[ P ] Precarious

S

eemingly out of nowhere, a young male arrived in the midst of the fighting. He did not hesitate to jump in, to put himself into harm’s way, though he had no connection to Rue. Perhaps he was a friend of Muriel’s? The youth attacked the banshee, and seemed to land a more damaging blow that either Rue or Muriel had been able to do. Rue’s attack spilled blood, but it was not even close to finished off the monster

But then, the creature fought back. Because, of course it did. It did not fight back with fang and claw, however, instead opening its maw in a way that should not be possible, and the sound it created pierced Rue’s ears. Muriel seemed glued to the spot in which she stood, but Rue did not have time to attend to the woman – though her scarlet eyes did show concern.

Her eyes clouded with tears – the lupine body’s natural reaction to pain as her ears were still ringing loudly from the awful sound, but Rue cursed herself for her weakness. Instead, she focused her attention on the unholy creature and aimed, again, for its throat. It was risky, for if Rue moved too slowly, she opened herself up for an attack. But this time, her hit landed more squarely on its target. Snarling and mad with fear and rage, Rue darted off to the side again to avoid retaliation.

ROUND 2:
* Starting HP: 55-6 = 49
* Damage to banshee: -19

@Muriel @storyteller @Kestrel

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

A

walk on the beach should do a man good. Should...keyword. It would have been a nice and normal afair, but it seemed lately fair Sea Goddess always had other plans for him. He heard wild shrieking and yelps and battle up ahead that pushed him into a brisk pace. Once he set eyes on the scene, his blood ran cold, but his warrior's spirit took root and he kicked off the sand, galloping forward valiantly to save the day!

Valerian leapt into the fray, attempting to place himself between the horrid creature and the two women it seemed. "You may nary harm these maidens again, you fiend!!" He belted out with a growl, in a rather theatrical manner. It might have been impressive had he been any size larger than a shrimp. Size had never mattered to him. What mattered was protecting the innocent even at his own cost. "Have at you, beast!!" And with that, he lunged forward, fangs bared ready to tear this ghoul to bits.

ROUND 2:
* Starting HP: 55
* Damage to banshee: 9

@Muriel @Rue @Kestrel @storyteller

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

HOIST THE COLORS

A stranger came out of nowhere, joining in their fight with the ethereal wolf. Muriel shook herself, regaining some of her senses. Although, that was about the same time that the creature parted its unnatural maw and let lose a scream that made Muriel’s eyes water, and her ears ring in the aftermath of it. As the sound assaulted her ears, the pirate woman gritted her teeth, grinding them together to try to avoid the pain that was shooting through her skull.

Muriel saw Rue dart forward, tearing once more at the woman’s throat. A brave girl, Muriel had to give her props for going near those unearthly jaws.

As the sound ended, Muriel shook herself, taking a breath before forcing herself forward. She aimed for the otherworldly wolf’s side, hoping to sink her fangs into the soft flesh, between hip and rib.

Muriel felt thick fur tickling the roof of her mouth, and tasted thick, viscous, soured blood upon her tongue. She almost withdrew from the taste alone, but kept herself moving, giving her head a vicious shake before she too – much like Rue – darted away to hopefully avoid any true retaliation.

A new face made an appearance, charging into the fray with all the valour of a knight. As she retreated, Muriel’s gaze followed the man that appeared, watching as he threw himself forward, belting out something she paid little attention to through the ringing still present in her ears. She watched as he tried to tear into the banshee, landing his blow well enough. Muriel shook her head, trying to dispel the ringing that was still afflicting her, getting herself ready for another attack, once there was an opening for her to make her move.

ROUND 2:
- Starting HP: 70 – 6 = 64
- Damage to Banshee: -18

code by claerie

His attack was quite the success, or so it seemed, judging by all the blood that came from the wound he had left on the creature. Perhaps a little too successful, as he quickly found himself being showered by the stuff. Taking a few steps back, he shook his head vigorously, not wanting to let it to obscure his vision. As he glanced back up, he could see what seemed like an endless waterfall of blood gushing from the creature's neck. It must have been from one of the other wolves' attacks.

