Havoc stopped to gape when she finally found what all the commotion and land-shaking and orange glow was about. Not because she was afraid, but just because it was so... that. Was it a giant worm? Was it an alien? Was it some... weird vaguely phallic tentacle monster? Her brain couldn't quite encompass what it was, but she knew one thing, one thing that she found herself saying out loud, to absolutely no one. "I want to fight it." Once she'd tasted the shape of the words she lit up, mouth stretching in a feral, fang-bearing grin of delight. "I want to fight it." Ohhhh fuck yeah. Let's fucking fight that thing! And she wasn't the only one who took one look at the thing and lit up like a candle at the challenge of it, apparently, because there was already a mess of wolves down there fighting it around its stupid little lava hole when Havoc flung herself wholeheartedly at it. She ignored them all. It was nearly without thought but she was airborne, fully intending to slam her paws into it and kick back off it to land safely, fangs ready for a driveby slicing into its wormy flesh.

He liked to be the idea man, but he wasn't opposed to letting someone else take the lead. Atoll had dutifully followed after Shoal, tail twitching to and fro, excited to be travelling away from the pack lands. He liked to see new things, and today he was really in luck - because he'd get to see something no one had ever seen before. The burning hot flames from the pit tickled his whiskers, and he was just about to complain that he'd begun to sweat when the worm BURST through the ground. "Holy SHIT!" he yelped, flattening his ears to his head and sticking himself firmly in the center of the cluster of his siblings. No, no, he wasn't afraid... he just knew when to fight and when to lay low, right? Besides, plenty of other Raiders had appeared to take on this weird, demonic creature. Atoll danced from paw to paw, eager to watch what havoc his fellow packmates could wreak. There were so many wolves here it was easy to be lulled into a sense of safety in a crowd.

"speech"

coding by xarae

The goings on around Boreas and Auster had not gone ignored by him. Medusa had mentioned word of some weird ass shit going on, but he didn't know how much stock to put into her words until he saw it for himself. So when he took off to see for himself, he ended up caught in the crossfire of something Hellish. A place he'd never seen before, with a creature he had never seen before. A giant, fiery worm had erupted from the ground, burning nearby things to a crisp. Crimson gaze went wide. In all his years, never had he seen such a thing. It was like something straight from the deepest, darkest parts of a nightmare.

There were a shit ton of others already gathered, trying to fight it. Throwing things at it. Most of them were from the Raiders....great. He had considered returning there recently, but he hadn't anticipated seeing so many of them here and now potentially having to save some of their asses. Leave it to a Raider to get themselves almost killed. Alas, what could he do? Leave them to their own devices and pretend like he didn't see anything? Nah. Well he could...but would he? Despite his inner conflict about it, he respected Gil and Modesty a little too much to let this be.

So with that, the older male slipped closer, and hopefully, just out of reach as he considered what he should do. The worm flailed and screeched a terrible sound, rattling his senses. Baring his teeth, he could feel that flicker of darkness within his mind. "Let's have some fun, shall we?" Crimson gaze narrowed as he prepared to leap for what he could reach before he caught sight of Bellamy. What was she doing here!? While they had their longstanding conflict with each other, he decided now wasn't the best time to engage with her, no. He had a worm to...fight...or something. Running forward, he kicked a flame laden rock toward the worm, hopefully punting it into an eyeball though he wasn't sure if it had any. Continuing his pursuit forward, he leaped in an effort to grab whatever strange appendage it might have with the goal of dragging it downward and bringing it to its metaphorical knees.

"Speech"

Siduri sends a rock flying at the worm's face, though something unexpected happens- it's incinerated in a cloud of dark smoke as soon as it makes contact. (Siduri also finds an item, Goldfish in a Bag, added to your OOC account).

An angry plume of flames shoot out, lightly singing the fur of the wolves closest to it. The stick thrown by Tarnish meets a similar fate, immediately turning to ash and drifting down to the abyss below.

The flames fan out angrily as the creature lets out an ungodly screech, striking many of the wolves who stand nearby, even those who stand in awe. Illusion finds the fur on the right side of her chest singed, and the fire burns through, leaving behind a wide arched scar; another plume shoots out and singes Lyra's throat, leaving her eyes red and burning; Kaira tries to pull away from the jet of fire that shoots out, but isn't able to move fast enough as it strikes her back left leg, leaving behind a raw, pulsing burn.

