her wrist, trying to sop up the blood. Neither the wound nor the wrap were disinfected. It would hurt, and Vulpin knew it. "I'm sorry, Rera. s**t, I'm so sorry," Vulpin stuttered, not sure if he was talking about the bandaging or the fact that he got her into this mess. He finished up the knot, and cupped her face in his hands. The same strange feeling bubbled up in his chest. "You're not gonna die," He said, hands shaking, pressing his forehead to hers, "I won't let you."

"We need to move," Vulpin said, pulling back. He stood, picking the dagger up and offering her his other hand. "Can you run?" He asked, half question, half command.  

[quite uneventful]

Forera was way out of it when the monster grabbed her horn, not even putting up a fight those final seconds, body too banged up and tired to even move. All of her body hurt— it wasn't even one area or two, no, all of her body hurt. From the searing pain that was her head to the cutting intensity of the wrist, she couldn't help but groan as she watched the next neck go in for the kill. This is it. I'm done. She thought to herself— her eyes were staring death straight in the eye, but she could care less. For some reason, she knew she'd be okay.

And that she was. Forera never closed her eyes once as it lunged, and the first thing she saw that honestly surprised her was a small figure slam into her and lift her, which initially made her panic. She almost hit the person, but realized last minute that those horns were just... Vulpin's. Forera could feel tears p***k at her eyes. "O-oh my gog! V-vulpin— waiT—" s**t, she was blushing, what the hell, cheeks?! Then again, she was too tired to put up a fight, so by the time he dropped her down, Forera was lucid. She struggled to get up, realizing her horn had broken in the process— the snap had been her horn...? Oh well, she'd figure that out later...

She hadn't seen Ganyma escape... Was he alright? She looked around slightly before looking toward Vulpin, whom wrapped a cloth around her throbbing wrist... And started apologizing? Oh, s**t, did he think this was his fault? Letting out a sharp hiss of pain, she looked at him, really looked at him... At his expression, at his actions... She felt his hands cup her face dearly, gently, making her eyes tear up. Letting him pull her forehead into his, the tealblood felt her pump biscuit swell at his words, her own body shaking as tears streamed down her cheeks.

His words meant the world to her.

They touched her, deep in her body, making her tremble. She didn't... Only Anguis ever wanted to help her. And that... Sometimes, unwillingly. She was such a mess and her brother was such a good, nice guy... Damn it... She was always messing things up. Ganyma, Vulpin, Anguis, Lune...

She couldn't do anything but ******** things up. Vulpin had been the only one who stayed, willingly.

Watching Vulpin stand up, she felt her her body groan as she reached for his hand, grabbing it and nodding at him. "I don't know if I can, but I will." It was a statement— She wasn't going to let him die because he was waiting for her to catch her breath. They needed to move. She stumbled a little after standing but held her ground, newfound energy beginning to course through her again. With a firm nod, the tealblood started them off, beginning to run. From afar, she could see the trees break apart, and her pump biscuit leapt. The final stretch, the last few— almost, almost... As they burst out of the forest, Forera felt her body instantly relax. They were out— They were free.

Free from that mess. Sure, there'd be problems, but... At least, right now, they had each other. They were still alive and breathing, and that... That was all that mattered.

And through it all... Forera never let go of Vulpin's hand.

Kimbley Kitty

Hivestuck

 

[Sypon]

“No…NO!” Tritch screamed. Her lusus was out of control. It flapped about, heads screeching at each other and trying to chase the two fleeing prisoners in a drunken gait. “Let me kill them! Please!” She jumped off of her lusus as the two bolted, drawing a knife from her belt and running after them. A head swung around and knocked her down, and for a moment she saw stars. Then Jaklip. Then blue. “Why wouldn’t you DIE!”

The blueblood roared and got to her feet, stumbling. Tritch chased after the two, tears rolling down her cheeks. She rushed forward – throwing her knife fruitlessly, desperately. This was not in the plan. She swung through foliage and ducked under branches to keep sight of them, but they were gone. She heaved sobbing breaths. Tritch hyperventilated. She clawed at her face and hair, pulling and tearing. Everything was starting to lose focus now, and she realized that the forest was clearing. No...

Meanwhile...

