Brutes - 1

H: After Luna, Damocles, and Karyss had visited the Forgotten Tribe, Luna had to forfeit as her muscles grew tired from holding her haunched form within the caves. Karyss ultimately understood and proposed they included a third who hadn't been in their group previously—of course Karyss wouldn't know, as she's never felt as close to a group as she did with Luna and Damocles. Unfortunately, they had no idea what was ahead of them, so a third felt necessary.

Prophet was who they had decided to include. A goofy gal, but taking a glance towards Damocles made up Karyss’s mind. They needed someone goofy and lighthearted in their group, especially when Luna decided she needed time outside.

A combat trial was what the trio walked into, or at least a trial where combat was included in order to protect golden rocks. She sighs softly, glancing towards Damocles and Prophet, hoping for their input. While she had high hopes for this clan, those hopes were immediately dashed. She's not a fighter—far from it, despite her size being perfect for hard hits.

T: Prophet seemed quite out of her element as she flattened herself against the wall in an attempt to make herself seem much smaller. Her green eyes widened and she winced as she saw the violence around her. It was, perhaps, all in good fun, or at least, not intended to maim. She didn’t see it that way, and she seemed almost horrified to the point of being sick. She swayed slightly, bumping into Karyss.

“Watch it!” Karyss snapped, jolting away from the sudden brush, “You can’t lose your senses now, or else we’ll lose. And nothing’s worse than that.”

“R-right, sorry,” Prophet stammered, looking even more mortified than before, her gaze now directed to her paws. Karyss felt a flicker of- something. Perhaps guilt, though she pushed it away. Now was not the time to be feeling such things. Not in the midst of potential combat, anyways. Not when they had glory on the line.

Damocles’ eyes were fixed on the scene and he quickly lowered himself into a furtive stance. He seemed intent on the action, and it seemed that no one had considered the three any sort of current threat, but were still fighting tooth and nail over the golden stones. He glanced over at the two–girls, really, in his eyes–and gestured with his tail towards an outcropping of rock he was quick to get behind.

“Over here!” he hissed.

“What is it, old man?” Karyss snorted, though she followed suit. Prophet had a feeling that the lisse puller held some sort of respect for him, and perhaps she should as well, especially if he was taking charge in the midst of the field.

The three were now hidden behind the rock, staring out into the fray from their vantage point, which was a great tactical advantage. Not that Prophet really knew what a tactical advantage really was, but she’d heard lots about them. Regardless, they were unseen by the others, and that was what mattered.

B: Damocles held the front of the group in case any Haedians came barreling their way in search of rocks. When Karyss and Prophet were behind the rock awaiting his word, he tucked back behind cover to face his “team”.
“Karyss, you did some good sneaking around before, see if you can snatch up some of those rocks from the outlying piles. Most of the fighting is happening in the middle so stay behind cover and you should be fine.” He instructed the dark vayron, knowing she’d blend in well in the shadows.
Prophet on the other hand was more brightly colored than either of the other two, so blending with the rocks was an unlikely tactic. Not to mention the terror in her eyes at the ongoing chaos around them. Damocles thought for a moment as he glanced back at the chaos. He could go out there and take the more offensive stance and keep the attention away from this corner. “Prophet, you stay here and watch this spot. Karyss will bring her findings here and I’ll keep guard a bit further out and see if I can wrestle something out of those Haedians over there,” he nudged his head off to the side. “Call for me if you get overwhelmed, but don’t be afraid to stand your ground. These Haedians are not like the ones we’ve come across, and favor a strong character. They won’t stand down unless made to.”
After the plan was laid out, Karyss was already heading off along the edges of the arena, slinking through the shadows to snatch prizes into her mouth to bring back to their spot. Damocles, true to his word, stood out in the commotion, feigning to target some nearby Haedians to drag their attention elsewhere. The competitors fought fiercely, with no regard for bruising, but it was clear the violence was controlled to an extent. A bodyslam or two, a bit in the scruff and trampling across tails to fight over shiny rocks, it was all a part of the game.