Sutoratosu

You can be put on the EXP share if needed, just like Brendan is while chim is out battling illness. Regardless, we move on now. The update is up. I mean what I said at the very bottom about potions not being enough to revive a fainted member, and this applies to all other healing items in the future unless they are explicitly made for reviving (IE, Revives and Revive Roots). You can medicate/regen/heal pulse away a party member's wounds as much as you like, it's not going to change the fact that if they're knocked out, FAINT is a legit status condition as far as I'm concerned, just like BURN or POISN, so that fatigue and exhaustion caused by it will still stick with them and still render them unable to battle until the status is removed either via healing machine or Revive/Revival Roots. This is to prevent the abuse of potions and other typical healing items such as berries... because seeing folks just deus ex machinaing their way through tough fights by pulling out hyper potions and giving their fallen partner a few sprays and having them get up as if good and new and in top fighting condition like nothing happened and they never fainted is not something I want going on here. So let me reiterate to make sure folks understand. Just like in the games, FAINT is a status condition here, just like Burn, Poison, and Paralysis are. And just like Burn, Poison, or Paralysis, you need the proper medical items or move in order to heal them (for FAINT, these are Revives, Max Revives, Revive Roots, etc.) or by getting them treated at a pokemon center or healing machine. Either that, or you can wait for a long while and it will start cure itself naturally. This will take a substantial amount of time for the pokemon to recover on it's own however. Unlike Burn, Poison, and Paralysis however, FAINT is impossible to heal via moves like Refresh, Heal Bell, Aromatherapy, etc.

Routes of Hazard, Final Stretch Hog scowled at mio as the twit asked the same exact question in nigh the same wording as the boy before him had. He honestly didn't know why he had even bothered in the first place, the rock type was just sitting there in defiant silence staring at him and most of these kids seemed like a bunch of senseless mooks whose attention spans were too damn short to even listen when one of them spoke. Why the hell had he ever even entertain the thought of negotiating? "Hog..." He sighed, taking a deep breath as he closed his eyes, tucking the brim of his hat down over his face. Enough was enough. He'd been a bit too hasty on the judgement earlier; these brats weren't monsters in the making. They were just idiots. Idiots who wanted to play the part of the fucking hero and interfered in affairs that in no way shape or form had any direct impact or relation to them, idiots who saw something and stuck their noses in where they didn't belong. Probably all bright eyed and idealistic to boot, had to be, to get that dumb. Yeah, he'd seen that type before... he had crushed them all the time, back when him and Argent were still partners. Kids who disagreed with the boys training regiments and how hard he pushed his team, called him crazy, called him soulless and a selfish ass who thirsted only for victory and cared nothing for the bond that was supposed to be between trainer and partner... well, hell. Damn, thinking about it now, maybe these kids aren't so stupid after all, as much as they reminded him of those types back then....after all, those naysayers had obviously seen something in Argent he had been too blind to see himself, before it had been far too late to realize it. but it didn't matter now. There was no way out of this conflict, no path to resolution. They wanted the food back, if he gives the food back, they starve. These humans fail to think about the needs and impact of the opposite party in their negotiation, that much was clear... so he wasn't going to bother wasting anymore time. This struggle... it was inevitable. Hog opened his eyes, irises flaring with crimson light as he turned to the heavens and gave single, hoarse war cry, taking a stance making it more than clear enough that yes, there was going to be more violence here. In that same instant, five darkened shapes burst from the bushes surrounding the group, moving almost like ninjas as they descended through the air in a storm of grace and moves, dashing across the forest floor and heading right for the trainers and their partners. They ran in a solid, perfect V formation, as they got closer it became what they were. Five more patrat.... but these ones were different, the trainer's might not have been able to tell, but their partners would've felt the aura of strength coming off the rats as they closed in... the disciplined and coordinated charge that was at the same time a march, each and every one of their steps falling into synch with each other as they surged forward like captive lightning.... they were by no means normal patrats. The rabble that so many young trainers grinded on for experience during the first leg of their journey, the weak little rodents who had to rely on strength in numbers in order to even begin to pose any actual threat? These were not it. If given the chance to engage any of the young pokemon one on one, chances were any of these five would easily beat them into submission without even breaking a sweat while doing it... The teens had better be smart enough not to give them that chance. It was a very long walk back to the road, afterall... and A mere potion is not enough to revive a downed party member...regardless of any misconceptions they might've had. Even if the wounds were healed, there would be no way to get rid of the utter exhaustion caused by fainting...not without either a machine, revival product, or substantial time to rest...

