“Ha! She even fell for one of the classic deceptions!” Dyonisos exclaimed while laughing, hitting his divan with a hoof. “One-hundred-twenty percent win rate! These will be the easiest points in the whole game!”

“Looks like you are soon to be out of the game entirely, Fortuna,” Ares commented, his smug grin having just returned. It wasn’t as though he wasn’t angry about his broken divan, but the unfolding events were helping to improve his mood.

“The losses will be counted at the end of the day, not during,” Helios stated. He was one of the few gods who had actually bid in favour of Fiery. Even though it had only been a small amount of points… “The whole situation can still change upon that second army’s arrival.”

“Maybe both of them will get killed,” Hades chuckled, while small blue flames escaped his snout.

“That your Godchild fell for that,” Herakles shook his head disapprovingly. “I was once also quick to act and eager to take on any challenge hoof first, but this, this is even by my former standards poorly thought out.”

“The art of deception is not one of Fiery Leadership's strongest skills,” Athena agreed. “Still not as bad as some of your doings, like joining those argonauts, Herakles.”

“Don’t remind me of that!” Herakles frowned. “Okay, perhaps I did equally stupid things back in the day.”

“Be it as it may, I foresee Fortuna running out of points and any chance of regaining them,” Dyonisus said. “That would mean basic cunning beats the best of luck.”

“Not so fast,” Aphrodite threw in. “Maybe she survives and Candid Diversion does not. In that case, luck beats cunning in the end.

“Luck can only do so much,” Poseidon judged. “Though, given the circumstances, it has its use. Even the most cunning can perish to a single instance of bad luck.”

“Good thing Fortuna is forbidden from touching Candid Diversion!” Ares leaned back in his crooked divan histrionically. “So no extra bad luck for him!”

“If he is to kill my godchild, or be responsible for her death, he will drown in it,” was all Fortuna had to say to this.

Some of the gods or goddesses nodded in agreement. ‘Fair enough’ was the best way to describe the general opinion regarding Fortunas statement.

“That’s what makes these kinds of games so funny though,” Dyonisos said. “We all see which gift is the best among those we bestow. Wisdom, luck, fate and all the others,” he raised his cup to the respective gods or goddesses while he spoke. “Not forgetting joy and hedonic pleasure of course.”

“You forgot about a little whiff of happenstance.” A new voice arose from the doorway. Happenstance himself, brother of Fortuna, had entered the mirror-hall. “Just mix in a little bit of happenstance and all your cunning, wisdom and,” he looked at his sister with a mischievous raised eyebrow, “even luck can be in vain.”

“One needs to be lucky to avoid unfortunate happenstances,” Fortuna replied, and when Happenstance arrived at her divan, moved aside to make room for her brother.

“A good plan takes happenstance into account,” Dyonisos replied, slightly delayed. “Mere happenstance is simply an inconvenience to those who plan ahead. Anyway, are you going to bet some points yourself? It is not too late yet.”

Happenstance threw a short look at the pond. “Are ya winning, sis?” He whispered to Fortuna.

She shrugged.

“Oh well, five points on my sister’s favourite winning then,” Happenstance proclaimed.

“Only five? Even your brother lacks faith in your champion,” Ares mocked.

“Ares!” Zeus said sharply.

“Just teasing,” Ares said, lifting his hooves in an innocent gesture.

Ignoring him, Fortuna addressed her brother while her eyes stayed on the battlefield. “So what brings you here?”

“Can’t I spend time in my sister’s company while her godchild fights in the great game?”

“You could, but you wouldn’t,” she replied.

“Ahh well,” he gave her a mischievous grin. “I told you your godchild fascinates me. There are only so many mortals who are going on a quest like this with no certain fate upon them, you know?”

“You know that Moirai doesn’t enlighten us on the mortal’s fate for a reason.”

“Oh, it is nothing like that, at least not this time,” Happenstance's voice rose an octave and took on a smug undertone. Just from the tone, Fortuna knew her brother thought he had an extra special secret to share. Oftentimes though, these secrets turned out to be about mundane topics.

“Is that so?” Fortuna asked, not pulling her gaze away from the pond.

Happenstance pouted. “Well, if you are not interested, there is no point in telling you.”

“I only have this one Godchild, brother. You will forgive me if I am not so curious about some little secret you think you can bestow.”

Fortunas brother huffed, so she felt so generous as to give him a quick look.

“If you have something to say, say it,” she demanded.

