Coran's teeth dug into the creature's flesh but it was not as satisfying a grip as he had hoped for. The worms flesh was thick and cold and he couldn't help but feel he was doing little damage to it. Suddenly the worm writhed and thrashed and as it did it sent Coran flying. He slammed hard into the ice, landing on his back but managing to keep his head up enough not crack his skull. He swiftly scrambled to his feet as the worm dove for the skeletal woman. Teeth weren't enough of a weapon, they needed something else. He eyed the fallen icicles about the same time a black and white woman called out about the ice shards. It was worth a shot. They'd have to use what they had available and as much as he wished for a torch or fire he had nothing of that sort to aid him.

Coran grabbed a large icicle in his jaws, too high on adrenaline to work about the cold on his teeth. He froze as as a man called out for everyone to stay still then took off running and howling. A distraction. Seizing the moment Coran raced for the worm once more, running parallel to its form as he whipped his head sharply to the side, seeking to impale it with the icicle.

The scent of blood and sulfur in the air, hanging heavily. Víðarr moves fluidly, maintaining his balance on the icy ground. Everything is shaking and trembling beneath his feet, the true size and scale of the worm breathtaking. It's swatting, trying to swing, and manages to connect with Medusa. Víðarr flinches on her behalf, though there are far bigger concerns at the moment.

As a brightly colored boy calls the play, Víðarr goes rigid. Stiff, quiet. His plan seems... actually, solid enough. The viking would take it upon himself to buy some space, further disorient the worm. He's no good at stealth, as it stands. Kicking up dirt and dust as he moves, adding an echo while moving in the same direction. Though he doesn't add quite as much noise, he's hoping to buy some space for Scald to work. Teamwork, or some shit. Something like that.

With his back-right leg hiked, it takes some maneuvering to get his body between the worm and the pup and is grateful that he manages to scruff her. Lifting her form from the ground, he endures her abuse and claws and seeks to send her rolling back out of the way. Unfortunately, the other pup, a boy, slips past him and attacks the worm which pulls a snarl from Ezekiel. Looking to the pups he spits out, “Don’t get in our way.” Before abandoning them to their fates.

If they die here and their parents were to ask him what happened, Zeke would simply tell them he did everything he could to save them. Had he? No but also wasn’t going to waste more energy trying to wrangle the pair when a literal crystal worm is breathing down their necks. With that, he rounds on the worm and snarls, tail curling over his back as he does his three-legged run-hop toward the angry creature.

A small yearling asks for help with the ice shards while a quilled man tries to tell them all to be quiet and move to the edges and Zeke ignores them both. They are not Syndicate nor are they blood and he will not pay heed to them. Moving up to the worm, he spies a thick chunk of ice laying on the ground and angles toward, smacking it in the direction of the creature’s open maw. If it was hungry, it could eat rocks!


"Ezekiel Saxe"

Wolves went flying and the worm itself seemed to just laugh at them. What could they do against such a beast? They could run, but it was proven again and again that wolves were stupid. They were stubborn little idiots. Beat knew that those around him wouldn't give up. The thing was huge; many times larger than all of them combined, yet they'd stand here and fight. That left Beat with a choice. Would he stand beside them or would he turn tail? Looking around the icy cavern, the black and white brute looked for some way to assist. There were large chunks of ice in the ceiling of the tunnel that looked as though they crumple inward at the drop of a hat just like a tunnel of dirt might. Hefting rocks and chunks of ice, Beat continuously chucked items at the ceiling above the worms head, trying to bring the tunnel down upon it and provide some respite for the wolves trapped within. He did give them a heads up though. "WATCH OUT!" "Beat"

She'd forgotten how old she had grown, it was like that witch that had cursed her in the swamp was draining her life away again. The frigid air bit through her skin, into her joints and she stumbled. Her blade glanced harmlessly off the icy hide of the worm and she moved back, blazing eyes searching, searching for any way to get through the armour, and all those teeth.