Aurora, Icarus 1st day of the 1st month, Year of Rebirth. Approximately 3:00PM Again, she sensed the chain coming for her. But she didn't care. Too fast to even track, rather than leap backwards or take some other evasive action, one of the very legs Icarus was so intent on binding lashed out like lightning and met the chain head on, the silver rattling and clanking as it wrapped around the forelimb. She could've easily shattered the tuat links with a single strike of Sting, kick the blade away into the water and deny the demon at least one his weapons...but the more primal part of her mind had another course in mind. She twisted her body backwards as she pulled on the leg with every ounce of raw might and speed she could muster, the chains screaming in a metallic chorus of agony, rattling up a storm under the utter strain of the shockwave sent surging through them like a charging Dire-Mammoth, the force passing from chain to chain so fast they were barely even traceable as it headed right for the other end, creating a visible swell in the links as a roar echoed out of the Acolyte and resounded off the stones and ringing throughout the tunnel, intent on slamming Icarus's body into the nearest wall with every bit of amplified, bone shattering might she possessed, using his own chain as leverage... Mufasa, Ajax, 1st day of the 1st month, Year of Rebirth. Approximately 3:00PM It didn't take long for Ajax to led the way to just one of the many entrances to the underground scattered throughout the castle, this one a large gap in a dilapidated and long forgotten nook not far from the tavern; both of the soldiers slid through into the darkness and babbling of water, their eyes adjusting with no hesitation given their darkvision. They had walked a good way into the darkened depths by the time Mufasa had paused at one of the countless intersections they had come to. The sound was slower to hit Ajax own senses. The illithid practically froze in his tracks when it did. "You hear that?" Mufasa growled, eyes fixed down the tunnel the faint yet still very discernible roar had came from. His hand was already moving to his side... only to quickly recall he had no blade on him... no matter "Sounds like some beast is prowling about... might have a fight coming to us soon." "That...was no beast." Ajax shook his head. "No beast at all... I've heard that sound before... or rather, I've heard the voice that's mingled and layered into it." He started down the path without a single thought. Mufasa watched him pass but said nothing.... seemed like the squid knew far more than he was letting on. "We'd best hurry, before she moves..." Ajax called back. The lion fell into step, his hands blazing with soft light all the while...twin flares of soul ready and waiting for the slightest provocation.

Look, if you're worrying about berries, don't bother. There such things as stores and private merchants after all, and there are also such things as produce shipping to keep them supplied.

Different berries have different berry seasons just like different fruits and plants have different growing seasons. Currently in this area, the season for the berries that commonly grow in this area have passed, but the bushes were all picked clean even before it ended. Long story short how the boss usually runs stuff is that he has everyone forage during the berries bloom cycle and collect more than they need to feed themselves so that they will have some to stockpile away for those months where little grows. But with the influx of foreign species thanks to a certain incident that threatened to destroy hoenn and the world at large... Look, tldr- when new and invasive species moves to a place in droves it tends to effect the entire ecosystem in some negative way, shape, or form- whether it be introing a new predator that hunts a certain nativery species to extinction in the area, to effecting the plants and food supply due to overgrazing and the like.

