The sounds of birds flittered away as the stream ran slow in the heat. There was a low cry of dead leaves and wafer thin grass as his cloven hooves fell upon the parched earth. A normally gushing stream was pitifully slinking along. This was the mess of the Sun God. This was not the normal way of seasons but he tampered with them anyway. Hot tempered teeth gnawed away as the oppression sent d'Artagnan into a delirium. It was like that time in the Throat, his nerves chewed on by the sun and the smart ass pegasi. Except this time he had no one or no reason to calm down. It grated and grated until the Doctor was left in pure senseless anger. Even as the blazing sun was giving her last kisses, there was nothing.

Time was taking its toll on this poor, hell battered soul. The red stag was patient enough but this was beyond ridiculous! He longed to taste blood, to feel the clash of bodies and the thrill of the fight. He refused to wither away like this meadow before him. This was d'Artagnan! The finest and only Doctor of the Worlds Edge! No. He would not lay down and be civil on this day.

[3 Posts Each. Set in the Thistle Meadow at dusk. Magic & Companions allowed but d'Artagnan has none of these to use.]

Why? WHY?!

d'Artagnan fumed at the fact Kou had managed to find him in this mood. The stallion needed to let off some steam, it had been boiling inside him for a while and he could not longer contain it. But why her? The Doctor didn't want to hurt Kou, nor was she the reason for his anger. His body was tense and ready, blood pumping strongly around his large body. Lungs drinking in the air. She seemed a little unsure of him and d'Artagnan frowned at her grumpily. "Kou... There's something I want to tell you." He considered her for a moment and then began to march forwards purposefully. "Since we're visiting foreign lands, I want to know if you can defend yourself." It was perfect. He could let off steam and let her think it was him testing her. In a way, it would be a good bonding session for them both. To now how each other works. d'Artagnan puffed himself up at his own idea and looked at Kou once more.

She was a lot smaller than he, but if she was anything like Seiren he would be in trouble. The Doctor was not fool enough to doubt a smaller mares strength. Kou was of similar build to his sister after all. Does she even have her own magic? The question struck him cold, Seiren's was menacing but out of control. He'd never asked if Kou had her own magic. d'Art swallowed in anticipation. Muscles rippled beneath his red fur as he launched up into a rear, his split hooves slamming on the earth as gravity brought him back. "So... You ready, Kou?" He grinned at her.

"I wasn't part of the scourge for nothing"
Scourge? Of course! But wouldn't that mean...

The thought made a gurgle of laughter run through his body. The Doctor hadn't really thought about it before. Kou had always been his Nurse and nothing else. To think she was once part of the group that was meant to protect him (and Mauja) now seemed quite ironic. Standing face to face and ready to fight. Dusky hues spun lies on his coat making look more orange than the red bay he actually was.

To begin with, d'Artagnan thought Kou wasn't going to oblige his offer and he was quite frank in thinking he really did not blame her. His body racked with the desire to battle, muscles were flexing themselves in preparation. Maybe this isn't a good idea... The better part of his conscience was trying it's best to overcome the seeming madness that had stolen over him. It was a fruitless task as the longer he waited the more his desire for a fight increased. However, the one thing the stag didn't anticipate was Kou making the first charge. For something that lasted a mere few seconds, the Doctor saw her attack in alarming slow motion. He wanted this and he didn't. Parched thistles surrounded his sooty legs and the sun was making way for the delightful moon. This fight had to be over before the sun set. Her slight delicate frame approached and d'Artagnan clenched his teeth. Why so eager? He grumbled to himself. The Doctor much preferred power battles where he could throw his strength around a little, even he had to admit that the 'hit and run' style of attack was maybe not ideal.

She flicked her back leg with an aim straight for his legs to which d'Artagnan laid-back his ears and rather awkwardly launched off the floor. His own back legs flicking out at an angle towards her rear forming a powerful buck in return that was aimed straight for her retreating rear. It did come with a slight cost. The stallion's slow reaction to her movements lent Kou the ability to slightly smite his back left hock. The cut was like catching yourself on a thin tree branch and blood ran in small dribbles. Red against his soot smeared hock. Small the cut maybe but that was all that was needed to feed the flames of d'Artagnan's rage. A slight stinging sensation broke out but, it was easily bearable. The Doctor had already begun his own plotting.