She'd be ground to bits, but if she got in the way when it lunged for the two that were trying to draw it down, maybe she'd manage a lucky strike before the end, or delay it long enough that the roof would fall down upon its head like the other wolf was trying to do? So many young wolves with so many years left to live. It was the least she could do.

"speech"

Commotion sounded all around her, echoing in the ice cave, the sounds bouncing off the wall. It thrashed around, knocking the others away like she did the flies around the dead things she found. And yet she was focused on her own attack when she dove for the worm. She wasn't prepared for what happened though. Before she knew it, the worm had focused on her, and just as her teeth made contact and failed to do any damage, it was her that ended up damaged. The Wraith caught a glimpse of the worm making a dive for her, too fast for her to react. Before she knew it, a near blinding pain shot through her body as the ice worm pummeled her into the ground, the ice shards on its body opening her up like a can of tuna. She didn't even have time to cry out with the impact before it rose back up and gnashed its teeth.

She lay there for a bit as Umbra returned to her side, both the cold from the surrounding ice and the warmth of her own blood seeping across her wound. "Medusa! I knew we shouldn't have come! We need to leave, now! Umbra urged as she carefully tried to help Medusa back to her feet. Despite the pain she was in, the adrenaline coursing through her helped to keep it at bay just a bit. And she slowly and shakily rose to her feet with Umbra's help. The pain seared through her hip, and she chanced a glance to find a deep wound that would definitely scar. "No," She stated. She had never run before. And despite her better judgment, she wasn't about to run now. "Medusa can...do it. It's just a scratch!" She tried to play it off, though her shaking legs, the gaping wound, and the fact she couldn't hold much weight on that side now would scream otherwise. But of course, Medusa would be Medusa. Perhaps she wasn't prideful, but she was stubborn as fuck. Of all the trials and tribulations she had been through, this was just one more to add to the pile.

She leaned against Umbra to stabilize herself as stars practically swam in front of her vision. She felt like her head was swimming, her mind and body working against her to try and bring her back to the ground. It took another few moments for her to keep herself steady and conscious as her vision threatened to black out, all the while she could hear the muted voices of others shouting the next plan. One ran back toward the entrance, others started throwing things at the ceiling. She pressed herself against the side of the ice as her hip dripped heavily with blood. She needed a minute or two to compose herself before trying again, so for now, she'd stay out of the way while the others worked.

Erebos wouldn't be happy about this when she eventually did return home, but she had survived things before having met him, and not even a worm was going to finish her!

"Speech"

Its fury isn't quite satiated by the way it tosses Medusa to the ground, her flesh ripping and tearing.

Its tendrils curl in protectively, briefly shielding its toothy mouth that continues to gnash in barely-restrained hunger.

The beast was not mindness. It perceived everything- every wolf, every movement, every word. It follows the vibrations carefully, searching for something in particular. Its petals flare wide, lashing forward toward Ririka, who stands frozen in fear.

An easy meal.

In one swift movement it lunges toward her, and in the next moment she's gone. Blood and entrails dribbles from the worm's slitted maw. It slowly parts, unfurling and revealing those rows of jagged, ice-encrusted teeth, head swiveling toward Scald.

His noise has the intended effect. More of its length is revealed as it slithers out of the ice, beginning to follow the Raider, ice splintering under its weight. There's no way to tell just how long the thing is.

And Scald only has a lead on it for a moment before it strikes him.

Its head jolts forward, one of its icy tendrils striking him with force from behind. It spears through his back, straight through his chest, with an awful crunching sound. His howl is cut short by a choked gurgle as blood spills from his mouth and chest, pooling beneath him on the ice.

Another jerking motion and the worm sends his lifeless body flying forward toward the cave's entrance.

The cavern is filled with the cacophony of clattering sounds as rocks and ice are thrown at the ceiling. Each impact causes more and more noise, the creaking of splintering ice echoing all around the adventurers. Shards of ice from the ceiling begin to rain down on the worm, and it flinches from the impact, its mouth now tilting up toward the ceiling instead of the its attackers. Distracted, at least for a moment...