Ajax, Mufasa, 1st day of the 1st month, Year of Rebirth, Approximately 3:00PM Aurora, Icarus 1st day of the 1st month, Year of Rebirth. Approximately 3:00PM She did not respond. A single, armored leg stepped forward, still swimming and alive with that otherworldly light. Then all at once, the rest of her surged forward with it with unnatural speed, moving so violently fast that she seemingly vanished and re-appeared not even a split second after, directly beside the demon, towering over him with her full height. and in that same, precise moment she appeared beside him, Sting was slashing through the air with it's double pronged, bladed head, becoming a mere blur of bone and burning glyph as she aimed it in a wide, sweeping arc targeting the rogue's legs, the very air itself barely fast enough to keep up with the movement and force behind the strike and carry the silent, deadly whistle of the attack to the ears of any listening. One cut. One. Small. Cut. That was all it would take for the venom to do it's work... all it would take for the fool to begin hallucinating like a mad man... This... was the power of the blessing at it's greatest. It amplified the speed, the agility, the senses, physical strength and reflexes... everything about the individual... and that amplification only grew more and more when in the presence of humans, or beings that at least vaguely resembled a humanoid in it's shape... beings like dwarves...elves...orcs, etc free race and damned alike, it did not matter... beings... like the demon she was facing.

Aurora, Icarus 1st day of the 1st month, Year of Rebirth. Approximately 3:00PM Someone was starting to get a bit fancy, it seemed. There was little enough expression on her face as she kept her eyes fixed on the demon, let alone impression. He was cocky, that much was for certain. And he was foolish as well, thinking he could actually prevail here... overcome the product intelligent design and eons of adaptation and evolution. Arachni... they did not die easily, were notorious for not dying easily. Especially when one tried to do it through direct physical engagement, of all things... infact, it was more akin to suicide than anything else... as a good deal of Human and Free Race warriors alike had quickly discovered first hand over the years. Sight mattered not as the chain swung about it's wielder, edging closer and closer to her. It was irrelevant, only what she could hear, only what she could feel: the rattling of the chain as it revolved, the faint whistling and subtle changes in the air itself as the blade sliced through empty space. Those were what she relied on here. Those, and instinct... The chain soon changed direction. She had already detected it's approach. Without a sound, she leaped backwards yet again as it came at her, this time letting go of the meat shield she had acquired only moments ago and slamming it down right into the path of the blade as it passed a mere split-second later, grinning inwardly as she heard the distinctive thunk of steel colliding with flesh and becoming embedded there, and in that same mere hair of a moment firing another blast of silk [spider Silk: Used]... At the rat that had just been impaled. Beast, Knife and chain alike came to sudden, violent halt as the webbing did it's work, both becoming utterly lost in a mess a thick, entangled thread stronger than steel, it's natural adhesive binding them to the floor like some strange, nigh-damnably tough glue. The demon wouldn't be using it again for a good while, that much she was sure of now. She was soundless as she landed. Her exposed eye still fixed on Icarus. But... her gaze was different this time. [Mother's Frenzy: On] Her Iris began to fade... so too did the rest of her eye, pupil, Sclera, all of it, emerald green starting to bleed it's way across the entirety of it's surface. Their expression had turned as well, like night and day... it was no longer near stoic, apathetic observation... no. As she took a new stance. One far more aggressive... but yet did not move, it was something far different. Something far more ancient... far more ferocious. She could feel the lust for blood seeping in more and more by the minute, feel it surging throughout her very being like a harrowing wind of winter, the latent power instilled in her and in all Acolytes by The Mother crashing through every cell, every muscle, every fiber of her very being like a tidal wave as it was finally unleashed... but she knew better than to let it control her, knew better than to let it take over completely. She had the stories of foolish young Acolytes, just granted their powers and inexperienced, when she was that age herself. Stories of how some would get cocky, make that mistake: try to use the power while on a hunt, only to end up with it consuming and sending them rampaging nonstop until the entirety of both their will and body were spent from the bloodshed, unable to stop the trance because there was no conscious shred of reason for them use inorder to return from it... until their reserves ran out on their own... and then the very next morning being found and struck down by free race beings seeking vengeance while they were too weak to fight back. They were the stories of failures. Of wasted potential, meant to teach the foolish and new what would happen if you flew too close to the sun. Like everything else her dam had told her back then, she had taken the lesson to heart. But she held no love for the utter charade this fight was looking to be, if she allowed it to drag on... nor any love for the fool standing across from her down the way. There was no point letting the blessing stay dormant any longer... A savage, hissing snarl mixed with an audible clicking escaped her lips, fangs finally bared as her eyes began to burn with an even more intense light than before; this time however, even the very patterns and auroral hues of emerald on her armor blazed to life, writhing and swimming across the surface of her legs and exoskeleton, showering the floor and area around them in ghastly, unnatural light with every lucidly pulsating motion as they wandered. So too even did Sting ignite with light, seeming to almost react to it's wielder as it Sigils and runes burned. The raw, unbridled malice practically exuded off of her in waves; all she wanted was the demon's blood now... regardless of how fettered it may be, given the source. Whether he proved stupid enough to come and give it on a silver platter, or was smart enough to stay away and force her to come over and get it herself... Either way she got it, it did not matter to her... "Enough....with... the parlor tricks."

