[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/Se4Pc57.png[/img] [img]https://img.roleplayerguild.com/prod/users/206ee0f8-5d3d-49f0-82e5-ac1e6468fc87.png[/img] [h1]Anshumat[/h1] [h3][color=gray]The beast had left them with wounds, and some were not shallow.[/color][/h3] [/center] [hr] The forest was noisy this early in the morning. Not a pleasant or relaxing kind of noise, such as waves breaking on the beach. It was a needling, distracting kind of noisy. Birds chirping and screaming. Little buzzing of flies and bees. Even the little noises of creatures in the river made the k'nights turn their heads in a jolt. The Eaters -- those phantom grey beast things -- had attacked twice more over the last five days. They could come out of nowhere, with no warning except an unnatural rustling or twig-breaking in the middle distance. The k'nights had taken to marching in a column by the water of the river as closely as possible these days. The formations helped but they were risky. They all fought best while swimming -- a trait the Eaters thankfully did not share most of the time -- but at least one flank always remained wide. Anshumat, for their part, was a fairly capable swimmer, permitting them to keep up with the other k’nights despite their frame not being quite as aquatic. Under the river, the selka had an uncanny instinct in their fluid formations and movements that the demigod could not easily discern themself. After several days of travel, there was some unexplained relief, even just a trace, when the k'nights rounded the next meander of the river. They saw the water broaden out to a sparkling field of rippling green before them. The bright expanse was quiet and calm, with a line of trees on the other side wrapping around the whole feature. Some of the k'nights, those who never ventured this far inland, audibly sounded their wonder. "What is this place?" Wass asked. Takos the clever one raised a finger. "I have heard stories about places like this. Orphans of the ocean, full of fish and fresh water. The upriver folks call them lakes." "Lakes," Phialu echoed airily, stepping ahead. She breathed in with a big smile. "It's so peaceful. Do you think people live here?" Gralph walked on with his club over one shoulder. "There used to be," he said. Phialu blinked and jogged to catch up. "What happened to them?" "Don't know," Gralph responded out of the corner of his mouth. "But if they were still here, they would'a said hello by now." His eyes shifted left and right warily. "Spread out a bit! Look around…" The natural beauty of the scene was replaced by a new kind of unease. The k'nights loosened their walking order and slowed to poke around the shore of the lake. Anshumat took their spear and detached from the group. Their sightless eyes caught to a particularly well-growing patch of plantlife. Kneeling over to investigate it, the demigod spotted the remnants of essence scattered across the dirt. Many things had bled here once. Perhaps a meat rack used to stand there. Anshumat then stood up, looking about the clearing and thinking. They caught sight of a series of stones placed out in a seemingly deliberate manner. They walked the breadth of the stones, tracing out a circular shape in the grass. There were several of these stone circles around, and some of them still held down heavily rotten cloths and hides. There was once a large village here, Anshumat could tell. They called out to the rest of the group, “I’ve found something!” Several pairs of feet ran to them at a semi-urgent pace. Wass was the first to slide to a stop, remaining ever the quickest. He stooped down and picked up the cloth. Dirt and moss sloughed off and noiselessly tore away half of it, weathered and wet as it was. "What is this?" He held it up between his fingers in both hands. "It's like that hide you're wearing, Eyebiter." "Not hide...Woven plants." A somber looking Yim shouldered his bow as he stared at the sheet. He rarely spoke at all. "Cloth. There were people here." The rest of the k'nights had gathered. A few started to see the shapes of gutted shelters, fallen monuments, and little scraps upon the ground. Phialu knelt down and rummaged through the dirt with one hand. "No bones," she remarked. Where is everyone? Where did they go?" Phassam, the tough one with his arms still scarred by the first Eater encounter, loomed behind them. "They're slaves to someone now." "K'nights!" Gralph's voice brought an automatic attention to all of them. The great warrior selka held out his rough-notched whale bone club out over the lake. His arm did not so much as quiver at the weight he held forth. "We search in there," He said, before wading into the green waters. "Yim! Humat! You stay and keep watch up here." Wass and Phialu exchanged a worried glance. The k'nights brought themselves