Warship

[Hurricane]

We want our man back, so here's the deal. I win, Crito comes back to the Tundra now. You win, well, you just get the glory of the win.

Terms:
- Two posts each
- Two attacks/counter-attacks per post
- Defense as needed
- Three days between posts
- One extension allowed
- Traits allowed (unless you're scared, but I have a feeling you can handle yourself)

Let's keep this short and sweet shall we?

---

Oh, also, you go first.

[Warship]

Warship
Hybrid (Welsh Pony/Arabian/Mustang)
15.1hh
Black
Nubian Ibex horns

i'm on the wrong side of heaven, and the righteous side of hell

It had been quite some time since he’d been on the battle field. The smells, the sounds. It was all home to him, at least as close as anything could come to home aside from the Chamber. It was somewhat overcast and the sky threatened a far off spring storm. No matter, better even without the sun beating down on them. He’d trotted and cantered his way here, thus warming his muscles up adequately. No need for running around the battle field and wasting precious energy. He saw his adversary in the distance, a gray winged stallion. Go figure, someone else in the Chamber made trouble and he was here to sweep up the pieces.

With a snort he headed towards the tundra man at a trot, his neck arched and his gait collected. His breathing was controlled and his eyes were trained only on his challenger. Atop his head the impressive horns were, curved backwards and ending in somewhat lethal points. The gap was closing quickly between the stallions, and Warship kept coming at a slight angle to the right, putting himself barely on the left side of Hurricane instead of straight on. When there were perhaps twenty yards left to go he pushed into a controlled lope, just enough to give himself more momentum to execute his attacks. Three strides, and then two, and finally one. At the last possible moment the black stallion threw his weight onto his haunches, slamming them into the earth and controlling the slide with his front legs. With a snarl he threw his head to the left, the brunt of his horns aiming for the others jaw line and throat latch area. Given the manner of his stop, his head was already in the air, it was just a matter of tossing it to the left. The jaw was a terrible place to be struck in battle. The jaw was responsible for grinding grass, and grass was food. No food meant death. Though his horns would certainly be different than the blunt force of a hoof, it would still be painful to chew. A puncture to the throat latch area could be even more detrimental. The throat latch area was where all movement of the head started, not to mention the jugular vein that ran along the very bottom of the area. But with any attack, the attacked had escape options. If Hurricane were to fling his head away to the right (Hurricanes right) then the horns could possibly catch lower on the neck, into the thicker muscles. Even here the neck would most certainly be sore, thus making certain battle movements difficult to execute. The gray could also rear up and avoid the attack completely, maybe only getting a scratch for his troubles.

Warship didn’t wait to see what happened. From his position he was already balanced over his haunches, the majority of his weight setting on his hocks. From the position it was somewhat easy for him to follow the momentum of his head and rear, striking out violently with his front legs. His ultimate aim was the point of the shoulder. The shoulder was an important mechanism for a battling horse. It controlled the entirety of the leg below it, and if it were compromised, so was the rest of the leg. Though there were several large muscle groups to shield the lower portion of the shoulder, the point of the shoulder lay somewhat exposed. Blunt hooves meeting bone would be painful, if not crippling. Though a true break was unlikely, there was the possibility of chips and bruising. Bone bruises were extremely painful, and no doubt Hurricane would be compromised throughout the rest of the battle should Warship hit home. As always though, there were escape routes. Hurricane could possibly dart forward, taking the blow to his barrel. While that would be painful for sure, it wouldn’t be nearly as serious as the shoulder. Ribs could possibly be bruised thus hindering breathing, but for the post part Warships hooves would simply follow the downward plane of the ribs and slide off mostly harmlessly. Or the winged stallion could wheel to his extreme right and avoid the blow completely. Warship wasn’t sure of what the gray’s wings could do, but he could perhaps even take to the sky and avoid the blow. But where’s the fun in that, right? Either way Warship didn’t wait around, and as soon as his hooves met solid earth he pushed himself away to his own right as best as he could, given his assumed landing position. Either way he was somewhat clear of the other stallion, waiting impatiently for the battle to wane on.

