|
Post by steampunkepsilon on Apr 18, 2010 16:24:39 GMT -5
SETCHER
Fight fire with fire...
Setcher's ears flickered as a distant, eerie wail echoed through the trees, and his back spines shot up. He whipped his head to the side, growling suddenly. Wolves. He had encountered them before, nasty, vile things that stoped at nearly nothing to get what they wanted -- usually their prey, or whatever they were fighting, dead. The wolves of Berk had been characteristically more aggressive than otehrs Setcher had known. He snarled, pupils turning to slits.
Another howl, much closer this time, sounded off through the forest, and Setcher let out a loud warning snarl. He turned and shoved his forehead against Thorgrim's back, pushing him forward, down the narrow foot-trail. He hated the wild monster dogs, and considering Thorgrim was alone and armed only with his sword, they would both be in deep if the wolves did decide to chance Setcher. He quickened his speed, ears twisting this way and that as the howls increased in number and volume. He hissed, the familiar blue-white flicks of electricity crackling around his nostrils. They were getting closer.
...Fight water with electricity
|
|
|
Post by Ӊ ӑ z ҿ on Apr 18, 2010 23:41:01 GMT -5
To be honest, Thorgrim had only faced down wolves once or twice before, and that was with many others by his side. He could handle one wolf, but a whole pack? No, they wouldn't stand a chance - and, judging by the howls, there was a whole pack of them. Thorgrim suddenly felt a shove at his back and instantly knew what Setcher wanted him to do. The young Viking broke out into a run down the foot-trail, mud and rainwater splashing out from underneath his feet. Vines and branches brushed past him, smothering him with dirt, leaves and water, but, right now, that really didn't bother him. Getting him and Setcher to safety did.
But where were the pair going? He continued running down the foot-trail, his head constantly spinning around to check his surroundings. The pack was definitely getting closer, and, judging from the direction of the wind, the wolves could smell their scent. They were hunting. Keeping a fast running pace, Thorgrim turned to Setcher.
"Where are we going?!" [/blockquote][/blockquote][/color][/b][/center]
|
|
|
Post by steampunkepsilon on Apr 18, 2010 23:50:15 GMT -5
SETCHER
Fight fire with fire...
Setcher slinked through the underbrush beside Throgrim, glancing at him with helplessness in his eyes for a split second. He had no idea, no plan. They were running. That was really all they could do, unless they both wanted to get killed. The wolves wouldn't let them go alive. He'd seen them take down dragons befoe -- mature, prime, healthy dragons.
The howls echoed between one side and the other, throwing him off as they ran through the shadow-laden wood. He looked back, then forward, and let out a screech. Setcher skidded to a stop, lashing out and snatching Throgrim by the back of his fur sharply, barely keeping him from flying off the edge of a deep ditch, the slopes mud and stone and nothing else. The dragon looked around, swallowing and tensing. The howls fell silent, a sudden, voracious growl replacing them. There was a loud snap, the underbrush rustling ahead.
Setcher snarled sharply as the bristling animals appeared one by one from the brush, ten or twelve of them at least, growling at the human and the dragon with malice in their eyes. It was a bad place to be trapped -- trees all around, nothing to climb up that the wolves couldn't eventually get them out of, and a sheer drop at their backs. It was fight or die. Setcher's spines flickered and straightened, like a porcupine on the defensive. His wings rustled with a loud metallic scrape, and he flared them out as wide as possible, hissing. Sparks flicked from his open mouth. The wolves nearest to him snarled in reply, bristling and tense, prepared to attack. He curled his tail to the side, nudging Thorgrim back and letting out a warning snarl. They were dead. So very, very dead.
...Fight water with electricity
|
|
|
Post by Ӊ ӑ z ҿ on Apr 19, 2010 8:24:08 GMT -5
Hearing no response, Thorgrim turned his head to face Setcher, a confused and, at the same time, slightly fearful expression clearly on his face. He saw the indecisiveness and helplessness in the dragon's eyes, and a pang of fear rang through him. Things certainly were not looking good, and Thorgrim could only wonder what could happen if things went badly. Both of their lives were involved in this - it was up to them to work as a team now.