“No, I do not want to anymore.”

Fortuna focused back on the pond. “Fine with me.”

“Fine with me too,” Happenstance replied while crossing his forelegs.

It took a whole six seconds before he broke the silence again. “Okay, if you insist. I’ll tell you.”

“I didn’t…”

“The rumour goes that your godchild lacks a precise destiny beyond a point in the near future.”

Now Fortuna did perk up her ears. “Nonsense,” she dismissed.

“It is not. The rumour says that Moirai isn’t just unwilling to tell us, but she doesn’t know!”

Fortuna snorted. “Where did you get this drivel from?”

“I told you it isn’t nonsense.”

“Mortals all have a destiny to fulfill. There is no exception. My godchild is supposed to travel to Shakirin-La. If she makes it or not, Moirai will know.”

“If you say so…” Happenstance spread his hooves like a shrug. “Then you have no use for advice on how to benefit from that I suppose.”

“I…” Fortuna started but was cut short when murmuring began passing through the ranks of the gods.

“What by the styx is she doing now?” Dionysus wondered aloud.

*

“How do you know it is him?!” Bliz yelled over the din of battle.

“Because he feels the same pain I do!” I pointed at the last azure standing from the group of three that had been behind the first azure we had assaulted, a kirin who was now behind a ring of guards. He was currently holding one forehoof to his temple, despite showing no signs of having been hit or otherwise injured. “He also didn’t come to the aid of the decoy!”

“He could also be feeling the loss of the other two azures from his merriment! You can’t be sure!”

“And I can’t let this brawl go on forever either!” I waved my hoof over the battlefield. “We need to win this before the other army arrives! There have to be kirins still standing if we want any hope of defending ourselves or not immediately surrendering!” I jumped up and spread my wings to hoover in the air. “Guards! On me!”

“Fiery, I don’t think this is a good idea!” Rythil piped up, but I ignored him.

I pointed directly towards the other ring of guards, at least the part of them that was not currently engaged with fighting my luftirins, the raging volandiums, or had already been struck down. “Attack!” I yelled while bursting forward. Whoever could, followed my lead. Summer Moon even jumped up and clung to Bliz's legs.

“Dad!” I shouted as we flew by. “Dad, I need you over there!” He quickly threw a glance at me, unceremoniously throwing the kirin he had been holding to his side before rising into the air. The other merriment quickly blocked my ground troops, only allowing the kirins who had already flocked around me to continue the attack with me. One or two kirins tried to throw stones at us, and a few even jumped up with the goal of snatching a leg or wing, but failed in the end.

“What is your goal here?” Dad roared as he came closer.

“I believe this,” I pointed at the azure, “to be their leader! We will attack him and end this battle!”

“You want me to kill him?” Dad asked.

“No! I don’t want him dead!” However, upon giving the battlefield a closer look and seeing all the injured or unconscious kirins laying around, I reconsidered what I wanted him to do. “Maybe give him a good beating and let me deal with what’s left?”

He growled in agreement.

“Maybe your dad should help Calmatious Blossom,” Rythil piped up once again. He had sunk his claws firmly into my mane to not get bucked off. “Your riders need help!”

“Not to mention Flittering Echo!” Summer Moon agreed, dangling from Bliz legs, swinging dangerously from side to side, desperately clenching her spear between her rear hooves.

“If we get their leader, all the fighting will be over!” Bliz shouted. “That should be our main goal!”

I agreed with her. “Dad, you try and beat down that azure. I’ll follow you and try to subdue him afterwards. Bliz, you and my guards join our riders and see what you can do.”

“I am staying with you!” Summer insisted. “Can’t let you down a second time!”

Instinctively, I wanted to put her in her place for speaking out against my will, but she had a point. I grumbled but nodded my agreement. “Alright, Summer, you and,” I looked around, checking which luftirins from my guard had made it this far, “you and Rising Fall come with us. The rest of you help Calamitous Blossom and her team!”

I watched as Dad took the lead, preparing to dive down on that azure, while most of my guards followed Bliz and veered off with her towards my riders. If it wasn’t such a serious situation, the way Bliz swung Summer over to Rising Fall before she departed would have been hilarious! Summer was more than willing to protect me and get tossed over, but the fear of falling from such a height was clearly visible on her face as she clung to Rising Fall a little bit too strongly.

