Jack of All Trades [Open for Standards]

Griffon glanced over at some of the cats who were bickering like they were 100 moons old. Annoyedly, he hissed, "If you keep that up, Captain Iniko might demote you to Pelt Ward!" He wasn’t quite sure if that would really happen, and he was pretty sure that they wouldn’t, but they were ruining the experience. It was their first real training, and they were acting like kits, not like real standards.

He watched intently as the hunting was demonstrated one more time. He remembered something similar in basic training, but they hadn’t done much. This was where they were supposed to learn everything. He split off from the rest of the group, heading over to his own spot to catch some prey. He glanced over and saw Pyrik, a few strides away, hunting a small mouse. Focusing back on himself, he waited for a piece of prey, so he could prove himself. He had to be the best Standard ever, he had too! His ears twitched as he heard hissing and growling. Were they arguing again? Looking over, he saw what looked like a Nightstriker, with their pelt. But they were shaking Pyrik. This wasn’t right! It was a real fox!

Determined to save his denmate (and prove himself with his excellent battle skills), he rushed towards the predator. As he arrived, he realized he had never been taught any proper battle moves, or even seen a battle. He stuck his paw out, swatting at the auburn creature. "Captain Iniko!" he called out. "Fox!"

Griffon used Front Paw Blow, dealing 11 damage and costing 5 stamina!

Griffon
75/75 HP
195/200 [-5] SP

Fox
68/90 [-11] HP
260/280 SP

The tom's gaze was trained on Raisha, whose fiery personality had caught his interest, as she quickly set off in her pursuits with a renewed intent. Iniko watched as she easily dispatched a small sparrow and utilized the same techniques that he had just displayed. She was bright and determined; the clan-born molly would certainly make a good Standard. Eventually, Raisha would find their jobs happened to be more engaging than most in terms of the great variety afforded to Standards. He offered a solemn nod of approval. If the rest of the recruits showed as much promise, his job would be made easier. The captain far preferred the other faucets of his job, traveling in a similar manner to scouts and meeting cats from all over in the most fleeting of manner. Training the next generation was simply a part of the role.

He had been staring after Raisha, these thoughts running through his head as he then found his mind drifting to Tanglerose once again. One of these kits was from her clan, weren't they? A yowl interrupted his musing and at once the Captain was on his paws. The voice of Griffon commanded his attention, an alert. Fox. Immediately a low growl rumbled in his chest, "Battle training it is then."

Iniko motioned for Rama to join him as they surged forward. With so many Asylum cats as it's foe, the beast would easily fall at their paws. But he had to minimize the injuries. Even if he knew how to heal up wounds and ease pain, it was known by all cats of their group that scars were best as a marking of rank rather than being subject to the claws or teeth of another being. The calico charged forward and rammed his head into the side of the fox, intending to knock the wind from it's lungs and hopefully capture it's attention. Pyrik was dazed, no doubt, from being so carelessly shaken about. Despite being in the heat of battle, his limbs were lax as ever and his posture just as much so. He would show them how a Standard fought, with overwhelming skill and certainty. There was a gleam in his gaze as he called to the Rank One's around him, "Let's take this beast down. One of you will wear it's pelt before the day is done."

Iniko used Run and Tackle on the fox, dealing 11 (+3) damage, and using 10 stamina.

Iniko
HP: 75/75
SP: 270/280

Fox
HP: 54/90 (-14)
SP: 260/280

Raisha perked up with pride as Iniko nodded to her. It was a simple gesture, but it thrilled her knowing the captain approved of how she had done her task. Her satisfaction was short-lived, however, as cries were to be heard. Captain Iniko had run off, and as Raisha looked, her jaw fell slack, the sparrow dropping limply to the ground. And of course, she saw Pyrik, trapped in the jaws of the fox. She chuckled darkly, her tail lashing as she pondered whether she would actually join the fight. I did tell them we should learn fighting. It's not my fault they didn't listen.

With a sigh, Raisha slowly unsheathed her claws, her tail lashing. Being in the Asylum, the group needed to look out for one another. So she decided she might as well fight. She would take her time with it, but she would fight. And Pyrik was sooo going to owe her one. She would make sure the annoying tom did not forget it.

