[+ ebonite +]

So let it be written
So let it be done
The brighter they shine
The darker we become
VAE VICTUS, ABOMINATION

There was no end to Respira's amusement. It was fascinating - the amount of equines out there willing to risk their own hide and hair for some pitiful slave because they thought they could do some good in the world. There were several equines who had attempted it - Allegro and Danse Macabre to name a few. Unfortunately, those particular transactions had failed, and poor dear Caramel, Rozene and Suri Keeya continued to rot in their slave cells. At least Caramel had been put out of her misery several weeks ago by Respira's own hand. And with her demise, she had left behind three little children. One of those said children, was being challenged for. Emrys was his name and he was by far, the softest one out of the bunch. Honeysuckle was strong and level headed, and Guinevere was an acid tongued, fiery warrioress who enjoyed fights. Respira had been both pleased and impressed with the two of them, but Emrys was another story. The palomino Helkaer was determined to convert him and force him to be like his sisters, but if he did not conform, he would simply remain a slave for the rest of his life. His sisters would advance out of the cells and become regular members of the herd, while he rotted away behind bars. It was ultimately his choice. The little tyke might even be pleased that someone was challenging for his freedom, but Respira wasn't about to let him slip away that easily. Fighting over a slave wasn't the best use of her time, but she could always use the practice.

She was merely dozing now as these thoughts danced in her head. With a grunt, Respira heaved herself upward, tossing her skull and stretching her limbs. The cave walls around her were soft and dark, and the Helkaer mare regretted leaving them. Castle was no longer beside her, but she wasn't alarmed. His insomnia usually prevented him from getting any sleep. Now that he was a member of her herd, he'd probably decided to get up and do a quick border patrol. She'd told him about the battle last night, and as usual, he wished her good luck. Respira was quite familiar with the battlegrounds. She'd been there five times before. Four times she had come back victorious and only one time had she been at a loss. However, that loss had been her first battle, and she had been inexperienced - not to mention her situation then was far, far different than what it was now. Back then she had been mated to Black Ice, with tiny Sweet Sacrifice by her side. Oh, how the times had changed.

The day was crisp as Respira trotted up the makeshift staircase and out into the open. As per usual, Toxin Raj was overcast with a blanket of clouds. Respira breathed in the fresh breeze and set about, looking for her Guard, Atreyu. The whole herd was aware of the challenge - Respira saw no need to keep the information from them. She only needed to let the shire cross know that she was leaving. She was not worried about the herd in her absence - they were quite capable of taking care of themselves. She spotted Atreyu a little ways off, grazing in the few healthy fields of grass Toxin Raj contained. All she needed to do was glance at the border of her lands and Atreyu nodded his head in understanding. She and Atreyu had lived long enough together to the point where there was no need for words. Ironically enough, the tall stallion had been one of her first successful steals as a Helkaer. However, he had not bitched and cried about being stolen - instead he had looked at it as an opportunity. He was now one of the highest ranked members of her herd, and one of her dearest friends. She crossed the border of her lands, setting her pace at a brisk canter. The sooner this was over with, the sooner she could worry about more important things.

It took a decent amount of time to get to the battlegrounds from Toxin Raj, but when Respira arrived, she saw no evidence that her opponent had already arrived. Respira didn't know much about her - only that was a Light mare named Fawn who had recently acquired a herd. The Helkaer mare always did her research before confronting or dealing with anyone. Respira only hoped that the precious Light Queen had done research of her own. Respira was not someone to be taken lightly. She was the most experienced member of the Helkaer other than Romeo himself. She had a total of ten successful steals to her name, and five previous battles under her. She had no sense of honor. Respira was a dirty, tricky fighter. Nothing was below or above her. Respira would attack the nether regions of her opponents to damage them if that's what it took, or if the opportunity presented itself. She wanted a good fight to come out of this challenge, and if Fawn came unprepared, she'd better hope that she had a few good herd members to take care of her when this fight was over. A fight was a fight, and Respira would treat anyone who challenged her the same. There would be no excuses. Respira was unforgiving.

Because she had been the first to arrive, Respira contented herself in choosing the battle turf where they would be fighting. She walked across the area for several minutes, surveying the best places. The terrain types in the battlegrounds did not vary by much - the battlegrounds themselves were a vast desert covered in sand, and dry, cracked Earth. Only at the edges were there trees and sparse vegetation. Respira paused in a slightly rocky area, with cracked Earth beneath her hooves and nothing green in sight. It was flat, but far from being smooth. The cracks in the Earth created lumps and shallow crevices that would make landing and sticking attacks more difficult. There were a few scattered lumps of rock half-buried beneath the dirt. Respira shrugged a single shoulder blade to herself and decided that this was as good a place as any. She flicked her flaxen tassel against her rump, twisting her neck to survey the surrounding area. There were no other equines in sight, but in the far distance, she could hear the noises of battle. She smirked, scraping a hoof absently against the cracked ground. Now, all she had to do was wait for the Light Queen to show her face.

Name- Respira/Yvette
Breed- Appaloosa x Andalusian x Arabian x Mustang x Thoroughbred
Age- Nine
Gender- Female
Height- 16 hands
Alliance- Dark
Health- 100%
Terms- Two hits, zero dodges. Five days to reply. Winner keeps Emrys, played by Misty.