warship

[Hurricane]

He sees him coming long before he arrives. The battlegrounds are a flat, open expanse, allowing for a clear line of sight. He pays little mind to the distant storm. He hopes to have this squabble finished long before it arrives. The Chamber had stolen from them, and he aims to fix it, nothing more. This battle is not being waged because he is angry, but rather because there is a wrong that needs righting. He will fight with a cool head. Anger has little place on the battlefield. It serves only to distract you.

Dark, steely eyes boring into his opponent, he carefully monitors his approach. The Chamber man comes directly for him, picking up speed as he does so. Though Hurricane does not move, he does brace for Warship’s attack. His wings are tucked neatly against his sides so as to prevent them from getting in the way. His breathing is steady, as controlled as Warship’s no doubt is.

He notes that Warship’s aim is slightly angled towards his left. Standing at the ready, he waits. At the last moment, Warship skids to a halt, throwing his upraised head to the left in an effort to gouge Hurricane with his sharp horns. Flinching to the right, Hurricane flings his head upwards instinctively in an attempt to avoid the threat. The tip of the general’s horn catches his cheek, grazing the skin and tearing a line several inches long that instantly wells with blood. As far as injuries go, it could have been worse. Perhaps chewing might be painful for a few days, but he is a Tundra man. He has dealt with far worse.

The seasoned general does not hesitate before executing his second attack. As his weight is already settled primarily on his rear, he uses that to raise his forehand in order to strike out at Hurricane’s shoulder. This time however, the gray stallion does not wait for Warship’s attack. Instead Hurricane launches straight into his own. In horses, rearing is invariably a physically off-balancing act. A horse is meant to distribute its weight across both forehand and rear, and by transferring the majority of its weight onto either quarter, it is by default putting itself into a more precarious position. Hurricane does not hesitate to take advantage of this fact. Rather than retreating from Warship’s attack, he moves into it. Using the powerful force of his collected haunches, Hurricane launches himself into the general. Unfurling his wings, he lifts them up and out of the way of the attack while using them to offer a distraction from his motives. Having moved slightly right in Warship’s initial attack, he is in a better position to affect the most damage. And though Warship’s hooves scrape roughly against his side, bruising and abrading as they go, Hurricane’s forward momentum pushes him onward. Ducking his head to the right, he uses the force of his haunches and the weight of his body to shove his left shoulder (hopefully) into the Warship’s exposed flank and stifle. Having put himself off-balance by lifting his forelegs from the ground, Warship’s position is vulnerable. Hurricane hopes to take advantage of that. With any luck, he’ll knock his legs from beneath him. He isn’t holding out hope for that option however. There are several moves Warship could make in an attempt to avoid him, although all of them would involve putting his forehand back on the ground in quite a hurry (and, with luck, disorienting him). Moving either backwards or sideways would lessen (or perhaps even allow him to avoid) the blow, leaving the general quite safely on his feet.

Like Warship, he does not wait to execute his next attack. In the likely event that Warship has managed to retain his footing, Hurricane does not take the time to turn around in order to aim another strike at his opponent. Instead, he uses his wings to create a back draft that halts him as well as giving him a slight lift. Glancing back, he does not even pause before bucking out his powerful rear legs, aiming for the black stallion’s barrel. Unfortunately he is at an angle, so the power of his attack would be greatly reduced if he hits his desired target. Nevertheless, a hit on the other man’s ribcage would be painful and could possibly affect movement (for nearly all movements cause expansion or contraction of the barrel, which would be troublesome if bruised) as well as breathing. His own bruised ribcage aches fiercely as he kicks back his hind legs, but it is too late to rethink the attack as he has already committed himself. Also unfortunate is the fact that this attack could be much more easily avoided than his prior attack. But Hurricane is working with what he is given, hoping that the surprise and swiftness of the attack works in his favor. Besides, if he got really lucky, he might catch the Chamber man’s soft underbelly, causing even more damage than he might have hoped. A hit on that area would be even more painful and debilitating than a hit on Warship’s barrel.

