[PQ] let go of the anchors

Koa

There's going to come a day when you feel better
You'll rise up free and easy on that day

What, uh... what're we doin' here, guys?

Koa's plan, such as it was, had centered around getting one or more of the ursurs away from them. He'd thought it was a good plan, honestly. Deimos even seemed to agree. Soh compelling a creature to help? Heck, even better.

But before he has the chance to give Pip instructions there goes Colt with a lasso, leaving Koa to stand open-mouthed as his lovely design is blown to smithereens.

He hazards a quick and incredulous look at Deimos before springing into action himself, because now that there's a direct and literal link between the ursurs and his team Koa has no idea how much time they have. Snapping a mental order for Pipsqueak to at least try and distract one of the other bears, Koa passes the chakram to Sohalia and sprints to the other side of the rocks. Popping out from behind them, he snaps an electrified punch toward the same ursur Colt had targeted, hoping that by hitting it from behind he'll confuse it enough to not lunge at the rancher. Then as quick as he can he tries to get back behind the outcropping, not wanting to make too large a target of himself.

Meanwhile, Pipsqueak tries to distract one of the other ursurs by breathing fire down at it, while carefully staying out of range of those deadly claws

---

Koa tries to punch the same ursur Colt's targeted, but from the other side of the rocks (and within 15 feet). Pip tries to distract a different ursur.

Type: Light | Style: Offensive | Level: Basic
Static Electricity | A ring that when worn adds lightning damage to whatever item is held in that hand (or to an unarmed strike).

Type: Grey | Style: Other | Level: Upgraded
Taijitu Boxing Wraps | When landing an attack on an enemy (via an unarmed strike), may EITHER cause Upgraded Damage to the enemy, OR may give Upgraded Healing to the user.

Type: Grey | Style: Defensive | Level: Mastered
Starlit Bracers | Bracers that when activated extend the movement of the user's hand to 15ft total. Includes effects from items/weapons.

Defensively he has:
Type: Grey | Style: Defensive | Level: Basic
Mothman Scale Shirt | A soft, lightweight shirt made from the scales of a slain mothman. Blocks Physical damage and downgrades incoming Upgraded dark magic to Basic level. Can be used 1x per thread.

And float from branch to branch, lighter than the air
Just when that day is coming, who can say?

Sohalia

”Oh, yes! I can do that!” Soh agreed eagerly, mentally kicking herself for having forgotten about that particular ability (because her writer is dumb). She reached out with her Attuned abilities and sifted through the nearby fauna until she found three owls - the only birds of prey that were large and silent enough to be of use for their purposes. Calling them, she nodded along as Deimos tried to impart some kind of plan.

Annnnd then it all went to hell in a handbasket, because why not.

Accepting the chakram from Koa and swallowing a sudden surge of panic, Soh watched as Colt tried to lasso an ursur and Koa popped out on the opposite side of the rocks. Compelling the owls she’d found to dive at the lassoed ursur’s head, Soh weaved through the rocks until she could see the ursur, then threw the chakram at it with all her might before ducking back behind the rocks again.

—-

Soh calls three owls for assistance, compelling them to go fo the lassoed (?) ursur’s eyes. Then she throws Koa’s chakram at the ursur.

Type: Dark | Style: Offensive | Level: Upgraded
Leviathan Chakram | An unbreakable chakram created from the scale of a leviathan by the Voice. With razor-sharp edges, this discus will always return to the hand of whoever throws it, and will always do so without injuring the hands of the thrower.

Deimos

before bones, before dirt, before even light
this is who we were

That answer wasn’t quite known to the Sword at the moment, figuring some magic might be worth conjuring if Colt did manage to secure the creature. Though at her other response, he nodded. “Keep that for now, in case we need it later.” He could supply healing with Zuriel, but who knew what else they might face in the interim.

Of course, they were about to find out.

Colt went away from the rocks, and he had one brief moment to sigh, intending to gesture for her to come back up by them (shouldn’t she be able to swing a lasso from that vantage point? Maybe then they would’ve been able to tie the rope amongst the rocks…). In the end, she did manage to land the long rope on the closest and smallest ursur, though it pulled and grabbed on its tusk.

And immediately turned towards them, angry and charging.