He was sure by now Kou would have her own plan. She was always quicker of thought than him. d'Artagnan stood there for around 10 seconds before deciding there was no way he could out think her. Better to use his enormous strength to gain an upper hand. He moved into a brisk powerful canter to turn himself back to face Kou. Then, without a moments' hesitation, front legs surged forwards with his back half engineering the power needed for the speed of his gallop. Lobes lie flat on his pommel, like the thistles now lie on the ground and mismatched eyes became wild. He closed the gap between them in a small matter of long strides, his head lowered the glass that protruded from his brow. Its fragments catching the retreating light. Thoughts that made him hesitate before no longer existed, she had made her move. Now it was his turn.

The meadow fell before the barrage of hooves before he slid his back end under himself and used the power from his gallop to surge into a rear. In his run d'Artagnan had attempted to approach Kou from the front, gritting his teeth to make the necessary turns to do so. The shards of his transparent horns aimed straight for her throat, front hooves following behind as backup. His imagination went wild as he remembered past battles and the image of blood on his clear glass weapon. Maybe he should have been remembering just who he was fighting. But d'Artagnan's tendency for madness now and then took over rational thinking. His rear took on an even greater height, utilizing his already greater body mass over Kou to gain advantage. The stallion's nostrils flared at the thrill as gravity took him back to the earth, grey and cracked hooves aiming for the fried ground.

[1/3 | 726 Words.
Basically d'Artagnan attempts to defend himself by kicking out at Kou but gets a slight nick on his left hock in the process. He then makes a turn and charges back towards her at a gallop with it culminating in a rear aimed for her neck and face.]

d'Artagnan thought his frontal attack had struck true until his legs finally reached the floor and a flurry of hooves shot out towards his chest. Shit! The impact of hitting the ground had slowed the Doctor's movements, his head was held high in the air and the whites of his eyes glared at the incoming attack from his Nurse. He turned to the only thing he could do, stumbling a couple of steps back, leaning far onto his haunches and the momentum almost made him sit. Air whipped up his mane as Kou's backlash came inches near his chest, the very tips of her hooves caressing his fur. Blasted mares inwardly he cursed his lack of knowledge on Kou's fighting abilities. However d'Artagnan didn't stay down long, muscles rippling and flexing as they launched his body out of the unnatural position he had previously assumed, flicking his backend out from underneath him.

Dusk's ever decreasing light made the scene more exciting, more dramatic in the eyes of the Doctor. Night was approaching. Their beloved Goddess would be closer than ever. d'Artagnan wondered if the shadowy Moon would agree with what he and Kou were doing, it was only friendly after all. Well, that's what the Doctor hoped the bonnie pale mare thought.

Finally upright d'Artagnan wasted no time in launching into his next move. Curse it her rear now facing him, the Doctor took a small leap to the side and used the ample amount of room the Thistle Meadow provided, allowing himself the space to turn. Being 17hh came in handy sometimes but his bulk was rather hard to manoeuvre in a tight spot. Turning as tight as his body would allow, d'Artagnan used his long stride to close the gap in a matter of seconds, teeth bared aiming for her neck. His shards of glass horn getting aimed near her crest for extra measure. Now you're mine! The blood churned fast round his body, fuelling his attacks which in turn fuelled his own madness.

There was a part of d'Artagnan that still screamed at him. Still fought against his blackened mad mind that craved for blood. A distant reminder of his true feelings for Kou. Even the Doctor's heart, however, got swallowed up by the torrent of morbid elation his own mind projected.

d'Artagnan was lost in his own madness.

[2/3 | 391 Words
d'Artagnan sits back onto his haunches to get out of the way of Kou's kick. Her hooves trimming his fur a little. He then moves out into the Thistle Meadow to get more room for his big body, then charges at her neck with his teeth and horn.]