Hits- one two
Attacks- none
Injuries- none

status complete
muse decent
count 1136
notes none
lyrics nein by otep
tagged @snowy with fawn

Speech

[Deleted]

--    ---    ---    ---    ---    ---    ---    ---    ---    ---    ---    ---    ---    ---    ---    ---    ---    ---    -- [❤] Yvette. The very mention of the name, spat like a curse upon the ground, was usually enough to send even the bravest of souls racing for the hills. It didn't matter who you were, or what your rank was. Everyone ran from even the merest mention of the Helkaer Major. So perhaps it was a little more than out of character that this challenge to that same Helkaer was coming from Fawn herself. Even at a glance the new Queen was hardly anything to be taken seriously. Barely reaching the point of thirteen hands in height and just as flighty as her namesake. Hardly a warrior in any respect. But to be fair the mustang-pony mix had not planned this endeavor in any length. What was suppose to be a simple first steal had turned into something far bigger and potentially more damaging in the long run. And Lord Eros knew it would be a fierce struggle just to keep her head above whatever flood she'd just unleashed. There was no doubt to any who took a single glance between the combatants that Yvette held the advantage. She was physically stronger, taller, and trained for this sort of sport. Fawn on the other hand had not even lifted a talon with any intent of harm. Today that would have to change. Completely. If Fawn was to get what she wanted she would have to dirty herself to get it, making enemies with the Helkaer while she was at it. But in spite of the possible consequences the action of challenging itself was well worth the risks. To lose was a possibly, but it was one Fawn would not seek to entertain for long. To win, however unlikely the prospect was, was to give freedom to a young soul who certainly deserved much better than what he'd received. Emrys. She'd never met him before, nor his deceased mother, but that had not stopped her from attempting to snatch him away from fate's cruelty. Through the grapevine she'd learned of the little sweet-hearted colt. How he didn't fit in with the rest of the Helkaer herd, how different he was from his sisters. It was amazing what one could hear if you just listened... okay, yeah it was from behind a few bushes, but hey! Those dark stags were huge, after all. From the safety of her forested homeland, Fawn lay curled up in her makeshift nest beneath a weeping willow. Flaxen locks caught in a breath of air tickled at her face and serpentine, playing over her brown lanterns as she retreated deep into her thoughts. This would be her first battle. Her first time stepping out into the open in a way she'd never thought to do so before. More than once she'd thought of backing out. Thought of disappearing back into her little woodland roam and just forgetting about the challenge altogether. But every time she did the little face of Emrys would flash in front of her. The face she had imagined from what she'd been told about the little boy. Small, black, and completely undeserving of the chains that bound him. How could she ever think to leave that little boy there all alone without at least trying? That was the sole reason that drove her to complete this kamikaze mission. The only reason she even made herself stand up from her cozy nest and step out of the thick forest and into the open. Before leaving she made sure to tell her small herd, only three members strong not including herself, what was happening and to not worry about what might or might not happen. Saint Francis would be in charge until she returned, and to him would be given charge of the protection of Lullaby and Miracle. In truth she wasn't sure she could trust this Yvette to not try something. She'd never met nor took much time to learn about the woman. All she knew was that Yvette was a Helkaer, was a palomino mare of sixteen hands, and naturally followed the dark alliance loyally. And in Fawn's mind that was more than enough to air on the side of caution. It was only after making sure her herd members would be secure in her absence that Fawn dared to step outside of Saltus Perennis' borders and head for the battlegrounds. The little woman set her gait at a medium paced canter, her mustang blood giving her the stamina needed for the jog to the bloodstained fields. Her stride carried her far and within no time she stepped from soft emerald grass carpets and onto hard dry ground. Panting out a breath the woman blinked up at her surroundings, swinging her dial to and fro in morbid curiosity. All around her she could hear the faint sounds of other wars being waged. Other fighters taking these different rings to slice into each other for homeland, for members, and for honor. The land itself was something to behold as well. Although the air was heavy with the scent of moisture the ground itself remained harder than stone, cracking and breaking into pieces bit by bit. It was as though no water could get through to the earth... how strange. Fawn did not remain too long in her thoughts, and with a soft sigh the little mare trudged forward, tassel whipping at her spotted flank anxiously. There was no doubt in her mind that this was something she would not walk away from unscathed. And while that thought was disconcerting she still pushed towards the scent of Yvette. Being the first on the field, Yvette would naturally have the choice of the battlefield they'd do combat on... and boy what a field this was. All rocks and cracks and lumps against a flat surface that would most definitely present problems for the two fighters. But as this was Fawn's first fight, she really didn't know whether it would be alright to complain or not. Orbs glanced around the area quickly, spotting the palomino figure nearby with ease. Okay, there was Yvette... now what? --    ---    ---    ---    ---    ---    ---    ---    ---    ---    ---    ---    ---    ---    ---    ---    ---    ---    -- words: 1035 tagged: + ebonite + & yvette/respira rules of the fight: two hits, zero dodges. victor takes emrys, played by misty. time limit: five days. name: fawn breed: mustang x pony of america age: 3 gender: mare height: 13hh alliance: light health: 100% physical // 100% mental attack(s): two - no attacks used, battle not started. first attack is given to respira and ebon.

[+ ebonite +]

Your head upon a stick
Would look really sick
But they would call me crazy
For the way I spoke to it

Respira's jaws gaped in a yawn as she continued to scrape her hoof against the rough surface of the Earth. She was willing enough to be patient for the mare, but it would not surprise her if the Light vixen decided not to show. Who knew though - perhaps this femmora was a Light with hardy battle experience. Respira smirked at this. That would make it all the more interesting. Respira knew it was dangerous to underestimate her opponent, but it wasn't often that she came across a Light with enough backbone to take her on. Only one member of the Light alliance had done it. His name was Lucas, and he'd been an object of one of her many steals. However, instead of throwing a bitch fit like most stolen equines did, he simply did what he was told, and even offered her gestures of respect when she had not expected him to. For that reason, and that reason alone, she had offered him a deal for his release. Respira was not the monster many horses liked to believe her to be. Her Helkaer label contained so many negative stereotypes and connotations. With the right amount of respect and leverage, the palomino Helkaer was quite inclined to be civil and reasonable. Her hunger for business deals and trades was the most important advantage her opponents had. If Fawn had simply come to Toxin Raj with a trade or deal in mind, things would be going much differently than this. Respira liked business far better than battles - but Fawn had chosen the latter and the latter she would get. Respira's blackened opticals narrowed as she scanned the surrounding terrain, still worrying the dirt beneath her legs with her hoof.