“Get back behind the rocks,” Deimos called to the Accepted, and within a few instances, Sohalia had summoned and dispatched her owls. They did effective work, enough distraction as the beast began snapping in all directions, for Koa ’s chakram to be lanced towards it. Unfortunately, it missed by a hair, slicing off nothing more than a few follicles, even on the return trip back to her hand.

But the Dragoon, with all his boxing wrap and static endeavors, managed a quick glancing blow to one of the legs – giving Deimos just enough time to muster the Mastered Air portions, and additional damage, for it to be sliced, mauled, and felled well before it could reach Colt.

Not the greatest start, but something.

Regardless of their victory, the other two ursur had noticed, and had begun sniffing, coming in closer and abandoning their fresh kill for a taste of finer things. Belial and Pip worked in tandem to irritate and annoy, which would give some time for everyone else to plan and volley their next pursuit. The Sword glanced back at Colt; because apparently his apprehension was going to be reserved for her actions presently. “Can you lasso from here?”

--

Colt lassoed Ursur One by the tusk, though it only served to make it very mad. Sohalia distracted it with her owls, but missed with the chakram. Deimos and Koa combined ensured Ursur One died. Belial and Pip are irritating Ursur Two.

Ursur Two and Ursur Three are headed towards them. Decide what to do next!

Ursur One: 0/100 very dead
Ursur Two: 100/100
Ursur Three: 200/200

this untamable expanse
churning proof that we have always been deep, restless souls

Colt

It's boots and chaps
It's cowboy hats
It's spurs and latigo

Like most things she'd thrown a lasso at, everything happened so fast. Colt scraped against the rocks in her rush to get back behind them, her breaths as quick as her heart. The look on that Ursur's face as it'd turned towards her as the rope was pulled taut—she'd never forget it. Her eyes barely peeked over the rocks, framed by her hat brim, as she watched the trio of owls and dragon fire descend upon the beasts. Weapons flew, and things that were hard to see but better felt, happened in a flurry, sweeping past her with a stirring of air and power and towards the rushing, furious creature. Electric and atmospheric, Koa's and Deimos' skills provided the void touched brute the mercy of demise. Awe coursed across Colt's face, and she was solidly aware just then of how outclassed she was among them. Not just her experience, but her strength. These were seasoned fighters, and she was going to have to just try to hold on and not get in the god's damned way. It'd been a while since she was made to feel so small, as if she was just a little girl in boots trying to get up on a tall horse's saddle all over again.

Time for appreciation later—two more ursur were there and now alert. As Deimos' leadership cut across the heart-hammering moment, Colt jerked her attention to him. He wanted her to lasso another one? She wasn't sure she could keep the are you crazy look from appearing on her face. Either he'd been impressed she'd pulled it off, or it was just the best she could offer. Either way, not that she doubted her skills (even if she was starting to doubt Deimos' sanity), she could not. Shaking her head, she said simply, "I only have the one, getting it back would be too risky." When lassoing cattle, you normally wanted to handle the beast on the other end, and when you were done you'd take the loop off them. If you timed it just right you could snap some motion down the tail and whip the loop off, but not after you'd pulled it taut. It was designed to cinch down and stay on, no matter the forces hauling against it.

"I just have my bow, and my spirit." A horse, and a hat too, which had definitely been tools of hers in the past, but not against ursur, and not with better options on hand. Without waiting for agreement she shoved off the rock, stalking towards Beans to grab the bow and quiver of arrows from his saddle. She'd left it, thinking she'd be on him, and she wanted them ready. For a moment she debated slapping the horse's ass to send it running away from the rocks and the prowling predators, but too late now, she thought, he'd draw their attention in the wrong way.

---

Colt cannot get her lasso back. She has her bow and arrows or her channeling.

It's the ropes and the reins
And the joy and the pain
And they call the thing rodeo

Koa

There's going to come a day when you feel better
You'll rise up free and easy on that day

Things go not-at-all-terribly, to Koa's pleased surprise. The lasso, questionable as it is, lands neatly on an ursur's tusk, and the Dragoon and Deimos working together easily bring it down. Okay, mostly Deimos - but Koa's there, too, adding what little damage he can.

Cue Ralph 'I'm helping!' gif.

One down, two to go. Koa's feeling confident now, enthusiasm for the fight shining in his eyes. "Small one first?" he suggests to Deimos, because it's always smart to handle the adds before taking on the boss. "Pip, try and keep the big one busy!" he calls to the companions.