The rock thrown by Gruesome is sent hurling back at him, pinging back up and striking the back of his head, leaving a bloody gash behind.

Calliope's attack seems to only further anger the beast. Its tendrils lash out at her, burning white-hot as they make contact with her face, leaving behind a mess of jagged wounds that spread over her right eye and forehead.

The head of the beast swivels around, its attention fixing squarely on Hikaru. The world seems to hold its breath for a second, waiting, still...

Then, with a sudden violent surge, flames erupt from the worm again, engulfing Hikaru entirely in a flash. His agonized screams rip through the air as flames consume him, obscuring him completely from sight in a blazing inferno. Even the sound of the roaring flames does little to deafen his tortured cries.

Kuroki is the first to react, clearly not wanting the man's suffering to be prolonged- one swift movement and he rushes forward, shoving Hikaru forward and into the pit below. Kuroki's fur is singed in the process, particularly around his front limbs and chest.

Hikaru's fall is deafened by the crackling of flames, but his screams stop abruptly.

Hikaru is dead, his body already turning to blackened ash in the pit below.

The worm only pauses briefly before redirecting its attention back to those that gather. It flings its long tendrils away from them, head reeling back before it bows back toward them, its head glowing with otherworldly heat.

Its hunger is not yet satiated.

Kaira felt the burning pain shoot against her, she tried to move she really had tried! But gods, the pain felt like it was swallowing her alive. Serrating into her bones, and for a moment, all she could think was; am I gonna die? And the guilt and anguish that sprung from that, what would momma say? And then the pain dulled, still radiating, still pulsing, but it confirmed she wouldn't die right NOW at least. Her eyes opened slowly as she turned to assess her back leg in shock, she didn't cry or scream out, she just turned to look at her rear end. And then with an all too quiet " Oh." she turned to her sibling and only then did a few tears spring forth from her eyes. It really, really, really hurt. She hobbled closer to Atoll, moving to lean against him if he let her. And then her eyes turned to look at their big brother, she couldn't run back now. Her leg hurt so bad. And then the revelation was, how the hell would she tell her Momma about her newfound injury? Eyes turned to look back at her left side, it was DEFINITELY gonna leave a scar. It was so ugly looking, blistering already forming, she could tell it was a 2nd-degree scar. So it could have been worse, but there was a small patch on her rump that she could tell was worse than the rest and that part would be a scar that would always remind her of this day. And then another wave of burning, searing, pain-racked through her tiny body and she whined. Small eyes wide as she tried her hardest to figure out what to do now. Kaira Imperialis-Klein

Even as Astraios felt his attack land on its strange skin, things began to happen around him. Terrible, terrible things. One of the wolves caught on fire, his screams agonising before another wolf ended them. This creature meant to kill them, it meant to kill them all!

A rage overtook the viking boy, who had known a life of hardship and pain. Fear had never turned him into a coward, it had turned him into something else entirely. Perhaps, in another life, it might have made him a monster. Instead, he had been tempered by friends, a loved one. Delphi and Spider flashed across his mind in a brief moment of regret, but he was already moving.

Diving forward, into that attacking maw with a battle cry worthy of his viking ancestors. "TBlóð ok þrumur!"


"Speech"

Sid was incensed. One wolf into the fire, dead and gone. Her sister burned. If only the skies would open up and torrential rains would come down upon the fiery beast. Water was fire's enemy. If she could piss on this thing for all of eternity, she surely would.

There was no time to focus on the idiot pups that had followed along. Siduri spared a glance for Sakana though, giving him a shake of the head to warn him against getting too close. It was a rule that she wasn't going to follow herself. Sid ran at one of the boulders teetering on the edge of the pit, throwing as much speed into her paws as she could manage. The pastel fae then leaped, slamming all four paws into the boulder in the hopes of sending it flying into the fiery pit. If they could move enough debris into the hole, then maybe they could not only pin the worm down, but they could force it back into the earth.

"speech"

coded by NachoMumma

Though he may have scored a swipe at the molten beast his attempts were ultimately ineffectual. He glanced at Gany with a disgusted face while the heat blasted them and singed his own whiskers pushing him back.