Our approach didn’t go unnoticed though, and what was left of the other azure’s guard tried to brace for our attack. Little did he know that I’d seen through his disguise! With shame though, I realised too late that it didn’t matter anymore. With him being the last azure standing and them not knowing that the anti-azure-rays were harmless, they formed a ring around the last azure from the group, dropping the pretence of disguise they had put up before.

“Watch out for their spears!” I shouted to Dad. He snorted at my concern before simply attacking them with his firebreath. While it was harmless to them, it did block their sight. Using this, Dad changed course and crashed into their formation below and to the side of their now burning spears. They tried their best to recover once they noticed what he had done, but it was in vain. Mercilessly, Dad broke their spears and swiped at them with his claws, tail and wing spikes. It was at this moment that I once more realised what kind of slaughter I would have sent my kirins into if I’d have ordered them to attack him back in the days.

“Try not to kill them!” I shouted, rushing after him with Summer Moon and Rising Fall by my side and Rythil on my back. Dad had created a path of destruction through their formation which I could easily follow.

“Focus on her!” The other azure suddenly commanded. “Ignore the dragon as best as you can and attack her!”

Ignoring Dad? As if anycreature could do that so easily! Though they tried! Several of them redirected their burning spears and attacks at me, but Dad wanted to have a word with them as soon as he noticed. He wasn’t in rage mode since I was a grown up now, but that only made him more dangerous!

“Take that!” One of the enemy kirins yelled, trying to strike me with their spear, only to have their flank pierced by one of Dad’s wing spikes before getting forcefully tossed into the crowd.

I focused on the other azure. “Call back your guards or my dad will kill them eventually!” I tried to sound like I wasn’t making a threat, but I was pretty sure that’s how it came across.

It took him a moment to overcome the shock of seeing dad fighting before he made a decision. Dad fighting was, while less scary, no less intimidating than him being in rage, blindly attacking everything that moved. As a result, two more kirins were subjected to a portion of Dad’s fury in the short moment the other azure needed to make a decision. His gaze swept over dad, our luftirins fighting in the air, and the rampaging volandiums spreading havoc, luckily more in his ranks than mine.

Though his reaction was quite different from what I had expected!

With a flicker of his horn, he was gone! This coward! He’d teleported himself away!

Shortly after, what was left of his troops turned tail and retreated in a hastily gallop. No, on second glance, they weren’t retreating, they were heading towards me!

“Coward!” I roared. “Come back and fight me!” If it would have been of any use, I would have screamed at his kirins what an unworthy azure they were following. Though, it wasn’t like they could choose not to.

“Fiery! We need to move!” Summer Moon hecticly shouted over the clashing of spears. She and Rising Fall were fighting with some of the other guards.

That stupid azure’s orders were still in effect, right! These guys were trying to get at me while ignoring Dad as best as they could, only causing them to get injured en masse! They were able to focus on Summer and Rising Fall too, but just barely.

“Dad! Grab Summer Moon!” I shouted and flew up into the air. “We need to get back to our side!”

Luckily, Dad did as I instructed, though only after he struck some kirins who were going to throw their spears at me. Quickly, I rose higher to get out of their range.

It was at that moment that I realised that I had screwed up! Dozens of enemy luftirins were heading straight towards me! I saw how even more tried their best to get loose of my luftirins, who they had been fighting with, and turn around to chase after me too! It was an all or nothing move though! Several got struck down in their hastily change of target, resulting in my kirins gaining the upper claw! I was actually winning this battle… if I could prevent them from getting at me!

“It would be wise to move!” Rythil pointed out.

“Right!” I soared higher into the sky, being tailed by two different flocks of luftirins.

“Maybe you can shake them off in the clouds?” Rythil suggested, gripping my mane tightly with one claw while looking back at our pursuers.

I looked at the few good weather clouds. “I doubt it! But I can try! I only need to stay out of their reach till my own luftirins get here!”

I flapped my wings harder, but the distance between me and them kept diminishing. I couldn’t hope to outfly all of them, that much was clear. I aimed for the biggest cloud there was and rushed towards it, moments before my first pursuer followed my example.

“Try to keep your bottom directed at them,” Roary advised.

“My bottom? But my scales are on my back!”

“Your scales are blue, your belly is white. If you are intending to camouflage yourself, keep your white body parts angled towards them. Use your wings or legs to cover your mane.”

“Are we sure we want to stay in the cloud?” Calmly interrupted hastily. “If our luftirins collide with theirs in the air, some may die or get seriously injured if they fall from this high!”

