[COMBAT] CONFLICT: Her Warmth against Her Shield (Smoldering Ember vs Wayward Son)

doomsayer · Post by **doomsayer** » Tue Mar 25, 2025 3:30 am

Wayward Son emerged into the cold night from the darkness of the subterranean tunnels, tired and battered by the obstructive and haranguing efforts of the many kin that helped Smoldering Ember take Sun-Cursed from him.

Limping and bruised, he chuckled to himself. If they all truly wanted to take Sun-Cursed away from him, then it would take much more than a few kin serving to harass and distract him from getting her back. He followed Sun-Cursed's tracks, seeing two distinct acha doe tracks heading into the swamp. He had no doubt in his mind it was her prurient friend Steals Kisses guiding her away from him.

As he made his way in the night, his path was eventually blocked by a larger red and blue kimeti buck. Though Ember was gaunt and exhausted from his seasons of searching for Sun-Cursed, Wayward had to admit that the buck was still physically a threat.

"You've taken MY light away from me, you know that right?" Wayward Son uttered with clear contempt.

"She wasn't yours to hide away like that. She deserves the truth! She deserves to know who she is, who loves her, and she deserves to be free."

"She was SAFE in the tunnels--never would the sun hurt her again! YOU FAILED to provide her that safety! I found her helpless and burning under the afternoon light. YOU were NOWHERE to be seen. YOU DON'T DESERVE HER!"

Wayward's words cut deep into Ember. He knew that they were true.

"I know. I was... less than you for her. But that doesn't justify you imprisoning her and keeping her from the world. She knows her sensitivity to the sun better than anyone, but she doesn't hate it like you do. I've watched the sunset with her. I've seen her fascinated by its beauty and awed by its grandeur. And her aversion to it never stopped her wonder and desire to travel and see more. She was always aiming to change and to grow. To be better. That's what you took from her by hiding her away in the tunnels."

Wayward hissed at the larger buck's retort. He thought it would be easy to dress the latter down considering how fragile his emotional state seemed. The seasons took a toll on the Smoldering Ember, both mentally and physically, but he may have underestimated his resolve. It was time to hit him where he knows it would hurt the most.

"We have children together. You would deprive these young foals of their mother? One of them has her glow, perhaps even her affliction. She would need her mother's guidance to survive. You would steal that away from her?"

This revelation gave Ember pause. A crushing sadness threatened to overwhelm him. It was a future he had wanted with Sun-Cursed that their love would one day give them a clutch of their own. That the machinations of her abductor would result in them having children together made Ember think that Sun-Cursed may have, in her time kept captive, developed true feelings for Wayward. But he would not be keeping her away from them. He was here to keep her away from Wayward Son.

"I won't begrudge Sun-Cursed's children of their mother. If they so wish, they can come to the swamp to see and stay with her. I will welcome them and provide for them food and shelter. But I will not be extending that kindness to you. She needs time away from the tunnels and from you, and I'm not letting you go anywhere near her any time soon."

"Then we are at an impasse, and in order to get past you, I am not afraid to go THROUGH you."

"This doesn't have to be a fight. I won't stop her from seeing you in the future, as long as it's on her terms. But that won't be tonight. Tonight, you can just walk away."

"Only one of us is walking away from this conversation."

"I don't want to fight you."

"That will make things easy for me."

"But I will if I have to."

"Then so be it!"

In a burst of speed, the bucks closed the distance and the sound of their clashing horns and hooves filled the quiet night.

doomsayer · Post by **doomsayer** » Tue Mar 25, 2025 3:47 am

Wayward Son
HP 40
Attack Dice: 2d10-6

VERSUS

Smoldering Ember
HP 40
Attack Dice: 2d10-6

doomsayer · Post by **doomsayer** » Tue Mar 25, 2025 3:58 am

Their first clash was done on pure instinct. Both bucks felt the weakness in their bones; Wayward Son from his previous encounter of having had to deal with strange kin raiding the tunnels to distract him from Ember's efforts to take Sun-Cursed, Smoldering Ember from sheer exhaustion of searching for Sun-Cursed non-stop through the seasons.

Their horns squarely made contact against each other's skulls, making them both reel back momentarily. Wayward's speed gave his hit more impact, but he felt almost just as shaken by the collision.

doomsayer · Post by **doomsayer** » Tue Mar 25, 2025 4:02 am

Wayward Son
HP 35
Attack Dice: 2d10-6

VERSUS

Smoldering Ember
HP 34
Attack Dice: 2d10-6

doomsayer · Post by **doomsayer** » Tue Mar 25, 2025 4:09 am

Before Wayward Son could recover, Smoldering Ember disregarded the disorientation of the hit to the head and used his backward momentum to rear back and up on his hind legs, crashing his front hooves onto the dark-furred buck.

Wayward felt bone hit bone before he saw it coming. He let out a sharp scream as he felt muscle tear on his shoulder.

doomsayer · Post by **doomsayer** » Tue Mar 25, 2025 4:10 am

Wayward Son
HP 27
Attack Dice: 2d10-6

VERSUS

Smoldering Ember
HP 34
Attack Dice: 2d10-6

doomsayer · Post by **doomsayer** » Tue Mar 25, 2025 4:16 am

Crouching down from the pain of a blow from above, Wayward Son fully lowered his entire body to avoid more damage from Smoldering Ember's attack. With his speed, he extracted himself from below the red and blue buck and sprung up with his horns aimed at the latter's eyes.

