[EVENT] Something Dark in the Woods

[Princess_Feylin]

Not a monkey. That was nice. Well, sort of. Sandor would have preferred that the monkey be half-crushed by a tree, but maybe it was nice for the monkey not to be crushed.

He wondered if the cheetah would be more or less noisy once the tree was moved off of her. Probably less, since she wouldn't have to scream for help anymore. Perhaps someone should do her a favor and knock her out. He considered volunteering, but decided he wouldn't be allowed to do it anyway. People were such weaklings sometimes.

"We're wasting time," he muttered as he watched the others struggle with the tree.  

[Mimsey]

An remembered the first time she had seen a cheetah. She'd been just a cub, shocked to learn there were other creatures out there that looked like her, but yet so different. That difference could have never been more apparent than it was now. She'd never seen a creature look so broken. "I don't think she's moving," An made out, her paw cupping the side of her face. "Hey, hey! Hang on-"

The cheetah made no outward sign of comprehension, but her sluggish rasping breath was enough to tell her would be rescuers that there was still some life in her. It seemed to be just about all she could do to breathe.

The sudden change of pace had Veru staggering back. The white lion moved past An towards where the others were trying to lift the weight off of her. It was a large enough tree- although luckily for the cheetah, the girth of its stump hadn't crushed her completely. 'Or unluckily,' Veru thought solemnly. Dying slowly was a hell of a way to go for any animal.

The two joined the others at the log, An shimmying the best she could underneath one of the gaps to try and use more of her back. "You'd better grab her fast," she said hurriedly to Bluu. "If it falls back down on her..."

Veru braced his shoulder against the log, coming to rest beside Spaki. "It won't."

Just as they were about to start moving, a loud trumpeting wail echoed from somewhere in the forest.

arrow Quickly, quickly!

Next five people roll 1-5. If the roll exceeds 15, the log will be moved before the monster arrives.

If the roll falls short...!

 

[Fairy Snails]

The sound sent shivers down her body. Mura did not like being rushed, but they had to help the poor cheetah. They also had to save themselves. She put all her weight on the tree, hoping it would move in someway. "We can do this." She said aloud, though mostly for herself. Her eyes looked away from the cheetah, not wanting to see if she was alright or not. She kept her focus on the tree. They had enough force pushing against the tree that it had to budge.  

[Izzy Makani]

(There is no 5 sided dice. Did you mean random number?)

Despite not liking being here in the first place Shari decided to help out with getting the log off the cheetah. She braced her shoulder against the log and began to push as the sound echoed over the tree's. "The elephant! We gotta hurry!" She exclaimed and started pushing as hard as she could. They had to get this log off or they would all be in trouble.  

[Dulcea]

Margulis heaved at the log, her whole body shaking now from the effort. Her heart felt as if it would stop when she heard the trumpeting and for a moment she nearly dropped her part. They were into it now, the only way to go was forward. Gritting her teeth as her vision blurred she gave one more powerful heave, trying to block the monster's arrival from her mind. These may very well be her last moments on this earth, she wanted to spend them saving a life not wallowing in fear.  

[tricksterthought]

Saiorse's blood ran cold and the sound of trumpeting chilled her to her very bones. "Quickly!" The lioness strained, jaws clamped shut with the effort as her paws dug deeper into the torn ground. She drew in a deep breath, and pushed again. If they couldn't get her out in time, if this wouldn't work.. The lioness strained against the weight of the tree, and perhaps it was her imagination, but she was almost sure she could feel it giving before the lot gathered. Wary, she kept a wild eye out, watching, waiting for the elephant to appear. Now would be the time for it to show, if it would. Now it had the chance to kill them all while they tried to help yet another of its victims. Teeth clamped. Claws dug into the earth, and a snarl formed on the lioness's face as she strained. They had to move the tree. They had to free her before the monster got here, and still somehow be prepared when it came. The tree moved, this time she was sure of it. "Be ready!" She growled through clamped jaws, "We don't have much time!"  

[Zosie]

Baatar stopped in his tracks, stunned. Oh no. Now this was not a sight he wanted to see. He looked gingerly at the half crushed lioness. He moved forward to help with moving the log if he could, these things were best done in numbers. However as soon as he heard the elephants cry his heart dropped. He just hoped they could free the cheetah before they all ended up in the same state. "Oh no, come on guys!" He called. If there was ever a time for building group morale, this was it.  

[Mogami]

Pam had sighed as he followed after the Firekin, silently considering how different his mentality seemed to be from some of the others. Well, he supposed he preferred having someone to follow even if he didn’t necessarily agree with all their opinions than to talk everything out without a clear guidance. He was not entirely prepared for what they found, the sight of the fragile feline shocking him more than he had expected. While he did not particularly like mingling with other species, he would not wish this fate upon anyone.

“Someone stand guard.” Pam had said as he’d joined his shoulder to the many already trying to push the tree away. He figured this was where his bulk was best suited but the trunk didn’t seem to be budging at first. And then a horribly familiar sound reached the group and Pam froze before doubling his efforts. The rational reaction – the one he’d defended before – would be to leave the cheetah rescue for later and prepare for an attack as a group but now the lithe feline was just inches away, Pam couldn’t just leave her there to face a second attack.  

