+{MONSTER}++BATTLE+

[featherswift]

Jolon finally met up with Kasparr and Autumn. He listened to them and knew exactly what they meant. The Destinian pack was looking weak, not to mention Siverian pack was having some issues with their alpha. All in all, it was nothing compared to what damage Bain could have done. The black warrior was glad for that one aspect. They would have to confront him later on, not with fangs, but with words just as sharp.

"So, what do you suggest we do at this point?," he barked while making sure to keep an eye on the battle around them.

~~~~~~~`
Featherswift padded a step closer to the demon in front of her. As Arachna noticed her, she quieted her growling and let her ears up. At first all she heard was chiding on her part. Then the Blood Mist talked of her killing her. Now that was an outrageous thought! That wasn't even what she was going to do. This wolf seemed to always not understand her interests, but at least she got her name right.

With a few more paw steps she was looking straight down at Arachna with a menacing glare full of hate and menace. This wolf was going to come with her. She'd drag her through the fire wall and let the battle take her life. Featherswift wanted nothing do to with ripping out the throat. What she wanted for this wolf was humiliation and trust ripped away.

At the whimpering wolf hacking she merely blinked. Arachna then said something about a proposition. Now this was going to be amusing for sure. Her ears merely flicked, but that was her answer: continue.

[nighty!]

[quote author=acacia board=goldenrise thread=6723 post=67375 time=1291445308
“Who are you? You smell of Ignorance. What have you done to her?” He goes to interrupt her circle. He then attempts to get close enough to see if she is truly her. The thunder rumbled and he flinched. He felt very vulnerable at the moment. He was so soft around her how had this happened? He growls in annoyance at himself. He wanted this wolf even though she claimed not to be ignorance to get off the battle field. He shook his fur out. NO NO NO no, yes he was in love with the wolf in front of him he could not help it. Now what would he do? He pulled back and growled demandingly “Run! Please” He whispered the last word his eyes soft and pleasing with sincerity. [/quote]

"I have done nothing wrong but been damned by Ignorance," Aurora snarled at the young Blood Mistie(?) after he questioned her that she did something to Ignorance. Yeah right. Then he tried to tell her to run. "No," She barked at him.

For some reason, the fight with her father and another wolf caught her eye. She was through with the boy for the moment. (Because we all know that they'll get together and talk somehow). "DAD!" She cried and started headed to him, knowing that she wasn't going to make it in time to prevent the other wolf from attacking him again.

((blehh... sorry about that, school and such.))

[MooniiKinz]

Aradis yelped as Roman, though missed, still got her shoulder, leaving a huge wound that made the alphess stumble. She quickly caught Gossip's gaze, looking away in an instant. With an angry snarl, she launched herself back at Roman, aiming with her front paws and spinning around to kick away with her back.

Gossip stayed where he was, but shifted his position to meet Roman if Aradis' attack worked. His tail lashed behind him, and a snarl was frozen on his face.

((New battle technique, having my wolfies try it out. Got lazy at the end.))

[grimmy]

(quick question, correct me if I 'm wrong, but the Yozorians are not fighting in this battle? Right? or are they? )
Polychrome ran on the sidelines of where the Battle e was held, howling in her battle cry.
"Come here! Fight me you coward!" She yelled in anger towards the blood mist wolf. Watching small figurines of wolves rush up to her, Polychrome ran fully around and turned to face them. Seeing their white fangs stick from their mouths, Polychrome felt a tinge of early pain. She knew herself she was going to be in deep pain after this. Possibly worse. Bearing her own fangs, she darted her way to them, and howled.
A large blow hit across her chest as she ran into a wolf, sharp needles of pain stuck inside of her back as the blood mists claws dug into her. Kicking the wolf off, she flung her claws at his face. Howling in pain, the Blood mists shriek made a cold sting run down Polychrome's spine. Running to a different position, she kicked the Blood mist's wolf in the jaw and ran farther away. (Why are you running, fight back. Don't become a coward. Have courage.) Polychrome sensed a trail of thoughts running through her head. Jumping in the air, she landed on him, but slid down and hit her head on a nearby tree. Snarling with anger, the Blood mist wolf flung his paw in the air, displaying a full set of rugged claws and threw it, aiming for Polychrome's head. Rolling away, Polychrome barley missed the paw, leading it to the tree. Shrieking in pain, the Blood mists wolf cry curled with a feeling of anguish. In little time, Polychrome turned around and ran away deeper into the forest. Soon enough, loosing the predator, and breathing heavily, Polychrome landed on the forest floor, trying to forget the sharp pain in her back. Remembering the sunlit days of once she played in the snow as a pup.