Howls resonated forth from the deep shadows of the forest nearby, and another surge of adrenaline bolted through Thorgrim. Suddenly, he heard Setcher screech and felt himself being pulled back, just a few steps away from plummeting to his death. He let out a gasp of surprise, and spun around. He would've thanked Setcher for saving his life, but that would have to come later - far more pressing things were at hand. One by one, the pack of wolves emerged, ravenous, hungry and aggressive. Drool and pit poured from their growling mouths, and their foul breaths filled the air. Thorgrim felt Setcher nudge himself back, but he was not going to let these wolves hurt anybody. Especially Setcher.
A dull ring sounded through the air as Thorgrim drew his longsword, raising it high above his head and ready to strike. The first of the wolves - large, and probably the boldest out of the entire pack - broke formation and charged. Thorgrim was ready. As the wolf leapt, Thorgrim swung, and steel collided with flesh. A pained howl rang through the air, and a spurt of scarlet blood splattered nearby. The wolf fell to the ground, crying and writhing madly.
But that wasn't the last of them, and this only served to anger them further. Three more charged, scrambling to get at Setcher. Thorgrim leapt in front of the dragon and, as the first to arrive leapt, used all the strength in both of his arms to knock the wolf to the side. The other two leapt and brought Thorgrim down, snarling viciously and tearing at Thorgrim's clothes, trying to get to the vital arteries in his neck to spill his blood and end his life. Grunting, Thorgrim tried to kick them off. The rest of the pack began closing in...
[/blockquote][/blockquote][/color]
|
|
|
Post by steampunkepsilon on Apr 19, 2010 8:38:03 GMT -5
SETCHER
Fight fire with fire...
Setcher watched as the first wolf was dispatched, throwing the rest of them into a fit of violence. The boy managed to bring another snarlign attacker down, before two more sent him to the ground. Setcher's eyes slitted, mind focused on one thing and one thing only -- they were going to kill Thorgrim. And he wasn't going to let that happen.
With a sudden, loud screech, the dragon barreled forward and slammed his head into the wolves, knocking both of them aside and stepping over Throgrim, snarling. The wolves scrambled back to their feet, bristling and slowly creeping towards him, slime oozing from between the fangs that peeked out of their mouths. Granted, Setcher was bigger -- bigger than one or two of them, at least. But there were still at least eight to deal with. Very, very unpleasant numbers.
Two of the animals circled to the side, eyeing Thorgrim voraciously and snarling at him. One lunged, claws out and jaws slavering for a taste of blood. Setcher screamed, smacking his claws against the side of the wolf's head and throwing it down. It didn't get back up. One down, still seven to go... at least. Turning bak towards the rest of them, Setcher was suddenly struck by a sharp, throbbing pain as one of the wolves jumped him, teeth latching onto his neck and throwing him back slightly. Another dove between his forefeet and grabbed ahold of Thorgrim's coat, dragging him out from beneath the dragon and alerting the attention of the others. Three of them bristled and went for the boy. Setcher screamed again, trying to tear the wolf away and eventually shaking it off, then lunging at one of the wolves and grabbing it in his jaws, flinging it down the slope. He turned and screamed a third time at the other wolves, two of them stalking towards him. He snarled -- he would deal with them, if it would get the attention away from Thorgrim.
...Fight water with electricity
|
|
|
Post by Ӊ ӑ z ҿ on Apr 19, 2010 8:55:15 GMT -5
As the wolves viciously tore at Thorgrim, he felt one of them maul his shoulder, and he felt warm blood flowing down his skin. He wondered if they would succeed in their goal; killing him. If they did, then he would only wish one thing: that Setcher get away safely. He grabbed one by the throat, trying to push it off. Suddenly, he heard a loud screech and, before he knew what was going on, the two wolves were knocked aside by Setcher. Never before had he felt such relief, but it was not over yet.
He glanced at his shoulder - it was bleeding badly, but that was not something to worry about right now. Suddenly, he felt something bite into his shirt and try to pry him from under Setcher and he let fly a punch which glanced off the wolf's mouth, sending one or two of the wolf's teeth with it. He rolled back onto his stomach and, looking up, saw three of the wolves coming for him. But they never reached him, for, once again, he was saved by a timely intervention by Setcher. Another scream sounded through the air, and Thorgrim leapt up, back onto his feet and ready to fight.