Then he pops out again from behind his stone fortress, aiming an electrified punch Ursur 2's direction.

---

Koa tries to punch Ursur 2, while Pip tries to distract Ursur 3

Type: Light | Style: Offensive | Level: Basic
Static Electricity | A ring that when worn adds lightning damage to whatever item is held in that hand (or to an unarmed strike).

Type: Grey | Style: Other | Level: Upgraded
Taijitu Boxing Wraps | When landing an attack on an enemy (via an unarmed strike), may EITHER cause Upgraded Damage to the enemy, OR may give Upgraded Healing to the user.

Type: Grey | Style: Defensive | Level: Mastered
Starlit Bracers | Bracers that when activated extend the movement of the user's hand to 15ft total. Includes effects from items/weapons.

Defensively he has:
Type: Grey | Style: Defensive | Level: Basic
Mothman Scale Shirt | A soft, lightweight shirt made from the scales of a slain mothman. Blocks Physical damage and downgrades incoming Upgraded dark magic to Basic level. Can be used 1x per thread.

And float from branch to branch, lighter than the air
Just when that day is coming, who can say?

Sohalia

Things go better than Sohalia expected, all things considered, and she breathed a sigh of relief to find that their number were uninjured as the first ursur fell to Deimos and Koa. The chakram returned to her hand, and whatever pain she might have expected from its rebound never came. She stared at it briefly, impressed, making a mental note to thank Koa later.

Unfortunately, Colt had lost her lasso with the first ursur's demise, and there was nothing any of them could do without exposing themselves. Even her compelled owls, as useful as they were, would struggle to retrieve the lasso using only their claws. Instead, Soh followed Koa's lead: she sent one owl to help Pip distract the bigger ursur, and sent the other two owls to occupy the smaller one, directing them to aim for its eyes. Once it was (hopefully) distracted or blinded, she popped out from the rocks to toss the chakram, hoping that this time, she might actually manage to hit the target.

---

Soh sends one owl to help Pip distract the big ursur and the other two owls to distract/blind the smaller ursur. Then she throws the chakram at the smaller ursur.

Can compel like-minded animals for assistance (1 large, 3 medium, 5 small, from the same animal family)

Type: Dark | Style: Offensive | Level: Upgraded
Leviathan Chakram | An unbreakable chakram created from the scale of a leviathan by the Voice. With razor-sharp edges, this discus will always return to the hand of whoever throws it, and will always do so without injuring the hands of the thrower.

Deimos

before bones, before dirt, before even light
this is who we were

Releasing a very long sigh at Colt’s current issue with the lasso, he nodded. “Use the arrows then,” hoping she knew where to point them. He’d work on getting the rope back at some portion – probably when they were less busy tangling with the current situation.

Nodding at Koa, even as the bears came charging towards the rocks, there was a certain calm within him, despite the ongoing chaos. This was where he could calculate and devise, wholly unbothered, save for ensuring everyone else was safe. As the massive void cretins pummeled at their shelter, at least from below, naught seemed to move – and despite their talons scraping against stone, they made no purchase, leaving them free to maul or distract.

The second ursur was the next chosen victim – and between distracting owls, Koa’s bracers, and Sohalia’s chakram biting into it, Deimos only needed one last, lingering, devastating blow of Air magic to finish it off. It fell amidst its brethren, and the third one roared, defiant, despite clear circumstances beginning to weigh on it.

So it pummeled into the rocks again, shifting a few even as the owls tried to find purchase and Pip unleashed fire, and enough to make Colt and Sohalia stumble.

Meanwhile, the Sword sent Belial over towards the first ursur’s corpse, trying to pull on the lasso with his claws and teeth.

--

Koa, Sohalia, and Deimos have all struck Ursur 2 for a combined death time.

Ursur 3 is attacking the rocks and shifting things around, causing Sohalia and Colt to stumble.

Belial is trying to get ahold of Colt’s lasso. What will you do next?

Ursur One: 0/100 very dead
Ursur Two: 0/100 much dead
Ursur Three: 180/200

this untamable expanse
churning proof that we have always been deep, restless souls

Colt

It's boots and chaps
It's cowboy hats
It's spurs and latigo

Shit. She thought they had more time. Though the other two Ursur were further away, were still discerning the what and the where of what had happened, but the rest around her launch into another assault while she'd still fumbling to get her weapon notched and lifted. The second creature is felled—she did nothing to help. What a silly little idea she'd had, to think because she could stare down a bull in a pen that she could make it out here with monster hunters. Her life was simple, why was she complicating it like this?