to the lake at various paces and dove under the surface. They were not under for longer than one breath of their selka lungs. Gralph went to a spot in the middle as if he knew what to find. He swam down to the lake floor and dug aside the slimy silt around a large boulder. Three shoveling motions of his large hands revealed a sudden and bright blue light from the stone. It lit up in everyone's senses, even Anshumat's. It was a life. A soul in the stone. Something impossible. Gralph continued shovelling the way the silt, kicking up a great murky cloud. He poked his head out of it for just a second to beckon the onlooking k'nights to help. Anshumat came down into the silt with Gralph quickly, scooping through the sediment of the lakebed to locate more of the stones. Through opportune glimpses caught through the thickening silt, the demigod shot questioning looks at Gralph. Gralph only glanced back, urging them on by pointing his nose. It was a large bundle of stones they were revealing. One of them shifted in a way Anshumat at first thought was other k'nights, but there were none around with the leverage. The stones made a harsh grinding noise under the murk, sliding free in directions gravity should not have taken them. Gralph clicked his tongue in the water to get everyone's attention. He brought his cupped hands up to gesture lifting. The k'nights were incredulous. Still, Gralph braced himself against the silt with his feet and wrapped his hands around the stone with the glowing light all the same. Anshumat plunged their pointed feet into the lakebed, lodging them firmly into the mud and silt. Reaching down with their hands, they then lifted hard against the stones. Their combined might tugged at the stones and, with slow little inches at a time, they gave way. The maw that was the ground hung onto their prize like the jaws of a bear, but after a second of relief, they heaved again. [i]Thoooom…[/i] The lakebed shook and a wake brushed over them from below. Anshumat diverted their attention and saw a row of boulders reach like an snake and plant against the silt with another deep [i]thooom.[/i] Anshumat found the boulder they clutched rising under its own power, lifting them up with it. They kept one hand on the stone as the other let go to permit a freer range of motion. They twisted their body to look around, taking in the silty sights of the lakebed, trying to figure out what was happening. All the k'nights had swam a short distance away with looks of astonishment. The stones ground together again near Anshumat's arm. The highest stone turned around and revealed the shining blue eye-like hole turning level to the demigod. The same light Gralph had initially revealed. [i]"Little things!"[/i] A voice sounded suddenly in the water, a little too clearly. [i]"Little kind little things come to help poor trapped Kreekh?"[/i] Almost gently, two limbs of stones wrapped around Anshumat's midsection and embrace the demigod. This set of stones had a strangely large soul. [i]"My gratitude could not be matched by a god of thank-yous! Thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"[/i] Anshumat’s outer shell protected the demigod from the worst of the pressure. They looked at the soul creature that had emerged from the dirt, and then back at the K’nights, somewhat bewildered at what was happening. Looking especially unsure back at Anshumat, Phorea the Keen curled her fingers and thumb into a circle and pat it against her chest. The gesture was a sign one picked up on quickly diving with the selka. [i]Are you okay?[/i] Anshumat nodded quickly to them; the creature didn’t seem hostile and they were not in pain. Nevertheless, opening their mouth underwater wasn’t a good idea for an air-breathing creature, regardless of Anshumat’s status as a divine being, and so they kept their mouth shut. Phorea looked across to Gralph and ran a nervous hand over her head. Gralph looked at the creature and tapped his fingernails firmly against his club to get its attention. [i]"Hmm? Big little thing."[/i] The blue 'eye' of the stone creature turned to Gralph. Gralph pointed to the shore, looked at the others, and directed them as well. The k'nights swam behind him towards the shore. [i]"Wait for me, little things!"[/i] Anshumat was finally released. The rock creature spread its arms to keep balance as it lumbered across the lakebed behind the selka. The k'nights were gathered up and still dripping near the ruined village by the time Anshumat broke the surface of the water and caught up to them. They all had their eyes on the lake as the rock with the blue eye quietly displaced water as it rose from the surface, eventually turning into a water-darkened walking humanoid slate boulder clutch, dirtied from the waist down with brown silt. One arm was bigger than the other to the point where it stood with an awkward left-lean. Its small right arm excitedly gave them all a wave. [i]"Little things! Do not run so soon, please! I was so lonely under there and for so long I thought I could not count to a number any higher! I began inventing numbers just to keep going."