Respira pricked her harks as she saw movement along the horizon. Her hoof stopped, and she immediately scrutinized the figure as it came closer. When it did not wander from its path toward her, she ruled that this must be Fawn. She was intricately colored - an appaloosa, if Respira wasn't mistaken. She reminded the Helkaer of her distant family ties. Respira could see that she was slight, but she had not been expecting her to be this slight. As she neared Respira, the Helkaer mare had to look down upon her, because Fawn was three hands shorter than Respira was. Disappointing. Respira snorted with abrasive laughter. This was her opponent? She was a ragdoll! A pixie! "What a cute little pixie you are." She said, her lyrics dripping with venom. Respira did not see any scars riddled on her hide. Scars were usually the tell-tale way of finding out whether someone was battle experienced. Judging by that, Respira reckoned that this pixie had not fought in anything in her life. Unless she had somehow escaped a fight without scars, which Respira sincerely doubted. Fawn was considerably shorter than most of the equine population. Height did not always win battles, but being three hands shorter than your opponent was a considerable disadvantage. Respira was not used to facing someone of such a small stature, but she would enjoy this experience very much. Her lips coiled in a wicked smirk. Oh, she would thrash this little pixie around and teach her a lesson. She would regret making this challenge with every painful breath and drop of blood.

She was surprised Fawn didn't make the first attack, and simply stood there waiting. The smarter move would have been for her to take her brief element of surprise and attack the Helkaer mare first. But it seemed she had given up that privilege. Ah well. It seemed she had a lot to learn. It took only a sweep of her gaze, and brief, momentary judgment for Respira to gage her first attack. Because of Fawn's short stature, Respira didn't need to strategize a whole lot - her height advantage would make any attack very effective. Reaching down to rough up her legs might prove difficult, but an attack like that was worthless when she could simply cave in her face. With only a quick intake of breath, Respira launched herself at Fawn without any preamble. Her harks pinned back to her skull as she rushed the small femmora, her hooves finding a balance on the rough terrain. Just as she reached Fawn, her ivories gaped outward, searching for the flesh of Fawn's nape, hoping to grasp it enough to tear a gash. However, Respira didn't stop. She continued her momentum, hoping to both tear a gash in Fawn's neck as well as knock the femmora over. She would bring this bitch to her knees. After Respira executed her attack, she twisted her body to face her original position. She took several paces away from Fawn, only wanting to retreat a couple of feet away. The ground was unforgiving to her legs, and she felt a rock wrench one of her feet painfully. She cursed under her breath as pain shot up her leg. Her opticals narrowed as she turned back, waiting for the dust to clear, trying to see whether or not her attack had landed the way she'd intended.

Name- Respira
Breed- Appaloosa x Andalusian x Arabian x Mustang x Thoroughbred
Age- Nine
Gender- Female
Height- 16 hands
Alliance- Dark
Health- 95% physically, 100% mentally
Terms- Two hits, zero dodges. Five days to reply. Winner keeps Emrys, played by Misty.

Hits- one two
Attacks-
1) Ran at Fawn, aiming for her side. Reached out to tear a gash in her nape and continued to run, hoping to knock her over.

Injuries-
1) Wrenched one of her feet on a rock

status complete
muse good
count 876
notes none
lyrics apex predator by otep
tagged @snowy with fawn

Speech

[Deleted]