Attachments:

[MooniiKinz]

Dec 13, 2010 16:18:06 GMT -5 grimmy said:

(quick question, correct me if I 'm wrong, but the Yozorians are not fighting in this battle? Right? or are they? )
Polychrome ran on the sidelines of where the Battle e was held, howling in her battle cry.
"Come here! Fight me you coward!" She yelled in anger towards the blood mist wolf. Watching small figurines of wolves rush up to her, Polychrome ran fully around and turned to face them. Seeing their white fangs stick from their mouths, Polychrome felt a tinge of early pain. She knew herself she was going to be in deep pain after this. Possibly worse. Bearing her own fangs, she darted her way to them, and howled.
A large blow hit across her chest as she ran into a wolf, sharp needles of pain stuck inside of her back as the blood mists claws dug into her. Kicking the wolf off, she flung her claws at his face. Howling in pain, the Blood mists shriek made a cold sting run down Polychrome's spine. Running to a different position, she kicked the Blood mist's wolf in the jaw and ran farther away. (Why are you running, fight back. Don't become a coward. Have courage.) Polychrome sensed a trail of thoughts running through her head. Jumping in the air, she landed on him, but slid down and hit her head on a nearby tree. Snarling with anger, the Blood mist wolf flung his paw in the air, displaying a full set of rugged claws and threw it, aiming for Polychrome's head. Rolling away, Polychrome barley missed the paw, leading it to the tree. Shrieking in pain, the Blood mists wolf cry curled with a feeling of anguish. In little time, Polychrome turned around and ran away deeper into the forest. Soon enough, loosing the predator, and breathing heavily, Polychrome landed on the forest floor, trying to forget the sharp pain in her back. Remembering the sunlit days of once she played in the snow as a pup.

A few snuck away from their camp, but otherwise no, the Yozoran's are not fighting.

Also, correct me if I'm wrong, but remember you only have control of Polychrome in your posts, you can't control other wolves that aren't your characters. When attacking, you can say that she attacked, where she aimed, and how she aimed, you can also say if she dodged an attack. Leave the hit/miss, and actions of the other wolf to their roleplayers. Also, I think this rule apply's here, you can't control characters that don't exist.

To Sivvy: Sorry if this is backseat moderating!(If that's even a rule)

[grimmy]

(ohk. Soory I didnt know that, becuase I know now you cant controll other people's wolves- powerplay; but I didnt know that you couldnt roleplay un-created wolves also. Becuase I did that in my very first post and nobody said anything so I just assumed that it was okay, but thanks for clearing that up for me haha soory I was really confused.)

[featherswift]

((Grimmy you're fine. Powerplaying is wrong, but making up your own wolves just for a fight is perfectly acceptable. I've done it a bunch, even with prey. Just don't stay very long on them and try to get action done with other rper's. A make believe wolf is good for about one post, so don't over do it. Otherwise, your fine!))

[MooniiKinz]

(9Oh, I didn't know that didn't apply here, considering it'd stack a bunch of odds against other wolves, especially when you add (Now this is just an example xD) 10 Blood Misties to the battle))

[grimmy]

((Haha thanks so much its alot clearer! I was a bit confused there for a minute! I get it now. ;D ))

[Sivoncé™]

(It's fine for you guys to bring stuff like this to someone's attention, but unless you're 100% sure it's probably best to say something like "I think that might be powerplay, but I'm not sure". Sometimes, it's fixable when I'm away, but other times, like this, it serves as a flag for me to come and confirm or explain when I get back So thank you Feather/Painteh for your concerns, but I would rather you in the future voice a concern and have a staffer explain when they get back

Everyone: Sorry if there was any confusion here; Featherswift had the right idea. Un-created wolves can be used briefly in battle rp, but like Feather said, they only last for about a post, so it's really not any legit advantage. (there may be 10 Blood Mists added to the battle, but typically a warrior will be able to beat them into retreat within a post or two.) Remember both sides still need to receive hits; just because the other wolf isn't an actual character doesn't mean your char is invincible. Like I said, just a way to get more wolves into the fight ^^ )

Autumn shrugged her shoulders, visibly nervous. "There's still a fight to be fought here. It's not over yet, and I have a nasty feeling in my gut. Look at how much tragedy has happened thus far, and we're what, halfway through the storm? There's still more to come."

