What Lurks Beneath the Dark [Newleaf Tears Topic/OPEN]

The blood-thirty paid no attention to the cat's cries and just went straight to him, bitting his tail with sharp fangs just to toss him to one side again. Soon, the cat would be dead and his pack will have a new meal to enjoy. Finally, after the whole madness of the flood, they will eat and their alpha will get his revenge.

Dog #2 used Iron Bite on Finchstar, dealing 30 damage and costing 20 stamina.

Dog #2
132/150 HP
290/350 SP

Finchstar
40/120 HP
290/300 SP

The fourth dog let out a yelp as she smaller prey cat darted around and managed to yank her tail, somehow pulling her to the ground. That wasn't supposed to happen! She was a dog, a predator. This was a measly prey cat! Snarling with rage, the dog fought her way to her paws, ready to fight again.

Dog #4 is no longer stunned.

Pale blue eyes shot open by the sudden sound of a yowl. 

Shellpaw was still weary; her eyes were tired and her muscles were lazy, but her senses were alert and she quickly came to the realization that something was horribly wrong when the yowl that had roused her awake was followed by the sound of vicious barking and frantic meows from other formerly resting cats. 

There was no room for the she-cat's laziness, and before she knew it, her body shot to its paws without her mind having to tell it to do anything. What her mind did tell her, though, was to follow the crowd. Her wide pupils hurriedly searched the evacuating cats for a certain direction to head, as she didn't want to run off from the place and find herself alone for the next few days. Everyone was heading in different directions. 'Mouse-brains!' Shellpaw thought, 'You're going to get separated from everyone else.' She decided to start running after a cat from her Clan she recognized when the barks of a dog nearby ultimately stopped her in her tracks.

She whipped around to be met with the glowing eyes of a sleek, vicious dog that loomed over her with its horrifyingly large size. Its eyes tracked every inch of her pelt, analyzing it for movement and its jaws hungrily laid open for her, emitting what would have been a panting sound if it weren't for its consistent barks and growls that overlaid it. If she made it out of this place alive, that image would forever be imprinted into her mind and haunt her dreams. 

The small tabby couldn't move from how terrified she was. If she could move, what would she do? Run? There was probably another dog on the opposite side, waiting right for a cat like her to run straight into its jaws. All she could do was wait for the dog to do something, anything. 'Just get it over with!' Her mind screamed. Her eyes slammed shut, waiting for some sort of horrible pain to impact her.

And then it came. 

A thick paw hit her like a giant boulder, sending her flying to the side. She barely had any time to process what happened when her head hit, ironically, a boulder that her body had also slammed against with it. The only thought she could bear to muster against her shrieking pain was, 'Help... me...' before she blacked out. She had had no time to realize her mistake of following the crowd in this situation or her hesitation and paranoia that had ultimately led Shellpaw to her own downfall.

Just like that, she was gone.

Watching as the dog stalked forward, leaving a trail of slobber behind it, a pit grew in the little leader's stomach. Through his peripheral vision he watched as cats got tossed around one after the other. 'Why StarClan, why?' he wanted to shout, but from the fear and the lump in his throat, nothing dared to come out. With the dog nearing closer and closer, he knew he had to at least do something, seeing as though he had claws for a reason, and that reason wasn't to just freeze in fear.

But before he was able to do anything, he was lifted off the ground, thrashed around violently and thrown through the air until he hit a rock. Hitting the surface with a thud, the small cat's lungs practically burst into flames as he gasped for air, his vision growing blurry as he laid there. He couldn't die now, he just couldn't! He had to lead his clan to safety and watch them grow, not be destroyed by some mangy mongrels!

Tinystar is stunned for 1 more turn.

"!" Swiftstep let out a startled hiss when the dog grabbed him by the scruff, shook him violently, and tossed him aside. He landed heavily, wind knocked right out of him. He felt dizziness start to arise as he didn't move an inch from where he lay. At that moment, he had never been nor felt so vulnerable in his life.

Swiftstep is no longer stunned~

The dog felt a thrill rush through him- the thrill of the hunt. His eyes glowed as he saw that the prey cat was right where he wanted him. With a joyous bark, he ran forward and bit the cat again, this time his back, opening bloody gashes with his fangs. This was so easy!

Dog #3 used Iron Bite on Swiftstep, dealing 30 damage and costing 20 stamina.

