!!!

The sudden influx of emotions assaulted through her listless thoughts like fire, rained down on already scorched and seething ground to ignite it once more. The guardian had been drifted above the sands, the gentle stroke of her wings and the whistled sound of the wind between her ears the only noise that reached her. Atreus, despite only just hatched from the egg, proved to be a capable flier, or at least he pretended to be — his small wings outstretched to make the most of the pockets of vents which peppered the desert island.

!!!

Atreus' jab assaulted her again, but it wasn't what caused her brows to form a knitted expression. He had been quite lively despite his enjoyment of taking the easy way out of doing all the effort, the vulture had stopped completely in the air, focused on something she couldn't yet see.

VOLTERRA

She knew that voice, it belonged to the mandible marked filly who had spoken up at the meeting. What was she doing? That was a voiced used by Warriors and the disgruntled alike, a battle cry, the beginning lyrics of a song which heralded a warrior's dance. She couldn't be serious? While she fancied that fortune favored the brave and the bold, and that history did not write boring sagas of the maid who spent her time at the hearth — this  seemed less brave and bold, in fact it screamed a suicidal note. Their supposed Gladiator boasted a presence of a man hardened by victories, more than defeats. Atreus' pierced cry cut through her like a blade, dark ears rammed back against her poll as she folded her wings close to her body and dived to the ground, a smaller feathered streak hurdled after her in the wake of her tail.

SIKEAX


What in the name of the Gods was happening? Albeit the night had not gone entirely the way she had hoped, though the passion and the fact she had managed to summon the Throat together left a warm flame in her chest, she had not expected it to escalate anymore than it had. The sand slowed her down as she broke into a gallop, ears strained forward as her nostrils inhaled lungfuls of air. Atreus struggled as he came into land upon her withers, talons wrapped tightly around the knotted hairs which curled at the base of her mane. It appeared she had arrived a little too late, Tae had already began the attack as she slid to a sandy stop beside the blue and white mares respectively.
 
What is happening?" She managed to ask, between heaved breaths to regain air and willed the feathers of her wings to smooth down again. Disbelief scarred her voice, just as much as she knew the answer to her own question. Part of her felt responsible, but a part of her couldn't help but be proud and impressed at the courage being displayed by the small mare. It took guts to stand against something like the stallion she faced, and not flinch in the face of such a foe. Atreus, who sensed his bonded's turbulent thoughts, hopped closer to her hair and began to pick at it, the pieces taken between his beak pulled one over the other in a messy attempt at a braid, anything that might soothe her and keep him busy at the same time. He was not particularly interested in the fight, his young mind more focused on trying to somehow comfort his bonded, if there was blood drawn however, then he might be inclined to turn his head.

It was all madness, she thought to herself, a madness that could of been stopped long before it had been started.

"Speech."