Everything was happening so quickly. A wolf was gone, devoured by the beast. Others seemed to pick up the idea to take out the ceiling of the tunnel and were helping. That was all that Beat needed. He continued throwing whatever he could find at the roof of the tunnel and it seemed to be working. The worm looked up as pieces of debris trickled down upon it. The distraction was clear and Beat hoped that someone would take the opportunity to impale the worm with one of the ice spikes. Although, if the ceiling was going to crumble down... Again the black and white brute called for others to look out, seeing a crack begin to form above the worms head. It had a right to be distracted. Again and again Beat launched rocks with all of his might towards the crack. His aim was fairly true, though he was becoming rather tired. "Beat"

Epimethius skittered to a stop as his eyes followed the form of the man that had just been his comrade for a few moments, and he felt his lungs empty even though he had not been dealt physical damage. His head shot towards where Enyo had been and all he felt was worry, worry for those around him, and worry for those he cared for. He snarled, no light or small snarl, it rippled through him as aggression clouded his brain. Clearing his thoughts, he turned to the older man who was still making an effort to have the roof come crashing down on the worm. With heavy, angry steps, he flung his side against the wall. Hitting it with all his weight, hoping to help make the ice weaken. All the while throwing icicles and anything in his reach at the worm. His eyes narrowed as he shook down a rather large spear of ice, grabbing it in his maw as he rushed the beast. If he could just get it pinned down, make it unable for it to move he would be happy. And so he leaped with the icicle, coming down upon the worm with a newfound fury as he sought to drive it through the worm and deep within the ice. But he was not standing around to find out if it succeeded or not, after his attempt he bolted away. Coming to stand by the woman Enyo had cared for. His head lowered as he turned to the worm, evident in his want to protect the woman even if he did not know her very well. "Talk"

With a twist of his head the icicle slammed into the side of the worm. It didn't seem to do too much. He felt the ice shatter in his mouth. it connected with the hard, icy exterior of the worm, sinking in and sticking before it broke off. Coran leapt swiftly away, but not before he heard the howl of another man cut off suddenly. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the man run through before his lifeless body fell to the ground.

"Merciful spirits…" He gasped, standing there horrified for a moment before ice from the ceiling began to fall, not only upon the worm but some pieces striking his back and snapping him back to the present.

Right... focus.... survive first, vomit later.

Eyeing the cracking ceiling and the work of the others he lined himself up. There was a good chance they were going to get crushed trying to pull this off but what choice was there really? If they fled the beast would remain to devour any that treaded through. Kicking off hard, Coran raced toward the wall where a crack had stretched from the ceiling to begin creeping down the wall. He slammed into the wall with the front of his chest, hoping to aid the others in worsening the stability of the walls and ceiling.

HIGH ACHIEVER, DONT YOU SEE?

The chaos ensued, and Medusa failed to even hear Enyo out. There were other pups here for some reason, but she couldn't care less if they lived or died. They were no one to her; all that mattered were the pups inside Medusa's womb- the first Dunamis born into this land, and it seemed she wouldn't care. How selfish.

But surely he wouldn't blame her for his own mate's ego?

Enyo let go of the petal and hopped away. Her titanium teeth only left shallow cracks in the hard, frosted layer. It seemed brute strength would not be the answer... Enyo found herself looking over her options. Her sharp mind thinking of how to make the most of their situation.

Enyo’s gaze lingered on Medusa, as she watched the worm’s powerful strike send the pregnant alpha crashing into the ice. Blood stained the frozen ground, a dark gash marring Medusa’s side. Seeing her brought down a peg, perhaps a deserved lesson for her arrogance and recklessness, was a sick, guilty satisfaction. Even Enyo knew she was no match in this situation. For all her stubbornness, Medusa seemed oblivious to the value of the Dunamis pups she carried. To Enyo, the children within her were the most valuable thing, a legacy more significant than any moment of personal pride. Medusa was a vessel, and she had risked the lives of those unborn Dunamis for what? To prove something?