Aurora, Icarus 1st day of the 1st month, Year of Rebirth. Approximately 3:00PM Sting was there in an instant with a bare flick of her wrist, emerald again flashing bright as bone met steel, the very air itself seeming to ripple around the weapon's glyphs as it burned, sparks flying from the clash as the blade was deflected... despite the fact that bone and metal seldom meet as equals. In the same stroke as the flickering whirl, the Acolyte was leaping backwards further into the darkness, that single, unobscured eye remaining fixed on her foe with nigh mad doggedness. Something stirred behind her. Something flew through the air, near invisible except for the occasional glint as it headed not for the demon... but the dead Dire Rat. Whatever it was... Aurora gave it a sharp tug, yanking it back like strands of gossamer and sending the carcass flying right into her hand [spider Silk: Used]. Where it stayed, like a mit. Her hand firmly digging into the flesh, wrapping around the spine and vertebrae of the beast like a handle, hoisting it up before her, still in the same stance as before. It was starting to become more apparent to her that the Hellspawn's new form was nothing but a parlor trick... the force and power behind that thrown strike just now didn't add up with the enhanced physique, as easy as it had been to cast it aside... but it didn't matter. She had other senses. From the sound of his heart and breath, to the vibrations she felt in the stone with his every foot fall and motion, to the stirring and disturbance of the air as he moved and the very scent of him... He could dash about like the deranged little ninja he was, throw up all the smoke and mirrors he wanted, for all she cared. The outcome would stay the same...

Hope you feel better soon then. Being sick in itself is one thing, having migraine on top of it is just salt in the wound... I know from experience

Aurora, 1st day of the 1st month, Year of Rebirth. Approximately 3:00PM Nothing showed on her face. No panic. No register of terror or horror. Neither of her twin hearts even skipped a beat as she gazed at the being before her. All that came, was the stone cold reign of silence. Whether this was illusion or not, it didn't matter. She had sworn an Oath long ago. A Pact... sealed by blood and bone... backed by sight and acknowledgement of divinity. A pact that... forbids balking at such spectacles. Even with all of those who had helped forge that pact long since dead, the terms of holy service hold firm (Heart of the Mother). No matter how big this Hellspawn grew, no matter how much intimidation he tried, whatever he could do... was surely nothing compared to the wrath of a Goddess who desired the blood of every last Free Race-born man, woman, and child on the planet. She held his gaze for a moment longer. The manic smile faded... and with it, the burning light of her eyes, as if candles snuffed by swift hands and deft fingers. She kicked off the ceiling without a sound, tumbling towards the stones and righting her body in one quick, seamlessly fluid motion. She raised her head, steady, slow. The hardened layer of leather she'd not bothered to take off after this dawn shifting with her body. Locks of copper blonde obscured most of her face save a single, scrutinizing eye as she seemed to stare not at the Demon, but through him. She held a strange stance, the Acolyte did: shoulder turned to the opposition, standing tall on all eight legs, rising to full height. Her fangs slid into view of their own accord, twin sabers larger than all the others, jutting down from the upper jaw. "I see..." she muttered, barely enough to even be heard. "Then that... takes the fun out of it. The humans were a lot like you too, on the battlefield. So full of grandiosity, so intent on resisting. It wasn't until the venom started flowing that things actually got interesting." She drew the white cylinder at her side, fingers whirling the device in a single deft spin as she did so. The change was nearly too sudden to process... one moment, nothing but glossy bone carved with script, the next... script roared to life with subdued, emerald life, cylinder elongating... and becoming shaft. And shaft giving way to tip, just as the luminescence faded. A mere blunt object, no more. Now, Her Spear, the spear... called sting. A Double Pronged, bladed head, steeped in venom, the language of her people emblazoned into it's very being from root to stem. This... was the spear of an Acolyte. Crafted of the bone of it's wielder, inscribed with solemn oath, blessed under divine witness. pearly white, fragile in appearance.... yet strong enough in durability and performance to surpass even steel. As much apart of an Acolyte as arm or a leg... capable of being controlled just like an arm or a leg. A thing of unnatural beauty. A thing that few ever got to see, and even fewer ever got to tell about. "You say you're darkness incarnate? Come and prove it."