Now wasn't the time. She could think about her bad decisions, assuming she survived them, at a bar later. For now, she had to at least try to be more than dead weight. Trembling, she pressed the arrow against the bowstring. She got closer to the rocks, just as the other Ursur bellow and rocked against them, the force of it sending her staggering back with a gasp. She fell to a knee, grimacing as her joint groaned at the abrupt pressure. It steadied her though, and with a great inhale she took aim, and exhaled steadily. She picked the sensitive areas of the Ursur's face and waiting until a pause between it's thrashing claws. An eye would be nice, but it was small and scrunched around its furious muzzle, so she took the larger target of its snout and released her taut string. She didn't wait, and immediately grabbed and nocked another arrow. Another breath in, another ease of her fingers against the string with the breath out.

---

Colt stumbles down to one knee and fires 2 arrows at the ursur's nose.

It's the ropes and the reins
And the joy and the pain
And they call the thing rodeo

Koa

There's going to come a day when you feel better
You'll rise up free and easy on that day

Two down, one ugly bastard to go! Yippie ki-yay, motherfuckers!

Koa does not whoop with excitement as the second ursur falls, because that would be terribly unprofessional and Koa is a very well-trained and disciplined soldier, thank you very much. He does flash Deimos a ferocious grin, feeling increasingly smug as his first mission as a Monster Hunter continues to prove a resounding success.

He's gearing up for another hit when the ursur crashes into the rocks, sending a shockwave through the earth that Koa feels in his bones. Gritting his teeth, he manages to maintain his footing, darting around the rocks once again to repeat his tried-and-true One Punch Man attack.

No reason to shake up a formula that's working.

------

Koa does PUNCH

And float from branch to branch, lighter than the air
Just when that day is coming, who can say?

Sohalia

Ursur number two fell, and Soh was starting to feel pretty good about the whole spectacle. Perhaps they would get out of this entirely unscathed. The chakram returned to her hand, and she was ready for it this time, grabbing it out of the air and only fumbling it a little. Her compelled owls, released from ursur number two, turned their attention to the biggest, and only remaining, ursur, screeching wildly as they attacked its face -

But then the last ursur roared, pummeling the rocks behind which Sohalia hid, and she stumbled to her knees with a hiss, rock biting into her shins and palms as she threw her arms out to catch herself. Where was the creature now? Just on the other side of the rocks? If she popped out to throw the chakram, would it see her and subsequently attack her?

Grinding her teeth as she strengthened her resolve, she forced herself to her feet and darted to the next rock over, using it as a new source of cover as she leaned out just far enough to throw the chakram at the remaining ursur.

---

Soh's three owls attack the remaining ursur's face/eyes. She stumbles, then moves behind a new rock and throws the chakram at the ursur.

Deimos

before bones, before dirt, before even light
this is who we were

Deimos saved any and all relief or satisfaction until the end – wanting to ensure the all the beasts were felled before the semblance of victory reigned. Because anything could go wrong in a hunt –

Colt and Sohalia stumbling, inevitably, affected their attacks. While the ursur pummeled at the rocks, the reverberations sent multitudes skittering and finesse wearing away at the seams. The rancher’s arrows flew beyond the bear, into tufts of hair at best, before faltering into the ice below. And while the Attuned’s efforts with the owls prevailed (well, except when the void creature snagged one in his teeth and sent it to an early, irritated grave), the chakram buzzed by as well, careening back to her with nothing to show for the efforts.

Koa ’s insistence on punching maintained itself well though, and as Deimos was a strong proponent of also utilizing efforts that continued to be successful, marked the brazen monster with Air magic once again. The collaboration seared into the bear and it flailed about, angrily, defiantly, as its blood stained the white grounds. “Should not be much more,” the Sword offered, brows furrowed, as the ursur launched itself at the rocks again, hurtling the one Sohalia hid behind downwards.

And in all the chaos, Belial continued to work on the lasso, but it didn’t budge away from the felled one’s tusk.

--

Colt and Sohalia miss, and the ursur has eaten one of Sohalia’s owls. >.>

Koa and Deimos have hit!