They began circling around the duo, only a few left, but the odds were still deadly. One of them charged at Thorgrim, latching onto his arm with its teeth. Crying out slightly in pain, Thorgrim used all his strength to spin around and throw the wolf down the slope. There were only four or five of them now. Clutching his longsword with his good arm, his eyes narrowed. The wolves were intelligent hunters, and that meant that it wouldn't take killing all of them to send them away. Perhaps they'd get the message that Thorgrim and Setcher were too hard to fight when together.
Another one charged and Thorgrim caught it in mid-air. It lashed out fiercely, biting into his chest, but this didn't deter Thorgrim, who instantly planted his longsword into its neck, dropping it onto the ground. Thorgrim stumbled back slightly, his mind screaming with pain, but he wouldn't give up.
[/blockquote][/blockquote][/color]
|
|
|
Post by steampunkepsilon on Apr 19, 2010 9:08:16 GMT -5
SETCHER
Fight fire with fire...
Setcher snarled again, grabbing a wolf as it lunged towards him and shoving it aside with a pained wince. He had to get Thorgrim out of here, now -- but where? no way to run, the ditch was too steep and the wolves would be able to track them on the ground far too easily. It would be impossible to hide from them... and to add to that, they were already too far from the cliff to run there and beat the wolves to the shelter. The things were huge, and almost as fast as Setcher on a regular basis. And Setcher injured? He wouldn't doubt they could overtake him and the boy But if they couldn't run, couldn't hide, couldn't fight forever, what in the name of Odin--
Setcher froze for a split second. Yes, it could work. He'd be sore beyond belief later.... but it was far better than being dead. Avoiding a collision with one of the wolves as it snarled and leapt at him, he turned sharply and knocked aside another wolf bearing down on Thorgrim. Reaching down and latching is jaws around the human, he wheeled around and charged straight towards the incline. He winced sharply, feeling one of the wolves latch onto his ankle. It wanted along for the ride? Fine. Let it fall and get itself killed.
He ducked his head down, wary of the boy he was holding, and suddenly lunged off the cliff. It was silent for a moment, slow-motion as they soared through the air. Setcher waited a split second, then snapped his wings out and slammed them downwards, gaining speed and lift. The wolf dropped with a cry and then a thud, and then silence, and Setcher dodged and swifted through the trees as best he could until he managed to get up above the forest. He reached up with his forepaws and took Thorgrim from his mouth, nudging him back towards his neck. If he could at least hold on, they might survive this with some grace. the wolves were watching, he could still hear them running after the dragon, even as high as he was. Unless they realized his stubborness, they would find them. This only bought them time.
...Fight water with electricity
|
|
|
Post by Ӊ ӑ z ҿ on Apr 19, 2010 14:15:44 GMT -5
The situation looked hopeless. It seemed that, for every wolf knocked down, another one was more than eager to take its place. Or maybe even two. Thorgrim desperately hoped that he or Setcher would come up with a plan soon - they wouldn't be able to keep this up forever, and, already, Thorgrim was beginning to feel the fatigue this combat was placing upon him. And, before he knew it, it appeared that Setcher had come up with one.
He was surprised at first, as he felt jaws clench around him, and he had to resist panicking. What the heck was Setcher doing? Surely he was not trying to kill him! Thorgrim stared at Setcher with wide eyes, with a fearful expression that almost said "what are you doing?!" He then realized that Setcher was saving them both - he was flying. Thorgrim couldn't believe it. He thought his wounds had not healed yet. But they hadn't. Thorgrim grew worried at how Setcher's wounds would feel afterwards.
Thorgrim soon felt himself being nudged onto Setcher's neck, and, weakly, he complied, sitting on Setcher's neck, barely holding tight onto the dragon's neck with his good arm. He could feel warm blood still flowing down his arm, and he was beginning to grow weak from blood loss, but that didn't bother him right now. He wanted to get to safety - no, he wanted Setcher to get to safety. Thorgrim, despite being weaker, stood a greater chance of survival in the sense that he could return to the village. Setcher was more vulnerable. But, right now, going back to the village wasn't one of his intentions.
[/size] "Go..." he squinted, trying to clear his head and ignore the pain he was feeling, "...the cave! They can't reach us there..."[/blockquote][/blockquote][/color][/b][/center]
|
|
|
Post by steampunkepsilon on Apr 19, 2010 19:39:58 GMT -5
SETCHER
Fight fire with fire...