[/i] Everyone was thoroughly confused except for Gralph, who simply stood with his arms crossed and his brow low. "Er...everyone else is hearing its voice, right?" Kyko the Smiling One asked. The others slowly nodded. [i]"Ooooh, you speak a coastal dialect,"[/i] the rock figure 'said'. [i]"I never did get to learn that language. The Ihokhurs always cut the tongues out of the little things they caught. Even then, I was not allowed to make friends easily as a slave."[/i] Anshumat quickly remembered that the mortal k'nights did not have the gift of understanding all languages as divines like themself did. The demigod stepped out in between the group and the creature, saying to the gathered selka, “He didn’t harm me. It was more of a hug. I think he was stuck down there and we freed him.” They then looked over to the rock figure, taking their spear, and using the tip to clear out a patch of dirt from plants, began to draw in it. They drew a comically overweight rendition of Gralph pointing to the lake. An arrow pointed from that scene to the next, a rendition of all the Selka digging out the stones, with another arrow leading to all of them looking confused as the creature emerged. The k'nights craned their heads to look, but kept their distance from the rock figure, who leaned over the little pictures. [i]"Hmmm...Oh! Oh, of course, you are from the coast! You must have never met any Ihokhetlani!"[/i] The rocky creature curled its too-long left arm up and three stones extended like a thumb to point at the top of its head. [i]"Kreeeeeekh,"[/i] it said slowly, before extending its hand towards Anshumat. [i]"What is your name, thin little thing?"[/i] Anshumat pointed to their own head, enunciating slowly and clearly, “Anshumat.” They then turned pointing to each Selka in turn, in the expectation that they would say their name as well. "Rephaemle?" "Takos." "Antoph." "Phorea. Nice to meet you?"" "...Yim." "Wassamuttu." "Phialu." "Karagetak's the name, wha?" "Humat." "Kyko!" "Hiphaeleon~" "Phassam! "Gralph." [i]"Ah! You must be the biggest little one, right here!"[/i] Kreekh tapped the fat drawing on the dirt. Gralph smirked. "Anshumat has a knack for making me look thinner." No one laughed, and it was not because of the joke. "Hey Gralph," Reph piped up, pointing a thumb at Kreekh. "You understand this thing?" Gralph snorted. "No. But what's the bet he recognised me from that drawing there, eh?" "Oh, right." [i]"You are a fascinating little group!"[/i] Kreekh said. [i]"But if I am to repay you in any way, I should start by warning you that this place is not safe for little things such as yourselves. The Ihokhurs are not far from here, and they have greater might and numbers than all of you. They are like me, but cruel, spikey, angry, and...stronger."[/i] Anshumat looked back at Gralph, as if to question him over what to do about the warning. Gralph kept looking at the blue 'eye' of Kreekh and tilted his head to one side. "Anshu, can you figure a way to ask how he got buried stuck on the bottom of the lake?" Anshumat turned back to the rock creature, scuffing the dirt clean of pictures before drawing a rendition of the rock being, with an arrow pointing to another rendition of them under the lakebed. The second rendition was accompanied with several confused expressions, disembodied from any Selka, as if to ask a question. Kreekh fidgeted in place, holding his small arm in his big hand. [i]"The Ihokhurs...knew I was afraid of fish, so they picked me up and buried me under the lake."[/i] He tried to rally. [i]"I put up a fight! I panicked, as it happens, and they had a hard time moving all our big bodies under the water, but there were too many for dear old Kreekh."[/i] "We still don't understand your words," Kyko the Smiling One helpfully called out. Kreekh virtually jolted and looked around. [i]"Er...right...well...hm, how should I…"[/i] The Ihokhetlani took a few paces back and began a charade of growls and eeks and other vocalisations helping his rough mime of some angry and cruel version of him pushing him into the lake. It was hardly very helpful to anyone, though the k'nights could make guesses. Phorea the Keen went first. "He was put there by someone else?" "Maybe a few of them," Takos the Clever added, stroking his chin. "We should be careful in case there are more nearby…" "Must've been some effort," Gralph said, looking pointedly at Anshumat. "Hey Eyebiter, [i]how well do you think these things move in the water?