At the end of the day, he couldn’t figure out who was the biggest idiot. Sephiran for suggesting they go and retaliate against the polar bear … or himself for going along with it. “This is stupid. We’re stupid.” Aresenn mumbled as the overhang came into sight- the one that they had attempted to overnight in when they were discovered by the massive white predator. For all he knew, it could have been the bear’s shelter. And if they were going to hunt the hunters … they might as well start from the point last seen.

With a deepened sigh, he glanced down over the cliff’s edge. The snow drift they had landed on was still there, and while the wind had covered their tracks, the faint impression of where they had landed could still be seen. He wasn’t sure they could survive another free fall- he wasn’t sure he wanted to. Shaking the thoughts from his head, his attention found Sephiran once more. “So, can we come up with a plan this time? Winging it didn’t really turn out in our favor.” Aresenn huffed. Winging it pretty well lost him nearly a week of his life, and he still wasn’t over it. The twinge in his side a pretty obvious reminder that he likely still had a cracked rib or two.  

After his run-in with the contumacious girl, and his reunion with Aresenn that turned into a battle, Sephiran still didn’t feel satisfied. The irritation inside of him was boiling, threatening to spill over which would lead him to snap. A manic episode was on the horizon, and whether or not his labile emotions ascended into that mania would depend on if he could subdue this anger. Maybe he needed to kill something, maybe he needed to fuck someone. He figured hunting down the wretched polar bear who dared to attack them was a good start.

This is stupid. We’re stupid.” He ignored Aresenn at first, as he was too focused on tracking back to the overhang where it had all started. Once they found it, his accomplice mentioned they should forge some sort of plan this time, which Sephiran had already calculated in his head. “We’re gonna draw it out,” He started, as he moved towards the area where they had been sleeping. The massive paw prints of the bear were still there, along with their claw marks from being thrown or slammed. “Go for its injuries,” He started to follow the bear prints, as they led towards the tree line. “And shove it over the cliff.” He stopped then, skull twisting as he looked over his shoulder and at Aresenn, waiting to see if he would object.

"Speech"

When he asked for a plan, he didn’t actually expect an answer. A scoff or a joke would have been more in line with the usual Sephiran. So when he actually got some semblance of one, he was someone impressed. Though, it only lasted for a few moments before it began to sink in. “Is that all?” Aresenn scoffed. “We’ll just simply shove the biggest bear I have ever seen, off its feet and over the cliff.” The way Sephiran described it … it sounded like it was just another animal to fight. No big deal. In reality, the Praetor boy couldn’t imagine trying to make the massive predator do anything it didn’t want to. Especially, if its friend showed up like last time.

Thinking back to the night that they had defended themselves against it was more difficult than he thought. Maybe he had hit his head when he fell on top of everything else. “Did we even hurt it? I couldn’t tell.” If they had caused it injury, it was just enough to really piss it off. He wondered if bears held grudges. Something told him they were about to find out.

It was a risky plan, one that would likely face complications and perhaps some turmoil. But Sephiran was ready to face whatever was to come, and he assumed Aresenn was too, even if the boy was voicing doubt. The bear was massive, yes, but not impossible to topple over if they worked together. But to Sephiran that wasn’t the biggest feat. He wanted to make sure it wouldn’t get up after it fell, which is why they needed to worsen its injuries first. “A shoulder, behind the ribs, and a back leg.“ He mused aloud, noting the locations they had managed to attack. Failure to complete a task or win created placeholders in the boy's mind, making them events he would never forget. The reminders irked him, but they could be used as learning experiences. “Render a leg or two useless, and we can win.” He shot one last glance at Aresenn, before his head tipped back and he released a loud, wailing howl that demanded the presence of the predator. The song read loud and clear were here to play again.

But Sephiran didn’t howl just once. No, the boy would do it over and over, and quite obnoxiously too, as he aimed to provoke the bear into emerging from its hiding place. Luckily for the boys, or rather it was unlucky, they wouldn’t have to wait long before the sound of underbrush crushing beneath paws emanated from the tree line.  A few moments later, a massive flash of white was barreling towards them, trampling over everything in its path. It was go time.

"Speech"

Code by Sea

When Sephiran answered, he rattled off a few points where maybe they had made contact. While the Saxe boy seemed certain, Aresenn was not. He didn’t doubt that’s where they had attempted to injure the bear. But much like a horse fly biting at a wolf, he wasn’t sure how much harm they had managed to cause. The other boy seemed confident, though, that in the end, none of it mattered anyways. If they damaged its limbs enough, that was all that was necessary for them to win. Oh. And the part where they were meant to lure it to the cliff and topple it over the edge without being taken down themselves. Aresenn internalized the sigh that threatened to escape his lips.