Getting into her hunting crouch, she surged forward, her paws light, as though the fox was prey. Of course, she didn't actually think of it as prey. But Captain Iniko said hunting could be useful for battle tactics as well, so she was going to test that out.

She did not account for how menacing a fox truly was, though. As she caught a glimpse of those beady black eyes, she felt a shiver run down her spine, and for a moment, she was frozen. But as the battle went on, she eventually raised her right paw, leaving a scratch upon the fox's muzzle. It wasn't much, but what could she do? Captain Iniko didn't train them! At least she had the sense to use her claws!

RAISHA USED FRONT PAW STRIKE ON THE FOX, DEALING 12 DAMAGE AND COSTING 10 SP

Raisha
HP:75/75
SP:187/200 (-10 SP) (Used 3 SP from hunting)

Fox
HP:42/90 (-12 HP)
SP:260/280

Mirae watched as Captain Iniko flawlessly caught the squirrel, her green eyes wide. She hadn't seen him move so quickly before, the flash of movement inescapable by the small creature. By now, the sleep-thickness had begun to dissipate and the stiffness in her muscles faded. Her paws itched with anticipation to mimic the older cat's hunting and she shuffled them on the dirt. But instead of immediately moving away to hunt, she stood by Ceres's side and watched her fellow rank ones. If she could see what they did, and what went wrong in their methods, maybe she could catch something on her first try. Her gaze traveled over to Raisha, who had caught sight of something invisible to Mirae. Her own muscles tensed as she sensed that the other she-cat about to pounce, and Raisha succeeded in her catch. Okay... I can do that.


She looked around, taking in her surroundings one final time, before choosing a direction. She was about to beckon Ceres over to a thicket appearing full of berries when she heard Griffon shout. Mirae whipped around, her eyes catching the red beast with Pyrik in its mouth. At first, she hadn't realized what had happened. Her mind had gone to thinking that a Nightstriker grabbed him to get him away from said fox, but quickly realized that that wasn't the case. Her fur spiked up as fear flooded her senses. While she had seen fox pelts before, Mirae hadn't expected a real fox to look so... scary. Life-like. But then, snapping her out of her horrified trance was Iniko's voice calling them to action. She had to help. Mirae sprinted over, trying to remember what she could do. But her memory failed her and she copied Raisha, slashing at the fox's foul-smelling flank with her claws.


Mirae used Front Paw Strike on the fox, dealing 12 damage and costing 10 SP


Mirae
HP: 75/75
SP: 190/200 (-10 SP)


Fox
HP: 30/90 (-12 HP)
SP: 260/280

Ceres gingerly flicked her sister's tail with her shoulder as her sister came up to greet her.
"Morning, Mirae." The she-cat addressed her with a grin.
Having her sister by her side in the same faction as her was definitely going to make being a Standard better than it already was. The third sister of the litter, Shira, had been sorted into the Scout faction, but Ceres still intended to talk to her whenever she had the chance. It was unknown to the calico if the Scouts would be training today, but she still silently wished Shira good luck as she continued to follow Iniko further into the open. Despite the fact that she was excited to hunt because it sounded fun, she knew how big of a responsibility learning how to hunt was. Everyone at camp needed to be fed. When Ceres had been too young to hunt, the Asylum had promptly provided her with food. None of the other kits went hungry, either. Now, it was her job to help carry the weight and feed everyone else. Knowing that she was tasked with that made her eyes sparkle with pride.

She made sure to pay close attention to the Standard captain as he was speaking. In her eyes, Iniko's presence was extremely commanding. Certainly, she wasn't the slightest bit afraid of him, but she looked at the tom with a great deal of respect. When he managed to catch a squirrel, the calico's features lit up. How cool was that? Wouldn't it be even cooler if she could catch a squirrel all on her own? Even though she wanted to let out a yowl of excitement, she kept silent as she rose to her paws. Hunting couldn't be that hard. Iniko had made it seem easy. Ceres was feeling confident as she began to follow her sister over to the patch of berries. Perhaps there would be enough prey over there for them to both catch something.

