His fangs sank into the monster worm with an unsettling crunch before he felt a strange, thick liquid ooze into his mouth. Immediately he let go, spitting the vile crap from his mouth as he gagged and coughed. Whatever it was, blood or otherwise, he didn't want it in his mouth. However, he wasn't going to give up attacking now... he was just going to attack somewhere else.

But even he knew that he was safest behind the worm. Most everyone was focused on attacks at it's front and so they were getting the most of the worms attention and took most of it's retaliating attacks. Dracun had yet to be hurt, yet to be snapped at, and certainly hadn't been devoured. His plan was working, and he hoped that it continued to do so.

Once he got most of the nasty taste from his mouth he aimed another attack towards the back of the worm, parted jaws seeking purchase near the wound. If he was lucky it would tear the original one open even more, or perhaps just tear a second hole into the ooze-filled monster. Certainly it couldn't take many more of their attacks, and the more Dracun sank into it's back, the faster it would go down.

Speech ─ Think

─ by Skelle !

She managed to finally steady herself with Umbra's help. So much was going on and in her dazed state from the pain and adrenaline, it was getting hard for her to keep up with what was going on. The worm kept going, however, refusing to fall as it continued to attack, going for someone that had been rooted in fear. In the blink of an eye, the stranger was gone. She couldn't say she was disgusted at what she had just witnessed, but for the first time in her life she felt genuine fear begin to creep in. She was practically a sitting duck, was she next? No. The boy that had run toward the entrance in a vain attempt to lead it out was next. To her surprise, the worm slithered out of its hole, a lot bigger than she anticipated and there seemed to be no end of it in sight. How big was this monster? In the blink of an eye, it impaled the colorful wolf, sending his body flying toward the entrance. Perhaps if she were in a better state of mind and in less pain, she would've joked about taking his pretty pelt home...but given the situation... The ice around them began to crack and fall, distracting the worm as others began to throw things and make it rain on top of the worm. Medusa kept herself pressed against the wall as she backed away, snarling with a mixture of fear, anger, and pain as her mind struggled to figure out what to do. They started to stab and throw things at the walls and the worm, a group effort to try and quell the beast. She didn't know what else she could do at this point as she limped back, and Enyo eventually joined her to offer her support. While the skeletal queen was far from prideful, she had always been one to throw caution to the wind more in the name of adventure and facing the unknown. Though perhaps this would be an eye opener for her. Or maybe it wouldn't. She was getting older after all, life was too short to remain cautious all the time, but maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea to dip her paw into that water from time to time. Especially when she was pregnant, but alas, that was neither here nor there at this point. She was in this deep, and she'd be damned if this creature was going to be the end of her! She bares her teeth as she leans against Enyo and Umbra for support, watching as the others impale and attack. As she takes a few steps back, the worm seems to set its sights on her once more, though it barely missed her by a hair, she stumbled from the violent crashing and ended up cutting her inner leg on a shard of ice. She snarled in pain once more, legs trembling from the effort it was taking to stand and keep herself upright. The only thing that was barely keeping her going at this point was pure adrenaline, and the fact that she wanted to get back home to her children. And of course, for the ones she carried to make it back home, too. She struggles to pick herself back up once more, and while she was doing that, the worm took yet another life. This was it, wasn't it? Was this where she was going to die? Would any of them make it out? In a vain attempt, her companion rushes in to aid the others, the cougar seeking to leap at the worm in an effort to help shred the cracked and exposed bits the others had opened up. As Enyo went for her own attack, Medusa did her best and grabbed a nearby icicle, wrenching it from the ground and flung it at the worm before her injured leg gave out on her. She was closer to the entrance, but she couldn't quite run. They had no choice but to kill this thing if they wanted to escape. "Medusa"

It thrashes wildly, cracks appearing in the ice overhead as both worm and wolves cause the ice walls to quake. Shooting a glare toward the guys that are trying to bring the ceiling down around their ears, Ezekiel is forced to watch as the foul creature kills yet another wolf and a dark scowl pulls at his features. He watches as Ravana is sent flying, smirking at the pup’s fate… until a chunk of flesh stays stuck to the wall that she hit while the rest of her slides down to the ground.

