Indeed I follow the Addict, quietly and with reservation, my dark eyes calculating him from behind. I don’t really know him though I’ve known of him for a while now, ever since my first meeting with the Asylum I’ve come to know bits and bats of this ragged creature, but not enough to call out to him in familiarity. Creature. It fits him well I think, he looks and talks more like a beast than that of a civilised horse, but then again, isn’t that why he is our Legatus? I don’t need him to talk pretty, I needed him to fight and fight well. I am not meant to win today as my challenger should be far more capable than me, but still, I will test him all the same with as much strength as I can muster against such a titan. Though still the odd thought passes through my mind and fills me with lament over my lack of physical strength, perhaps it would have been better if I were bred for open battle. Alas, I am a skinny deer in front of a brutish lion and I cannot change that.

The waterfall crashes into a pool where Oxy stands, his impatient voice forces my ears flat against my neck and drags a snort from my nose. "All in good time ruffian" I call back to him in my usual cool manner and I wonder why he didn’t just charge straight for me. Or was he being polite? I doubt that for some reason. He stands like a well-tuned knight who lacked the general chivalry and pomp that some battles had, I imagine he simply stomps through his opponents with that hefty body of his. Though it was rather on the skinny side which was a surprise given the rich landscape he lives in.

Clouds hampered the high summer sunshine and I found myself enjoying the shadow it created across the land. A cloudless day is not a favourite of mine. The only thing I wanted now is the cool feel of rain, but maybe I was wishing for too much and if I dally any longer I fear this hellion may leave out of impatience. He didn’t strike me as the kind to wait for very long though maybe I’m being presumptuous.

The loose strands of a quickly hashed together plan forms in my head as I take in his lack of wings and unfurl my own. My pace changes into that of a brisk, bouncy canter and soon I’m in the air. Even from this advantage he still looks like a mammoth down there and I take in a shaky, nervous breath. It’s not often I’m shaken, but I would be a fool to walk into this fight with nothing but bold arrogance like I did the last. No, I learnt that lesson the hard way. That burn still scars my back.

I twist around near the waterfall with hopes its crashing noise would help in making it harder for him to react as I plunge as quickly as I can. Slotting my wings closer to my side as I aim for where I think his right shoulder is, flying past sharply as I lash out my back feet before turning away and upwards again. This time I don’t climb so high in hopes of keeping up the momentum I had hopefully gained, my gaze still craning to keep tabs on his position before I dive back in again, this time coming from above him. I attempt to land my rear hooves in a sharp smack upon his rump and my face contorts into a hard worked concentration.

In the back of my mind I pray I’m swift enough to unnerve this brute and strong enough to defend whatever he throws at me. Even though betraying thoughts still tugged at one side of mind, telling me this was folly and that the end result would only be bitterness. Determined, I try pushing this intrusive speculation away and focus on scaling the mountainous task in front of me.

[681 words | 1/3
Ghost makes two attacks from the air, the first aiming for his right shoulder and the second for the top of his rump. Both with back legs.]