He snarled with disdain as the worm thrashed and he reached out to grab Ganymede by the scruff and drag him back to the rim safely. His firey gaze landed on an interesting colored woman slamming against a large boulder.

"Come, she's got the idea." He suggested brusquely and found a boulder on the edge of the rim to launch himself at.

He rammed his paws into the boulder attempting to shift it and send it careening toward the firey worm. If they crush it will it be dead? Perhaps the obsidian carapace would still be harvestable!

Don't go down without a Trixy couldn't believe her eyes. The rocks did the trick alright. They caught the attention of the worm. Only for it to take a wolf with it. Death had only been an idea until then. Her eyes narrowed. HOW DARE THIS WORM?! Ears pinned and a glance. There were wolves singed, wolves all around. But a marbled white and rainbow lass was actively doing something smart. If they buried it in a rockalanche it wouldn't stand a chance. A large brute joined her and trixy beathed deep. They needed a chance! Eyes cast to the others around. Her natural leader side coming out. Lungs bursting as she moved to get to the front side of the worm. "Distract it so they have a chance to bury it! Big guys help them bury it!" orders given to the air, her shout being hopefully loud enough to reach the ears of those around. A look to frank and a bark at Charlie. Frank moved to be with the rainbow lass, shoving his shoulder into the same boulder as her, a mind to help with a rare bellow from him. The reindeer would hopefully be okay. Charlie, her raven swooped again this time aiming to blind the worm on the right side with claws and beak. It was teamwork at its finest. "Hey ugly! Over here!" another shout as she aimed another rock at it's cranium. Like he'll she was falling in that pit. She stood ready once the worm turned on her to dart with her nimble speed away from it. Hopefully others caught on. Walk, "Talk", Think Fight, little wolf, fight, little wolf

_{Code by Asena}

"Do Not Enter" is written on the doorway Why can't everyone just go away? The smell of burning fur had Ganymede stopping his attack, anything he had done to the worm seemed not to affect it at all and his jaws almost hurt where they had glanced off the hardened skin of the superheated creature. He could only stand and stare at the amount of damage the beast had inflicted on those around them and in such a short amount of time, the one screaming as they burned before being shoved into pits below as an act of mercy. His head snapped around as he looked for Ultyr, needing to make sure the other was ok before he felt teeth grab his scruff and another haul him backward. The scent in his nose was of smoking fur and thyme, a quick look over told him the worst the other had suffered was some singed whiskers thankfully. Though he knew who was pulling him along, his paws skidded and scrambled at the rocky ground desperately to get a foothold so he didn't fall when he was let go of. His eyes still sought out the beast below to make sure it wasn't any closer or paying them attention, and once he was assured he turned his attention back to Ultyr and the brilliantly purple woman who seemed intent on toppling boulders. "Make sure you keep your footing or you’ll fall in with the boulder." Ganymede warned, running around to the front of the rock and scrabbling at the loose earth at the edge of it to try and get it to give way. He wasn't heavy enough to do the pushing, but he could move quickly and slip out from in front of it faster than one of the larger wolves to avoid being crushed. Walk, "Talk", Think, ’Others Speaking’ Except you, you can stay.

Pain. White, searing, hot pain erupted over her face. Blinding light lances across her eye, momentarily blinding it as she scrambles backward. Away, up the crater, as fast as she could. Away from the monstrous beast that throws the dead wolf away and singing so many others.

Barely making it back over the edge of the crater, Calliope can barely breathe. Her throat is tightening, dry and raspy as her lungs fight to inflate. Fear that she will lose her sight begins to overwhelm her. What was happening? There's commotion off to the side. She had to turn her whole head to see. Through the blur of molten debris and burnt hair, Calliope watches her sister and others attempt to knock a large boulder in toward the worm.

She couldn't not help. But the pain. Her paw is reaching up, attempting to swipe away the hardened lava that is now encrusted onto her face. The adrenaline is slowly numbing her. Her mind clearing, sense coming back. As her heart steadies, she knows she can't give up. Even if her only goal is to save herself, she doesn't care. The worm must die.

Charging over, through the crowd, Calliope moves up beside Siduri. Flashing her sister a wicked, malformed grin, she begins to help. Lifting up her front paws, together they smash and pound against the heavy boulder to roll it into the crater and toward the fiery worm.