The casualties were marked. One trolls, one lusus. Traian shifted around the core of the forest, coolly examining the interior trees with their one working eye. Not bad for unarmed prisoners. They had promise and potential – and potentially, nothing to lose. The game played out in an expected manner, but Traian did allow a bit of surprise for their tenacity. These trolls were closer than originally thought. Particularly the tealblood, who – against logic – would have done just fine if not for the other pair. Either way, whatever allowed the prisoners to survive was fair enough. The sport of Four Fronds was just that: Entertainment. This was Alternian justice. Those who are strong-willed, crafty and wild deserve a second chance to climb to the top. And on either side of wrong or right, the unworthy deserve punishment. The party had failed, and some had lost their lives. They were not guaranteed safety – they were under the impression that they were the hunters. This was a fatal mistake. Traian did not pity them.

They stepped over the purpleblood, still but breathing on the ground. Traian’s eyes narrowed. He unsheathed his falx and sliced a clean cut across the hunter’s throat. Two trolls, one lusus. He wiped the blade and looked up to see his lusus returning from its scouting mission. The lion construct snuffled against the ground gestured with its massive head towards the edge of the forest.

“Very well. We’ll miss them if we linger. Can’t have that…” Traian remarked. They began their trek out towards the forest line.

Kimbley Kitty

quite uneventful

The Warrior’s Paths. You may choose either path laid out for you.

The Combatant


Traian is waiting for you on the outskirts of the forest. You have won, but they still bar your exit. Their lusus slinks behind them, purring quietly. It’s a classic Alternian scene: hostile but idyllic, wrought with tension. “Congratulations. You’ve made it.”

You are immediately met with a medical troll, who rushes forward to assist you with Alternian medical technology.

They take a step forward, hands relaxed on their hips. “I am no longer here to engage you in the hunt. My name is Traian Munera, and I am the head of Four Fronds Coliseum. Since its inception by the Queen during the Battle Royale, I have established an organization of combatants and gladiaterrors for the purpose of public and private combat, and Alternian recreation. Your success in this Hunting Game today is proof enough of your potential.”

They extend their hand towards you. It is covered in scars, callouses, and the obvious tinge of purple blood. “This is an opportunity to restart your life. You can join me, and wipe your slate clean. You will not be considered an outlaw. You will be a warrior under my watch and care. I know you now, and your faces, but I will not hunt you if you decline. You have earned your freedom tonight.”

It’s very clear that the crown has eyes on you now, but freedom from death has been secured. Will you take their offer?






The Belligerent

Four Fronds comes into view. You manage to recognize the area as being very close to the lake. The air is calm, and you realize now that there is no one chasing you. The victory comes without any congratulations, just the prize of life. The lakeside road lays before you, heading towards amenities of the resort town. Just as soon as the birds pick up their chirping again, they cease. The unusual sound of an engine putters by in the distance. A scuttlebuggy? It’s accompanied by a strange sound…

“Wee-oo! Wee-oo! Aaahoohoohoo…”

It clambers down the road with a disgusting sputtering noise before coming to a stop directly in front of you. The words “DEUS EX MACHINE” are painted in garish teal font across the van, which is a broken down eyesore covered in abstract paint cover-ups. It’s held together by glue and hope. The window rolls down and a horned head pops out of the door. An angular, shrewish tealblood smiles a toothy smile as he sees your state and pops back inside of the truck. Suddenly, the side panel opens. Inside, salvaged robotic parts, medical supplies, and a great deal of personal affairs hang on the walls on display. It doesn’t take much mental work to realize that this is a forest scavenger, swooping into the forest after a game for profit. He seems to be well armed. His hand lingers over a rifle that he’s carrying in his vehicle.

“Greetings, fellow criminals!” He twangs. He scratches his scraggly hair. “I see that you’re bleeding out. As luck would have it, I have some experience cleaning up stumps and some meds in the good ol’ case o’ mine.”

His grin broadens. “Obviously a professional such as myself requires payment. How about you hand over your weapon and your jewelry? Good for a clean-up and a shot of sedatives – not a bad price to save a life, eh? No need to worry about the crown tracking you down. No one’s going to listen to ol’ Bossat Burrke anyway.”

He cackled. He may have been shady, but he had a point. You’re out of the woods now, and away from the crown. You have your freedom. Do you take his offer?  

[Sypon]

Ganyma has chosen to take the combatant’s path.