He does not even wait until his feet are back on the ground before he invokes his invisibility. By the time his feet are firmly planted and he has turned to face Warship, his body has fully disappeared, leaving the general to guess his location. He is done making this easy on the man.

There is never a day that goes by

that is a good day to die.

Hurricane

html c Insane

[Warship]

i'm on the wrong side of heaven, and the righteous side of hell

The battle was waged and their proverbial horns were locked. Neither stallion was conceding anything to the other, and Warship found himself thriving on it. There was none of the silly circling and running; fairly evenly matched, keeping the battle high and tight. A light sheen of sweat made his coat shine blue-black, and his nostrils were moist and bright pink. The sky was still rumbling threateningly, and Warship could feel the electricity crackling in the air. Yes, it was a good day for battle.

He felt the moment his horns met skin, soon to be followed by the sweet copper scent of blood that permeated the air. Though it wasn’t a deadly injury by any stretch, it probably stung and Warship hoped it would serve as a distraction to Hurricane if nothing else. He had moved quickly into his next attack, and he was pleased to feel meat and muscle beneath his hooves. Again not a devastating injury, or even a hindering one, but it was a homerun nonetheless. But there’s little time to rejoice in his victories, for the speed of the battle was one of epic proportions. When Warships hooves had met Hurricanes barrel, the gray had already been pushing himself forward. Hurricane launches into him, his powerful wings unfurling. Warship snorts and flings his head slightly, trying hard to get his front feet back onto the ground. They are almost there when the tundra man crashes into the back half of his barrel, near his flank. The generals breath catches in his throat, and he is thrown slightly off balance and as such staggers to his own right somewhat, though he doesn’t go down completely. Thankfully he was of Mountain Pony, Mustang, and Arabian heritage, and it is that surefootedness that keeps him from crashing into the earth. He is also well seasoned in battle, and his muscles are kept at their peak potential. But he does not escaped unscathed, despite the victory in keeping his feet beneath him. Immediately the area hit is sore and quickly bruising, and his flank screams in protest at his rapid breathing. But the battle must go on, and he’s given little time to think about his injury and Hurricane moves quickly into his next assault. Smart man.

Almost immediately the other stallion is executing his next attack. It comes in the form of a violent buck, with both hind hooves flying at the generals rump. The black stallion hesitates only for a moment before returning the favor and countering the grays double-barrel kick with one of his own. This wasn’t necessarily the best thought out plan, but he was left with few options. It can be assumed that Hurricane’s hooves would be a split second higher than Warships, given that he kicked out first. The downside to Warship returning the same attack was that their legs could tangle, sending both to the ground. The upside is that his own hooves could find their way to the hocks, the stifle, or the backside of the gaskin. Any hit there would certainly sting, and if it met a muscle or tendon, they would most certainly tighten and be strained throughout the remainder of the battle. Fortunately, these were relatively small places to hit, so the chance of escape was a great one. Warship himself is not so lucky, and he winces as one of Hurricanes hooves meets the inside of his left hock. As a bony point, its immediately sore, and Warship knows that he is missing a skiff of hair and blood is oozing from his scratched skin. Thankfully the battle is drawing to a close, so its just a matter of pushing the pain from his mind for one more attack.

