As ever in battle not everything went perfectly to plan, but surely if he survived this hell with all his limbs, the next battle would almost seem like a walk in the park. That was if the realm of Helovia didn't have anymore Goliath monsters and carnivore soldiers up its sleeve. Or it might even have something completely different and wacky all the same, to which by now Fiore wouldn't be surprised. His face had been in a permanently shocked position for so long that his features would surely begin to ache sooner or later. He wondered if horses like himself were in short supply and maybe he was the rarity here. The dance went on regardless of the paints internal complaints about the idiocy of it all and slowly Fiore learnt a few new things about fighting fantasy creatures meant to be told in stories. First rule, don't trip over your own feet. Second rule, run away from all carnivores. Third rule, don't piss off hairy giants. Which was exactly what could happen now.

Hooves raised and teeth bared, but he didn't quite get the spot he had wanted and instead got a mouthful of fleshy posterior. That wasn't all as gravity didn't take him to the ground quick enough for him to avoid the giants oncoming hooves, his head raised and his eyes flashed, leaning away to his left as if to try a last ditch to attempt to scamper away, but all was too late. The behemoth's hooves slammed into the right side of his chest, the power rattling up his neck and across his body, previous wounds screaming in pain as Fiore took in a sharp breathe and stumbled to regain his balance. His two rear hooves he had been balancing on awkwardly fell backwards to his left, narrowly missing the charging bear as his fore legs came down to the ground and the painted boy continued left trying to regain his balance, floundering on all fours now, with the whoosh of Ktulu's charge missing him vaguely registering on the boys pain riddled mind. He had been lucky, if the scary mare's double team attacks had hit then well, he might just be littering the floor right now.

Ow was an understatement. Fiore gasped for air as Archibald's responding attack had quite badly winded him and his chest was throbbing in continuous dull pain. Combined with the stinging from his nose, shoulder and neck, one could easily say that now Fiore was in a bad state. His dainty hooves had finally found enough purchase on the ground to stand still. The stallion breathed heavily for a while, trying his best to get his breath back as the others finished what was left of their wild fight. He could stand and his body protested at the bruises and scrapes he had just received, Fiore couldn't remember a time he'd been in a bad shape like this. The soldiers at his old home would often land a scratch or two on him and sometimes they had scarred.

When the dust had settled and Fiore managed to do better than heave air through his lungs, the boy turned to look at his competitors, marred by the mist that was slowly being burnt away and wondered if this kind of thing was normal to them. Either way it had been an experience he would never forget and a rather strange way to introduce oneself. "A pleasure, ladies, gents. My name is Fiore." His flamboyant voice cracked as the pain was easy to spot in his almost choked words, but it was customary for the boy to offer his name after battle to those who might not know it. A name to a face, perhaps they did not care, but the lad did.

[Defence Post | 632 words
dern cool fight guys <3]

Maybe you were the ocean
and I was just a stone