The smirk dies and he internally berates the girl for putting herself in so much danger. Looking down at the worm blood covered ice stakes that the youth had placed in the ground, Ezekiel gathers another and sends it hurtling toward the worm, hoping to do more damage to the creature. But he doesn’t stop, as soon as one ice spear is loosed, he is already gathering another and sending it toward the same destination. Rapidly, he fires off the icy missiles in the hopes of killing this stupid beast once and for all.


"Ezekiel Saxe"

The worm thrashed as it began to take damage from the falling ice spikes. In its confusion, it moved, crashing up against the ceiling which caused a loud crack to echo through the tunnel. More of the spikes began to fall, a few of them striking the wolves around him. Beat did his best to avoid the falling ice, diving this way and that. Doing so brought him closer to the worm. With a grimace, the black and white brute made his way around the back side of the worm, keeping himself very clear from the front end. Having noticed another wolf or two stabbing the beast with the fallen spikes, Beat thought that it might be a good enough idea. Picking up a piece of ice between his jaws, Beat dove at the worms back, slamming the spike into it with all of his might. He'd seen and smelled the gross ooze coming out of the thing. Was that like blood? Was it injured? If it was injured, it could die. "Beat"

Medusa was taking a beating. Could the worm sense the growing pups inside her womb? Every blow, every attack that landed on Medusa caused true pain inside Enyo. Her heart tightened at the sight. And what could she do? She couldn't force the stubborn woman to obey.

All she could do was hope the puppies came out fine and if they didn't... Then Enyo would hope Medusa died now. For the sake of things. Erebros could always find a better wife, one more obedient and still had her wits about her. If pregnancy made you this foolish then Enyo wanted no part of it.

Under other circumstances, Enyo would've admired Medusa's ability to keep getting up and still go to kill. But this was a fight she should've never been involved with. But the Insomnia Queen had the right idea. All they could do was fight and hope to kill. To win.]

Heart thumping and blood pumping, Enyo followed her lead and grabbed an icicle in her maw, moving to attack the worm.

"GREEK"
"SPEECH"

CODE BY SIN

As the worm takes Sedna, something in him snaps. Víðarr comes loose. There's nothing left for him to lose, not here. He'd failed to keep her safe, and he was going to come unglued for it. Though the fallen ice does a number on his foreleg, he pays it no mind. There's only snapping, snarling, as he lunges for the worm. Every bit of the viking king, in all his glory, springing to life. Pieces of him that had dulled with age shine anew, and he's... he's not well. Perhaps in the worst way, at his worst, Víðarr throws himself at the worm.

It would not live. It would not see the next day, and he would see to it. The once king throws himself at the beast, relentless. Attacking with his teeth, gripping with his claws, gripping with the studs on his gauntlets. Violence coursing through him. Víðarr is all violence and grief, but when has he ever been anything else?

Damira scowled at the stranger, it was so easy to be judgemental when his attacks hadn't done a thing to the worm. What use was he? Perhaps he ought to feed himself to the worm at least then- more were injuried, another died. Damira hadn't felt fear before, had no reason to be afraid of anything back home, but in the brief moment after a death, in the silence she felt...Cold. More alone than she had ever been before and would ever be again. It settled in her bones; a sense that she should never ever feel like this again, that she would do anything and everything in her power to be safe. In control.

Scrambling out of the way, Damira dodged the falling shards of ice and the still warm, oozing remains of the wolf it had bitten in half. Not even a clean cut, messy and jagged and- she shook her head, dragging her mismatched gaze away.

Joining the others, she grabbed a hold of an icicle and threw it like a spear, as hard as she could.

The ice cave echoes with the pained cries of the worm; one shard of ice, shoved forward by Epimethius, manages to stab through its ice-encrusted exterior. Its cries grow louder, rattling more and more ice from the ceiling as the wolves continue their assault.

It thrashes hard against Dracun's attacks, against Víðarr's teeth, against Medusa's cougar's attacks, against the ice thrown by Ezekiel, by Enyo, and against Beat thrusting a spike of ice directly into its back. It plunges in deep, though the worm pauses before its body undulates vertically, abruptly jerking backwards.

The ice shard splinters, then is driven back too quickly for Beat to react, plunging straight through his chest. Blood gushes from his chest as he crumples to the ground, body twitching only for a moment before he grows still and lifeless.

The worm turns its attention to Damira, and the icicle sent flying toward it. Trying to slap away the ice, it fails, sending it flunging through its flesh in an exposed section. As it lunges forward the icy tips of its petals slash against the side of Damira's neck, lacerating the skin deep enough to leave a scar.

