Skill - Warrior 2/5

Ko-Ga understood teeth, shoulders braced to take flight if the stupid dog tried to chase a thing with wings.

But Mithwyth!

Careless of the pup, the he-wolf's snout curled at the stranger and the bird alike. Ko-Ga realized quickly that this one, whoever they were, was dangerous. Not friendly.

No! The crow scolded, sparing a glance at the toppled child but leaping skyward to chase after grown dogs. He knew what shapes their faces made when they wanted to tear prey apart, and didn't like that same articulation directed at Mithwyth. Not at all!

Swooping and berating, he pecked at the stranger's ears and head in wheeling dives. No! Sit! Bad!

The snow breaks her fall, a paw hits her in the face and she’s rolling, rolling until smush! Like a fish on land. Her fur’s fluffed and there’s iceflakes all in her eyes.
From above there are Tata’s snarls and fighting! Bird wizzes by making his voice crack like big wave!
Bluefish shivers at the sounds. She’s finding her legs, one and two, then gets both sets out of snow, scurrying fastly! Behind a big dark rock she shoves herself, balling into shadow. Big wide eyes are too scared to move, or blink.

[a stranger laid him low and forced fever into his flesh. tugix would transmute this through the blood of another. in his descent, he forgets the child. teeth snap for the shouting wolf and then the bird. its beak sears at his torn face and this infuriates the muradoii more than the presence of his own kind. he aims a blow at the lupine scrabbling in the snow, then uses a goodly amount of flagging energy to leap, straight up, cutting the air for that flying rat. landing, again, and this time the jaws stained with dried blood mean to kill, to flay. tugix must put the fire-spirit inside her. only then will he be free of it. the child does not occupy his conscious. but his sub-thoughts are aware of her. it is possible that the sight of a child in the snow has fired something inside the muradoii that thinks, however vague, of the long-ivory village from his own milk years.]

a stranger laid him low and forced fever into his flesh. tugix would transmute this through the blood of another. in his descent, he forgets the child.

teeth snap for the shouting wolf and then the bird. its beak sears at his torn face and this infuriates the muradoii more than the presence of his own kind. he aims a blow at the lupine scrabbling in the snow, then uses a goodly amount of flagging energy to leap, straight up, cutting the air for that flying rat.

landing, again, and this time the jaws stained with dried blood mean to kill, to flay. tugix must put the fire-spirit inside her. only then will he be free of it.

the child does not occupy his conscious. but his sub-thoughts are aware of her. it is possible that the sight of a child in the snow has fired something inside the muradoii that thinks, however vague, of the long-ivory village from his own milk years.

Skill - Warrior 3/5

Ko-Ga had a lot of practice baiting dogs, and teased them awful in the world before. But a wolf gone mad on putrid blood! And Ko-Ga's wings sore still from the great storm. He wheeled barely free, and lost a pair of tail-feathers evading that savage leap.

Not yours! He screeched, flapping hard to reclaim balance. Wise birds would flee. But Mithwyth had no wings! She could not escape. And he could not leave a flockmate behind.

Ko-Ga cawed a half dozen crow expletives as he banked on the wind. He dove again. This time sharp beak aimed at soft eye. Dogs with no eyes couldn't chase you! Or might, into rocks and barn doors and ocean waves. Parent or not, he would dearly like to drive this one into the sea.

Bird is screeching! Someone’s roaring!
Seal pup nearly call out for Ana. She think, but don’t say it. She’s not saying anything, just being quiet like a land fish. She peeks sideways.
Something falls! Bluefish pees.
She’s so scared, she’s never opening her eyes again.

[tugix roars. the pain is immense. right eyelid splits. the give of its sacrifice and aorta-man's thought to pull away save the viscous orb beneath. barely. only barely. teeth burst the pustules of fever. tugix bellows. he rears; he swipes in blinded rage at the wolf and drags open fangs through the air for the infernal bird. pain is the black sea, and the black sea is pain. anguish is a hymnal. agony is a truth. tugix accepts the horror of new blood, coursing, running into his mouth. his suffering slows his limbs. when he slams back to earth it is to leak black ooze and red drops into the snow. torment lives in every artery. he readies himself to attack anew, lurching sidelong and then straight again, willing his legs to cooperate. he falls, hitches, crouches gargoylian and ugly in the snow, panting, eyes stretched wide with hatred.]

tugix roars.

the pain is immense.

right eyelid splits. the give of its sacrifice and aorta-man's thought to pull away save the viscous orb beneath.

barely. only barely.

teeth burst the pustules of fever.

tugix bellows. he rears; he swipes in blinded rage at the wolf and drags open fangs through the air for the infernal bird.

pain is the black sea, and the black sea is pain.

anguish is a hymnal.

agony is a truth.

tugix accepts the horror of new blood, coursing, running into his mouth. his suffering slows his limbs. when he slams back to earth it is to leak black ooze and red drops into the snow.

torment lives in every artery. he readies himself to attack anew, lurching sidelong and then straight again, willing his legs to cooperate.

he falls, hitches, crouches gargoylian and ugly in the snow, panting, eyes stretched wide with hatred.

Sorry Ko-Ga is kind of an asshole lkhjkljh

---

Skill - Warrior 4/5

Ko-Ga would not relent. His foe was tired, sick, confused — but had not run and until then the crow could not be satisfied. Claws and beak continued to drive at their nape. Scratch at their ears! Steal fur of their rump (fair was fair, stupid dogs!)

Leave! Go! Go! He cawed. Or I eat eyes!