When his co-conspirator began calling the predator, his own hackles raised in preparation. It wasn’t just a single howl, though. It sounded more like the call of a siren. A warning. A challenge. And if they were ready or not, their opponent answered. As the massive white bear broke through the undergrowth, it let loose an irritated roar- a battle cry- as it barreled over everything in its path. It was super fucking intimidating. As the distance was closed, Aresenn sprinted off to the side. Win or lose, he wasn’t going to allow himself to be the one thrown off the cliff again. Logically speaking though, if the boys were split, it couldn’t come after them both. If he managed to draw the bear’s attention, it would leave its back end open for Sephiran to go to work on ripping muscles and tendons with those elongated fangs of his. And just as he suspected, his movement was enough to capture their victim's attention.

As the bear sprinted towards them, releasing a roar that was meant to send them running with their tails tucked between their legs, Sephiran didn’t falter. His hackles rose, fur standing erect all the way down to his tail, as he too released a snarl out of protest. He wasn’t going to take a beating again, not without winning at least. His arrogance started to cloud his judgment, and he stood his ground, waiting to face the beast head-on. But luckily for him, Aresenn sprinted off to the side, which enticed the bear’s predatorial instincts and it twisted around to chase him.

Sephiran lunged forward to chase after the bear, snapping his jaws at its left hock until he made contact. His fangs sunk deeply into the flesh of its back leg, his head thrashing from side to side after securing his hold. The popping of his fangs puncturing through the cartilage, muscle, and tendons rang inside of his ears, and he felt himself being lifted from the ground as the bear recoiled its leg before kicking it out to try and dislodge him. It had also twisted around its upper half, releasing an enraged roar before swinging a front paw directly at him. Sephiran closed his eyes, bracing himself for impact. He wasn’t going to let go this time.

"Speech"

Code by Sea

As the bear moved to intercept him in his perceived attempt at escape, Aresenn continued to try and make himself the target. Though it wasn’t long before he lost the beast’s attention, and it came to a skidding halt- Sephiran must have hit his mark. After a few ill-fated attempts to kick the Saxe boy loose, it resorted to turning in on itself to try and make contact with the more immediate threat. It left its opposite side exposed and ready for impact. Even still, they weren’t anywhere near the edge of the cliff, so they were going to have to lure it back. With that in mind, Aresenn lunged for the polar bear. He made a quick circling maneuver to snap at its flexed side- though the intention wasn’t necessarily to cause harm. Just enough to annoy it and remind it that he was still there- maybe to take the focus away from Seph for a moment. But just as quickly as he made contact, Aresenn released- continuing on his way to try and get the thing to turn around and get them closer to the drop-off. If it didn't follow him as he hoped, it would at the very least, leave him open to get out the other hind leg.  

Sephiran had closed his eyes, preparing himself for the whirlwind of stars, or even a brief loss of consciousness that would follow being smacked by the polar bear. But thankfully for him, it never came, because Aresenn had been quick in getting its attention again. The paw that had been aiming for his face was forced back onto the ground, slamming down next to him with enough force to release a small cloud of dust. For once in the heat of battle, Sephiran felt his heart start to hammer inside of his chest. That was a close one. But he didn’t have time to think about what had happened, because he was still latched onto the beast who was trying to kill him.

It had twisted back to face Aresenn, who was snapping at its other side. He took this moment to release his hold, staggering backward to regain his footing as he was nearly flung away from the momentum. Aresenn was trying to coax it closer to the cliff, and Sephiran noticed it was starting to drag the leg he had attacked. Which meant their plan was working. So, instead of immediately lunging back into the fray, Sephiran started to bark and snarl, trying to get the bear to twist around towards him again to leave another opening for Aresenn to attack.

"Speech"

Code by Sea

Just as Aresenn had made contact at the bear’s side, Sephiran must have released his hold. It left the bear already prepared to seek him out, and the shallow punctures on its side gave it all the reason to pursue. Following through his counter circle, Aresenn did his own about turn to face the bear head-on. As it began to pursue him, he put his best effort into making himself appear as large as possible- curling his tail over his back, extending his chest, and flexing his shoulders. Anything he could think of to entice the bear forward in a silent challenge. Sephiran on the other hand … not so silent. The barking and snarling must have been a lot more intriguing to the predator as it veered toward the Saxe boy in response.

As it moved toward Seph, Aresenn saw an opening. Darting forward, he hit the bear with splayed jaws in the back leg that hadn’t yet been touched. Sinking his canines into flesh, he gave every ounce of energy he had into shredding its hide and muscle as much as he could- his own cracked ribs permitting. Thankfully, the adrenaline was carrying him quite a bit in this particular moment.

His snarling and barking had been enough to rip the beast’s attention away from Aresenn, just long enough for the pirate boy to initiate an attack. The bear released an ear-piercing roar, which caused Sephiran to clench his teeth and shake his head, trying to rid himself of the ringing in his ears. Whether the roar was meant to scare them off or was just a battle cry, it didn’t matter. Because it would meet its fate soon enough. It had made an enemy out of the wrong pair of wolves, and it would pay with its life.