Rearing back, the worm's attacks become more erratic. Ooze that has begun to spring from the worm's injured body steams in the frigid northern air, more chunks of ice raining down from above, furthering the already chaotic scene as the number of attackers dwindle.

(Dracun receives an item, Potion of Perception; Medusa receives an item, Creepy Contact Lens; they have been added to your respective OOC accounts.)

The kid glares at him and he glares right back at her before launching icicle after icicle at the gods-damned worm. Duel-toned eyes slide over to the grieving woman who hasn’t left Scald’s body, recognizing her from when his sister had given birth and a sudden realization that the dead guy was a player. Part of Ezekiel is extremely angry at Scald (he would have punched him if he wasn’t… you know… dead) for playing with his sister’s feelings like that but, on another paw, he is kind of impressed that he could juggle more than one woman.

Snorting to himself, he begrudgingly admits that the dead guy kind-of-sort-of had… game.

Another death draws his attention away from the woman (Morwenna was it?) and back to raging beast. Snarling at the rampaging worm, Zeke gathers another spear like icicle and hurls it at the creature, angry that it has stolen so many lives already. For a moment, to gain more stability, his back-right paw plants and pain sears up the stretched tendon, forcing a growl from his mouth as he is forced to hitched the injured leg back up. Reaching for another ice made spear, the Saxe male’s eyes burn with hatred as he is determined to kill this fucking thing.


"Ezekiel Saxe"

Speech // thought // Serbian

Morwenna remained weeping over Scald. His body remained unmoved, and the worm remained undeterred. She shook her head. Grief would come another day, but for now, she needed to help whoever was left alive. They needed to end this worm's rampage.

The tripod wolfdog hopped toward the black-coated male, he was vaguely familiar. Where had she met him before? He smelled of Syndicate... Ah... The brother of Elysia that's right.

She dodged a falling icicle and grabbed it with her teeth, she stood next to Ezekiel, her wildflower eyes glazed over. Balancing on her back legs she launches the icicle at the worm, right alongside the brute. It seemed their efforts were at least making the worm slow! She grabbed another icicle and launched it.

Coran collided with the wall, flinching at the collision and the bruising that would form. Above him he could hear the cracking and splitting of the ice. He bounded back to give himself some space to react to the ceiling and also to get distance from which he could charge again as well as assess the- oh great goddess…

Coran's eyes latched onto the worm as it attacked the wolf he recognized from trying to assist the sick wolf. She was devoured, blood and entrails spilling down the front of the horrendous beast. He felt his stomach turn, his body feel suddenly light as he eyes danced across the puddles of blood, the remains of others slain. Unable to hold it in any longer he turned his head and vomited. This was hell. They were in hell!

Farther in the worm continued its assault. Licking the strings of saliva away from his mouth he felt the pain of shame. He had to keep fighting, keep helping. Grabbing a shard of ice he kicked off hard, claws digging into the surface of the cave. Coran charged perpendicularly to the worm. Alongside him his buzzard joined the fray, a large icicle clasped in its claws. In a fluid motion he leapt as high as he could, twisting his head sharply to the side to try and lodge his ice shard into the side of its neck while his buzzard aimed to pierce through the outside of one of the petals with the goal of pinning the petal back into the creatures face.

Damira stumbled back as she was wounded, the blood splattering to the ice below. A flare of panic scorched through her, almost more alarming than the pain itself when she realised how close she had gotten to getting seriously hurt. That she could have been like any of the others, warm body growing cold in the snow. With a snarl, more from frustration than actual aggression, she rushed forward attempting to latch onto the worm's side, though not before she had to skitter to the side to dodge the falling shards of ice. It had wounded her and Damira was intent on returning the favour, all quiet fury and loathing in her mismatched eyes.

Víðarr is actively shattering. Parts of him coming undone, unglued, unhinged. Only rage. It takes him over in the worst way, blooming from his belly and catching fire in his heart. In his chest. There's only hurt in the viking, and he would deal that hurt back ten fold. Loathsome beast as it is, thrashing and trembling, jerking backwards. There's so much blood. Movements uncanny and erratic, though Víðarr doesn't relent. He can't.