Before he could even plan his next attack, a sudden, ear-piercing scream forced him to flatten his ears, but it was not enough. He grimaced at the pain it caused, standing defensively until at last, the dreadful sound came to an end. A little shaken, he glanced at the other wolves to see if they were alright. That's when he remembered; the creature's throat! It had already been injured, so perhaps if he could add to the damage left by the other wolf, it would silence their foe for good. He couldn't help but doubt whether or not the plan would work, especially seeing as the creature didn't appear to function like any other he knew, but it seemed like it would be worth a try.

As he looked for an opening, Kestrel noticed a new wolf arrive at the scene. As the stranger leapt into the fray, it brought him a slight sense of relief. It seemed they would need all the help they could get, and he was grateful that the wolves he fought alongside weren't backing down without a fight. They seemed to be putting up a very good one, at that. Now was his chance to strike again, so he quickly ran behind the creature and circled back around, attempting to lunge at its weakened throat. Yet, just as he went to leap off the ground, a couple of stones shifted beneath his paws, sinking into the sand and preventing him from jumping with as much force as he had hoped.


ROUND TWO
• Starting HP: 55 (-6 = 49)
• Damage to Banshee: -3

(@Muriel, @Valerian, @Rue, @storyteller)

A VIOLENT SCREAM

Tearing, ripping, shredding. Blood, fur, gore. The banshee was assaulted from all sides in a torrent of violence. Defiance. These mortals reminded her of what (of who) she used to be, and the wraith could not stand it. They should have cowered in fear while she feasted on their souls; instead, they roared and fought with every fiber of their living, thriving beings. The four combatants surrounded the monster, two finding purchase specifically on her throat, and the wraith released an ungodly wail. Once more, an unnatural amount of acrid blood spurted from the wounds. It would stain the maw of any wolf who tasted it for days to come--or perhaps for eternity, if they did not survive. She couldn't have this; she would not allow this blatant refusal to succumb to suffering. Whipping around, the banshee turned to the first wolf within reach: Rue. Its claws seemed to burn like frostbite as they raked across the ebony she-wolf's chest.

Rue takes 11 damage.
The banshee's blood seems thicker, more real. It wailed in pain but still seems very strong...

@Rue @Muriel @Kestrel @Valerian

R

ue’s blood-red eyes took in the terrible fight – Muriel was still there, and the young stranger. Then, another fighter appeared, one that was entirely familiar to Rue. He seemed not to recognize her – and why should he? It had been over a year since the two had seen each other. One they had been family, now they were reduced to little more than strangers. Valerian did not have to fight, but he jumped into the fray to aid the others. But there was no time for reuniting with one’s past. It was more important to survive the present.

The monster’s focus seemed to fix upon young Rue, who was not quick enough to avoid the blow. Claws like daggers of ice cut into her chest, and though she jumped back, it was too late to avoid the onslaught of the banshee’s attack. Rue’s teeth gritted in pain, and a frustrated cry escaped her mouth. She could still taste the disgusting blood — or whatever it was to be called – that fell from the wicked creature.

She would use the beast’s attack as her own when next Rue forced herself near the banshee, using the claws of her forepaws to rake against the creature’s chest. Rue would make contact, but she knew it was not enough to stop it. Already, the ebony youth felt weakened, but she was not going to give up now.

ROUND 3:
* Starting HP: 49-11 = 38
* Damage to banshee: -12

@Muriel @storyteller @Kestrel @Valerian

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

U

pon his attack, he realized how truly fearsome and horrifying this monster of shadow was. He attempted to stay out of the way of others as they too had their turns with the wretched fiend. When it finally wailed again and went to attack one of them, it went for the female with the obsidian coat. It was then that he caught a glimpse of her crimson orbs and he gasped aloud, suddenly identifying the girl as his sister he'd searched for ever since she'd been lost to their family.

He froze in place as the banshee came forward with claws slashing at her chest. "No!! Rue!!" Valerian yelled, feeling a fear rage bubbling up inside of him. It fueled him forward as he charged in yet again. "You'll pay for that, demon spawn!!" The small man leapt as high as he could, moving to try to tear the creature downward as he went to snap his jaws into whatever portion of it he could grab. Like hell would he ever let anything take Rue from him again!