When Medusa stirred, struggling to rise despite the deep wound, Enyo suppressed a growl of impatience. Her massive frame moved closer, muscles tensed, and she offered her broad shoulder to support Medusa, a show of strength as much as it was necessary. "Take my shoulder," she offered curtly. "Lean on me. We’re leaving as soon as there is an opportunity."

But before they could retreat, the ground quaked again. The worm shifted. Enyo’s instincts flared as it lunged with terrifying speed, consuming another wolf in an instant. This time it was a pup. The creature’s hunger was seemingly endless. Quickly, it slaughtered yet another wolf, this one quite large, an adult. The ease with which it did such things caused Enyo's stomach to stir.

Being cornered like this... was this how the prey felt? Was she prey in this very moment?

The cavern filled with the noise of shattering ice and stone. Enyo’s mind raced, and she barked a quick order to the surrounding wolves, her voice thick with urgency and authority. "Focus on the ceiling! Bring down the ice!" She pointed toward the jagged spikes above with a paw. "Distract it! Make it move and impale itself! That was a great idea! Maybe make it crash the ceiling on itself!"

It seemed her dog would be quick to act. As obedient as ever, the tawny mutt rushed the worm with a weapon of ice. Whether he was successful or not she wasn't able to make it out. Regardless he returned to her, seemingly unscathed.

Her gaze flicked to Medusa. "Hold steady. We need to buy time." The icy shards continued to rain down, each strike momentarily distracting the massive beast. Every second counted, and Enyo would see to it that Medusa and the unborn Dunamis survived... even if it meant facing the maw of this beast herself. But such things would not be for Medusa... they would be for her brother and only her family.'

If they could not run, then she would fight.

DRIVEN BY A GREED TO SUCCEED. NOBODY CAN STOP ME

"SPEECH"

CODE BY SIN

Damira was quiet and blinked slowly as she realised her face was wet. The white of her fur was splattered with something warm, red, and it took her an embarrassingly long time to realise what it was. Not just blood, but chunks of- she quickly shook her head, not allowing the tendrils of panic to take root, not when there was something she could do, they were not yet doomed. Sacrifices were necessary and they had gained some leeway, if nothing else.

Moving quickly, she gripped the sharpened pillar of ice tightly within her jaws and slammed the end into the ground, burying it as deep as she could, hoping that it would remain steady and upright. She skittered around the worms attacks, her slight frame was smaller than most here, but she knew full well if it hit her she would get hurt, badly. A risk worth taking.

She panted with the exertion of it all, gathering the ice shards and setting the jagged trap. She knew it was watching, that it wasn't mindless but with several plans in play at once...surely one would succeed.

Ravana skidded to a stop after Ezekiel tossed her aside, the rolling momentum jolting her to her feet with a snarl. Her lilac eyes blazed as her gaze fixed immediately back on the crystalline beast. That man was on her shit list, but he’d have to wait. And how dare he? How dare anyone deny her this fight, this glory?

Her paws were already in motion, ignoring the shouts and growls of the adults whether directed at her or each other or yelling out plans or whatever. It was all static in her ears, drowned out by the thunderous pulse of her own heartbeat. Exhilaration. The worm was distracted—an opening.

She saw a flash of blood, some sorry sack of potatoes thrown—but it didn’t even give her pause. She charged low, using the ice and debris as cover, aiming to come in from its flank. Her young frame moved with the reckless abandon of someone who knew no fear—or who had no time to acknowledge it. Both were true.

Her claws found purchase on a patch of ice-free stone as she propelled herself toward it. If the adults wanted to waste time hesitating, weighing the odds, then so be it. She wasn’t going to let that stop her. She let out a snarl, aiming her bite for the exposed section of the worm’s flesh just beneath one of its icy petals.