Routes of Hazard, Final Stretch "Hog, watta." Hog scoffed at the mudfish, shaking his head as he scowled. How the hell was he supposed to know? He'd just fired the ray, whatever the cat was going through right now, it had been conjured by her own mind, not his. They could probably make do with some persim berries, they usually grew right around here but- oh wait, that's right.... the invaders came and ate everything, right, right... "Hoooooooog..." He breathed, foot tapping on the ground as he waited titan's answer....

Aurora, 1st day of the 1st month, Year of Rebirth. Approximately 3:00PM There was no amusement in those eyes, unreadable shards of light piercing the darkness. "Indeed they have grown tough," she said, voice slow, measured... smooth as silk. but the malice was still there, still lingering just beneath the surface, barely enough to pick up. "but not so tough, that I'll sit here and listen to your mockery. You think you're so safe down there, don't you? So untouchable, so free to bite your thumb as much as you like. Yes, yes, there was a man of not too different a mind here, just this morning. A man who liked hurting little girls. A man who liked firing quips just like you do." The snarl began again, faint, low... almost not there at all. "He thought distance meant safety as well... well, he fired one quip too many, let me tell you. The next thing he knew, my fangs were in his shoulder and his arm was limp by his side... oh the look on his face. He learned I was no mere Huntress, in time... but by then it was far too late." "So go on, Icarus, keep it up." The flash of a manic smile accompanied the invitation. "afterall, I'd be happy to let you meet that man, and he can tell you aaaall about what it's like down here in the dark...if you're so curious."

Move a muscle to attack, and the decision is made at the first sign of hostility. this scene ends and the fight resumes, and I just let the dice fall where they may. Just full disclosure here...

Well damn, I didn't expect any of you to actually try to negotiate... way to throw me for a loop there. Before anyone asks: The boss fight is not actually avoidable, just to be frank and put it out there. depending on how this goes however... could affect how hard of a battle it will be...and how utterly brutal your foe may or may not get...

Routes of Hazard, Final Stretch Hog scrutinized the teen with his eyes, the glow fading from his form gradually as the shrubs began to rustle. The burning fires of wrath still shined like beacons in his eyes... but there was something else there as well. But it wasn't trust. The boss's gaze settled on the rock type by the child's side, almost seeming to gaze through it. "Watch, Watch Hog!" He shouted, the rustling stopping the moment he did so. The demand was quick, sudden... he wanted none other than Titan to answer. "Hog, watta wat!" He wanted to know... how it was the rock type had come to be in the boy's possession. How, and how long ago. He would trust the word of no mere human, not anymore. Last time had ended badly, and after seeing what these lot had done today... well, they were lucky he was even listening at all, really. It wasn't like it really mattered in the end, anyway... regardless of what the truth of things were... nothing was a simple as these humans seemed to think... but as he stood there, waiting for a response... some of the less intelligent or more brash ones of the group might've noticed, not an opportunity to avoid further violence... but rather, one to strike in the midst of distraction... So many ways it can play out. So many ways it can end...