When Aresenn secured a hold and shook his head, the bear whipped around again to try and fend him off. Sephiran used that moment to launch himself off his back legs, using the momentum to close the space between himself and the bear. His final strides were just short of a sprint, head lowering and his shoulders rolling forward as he braced for impact. Throwing his weight forward, he slammed into the bear's side, causing it to stumble just a few steps given that Aresenn was shaking one of its legs. It was now trying to balance using its front paws, which helped the boys stay out of reach. Just a few more yards and they would be at the ledge.

"Speech"

Code by Sea

As expected, the Polar Bear reacted out of rage as Aresenn tore through its remaining back leg. Though, as he felt the weight of the victim shift in an attempt to face him, he released his hold. The Praetor boy propelled himself away from the immediate brawl just as the bear took a swipe with outstretched claws where he had just been a brief moment ago. Shuffling backward towards the cliff, he continued trying to entice the predator to follow him. It seemed to be falling for the trap, but then Sephiran didn’t give it the opportunity to change its mind either. The bear stumbled forward on uncoordinated limbs as it was struck in the side with Seph’s weight. A fine-tuned and target blow.

The bear roared furiously, with enough force and volume to cause a ringing sensation in his ears. Aresenn barked and snarled- snapping his jaws at the open air between them as he continued backing up- only stopping when he felt the ground begin to crumble away under his final stride. They had finally reached the ledge. With a shallow lunge forward, he telegraphed an attack to buy himself some space. He didn’t dare a sideways glance but was confident that this was probably the best positioning they were going to manage.

Although he had prepared himself for the impact, the sudden slamming of his head into a mountain of flesh caused a shockwave of pain to roll through his neck and shoulders. He snarled out of irritation, stumbling forward with the bear as he sought to keep pushing forward with his weight. They were nearing the edge, and he wasn’t about to lighten up now and lose all the progress they had made. He could hear Aresenn barking and snarling, coaxing the bear forward. The beast was enraged, as it kept roaring and snapping its jaws in both of their direction. But it wasn’t able to twist around as effectively as before, given that they had both damaged its back legs.

He cast a glance towards Aresenn, seeing a flash of his crimson pelt as he leaped out from behind the bear. In sync, Sephiran backpedaled, bringing him back a few feet so the two of them come face off with the bear. It was looming over them, snarling and roaring, keeping them in its line of vision. He couldn’t help but flash a toothy smirk at the beast, arrogance well up inside of him. They had managed to corner it.

He shot Aresenn one last glance, silently telling him it was time for the final act. He then coiled his strength into his hind limbs before charging forward, maniacal laughter bubbling from his jaws. This was so exciting, so fun! Lowering his head again, he went straight into the fray, attempting to slam into the bear's right shoulder to try and propel it backward and off the cliff.

"Speech"

Code by Sea

They had it. This was it. The beginning of the end for the massive white bear. At the same time, it went to take another swipe at Aresenn’s face, it was struck once more in the side by Sephiran. The Praetor boy snapped at the paw that sought to hook in his flesh, but it suddenly slammed against the ground to try and find balance- but with its ruined hind limbs … that appeared to be more difficult than the beast had anticipated. At the unexpected impact of weight, he heard rocks tumbling into the gorge below- a spray of dirt crumbling as the ledge began to give way from beneath the load it wasn’t quite able to support. He was vaguely aware of Sephiran’s outburst of laughter, but he himself wouldn’t begin his celebration until the bear lay dead at the bottom of the gorge.

The whole creature shuddered with the impact at its shoulder. In an attempt to stable itself, it collapsed to its belly, though its fate had already been sealed. As Sephiran’s momentum dissipated, the bear’s hindquarters fell off the edge, and without anything to grip, his front began to slide with it. The roars of rage turned into something of fear and panic. And when it could hold itself no longer, it disappeared below the ledge, and its screams became distant which culminated in a disturbing thud at the bottom. And then … silence. Aresenn stood panting from the exertion before daring to look over the edge to ensure the massive white bear wasn’t going to get up. Thankfully the hulking white lump of fur lay as still as the snow banks around it. If this hadn’t killed it, he wasn’t sure what would have.

Another shockwave rippled through his body as he slammed into the bear, simultaneously preventing it from taking a deadly swipe at Aresenn. Given his weight, the momentum, and the injuries it had already sustained, it buckled onto his belly on impact. Which was what Sephiran wanted. He could hear the shifting of debris behind the bear, as the cliffside started to give out from the sheer weight of the bear. It outstretched its front paws, clawing at the earth to try and keep its hind end from falling over the cliff. But it was no use. Gravity took its course, and the bear slid off the edge, panic setting in which caused it to release a slew of odd sounds Sephiran hadn’t heard before. But, within those tones, was panic, fear, and perhaps even sorrow.

And just as quickly as the fight started, it ended. The flash of white vanished over the edge, falling to the gorge below with a loud thud and the shattering crack of bones crushing from the fall. This was followed by an eerie silence, which brought Sephiran to the edge, so he could peer down at the scene below. The mass of white intertwined with the snowdrift below, blood seeping out from its nose and open mouth, staining the snow dark red. It lay there, unmoving, eyes open, and body stiff. Which meant they had succeeded in their plan.

-exit/end-

"Speech"

Code by Sea