Through their bond moreso than his own eyes, he sees his dragon dive in front of Isopia, but she, in turn, throws up an arc of earth to protect him from the lightning bolt. Volterra's jaws gape as a throaty bellow erupts from the depths of his thick chest, fearing that the bolt will carve through earth, dragon and Isopia alike and leave them all as a scorched mess - but they don't. She protects the red as he had wanted to protect her, and the colt's entire body sags with relief that she is alive. But her screams still echo in his ears, and he knows that the sound of Isopia in pain is not one he ever wants to hear again. Normally if somebody hurt her like that he would decimate them, but he doesn't know who out of the crowd of heaving bodies was the one to hurt her so - his vengeance cannot find a target.

Unhurt, Vérzés circles away from Isopia and towards his bonded. "Sore?" he questions in his draconic broken speech. The mammoth shakes his heavy head numbly - yes, he's hurt, but he will live. Some other Helovians are far more badly injured than him, and part of him wishes he had gained cuts that will turn to scars for him to wear as trophies. Alas, his bruise will fade.

The Time God speaks, and as Volterra limps away from the corpse he tilts his ears to listen. The God begins to throw crystals, bits of bear and vials of blood towards certain fighters, then bestows magic on others; the yearling's heart begins to pound excitedly, wondering what he will get, what delight will be thrown towards him. But when the God turns to him, he gets....words. Admittedly very pleasant words, words that make his ego and manhood alike swell with the compliment and that make his powerful neck arch that little bit more like the stallion he is so close to becoming, but it is not what he had been expecting or hoping for. You are strong stallions, you will make your fathers proud, says the god. Where's my fucking present then? thinks the giant. Sure, he's a little bit bitter. All his hard work, and all he gets is kind words? Other horses who had done less damage than him get given magic, bits of bear, crystals...he gets sweet FA. Hmmph. Still, he dips his skull in acknowledgement of the God's words. To be complimented by a deity is a fine privelege...just not quite as nice as having a nice rib to smack people over the head with.

Still, he has his memories of the battle, and what fine memories they are! What better way to rip through the maidenhead of his fighting virginity! Yes, he does feel more grown up now, more like an adult as the God proclaims - it has been a coming of age. Or, in Ode's case, just a coming. The beast snorts through flared nostrils, then immediately begins to scan the crowd for Isopia. Through Vérzés' eyes, he sees her; badly wounded and being shouted at by some skank with a sword. With a sharp hiss, the leviathan moves towards them, limping slightly from the tightness in his side. Vérzés emits a cloud of frost as he descends to land on the colt's withers, gripping his thick neck and peering around it. He wants to jump in, to defend his best friend despite the fact she'd put herself in danger by defending the bear, but he doubts she will appreciate him trying to fight her battles for her. He wants to, dammit, but he bites back the words that dance on the tip of his tongue.

____

Standing near Isopia and Roskuld