--    ---    ---    ---    ---    ---    ---    ---    ---    ---    ---    ---    ---    ---    ---    ---    ---    ---    -- [❤] Thirteen hands high. Just fifty-two inches off the earth. In these unforgiving lands of open wilderness there truly wasn't anything impressive or intimidating about such a height. The ones that seemed to garner the most respect and fear were those who towered over their fellows in both literal and figurative senses. And here in the fields of war it would seem that stature would give a most helpful advantage to a gladiator or amazon looking for a way to slake to their blood lust. But as much as height could be a blessing, it could also be curse. Fawn knew this well. Had not her stature saved her from the wandering gaze of many a impure beast? Had it not kept her hidden from the elements of nature when the only shelter was a small sliver of a tree or a tiny opening in a rock's face? You had to do with what you had. And what Fawn had was 'small'. Without doubt this would be what would help her win this war she'd waged... if she ever could figure out how exactly to wage it. Soft brown hues stared up - far up - to the 16hh Helkaer queen and blinked. So, this was the feared Yvette. Fawn had to admit the golden vixen was quite lovely. Or she could be if she just smiled like she meant it. Shimmering palomino shades covered the Helkaer's coat. The color was set off beautifully by silver silks that seemed to have life of their own whenever Yvette moved. Resting upon Yvette's brow lay a distinctive single star, almost perfectly shaped like a gemstone. Yes, very lovely. So much so that Fawn almost felt self-conscious about her own appearance. At least until that dark laugh rolled from her vocals that was. Tension and nervousness rolled through the stocky little queen like a wave when Yvette spoke, cruel and venomous like the hiss of a serpent. "What a cute little pixie you are." ...Pixie? Was that supposed to belittle her? Or was it a compliment in disguise? Fawn had been called cute before by a few beings - mare and stallion alike. But then the scariest smirk crossed Yvette's maw and suddenly every muscle in the little figurine turned to solid stone. Pondering and thought ceased to exist the moment the golden amazon surged forward against the rocky ground. The clasp of hard talons against the sharp stones stung in Fawn's painfully erect audits. A signal of danger that screamed at her to run, to dodge, to do something that her frozen bodice would not allow her to do. Yvette's rushing form thundered ever closer and all Fawn could do was stare in wide eyed horror. Ivory flashed before her right view screen and movement returned in with a flourish. Yvette approached the right; Fawn flung herself to the left just at the last second. But it was not quick enough to stay the pierce of ivories that sunk into her nape. The Queen of Saltus Perennis squealed in pain as a large gash of flesh was ripped from her, the Helkaer's momentum tearing the injury across her nape like a bandage being ripped from a wound. Hooves clattered against the stony ground for purchase. Chocolate colored lanterns wide with fright. All of Fawn's instincts told her to run. Flee to safety instead of turn and fight. And flee she did. Yvette twisted around and backed up a few feet but Fawn was barely paying attention. She'd raced away a fair distance. Her legs stumbling over the terrain in her haste to escape the danger. How she managed to get herself to stop before completely fleeing the ring was beyond her understanding. Breath came out in fearful pants. Maw open and gasping from both pain and terror. She barely managed to register the pain shooting from the gap in her nape. Though once she did, she slowly maneuvered her right orb to assess the new wound that wasn’t there before. Yvette had not been merciful in her attack. There was a good portion of flesh missing now. Along with a good three inch rip angling out and downward in a rough, jagged line. Crimson lifeblood flowed down in a steady stream. The liquid staining her robes an unnatural color. The strangest of warmth creeping beneath her fur to sink through her skin and chill her bones. This was first time this kind of wound had ever been inflicted on her. In fact besides small cuts here and there she couldn't truly remember bleeding so much in her life. [ This... is this what a battle is? ] The thought stoked the terror, the adrenaline. There was no question in Fawn's mind that she was way in over her head right now. Her opponent… God why hadn't she given that word more consideration before this?! - was larger, stronger, more experienced. What kind of chance did she have against that? Optics moved from the new wound over to where Yvette now stood. It took more courage that Fawn would like to admit to swallow back the fear welling up in her. But swallow it she did. She latched on to the thought that this creature had the young Emrys in her clutches. If this was what she did to Fawn, what was she doing to Emrys when no one was looking? Fawn didn't know Yvette. Didn't know how she treated her slaves or herd members. For all she knew Emrys was in danger. That gave Fawn even the smallest bit of courage to do what she was about to do. Even in her haste she'd thankfully not taken any damage from the rocks. A blessing of her small stature; her feet had stepped between the stones harmlessly this time. Yvette couldn't say the same. She was standing strangely it seemed. Had she injured herself on her own battlefield? Perhaps that could lend an advantage to Fawn’s cause. She hoped so, because she was about to do something very stupid now. Forcing herself to move was harder than it should have been. Yet with a twist Fawn charged towards Yvette blindly. Inexperience was her disadvantage without question. But even a foal knew to aim for the weak point. And that's where Fawn went for. With a squeal she lunged for Yvette's wrenched foot. She made to look like she intended to slam into the injured piston but at the last second twisted and struck out at her rival's belly - the only place she could reach on the witch - with her hind limbs. The attack was wild and uncoordinated. And in her retreat she stumbled badly. Her own talons slipped on the gravel around the stones, bringing her front crashing down upon the earth with a sickening 'thump'. She scrambled to return to all fours, limbs flailing until finally she managed to find her bearings and leap away another bound or so. She came to a stop there. Dial flung around to see if her attack had done anything. While she did the sting of her stumble began to make itself known. Minor injuries decorated her underside and chest and front pillars. Small lacerations in her flesh were welling with blood to scab over the new tears and unseen red blemishes were no doubt hiding on the skin beneath her silks. The extent of the damage so far seemed to be minor save for the gash in her nape. She wondered if she'd be able to keep it that way at the end of this. --    ---    ---    ---    ---    ---    ---    ---    ---    ---    ---    ---    ---    ---    ---    ---    ---    ---    -- words: 1279 tagged: + ebonite + & yvette/respira rules of the fight: two hits, zero dodges. victor takes emrys, played by misty. time limit: five days. name: fawn breed: mustang x pony of america age: 3 gender: mare height: 13hh alliance: light health: 86% physical - a three inch deep bite in her nape that tears in a jagged rip; multiple bruises and tiny lacerations on her underside and front pillars from a stumble over the terrain // 100% mental attack(s): two one - charged yvette with a feint for her injured leg, twisted and struck blindly out with her hind legs at yvette's stomach.

[+ ebonite +]

I'd ask about its day
Did it miss me while I was away?
Tight lipped from the stitches
It wouldn't have much to say

Fawn's blood was rich and sweet on Respira's tongue and she swiped it over her lips, content to find them appropriately stained with blood. The little mare was bleeding steadily from a gash on her nape. Respira watched appreciatively at her handiwork and chuckled as the vixen twisted her head to examine the damage. That wound would definitely leave its mark. "Hurts, doesn't it?" She hissed. She kept her gaze firmly upon the mare, her opticals flashing silver as she stared. One of the first things she had learned about battles was to never let your eyes leave your opponent - especially in Fawn's case. Because of her small stature, she had opportunity to slip past Respira's gaze unnoticed. However, at the moment, Fawn still seemed to be pondering over her wound, and perhaps she had also decided to strategize. Respira was not playing games here. If her opponent was inexperienced, that was her own fault. She would not go easy on her because this was her first fight. Respira's leg continued to throb steadily, but she was putting weight on it, hoping that the force of her body would make it stop. Unfortunately, it seemed to be making it worse. She bit down on her lip in frustration. She had picked the terrain to challenge herself and it appeared that it was working.

