The scream from the colt sent a rush of something so close to happiness through the warg that it almost smiled. Those wicked, silver teeth tugged back into a horrid, twisted snarl of a grin as the pair - the trio, really - started to move. It was pleased that a chase was going to happen - even if it a short one. With the taste of fresh, hot blood in its mouth there is no breaking of focus. It drips from the gaping mouth and onto the forest floor below, red streaking black and silver fur. But it’s not enough. It wanted more. Blazing silver eyes are focused entirely on the running colt and then, suddenly, the colt is down. He tripped.

Before the warg can leap upon him with relish, the pesky zephyr that often got in its way on hunts was in its face, flapping four massive wings in its face and buffeting it with feathers and wings in an attempt to slow it down. Lucius was frightened past the point of being furious as he screamed at what was Mesec. Somewhere in that mind, his bonded still lived - their bond was dark and filled with shadows but it still existed. He could not be bonded to this monster so Mesec still survived which meant Mesec could get control. Perhaps he couldn’t control the shifts yet without his mother’s aid but he could learn to be awake after it happened.

Through their bond Lucius did not stop calling to Mesec, willing him into consciousness. They could not wait out this shift as they had some of the others - Zero’s very life was at stake and they needed to do everything to stop the coming disaster.

Despite his efforts, Lucius only managed to slow down the warg before he was batted aside - earning a few cuts for his trouble but they did not deter him. He was quick to turn around and keep after the pair. Trying to make the decision about whether to hurt Mesec to get him to stop or to risk getting Zero hurt by not stopping him felt impossible. But he loved his bonded and his bonded loved Zero - there did not seem to be one of them who could win out of this scenario.

And, really, it didn’t matter so long as they all survived this terrible night.

While Lucius circled and continued to deliver his own aerial deterrence to the warg, one of the flailing hooves from the colt hit the warg on the face as it went in for the momentarily prone boy. It balked at the impact, stumbling back a step and growling in response - that wicked smile was entirely gone from its face now. A shallow cut and bruise smarted on its right, furry cheek and it shook its head angrily to shake off the sensation of being clipped in the head with a hoof - however lightly.

Surely a minor hit, but it still had the effect of infuriating the warg more. Harsh sounds, something deeper than snarls and almost a roar, come from the wargs throat in warning as it hurried on heavy paws to keep up with the colt. Instead of teeth, it swung out its left front leg with claws extended - hoping to feel it connect with the flesh of Zero’s rump or hip. Vaguely it remembered the sensation of wanting this to be a hunt, to let Zero get far enough away that it could stalk him in the shadows and decend upon him without warning. But the taste of blood was burning in its mouth now and a rising panic in the back of its mind.

There was a sensation telling the warg that it should not be doing this, not trying to kill the young pegasus. For now it was an itch at the back of its mind - weak but annoying because it existed. The confusion these strange thoughts encouraged to grow did not deter it from its present goal but made it feel more reckless and violent. Once the colt was dead, once this was finished, those thoughts would be silenced.

Deep in the back of the warg's mind, Mesec started to stir.



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2nd attack
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