Aaah! Mr. Volterra sir! The Sultan cranes his head upwards towards the sound, grinning despite himself at the title. "I am," he rumbles in reply. He'd almost forgotten the fact that his opponent is winged. He's always fought pegasi amongst the trees before now, never out in the open where they can use their wings to their full effect. It makes him wonder for a second how on earth he is going to hit the tiny little fellow if he can't even reach him, but he reminds himself that pondering things like this now is much better than pondering them for the first time in a very real battle against a very real winged foe.

From so high up, Pippigrin looks even smaller than he actually is. Volterra has never fought somebody so small, somebody who could probably slip beneath his girth without him even noticing. That will present a multitude of challenges in itself, as the pony will have access to areas on the Indomitable that no other opponents can reach. Most worryingly, his Volterra-hood. As he had done during his last meeting with the miniature warrior, he clamps his tail firmly down and shuffles his hind legs together to protect the great weight that hangs between them, deciding that he's much more comfortable with Pippigrin in the air than he is with him under there. He is inclined to think that the pony's size means that his strength is sorely lacking, and he can't help but think his speed and agility may be affected too. That sturdy little body looks hardy, though, and Volterra believes that the pony's endurance may outstrip his own especially in this horrific heat.

Are you ready? "As honourable as it is to tell your opponent that you are attacking, I would advise against it in a real fight. The element of surprise is one of the greatest weapons you have in your arsenal, especially given your size. So I am going to pretend I didn't hear that, and carry on going about my business." It is a clear hint for the pony to utilise the element of surprise, and despite the fact he now knows precisely where Pippigrin is and also his intention to attack, Volterra begins to amble slowly forwards as though he's blissfully unaware of his potential teeny-tiny assailant.

At the request to count him in, the titan growls and rolls his eyes, a clear no. He continues studiously ignoring the flying threat, as much as his skin prickles with the desire to turn around and see which angle he's going to be attacked from. Despite himself, Volterra is nervous. He is a warlord, one of the greatest to bless the face of Helovia, but if Pippigrin somehow manages to defeat him...oh, the humiliation! It only takes one slip, or even one twitch of the pony's hoof into his head, and Volterra the Indomitable will become known as Volterra the BeatenByAMidget.

Suddenly there's a whistle of air, and Volterra begins to instictively swing towards it. Before he can face it, his foe collides with his left side with a great, painful thud, sending the massive stallion staggering to the side. Pippigrin might be small, but when he dive-bombs like a rabid pigeon he can pack quite the punch. A grunt leaves the onyx monolith's jaws as a muscle-deep bruise blossoms like a flower in the stricken area just behind his left shoulder. It is incredibly painful, although thankfully the fact it missed his shoulder means that his movement isn't too badly restricted.

Instinct overrides everything else and Volterra launches his jaws around and towards his opponent. He seeks to bite any part of the pegasus that he can reach, although his teeth hunger for one of those feathered wings so he can try and pull Pippigrin out of the sky. Brutal, perhaps, but he doesn't think the pony will learn unless his tutor is somewhat rough with him. "That was good," he manages to boom heartily through the haze of his pain. "Your wings are the one thing you have that I don't. I can't defeat you if I can't reach you, although I would advise against too many similar attacks else your opponent will grow wise and pluck you out of the air. In this heat, you need to conserve your energy as much as possible." Which Volterra is doing with relative ease given he is standing in the one spot.

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Spar for @Pippigrin !

Set in the Dragon's Throat on a hot Tallsun day, late afternoon.

1/3 - 740 words