ROUND 3:
* Starting HP: 55
* Damage to banshee: 4

@Muriel @Rue @Kestrel @storyteller

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

HOIST THE COLORS

With the Banshee seemingly becoming more real, Muriel felt more confident that they could beat this foe. She had never encountered something like this before but had heard tales of them in the Tavern. She had heard ghostly screams across the ocean at night but had always assumed that it had been something more… real rather than something preternatural. But it would appear – quite clearly so – that these things existed in some regard, that they walked the lands and caused clear chaos whenever they did.

Muriel stood back, watching as each took their turn, and once her turn to lunge came up again, she sprung forward, jaws parted to go straight for the Banshee’s face. She hoped to sink her teeth into the tender flesh there, to rend it with a sliding shake of her head. Maybe it would blind the creature, giving everyone else a chance to go for it as well. She did not hit as hard as she wanted, but she certainly made purchase. Although whether blood started to blind the beast was beyond her at the moment as she sprung away, wanting to be clear of those unhinged jaws.

ROUND 3
- Starting HP: 64
- Damage to Banshee: -13

code by claerie

The moment he landed back on his paws, Kestrel fled a short distance, turning around to watch for the next opening. His attack had not gone to plan, and he was beginning to regret going for the creature's throat. All he could taste was blood. Regardless, his main concern was defeating the terrible foe. Despite all the effort he and the other wolves had given, it still appeared to be strong, though he wasn't about to give in either, and he could tell the other wolves felt the same way.

Their opponent did not seem to appreciate their determination in the slightest, and Kestrel watched in fear as it swung around, attacking one of the other wolves with its claws. Fortunately she didn't seem to be too badly injured, but it was clear they were up against more than he had first thought. If the ear-piercing screech wasn't bad enough, now they also had to worry about becoming seriously wounded, too. He just hoped they would be able to defeat it before it could come to that.

Wary of the claws and gaping jaws, Kestrel decided to go for the creature's side once more, hoping to attack just below the ribcage... if it even had bones. At the very least, perhaps he could distract it so that it would be easier for the others to attack without getting hurt. However, when he went to bite, he struggled to get a good grip and found himself having to jump back before he could do much damage.


ROUND THREE
• Current HP: 49
• Damage to Banshee: -2

(@Muriel, @Valerian, @Rue, @storyteller)

A VIOLENT SCREAM

A devastating attack landed on the banshee's chest. An eye for an eye -- the whole world certainly would be blind if the vengeful spirit had her way. As quickly as the satisfaction of Rue's torment swelled in her, fiery pain replaced it, and the banshee's flesh ripped open like a flayed carcass. Logically, Rue's attack should not have been so successful. Perhaps it was the young she-wolf's defiance, her determination, that the banshee could not withstand. Immediately, the foul creature's reaction was one of unadulterated rage. Thrashing and spraying blood and spit everywhere, the monster's jaw wrenched from its place in her skull. She swung her unnaturally-wide maw at her poor opponent, fangs landing on Rue's neck and sinking deep into the flesh. The wound should have been hot. But it was cold -- colder than death itself.


Before the banshee could twist and tear, Rue's companions added their strength to the fight. Valerian's jaws clasped the banshee's scruff and pulled her backward -- away from her target. Kestrel, the good Samaritan, landed a heavy bite against the creature's ribs that would have bruised a mortal being. And Muriel, no longer frozen, sank her teeth into the banshee's ungodly eyes. The screech it released was agony, fury, failure -- final. Like a flame in the wind, the apparition flickered once more as it started to fall on its side. And then, as quickly as it appeared, the wraith started to vanish. Her wispy form was gobbled up like a paper in flame, motes of blood spraying into the air like floating ashes. As soon as its cry echoed into oblivion, the banshee was gone.

Rue takes 18 damage.

The banshee is DEFEATED! And no one took enough damage to suffer permanent effects. Congratulations! But something still sends a shiver up everyone's spines... It doesn't feel like the banshee was permanently killed. Some wolves may want to sleep with one eye open from now on.

@Rue @Muriel @Kestrel @Valerian