Almost as quickly as the attack had came, Hurricane has disappeared. Warship is momentarily confused, but it passes quickly. The battle must go on, even if the other battler has apparently left the building. Instead of dwelling he wheels to the right (his right), taking the pressure from his sore left hock. It is not perhaps the fastest spin, and it is maybe somewhat sloppy in its execution given his battered body, but he goes with it nonetheless. When he’s facing where Hurricane last was, and the vicinity Warship assumes he is still in, the general rears once more. But it is not a high rear, and only last for a moment. It is more to serve the purpose of launching himself forward and in the direction where he hopes Hurricane is. Since he doesn’t know exactly where the gray stallion is, he lowers his head and stiffens his neck, intending to use the base of them as a possible battering ram. While its unlikely Hurricane would stand stock still and let Warship hit him head on, if for some reason he couldn’t get out of the way then a concussion could certainly result. A concussion in a wild horse would be very serious, compromising the entire process that keeps a wild horse from becoming something else’s dinner. In the event that his head doesn’t meet anything, then there’s always the possibility his muscular chest could. He is a well-built stallion, higher than 15 hands but with thick musculature typical of his wild horse heritage. Given that he had propelled himself with his strong, sturdy back legs, any place on the other stallion he could crash into would certainly be felt. In the wild horses used each and every inch of their bodies when it battle, throwing themselves at one another like freight trains hitting head on. Thankfully the chest was protected in layers of muscle, so the chances of Warship hurting himself with this attack were slim. Bruises, perhaps, and possibly some swelling, but nothing at all detrimental. He’s hoping that he is horizontal to Hurricane being vertical, thus making a “T”. That would put him slamming to Hurricanes barrel, hopefully on the same side that he’d hit earlier with his hooves. But the general isn’t picky. Either side, he could possibly knock the winged stallion off balance, breaking his confidence throughout the rest of the battle. Warships broad chest over a broad area of ribs could certainly be painful, though definitely not crippling or anything of the sort. Breathing would be a little difficult, but there was no chance of breaks or even cracks. When the generals front feet had hit the hard-packed earth once more, he used his momentum and cantered forward. Since his part of the battle was done, he certainly wasn’t going to stand around and leave himself a sitting duck.

warship

[Hurricane]

Warship is a skilled and swift opponent, allowing little to faze him as he responds to Hurricane’s attack. The man is giving him a run for his money. But then, he had expected no less from the Chamber’s highest ranking warrior. And though Hurricane has the edge now, having become invisible, Warship does not seem at all affected by being unable to see him. He pivots, clearly favoring his injured hock, but wasting no time in executing his attack.

Hurricane had not escaped unscathed from the other stallion’s swift response to his buck. Warship’s hooves had caught his left rear cannon, nicking his tendon before scraping along the outer edge of the bone. Though the blow had not drawn blood, it had bruised fiercely. Fortunately his tendon remains intact, though stiff, causing him to walk with a slight limp. However, given his invisibility, it would be unnoticeable to his opponent.

The gray stallion’s intention had been to move around and attack Warship from the side, but the black general is swifter than he had anticipated (or perhaps he is just slower and more injured than he had thought). The Chamber man barrels at him with all the force of a locomotive. Hurricane had turned and moved forward already, so the blow is fortunately not aimed at his front or his ribs. Rather, the black stallion’s full weight is aimed at his right haunch. Bunching his muscular hindquarters, he firmly plants his front feet and bucks into the other man’s forward momentum. Warship is close enough that Hurricane’s scrabbling rear hooves would likely reach no higher than his knees, but with the force of Warship’s momentum combined with Hurricane’s powerful buck, he could easily do some damage if he connects with flesh. While breaking one of his opponents legs might be too much to hope for, some serious bruising, a damaged tendon, or even a popped splint might be in the offing. On the other hand, he could miss Warship’s legs all together and hit only air.

But then Warship slams directly into Hurricane’s right buttock, and the gray stallion is far more concerned about retaining his upright position. He had put himself into a precarious position by anticipating Warship’s attack with a buck, and now he is paying for it. He stumbles heavily as his rear hooves hit the ground with a jarring thud, the other man’s forward momentum causing him to lurch forward several feet. The force nearly brings him to his knees, but by the skin of his teeth he manages to keep his footing. The heavy muscling in his right hindquarter aches fiercely from the impact and would no doubt bruise impressively. In that moment, he is incredibly grateful for the invisibility that hides his fumble.

