The ground was truly treacherous. The Dauntless had chosen this spot with much consideration, but perhaps it had not been the wisest. Too proud to let Loretta hold it over his head, Archibald denied the thoughts and pressed them away. Loretta trotted around the giant as he pranced, a wild and excited smirk on her face. Her amber eyes admired the way his muscles rippled beneath his pelt, gold eyes ablaze with the desire to decimate. Loretta, loyal yet fierce to her core, had been standing by Archibald for years as a battle partner--this was her itch just as much as it was his. They were two bodies but one soul, two minds but one heart. They balanced each other, fueled each other, and supported each other. They were titans, bringers of destruction and death. Today, like many before this, was a day to show their domineering strength and prowess on the battlefield--no matter the terrain. The sound of an approaching beast caught both the attention of the stallion and the cur, and Loretta nearly shuddered with the anticipation of what it was.

Dark brown flickered between dull grey trunks and Archibald's ears rotated forward, golden eyes narrowed some on the incoming target. As the voice rang out from behind the spires of trees, Archibald knew who it belonged to. Megaera. The newly crowned Sultana of the Dragon's Throat. She had visited his borders not too long ago, and Archibald was not impressed by her presence or her politics--but still, the Throat and the Falls stood as allies in arms. As little as Archibald held regard for the leaders of that herd, Kahlua and Kaj had made the agreement when they needed their support in battle. Above it all, Archibald was a king--a czar--and he had to accept what was best for his herd and his family. The Throat's alliance had been that--not only for the support to his herd, but for the refuge the desert had given his children in their time of need. Soon, Archibald knew, his daughter would join him beneath the majestic falls of his home; but, until she was at his side, she was safe within the borders of the Sultana's land. 

Her words caught him off guard, and his ears pinned at the almost-threat she had given. It was not a direct threat, but a warning; a warning that there was something not quite right in Helovia. But, when was there? Helovia was a land of mystery and action, magic and new life. Constantly there was change in the air, and the Dauntless was never truly prepared for what all of that meant--was anyone?  Curiosity flickered in the shared minds of bonded and companion, and the Czar made a note to ask the Sultana about the Time God's fight after theirs was complete. "I'll have my eyes open." Archibald nodded with a snort, his bunching muscles and prancing still keeping him moving and prepared as the Sultana entered the clearing. Megaera was much shorter than the titan before her, compact and undoubtedly more agile and quick than the blood-hungry stallion. Tucking his chin and arching his neck, Archibald snorted, preparing to move forward towards her when a sudden light burst between them.

With an uninhibited gasp of shock, Archibald reared and lifted his chin into the air. The thick forelock he held moved to help shield his eyes from the light, but even as he reared and moved away from it he saw several white dots come to blur his vision. An angry snarl bounced into the clearing, rendered from the depths of Loretta's throat as she jumped away from Archibald for a moment and into the darkness of the forest. The bitch yelped as Archibald sucked in another breath, both the war-torn beasts landing in thick, thorny brambles in their attempt to flee the light. The vines ripped at Archibald's lefts, tangling in his thick feathers. A few thorns managed to scrape the less haired part of his leg, as well as stick into Loretta's coat on her sides. With his head still held above them in his slight rear, Megaera's hooves missed their target and merely managed to clip the underside of his neck, near his shoulder. Thrusting himself forward and down, Archibald bucked up his massive, steel-clad back hooves in an attempt to slam them into the bay's right shoulder. Loretta scrambled towards where Megaera had entered the woods, avoiding Archibald's plate-sized hooves and launching her silverlined magic towards the Sunspear, attempting to diminish the mare's mental capacity to that of a filly. 

Finishing his buck, Archibald summoned his armor to cover his hardened body and spun around, hoping to face the mare. If she could use the leather to dampen his attacks, he would use the metal to thwart her's. 



[PC: 1/3 | WC: 800 | Magic used: (by Loretta) Time slip: another, making them think they are a young child for 30 seconds .]