She is a craven coward.

Frustration rockets through him as she pivots away from his charge, and he feels another spasm of fear from Cynder as the mare delves into her mind again; the emerald war-dragon, normally so full of rage and hellbent determination, is devoured by the primal terror of something she doesn't understand. Why is her mind being invaded by someone who isn't her bonded? Why is she succumbing to the sudden need to harm the man she loves? A muffled squeak of anguish bubbles from her clenched jaws and Tyradon grits his teeth, her confusion washing over him in a wave. He looks to Arah, and suddenly he has never wanted to kill something as much as he wants to kill her - he needs the sweet release of her skull crushing to pieces beneath her hooves, needs to swear a thousand afterlifes of misery on her for what she is doing to the partner of his heart and soul.

He makes a solemn vow to Nieque - whatever the outcome of this fight, he will make the rest of this vermin's life a living hell.

Close your mind, Cynder, she is weak! The dragon hovers, and the beast can feel her concentration as she fights against the magic. Her muscles flex as she fights with everything she has; she focuses on her hatred for this parasite sitting within her mind, trying to tame her wild spirit and use her as a weapon. No, she is dragon - she will not be commanded like some dog to turn on her master! Find the loophole in her command and exploit it, orders the black beast, his gaze fixed fully on his companion - he can feel Cynder's sudden and overwhelming desire to peck those eyes from his skull, and his scarred features twist into a hideous grimace as he plots all the different way he is going to flay this mongrel bitch until she is naught but a screaming mass of flesh writhing before him. Steeling her mind, Cynder dives towards Arah's back as the mare charges towards Tyradon, jaws open and flame blossoming as she aims to scorch the entirety of the unicorn's spine and neck - the mare had told her to stop her previous assault, but had put no time limit on the command. The loophole.

But the need to rip Tyradon's eyes from his head is still overpowering her - her resolve snaps, knowing she cannot resist the compulsion indefinitely. She flies towards him, talons glinting in the weak light, a mental coo of apology caressing his mind. "Sorry," she says, her sing-song voice soft.

She alters her course at the last minute, and flies with the force of a freight train into the nearest tree.

The collision comes as a sickening thud, and a bellow of agony flees Tyradon's slavering jowls as he feels the full force of the impact through their mental link. Cynder falls prone to the ground, out cold, and for a moment the stallion contemplates abandoning the battle and running to her aid, because fuck this battle when his dragon's life is at stake. He can barely believe what she did - she knew she couldn't resist the foul mare's mental hold over her, so she took herself out of the equation. She couldn't rip the warmaster's eyes out if she was unconscious, could she? A tide of adoration wells up in the beast's chest for his emerald companion, and it only serves to solidify his determination and the steel wall of loathing for this antlered monstrosity charging towards him. A warcry erupts from his muzzle and, at the last moment before they collide, he throws his weight to his right, aiming to run parallel beside Arah on her left side. Her left antler rips into the left side of his chest and drags onto his shoulder, creating a medium-depth, thick red welt that oozes crimson down his foreleg. It stings, but mercifully does not hamper the movement of his pulsing muscles.

The beast slams on the brakes, throwing his weight to his forelegs and kicking out with his hindlegs. He kicks to his left, aiming to crash his massive hooves into Arah's skull, hoping to smash it to smithereens beneath the force of his fury. He's glad he chose to dart to her left, as it keeps his injured right flank hopefully out of her reach - it still throbs painfully. Simultaneously his heavy head, lowered to lend force to his back leg's kicks, tilts to the left, aiming to pepper Arah's upper left hindleg with painful bites and caring little for how exposed he has left himself to retaliation from her own hooves.

She needs to suffer for his fallen dragon, whose absence from his mind is like the pain of a thousand cuts.

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3/4

Summary: Cynder tries to set Arah's back on fire before flying into a tree to avoid hurting Tyra. He runs parallel to her and tries to kick her in the head and bite her left hindleg.