The fates have been cruel one too many times. For all the grief and mourning, all the love and loss in the shadow, he unleashes the poor feelings on his prey. No longer an enemy, no, this is prey. This is for destroying, for obliterating. Only chaos. Only destruction. Getting as tight a grip as he can, Víðarr attempts to hold tight with his spiked gauntlets, his teeth. Steadying himself and shredding into the worm like a man possessed.

Epimethius finds himself growing angrier by the moment, his mind reeling with the loss of comrades, of lives lost, even the strangers he had known so shortly. The knowledge of the suffering and pain those deaths would cause ripped into him and he snarled. His lips curled back as a guttural growl rumbles through his chest releasing into something that could resemble a roar. And then he charged once more, so far his attacks had landed almost every time. He had been lucky, but he knew better than to trust that luck. He lunges for a large shard of glass, it is almost awkward to carry. It dragged against the ground slightly at first, and he had to readjust his grip to try and balance it in his maw. He hoped that if he had enough force, he could stab it through the worm and maybe lock it in place. Save what was left of the crowd, and have the chance to retrieve their fallen comrades. With that thought, he is jumping, leaping into the air, and aiming to plunge the ice shard through what he could only assume is the beast's chest. Maybe, just maybe his luck could grow. He could be of use to everyone, help them make it out of here. He doesn't wait around to see if his plan works, all too busy with making sure he doesn't end up being the next body that falls here. He twists his body away, attempting to dodge what ice shards have already landed and what are still falling as he runs back to Enyo's side. "Talk"

Ooze wept from the wounds he and others were creating. He felt proud to be doing so much damage to the worm monster, perhaps his efforts would go noticed back home after today. Family was here to report it, so maybe if he did good and didn't get hurt (too badly), his parents would be proud.

Dodging as the worm suddenly jerked backwards, he waited for a moment while the worm settled before lunging forward again. Aiming to sink fangs into the creature for a third time, to worsen the wounds he was leaving upon its back, the vile taste of the ooze was lessening.. he was becoming used to it's nasty taste in an effort to destroy the worm alongside the others.

Speech ─ Think

─ by Skelle !

The scent of blood, viscera, and terror filled the low-ceilinged cavern they were trapped in with the worm. In his trance-like state, several wolves had died and Katsu had begun to shake and quiver like a leaf. He had been trained for mock spars, pleasant battles between siblings - nothing like this. Bile rose in his throat as he glanced rapidly around the cavern. Shameful. He was a disgrace. Could he even bear to return home after witnessing this and doing nothing?

There was only one option. Try. Try to do something.

The wolves who had stayed alert and acted valiantly had done some damage. Katsurō steeled himself, inwardly cursing all the while, and ran towards the worm which thrashed madly between the floor and ceiling. Surely by now its strength had waned. He could see places where the hard exterior of it had cracked, oozing some noxious liquid. Katsu hurled himself into the fray, following on the heels of a skull-faced red pup. He was attacking the rear of the beast, which would leave them out of the worm's primary path of chaos and he felt compelled to assist the younger wolf. As he ran, Katsu grabbed a sharp spear of ice that was so cold it burned his tongue and attempted to sink it into another crack that had begun to appear in its hide.

"speech"

coded by NachoMumma

The worm screeches with raw, unbridled fury- the sound reverberates hauntingly through the icy cave. Injuries from the attacks of so many enraged wolves have left its hide, once practically impenetrable, now riddled with cracks dribbling with ooze that steams and hisses in the frigid air.

Its movements become more erratic as it tries to fling off the attackers; coming at the worm from all different directions, accompanied by the ice that has begun to splinter and rain down from the ceiling. Avoiding the brunt of the damage is proving an impossible feat.

Another lurch causes the worm to hit the side of the cave's wall, another cascade of ice beginning to rain down from above. One particularly large shard strikes Enyo's muzzle, sending blood spraying down against the ice, no doubt leaving behind a scar.

The worm rears back, petals flaring wide in defiance as it continues to be assaulted. One shard of ice impales its thick outer hide, and then another, and another.

The cavern groans under the strain of the massive creature's relentless thrashing. Overhead the ice creaks loudly before a deafening crack suddenly splits through the room. The ceiling begins to collapse, huge slabs of frozen ice breaking loose and coming crashing down on those gathered beneath it.

The worm is too large to successfully evade. A huge shard of ice plunges down, piercing straight through its body. A guttural cry leaves its maw as it writhes uselessly there, trapped under huge sheets of ice, its life draining out in a slick puddle of sticky liquid.