Mayanna’s group It was definitely an interesting challenge, Maya would give it that. Even if it did mean that both Titania and Folie would be largely irrelevant here... she felt she could probably get it right rather easy; observation was a skill she used all the time after all, on and off the field, thanks to Wilk. She didn't even know how many hours the two of them had spent just standing and watching as people passed by, her having to constantly answer his demands as to what they were wearing, what direction they were heading in, the expression on their face, whether this one had a pokemon with them, what they were probably doing (whether this one was an overweight tourist on holiday, or that one was a business woman probably late for a meeting, or if that one were a common thug about to commit a mugging, etc.) the old, red-headed Cop had challenged her to get 5 in a row. When she had started getting five, he moved it to ten... then fifthteen... if she missed even a single one, the score would reset and they go right back to the beginning... with the same goal. But of course, it couldn't just be as simple as deciding which of them would go first. No, of course not. Matt had to open his mouth, was gonna bitch and complain no matter what course they would've taken, apparently. She could feel the smoldering fumes of agitation welling up... until she heard the woman's ultimatum, that is. She couldn't help but stifle a little laugh, arms folded behind her head. "I think letting him fight you is a perfect idea, mam," She said, smiling. "he's so ready and willing, why_not give him a shot?" She turned to the others, that coy smirk on her face still there. Even Folie was getting a bit giddy at the idea of seeing the boy get his ass handed to him. "What do the rest of you think? It's not like we have anything to actually lose; we can still do the challenge afterwards." She wanted to follow up that statement with how much she felt letting the asswipe get beaten would go towards puting him back in his place so they wouldn't have to deal with the damn attitude. She didn't care if the boy did a heel turn face or started acting a bit less macho afterwards; so long as he finally shut the hell up, that would be good enough on it's own. Not even a full hour or so stuck in his company, and she was already getting tired of dealing with the angsty, obnoxious outbursts. But she didn't. Only because she was certain the others seemed like reasonable enough people, surely they too could see the potential benefit of this arrangement...

Aurora, 1st day of the 1st month, Year of Rebirth. Approximately 3:00PM "Ha, please... pet? that vermin?" It was actually quite disgusting, now that she took a moment to dwell on the thought. The rodents tasted terrible and more oft than not smelled even worse, she already had more than enough scorn for them as mere prey, but to actually keep one as a pet? No. Just, no. Absolutely absurd, a Jumper would make a far better companion, no contest... about as big as that freak of nature, almost, but far smarter, not to mention far easier on the eyes than a Dire Rat... unless of course, one happened to be an arachnophobe. "That rat was no pet, it was prey. prey, mind you, that was probably going to lead me to even more prey... had you not killed it before it could." She took a moment to examine the hellspawn a bit more closely, unfazed by the glint of silver or jingling of chains. Most of him was hidden beneath that cloak, but she didn't spot any armor, only further confirming her deduction that he wasn't wearing any; plates tended to make a lot of noise afterall. And the glimpses of clothing she caught held no semblance to any uniform Ajax had worn. "Why are you even down here to begin with, Demon?" She demanded, almost spitting the very word with disdain. "You don't have the look or the gear of a soldier. From the roguish attire, I imagine you aren't much of a servant either. Most of you surface dwellers hardly ever come here unless you're lost or trying to hide from something... or up to no good."

ah yes, because if there's any way to get on Aurora's good side, it's certainly interfering with a hunt and ruining everything by killing the prey she was stalking. yeah... this is gonna be real fun, I can just tell.

Aurora, 1st day of the 1st month, Year of Rebirth. Approximately 3:00PM From the darkness, she watched it all unfold. The rat's squealing, frenzied path. The sound of steel being drawn, whirling through the air. The final death rattle as the beast slid to halt...and the interloper. She had smelled him long before the rat's death, even despite the pungent scent of the rodent hanging heavy in the air. He may have looked human... but he wasn't. That much she could tell instantly... the scent was too off, too different; after hunting down so many of them during the siege and even before that, she knew what mankind reeked of like the back of her hand. No, he wasn't human. But she knew what he was. She'd been put in not too different a situation by another one of his kind, long, long ago; the hunters who stalked the humans and their ilk, just as her own people did... but did so like charlatans and lazy con artist, used trickery and facades in order to lure them in. "Do you have any idea..." a hissing snarl echoed throughout the tunnels as it escaped her lips, emerald eyes smoldering like candles in the dark and burning as if lit by their own light, their gaze seeming to pierce right through the rival predator as they stared down from the ceiling. "what you have just ruined, hellspawn?"