[/i] That'd be important to know." Gralph was not the most subtle of selkas, but the other k'nights hardly had the context to realise what he was emphasising. "But anyway," Gralph continued. "If this one's friendly, then we should get more answers and then get moving." The game of pictures, mimes, and body language went on for as long as Gralph was patient to do so. Anshumat and Gralph had no trouble understanding the raw words, though the k'nights were left with incomplete information. There were selka in the ruined village before. They were taken by the cruel people Kreekh referred to. What that entailed, they could only guess. What they could know, once they got it into Kreekh's mind, was the way to the settlement of the cruel folk. Kreekh began to lead them there. They were likely the upriver folk in trouble they were told of. [hr] [i]"The Ihokhurs camped just around this river bend,"[/i] Kreekh said and pointed a stony finger. [i]"We should be [/i]very quiet[i] from now on or they'll catch us."[/i] He pressed his fingers to the surface just below his blue 'eye'. The k'night's hushed one another. "Keep your clubs out," Gralph murmured. He gestured with his head up to a rise thick with trees. "We'll go up this way." Making no noise but unavoidable rustling of leaves, the k'nights slinked in the shadow of the tree canopy. A clearing was up ahead by the river bank, and on Gralph's command, they all laid prone against the ground, crawling the rest of the way to the bushes at the summit of the rise. [i]"Wait!"[/i] Kreekh said in a hush. [i]"I miscounted! They should be around several more bends than this! I can tell by the shadows and the souls. Heh, I forgot some of my made up numbers don't make sense above water."[/i] Kreekh was waved off by Reph, told to stay a short distance behind due to his size. [i]"Oh, are they here after all? Odd. Nevermind."[/i] He slumped into a seated position against a tree. [i]"Maybe they moved for once…"[/i] The clearing itself was an expanse of trees beaten and shredded to splinters, whether out of practicality or plain fury was unclear. The k'nights stared at the inhabitants of the clearing with nervous eyes and shallow breath. Striding and milling around like black ticks grown to gigantic sizes were an overwhelming number of Ihokhurs, sized similarly to Kreekh, but just as he had described in his soundless words. They were bristling with dark and jagged rocky edges, pushing one another around in sport and in anger. What the k'nights laid eyes on could level any village in a stampede. "There must be hundreds of them," Wass breathed between Anshumat and Phialu. Phialu bared her teeth tensely. "...These are what took the lake selka?" She narrowed her eyes. "But where are [i]they?[/i] Phorea, Anshu, do you see anyone?" "Mm-m." Phorea shook her head. Anshumat peeked out at the clearing, their blind eyes gazing over the length and breadth of it. They scanned once, twice, and then solemnly shook their head. "We were meant to find them…" Gralph said solemnly. His eyes were fixed upon the dark creatures with a silent, growing rage. [colour=Red]"They were meant to be saved…"[/colour] His large webbed hands audibly curled around the soil beneath his palms. Anshumat silently and subtly turned their head, watching Gralph from the corner of their eyes. They remained silent, still gripping their spear as they slowly brought the undergrowth back up, fully concealing themself from the clearing. Gralph's mouth opened to a snarl, but it was interrupted by something catching his attention from above. Up in the sky. [right][url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSJ6afXS20M]Refusal[/url][/right] Reph looked up and saw nothing but the tree branches. "What is it, Gralph?" And then, disregarding his stealth, Gralph slowly stood up, still looking at the sky through the leaves. His chest rose and fell with emotion. [colour=Red][b]"Is that what it is now, huh?!"[/b][/colour] He spread his arms up. [colour=Red][b]"Throw some rocks around to waste all the potential!?!"[/b][/colour] "Gralph! Keep it down!" Reph hissed. "Get back to cover!" [colour=Red][b]"Could you not have got over yourself in time, coward!?!"[/b][/colour] Gralph roared loud enough to make all the fur on the back of the k'nights' necks stand on end. In the clearing, quite a number of Ihokhurs stopped in place and turned their sinister red 'eyes' towards Gralph. Reph was about to speak up again, only to find the tip of Gralph's club pointing at him. [colour=Red][b]"Reph! Take the k'nights, take Kreekh, swim back down river as fast as you can."[/b][/colour] He hefted his club over his shoulder, revealing raw fury in his selka face. [colour=Red][b]"These things killed the missing selka and they'll come to kill the rest. You all need to hold them by the ocean."