Below a fleshy breast, the Starry-Eyed’s feeble heart thundered to the rhythm of impending war and through the deafening chorus in her mind came another sound; anxious and alarming. ‘Rostislav! Africa! Drom!...’ Elsa called. Flames writhed with wild excitement as their host’s skull was hurled suddenly into the air. Long sooty ears perched upright and trembling atop her tapering skull as it turned towards the west. The shadows seemed to be crawling all around her, clawing ever closer, and the dappled mare lunged away towards where she assumed the other’s call had risen from.

At that very moment, Silas was rising through rushing thermals above the lush territory – the main entrance in his sights. He could see the figures of a few, Midas and the unfriendly hulk-stallion from World’s Edge. It seemed queer to the zephyr, though he was cautious to leak such a feeling through the bond shared with the moving mare below. Why, after such previous hostility had this creature arrived on their doorstep – and by the flank of their Czar no less… Where were Fina and Neve? The zephyr watched warily from his vantage point in the sky, but the sudden flounder of Africa’s thoughts pulled his attention abruptly.

‘AFRICA…’

Knees stiffened suddenly and her lean, mottled frame jerked to a halt as the familiar voice of her lover clouded the vicinity. It was Midas – his voice yes, but the fondness, that insatiable passion that had been built between them, was missing. Africa’s skin began to crawl as she gazed ahead (caught then between the pleading of a sister and dislocated song of her child’s father.) It was the hesitation of a fool, of one who bore not enough experience to battle – a starry-eyed mare whose heart weighed ever more than her mind.

Even the vicious wave of war descending upon her home could not pull her from confusion.

The strident demand of her companion above was what finally cracked through the trance – Africa had lingered too long. All around her bodies were colliding… blood was beginning to sour the air. Silas’s blood-curdling scream pulled her abruptly into a new world of darkness (the beat of his mythical wings had brought the hour of MIDNIGHT upon Hidden Falls. She however, was a bright beacon in the night, a flame that danced now with fear as realisation descended. This is war Silas! her mind trilled in terror, and a voice that was not the Roc’s answered alluringly - 'You are here to support The Basin! You will not fight back!'

Africa’s throat burst brazenly with vivid laughter. The Earth Amulet in her satchel had shattered. “I would never! she retorted indignantly, “You fool…” she began to spin on the spot, haunches coiled beneath the swivelling weight of her fore-quarters. What Africa lacked in speed she made up easily in nimbleness, and she met the impending blur of ghostly-white front on with surprise spilling through her amusement. “You!” she hissed quietly, bitterly, as firelight tried to illuminate her enemy. ARAH had witnessed the fall of Sinuhe all those many years ago – the antlered monster, with long snowy tresses had been a part of that trauma! But the flaming mare did not pause her perfect pirouette, even as rain began to drum around them. Fetlock joints popped as she lunged heavily towards ARAH’S left and lips peeled back from gnashing, pearly teeth. These danced eagerly left with intent to find purchase between reddened-silver upon the Basiner’s pretty belly.

Freak lightning forked towards the earth nearby, startling her concentration for a moment, and thunder boomed against reclined ears.

ARAH’S driving fore-hooves grazed down the exposed wetted meat of Africa’s uncoiled, stretched lower thigh as she balked, but the one-winged had already committed to the manoeuvre. The impact of the plunging mare sent the grey’s balance skewwhiff – her hind-quarters were pushed awkwardly right, hind-hooves scrabbling through slippery wet grass – and Africa’s plan to continue forward and thrust a double barrel kick backwards was destroyed. Instant pain radiated down through the connected limb, and it tingled unpleasantly as a vague numbness set in. Without time to consider a new plan of action however (would the leg even cooperate?), the Starry-Eyed was alerted to a new threat as the screech of the invisible Griffin (it was a midnight sky after all) drew her awareness to the angry heavens.

Almost as suddenly, an unnaturally bright, shimmering cluster of stars still higher stirred to life, and like a striking comet it fell quickly. Silas swooped with reckless abandon for the attacking creature – his night-savvy eyes picked it clearly – and like falcon upon a pigeon, claws reaching out ahead, he aimed to push its larger frame off course before it reached his beloved.

---

796/800 – wordcounttools.com

- AFRICA hears ELSA call and then MIDAS call and pauses confused for about three minutes.
- During this time SILAS changes the time from sunset to MIDNIGHT.
- SILAS calls and AFRICA wakes up. Her mind is filled with ARAH’S magic.
- AFRICA’S EARTH AMULET absorbs the magic and it shatters.
- AFRICA meets ARAH head on, but lunges to ARAH’S left and aims a bite at her belly between chains.
- ARAH’S hooves collide with AFRICA’S thigh mid-stride and AFRICA is pushed off centre. She also suffers initially from bruised nerves.
- SILAS swoops towards WYNTER hoping to force him off-course.

:: [Rank Magic | Healing]
:: [Magic: Fire (P) | Mane and tail burn with harmless flames. Of no use in battle, cannot be used to harm.]
:: [Magic: Earth | Able to transform into an African Grey Parrot.]
:: [Restrictions| Transformation is painful, can only transform once in battle.]
:: [Magic: LightxTime (U) | Can look through another’s eyes into their mind and travel back in time to experience their memories as well as alter them by planting new memories.
:: [Restrictions | Visions grow a little blurry when she looks beyond 6 years. Rewriting memories requires permission out of battle, and implanted memories last 20 seconds in battle.]
:: [Spark Amulet x2 | Able to cast the power of another character back onto that character, shattering as it does so.]
:: [Moon Amulet x1 | when a magical ability is cast in the vicinity, the amulet is able to replicate the ability and store it to be used at a later time.]
:: [Earth Amulet x1 | when a magical ability is cast at your character, the amulet will absorb it instead, shattering as it does so.]
:: [Item: Bag | A small leather satchel, large enough store flowers and plant matter, orbs or amulets. Tied securely around top of left foreleg just below left, with thick leather belt- all natural, weathered brown in colour]
:: [Roc Zephyr | Able to change the time of day and slow or speed time with its wing beats.]