Her train of thought didn't last for a long time. A sharp yell cut through the air. Griffon's signal of alarm caused the she-cat to whip around to face the commotion. Ceres hadn't thought that her first battle would be with an actual predator. Nonetheless, it was mandatory to spring into the fight to help take the fox down. Instinctively, she unsheathed her claws as she dashed towards the russet-furred creature. Considering the fact that she barely knew how to fight, she had to rely solely on what seemed right. It would be impossible for her to pull off any fancy moves, now, so she had to stick to the basics that she knew. The calico lifted her right paw and ran it mercilessly along the fox's flank, an area where it wouldn't be able to lash out at her.

ceres used "front paw strike" on fox, costing 10 stamina and dealing 12 damage.

ceres
hp - 75/75
sp - 190/200

fox
hp - 18/20
sp - 260/280

Though discerning anything through the blur of color and motion was impossible, Pyrik heard the voice of one of his faction-mates. “Captain Iniko! Fox!” Right, he hadn’t gone so far that they couldn’t see him—and Captain Iniko (and Rama too, though he didn’t know her as well) would never leave them all to fend for themselves. The fox didn’t give him a chance to feel relieved. Just as abruptly as he’d left the ground, he found himself hurtling back toward it. The impact shoved the air clean out of his lungs. He tried to scrabble at the earth, but his legs refused to move. The pain in his chest (minor in the grand scheme of things, but by far the worst thing he’d ever felt in his life) was all-encompassing. Was this how he went out? Dying in battle on Day One of training, just after botching his first-ever hunting crouch? As much as he’d worried about disappointing Captain Iniko and the rest of Asylum, he hadn’t imagined it would be this bad—his shoulder scar hadn’t even healed yet!

Fortunately, the next desperate gasp pulled brisk air into his chest deep enough for him to feel. His heartbeat settled from a panicky flutter into a rhythm suited to plain old fear. Sure, he was lying uselessly on the ground while the other trainees fought, but at least he wasn’t dead. Maybe. On his next inhale, Pyrik managed to roll himself onto his stomach. Through watering eyes, he could see the others swarming (even Raisha, strangely enough).

Pyrik is stunned for 1 more turn.

Pyrik [stunned]
55/75 HP
192/200 SP

---

The fox, for her part, had started to wonder if she was in over her head. She’d been thinking with her nose instead of her eyes, expecting one cat instead of six (she doubted the scrap she’d tossed aside would rejoin the fight). Most of her opponents were kittens; she’d seen—and eaten—rabbits more intimidating than them. The two older ones, however, they carried themselves like the foxes who’d taken over her hunting grounds. Sure-footed. Experienced. She couldn't be certain she'd win this fight, much less that she'd win it without being injured. Even so, this new territory was…difficult, and the first snowfall had already come and gone. Time was running out.

So be it, then. She'd kill the older ones first. With them gone, the rest of the battle would be as easy as picking worms out of the dirt, and she’d be well-supplied for the cold season. As she whirled around in search of an opening, the kits’ small paws and shorter claws battered at her face and sides; what they lacked in ferocity, they made up for in sheer numbers. At last, she twisted free with a shrieking yowl. Turning her coppery eyes onto the brown-and-white hairball that had charged into her side, she snapped out at its legs, aiming to catch one in her jaws. It wouldn't be as easily thrown as the kit who'd tried to steal her prey, but anything that could take it out of the fight would be worthwhile.

Fox used Iron Bite on Iniko, dealing 30 damage and using 20 stamina.

Fox
18/90 HP
240/280 SP (-20)

Iniko
45/75 HP (-30)
270/280 SP

Each of the new Standards charged into battle in time, battling the beast with strong, yet inexperience paws. With a firstpaw account of fighting skills against an actual predator, the tom hoped to pass on a thing or two. It was an invaluable experience even if not an intended one. Iniko felt the stinging of pierced flesh and the iron snap of the foxes' jaws. All he did was grit his teeth. This was for from the first time he had felt such a sensation and it certainly wouldn't be the last. He didn't move, pulling away would only further entice injury.

Once the jaws were no longer wrapped around his limb, the Captain leaped a pace back, just a far enough distance to properly rear up onto his hindpaws. No sound left his maw and he gave no indication of feeling the heat of battle of the scarlet speckled wound of his leg. Instead, Iniko's eyes portrayed hints of fiery determination. He brought down the full force of both his front paws, hardly favoring the injured one, right into the top of the creature's skull. The weakening of their foe was obvious and he took another step back. The gleam in his eyes only grew as he looked to Rank Ones. One of them would finish it off.