The ursur has knocked away the rock Sohalia was hiding behind.

Belial doesn’t have the lasso yet.

Ursur One: 0/100 very dead
Ursur Two: 0/100 much dead
Ursur Three: 26/200

this untamable expanse
churning proof that we have always been deep, restless souls

Colt

It's boots and chaps
It's cowboy hats
It's spurs and latigo

Damn, the rattle of her stumble wavered her arm too much to make those shots count for much. She grimaced as she struggled back to her feet fully, taking a page out of Sohalia's book and skirting around to a safer set of rocks, ones that weren't quite so directly in front of the rampaging ursur's path. Especially since the efforts of her teammates met their mark, but did not fell the brute as they had with the other two, which likely only served to prevail the rage roiling inside it.

Owl gristle smattered against the snow, and Colt tried to regain her breath, to keep from imagining it was one of them turning the snow red. They just had to survive a bit longer.

To the side she saw the rocks Soh had been behind crumple down and Colt's eyes widened. Not now, not when they were so close. "Soh, look out!" she cried, likely too late to be of any help but trying desperately to offer whatever she could. She had no tool or magic at her disposal to cease the rocks, and she was too far to physically assist, having leapt to the other side as Soh, so that the rampaging usur cut between them behind the barricade of uneven stone. "Damnit," she swore under her breath, attempting to do the only marginally useful thing she could anymore.

Colt breathed in, sharp and crisp with the cold and the spiking adrenaline, and aimed another flurry of three arrows for the ursur's right eye. She was steadier, closer, she could blind it, she hoped.

---

Colt tries to warn Soh (likely useless) and aims 3 arrows at the ursur's right eye.

It's the ropes and the reins
And the joy and the pain
And they call the thing rodeo

Koa

There's going to come a day when you feel better
You'll rise up free and easy on that day

Okay, well, maybe it was too much to hope that the bigger bear would go down as easily as the first two had. But the thing is certainly looking worse for wear, even if blood doesn't show as satisfyingly against the violet fur as it would on normal white. Koa's feeling quite pleased with their progress, especially as Deimos suggests that one more hit ought to do it. He's gearing up to launch a final punch toward the monster, when the Ursur surges forward, snatching a rock with his massive claws and hurtling it away.

Leaving an open path between it and Soh.

"Soh!" Fear sharpens Koa into a knife edge, honed and intentional as time seems to still. The world narrows, focusing down and tunneling into a single, all-important goal. Sohalia must be protected. He cannot, cannot, let her fall.

His legs are moving before the plan has a chance to fully form, propelling him toward the Luminary, that sacred, fragile light. "Get behind me!" he cries, pushing himself into the space between her and the ursur - a space that will hopefully have already have been widened by her retreat, but he'll take what he can. Putting out his left arm to shield Sohalia as best he can, Koa swings furiously forward with the right, hoping to land a blow directly in that tusked face.

---

Koa will try to put himself between Soh and the Ursur (hopefully not too close to it but yolo) and then, once more, PUNCH

And float from branch to branch, lighter than the air
Just when that day is coming, who can say?

Sohalia

In an unfortunate turn of events, a great many things happened in quick succession. Soh’s owls, attacking the ursur’s face and eyes, were largely successful - until one was snatched by the beast, and a surge of sorrow pulsed into Soh’s chest for having placed the creature in harm’s way. She’d never quite get over compelling a creature to die for her, but this was not the time to consider it, for the ursur was still on the rampage. It seemed, at least, to be on its last legs, but that didn’t stop its attack. The rock before Soh was torn away, leaving her standing squarely in the ursur’s path.

Colt shouted a warning too late; the rock was already gone, and Soh was already moving, stumbling backwards in an effort to get away from the creature. Belatedly, she moved to the side, lunging for another rock to hide behind, but Koa was already moving, pushing between her and the ursur. Cold panic spiked as she shrieked, ”Koa!” Her world narrowed for a moment to herself, Koa, and the ursur.

The last time someone had defended her, they’d ended up dead.

Soh would not let that happen again.

Stepping to the side just enough to aim, she flung the chakram one more time, following up Koa’s attack with one of her own, aiming the weapon at the ursur’s head. Her remaining owls renewed their attack, and she prayed fervently that it would be enough.

—-

Soh panic!throws the chakram at the ursur’s head. Her remaining owls continue to attack.