Kasparr felt a shiver in his spine at his sister's ominous words. She's right, he admitted with an inward groan. "What will we do once the battle's over? Jolon's going to have the wounds from a battle he wasn't supposed to fight," he barked in alarm. "We should've thought of this sooner, but it didn't even come to mind..." They needed Jolon on the inside, but there was no telling what Bain -- or his other persona -- might do to Jolon if he figured out where the warrior had gone. We can't have him in that much danger...it's a death wish!

Arachna offered a quirky, mischeivous smile at the wolf who loomed above her, her features smarting with hostility. It was strange, Arachna mused, how wolves developed these sterotypical images of strong and weak. Physically, perhaps, Arachna was weak and Featherswift was strong, but it was Arachna who held the true power here, and she knew it very well. Featherswift would bend and break either way; the events had been set in action from the moment the three of them had met at the river.
"Walk with me," she growled hoarsely. She struggled to a stand, her raven-colored pelt glistening with blood and dusted with ash. She shook herself and the soot ghosted in clouds from her pelt. Without another word, she started off further into Blood Mist territory -- away from the flames and the battle, but farther away from the packlands as well. She stumbled twice, but the limping wolf managed to keep herself upright for duration of the short journey. Eventually, Arachna came to a stop beside a hollowed log. She turned to Featherswift with glittering eyes.
"You remember our little rendezvous with that interesting fellow, Hades, yes? I haven't seen him since, but I do say, he was rather fascinating, wasn't he? I came back to sniff him out shortly after that little get together -- to figure out where such a lovely creature could've come from. I didn't get that far because I found that I was not the only one out for a snoop. Lucky you, I attacked the little wench. I could've left her to reveal our secret meeting to your alpha, but I am convinced there is a spot of good in you, so I did you a favor. Ironically, after I tossed her in the river, I myself found her a little ways downstream and dragged her out. You have two options, Featherswift: I can let her go, and she can tell the Sheeran alpha what she found out about you making friends in Blood Mist and elsewhere, or you can kill her. Your choice."

((Sorry I forgot to respon, Painteh. The picture I got in my head was Aradis leaping forward, but instead of attacking with her front paws, twisting around and kicking him with her back claws, so I hope that's somewhat close to what you meant? An intersting move ))

Roman missed his mark, but clipped her on the side. He hit the ground hard, but rolled with the impact and found himself quickly back on his paws. Chest heaving, his eyes moved frantically to his daughter's limp, crumpled form just a few tail-lengths away. They almost killed her. She might be crippled or paralyzed for the rest of her life. I'm going to make them pay! Roman launched himself again, but Aradis' twist came unexpected and her found himself reeling from a sharp blow to the jaw from her hindlegs. Spitting out blood, Roman rubbed the throbbing bones in his muzzle. His mouth was now at an uncomfortable, sore angle -- there had been some sort of break. Hatred flooded his veins. Growling, he began to circle the Siverian alpha with a cold, calculated stare. If she was going to get fancy with her footwork, he would have to do the same. He feinted forward, but instead of aiming for her neck he thrust himself toward her stomach, hopefully shoving her right off her paws.

Ah. Now there's the little traitor. Paris, who had been on his way to aid Arachna before she disappeared into the fire, had been momentarily thwarted from his target. But now, the Blood Mist warrior parted through the fray with narrowed eyes and prowled behind Gossip. With a ferocious howl, Paris launched himself at his former packmate's back, aiming for a bite to the shoulder.
You've done a little too much damage today, I think!

[MooniiKinz]

(Damn, really, Blood Mist can't leave my poor Gossip alone? xD)

Gossip lurched forward the second Roman had his back turned. With front paws extended, he dropped his chest out of the air, hoping to land on the brutes rump, but at the same time, pull him down with his front paws. The second he leaped though, he was interrupted, pushed down by another wolf. A snarl of hatred erupted his muzzle, and he rolled onto his belly to meet the attacker, kicking swiftly at Paris' jaw. His shoulder bled from the wolf's bite, and he winced in pain as rain droplets fell on the wound.
