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The problem, was that Chemosh was very self assured, he had already convinced himself that he had both grounded and frightened the mare, his opponent, into giving up. While both parties were in retreat, she was square in the middle of the path his family would take to get to Taraxippus. He assumed she'd realize this and flee with her whippy tail between her legs. He was loathe to let prey go, but he was even more loathe to stay while the flames and smoke crept ever closer. Just so, the last thing he was expecting was for her to charge him. He hissed in surprise as she came stampeding towards him, he had no time to dodge easily, no wings with which to fly, he would break his fangs if he tried to bite her now…but there was one thing. He stood his ground, not for a head on collision, no, but he meant to use her momentum against her - On his shoulders were large golden scales, each affixed with a single deadly spike, curved like a talon at the end. At the last second he would sidestep and ram his shoulder right into her side. " Ssso young to be ssso foolissssh" He spat, egging her on. He had no time to waste dallying with this sprig.



Inkling raised a delicate eyebrow "My, he has more stamina than I thought, how delightful - but I too have more tricks in my claws." Both sides were calling a retreat, the fires were burning up everything each side held so dear, how perfectly tragic - lovely plot twist. Inkling did not much care about these lands, she had passed through many, nowhere was home, but everywhere had stories. She could however understand the importance, and so she would have to hasten their retreat, pests were pests. She noted Chemosh had his own problems, but he was in sight, his relation, a purple mare had finished off another, but the last one was coming for her, spurred on by desperation. She gave a few flaps of her inky wings and then kicked off from the ground, cutting through the smoke and shadow directly for him, but as she dipped to disrupt his attack on Seance her own shadow seemed to split off from her in mid flight and form…another her. It was like a silhouette come to life and it was headed straight for him as well.

Psyche had seen enough. She had only come along, despite some misgivings, to see the glory of war. But it wasn't at all like she had imagined. It hurt, it hurt her friends, and it hurt her family. Xibalba was nowhwere to be seen, and her mother was in danger from Legion - one of their own.

Psyche wasn't remorseless; quite the opposite. While eccentric and morbid, she knew when she had gone too deep.

She shook her head violently at the blue mare, her eyes stinging - from tears or smoke, she wasn't sure.

Distantly, she heard Taraxippus... but she didn't care.

"I'm sorry!" She spluttered at the blue mare, and took to wing, flying up to where her mother was battling Legion. Desperately, she tried to interpose herself between the two of them.

"Mother... this is over. We need to go." She said pushing her gently away from Legion, and towards the cliffs. "Fight them if you want, Legion. We are not your enemy!" She said with a curl to her lip. "Why don't you go answer Taraxippus."

And with that, she turned. Just... hoping that Legion didn't continue his attack.

Stormcloud was flabbergasted as she saw her two opponents, one after the other, turn and flee. She snapped, bellowing after the black one who she had presumed would have put up more of a fight, run like a scared dog after she bopped him on the nose.

She wanted, with every fiber of her being, to give chase - especially to that black dog. To rend him for attacking their herdlands. Stormcloud was very much the embodiment of the tumultous storm. She never gave much mind to why - storms didn't question their nature. But it was likely in no small part to the kalona blood that did run through her veins.

She wanted to make this monster pay for hurting her mate, for attacking her herdgrounds....

But.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her mate slump. And on the wind, she heard Stormwild, her alpha, call for retreat.

Her pride and hatred for the attackers held her back, one moment... two.... but in the end, as she saw the fires approach, and threaten Thunderbird, she turned quickly, with a snarl, and gathered up Thunderbird, whispering soft, tender words of encouragement to him, helping him wake just enough to get him into the air with her support.

And together, they followed Stormwild's call.

Xibalba had been heading for the trail that led out of the herdgrounds when he heard Taraxippus's call. His alpha was near the trailhead, and there was no pretending that he hadn't heard.

Taraxippus didn't have wings, either, and Xibalba knew that the stallion was no fool. He couldn't plan on staying long, not unless he had another escape route.

He hesitated for a moment before checking the direction the energy around his hooves swirled, and changed his angle of gallop, joining Taraxippus by his side.

Lowly, under his breath, he whispered, "I hope you have a good plan here, Tah-rah. De spirits o fire do not distinguish friend from foe."

Grimoire had heard Taraxippus's call. She just didn't give a damn. She had agreed to come, she had never agreed to follow his orders. This was her playground now, and she was having so much fun letting loose on these poor, pitiful soquili.

Grimoire was laughing, delighted, and all the more so as she saw the mare roll to her feet and saw just how much damage the embers had done. "Oh, your pretty hair-" She clucked with her tongue as mirth danced in her eyes. "The poor little pretty princess isn't so pretty any more, now is she?!" She bellowed with laughter.

So much so, that she didn't expect the injured mare to launch an effective attack... and really didn't expect another attack from above from the mare's father.

Maybe she should have listened to Taraxippus.

Instead, she was just bracing herself to meet Euphrate's charge head-on, relying on her bulk to stop the mare in her tracks... when Jericho knocked into her, sending her spilling into the embers herself.

She shrieked in fury and pain.

Infernum was drenched as he broke the water and gasped for breath. He had managed to slow his fall enough not to smack the water, but he had still gone under. He felt humiliated, defeated, even as he watched the massive shadow of the elder stallion arc back into the herdgrounds.

Infernum, like his mother, didn't dedicate a lot of time towards private thoughts. He was dutiful, a soldier, and had followed Taraxippus's orders. He saw this defeat as a failure in himself. He might have still been young, but he had grown large, and quickly, and he had been so eager to prove himself. Slowly, achingly, he swam to the edge of the water. His sides ached and his breath came in wheazes. High, high above, he saw his mother and sister circling, confronting.... was that Legion?

Instinctively, he went to spread his wings and head back into the fray, but as soon as he tried to flap, he gasped in pain. Cracked ribs... broken bones... he wasn't going to fly any time soon.

He glowered up at the herdgrounds for a solid minute before starting a long walk around the mountains back home.

As he started to walk, his brows knit as he saw a figure streaking out of the herdgrounds. Was that.... Firestarter?