"speech"

coded by NachoMumma

His eyes were opened wide in shock and terror, but that only meant the smoke and heat singed them until tears streamed from their corners. Atoll shrieked when Hikaru was consumed by flame, then tossed to the bottom of the pit to become ash. "THAT GUY FRIGGIN' DIED!" He yowled, ears flat as they could go against his skull. It wasn't that he didn't consider himself a brave boy, but he'd never seen consequences before. Not like that. Without a doubt, he would hear those gurgling screams in his dreams for the rest of his life. He was sure of it. Just when he thought it couldn't get any worse, the worm bellowed a firestorm at the gathered crowd.

Atoll dove to the ground, pressing himself flat as could be, and felt the torturous heat pass over him, so close he was sure he'd caught fire. When he staggered to his paws, he was almost sick at the sights that awaited him: Calliope's face, blistered and marred with detritus, turning her into a ghastly sight. And Kaira... when his eyes settled on her, he felt bile rise in his throat. All he could smell was the scent of burnt skin. "Ohh, Kai, mom is gonna be pissed..." He said, feeling lightheaded at the grotesque sight of his sister and packmate's swollen, blistering skin. There was a reason he wasn't much for healing, or getting his paws dirty if there wasn't anything in it for him. Some might even call him delicate.

Atoll braced himself as Kaira leaned against him, even though he averted his gaze from her hindquarters and the newly minted wound there. "Jeez, I think I might be sick... Keep your guard up, I will too," he said, trying to sound much braver than he felt as he turned to keep an eye on the worm that all of the others were busy trying to crush beneath some rocks. "Get it, Calliope! Siduri! Go, go!" he cheered, his voice hoarse from inhaling the surrounding smoke.


"speech"

coding by xarae

Outlaw had seen a lot over the years as he roamed the lands of Ardent. He’d made a number of friends. The most lasting memories would surely be his time in the Hallows. First with Meadow and then he’d had the joy of meeting a bunch of pups that had grown up into fine adults. It had been great sharing time with the family and it was great seeing that those small kids had grown up into fine adults. Still, Outlaw just wasn’t wired to stay in one place. That desire to roam had eventually led him to here, a spot that could also be called trouble. Outlaw’s jaw sagged open some as he stared at the worm. Now, he’d seen ghosts, statues, talking mice and all manner of oddities but a firey worm? Well, now this would make quite the story. Then again…Outlaw looked at the landscape starting to light on fire as molten rock flies over the landscape. Outlaw liked to see the best in every situation but this was dangerous. He should go. He started to turn around but had to jump aside when liquid fire went past him. Too close! The path he’d been planning to go back had burning rock starting up a growing fire. Yes, he should get out of here. The dog wasn’t rushing though, caution and awe mingling in his emotions as he tried to carefully avoid flames and worm. Speech:"Life is but a game " Think

Terror was more than just a little curious about everything that was going on. With new siblings, he practically had to beg his mother to let him go and check it out with the promise that he wouldn't go alone- when did he ever go anywhere without Grue, anyway? The last thing Widow needed was to be poking around something dangerous when she had a whole new litter to keep fed and safe. Although he knew the trip was risky and that there was no telling what would be found, Terror was determined to bring back some sort of information. He didn't expect the imminent danger to happen so suddenly however, jumping in place as the creature erupted from the ground.

Pale eyes looked on in terror until Grue mentioned children, and to keep them safe. With his own size there was nothing he could do that would help the group forming besides to round up the kids (some who were even bigger than him) in an effort to try and keep them safe. Sending Grue into danger like this was not part of the plan. If he got hurt, what was he going to do? He couldn't carry his brother back, he could barely even lift one of his massive legs... and what would Widow say? He wasn't as scared of her reaction as much as he was scared of losing Grue, for some reason.

"Just... be safe," he begged quietly, his voice shaky with worry written all over his face. He carefully got off his brothers back and turned away, towards the crowd and between the legs of the taller adults to locate any children as the battle begun and others started attacking the giant creature. "Children, come with me!" It wasn't a question, nor was it a suggestion, but would anyone listen to someone that looked like a young pup instead of the yearling that he was?