He was building height, painfully slowly, though. At the boy's suggestion, Setcher winced and glanced back at Throgrim, giving him a look of concern at his bleeding shoulder and sharply slanting to the left, turning towards the cavern again. He winced as his wing was stabbed by a throbbing pain, the gash still pained from the day before, but he forced himself to ignore it as the rain thickened. Lookign down and spotting the few wolves that remained skid to a stop and look around in wild, angry confusion, he snarled under his breath. He was tiring already, he knew it wouldn't be long before his wings gave out on him -- he hoped that he would be able to reach the cliffside before that happened.
He forced himself to gain a couple of feet of lift, pushing as fast as he could and trying to fly straight. The wind was picking up, though, making it both difficult to manuever as well as see now that the rain was falling at an angle. The wolves were scrambling back and trying to follow him visually, though thankfully it didn't seem to be working. The trees, the wind, and the rain may just be their saving grace...
The cliffside loomed up ahead, Setcher forcing his wings to pump faster, flattening his limbs back and soaring straight towards the crag in the rock. The wolves howled after them, but the nosie died out as a loud crackle of thunder rumbled over the ocean and the island. He could clearly see the cave now, the cliff beneath it slick from the downpour and inaccessible from the ground by anything that couldn't fly. He took a deep breath, tensing and preparing to make a very rough landing. He snapped his wings flat against his body at the last moment, leaping out of the air into the cavern and immediately pitching to the side as his forepaw slipped on the outer edges of drenched stone. He rolled once and jerked himself to a stop breathing heavily and blinking dazedly, then lifting his head and looking around for Thorgrim. He hadn't fallen off, had he...? Setcher's throat tightened and he let out a low growl, shaking his head to rid his eyes of the water that had dripped down his face. Thorgrim....
...Fight water with electricity
|
|
|
Post by Ӊ ӑ z ҿ on Apr 20, 2010 7:50:42 GMT -5
The thick downpour of rain pattered against Thorgrim and Setcher as the duo flew higher. Thorgrim glanced down at the forest below him - they were quite high. High enough for them to escape to the cave. But he was worried about Setcher - would the dragon hold out until then? And, even more importantly, would he be alright? He figured only time would tell, and that he could do very little in his current situation to help. Another wave of vertigo overcame Thorgrim, and he bent down, his vision going blurry, and shutting his eyes. He could hear the wolves howling, but the sound ended with a sudden clap of thunder.
Suddenly, Thorgrim felt impact as Setcher crash-landed, and he was flung a further into the cave, hitting the ground rolling. He collided with the far side of the wall, where he lay on his back for a few seconds, motionless and stunned. Slowly, he tried pushing himself back to his feet, letting out a groan of pain, but his arms gave up underneath him and he collapsed. Panting, he tried again - this time with much more effort, fueled by adrenaline. This time he succeeded in getting himself onto his feet. As he stood up, he suddenly felt dizzy and nauseous, and he had to prop himself up against the cave wall to prevent himself falling down again. It was hard to believe what had just happened - it felt just like a dream, but, sadly, it was all too obvious this was none other than reality.
Clutching his arm, he limped over to Setcher, worry evident on his face. He had to make sure Setcher was alright. He clamped his hand of his shoulder wound, trying to slow the bleeding, but, right now, his own wounds were none of his concern, only the welfare of Setcher.
[/size] "Setcher!...Are you okay?" [/blockquote][/blockquote][/color][/b][/center]
|
|
|
Post by steampunkepsilon on Apr 20, 2010 8:01:44 GMT -5
SETCHER
Fight fire with fire...
Setcher's ears snapped back and he turned his head, blinking and seeing Thorgrim moving towards him, pain obvious on his face. His shoulder was bleeding profusely, and it seemed he had taken the more violent side of the fight. Setcher growled quietly, rising to his feet a little waveringly and holding his head out towards Thorgrim, pressing his forehead to the human's chest gently. Compared to the boy's wounds, size and weight-wise, all Setcher had was a couple of bleeding bite marks around his neck and some bruising. Thorgrim needed to rest, and he needed to get back to his villlage as soon as possible. Setcher could at least help him with one of those.
Moving his head back slightly, Setcher shifted, curling his wings up against him and lying with his back facing the cavern. He took the edge of Thorgrim's coat in his teeth, tugging him forward carefully so as not to make the boy fall, and curled his forepaws out in front of him in a crooked circle.