A squeal left Fawn's mouth as the Light vixen charged at Respira. The palomino Helkaer tensed her muscles in preparation for the impact, and took note of how she appeared to be aiming for Respira's injured leg. How had she known? Had she seen her stumble? Respira gritted her teeth and raised the pillar upward in a defensive position. Instead of hitting the lean tissue of her leg, she would instead get the weathered edge of her hoof. However, at the last moment, Fawn changed her position, angling herself to the right side of Respira and twisting her body to kick at the femmora's stomach with her hind legs. She struck the palomino's underside with full force, driving the air from Respira's lungs. The witch grunted painfully, stumbling unevenly on three legs. Her eyes involuntarily filled with tears as she heaved breath back into her body, resisting the urge to curl up on the ground and shelter her injured stomach. Instead, she curled her nape and rested her muzzle briefly on her chest as she covered, setting down her wrenched foot. The Helkaer took a few slow paces, testing out the injury. Her insides felt shattered and Fawn had definitely bruised a rib or two. She turned to the small femmora, intending to shoot her an icy glare, but instead, her opticals drifted down to what appeared to be new injuries along her front legs and chest. Respira did not recall knocking her over during her attack, but perhaps she had. Or, perhaps Fawn had taken a tumble later on. Either way, the new injuries filled Respira's sadistic heart with joy. This babe would know what pain was by the end of this.

In the spirit of that, Respira decided with ease that her next attack would be focused on Fawn's pretty face. Blinding the bitch, ripping off an ear, or even just giving her a scar that marred her good looks would be enough for Respira. She wasn't sure how vain the femmora was, but a lot of woman put so much faith into their looks, and even if Fawn wasn't one of those types - that missing eye, that ripped ear, that ugly scar - would remind her of this battle forever. Respira bared her teeth, pinning her harks back to her skull, and charged at Fawn once more. She was acutely aware of the horrid pain in her bruised insides and her wrenched foot, but continued on, even with warnings blaring in her mind. She aimed for the femmora's front, and once she reached her, she reared up on her hind legs - even if there was no need to. The sheer size difference was enough to push more adrenaline into Respira's veins as she was consumed with over confidence. She lashed out with her hooves, aiming strong, swift blows to the femmora's crania - her cheeks, her jaw, her forehead, her nose, those pretty little eyes. Left, right, left, right, left. When her body could no longer support itself on two legs, Respira went down, landing harshly and further jarring her wrenched leg. She hissed in agony, curling her lip and revealing her bloodstained ivories.

"You really think that you can stop me, pixie? Even if, by some miracle, you take dear Emrys with you today, you will never be safe. I'll make your life a living Hell, darling, that I promise." Respira's flanks heaved with effort, her opticals wild and flashing. The embarrassment Respira could feel over losing would be offset by the fact that Fawn's herd was now target number one on Toxin Raj's hit list. The steals, challenges and instigations would not only come from her, but from her herd members. Castle, Enmity, Sly, Atreyu - perhaps even Narcissa and Blackheart. Respira would order Emrys' own sisters to hunt him down like the coward he was, and they would listen. Oh, the poetic justice in that! Fawn had crossed her, and that meant she would never see Respira's negotiable, business side. She would never see Respira the Mother, the Protector, the Friend - she would only see her cruelty, her wrath, her thirst for blood. Ever since Predator's disappearance, Respira had lacked a specific target to annoy and pester. With this battle, it seemed Respira had found someone to take his place.

Name- Respira
Breed- Appaloosa x Andalusian x Arabian x Mustang x Thoroughbred
Age- Nine
Gender- Female
Height- 16 hands
Alliance- Dark
Health- 80% physically, 100% mentally
Terms- Two hits, zero dodges. Five days to reply. Winner keeps Emrys, played by Misty.

Hits- one two
Attacks-
1) Ran at Fawn, aiming for her side. Reached out to tear a gash in her nape and continued to run, hoping to knock her over.
2) Charged Fawn, aiming for her front. Stopped just before she reached her and reared, lashing out with her hooves, hoping to bruise, break, or cut into her face.

Injuries-
1) Wrenched one of her feet on a rock
2) Moderate to severe bruising on her underside/belly with some small scrapes
3) A few bruised ribs

status complete
muse great
count 960
notes her eyes flashing is not a figure of speech - she has color changing eyes
lyrics apex predator by otep
tagged @snowy with fawn

Speech

[Deleted]

