Board Thread:Role Plays (Adult)/@comment-24487330-20140619233536/@comment-24487330-20140621144413

((No, I can work with this just fine, though I appreciate the concern. I'll get us through the fight with this post, and then we can slow down a bit.))

Fortune favored Camo today, it seemed, because his arrow should have ricocheted off the Ursa Major's mask and done just about no damage, given that its flight path was shifted ever-so-slightly by a wind speed variable. As Sanguis rushed the trio of Grimm, though, his target's head began to turn toward her, and by an incredible, perhaps even miraculous chance, this brought its eye socket perfectly flush with his missile. The point of it skewered its eye before slamming into its cranium with a gut-churning *CRACK*, and the beast was dead before it even began to fall to the ground.

Of course, the ursine's companions were shocked by its sudden death, and Sanguis took full advantage of their exposure, slaying the second of the three marks in a stunning display of power, dexterity, and efficiency. Even if he wasn't fond of her personality, Camo's respect for her was renewed and redoubled at the sight of her exhibition; he didn't know anyone else who could downright murder an Ursa, let alone a Major, with such skill and grace. Unfortunately, her luck ran short with the remaining foe, and it tore into her with one brutal attack after another, spilling crimson ichor across the verdant forest floor. Camo displaced slightly to get a better angle on the creature of Grimm, but with Sanguis engaged with it in close combat, he couldn't get a clear shot without potentially placing her in harm's way.

Eventually, the beast's attacks threw her across the battleground and into a nearby tree (which was inevitable, seeing as they were in a forest). A jolt of terror rushed through Camo when she didn't rise; that left only him to prevent her from being gored in this foreign land, and there was no way he could stand between them. The beast began to lumber forward for the kill, and he fired an arrow into its flank in panic, hoping to at least stagger it to buy himself some time to form a plan. Once again, good fortune blessed him and guided his projectile into its hip, locking up the joint of its left leg and tripping it up. As the beast pawed at the metal splinter to remove it, the archer displaced again, rounding the Ursa to reach its blind spot and shifting his weapon to its alternate spear form in the process. By the time it managed to liberate the arrow from its joint, he was in position for the final strike, and it never saw him coming as he pounced from the treetops, knocking it to the floor with the force of his descent.

What ensued over the next thirty seconds or so was a fleeting but frantic struggle for survival that would make Darwin himself proud. Consumed by fear of death, both for himself and for his companion, Camo forgot his primary tenets of focus and efficiency as he stabbed wildly at the Ursa Major's body, ripping its fur and flesh while seeking out its vital organs. It was no simple task, though, as the beast was thrashing around the entire time, trying to gain some leverage to buck him off. Finally, though, he must have hit something important, because it suddenly lost its motivation and grew sluggish. Seizing the opportunity, he planted his foot down on its head and thrust his weapon into its neck, running it through entirely and severing its spine from its skull. A few seconds later, the final mark collapsed and became still; lost in furious jubilation, the archer spat on its corpse and cursed its persistence before retrieving his spear and dismounting.

After tearing away a few of the enemies' fangs as trophies to prove their success, Camo returned his attention to Sanguis, who still appeared to be unconscious. "C'mon, wake up," he begged her fruitlessly. "I'm not strong enough to lug you back to Beacon on my own..." Of course, she would neither stir nor awaken, and with more creatures of Grimm doubtlessly lurking about in the forest, the task of getting them both to safety would be his responsibility alone. Spotting a rock outcropping relatively close by, he gingerly lifted Sanguis off the ground and carried her away from the battlefield. Once they neared the cliff, he set her down in a sitting position (similar to the way she had landed when she was knocked out) and scouted around for active threats. While performing his reconnaissance, he saw a small cave dug into the side of the cliff; after ensuring that it was currently abandoned, he returned to his temporary partner and moved her into the improvised shelter.

(Talk about your close shaves,) Camo exclaimed internally as he set Sanguis down and slumped against a wall himself. (A half-second slower, and we both would've been dead for sure...We were lucky today. Now, the tough part will be getting back to Beacon without exposing ourselves to more trouble. Night will fall soon, and it'd be way too dangerous to travel with a casualty to look after...At the very least, I should wait until she wakes up to worry about that.)

((I figured I would go ahead at least this far, since San is currently unconscious, but let me know if you'd rather I back up a step or two. I wasn't quite sure how to proceed past this point, though, so feel free to make something up for Camo to do between now and the time she wakes up.))