It had all started as a bit of harmless fun really, chasing the little striped squealers across the sand, not a mother boar in sight... until the hellish screaming of enraged mothers filled his ears. They were almost bigger than he was, with mean hooked tusks and frothing spittle flying from their yellow toothed jowls.

The tables had well and truly turned and Rip tore back towards the ocean, screaming at the top of his lungs for someone, anyone to come and save him from a fate worse than death. He didn't want to be pig food, no siree, but the hogs on his heels seemed pretty intent to make him so.

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coded by NachoMumma

-XL opponent fight - sounder of feral hogs - 1/3-

Gilda had been sunning herself on the beach, belly up, crystals about her neck reflecting the late autumn sun like glittering jewelry. She groaned as her nephews screaming ripped through the air. What had he gone and gotten himself into now? Weren't those damn naked mole rats doing their damn job?

She felt the sand shudder beneath her back and rolled to her feet just in time to avoid a trampling. "Fer fucksake!" She spat, sand flying in all directions as her sunbaking brain caught up with just what was going on. Well fuck. This was problematic. Throwing up a quick howl for the other Raiders to come and help save Rip's ass, maybe they could do a bit of pest control while they were at it. Pig spit sounded glorious, if they could get close enough to the enraged beasts to not end up on the menu themselves.

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coded by NachoMumma

The boy had just been making his way to the mainland when Gilda's call went up. Well this sounded like fun... Lengthening his strides and shifting to run on the compacted sand close to the water, he barreled closer to his cousin, laughing as he registered just what he was seeing. A sounder of probably 12-15 boars chased the boy, all varying in size but many of them easily outweighing the wolves that had gathered so far.

Well, he did kinda take after his dad at the end of the day, diving head first into charging pack, he aimed to use his momentum to grab a tusk and send one of the hogs plowing into the sand with a vicious chuckle. He didn't need to bring them down, just give them a bit of perspective that maybe this wasn't their brightest idea.

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The new digs weren't so bad. Mercy was enjoying the beach, enjoying the relative sun, and the sense of privacy that it all seemed to provide. They could get up to basically whatever they wanted down here, with cliffs to keep the bay protected on most sides. Thriving.

By the time the screaming catches her, it's probably too late. Her explorations cut short, punctuated by so. Much. Squealing. With a dramatic roll of her eyes, Mercy climbs to her feet, tries to get an idea of exactly what this bullshit is.

The pigs were after her brother. Of course they were. With a heavy sigh, Mercy comes to life. Running down the boars, coming wide around the back. Reaching out with gnashing teeth and a snarl, grabbing the first that she can catch in her mouth. Vicious as ever, Mercy tips one hog into the next. Dominoes, bitch.

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coded by NachoMumma

Trying to get his bearings on the beach, Tide had been spending a lot of time out here since the move. That, and he'd been spending a lot of time trying to disappear. Something about having to cross open water every time he wanted to go somewhere... yeah, not a fan. Not a fan of the water, not a fan of the islands, and not a fan of his current situation.

Unable to dwell on that too much, as Gilda's call pulled him from the noise in his head. At least he's not the one being harassed by predators this time. Bait's brain clicks on, seeing the horde of boar running as they are after Rip. Without another thought, Tide drives himself across the ground. He'd go for heels, over and over. Trying to grab, reaching out to nip. Feeling the way skin and flesh catch beneath his teeth, though his grip keeps slipping. At least he's able to drive the angry mob into a direction that's something like away from Rip's dumb ass.

"Tide"

There's so much screaming. No, like. So much screaming. Between the pigs and the wolves, it's all such a racket. Enough to put Davey in a shitty mood from the jump. Unraveling from his napping spot in the sun, hoisting his axe over his shoulder, and getting to it-- fine. Davey would help, but they fucking owed him.

Chasing down the pigs, he's already swinging like a madman. Using the space the flail bit of his axe provided, and bounding after the beasts with reckless abandon. He'd gotten the jump on them, but as soon as he starts landing blows, the focus of several beasts turns. It settles on Davey-- that's fine. If they'd like to meet the business end of the blade, they're welcome to.

Though tusks catch on his flanks and side, the boy doesn't seem to care much. Not with adrenaline in his system and steel in his jaws. It's too much fun this way.

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coded by NachoMumma

As his family join the fray, the boy pivots, turning like the tides as he watches the other wolves tackle and tear. There was still a chance here, still a chance they could send the pigs back to the woods where they belonged, rather than down here gorging themselves on seaweed and shellfish (though, he had to admit, their skin did look rather glorious from the treatment). Never mind that now, spa days were done for these guys!

He took a leaf from Mercy's book and ran headlong into one of the startled boars side, sending it careening into another. There was disgruntled squealing and snarling all round. The wind was knocked from him as a smaller pig retaliated, but it jumped back with a squeal on finding the crystalline quills embedded over his hips and tail.

He bared his teeth in a grin and lunged forward, teeth snapping towards an exposed shoulder.