[Mimsey]

With the trumpet sounding in the distance, the group hurried their efforts. The tree was heavy, there was no doubt about that. As soon as they began lifting, An felt the powerful weight crushing against her shoulders. Bark digging into her like thorns. The little cheetah would have never been able to escape on her own.

"Hurry..." An whispered through gritted teeth as they all strained. For a moment it seemed like nothing would happen. Then, suddenly, the trunk lifted. She had no wind left in her lungs for call for someone to grab the crushed creature aside, trusting that they'd get the job done. Although her blood was racing and her shoulders burning, she could feel the earth start to tremor beneath her paws.

He was coming closer.

By some miracle they pulled her free, inching her out just in time. The log crashed back down onto the earth, this time rolling free of the stump that had kept it at a slight angle. Had it fallen down on the poor cheetah, she'd surely would have been killed. An struggled to take a breath as the others swarmed her. "Is she alright-?"

An wouldn't get an answer to that question. The trembling earth grew louder, and a huge shape lumped from the tree line to the side of the trail. It was the monster: a large bull elephant riddled with cuts fresh cuts. One of his tusks was snapped down to the base, but the other still gleamed an angry white. In that frozen moment An could make out Ngdere's handprints, littering the great creature's back.

The elephant's eyes fell upon the collection of animals at the trunk. Enraged his shook his head, his ears flaring out and his trunk swinging. His foot came down upon the tree the cheetah had just been pinned under, crushing it down into the earth as he did. Thankfully they'd moved her, although her unconscious state would make it difficult to get her to safety.

They were under attack.

arrow No time to panic! Get out of his immediate reach!

Roll 1-5. Anyone who rolls a 1 is struck by the elephant's trunk as he swings it through the group.

You may forgo the roll if your character was standing guard.

[And yep, roll/random number! <3 Sorry I call everything dice.]

 

[wooga Paes]

He just put all his strength into the pushing the log, the effort provoking an involuntary snarl. It took a bit longer for all of them to move the log than he'd like, or maybe it just felt too long when he knew there was a hostile pachyderm around. Even for a healthy, strong lion like he and other firekin, the effort, the pushing against such a thing was painful. But then, finally, the log moved, and the cheetah had was out from beneath it. He didn't know if it had been pulled, or if they had managed to push it that far, but it didn't matter too much.

The relief of accomplishment was short lived. The white male barely had enough time to process the fact that the cheetah was free when he turned his head and the elephant was bearing down on them. Oh...

His instincts were screaming at him to flee, firekin blood or not. But... simply put, that wasn't going to happen. He managed to avoid the elephant's trunk by dodging to the side and under, but just barely. He found himself somewhere beside the elephant, and just kept moving from there. With a snarl, he rushed and leaped at the great beast's hindquarters, ready to grab on or bite or do any sort of damage he could. Maybe he could distract it from the main group, and give everyone time to organize themselves. Spaki was gambling, hoping the elephant not being able to turn quickly enough to hit...and kill, him.

-

There were advantages to being short and small. Kimaji hadn't been as close to the elephant as the others, and it's swinging trunk just didn't reach her. She could not try and fight like the others, and it was probably much smarter for her to run. But the young god simply couldn't abandon the injured cheetah, and helplessly she crouched beside her head, hoping someone could move her away safely. The cheetah seemed unconscious, otherwise Kimaji might try to get her to chew on some of the root.

Now, all she could do was hope the others could keep the elephant at bay, and that this cat would wake up. She looked down at the feather, trying to figure out if she could use it somehow. Even if the healers couldn't do much now, during the fight, they would certainly be needed afterwards.  

[Dulcea]

Margulis dove out if the way as the elephant tore through, scratching her side on the wreckage of the trees. It burned, but it was better than getting hit by that beast. A loud ringing overwhelmed her hearing as she struggled to get her bearings on top of the shattered mess. She too noted the prints, much like the one on her own flank, and wondered if Ngedere had done it alone or if this elephant had encountered the whole troop. She tensed up, readying herself for the next assault.  

[Izzy Makani]

Shari didn't hestitate to get away from the log once the female cheetah was free. As the elephant came up on them Shari ducked and ran to get out of the elephants reach. She'd come to kill the monster but she didn't plan to be killed by it. Once out of it's reach she turned around and took a good look at the angry bull. Would any of them be able to take this elephant down? Even using teamwork?  

[Mogami]

“It’s working.” Pam spoke heavily through gritted teeth that soon turned into a grin when the trunk finally moved through the combined efforts of many. His muscles felt numb after the straining exercise and the pale lion took a few steps back, getting ready to jump out of the way of whatever was coming his way.

As soon as he’d stepped away from the trunk, he felt surrounded by noise and a looming shadow fell over him. It was huge. Pam had never been this close to a bull elephant, much less seen one this angry. And the thing was coming straight at him, unbelievably fast for an animal of its bulk. Pam didn’t have time to react. He felt a heavy blow to his side and he was thrown away as if weightless, his brief experience in flight ending with a loud and painful hit against a tree trunk.

He rose to his paws with visible effort, all four legs shaking and his body swaying from side to side. His eyes was glazed and blinking and it was clear the pale lion wasn’t thinking straight anymore. It was more than a little ironic that he, who had been so hesitant about the rescue initially, would be the first one to get hit by the elephant because he would not leave the tree until the cheetah was free.