Unfortunately he has little time to recover, for war waits for no one. He is not about to let his opponent know how well his attack had found its mark. Swinging from his position in front of Warship, he turns towards his opponent’s left hand side, pivoting so that he is at nearly a ninety degree angle to Warship. Spreading his wings, he pumps them strongly to give himself lift, relieving a portion of his weight from his injured thigh and rear cannon. Launching himself up and forward, he strikes out with his front hooves, aiming for Warship’s already injured left flank. Because he chose to use his wings rather than his hindquarters as the impetus to drive himself forward, the force he could bring to bear would be reduced. But if his strike lands on or near the general’s previous injury, Hurricane would not need as much power to deliver some damage. And though the stallion could avoid more serious injury by moving forward, backward, or sideways, Hurricane has the advantage of being unseen. So while Warship could use other cues to guess where he is coming from (the gust of wind from his wings, the sound of his hooves, his breathing, etc), he would have little way of knowing for certain where he is aiming for.

There is never a day that goes by

that is a good day to die.

Hurricane

html c Insane

[Kyra]

Winner: Warship

Barely. This was really close, and really hard to judge with my skill level at this whole fighting thing. If you want a second opinion, I will not be offended.

[insane]

Do you mind if I get a breakdown of what you thought?

[Kyra]

Warship 9+ / 2 o / 1 - = 12
Post I
o Good setup of location, though what’s your footing like?
+ Good first attack
+ Good mention of different escape options
+ Good second attack (bone bruises hurt like a mo-fo, my finger agrees with this….)
+ Again, good mention of different escape options

Post II
+ Like that you don’t forget about the storm
+ Good damage from first attack
+ Good mention of breed and the advantages
- Hurricane is aiming for barrel, not rump – it would be rump since Warship moved right, but clarify that in your post rather than me figuring it out
+ Good counter attack
+ Good damage from second attack
o Okay counter attack, but is a head really a likely tool for inflicting damage without just hurting Warships head? Chest makes more sense here

Hurricane 8+ / 2o / 2- = 12
Post I
+ Good setup of line of sight
(- Should include stats in the post -- I’m not counting this one though)
+ Good damage from first attack
o Want a tiny bit more detail on damage from second attack; where on the side did Warship hit? Middle? Front?
+ Good counter attack
+ Good description of options
o Would like just a bit more description of positioning before the second attack - I figured it out, but I had to pause and think, and I’m bad at thinking
+ Good description of second attack/possible outcomes

Post II
+ Good damage to first attack
- Which way did Hurricane turn? Last I knew he was still facing Warship, so more details here on position
+ Good counter attack
+ Good damage from the second attack
- Wouldn’t Hurricane be off to Warship’s side after he’s stumbled forward? I’m a little confused about the positioning right before the second attack

[insane]

Would you mind pointing out which wording caused you to think Hurricane was to the side of Warship? I just reread the post, but couldn't find what you were talking of. Warship got Hurricane's rump with his head, so he would be to the front of him. I'm just a bit confused, I guess.

[Kyra]

The issue really is that I'm just not clear on the positioning here. You say Hurricane lurches forward several feet, so to me while Hurricane may still be in front of Warship, he's also way off to the side. So then when you say "swings from his position in front of Warship", I imagine him directly in front of Warship, but based on the fact he lurched forward several feet, that can't be true. So really, I'm looking for specificity here with positioning. While being in front may not be exactly wrong, it's not necessarily exactly correct either. And I tossed my little drawing, but I feel like the turn all the way to the left didn't make as much sense after the stumble forward (though I could be wrong here, because again, I threw away my stick figure drawing).

And like I said, if you want a second opinion, go for it. I really don't mind. Though Crito's captivity is up in like a day, haha.