Iniko used Upright Lock on the fox, dealing 16 damage, and using 25 stamina.

Iniko
HP: 45/75
SP: 245/280 (-25)

Fox
HP: 2/90 (-16)
SP: 240/280

Griffon watched, eyes widened as the cats attacked, taking down the fox easily with their strength. He watched his captain, trying to remember  the moves that the older cats were using. One day, he wouldn’t have all of them to help him, and he knew he would encounter tough battles with the Asylum. He’s sure to finish it off now! the tom thought as Iniko struck at the predator once more. But curiously, he took a step back. It was still breathing, still alive, but only barely.

What’s he doing?

Iniko or Rama could easily take it out, and he was right there. So why had he stepped away? The fox wasn’t moving, trying to muster the small amount of strength it had. Griffon was unsure of what to do. Was this some sort of test? Not wanting to make the wrong move, he waited. Eyes darting between the predator and his companions, until the fox began to stir. Instincts took over, and the tom smashed a paw onto it’s head, watching as the creature went limp. He blinked slowly, in shock. Had he just taken out a fox? It had been his first battle training, too! That was awesome. He hadn’t even gotten hit once, which was lucky for him. That thought made him lift his head toward his denmate.

"Pyrik, are you ok?" he asked the tom.


Griffon used Front Paw Blow, dealing 11 damage and costing 5 stamina. The fox is KO’ed

Griffon
75/75 HP
190/200 [-5]

Fox
0/90 [-11]
240/290

Raisha snorted as Griffon went to check on Pyrik, not taking her eyes off of the fox, in case it somehow sprung back to life. "I don't know about him, but I'm doing great! Although, just a hint, Pyrik, maybe actually fight the fox next time? I doubt being a ragdoll is going to do you much good, although I certainly enjoyed watching it."

With a grin, the diluted calico sat down, stroking her tongue down her back to smooth her fur down. Every so often she'd glance at Pyrik through narrowed eyes. Yup, he would live. So there was no problem, then! Perfect.

With a yawn, she stood up, stretching. "Right, so Pyrik didn't die, and we got training. Can we go back now? I'm ready for a nap. Fighting foxes is tiring. Or are you still stuck on everyone needs to catch a piece of prey, because I caught something at least. Don't know about the rest of these slackers." She chuckled a little. Of course the last part was just a joke, she didn't actually think anyone was slacking. Not their fault Pyrik apparently made a good meal. She couldn't understand what the fox saw in him.

Lunging forward fast as an adder, the fox latched onto one of Captain Iniko’s legs. The captain handled it the way he handled everything, with an eerie calm even as blood trickled down his leg; he remained in place until the fox released him, then smashed his forepaws down right between the fox’s ears. Dazed though he was, Pyrik’s eyes still gleamed with awe as the fox collapsed in a copper-furred heap. Strangely, Captain Iniko didn’t finish it off. He looked around at the other trainees, and Pyrik’s breath caught. I should—I need to— He forced himself to his paws, still feeling dangerously…rattle-y. Half-dried blood clumped around the wounds the fox’s teeth had left. That realization did nothing to help the dizziness. He took a single step toward the fox, which was struggling to regain its footing—just as Griffon slammed a paw into it. Giving one final twitch, the beast slumped to the ground, eyes glassy.

Was it…dead? As he leaned forward to check, his ribs stung in protest; he drew back with a wince. Griffon’s voice pulled his attention elsewhere. “Yeah,” Pyrik said, not as confidently as he would’ve liked. “You were really cool, Griffon!” Sure enough, Raisha piped up again. Though he’d cowered at her earlier comment, the adrenaline from the fight hadn’t fully drained away, and he caught himself whirling around (in spite of the answering jolt at his sides) to face her. “I did my best! I—I’ve never fought before—"

A hot lump rose in his throat. Choking back his protests before it could grow any further, Pyrik settled for narrowing his eyes in Raisha’s direction as she groomed her barely-bloodied pelt. But she was right. He had to catch something for Asylum. Then he could curl up in his nest for the rest of his life, or at least until tomorrow. Unwilling to trust his voice or his ability to make eye contact, he addressed the captain's wounded leg. ”Captain Iniko? I can, um. Try again? I think I can still crouch…”

