Rolling out from the breath of mountains, the challenger appears. Instead of the mists that hold on tight, a robe of velvet trails beside them. A cloth saturated in blood, against the dull gray skyline, and the canopy of innocent blues. It’s the first thing Ru grasps, beyond the golden hue of eyes blazing from the sun. Reminds the girl of the pain she endured with Volterra during her first fight; its distinct depth and range unknown to the training child. It comes as a warning, a thought that interjects with bright encouragement; that she can endure, regardless of the scars, blood, the exhaustion and its added sting.

With the prickle of frost, and the teeth of winter submerging the girl’s body, she takes the mare’s reply with a vibrating fervor. It translates into a hungry leer across the stranger’s body. The opponent is far larger – even from this distance, muscles glisten underneath an ashen hide from shoulders to hindquarters. The girl takes pleasure that the odds may play in her favor. She’s smaller, less bulk. Gravity, the weight of the whole world, of the moons and stars plays his part rigorously in the air. She must learn to manipulate it to her advantage.

Perhaps then, it will be imperative to avoid the mare’s attacks at all cost. She imagines her body won’t take the mare’s blows kindly, given the strength coiling underneath that skin. As the girl prepares to meet the stranger head on, fighting against the void that has become their playground – she wonders if and how she might exploit this size difference. To assault constantly, knowing that the other mare would feel the burning resistance of gravity condemning them to the ground. Surely Ru might out last her?

It comes with a thrill of fear that beckons the girl to dive all in. Resisting the spike of hot white anxiety, the mind numbing propulsion of doom. Ru charges towards her quarry with the intention of gaining elevation.

One after the other -

- pebbles fell from the sky. Before the girl can grasp the masses of earth hanging like hammers above, she hisses underneath her breath. Expelling air in her body, drawing in wings to dive in an attempt to avoid the large shadows hovering above her head. Dirt and things trickle down her sides, but from the edges of her eyes, in the periphery of her gaze she makes out the mare quickly approaching from her left. With a heavy breath, she stays her course to meet her. Ru rolls her body to the right, before they can meet shoulder to shoulder. Snapping in her wings as she delivered a kick from both hindlegs, aimed for the left shoulder. At that same time she began to fall. The sinking, impending loss of control swirled around her in a blistering scream. Freefall.

She had always lost her breath like this. Submitted willingly to the wind, knowing that her offerings would not go on forgotten. Unlike the rumors of the Gods, the air – its soul thrived, wherever she beckoned for a taste of it. Even if it threatened to kill her, at least she could sense it; bask in its terrible force.

Ru bursts the sails of her wings open, turning sharp to the left to face her opponent as soon as she could with a forced hiss. By no means would she allow them to rest, she would push, she would pry hard and harder with each assault. Exhaling sharply once more, she pumped her wings vigorously in the hopes of catching up to Isopia. Intending to face her either from behind or in front, as the wind began to pick up. The air salted from the sea, the coolness leaving embittered kisses against her cheek. Ru’s course staggered from their target, the rogue stream swinging her slightly off course to the right as she intended to halt her approach. Just enough to expose her belly, body perpendicular to the horizon. She gathered her forelimbs and drove them down as she rested suspended in the air for a fraction of a second. Searching for a head to plow down, or a rump to batter from the ends of her nails. But who knew where it might have landed?

And then she began to fall again. The weight of her body carrying her backwards, as she began to submerge further into the world below. She could see the dark mists, their nefarious bodies bubbling up to swallow her whole. She was vulnerable.

Resisting the desire to leave all thoughts in abandon, she strained to keep a gaze on the crimson robe. The eyes of sunshine, to stay her course true to their prey.

[WC:785
Attack: 1/3
Summary: Drops elevation to avoid the rocks. Meets Isopia and rolls right to avoid her attack, kicking out with her hindlimbs to Isopia's left shoulder. Drops elevation, turns left and picks up speed to meet head on again. A burst of air leaves her slightly off target as she pulls back from her charge, in order to rear up and strike with her forelimbs. Either on the head or rump if possible. Then starts to fall backwards.]