--    ---    ---    ---    ---    ---    ---    ---    ---    ---    ---    ---    ---    ---    ---    ---    ---    ---    -- [❤] Sick. Yeah, that was the word. What else was there to call that level of sweeping and vicious satisfaction that raced through her entire being, the thought of doing any level of serious damage to another life? Nevertheless watching Yvette show those obvious signs of pain, minute as they were, still had that powerful feeling coursing through the tiny femmora. Internal damage was always much worse than external. Her talons had not cut flesh but Yvette would not walk away easily from this field. "Hurts doesn't it?" Wasn't that what the golden Helkaer had said just moments ago? In a burst of courage that was borne from that sick, sick feeling coursing through her Fawn merely snorted. [ I'd imagine it doesn't hurt as much as that did. ] The moment the lyrics rolled off her tongue she felt the tiniest hints of regret. This wasn't her. This monster she had just become. She'd injured another equine and felt happy about it. If this was a battle, she wasn't sure she wanted to do this again. She didn't want to feel like this again. Apologies wouldn't work here. This wasn't a place to forge alliances and friendships, it was a place of burning bridges and destroying whatever might exist between two equines in the future. Fawn knew this. Yvette would forever be an enemy, and a formidable one at that. But for the life of her she just couldn't bring herself to care anymore. She kept her orbs on Yvette. Watching as the palomino staggered on three unsteady columns - she'd lifted her injured foot off the terrain in a move to protect it. Fawn was glad at that moment she'd decided to go with a kick instead of actually aiming for the wretched knife. That talon was big, and sharper than her smallish, dull hooves. Had she kept going it probably wouldn't have done near the damage her strike had. Yvette's prowess in battle seemed to come into play yet again; her recovery against such an attack spoke volumes of how many times she'd seen battle. But now there was a weak point for Fawn to aim for. Experience or not Yvette had struggled after that hit. And despite how out of character it was Fawn knew her best chance was to aim for her underside again at the first moment she got. The tiny cuts and bruises that littered her front stung at her mind, the gash in her nape pulsed and bled unnaturally warm in stark contrast to the stone cold ground beneath her struts. Yet not once could she pull her lanterns off the palomino queen. Watching… Waiting.... The ball was in Yvette's court; surely she was not done yet. Yvette's towers fell beneath her silver banner and suddenly she was before Fawn. In spite of her injured state she still managed to move so fast! Hazel orbs widened as the towering witch rose to a new height, forelimbs aimed to strike out. To scar, blind and crush. But in her overconfidence she'd done a terrible mistake. She exposed that soft, injured underside. This was Fawn's chance and she'd be damned if she let it get away. Another squeal ripped its way from Fawn's vocals. Lanterns narrowed and her own towers fell to her crown, ivories gritting together as she lunged for Yvette. Following the example set before her Fawn's front lifted off the ground, her small bodice dodging between Yvette's striking limbs to aim for her stomach with open ivories and hard hooves. Yvette was too close to try for a strike like before but Fawn's forelegs would do just as fine. Jaws opened wide to aim for flesh, intending on ripping a bloody hole into the Helkaer queen just as she had suffered. She only had time to strike out once with her forelimbs - dull as they were she didn't think they'd be doing much damage but she had to try. But she was seeing stars long before she knew if her attacks had any merit. Pain clawed through her mind. Yvette's talons had missed her crown completely but her bodice was still in the line of fire; specifically the areas around her spinal column and her withers. The price for making what could be seen as a dumb move. As Yvette began to descend Fawn slammed herself back on mother earth and turned to run. She bucked out wildly at Yvette as she turned, a warning not to follow, but it hardly hit anything save empty air. Pain blinded her path, and again she fell over the rocks. This time she landed on her left shoulder, the momentum causing her to roll completely over, pistons flailing and all. The scream of pain echoed over the battleground as hard and sharp rocks dug into new wounds - her sides, her back, her withers, everything hurt so bad. As she came to rest on her right side she let herself just lay there for a moment to catch her breath. To try and see through the blinding white lights that numbed her to everything but the pain. A few careful breaths later and she found the will to struggle back to her feet, gritting her ivories as she raised herself off the stones. Yvette's last attack had not hit what it had meant to but it still left injuries that couldn't be overlooked. Lacerations bled over both her sides, scrapes and cuts angling to the earth from where Yvette's talons had cut downward. It was hard to move her withers; she'd not be surprised if she'd suffered at best a bad bruise or at worse a fracture or two around them. Her spine, mercifully, had been spared any damage but there were cuts over it. Grit and rock stuck in the mesh of fur and blood from her roll, the ground beneath her slowly being stained crimson. Yvette left her marks but it was the battlefield itself that had done the worse of the damage. Fawn had not been prepared. "You really think that you can stop me, pixie? Even if, by some miracle, you take dear Emrys with you today, you will never be safe. I'll make your life a living Hell, darling, that I promise." Yvette's snarl echoed over the distance between them. Drawing her gaze from her own screaming body Fawn turned back to her opponent. Yvette was not in good shape. It seemed as though she'd injured her foot again too. And despite knowing that she'd inflicted this pain, despite knowing she should be proud for making Yvette suffer like this... that sick feeling was gone now. All that was left was muted horror, and a strange emptiness. This battle had been Fawn's idea. It had been her who sent out the challenge for Emrys. And why she wanted that colt out of that land... was this really worth it? Painfully, Fawn slowly shook her dial in the face of Yvette's lyrics. [ I'm not trying to stop you. I don't want anything to do with you honestly. But a foal is a foal, and I can't just look the other way when he clearly doesn't want to be there. ] She stumbled forward a step or two as she spoke, splaying her pistons a bit to keep her balance and breathing through the painful flashes in her mind. [ You can come at me all you want, you and your herd, and I'll respond in kind. But... ] She paused here, wondering how to word her next sentence, and how it would be taken. It was probably stupid; it was probably way out there. But... But... Raising her sight back to Yvette; watching her struggle in pain again… the hesitation vanished and the next words rolled off her tongue in confidence. [ But speaking with you, I can't seem to think there's pure evil in you Yvette. Maybe I've destroyed whatever chance our herds might've had... but Saltus Perennis is open to you and your herd members if you ever find yourself in trouble. I just want you to know that. And you might see me as weak or stupid for such an offer... but I cannot hold a grudge against you for this. No can I find it in myself to hate you. ] it was the clearest and longest she'd ever spoken. And for a mere moment... she felt like she was a queen and not some filly in way over her head. She'd take the high road here. Yvette could do with it whatever she desired. Shaking talons lifted up in a slow and pain filled walk towards the edge of the battlefield, the intent on going home evident as she angled herself towards Saltus Perennis' direction. Her forest would conceal her until her injuries healed. Her herd was probably worried sick... but she couldn't help but wonder if she'd done enough to gain another member to her ranks, or if Nyx would have to wait for a playmate and Emrys for another chance. The battle was over. It was time to go home... --    ---    ---    ---    ---    ---    ---    ---    ---    ---    ---    ---    ---    ---    ---    ---    ---    ---    -- words: 1559 tagged: + ebonite + & yvette/respira rules of the fight: two hits, zero dodges. victor takes emrys, played by misty. time limit: five days. name: fawn breed: mustang x pony of america age: 3 gender: mare height: 13hh alliance: light health: 69% physical - a three inch deep bite in her nape that tears in a jagged rip; multiple bruises and tiny lacerations on her underside and front pillars from a stumble over the terrain; four slices down her right side and two down her left that have been aggravated by another fall on the terrain; two gashes over her back; a minor fracture on her left wither and a bruise on her right that makes lifting her forelimbs painful // 100% mental attack(s): two one zero - (1) charged yvette with a feint for her injured leg, twisted and struck blindly out with her hind legs at yvette's stomach; (2) lunged for yvette's stomach again when she reared, striking out with her front talons once and attempting to bite into her underside. all attacks used