He came to, laying below Traian. His wounds were healing, but his vision was spinning. He was helped up, and suddenly his pain was being reduced… What was this… Military technology? He was a criminal, according to the military. What he didn’t understand he was soon explained by Traian.

Everything was gauzy. He was out. He was strong enough. Ganyma’s mind flickered back to Forera briefly before Traian gave him an offer. This was a new life. A new start, away from his wayward wandering and meaningless drabble. Ganyma had purpose again.

This was what he was good at. And as far as he was concerned, the others in the ring would be trolls who were criminals, and those who had volunteered just like he had. Like the unofficiated wrestling matches in the streets of New Hemisect, or the grand spectacles he saw on TV. He would be someone, finally. He was being rewarded for fighting hard, being himself. And he’d keep going until he got it all. Notoriety on his own terms, and a chance at success. For the tealblood, there were no strings attached. He was free. Leaving behind sorrow for a new horizon was too good for him to pass up. Ganyma only had flecks of joy these days. It had been a long time since he had felt… Happy.

He soaked in Traian’s words and almost immediately took the purpleblood’s hand. He held it firm. “Count me in.”  

[zeflamigo]

Moonlight. They were out of the forest for good. Vulpin could breathe again, and he did, panting heavily as he made his way farther outside of the woods.

"We did it," He said, voice cracking in a mix of surprise and exhaustion, "We made it." He pressed his face to Forera's cheek, laughing softly. He glanced down at her other arm, looking at the now blood-saturated cloth on her wrist. He frowned, his attitude shift nearly palpable in the air. Just because they were physically out of the woods didn't necessarily mean that they were home free. They'd have to find a way to deal with this, and stumbling drunkenly around Four Fronds was not an option.

But Vulpin didn't want to think about options. He wanted to be safe and at home and he didn't want to work for it anymore. More importantly, he wanted Forera to be safe. He couldn't magically fix her, but he could make her feel protected. He could let her know that he had her back.

Vulpin tugged on Forera's hand, pulling the tealblood into deep hug. His pump biscuit was beating embarrassingly fast against her chest, despite the fact they had stopped running a while ago. A few tears rolled down his cheeks silently and he rubbed his eyes on Forera's shoulders to destroy the evidence. "You're cold." He said, tightening his grip and nuzzling closer. He let out a single chuckle, exhaling more than laughing. He pulled away to look at her face, pushing her hair out of the way.

"Forera, I'm-" Vulpin stopped mid-sentence, picking up the sound of the scuttle buggy. He posed, ready to fight, standing defensively in front of Forera. It approached closer, making... strange noises, and Vulpin felt confused but kept his guard up. The window to the vehicle rolled down and Vulpin could tell he would not like this guy. What was he talking about? He wanted them to give up their weapons and jewelry for medicine? To drop their guard after they had just been hunted for sport? What kind of idiot did he take them for?

Vulpin looked back at Forera, wincing at her condition. No, they weren't idiots. They were desperate. This guy knew. Hell, he could probably smell it. Vulpin narrowed his eyes, biting his lip. Did they really have any other option?

"Here." He said, flicking the dagger at Bossat. If the tealblood couldn't catch it, then that was his problem. "I don't need any damn medicine. Help her." The orangeblood turned his attention back to his companion. He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, eyes full of apology. He knew she had plenty more jewelry back at her shop, but it was the principle of the matter. It was a piece of her identity. It was part of what made her wonderful. "If you... need any help, let me know, alright?" Vulpin took his hand away and turned his attention back to Bossat, watching the shady dealer carefully.  

[Sypon]

"Ya-ha-haa!" Bossat's hand flicked up and he caught the weapon easily. "That's good for some disinfectant and gauze. Get the real good stuff an' you give me some shinies, yeah?"

He slid the dagger into a compartment out of sight and hopped to the back of his vehicle. Bossat popped the doors open and twirled around to face the two, grabbing Forera's arm to inspect it. It would have been a good fit for a robotic replacement (of course, she couldn't dream of affording it with just the clothes on her back), but it needed immediate medical attention. Trolls were hardy, yes -- they could suffer from great loss without flinching -- but infection was a slow and painful way to go. Very unromantic. He clicked his tongue and pulled her towards the scuttlebuggy.

"Alright, now's the time to decide, doll-face. You know this is a special price just for you, right?" He sought her decision - at least he gave her that.

Kimbley Kitty

quite uneventful