(If this was confusing, he didn't get Roman, I'm leaving another wolf to do that xD)

Aradis blinded by the dust she had stirred up, only ducked just in time to miss Roman's attack, though she still felt his impact on her spine, making her yelp in pain. Dazed and not paying attention, she looked around, trying to gather her senses.

Mahina surged forward as fast as her paws would carry her. Her brown eyes were narrowed as the rain and snow mixture whipped at her face, forcing her to stumble over her own four paws. Up ahead, she saw the Siverian alpha, on the ground, apparently too dazed to move. With a shocked look she targeted Roman, who she believed to be her attacker. Without making a sound, the femme made a swift right turn, jumping a few seconds later and aiming from the back for the males shoulders.

[Acacia]

Whisper nods begrudgingly turning from the she wolf. She sighs and looks to Griffen. “Where too?” She says resisting the urge to co and give the other wolf comfrey. She would need it. Instead she pulled a few leaves out and laid them on a rock for the other healer to find. They were in plain site and hard to miss. She didn’t feel so bad now that she had done something.


Link seen the other wolf coming at him and attempted to dodge he was hit on his hip and slid to the right his lower half sliding off the cliff. He used all his strength to hoist himself back up on the ledge. He panted at the edge of the cliff.


Tangle looked after Aurora. She was running away, but not for him for another male. He looked at the scene with wide eyes as the male held on for dear life and pulled himself up. The male looked disoriented. Tangle decided that he would trust that Aurora could care for herself.

[Sivoncé™]

(( My Blood Misties would, in theory, hit the brakes should my wolves no longer be double-teamed. So, it would also be a true statement to say that they will continue to appear if my wolfehs continue to be doubleteamed. Of course, all's fair in love and war; in truth, it would be unlikely for anyone to be left alone for very long in a bundle of raging wolfehs ;D

Oh, and this is just a thought, but our precipitation should probably be turning more towards snow than rain; it is almost winter I got a ton in my backyard if we need extra xP ))

A slice pain shot through his jaw; a small cut broke the skin where Gossip's paw had caught Paris' jaw. The real damage was in the throb that now pulsated on the side of his face, and the beginnings of a giant welt already beginning to show. Snarling coldly, Paris' glinting eyes rested on Gossip's form, a small smile forming on his muzzle when he caught sight of the blood he'd drawn. "You're going to pay for what you've done, you fool!" Paris leaped again, going for Gossip's vulnerable shoulder.

Griffen felt a small warmth for the healer as she laid the herbs down beside Cora's limp form. He offered her a tiny, weak smile of empathy. He was far from understanding the Blood Mists, and he didn't think anyone had them quite right yet, but Aradis had planted an interesting thought in his brain. They were wolves, too -- they were born the same fashion, created by the same Golden Paws that had made them, abandoned by that very same maker just like the rest of the packs. In the beginning, the Sheerans didn't exist; back in history, the Sheerans were truly Blood Mists. Griffen looked with a wave of unease to the Sheeran wolves around them. What if they were fighting Blood Mists that they shared ancestors with? They wouldn't even know... Griffen gave himself a shake, eyes catching on Aradis' dazed figure. After a brief hesitation, Griffen moved briskly to her side.
"Aradis, are you alright? Maybe you should let Whisper help you out for a bit." She's been fighting this whole time, but we'll need her to be there for us when this is all over; now that the Sheerans are here, we can swap places for a bit. He looked again to Whisper, hoping she would follow where he was going with this and advise his alphess to rest as well.

Robespierre's heart bolted from his chest as he soared perilously close to the cliff's edge. In the nick of time, he managed to dig his claws into the ground and bring his terrifying teetering to a stop. His paws slid as he fought for balance. His hindlegs swung dangerously over the side of the mighty rock face. Sweating buckets from fear and the furnace of war and flame, Robespierre dragged himself feverishly back up over the edge. Pulse thundering wildly, Robespierre couldn't bring himself to be concerned about his enemy's whereabouts for the time being; he was too busy fighting to regain control of his senses after the near peril he'd faced moments before.