Iniko watched the hesitance in the young tom's eyes, clear confusion at the fact he hadn't taken down the beast. One more body added to the many counts over the moons meant nothing to him. Passing this opportunity to a younger cat would help them to grow in their confidence and ability. There came an approving nod when Griffon smashed a final blow into the fox's skull. Easy, simple. If it weren't for the fact they had a whole host of Standards here, this would have been a more tiresome fight. Regardless, it was over for now. Predators fights would be a concern for another day.

The tom's ear flicked as the energetic voices of the young standards began to pipe up. Griffon was determined to check on his Faction member, while Raisha seemed devoted to taunting the tom. Iniko padded forward, shooting Raisha a silencing look. Her skill and drive was impressive but creating conflict between your allies was a tact that he wanted to ensure none of them took on. He would talk to her later. For now, the calico tom padded forward to meet Pyrik. They stood close to the still fox and he hardly spared it a glance. Instead, he stooped slightly to meet the Rank One's gaze.

"Enough for today, Pyrik. You will have your chance to catch prey later, and take down predators. I want you to take this pelt and craft it into your own. Rama will help guide you, she's excellent in pelt crafting." Iniko paused, briefly glancing to the other cats gathered. While his gaze was meant for the Shadowclan born tom in front of him, the words rose just enough to find the ears of the other cats, "You will learn not to be prey any longer. To be an Asylum cat is to walk among the predators. With this pelt, Pyrik, you'll become one of them and once of us. Same goes for the rest of you." He nodded for Raisha and Griffon to help with Pyrik carry the pelt back to camp. A carcass was far heavier when it still possessed its innards. With that over, he turned to guide the group back to camp.

"What?! That pile of dung gets the pelt?! He didn't even do anything! The most he did was play the bait. And he couldn't even do that!" She added, eyeing Captain Iniko's wound. She wouldn't have minded if any other cat got the pelt. At least they had done stuff. But Pyrik???? "Captain Iniko, with all due respect, I think you have bees in your head. What did he even do to deserve the pelt? The rest of us are the ones who took the mangy beast down!"

She had an even more exasperated look as the captain nodded for her to help with the pelt. Yup, he had lost it. The captain had lost his mind. Narrowing her eyes at Pyrik, she grabbed hold of the fox pelt, stubbornly dragging it before anyone else grabbed it, and slowly followed after Captain Iniko. The fox was heavy, and she found herself constantly stopping for breath, having barely even moved, but she was determined to prove her worth. She refused to be outshined. Not by that worthless ragdoll.

Despite Pyrik’s efforts to keep his gaze fixed on the captain’s leg, Captain Iniko’s eyes drew it upward. To his surprise, no shame, no disappointment, no I’m giving you to Theron as a Pelt Ward, maybe she’ll find some use for you awaited him there. Quite the opposite, in fact. Pyrik felt his jaw go slack, distant as if it were happening to someone else. A scar and a pelt. Two of the greatest honors a true, ordinary Asylum cat could wear, and he had them both. Hastily pulling his mouth shut, he glanced over his shoulder at Rama once Captain Iniko had turned away. If she had any objections (she had to, they’d all heard them), he couldn’t see them on her face at this distance.

Raisha launched another barrage of thorny comments. Fortunately, Pyrik managed to tamp down the part of him insisting that he’d gotten one hit in, or that he was bleeding more than her so what did she know about fighting anyway—up until she seized the pelt and began to drag it after the captain. At a snail’s pace, sure, but that wasn’t the issue. Though it took more scrambling than his ribs agreed with, in the end he was able to snag one of the fox’s legs, and from there it was just a matter of wiggling himself underneath until part of it rested across his shoulder. A bit too close to Raisha for his liking; not so close he couldn’t put up with it. She could take prey, the warmest nest, a fox pelt of her own if she wanted—but this one, and all it stood for, was his. Even if that meant fighting Raisha for the right to wear it.

One of them and one of us. A thin, glowing warmth threaded through Pyrik, and he tightened his grip. Prey no longer.