[/b][/colour] The Ihokhurs threw aside what they were doing and began to close in. "[i]Us[/i] all?" Reph cried. "What about you!?" Gralph turned back towards the Ihokhurs and strode forward. [colour=Red][b]"Just do as I say, Reph!"[/b][/colour] He spat over his shoulder. "Gralph, wait!" Reph stood up out of his cover, breathing frantically. "There are too many! Come back!" A foreign but familiar roar screamed out from the sky behind the k'nights. Swooping a shadow over them and landing to a stop beside Gralph was none other than Stixis, the crimson dragon blinded by Anshumat's spear. He held his head low to take in the scents and the sounds ahead. Another, lower and more bestial roar sounded from further down on the river bed, as splashing violently out of the water was the huge grey shape of Yimbo, the guardian seal. With Gralph between them, the two monsters advanced to meet the Ihokhurs' stride. Anshumat was briefly stunned, turning their full attention to Gralph, bewildered, as he suddenly jumped into action. They turned to look at the rest when Gralph ordered them to retreat, and they slowly began to back off from the angered Selka and his creatures. Then, the demigod called out to the rest. “Stick together! This is no longer our fight! We need to get back!” With a wave of their spear into the air to garner attention, the demigod began to retreat. The k'nights were waved out of their own bewildered states one-by-one with Anshumat's order, Reph being the last to turn away with tears brimming his eyes. They fell in and began their jog through the trees. They were panting with mixed fear and shock by the time they got to Kreekh, who moved his head quickly to keep track of them. Hiphaeleon the beautiful gracefully pat the Ihokhetlani's arm on his way past. "Get to the river, rock man!" Kreekh stood his cumbersome body up, but Wass skidded to a halt. "Wait!" Wass shouted. He looked all around him. "Where's Phialu!?" Some k'nights slowed. "Keep going to the river!" Reph shouted. Wass breathed in and bellowed, "WHERE'S PHIALU!?!" With no answer, he ducked into a sprint back towards the clearing. "Shit." Reph bared his teeth. "Wassamuttu!" “No! Stop!” Anshumat screamed hoarsely at Wass as he took off, skidding into a tumble as they desperately redirected their weight to try and switch directions. “Don’t! There’s too many for one Selka!” Their tumble was halted with a violent impact with a tree, and they were back up in a flash, panting as they immediately picked up pace once again, this time back the way they came. Wass disappeared into the foliage. The demigod gave the rest one brief glance, yelling, “Keep going! Don’t look back!” Reph panted through his teeth, hesitating, before pointing his club at Anshumat. "See you at the river!" He said before running to follow the remaining k'nights. Anshumat’s muscles bulged out of the holes in their shell for finger joints, as they gripped their spear as tightly as possible. The ground skidded wildly by under them as they ran, roots and holes narrowly missed. “Wass! Come back!” Anshumat desperately screamed, their head wildly swinging about as they searched. Little flickers of Wass' essence peeked through the woods. Following the traces brought Anshumat to the edge of the clearing again. Nearest to him, in the clearing and to the right, Stixis brought all his draconic might down upon Ihokhurs all around him. His tail, claws, and teeth ripped the stone people from their footing and sent them flying. The Ihokhurs were given no quarter by his blindness. To the left, near the river, Yimbo took Ihokhurs into its mouth one or two at a time and either ground the stone to pieces between its teeth or took them back into the water, only to be thrashed about with such uncanny force as to be scattered to pieces like a clumps of flying dirt. In the centre was Gralph, now glowing with outward godly power in Anshumat's senses. The Ihokhurs gave the disguised god a wide berth, as every one that hazarded a swipe at the comparatively small overgrown selka was met by his speeding club and was shattered with unnatural strength. All three held something of a line. All three were gaining wounds slashed into their flesh by bladelike stone fingers and arms. But they were not Anshumat's objective. Along the edge of the clearing, the tiny red light of Wass' essence ran after an even more distant red essence; Phialu, trying to sneak around the commotion. A desperate breath welled in Anshumat’s throat, as they watched Wass plunge across the edge of the clearing. Such an obvious act was bound to gain the attention of the Ihokhurs, and the demigod felt terrified of such a thing. If any one of them took notice now, Wass would be too far away for Anshumat to catch up in time. Regardless, they broke back into their run. "Phialu!" Wass shouted foolishly. Phialu stopped and spun around, bow