Roman howled in victory as the Siverian alphess was downed. Just as he surged forward to bring about her final defeat, another figure crashed into him and slammed him to the earth. The air was prematurely pressed from his lungs. Slowly, he came to his paws and locked his eyes on his new threat, still consciously aware that Cora was slipping closer and closer to peril in his preipheral vision. "Look," he growled deeply, "Let me get my daughter to a healer, and then we can come back and finish this, sound good? And don't think I won't -- I would just love to see your blood run through this grass. But she's only young. She's a healer, not a killer. She doesn't deserve to die like this."

[.Rabid Lycan.]

Straight into the mouth of the inferno.
Descending the marbled steps of some illusionary heaven, the crooked waltz of his decaying sanity veered toward the plumes of charcoal billowing up from the distant forest. The eyes, sunken in sockets that were, too, sunken in sockets, guided the direction of each motion of his silhouette. A spectral glow blazed across his helm, but only shadows claimed witness. The chaos was distant, a dull roar. A distant scream.
Claws dragged, crimson patterns smearing over the callus crevices of his pads. Limbs rising and falling with the jaunt of his arrival. The tide of heat and scarlet rushing beneath him, swelling like the River Styx, full of bodies. Contorted, mutilated, faceless little bodies.
Only the outskirts, hardly in sight to the keenest eye. Here, amongst the scattered boulders, broken corpses lying beneath their silent wrath. Here, the wraith selected a fallen soldier, and staked several rows of fangs through its chest. Twisting, grinding, diving deeper into the chilled flesh. Glass eyes fixed with stares of horror and ecstasy united. All the while, continuing to tear, rip, shred.
And the skull emerged in a fluid gasp for air, as if breaking the surface of a tar pit, the desperate gush of oxygen banishing the toxicity from his lungs. Only to be met with the poison of fire, of the bloodied heart captured between dual jaws.
No longer the scent of Yozoran, of a Blood Mist, of a wolf. But of gore and rotting corpses.
The scent of war.
Time.
Somewhere, a Blood Mist revolutionary had just paraded his words of prophecy—no, not prophecy. Wisdom. Sacrifice. With transfixed attentions, the figure absorbed, understood. The ritual completed, fighting continued to ensue, but he could see them all—all the wolves, hearts blackened with vendetta, dancing their demonic dances just along the sheer drop.
Every figure too distracted to utter a glance, not for the stranger tracing the boundary of battle. Especially not the ivory fae, hissing a gasp of horror as knives clasped an iron maiden clamp about her throat. Not the Blood Mist soldier, who continued to writhe as the shadow dragged her toward the cliff—the centerpiece of Robespierre’s glorious demonstration.
Flames churned below, wolves bled at all flanks, and the ranks were screaming their undiluted rage. Sweet, barbarian rage.
Calm, so calm, the masked marauder drove his fangs down the torso of his victim, and prepared to feed her into the erupting hellhole. A type of howl uttered from his maw, with a sort of urgency, but it was distorted. He spoke, too, like Robespierre before him—to an audience—but his voice was more broken. Guttural.
[glow=maroon,2,300]“And let her burning scorch some of the prejudice from your souls.”[/glow]
Frenzy spluttered, the scarlet foaming at her jowls, as the Blood Mist fae was released into the flames. Her hair like a wick, bursting into light, sparks showering as she smoldered into a soot cocoon, alongside the other bodies.
This time, it was Temper who thrust forward this time, directing his rage at the wolf who needlessly tortured his sister into her first demise. Hades accepted the jaws that lashed around his legs, screams of “Fucking murderer bastard!” and “My sister!” reflecting from his pillar stature. Immobile, like a tower, training his gaze over the incensed sibling and into the horde.
[glow=maroon,2,300]“If a wolf among us can distinguish the motivation and execution of either sacrifice, I invite you to submit it now.”[/glow]
“Unnecessary—!” came the voice fixed around his leg, eyes glassy, but not in death. Blood surged from the limb, and the heat of the flames burned ever hotter against their spines. A macabre crucible.


His inquiries faded into the wind, his sole translator vanishing into the fray; the pocket of air feeling so empty at this flank. The breeze brushed a wiry hand through the ashy fibers of his spine, and with it a few stray coals. Leaping from his post, and shaking away the blistering embers, Krueger targeted a wounded packmate, and sprung into action.
Simple enough of a job, he wound his webs sparingly, nearly having to dodge a sparring duo that swung too close. Midway, his peripheral vision seized a peculiar sight—Robespierre sending a defenseless femme plummeting to her demise. He grimaced. How can someone hate so much? But it was not Robespierre, no—from the sounds of it, the male had a greater message behind his endeavors anyhow. It was all the wolves, each solitary one.