However it wasn't but a moment later that he caught sight of a rock flying in what felt like slow motion, pale eyes following it's path just for it to crash into his brothers head. He couldn't assess the damage, but there had to be some. His heart dropped, his face stricken with complete and utter terror. "Grue!" he screamed, looking between the children and his brother. Without paying any attention to the creature or the children, he dashed towards his brother, rushing to get to him without paying attention to the crowd of others or the creatures retaliating attacks.

"Speech!"

Art & Code © Skelle/Witchdogtor DO NOT USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

The searing pain erupted at her chest, all due to her proximity to the chaos she so adored. The bitter scent of singed fur filled her nostrils, but Illusion’s silvery eyes burned all the more bright. She looked down at the raw, throbbing flesh, blood bubbling faintly where the fire had kissed. A laugh—low, guttural—escaped her lips.

The agony was sharp, so sharp. But it was more than just pain. She relished it, let it twist through her like a brand, like ownership of this moment. The corners of her mouth pulled into a crooked, manic grin as her gaze snapped back to the writhing inferno of a creature that had delivered this carnage unto her. She forgot herself. Her mask had slipped for all to see, but she doubted any would pay her any mind. Her breath hitched, not from fear but exhilaration. Her chest rose and fell with each pulse of adrenaline, her heart hammering like a drum.

Her gaze locked on the monstrous thing, as she raised a paw to touch the edge of her wound, hissing at the sting but letting her claws trail the burn with something disturbingly close to fascination. Illusion’s laughter bubbled up again, louder this time, the chiming noise a soft interruption to the chaos unfolding.

Her steps moved her closer, reckless, almost inviting the fire worm to consume her fully. She tilted her head, eyes locked on the struggle of wolf versus beast, but caring none the wiser for who won. "Burn me again," she whispered, her voice low with both pain and a wicked glee. "I dare you." She was ready to move if needed, she just… wanted to be closer for the clashing of fire and blood. The scent of burnt fur and frying skin drew in and out of her lungs, she was vaguely aware of the others plan of action… but it was difficult for her to pull herself away from her reverie for the first creature to even deliver her a flaw. And such a disfiguring one, too.

"Illusion Nightwing"

Chaos erupted before his eyes. A body singed, dusted, completely gone-- shit dude. The gravity of the situation finally becoming clear to Tide, a shiver racing down his spine. Calliope taking a brutal hit across the face, a whimper finally rising from the boy. "Cal--" Tide hiccuped. "Lyra!" He shouts, to the point where his voice cracks. Panic taking hold of the child, in the worst way.

But there's a path forward. Sid was starting to chuck stuff into the hole. He should help. He'd help. Tide would help, though it feels like he's not piloting his own shell. As a voice from a monochrome boy raises to try and give direction, the boy's lips peel back, revealing all the fucking teeth in his mouth. "Nah fuck you dude," crass? Yeah, but he's not interested in playing nice. Finding a branch to stuff in the hole and carrying on... as best he can. Everything exploding around the boy, deeply overwhelmed, but fuck it's all Tide can do right now.

"Tide"

Kuroki just couldn't stand it, the noises he'd made- unthinkable. There were children present and even then Kuroki knew it would have been a slow, agonising way to go, he knew it had been a mercy to push him into the pit but fuck, it didn't feel good. He reeked of singed fur, his skin ached with the heat, had touched him for the barest moments and that had been enough to burn. Though not quite as badly as many of the others here.

No one had a clue about what to do, and could you blame them? Fuck, Oki was just as lost as every one else- they wanted to use the bolder? Block off the hole, was worth a shot.

Kuroki charged forward and shoulder checked the bolder hard, put his whole weight into the shove and gave it all he had. It fucking hurt, the whole impact had his bones thrumming with the impact, nerves fraying, made him want to recoil, but he doubled down. Cause what choice did they have?

Rot Gut Whiskey's Gonna Ease My Mind

Well shit, Tarnish's throw was about as effective as a mosquito. The stick he'd throw started to burn immediately, disintegrating into ash. So clearly the thing was hot as fuck, which made him hesitant to try attacking directly. While he could cling and shred to larger prey thanks to his claws he wasn't keen on burning to a crisp. The worm twisted and fire burst from it. Tarnish swiftly scrambled behind a boulder, managing to avoid getting singed. His hunkered down in the shadow of the boulder, melting into the darkness as he pondered his next moving, watching the other wolves, making notes and letting them be the guinea pigs.