in hand. She saw Wass and her face twisted in dread. [i]Go back! Run![/i] She mouthed under the commotion. Wass kept closing the distance, just as Anshumat was closing the gap between him and them. They might catch him in time. But to their left, a group of at least twelve Ihokhurs thundered forward -- towards Phialu. Phialu froze for a crucial second before sprinting into the woods away from them. "NO!" Wass reached out. And Anshumat was on him. Anshumat began to skid again as they tried to grab hold of Wass’ clothes, to pull him back. Wass resisted. They screamed, “RUN! WASS, RUN!” With a wild jerk, they threw their spear at the lead Ihokhurs. The spear flew in an arc. It struck an Ihokhur on its head swiftly enough to cause the creature to flinch back, even if it pinged ineffectually off the stone. The movement brought the group to a halt. "No! Let go!" Wass grabbed Anshumat's hand and twisted them close, desperate and panicked. "Get Phialu! She's looking for survivors! She has to live! Please!" “You need to run! Now! You need to get out of here!” Anshumat yelled at them, glancing back at the Ihokhurs. They were closing in, but they split between both them and Phialu's retreat. “Just go! You can’t face these odds! I’m not letting you die here!” "This is my word!" Wass screamed back. "This is my desire! You said that should be enough! If you hold me in any regard you will [i]get her out alive![/i]" “I will, but you need to get out alive first! Please, go! Run!” Anshumat shook Wass, a moment later feeling the rush of air behind them. Anshumat instinctively sidestepped, letting go of Wass for just enough time to see him turn and look up upon death. There was a sickening crunch as the rocky fist descended downwards. Blood sprayed. Anshumat thought they felt themselves screaming, but they couldn’t be sure. Adrenaline hit and everything slowed. A golden fury lit in Anshumat’s veins and the demigod sicced themselves on the Ihokhurs like a rabid, cornered dog. Their strikes landed with the strength of a hundred Selka, the demigod smitten with the terrible fires of divine rage. Great blasts of force sent shattered rubble flying in exploded gouges from the wildly swiping and lumbering Ihokhurs. With great difficulty, they tried and failed to surround the darting divine or land a single solid blow. A third Ihokhur crumbled under their strikes. A fourth fell apart after half its torso was blown to pieces. Then time slowed down. Anshumat was barely out of the way of Gralph's feet as he flew in from the sky and slammed his club upon the dirt, causing a shockwave that blasted up a cloud of tree splinters and earth. Anshumat and all the Ihokhurs around them were thrown to the ground. Gralph immediately stomped up and tugged Anshumat up by the lapel of their robe. He was covered in black dust and his eyes burned with the fast-breathing rage of a blood god. [colour=Red][b]"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!?"[/b][/colour] he roared, pale sharp selka teeth shining. He did not let them answer. Gralph effortlessly threw Anshumat in a great arc. Anshumat flailed as they spiraled, desperately trying to keep eyes on Wass’ body. As it grew distant, the ground swallowed sight of it, and the violent battle around it ensured it wouldn’t be found again. Then the dirt rose up to meet the demigod’s body. With a plume of dust and horrific creaks of bodily strain, Anshumat cratered. Dazed, they laid low to the ground, no longer sure where they were. A groan escaped them, and they slowly lifted their head. They lay at the edge of the clearing, with no idea where Wass had once been. Their rage slowly bubbled again as they desperately surveyed the clearing for the body, and climbing to their feet, they bellowed at Gralph. An animalistic scream emerged from their jaw, split wide open, as they charged Gralph, driven by blind rage at the loss of Wass’ body. The Ihokhurs around Gralph were either dead or retreating, scattered and driven at the heels by Stixis and Yimbo. Gralph himself turned around just gradually enough to face Anshumat that his deep frown and wild eyes were their only warning. Anshumat was too far lost in their rage to care. In their hand emerged a gleaming lance of divine energy. Anshumat leaped forwards and drove the lance towards Gralph’s head. Then his head was not there. The world stopped. A crunch of crackling shell leapt from an impact that compressed Anshumat's midsection and sent their head and limbs flicking to a stop before them. Their body went limp, succumbing to a painfully winded paralysis as they hung suspended on Gralph's fist, planted firmly against their stomach. Gralph had ducked low. He spoke from below Anshumat's shoulder. [colour=Red][b]"That's enough, Anshumat,"[/b][/colour] he said, low and firm. Gralph then raised Anshumat