Dog #3:
133/150
290/350

Swiftstep:
20/100
265/280

The slender dog had only just lashed out and sent the apprentice tumbling when suddenly they were thrown off-balance and knocked to their side. What had been furious, murderously playful barking moments earlier suddenly turned into a startled yipping. It took the creature several moments to recollect themselves enough to realize what had happened. Some mangy cat had just attacked them! The pale dog scrambled back to their paws and lunged for the white-and-tan feline with more rapid barks of fury. It snapped at the cat quicker than it could have dreamed of reacting. It caught the queen by her neck and the scruff on her shoulder and began to shake her wildly as if trying to snap twig in half.

One cat down and more to enjoy as the cluster woke and broke into a panic, the dark gray dog let out a short aroo, unable to contain their own excitement, before charging at another young cat whose fur was white with grey tabby splotches [Briarpaw; Fox]. The dog launched themself into the apprentice and sent the both of them tumbling. The dog was thrilled. Perhaps this cat would resist a little more than the first few!


Dog #5 used Thrash on Firflower, using 20 SP and dealing 20 HP. Firflower is stunned for 2 turns.
Dog #6 used Heavy Blow on Briarpaw, using 20 stamina and dealing 25 HP.

Dog #5:
150/150 HP
290/350 SP (-20)

Dog #6:
150/150 HP
290/350 SP (-20)

Firflower:
20/40 HP (-20)
110/130 SP

Briarpaw:
10/35 HP (-25)
90/90 SP

The member 'sumashira' has done the following action : Dices roll

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'Effect Dice' : 5

The grey wolf-like dog lashed its tail and with his sole eye fixed on the white-furred tom, he approached him once again. With his jaws dripping blood and saliva, the canine caught the tail of the short cat and bit it hard, wanting to hear the bones break under his grasp. The dog shoved him on the rocks, not letting go of the helpless leader of Skyclan. Tonight, his pack will eat and their stomachs will never be hungry again. Tonight, these cats would pay for his lost eye.

Dog #1 used Iron Bite on Tinystar, dealing 30 damage and costing 20 stamina.

Dog #1
150/150 HP
290/350 SP

Tinystar
35/115 HP
270/270 SP

This was a nightmare. Spiderfur didn't hide her fear as she slashed and bit at her opponent, trembling like a field of heather blasted by stormy winds. Her claws barely reached the dog's chin, even as she stood on her back paws. She wasn't getting anywhere with this, and nobody else was either. What were they supposed to do? Where would they go?

Spiderfur used Rear-up-to-Slash on Dog #4, dealing 17 damage and using 15 stamina.

Spiderfur
HP: 70/100
SP: 245/280

Dog #4
HP: 117/150
SP: 330/350


One moment she stood on top of her scruffy, stinking enemy, then it had her in its jaws. It shook her back and forth as she let out a strange and wordless cry, sending her into a daze. The world was a slurry of colors.

Firflower is stunned for 1 more turn.

Firflower
HP: 20/40
SP: 110/130

Dog #5
HP: 140/150
SP: 290/350


His whole body ached, but it was fading. That didn't mean he could fight, though. He was a useless sack of sore bones and muscle, his ribs surely fractured from the sheer force of hitting solid rock. Deerpaw stood on unsteady legs and gazed about the chaotic arena, eyes following the jagged stones looming above them. 'There's too many, we can't win.' Could they shelter near the Moonstone? No, the dogs could easily follow them. They'd be trapped. He couldn't trust StarClan to protect them either. They hadn't done anything to help them this entire time. 'So the only way to go is up.'

"We aren't going to win this! Finchstar, Tinystar, we need to run!" By rank he was an apprentice, so he surely didn't have the authority to do anything he was doing, but that didn't matter. This was going to be a slaughter if they didn't want to take the smart way out. Without another word to the leaders, and trying to avoid looking at the mangled form of his denmate Shellpaw, he moved into the cave system the two clans had settled into, fully prepared to start sheparding cats out and up the mountains. Where else were they supposed to go?