Suddenly the worm descended on one of the wolves and in a burst of flame and the smell of burning fur and flesh the wolf was gone as he descended into the pit. Well, double fuck. Out of the corner of his eye he saw his sister Siduri, race toward a boulder on the edge of the pit. Immediately he knew what she was trying to do. Racing from his hiding place he picked up as much speed as he could, slamming his body into the boulder. He felt it shift just slightly but they needed more force. Then one by one more wolves joined in.

Fuck! The fiery worm seemed to have little care for the wounds he and the others were trying to inflict. Instead, they seemed to anger it and send it into a wild rage! Before he knew it, it surged forward and assaulted some of those around him. Half of which were Raider pups! His grip on the worms spindly leg remained, but when it surged forward and devoured someone, his fur stood on end and he released, kicking back just enough to where he barely managed to land back on solid ground, whirling around to find the worm eating a screaming wolf. Heart hammered in his chest. While he didn't know who the hell that was that had just been swallowed, it was still a shock to see something like that happen.

It took him a moment to regain his bearings. His own mind swirling and twisting like a pot of water that was boiling too long, too fast. He couldn't do this alone, and when he caught sight of Siduri and the others trying to roll a boulder onto the worm, he knew he had to act. While he wouldn't be able to make it up there fast enough to help them, there was something else he could certainly do. He closed his eyes for a moment as his mind raced, and then a few heartbeats later, he opened them again with a violent, guttural snarl. "Fuck me...It's your turn." He hissed.

Never in his life did he think he would willingly allow his demon to freely come out, but in this case? It was do. Or die. And he was not willing to die just yet. "Hahahahaha!!! Yeeesss!! I told you, you can't survive without me!" He taunted. Bursting into motion, Blödhgarm raced around the edge of the pit, snarling at the worm as his crimson gaze remained fixated on it. "Hey fuck face! Over here!" He called out, hoping to draw attention toward him as a distraction so the others could drop the boulder before it could react. He didn't stop his movement, however. He kept moving, harassing, throwing insults at it to try and keep its attention. Maybe he wanted it to attack so he could go for another bite.

"Ignis""Blödhgarm"

There was an awful lot happening around the young girl. Her head was jerking in many directions as fast as they could. The need to understand what she couldn't. The need to protect those she could not contain.

Where was the order?

No one was taking the lead. Where was the calm? The logic?

She was moving quite fast now, her fur swinging as she ran after the pups. In her attempts to corral them, a few were defiant, disobeying and challenging her commands to come with her and back up into safety. Because they wished to watch. It all happened so fast. Intense heat radiating everywhere, smoke, screams, and an acrid scent of burning blood.


"Please, dear pups! Listen to me, plea-" her voice was cut off as another plume of fire shot towards her, and her words were cut short. There was a searing pain and she couldn't speak. Lyra began to choke her eyes burning from the heat. She couldn't breathe and she couldn't slow down. Next to her, she saw Kaira also get burned. The little girl's reaction pulled on Lyra's heartstrings.

She needed to save her family.

Her heart thumping.

She felt so powerless. Where were her mothers? Now, more than ever she realized she was just a pup.

There was a sharp and agonizing scream that made Lyra's hackles raise. She turned just in time to see a wolf she did not know covered in a liquid she could not recognize. It was glowing, and the man was screaming a horrid noise she had never heard before. The smell of singed fur began to rise, and she nearly cried. Her lip trembling and she couldn't tell if she was crying or her eyes were burning. Everything felt hot.

Gasping for air, but also trying not to take too deep of breath in order to avoid the burning sensation in her throat. Oh where was her mama? Her tail tucked deeply between her legs but she forced herself to move through the fear. She needed to protect her family. Help them.

Her brothers were here and a sense of mild relief washed over her.

"T-t-t-ide", she rasped. where was Davey? Was he fighting it?

There was only so much she could do. So many places she could be at once.

"K-kaira..", she cooed as she finally reached the girl. Still struggling to breath she would over her a nuzzle and attempt to push her as far away from the worm as she could.