up, and -- calmly this time -- threw the demigod across the air. Anshumat screamed one last curse at Gralph before all they could perceive was the rush of air. They spun wildly, unable to focus on any one thing, their world a hazy blur of movement. Then, before they had even seen or realized, the trees greeted the demigod with malice. Anshumat, for their part, smashed three of them before finally coming to a stop, their landing finally complete at the base of an old oak. Blood leaked from both Anshumat’s midsection and head. Their consciousness fell away. [hr] Muted water ran by their ears. They were cold, dangling in a current. They were pulled along. Dragged along. A female voice struggled. Rain fell in heavy droplets on leaves. Thunder rolled. A flash of light lit up in Anshumat's blind eyes. Natural, but sudden. They stirred and clutched a thoroughly bruised torso. "Don't move too much," the voice said. It was Phialu. "You're hurt pretty bad." Anshumat hoarsely murmured, “Wass?” "...He and you ran after me," she said, looking into a campfire between them. Her voice bounced off the walls of the cave around them. "I wasn't noticed until…" Another flash of lightning filled the cave with white for a split second. "You idiots just ran in…" She drew her knees up to her chest. "You drew them, you…" She pressed her face to her knees. "That idiot," she sobbed. Anshumat stirred slightly, the movement causing them to violently hack blood. Collapsing back down, they simply cried out, “Wass!” Phialu sucked in two sharp breaths. "After the rock men ran away...I couldn't find him." Anshumat let out a wordless sob. Above the clouds, thunder rolled without every lightning strike prompting as a blood god shattered more stone. [hr] [hider=Bish Bash Bosh] The k’nights go to a lake inland while being ambushed by reaperspawn a lot Huh what there’s nobody at the lake, how odd Anshumat discovers the remnants of a Selka village. Uh oh! “Hey everyone check out the lakebed lol” - gralph They uncover a mass of soulstones and dig it up to reveal an ihop rock His name is Kreekh and he missed out on the Thanos-snapping of all the evil ihop slaves Why? Because they buried him under the lakebed beforehand because they were dicks Kreekh rock is super thankful but no speak coastal selka After some greetings and drawings, ihop rock warns the group of evil ihop rocks They go after the evil ihop rocks The evil ihop rocks are found in a clearing a little way west The evil ihop rocks killed all the inland selka! Oh shit! Now gralph is throwing a fit at an absent Orvus and tells everyone to leave. Gralph gets his blinded dragon and a giant seal to help fight the evil ihop rocks Everyone runs, but then Wass realizes a k’night is missing and goes to get them Phialu in the meantime is sneaking around for survivors Anshumat chases after Wass, and finds him in the evil ihop rock clearing running at Phialu Some evil ihop rocks take notice and go towards Phialu Phialu fucks off and the evil ihop rocks go after Wass and Anshumat Anshumat tries to convince Wass to run away Anshumat then does a sneaky breeky dodge to avoid an evil ihop rock fist Wass is not so sneaky breeky Anshumat gets super upset and beats on the evil ihop rocks Gralph is still throwing a fit and throws Anshumat across the clearing like a big baby Anshumat comes back and tries to bully Gralph Gralph bullies Anshumat and throws the demigod even further, knocking them out Anshumat wakes up in a cave with Phialu and they angst Meanwhile, Kirron left the battle after scattering the evil ihop rocks to jump into the sky He bashes up some of the meteors before they can extinctify the east coast THE END [/hider] [hider=Might Summary] [i]Before:[/i] Kirron - Blood, Strength - 5 MP - 11 FP 0 MP: Various discounted acts of raw beatdown with Yimbo and Stixis' help against Ihokhurs to make them split up and scatter, slowing and spreading out their campaign. They are not defeated, only pushed back. -2 MP: Strength enhanced. To protect eastern Atokhekwoi from cataclysmic meteor impacts by breaking them up in the atmosphere with fists and headbutts. -1 FP: Bless the K'nights of Red Horizon to get back to Krasis Island with no further losses and in time to prepare for the Ihokhurs. [i]After:[/i] Kirron - Blood, Strength - 3 MP - 10 FP [i]Before:[/i] Anshumat - Hierarchy - 3 MP - 8 FP 0 MP - be anshumat [i]After:[/i] Anshumat - Hierarchy - 3 MP - 8 FP [i]Before:[/i] K'nights of Red Horizon, "The War Singers", "Who Have Faced Death and Lived" - 5 Prestige - 13 Members +1 Prestige for playing a minor role +1 Prestige for playing a major role +1 Prestige for collaboration -1 member. In memoriam: Wassamuttu the Swift. [i]After:[/i] K'nights of Red Horizon, "The War Singers", "Who Have Faced Death and Lived" - 8 Prestige - 12 Members [/hider]