But the unicorn and the little deer were not the only ones hugging the moonlit shore that evening. Well, perhaps it would be more apt to say hugging the moonlit coast, for the two who were about to enter the scene were airborne, and so not properly affixed to the shore ... ehhh, you get the idea: Rikyn was not alone.

Two sets of draconian wings beat against the cooling air. They flapped harder than they might have during Tallsun, for the thermals upon which flighted-creatures took advantage, were beginning to thin and wane because of this new season. Even so, the expertise of both flyers was obvious, and they had no trouble gliding over the blackened waters without the help of the missing warm air currents.

If Isopia still had her equine ears, rather than the flat scales of her draconian skull, she might have pinned them backwards bitterly upon seeing Rikyn. The emotional void left by Volterra had been filled in with a black bitterness, a sticky as tar and (seemingly) as permanent as concrete. Any semblance of happiness or love that she witnessed around her conjured bottomless feelings of disapproval and jealousy. Why should they be happy? her heart seemed to spit as her golden eyes watched the pair below.

>>Leave alone.<< Hubris whispered into her mind, flying off to the side somewhat, implicitly trying to make the much larger Isopia-dragon change direction. But this hadn't worked, for the vastness of Isopia's mind had already figured out how to justify what it was she was about to do.

She would attack, but it would be alright because ...

Well. Because she was doing him a favour, wasn't she? Did all creatures in Helovia not want to continue living? There were things far worse than she, many of which dwelt in the hidden depths of the ocean near which Rikyn walked, or lived in the caves lining the beach. They might attack him and end his life, whereas Isopia would merely attack,  and then perhaps forever more he would be on his guard when he walked these shores at night. Besides, hadn't she been encouraged to attack without warning, when she was given her seasonal duties in the Falls? Why should that mandate apply there, but not here? If the advice was sound, then it should be applicable in all avenues of her life, not just ones that revolved around the Falls.

Right? Isopia certainly thought so - or at least, was happy to accept the justifications her mind had spat out. It was easy to get away with murder with a mind as sharp as hers. She would know after all, she had done it before.

Folding her large leathery wings against her sides, Isopia banked towards Rikyn. Had she been seen yet? Her back was to the moon, and so likely her outline was clearly visible. But what of that? She was a dragon for gods sake, and despite the fact that she retained her equine-mass even in this form, it wasn't as though a giant flying lizard-beast was going to stay hidden for very long.

"The night is dark and full of terrors." Isopia called ominously, as she glided towards Rikyn, flying over the ocean and towards him. As she did, a creature stepped out of the waves. It was composed entirely of water, and looked like some bastard child of a bear and an octopus. With a silent roar, the watery thing ran towards the stallion and lunged, its body breaking into thousands of tiny droplets as it did so, aiming for his eyes and nose.

While this was happening, Isopia tried to glide towards the boy, and then dart to the side. She wanted to use the length of her draconian tail to assault whatever part of him ended up being pointed in her direction.

As this arcing attack came to an end, Isopia angled her body towards the sands, beginning the change back into her regular body. Large clawed feet fused together to create hooves which sunk into the moiste and frigid sand, and the wings on her back shrunk and became heavily feathered. The markings remained from body to body, as did the four horns that she sported on her head. Everything else however, was now decidedly equine. Isopia was taller than the stallion by a few inches, she could see that now that they were on equal footing. The demigoddess kept her wings splayed, as moving quickly on the sands was not something she was accustomed too, and while it would make her a larger target, it would also significantly help with her balance.

Grumpily, Hubris whistled at her and perched himself on a rock. He folded his arms across his scaled chest in a clear pantomime of I do not approve.