Vision still shaking and his target suddenly no longer pinned under his hooves, Ember flinched as the smaller buck's head came shooting upwards out of nowhere. The instinctive flinch allowed him to barely avoid being blinded by the latter's horn, but a deep gash opened up on his brow instead.

doomsayer · Post by **doomsayer** » Tue Mar 25, 2025 4:17 am

Wayward Son
HP 27
Attack Dice: 2d10-6

VERSUS

Smoldering Ember
HP 29
Attack Dice: 2d10-6

doomsayer · Post by **doomsayer** » Tue Mar 25, 2025 4:21 am

Blood trickling into his eye, Smoldering Ember ineffectually tried to blink to clear his vision. Unable to see clearly, he instead pushed forward, trying to body slam the smaller buck and close the distance to regain control.

Wayward Son smelled the blood and was energized by a burst of bloodlust, spinning away from the larger buck's advance and lifting his hind legs at the tail end of his spin to make a quick kick at Ember's neck. The contact rang out with a loud crack, the sound of flesh against bone colliding, making Ember stumble and grunt in pain.

doomsayer · Post by **doomsayer** » Mon Mar 31, 2025 1:44 am

Wayward Son
HP 24
Attack Dice: 2d10-6

VERSUS

Smoldering Ember
HP 20
Attack Dice: 2d10-6

doomsayer · Post by **doomsayer** » Mon Mar 31, 2025 2:07 am

With a malicious smile on his face, Wayward Son kicked against the ground upon landing from his spin, aiming to make another decisive hit against the larger kimeti on the latter's broad flank. He thought to himself that once he planted his horns in Smoldering Ember's chest, this fight would be as good as over.

In pain and winded from the faster buck's barrage, Ember barely caught himself from collapsing from the kick of the former. Blood now fully flooding down one of his eyes, it became obvious that Wayward son was out to end him. Knowing this, he resolved to not hold back his blows. Powering through his pain and soreness, Ember pivoted to face Wayward who he only sees for a split second rushing headlong towards his chest. Instead of attempting to avoid the blow, he decided to move forward a wide step and launch himself up as high as he could jump, landing on the shadowy buck where the latter would make contact with his leg instead of his chest.

Unable to stop himself mid-lunge, Wayward Son did his best to redirect his horns upwards to deal the most possible damage. When their bodies met, there was a loud crash and both let out a sickening yelp when horns pierced skin and muscle crushed down onto muscle.

doomsayer · Post by **doomsayer** » Mon Mar 31, 2025 2:08 am

Wayward Son
HP 19
Attack Dice: 2d10-6

VERSUS

Smoldering Ember
HP 13
Attack Dice: 2d10-6

doomsayer · Post by **doomsayer** » Mon Mar 31, 2025 3:00 am

Neither buck would let the other take a moment to breathe as Wayward Son, currently crushed under the much larger kimeti's weight would desperately place a bite on the sore part of Smoldering Ember's neck. In return, Ember would press his hoof down onto the faster kimeti's bleeing and wounded shoulder. Primal growls and pained flailing on the ground would follow as both bucks get some distance from the other and get back on their legs.

Breathing heavily, blood dripping from their furred hides, both bucks make eye contact as they let out feral snarls and tense their stances. Both bucks know the next exchange would likely dictate who walks away from this fight.

Wayward's mind flashes to his childhood nightmares, the constant fear of being eaten by the monsters in the depths, the great task of learning to live in a world of darkness, and the reprieve of seeing Sun-Cursed's glow light up his world.

Ember remembers his life before Sun-Cursed, how he longed to find anyone that he could help to prove to himself that he could, and how all that changed when she came into his life and showed him that help should be wanted and that the feeling one gets from helping should be its own reward and motivation.

As both bucks stared at each other, there was a moment where it was as though they could tell what the other was thinking about. At this, a palpable rage filled the air between them as they both once again pounced to close the distance.

doomsayer · Post by **doomsayer** » Mon Mar 31, 2025 3:04 am

Wayward Son
HP 16
Attack Dice: 2d10-6

VERSUS

Smoldering Ember
HP 12
Attack Dice: 2d10-6

doomsayer · Post by **doomsayer** » Mon Mar 31, 2025 3:19 am

They run straight into each other; Wayward Son with his head down, aiming to gore the larger buck with his horns once again; Smoldering Ember with his head raised, looking to bite the faster buck on as soft spot on the side of his neck.

This time they knew what the other had planned, and when they collided, neither buck had fully committed to his course of action. Wayward's horns only grazed the side of Ember's neck while Ember's bite pierced the skin, but didn't lock in for long enough to be decisive. Both their momentum carried them away from each other once again, each of them limping and wincing from the pain of having to move with their severe injuries.

Smoldering Ember was angry at himself for not being better prepared, but the sleepless nights of searching and time better spent searching than eating was what ultimately brought him to this moment where he could find his light again.

Wayward Son raged against the larger buck, against all of those who chose to help Ember take his light from him. He waited for so long to have her, and he will get her back!