The dog ran in again for another attack, large paws thundering over the ground. Its jaws clamped over Finchstar's body, scouring his pelt, spraying crimson in its wake. Pain shot through the leader's frame like hot lightning, stiffening his muscles and tearing at his tendons. But the orange and white tabby fought on, too stubborn to let his friends fall to the dogs. He would find his footing soon, stand up to these beasts and fight until his very last breath, but his legs were feeble, claws were torn and pads were cut. Only a searing, blind optimism shot through Finchstar now. He wouldn't admit defeat. This would not be the end. Perhaps he should tell his clanmates to run, to get out while they still could. Maybe, just maybe if they were fast enough, the clan cats could reach the mountains. Deerpaw seemed to have a similar idea, he was smart, and fast, and held the leader's respect.

Still laid out and broken on the stone floor, Finchstar turned his head to yowl a warning to his clanmates, pain shooting from his neck as he did so. "WindClan! Stop fighting! Run to the mountains and find shelter! I'll follow behind you... go, hurry!" Pain coursed through the tom's legs as he found his footing, standing shakily against all odds. The dog who had broken him before now stood in front of the orange and white tabby, snarling. Finchstar narrowed his yellow eyes as he stared his attacker in the face, letting out a hiss of his own. His pads were still bleeding, legs cut and bruised. I'm not quite sure I can move yet... Finchstar thought, standing idle in the clearing. I just need to bide my time, let the clan escape, and bring up the rear... We will not be defeated today. His yellow eyes tracked his clanmates as they fled Mothermouth, swarming up the hill to the faint outline of the mountains. Taking a deep breath, the tom narrowed his eyes, lowering his chin to gaze at his dog with the very force of the wind. He wondered what Brookclover would think of him when they finally reunited. He had remained at Highstones for her, and the rest of WindClan's missing, a difficult truth that the tom couldn't deny. But was it worth it? How many lives would be taken in the name of hope? It was a stubborn hope that had kept Finchstar at Highstones, and now a stronger force would pull him away.

The tom refused to doubt himself, even though the searing fire of guilt ate at his heart. He refused to admit defeat, even as blood dripped from his wounds and onto the ground. Perhaps if he kept fighting, kept running, then not even a shred of fear could reach him. I will be brave, for my clan... for Brookclover.

Hoping to distract his dog enough for his clan to get away, Finchstar began padding towards him, legs burning with each step. "Keep your eyes on me, beast. Let's finish this fight, shall we?" Finchstar knew full well that his legs wouldn't allow him to run as fast as he needed to. But the tom only wished for a moment, for a sheer second to be given to him. Just a bit of time, that's all I need.

Finchstar is no longer stunned.

Swiftstep spat as the dog bit his back. The tom sprung up in fury, maneuvered around it and yanked its tail harshly. He managed to knock the dog down with his strength. If he was going down soon, he'd make sure to give the filthy brute some painful scars to remember him.
---------------------------------------------------------
Swiftstep used Tail Yank on Dog #3, dealing 9 damage and using 10 sp.

Swiftstep:
20/100
255/280

Dog #3:
124/150
290/350

Dog #3 is stunned for 1 turn.

The dog howled in pain and rage as the prey cat not into his tail, throwing him back. This fight bad gone on long enough... He was thirsting for the kill. Bloodlust burned on his eyes as he got back up.

Dog #3 is no longer stunned.

Swiftstep:
20/100
255/280

Dog #3:
124/150
290/350

Finally, she was free. The dog snarled at pain from the cat's claws, but rejoiced in the satisfaction as she grabbed the prey animal by the scruff, shook it a few times, and flung it away. This was almost fun. The joy of the hunt returned to her, and she let out a long, blood curdling howl.

Dog #4 used Thrash, dealing 20 damage and costing 20 stamina. Spiderfur is stunned for 2 turns. Rest in peace...

Dog #4:
117/150 HP
310/350 HP

Spiderfur:
50/100 HP
245/280 SP

The member 'Ash' has done the following action : Dices roll

---

'Effect Dice' : 6

The long-furred dog had no idea of what the cat was saying but when he stood up in front of him, he could tell that there was still some fighting in him. With a ferocious growl, the canine slapped ginger patched warrior in the head, making him go once again against the rocks who were already covered in his own blood. Though the wounds were annoying, there was nothing else in the dog's mind but to kill the cat in front of him and finally put at ease his hungry belly.

Dog #2 used Heavy Blow on Finchstar, dealing 20 damage and costing 20 stamina.

Dog #2
132/150 HP
270/350 SP

Finchstar
20/120 HP
290/300 SP