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TroubleinSevens
The first loss... This day was rough
Starting exp: 3377
Ending exp: 7900
Number of battles: 20... I didn't have the heart for more
After weeks of training and preparation, and having absolutely crushed all opposition in the Training Fields, team SemperVictor was ready to move up and face their first true challenge: the Woodland Path. Lavendel was not at all intimidated, being just the right combination of hot-headed and ambitious to disregard the fact that they could be going up against foes stronger than they were.
"We can handle this, team, we handled the Training Fields just fine, we can push through and keep ourselves on top of this competition!"
Her rousing words kept the team optimistic as they were given the signal to move into the underbrush. The first few battles were a much higher pace, but Brilla had learnt a new spell to keep them all moving, and with her magic, the team was able to keep up their fighting strength and push through each encounter.
Lavendel's often brutish approach served to egg the others on, diving head first into battle, her thick hide protecting her from the glancing blows of the chargers and giving her cover from the dryads' spells. Lila struggled to keep up, not able to hit anywhere near as hard. She made good use of her mobility, however, wrapping herself around foes as she tore into them with claws and teeth, effectively shredding them until they stopped moving.
Brilla was growing more and more concerned as the day wore on, staying back as she had in the Training Fields, using her spells to support her team, weaking a foe here when they were strong enough to really hurt her teammates and healing them as they took hit after brutal hit. Her humming was almost a non-stop cadence in the background of every fight, almost serving as a battle cry, despite Lavendel's loud shouts and roars.
After a particularly grating fight, the team stumbled to the edge of a clearing, looking in over the brush to see a pair of Janustraps sitting in the sun.
"It'll be a piece of cake," said Lavendel, examining their surroundings.
Brilla hummed pensively, considering, though the other two still couldn't quite understand the Coatl and thought she was just thinking, really she was trying to warn them that maybe they should give this one a pass. She had a bad feeling about it. But Lavendel didn't understand her and wouldn't run from a fight anyway. As Lavendel reared back to charge headlong into the clearing, Lila gave Brilla a look, seemingly apprehensive, but not willing to let their impromptu leader run in alone.
The three dragons burst into the clearing, Brilla humming a rhythmic chant as she prepared her spells and Lila and Lavendel managing to get in a few first hits, the seemingly immobile plants sitting there and continuing to soak in the sun.
"See, piece of cake!" shouted Lavendel as she ripped off a reaching vine from one of the plants. Without really knowing how to read the reactions of the Janustraps, they didn't know exactly how much damage they were really doing.
Without warning, several vines shot up out of the ground, entrapping Lavendel and pinning her to the ground. Startled, she shouted out in a mix of pain and surprise. Lila rushed over to her, moving quickly and trying to cut away the vines as roots started to poke up out of the ground, tighlty binding the Guardian's legs.
Brilla's chant grew more frantic as she tried to lend their leader more strength, to try to help her to break free. Lila pulled away and started directly attacking the main stalks, hoping that if she could take them down, she could get her comrade out of harm's way.
Everything seemed to be for naught, despite their best efforts, as Lila brought one of the plants down, Lavendel's cries and shouts grew quieter and quieter, the vines starting to constrict her breathing. After a few more minutes of frantic fighting, the plants were down, but so too was the team's leader.
Brilla's chant grew more and more frantic as she put her all into healing Lavendel, but it was too little, too late. Her wounds were too grievous, and she would have to back out.
Dismayed, her teammates struggled to carry her out of the woods, taking their time to carry an unconscious dragon much more massive than even the two of them combined. After hours of effort, they finally made it out of the canopy and to the waiting members of their clan outside. Guts had come along with the spectators and looked Lavendel over carefully before shaking his head.
"She's too badly hurt, there's no way she'll be able to fight, even with our best medicine and healing. I'm sorry."
The two remaining fighters watched as their leader was pulled away to be carried back to the lair. After a weighted pause, Lila finally raised her head to look at Brilla.
"Well... I guess we should have known what we signed up for..."
The Coatl nodded after a moment, humming an incomprehensible answer.
"I guess we'll just have to continue... Without her?"
Again the Coatl hummed a long and intricate response. Lila looked at her, confused.
"Is that a yes?"
Annoyed, Brilla nodded. With new resolve, the two returned to the Woodland Path, albeit more cautiously, to finish the day's work.
I suppose we have our first prize dragon, now that Lavendel is unable to battle further. RIP