...Fight water with electricity
|
|
|
Post by Ӊ ӑ z ҿ on Apr 20, 2010 8:17:17 GMT -5
Seeing Setcher simply lying there had sparked a suprising amount of concern in Thorgrim. He couldn't bear to think what would have happened - or how he would've felt - if the dragon had died. A glow of joy illuminated within him when he saw Setcher move, and Thorgrim gently embraced Setcher's head as he pressed it against his chest. It surprised the young Viking boy how they had gotten through what they had just been through. He knew of quite a few occasions where people were picked off by wolves, and never seen again. They were lucky, but it had been Setcher to save them both, and Thorgrim would be forever grateful.
Another wave of dizziness passed over Thorgrim, but a small tug pulled him out from the sudden vertigo, but he could still feel it plaguing his body. He stumbled slightly and fell upon Setcher's forepaws. It was then he realized that Setcher was helping him rest. For a few seconds, he felt like protesting with a stubborn "It's fine, I'm okay," but he knew that wasn't the real truth. Rolling over to lie on his back, he rested his head backwards and shut his eyes, slowly feeling relaxation overcoming his body.
[/size] "Thank you." [/blockquote][/blockquote][/color][/b][/center]
|
|
|
Post by steampunkepsilon on Apr 20, 2010 8:24:56 GMT -5
SETCHER
Fight fire with fire...
Setcher shifted the boy slightly, pulling his good wing up and covering him like a blanket with it. They had survived, which was both a miracle and slightly surreal to Setcher, considering he felt like he'd just barreled through a rockslide, but he wasn't complaining. He wanted Thorgrim to rest, and hopefully once the weather lightened up, they could get him back to the village and get his wounds treated properly.
Leaning down slightly, Setcher sniffed his shoulder tentatively, staring at the tears in the fabric and the blood for a long moment, brow furrowed. He nudged at the fur and moved it away, gently blowing cool air onto the wound, though he wasn't sure how much that would help. He paused, then licked away some of the blood, trying not to scrape along the gashes too closely for fear of only causing the human more pain. He was relieved that Thorgrim had survived, but worry preceeded it.
...Fight water with electricity
|
|
|
Post by Ӊ ӑ z ҿ on Apr 20, 2010 8:43:40 GMT -5
As Thorgrim lay in the safety of Setcher's presence, he slowly felt sleep begin to grasp on him. He could still feel the adrenaline pulsing through his veins, but all the stress - all the tension - was slowly beginning to subside, being replaced by a fatigued exhaustion. He could still hear the wolves howling and barking inside his head, and he could still feel their strong jaws. He shivered. But he knew that, when he got older and became a true warrior, he would have to face things worse. Far worse. And then sleep took him.
»» 30 Minutes Later ««
Thorgrim awoke, his eyes flickering open. For a few seconds, he wondered where he was. It took him a short period of time to realize he was in the grasp of his one true friend; Setcher. It was strange; when he awoke, he had felt safer than in any place he had ever been before. For a few seconds, he just lay there, reflecting upon the thoughts and things that had previously took place. He wondered where the wolves were now - they should've given up searching for their lost prey, and probably learnt a powerful lesson at the same time. He smirked. Come to think of it, it was strange - how he and Setcher were always looking out for each other.
He slowly stood up and looked outside. It wasn't raining as badly as it had been, and the small drizzle that remained was already starting to clear up. But Thorgrim couldn't return to the village just yet. The rocks were still too slippery to climb down, and there was no telling where the wolves were currently. He sat on a rock near the entrance, staring into the horizon, as if contemplating what to do next.[/blockquote][/blockquote][/color]
|
|
|
Post by steampunkepsilon on Apr 20, 2010 8:50:28 GMT -5
SETCHER
Fight fire with fire...
Setcher had fallen fast asleep in the last half an hour, curled up loosely and sleeping contentedly. His neck had long stopped bleeding, images of the wolves, the storm, and an unnecessary amount of blood going through his dazed brain. He was exhausted and sore, but he was grateful that both of them were alive at least, even if they had been injured in the brawl. He felt the human shift and then disappear from his forepaws, but remained unconcious. He twitched, curling up more tightly with Thorgrim's absence and letting out a long sigh, and after another five or ten minutes he twitched again, one eyelid sliding open. he blinked slowly, lifting his head nad wincing, then looking around.
...Fight water with electricity
|
|