Found the perfect theme song for the world of SoA, finally... nice and cheery, don't ya think? Yeah, this is gonna be a real happy story... we move tomorrow.

Five patrats total. Four Lieutenants. One captain. Lieutenants are level 8 Captain is level 9. Shine not with crimson, his eyes do. But rather, the purest and most azure blue. The big boss hog... level 10. Beware boss and captain. They bare moves and abilities most ferocious when put in tandem. One's power acquired by human hands... the other's as reward for loyal service. Only Hog stands visible. All others, masking presence within cover of barbs. Go easy this time, I plan not. Chose thine courses carefully.

"Routes of Hazzard!"- Grand Stretch Brambles thickened. The forest darkened, the trees grew ever more twisted and deformed in their already ghastly appearances. The ground, barren, pale soil, loose, like dust. Sunlight broke the canopy, feeble rays of hope penetrating the miniature underworld as best they could. Hog kept running, nonstop. None of them, not even the two tree hoppers, were good enough to keep up... or at least, that's what he'd gathered so far. Every last one of the foolish little pursuers were so far in the distance. He could've lost them, right here, right now... he could've lost them at any time. But that was not the point here. These children were monsters in the making, just like Argent... the burns and battering Dingo sported were proof enough of it. And so were the dozens of other injuries the others had sustained. He wasn't going to run. Not anymore. At first all he'd wanted was to lead them away, lead them east, take em deeper into the groves, get them turned around and then give them the slip, let them search for the den all they like. They'd never find it if they weren't even close. Have himself and the officers stand guard through the night, get the others treated in the meantime. He knew all about human determination.... but even children must have some basic understanding of futility. But no. No, that... could not be the plan now. They had decided that, not him. If the humans were so thirsty for blood, so eager for a fight... he would give them one. They wanted to act like monsters? He would show them what a true one looked like... just as Argent had shown him. **************************** The forest seemed to become almost sinister as the humans trudged further. The overgrowth of brambles they had seen before was absolutely nothing. It seemed with every motion, every single step, the very land itself lashed out at them, branches and barbs flying, scratching and tearing away bare flesh and clothing. Whatever the hatted figure had... it was fast. Faster than anything they had. But yet it seemed like it wasn't trying to get away. It was always just there, barely visible, dodging in and out of the shrubbery, seemingly unfazed by the barbs. It was a blur as it moved through the woods. Through this world of darkness and dust. Through a land of faded light and scattered dreams, they all ran. But eventually... there was nowhere left to run, no figure left to pursue. It finally seemed to stop toying with them. There one moment, gone the next. The ground here had grown too dust laden and loose to effectively track by scent, not without particles of dirt flying up a hounds nose and practically blinding the olfactory. The trees so twisted and entwined, it was a struggle to leap from one to another without getting entangled in the very branches they sped upon. It was hard to tell how far they'd come... but wherever they were, the shrubs surrounded them on all sides. Darkness reigned supreme over the forest floor. Sun peaked through the canopy, dim light raining down on the clearing. The world was silent. The world was still. And then it came. OR rather, they came. Eyes, or at least what seemed to be eyes, many of them, beads of pure scarlet, burning from within the shrubs. Hostility fills the air. Enemies gather round. Time for battle has come. Time for wars to be won. The shrubs doth rustle. Appeareth from them, none but the big boss, the boss Hog. Hog the Watchog. Gone are the youths he stole 'way. Hat tucked down, eyes burning with wrath. Little stops a big boss once they're on a warpath. Light shines forth from Hog. Blinding and great, a beacon in night. Light that transfixes, light that confounds. Light with which, the mind is bound. Close one's eyes, thinking it to be that easy, one might... but not even the darkness offers escape from this light. Time for battle has come. Tis time for this war to be won.