[+ ebonite +]

If I can't be loved
Then I'll be hated
I'm disconnected
I'm uninspired
I'm burning in water
I'm drowning in fire

'I'd imagine it doesn't hurt as much as that did.' Fawn's words echoed in the recesses of Respira's mind as she breathed deeply, in and out, trying to balance the pain. The ache in her foot was constant now, though she did not regret risking further damage to it in order to perform her second attack. The adrenaline in Respira's blood had blocked out the moment of impact of Fawn's second strike, but now that the dust had cleared, the pain was coming in waves. Respira had made a tactical error in aiming for Fawn's facade. She had exposed her injury, and Fawn had seized advantage to damage it further - and damage it further she had. Each wave of pain caused the Helkaer witch to wince involuntarily. Fawn's greatest weakness had also proven to be her greatest advantage. Because she was so small, she could aim for the lower parts of Respira's body with little effort and maximum damage. Respira had been in many battles, but in all of them, her opponents had been around her height - there was no opportunity for this kind of attack. She had never been hit in the stomach before, never had to worry about covering up or exposing her underbelly. This injury hurt far worse than anything Respira had received before. Cuts, scrapes, bruises, gashes and tears - they were painful and gory, but they healed within a couple of weeks. The internal injury Respira was suffering from would take far longer to heal. She would not be surprised if it had caused her to bleed internally. It hurt enough. However, Fawn's second attack had not been without its own merits. Her tiny hooves had struck against Respira's already bruised ribs, aggravating them further. Respira could also feel the familiar sting of a skin injury underneath her, but she had yet to investigate it further. The battle field around her was scuffed up, worn in, blood stained. Despite the agony, Respira's lips curled into a smirk. Just as it should be.

It was then that Respira dipped her crown beneath her, trying to get a good look at the injury she had sustained from Fawn's teeth. There was approximately a three inch gash slicing across her stomach in a diagonal line. The flesh still hung loosely from it, dangling and attached by only a few pieces of skin. Almost casually, Respira attempted to dip her crown underneath her body to reach the loose flesh, but could not reach it. She snorted. It would be better at this point to rip it off and allow the gash to heal with a poultice of herbs, but it seemed as if she would have to have someone else do it for her. She attempted movement, placing her hooves in front of her slowly, one foot at a time. It was agony to walk, and now that the battle was over, Respira was going to take it easy on herself. There was no need for further injury at this point. When she had managed to walk a couple of paces, Respira turned her silver gaze to Fawn, watching the pony cross tend to her own injuries. She was far more visibly injured than Respira was. From an outsider's perspective, it looked as if Respira had not suffered any visible damage at all. Fawn's entire body spoke of cuts, abrasions and gashes. She was beaten and bloodied. She looked terrible. The Helkaer witch regarded this with pleasure. Respira had vowed to teach the bitch what pain was, and the mare looked the part. 'I'm not trying to stop you. I don't want anything to do with you, honestly. But a foal is a foal, and I can't just look the other way when he clearly doesn't want to be there.' She said. Respira was both surprised and pleased the pixie had decided to respond to her comments. 'You can come at me all you want, you and your herd, and I'll respond in kind. But...' She met Respira's piercing gaze and continued on, 'But speaking with you, I can't seem to think there's pure evil in you, Yvette. Maybe I've destroyed whatever chance our herbs might've had... but Saltus Perennis is open to you and your herd members if you ever find yourself in trouble. I just want you to know that. And you might see me as weak or stupid for such an offer... but I cannot hold a grudge against you for this. Nor can I find it in myself to hate you.' Fawn's words stunned Respira for several moments. Between the waves of agony grinding against her nerves and the thrill of the battle, it took the witch a couple of moments to process the fact that Fawn was offering to help her. Of all things. "Pure evil? Oh no. This was just a battle, darling. You have never seen pure evil. Not yet." A smirk wove its way onto her lips for a few moments before another wave of agony dissolved it. "You may regret that offer of kindness. I do not forgive; I do not forget. Emrys is a slave and there will always be more to take his place. Always. Keep that in mind." She passed her tongue across her lips, watching the mare exit the battle field slowly. Respira watched her for several seconds before she too, made her way for home. Her pace was extremely casual, concentrating before placing each foot on the ground. It would be a long, painful walk home, but she comforted herself in the thought that Castle, Atreyu and her children would be there, waiting eagerly for her return.