"Ravana Seraphim Saxe"

Its maw gnashes as the wolves’ attack and a yearling is there one second, gone the next. Blood sprays across the ice, forcing steam into the air as hot and cold collide and the smell of death fills the cavern. Entrails dribble from the side of the worms slitted maw, like a long piece of spaghetti not yet pulled up and into someone’s mouth. The sight is not disgusting to Ezekiel, since the Saxe have lined their own borders with rotting hides of predators and wolves and often leaves the scent of death on their own hides. However, rage burns hot in his veins.

How dare this stupid, unthinking creature take the life of a wolf!

Before he can move, the colorful pelt of the quilled man his sister loves catches his attention and he watches as the Raider gets speared from behind, the crunch of bones and the arch of blood that accompany the act telling the man all that needs to know. Well. Shit. Now he’ll have to go home and tell Ely that the dick died to a crazy crystal worm. How truly selfish of that guy! Snarling in anger, the sound of the ice overhead shifting pulls his duel-toned gaze up to the ceiling and he sees the growing spiderwebs of cracks, burgeoningly admitting (silently) that the idea seems to be working.

Fuckin hell. Everything just wants to prove him wrong today!

Scowling, he quickly glances around, spying a yearling, who is setting up a trap of jagged ice shards in the hopes of… wait, does that kid think they can get it to come out of the hole and wiggle around to impale itself on their haphazardly set trap? Grow up kid. Still, it does offer him the perfect opportunity and he does his run-hop to them, snagging a shard from the snow which he quickly then sends hurtling toward the crystal incrusted worm. As soon as he has let one fly, Zeke reaches for another, readying to throw more and smack the kid away if they try to stop him.

Sorry, not sorry.


"Ezekiel Saxe"

Speech // thought // Serbian

Morwenna was trying to focus on finding the injured, dodging the icicles as they started to fall. But everyone was too focused on the icicle beast. A flash of his familiar pelt and voice brought her gaze about to watch as Scald drew the worm's attention and ran.

Morwenna's blood ran cold, enough to make her head dizzy and her stomach drop. Wildflower eyes glazed over as Scald's howl cut before it was completed. Her breath caught in her throat. She really was a bad omen... She really had stuck around too long. It was all her fault. It wasn't bears this time it was a goddamn worm!

"No... Scald! NoNO!" Her voice couldn't scream this time, she could barely whisper. The world around her spun and another scene was playing before her mind when she was just a child. She had to get to him... She had to help him! She had to!

With a swallow, she quietly half hobbled and half walked along the edge of the tunnel, around the falling icicles and debris, around the giant worm. She couldn't hear what any of them were saying. She finally got to a point where she could bolt for the crumpled lump of blood and galaxy fur. Tears streaming down her face.

"I'm so sorry..." She whispered as she knelt down and nosed Scald's lifeless skewered body. Her face pressed to the side of his muzzle. She'll have to find a way to take him back home... She'll have to tell his children... Ely would need to know...

Her gaze lifted to watch the scene in the cavern unfold, the worm getting distracted, the others trying their best to beat it. She could barely comprehend the scene from here.

There's no telling if the colorful brute's sacrifice had been in vain. The beast before them is nasty, and continues its nasty work. Talk of setting a trap, but the viking king will try to draw its attention. Draw agro. Playing on the edge of its range, or what he estimates that range to be. Trying, though there's no telling just how large the worm is. Kiting. He would kite and keep kiting, letting the others set their trap. As long as Víðarr could keep it distracted, no one else needed to get hurt... right? No one else needed to be eaten.

Or at least he can hope. The ice around them quakes, trembles, and he's reminded that they're out to sea. Fuck. It's only getting worse, isn't it?

As his fangs had sank into the strange flesh of the worm like creature, it didn't seem to notice- far too busy focusing on the others and... eating one of them? Perhaps any other child would freeze in fear at the sight of such a thing, or perhaps when the body of a stranger was thrown across the room and landed with a distinct thud that could only mean death if the worm hadn't killed it prior. He kept his place behind the worm though, waiting, planning his next attack.