(Coran receives an item, Third Companion Slot, it has been added to your OOC account.)

Was it...dead? It should be and in the quiet and still it certainly seemed to be, but Damira was...hesitant. As if it was all too good to be true. She padded forward slowly, brows furrowed and eyes staring, ready to turn and dash away at a moment's notice. Damira wouldn't get too close, but she had to know for sure, because all of this couldn't end with a question looming over head. She doubted they would ever know the whole picture, but she wouldn't be able to just go on with life knowing it was alive somewhere, that it might come back.

Ever so slowly and even more hesitantly, she tiptoed around the liquid pooling out on the ice. It was twitching, muscles jerking but it did not seem capable of more movement than that.

Coran buried the ice deep in the worms flesh, the strange fluid that had to be its blood came glopping out from the wound. He could hear the cracking of ice above them and suddenly a huge shard of ice fell through the worm. A strange cry erupted from it as it fell to the ground twitching.

Coran released the ice he'd held a hold of, stumbling back panting. Had they done it? Was it dead now? Relief washed over him as his limbs shook. Whipping his head to the side he threw up, sitting down heavily. The smell of blood and the strange fluid of the worm made his stomach twist. He tried to avoid looking at what remained of the one's that had fallen, part of him still hoping he'd awaken from a dream.

Suddenly, the serene ice world erupted into chaos.

The untouched beauty of the frozen cave shook in the wake of a tremor, the ground beneath their paws pulsating with life. A low, deep rumble follows, a sudden crack in the ground splitting the stillness, the ice shifting in violent waves. “Dracun! Ravana!” Rhazien called out to the pups, trying to corral them toward Ezekiel and himself. But before they could register his call, the ice gave way- thrusting them down into a dark abyss.

And from that abyss, a monstrosity emerges from a gaping fissure- a writhing, crystalline worm that towers over the group of wolves, its body rippling with grotesque power and hunger.

Pulling himself to his paws, Rhazien is reaching for his Syndicate counterparts. Ezekiel is limping toward Ravana, injured by the fall but trying to pull the pup from danger. Dracun. Rhazien moves with frantic determination, his eyes combing through the crowd with a single purpose. Protect The Syndicate pups.

All around him, members of the hoard were lunging at the beast, immersing themselves in the carnage of the ice cave. Panicked screams filled the space, echoing off the walls with a deafening intensity- but Rhazien was not detoured by the war zone of ice and terror. His priority was finding Dracun.

By the time Rhazien finds Dracun in the crowd, it is too late- the boy is attacking the monstrosity alongside Ravana, who slipped out of Ezekiel’s grasp. Or so, Rhazien assumes. “Shit.” He snarls through gritted teeth, shoving his way through the bodies.

Blood is starting to taint the space around them, creating a crimson mist of gore as the worm eats wolves left and right, satiating its hunger. A body flies past him, thrown towards the cave's entrance by the worm. A flash of recognition forms inside Rhazien’s mind. Wasn’t that the Father of Elysia’s children?

The thought doesn’t last long- shards of ice are raining down from the ceiling, forcing Rhazien to pivot to avoid being smashed. He slides into a wall of ice, and it cracks beneath the force of his weight. Another snarl erupts from him- one laced with anger. In hate, as he watches the worm lash out again.

“Ravana!” His voice is hoarse now, raw with the weight of disbelief. The worm had caught the child- Sephiran’s child. In a blur of motion, Ravana was airborne, slamming into one of the cracked walls, ripping a chunk of flesh from her shoulder before she slid down to the shattered ice in defeat. Her scream fills the cave- its easily lost in the chaos- but to Rhazien, it’s crystal clear. It’s maddening.

Rhazien doesn’t hesitate- he’s bolting across the ice, his gaze fixated on her limp body. He violently shoves past a few wolves, releasing a deep, animalistic snarl bathed in rage and desperation.

He reaches her just as she collapses again, scooping her into his jaws by her scruff. She’s a ragdoll in his jaws, dangling from the weight of her growing body but she is not defying him. "We are leaving, now." He snarls. His decision wasn't up for debate.

Ezekiel is fighting alongside Dracun, and Rhazien is forced to entrust the male with Dracun’s safety. He had to take Ravana home, now.

He would take her to Caedes, The Syndicate’s prized healer. He could do something about this. He could patch her up. Rhazien believed in the male’s capabilities.

He had to.

"Rhazien Saxe"