Name- Respira
Breed- Appaloosa x Andalusian x Arabian x Mustang x Thoroughbred
Age- Nine
Gender- Female
Height- 16 hands
Alliance- Dark
Health- 65% physically, 100% mentally
Terms- Two hits, zero dodges. Five days to reply. Winner keeps Emrys, played by Misty.

Hits- one two
Attacks-
1) Ran at Fawn, aiming for her side. Reached out to tear a gash in her nape and continued to run, hoping to knock her over.
2) Charged Fawn, aiming for her front. Stopped just before she reached her and reared, lashing out with her hooves, hoping to bruise, break, or cut into her face.

Injuries-
1) Wrenched one of her feet on a rock, developed into a sprain
2) Moderate to severe bruising on her underside/belly with some small scrapes
3) A few bruised ribs, further aggravated by Fawn's hooves
4) Three inch diagonal gash on her underside/belly

muse great
count 989
notes THIS CAN NOW BE JUDGED
lyrics rise rebel resist by otep
tagged @snowy with fawn

Speech

[Deleted]

I will tally.
Waiting on judge collection: yes
Judge 1 Collection: Collected!
Judge 2 Collection: Collected!
Judge 3 Collection: Collected!
Tally-ing Scores: tallying now....scores should be up soon

[Deleted]

EBON WITH RESPIRA

Quality over Quantity: 13.5
Comments:

- Your posts were long but never a boring or irrelevant read.
- I thought your quality was excellent, you did not dwell upon random history of the horse, but still made it obvious as to how they had gotten there. Great detail and very easy to read and follow. The only suggestion I would have is maybe try playing with some terms to give it a bit more spice.
- Well written and interesting, lots of visuals.

No God Modeling or Powerplaying: 14
Comments:

- Minor power playing of Atreyu played by Indi without a note saying it was allowed.
- I never saw any type of god modeling or power playing in your posts.

Realism of Attack: 14.5
Comments:

- For choosing attacks against someone so much shorter than Respira, you chose really great attacks for their experience and height differences. I also never saw any point that seemed like an unnatural position or anything a fighting horse wouldn't do. Good job.
- I thought your attacks were good, however as thorough as Respira was about her search I would have liked to see a bit more planning into her actual attacks.
- All attacks where found to be realistic.

Attack Compared to Opponent: 15
Comments:

- Realistic, fit the moment, well thought out.
- I loved that you stuck true to Respira not having battled with anybody smaller, and that she had flaws, it made it an extremely interesting read as well as keeping things realistic.
- The dynamic in this battle is different because of the drastic height difference but Respira's attacks complemented Fawn's well. Your attacks were the obvious ones to choose in the situation of tall vs. short but they were still good attacks..

Completion of the Form: 14.5
Comments:

- Everything seemed to be in order.
- Wasn’t sure about what you were fighting for or what you and fishie had agreed on.

Spelling and Grammar: 15
Comments:

- The form was always completed thoroughly and neatly. I was never lost or confused about the terms or what physical state Respira was in.
- Completed every time.

TOTAL: 85.5

SNOWY WITH FAWN

Quality over Quantity: 13
Comments:

- I found a few grammar and spelling errors.
- I love how much improvement your writing has taken. I found your posts interesting and easy to follow. You did not put meaningless history of your charrie, but rather the information that pertained to this particular event. I felt you had good length and quality mixture.
- Your posts were also long but I felt that all of the information was relevant to the battle and what they were fighting fo

No God Modeling or Powerplaying: 13.5
Comments:

- Mentioning how Respira is standing without Ebon saying it herself.
- I docked you here because I feel that Fawn wouldn't have known about Respira's injury of the wrenched foot because you stated "Yvette twisted around and backed up a few feet but Fawn was barely paying attention." From that I got that she shouldn't have know that Yvette injured her foot, considering in the post prior to that Ebon gave no indication from Respira.
-

Realism of Attack: 14
Comments:

- Slightly unrealistic dodge of Respira's second attack.
- I felt you played on the size difference appropriately. I loved how both of you kept things realistic, how neither played as though each was without fault. You don't see fights often where horses show the weakness and the rper readily admit it. Kudos to both of you!
- For Fawn's size, I believe her attacks were realistic to her size against her opponent. They were still pretty good attacks as far as causing damage as well. Kudos for creativity.

Attack Compared to Opponent: 13 .5
Comments:

- Your second attack seems a bit out of place.
- I docked simply because of Respira's experience. However I feel like for Fawn's first fight, it was pretty good for how you played it. I am judging this category based on if they were real horses fighting against each other, not rpers skills here.
- Fawn's attacks were creative due to her size and strength but they were still good attacks.

Completion of Form: 15
Comments:

- Completed each time, correctly.
- Nothing was seen to be wrong here.
- Completed like it was supposed to be.

Spelling and Grammar: 11.5
Comments:

- Incomplete sentences, minor grammar mistakes, typing number instead of spelling it out and using hh instead of hands high.
- Small grammar errors as well as some minor spelling, but nothing major.
- I found about 9 run-on sentences, 2 fragments, and multiple places where adjectives were misplaced. Your spelling is fine but maybe next time run your posts through a document program like Microsoft Word (not Wordpad though!) and check it with the built in grammar checker.

TOTAL: 80.5 points


CONGRATS TO EBON WITH RESPIRA!!!