But then the ceiling started to rain rocks and ice, distracting the worm as it looked upwards. He knew that he couldn't wait, that he needed to attack now while the worm was distracted. Dodging what he could of the falling ceiling, Dracun parted his jaws and aimed another attack onto the back of the worm, hoping to sink his fangs even deeper and rip out a chunk of its strange, unsettling flesh.

Speech ─ Think

─ by Skelle !

The worm moves through the falling ice, a screech erupting from its four-fold lips. Beat and Coran continued their assault on the structures of the cave, weakening the walls and ceiling above. Loud pops and cracks reverberate in the ice. The worm thrashes, dragging its body across the ground while lashing out. Epimethius stabs a shard of ice against the worm's thick, icy skin. Cracks and fissures appear around the opening where the ice lodged in its side. Another similar wound opens as the worm runs itself into Damria's trap.

As Enyo acts as a crutch for her mate, all the worm sees is prey getting away. It crashes towards them, the duo narrowly escaping. In her wounded state, Medusa falls, a shard of ice slicing deep into her inner back right leg. One prey nearly offered herself to the worm, a distraction. In one clean motion, the icy beast closed its petal-like protrusions around Sedna, the icy spikes puncturing into her skin. Blood ran red and steaming from the cracks in the quadrant-split maw. Teeth moved like tiny fingers, piercing and pulling the wolf head first into its innumerous teeth. When it flung itself back open, the rump of the wolf still stuck out, kicking, or maybe just twitching as the worm continued to work Sedna's somewhat lifeless body into itself.

This opening gave the others a chance. A small pup charges at the beast, lunging for one of its petals, which it uses to bat her unceremoniously away. Ravana flies through the air, crashing into one of the cracked walls and ripping a large chunk of the flesh free from her right shoulder as the skin and fur get caught in a pinched crack during her downfall.

More ice spears crash into the worm, its movements become sloppy as more cracks appear on its surface. Dracun bites into the flesh, it crunching beneath his fang before giving slightly. The beast begins to ooze, the thick substance steaming as it hits the cracks in its icy skin. It drops the rest of its meal- the back legs and tail of the wolf that was once Sedna. The creature slams itself into shards of ice on the ceiling, perhaps in its own confusion, causing them to rain down on the remaining wolves. One spear falls and catches a deep line down Víðarr's outer front right leg.

Sedna is gone.
Enyo finds a pungent potion, which has been added to your inventory.

She is aware of more wolves attacking, she hears the pained sounds from their maws—coupled with the grotesque noises from the creature. She yearns for its blood, the sickly viscous looking liquid—-

And then she is batted away like a fly from a horse's ass. The initial context takes her breath away, knocking it out of her. And worse still, her body hits the icy wall with a resounding thud. Her skull slams, and for a moment she can hear static. Her left eye seems to disconnect from her senses, it’s not pitch black—it’s nothingness.

But wait. There’s more.

As her body slips down the wall, the flesh of her shoulder is caught between a crack; sharp and cutting. It cleaves the pup’s caramel and lavender fur away, taking some muscle with it. She screams for the first time, a blood curdling sound that promptly returns the vision to her left eye. A bloody trail follows her body down the icy wall, but she tries to catch herself. Paws shake, trembling to hold her weight up. It’s only for a moment, and then she collapses.


"Ravana Seraphim Saxe"

FUCK! Was the raging thought coursing through the wolfdog's brain, his mind in overdrive as he watches the fucking chaos going on around him. He snarls in response to seeing more die, and more injured. By the gods, they were going to either kill this thing NOW or escape for their lives. He moves with determination, grabbing ahold of one of the ice shards. And this time aiming to jump and stab through its exposed stomach. If he did this right, it should pierce all the way through its stomach. And then he'd be retreating, fleeing from the scene. He would not become the next victim, he would not let it happen to him. He had too much to live for, and too many to fight for to die now. He would try his best to protect everyone though, even the injured strangers, they still had so much to live for too. He would not let more harm befall them. He had to help stop that worm. "Talk"