His eyes trailed, pack wolves violently wrenching sections of flesh from their opponents, and vice versa. Such dark—
He froze, jaw unhinged in horror. Abandoning his patient completely, he stared. It was too surreal. Cora fell, crushed limply, and remained still. He clawed for air, but could find no passage into his lungs. Thorns constricted his chest, but the ice numbed his legs, and he could not budge.
Not until Roman, in all manner of anguish, attempted to carry her, but lost her to the swarm.
A sprint, and Cora was below him. He searched her despairingly, nudging her several times with his nose until he recalled his healing techniques. His actions were shaky, and his vision was blurred, but he attempted to adjust her body evenly. The world smeared and slurred, Krueger somehow finding and returning with branches with which to set certain fractures, and all the while, anger kicked off in some corner of his brain.
Like a light switch.
And Aradis’ image burned beneath his eyelids.

[Sivoncé™]

No!
It was one of those moments that brought the phrase "de ja vu" to mind, or more aptly, "speak of the devil and he shall appear". The specter that had entered the fray, in the same manner a divinity may have stuck out like a sore thumb in a mass of foolish mortals, was the exact picture of the crazed demon they'd spied upon only two nights previous. Autumn felt her world spin before her as her wide eyes locked upon the figure, the main antagonist in a ghost of a recurring nightmare. Fighting the urge to faint as she had when she first saw him, she forced her eyes away. He can't see us, God, please don't let him see us! She wasn't sure who she was praying to, but Autumn would've given everything she had for someone, anyone, to have heard and heeded her prayer.
"We have to go, now!"
Kasparr followed his sister's gaze and felt the sickness churn in his gut. Wordlessly, he nudged Jolon and hastily ushered them into the brush.
"We need to talk, but not here. Not where he can see us."

The time for death had come.
One life had been ripped from Fireflight's side, but soon, she would take another. Assyria told herself she would be satisfied with this, that she would allow herself a period of rest before attempting to fight the refreshed alphess, but her subconscious realized the lie even as she fore-fed it to her brain. She came to murder her, to have her blood stain the ground. In a way, the violent clashes of claws and cracks of bone were part of a mighty war between two immortals. The only difference was that Assyria's immortality stretched as far as the eye could see, but Fireflight's was not. It would be difficult, but it could be broken. It was her time, her time to take up the mantle from her mother. She was a queen now, she had to do what her people would wish her to do. While they might not have the personal motivation, surely they would continue to wordlessly accept her as Babylonia's replacement if she conquered the stronghold of the Destinians. They would never even think to cross her then.
But Death was a greedy consort; even as the blood-doused Destinian alphess dangled in his arms, he flirted wickedly with Assyria's faltering consciousness.
For Fireflight and Assyria both, twins of scarlet fur, the sounds around them were a dull hum. All that was real was their pulses, beating madly together, their screeching, slicing high-pitched through the blurry backdrop, and the life that throbbed, resiliently, in the veins of their adversary.
And then, Assyria saw her chance.
Fireflight had leaped for her neck, fangs poised for the killing bite, but her ankle gave way and gravity tossed her to the ground like a rag doll. Assyria thrust forward and in a wide slash, reopened the partially-healed slits in her stomach from her first death. Fireflight arched her back as she screamed her pain to the heavens. Assyria let out a shrill yowl of victory and went for her throat. Without warning, Fireflight surged from the ground with the power of a firestorm and plastered Assyria's body to the ground. Assyria's eyes flickered backward, not wanting to look at the fangs that would bring about her third death. She watched, curious, as the world raged in upside-down warfare.
Her eyes locked on the form of a single wolf with the skull of another lodged across his face. A strange smile formed on her lips.
This is only the beginning...
Assyria closed her eyes and waited for Fireflight to kill her.

She could hear everything. She was only semi-conscious, but her senses were in a state of hyper-awarness. Everything was crystal clear, from the individual screams sent to the stars to the slipping sound of paws on wet grass. Her eyes flickered open, but her vision lacked the clarity of her hearing; all she could see were strange, blurred shapes. Slowly, the fog began to clear. Strangely, she was painless. Cora couldn't feel a thing in her hindlegs at all.