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coded by NachoMumma

It doesn't take long for the usual suspects to join them and so she focuses on dealing out as much damage as she can, using her size and the glint of the sun off her tourmaline collar to drive the pigs back towards the trees. A few indignant shrieks but the sounder is moving in the right direction. For a moment, she thinks the could coordinate their attack a little better, after all, none of them were strangers to moving their mother's goats and cows about, but there was a something comforting in the chaos of it all. This wasn't a hunt, it was a lesson, and she didn't mind as long as they heeded the bite of her teeth and the message in her growl.

Tusks grazed her thigh and she turned, latching onto an ear in response. She threw her weight sideways, trying to knock the solid bastard into the sand.

"speech"

coded by NachoMumma

The battle was a stalemate, the pigs were too panicked to team up, the youngsters getting underfoot of the adults as they milled about in a panic. It would be so easy to get caught up in it, to be trampled into the turned over sand, never to be seen again. Pyxis decided it would be in everyone's interest if he got the mother pig out towards the edges, at least then the little ones would be clear of the carnage, and maybe the rest of the sounder would follow her? He could hope?

Violet eyes locked on the largest of them and he did his best to cut and weave through the throng, delivering a sharp bite to her meaty hock. She kicked out at him, catching him in the shoulder but he'd live, biting again this time closer to her tail. She sprung forward into the open and as expected, the piglets went too. Now to get the rest of them moving.

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The tides turning, shifting around them. There's something exciting about this, and Mercy can't help herself. Though the blunt piggy teeth make contact with her flank, she's quick to shake it off. What's a little blood between friends. Er. Enemies? Yeah, enemies. Mercy comes alive as she springs upon the nearest pig, dispatching it before continuing. Oh, how she continues and carries on. Ripping and shredding, with sharp teeth and reckless abandon.

Everything about her is reckless. Lacking the chaotic composure of the wolfdogs, she's something a bit... worse. Unhinged in a different way, but bathing in the violence as it takes her over. Brilliant. Terrible, but brilliant, all at once.

"speech"

coded by NachoMumma

Carnage. Ah, how he's fucking living for the carnage of it. Tide is shining, brilliant, as he yanks on the nearest pig. Grabbing at its heel, wrenching it closer. Dragging his way up the beast with scrambling claws and gnashing teeth. This is fun, far more fun than he's had in a long time. Fighting something on land instead of at sea? It works out much better for him.

As Pyxis urges the mother pig toward the edges, Tide springs to follow. Vicious and snarling, hackles up, the boy does everything he can to make himself look larger than he actually is. Snapping and brilliant, this is where Tide is at his most confident. Even as one of the hogs grabs at his hind leg, Tide can't be slowed, can't be stopped.

"Tide"

As they drive the group back toward the trees, Davey can feel one of the beasts grab at him. It fucking hurt, the only recently healed broken bone causing a ripple through the boy's system. Snarling, he rounds on the beast. Davey bristles. Every part of him standing on end, as the chaos churned around him. This isn't a hunt, it's a fucking war.

All out war, judging by the sounds crashing around him. Davey wasn't pleased, not in the slightest. The large male staring him down, threatening him further. That wouldn't stand. Reckless, unhinged boy with his large, strange axe. Unleashing on the beast, Davey is so incredibly pleased with himself.

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coded by NachoMumma

He releases his hold to give the pig a chance to retreat, one it quickly takes having seen the mother break free of the group with her weanlings in tow. A shame really, he was having such a good time. From one, to the next he goes, shoulder barging, teeth snapping, driving, driving them off and into the distant trees. But there are so many of them. An old boar seems intent to stick around and teach the kids a lesson, one he will probably come out the worst for. Rip angles himself alongside, grabbing for a hock. Chances had been given and now he was out of patience.

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coded by NachoMumma

The pig she threw, tumbled away, finding its feet and joining those that were fleeing to the trees. She let out a snort, well, if that was how he wanted to play it, then fine by her she supposed.

Turning her attention back to the thinning herd, she joined Rip in giving the remaining pigs a hint now the bigger guns had been driven off, well, almost the bigger guns. One old boar still stood firm, grunting to his family and trying to pick a fight with the young wolves. Gilda wasn't going to have it. Rip moved for the back and so she aimed for the flank, with another shove and a snap. It was time to move along, sir. Nothing left to see here.

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coded by NachoMumma

Pigs pushed passed him, seemingly content to cede the ground to the younger combatants. Fine, I guess... He had been having a good time.

Turning back towards those that remained, he zeroed in on Rip and Gilda tackling a very large boar. Deciding that that was where he was needed for right now, he moved in with determined strides, adding his weight to Gilda's push. It seemed to be enough to get the old hog moving along with the rest of his family, a limp in his stride as he trundled through the loose sand but moving none the less. Taking a moment to catch his breath, he made sure Mercy, Davey and Tide had things under control before falling to his stomach in the churned up sand.

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