I could have told you that something was brewing. An uneasiness settled in the Falls, and it made the hair on my and Damaris's backs stand up. I haven't seen Midas around recently, even with bringing newcomers into the herd land. That alone was suspicious, but now as the sun set, all the fears, anxieties come to fruition. A horrible cry echoes throughout the valley and my crown shoots up, ears forward and alert, eyes wide. My nostrils flare and ears practically tremble as all my senses focus on the intruders. A panic that I've never quite felt before rises inside me and spreads like fire through my veins.

A call from a familiar voice - ELSA. Damaris and I hesitate no longer and pound the ground toward her, clumps of dirt tossed in the air behind us. Faces familiar and strange appear through one of the entrances and of course - it's the Basin. My new armor clinks over my body as I run then slide to a halt. "Elsa! Watch out!" I shout to my friend as enemies approach, but she's already being swarmed. I spot CICERON, one that I once considered a friend. Rage mixes with the panic as I try to process the betrayal. There's no point, because there is no time. Others stream in from what seems like out of nowhere - were they already in the realm? One by one it seems that other Falls members appear, and yet there are those I trusted that turn against us. How did these others get in - who let them in? A traitor! A scream from KIARA at ALLEO - one of our once-tiros. Another traitor! The rage bubbles and a harsh bellow splits the air - from my mouth. Damaris howls as her rage joins mine.

We're cut off as a mare appears out of nowhere. I call upon the magic blessed upon me for my rank as Legatus, the Warrior's Spirit, and pray that it shall help protect me. AVIYA moves faster than my response time, and her jagged horn slices across the left side of my barrel, and I find myself thankful for the armor that I've so recently obtained. What might have been a mighty gash instead results in scraping metal and bruising beneath. A stallion comes from my other side, distracting me from a rebuttal to the first attack. TORLEIK's horns are aimed for my shoulder, but I've moved toward AVIYA and instead of piercing my side, his horns also scrape across the metal plates of my armor in an almost mirror attack. I groan as the plates press into my sides, but the sharp points are kept at bay. What I presume is his companion griffin IRELYN goes for my face, nearly missing my eyes and instead grabbing at my right ear, lifting skin from the cartilage. Another bellow of pain and rage - I don't even know who these people are!

I continue turning toward the AVIYA and bare my teeth, lunging toward her throat or any part that I can reach. As soon as I pull up - not sure whether I've made contact or not - I let my rear legs fly in a fierce kick, trying my very hardest to slam solid hooves into TORLEIK, to knock him about the skull and give him a little brain damage. I land and try to move myself out of the way, but as I do so another pair of attackers are coming my way. KAJ, King of the World's Edge, is one of them, followed by another who must be a lackey of his. KAJ's hooves slip over the armor covering my rump, making a horrible scraping sound but without wounding me, and his follower MURDOCK misses me entirely. I'm thankful for the way these last two attacks have played out, but who isn't nervous about being surrounded by four attackers.

DAMARIS comes to my defense, teeth bared as she lunges at MURDOCK. She aimed for his left foreleg, hoping to clamp down on his cannon bone, with her burning acidic spit dripping from from her fangs. She releases her grip on - well, what she hopes was the demon's leg - and jumps toward KAJ, hoping to grab on to one of his foreleg's as well, whichever one presented itself as closest to her. A snarl as spit flies, and she hopes they, well, FEEL THE BURN. Though neither Damaris nor I speak through our bond, both of us feel the rage, the betrayal, the adrenaline, the panic - the fear of unknowing of our future here. Will we survive this incursion? Will the Falls? Where is Midas, our fearless leader?

---

DEFENSE WC: 772
- Runs toward ELSA when he hears her call for himself, DRÖM and AFRICA.
- Takes AVIYA's slice against his left belly.
- Instead of a stab, gets a mirrored slice against his right belly from TORLEIK and lacerations on his right ear from IRELYN.
- KAJ's has a glancing blow on Rosti's armored rump, and MURDOCK misses.
- Bites at AVIYA's throat, then kicks with both legs at TORLEIK.
- DAMARIS attacks first MURDOCK's leg, then KAJ's leg.
- Warrior's Spirit (Rank Magic): The spirit of the warrior within can dull the pain from an attack or decrease the chance of an attack hitting.
- Rosti's Armor: http://sta.sh/01544l1qym2r

Rostislav

more than a drunken fool