The moments that defined the very beginnings of a battle were always the ones that encouraged one's heartrate to race, nerves to prick unsettlingly. Eyes whirled a dangerous, deep crimson hue, as the charred stallion listened to the words exchanged, felt his brethren come to the line up, heard Kri's calls and watched as the battle unfolded.

Time seemed to warp, sounds were muted around him, as everything happened in an instant. TARES, his beloved niece, stood to his right, and swiftly surged forward as a unicorn mare approached. Annoyance flickered upon Azzuen's face, as paternal instincts to protect his kin fired up within him. For a moment TARES could have been anyone in his family, his brother, his mate, his daughter, all the same a passion flared up within him, his muscles tightened their grip upon his skeletal frame, and Azzuen allowed his wings to unfurl halfways and used them to help him bound forward. The heat from TARES' fiery wings was felt by him, as she aimed it at FAELENE who was to Azzuen's right, but the stallion ignored it, even after the smell of singed mane tickled his nostrils. He pushed forward, hoping to use FAELENE's distraction at attempting to attack, and dodge TARES' return attack as an opportunity to lay his own attack down.

Half a stride and Azzuen had his father's spear in his mouth, the silver point aimed directly at FAELENE's fleshy shoulder. With all the strength his thick, cresty nape possessed he jousted it forth at her, first hoping to dive in deep and then sweeping it down with the ultimate aim to open a long, deep and excruciating cut. Even if it were just a little cut, Azzuen had plans for this FAELENE - but he would wait. Flinging his head skywards now, he pranced even closer, aiming his chest for FAELENE's right side, hoping to push himself against her, coiling his hindquarters and just about rearing into her. With any luck, her footing would be unsteady from the shock of the pain of TARES' attack, and then had his spear strike been true before, he might just knock her over, or at least begin to.

As he reared so near to her, his nape bent over the small of her back, and with his spear in his mouth, the tip pointed towards the back of FAELENE's head, he used his momentary gain in height to try and plunge it down on the fleshy bit of neck that existed just before FAELENE's withers, once again on her right side. It was not as strong a stab as his previous attempt, but the point was deadly sharp, if the spear did not get swept up in the dark mare's mane he might just see that crimson liquid leak from her. The stallion then grunted as he beat his wings, not aiming to do anything but cause a buffet of wind and dusty debris to course over the mare, and perhaps make her wounds sting furiously. Doing this also enabled him to be ready to leap back when the time came that he had to defend himself.

Azzuen grinned around the wooden pole that was the handle of his spear. There was something about being in the midst of battle that was simply cleansing.


[550 words
Summary:
Azzuen surges forth just as Tares unfurls her wings, hoping to spear FAELENE on her right side as she runs past him. He hopes to make a long deep cut in FAELENE's shoulder, before pushing himself into her right side in attempts to knock her over. He rears while in close proximity, and uses the height advantage to try and spear her right side again from a different angle. He then begins to beat his wings, hoping to cause dirt and wind to fly at FAELENE's wounds and cause them to hurt more - also enabling him to be a bit more agile for if/when she attacks back. ]