I spun my head around, indecisiveness clouding my thoughts. Both of my advisors were right! More so if Dad eventually joined the inevitable fray! No way somekirin survives being pierced by his wingspikes or claws before being sent to crash into the ground afterwards!

“Rythil!” I yelled as I rushed into the cloud and rolled to the side as soon as my tail had vanished from my pursuers sight. I lowered my voice to half a whisper. “Rythil, can you distract them? Float to the other side of the cloud and get their attention so I can make a run for the ground again? I fear some kirins may perish from the fall if they get hurt up here.”

His face became a bit pale. He quickly looked downward. Despite the fact that he could only see the cloud around us, it didn’t take much imagination to picture just how dangerous it would be to fall from this height. “I can try my best!”

I shhed him and nodded. “Go,” I whispered and threw him through the cloud.

In the few seconds he needed to float to the other side, I could hear several kirins rushing into the cloud. I couldn’t see what they were doing, but my imagination told me they instantly went about racing through the cloud to find me.

“Hurry Rythil!” I thought.

Luckily, a moment later, I heard him roar. It was, given his size, not that loud or threatening, but enough to draw some attention. I heard several kirins rush through the cloud towards his rough location. I waited another moment for his second roar, hoping all the while that they wouldn’t get him, and when I heard it, rushed out of the cloud the other way.

With a little extra luck on his side, he would be a needle in a haystack in this cloud.

Speaking of luck, it took the pursuers outside the cloud almost a whole three seconds to spot me and my flight to the ground.

Three seconds, better than nothing. I flew straight at my ground forces, hoping to find cover in the crowd. Though, the long run here, along with the fighting and flying, had taken its toll. I was far slower than I wanted to be! Gravity was helping me reach the speed I wanted, but it was doing the same for my enemies!

On my descent, I noticed two things, first, it was really hard to determine where it would be safe to land and where it wouldn’t. Hundreds of kirins were rushing here and there, with half of them wanting to attack me, and the other half to protect me. The lines between them wavered heavily. And secondly, the third army was about to show up near the border of the battlefield at any moment!

I was so shocked that I forgot to beat my wings for a moment. I was heading for disaster!

“Snap out of it!” Roary yelled.

“Huh,” was all I was able to think before one of my faster pursuers crashed into me. The instant we made contact she clung to me, trying to prevent me from using my wings while attempting to bite down into my neck. Caught off guard or not, I was the daughter of a dragon, so I instinctively bucked at her and smacked her face with my claw. A red mark appeared on her yellow cheek and a cry of pain escaped her lips, but she didn’t loosen her grip. We both hissed and now it was me biting her. In our struggles, I was able to get my head into position to sink my fangs into one of her forelegs that she was using to restrain me. She screamed in pain before releasing her other foreleg’s hold on me to slam that hoof onto my head repeatedly. The moment she did this, I let go, spread my wings, and tried to recover from the fall and get away from her, but we were already too close to the ground. Both of us crashed into the kirins below.

*

As I came to, I reached out to grab ahold of the table next to me to rise up from the ground. I shook my head, and on instinct, touched my itchy nose. I was confused for a moment when I saw a little bit of blood stuck to my claw when I pulled it away from my nose, the bright red strain contrasting the white skin around my talons. I grabbed a hanky from the table, swiped it off, and placed it on my nose.

“Wait, shouldn’t I be on a battlefield?!”

The thought hammered into my mind, washing away the confusion. I looked around. This was my home! My family's lair! I was standing in our living room! For a second, the unreasonable fear that I had not survived the fall seeped into my mind… but that was nonsense. The very evidence that I was still alive had left stains on my claw.

“Hello there!” A stranger's voice rose from the hall. “Anykirin home?”

I turned around and made my way over, looking for who it may be, only to find out it was the leader of the other merriment! A growl started to build up in my throat as I flared my wings while approaching him.

“What are you doing here?” I demanded to know.

He let his gaze drift over the interior of my family’s lair for a moment and caught a glimpse into the nearby visible rooms before answering.

“Well, I am here to claim you, obviously. Since I had underestimated the ferocity of the dragon you brought, it may be the safest way after all.”

“Claim me?!” Now I growled and presented my fangs. If this idiot thought he could come here and claim me, he was in for a surprise!

“Well, yes,” he replied. “Look, you are currently laying on the battlefield, more or less injured I would say.” He pointed at my still bleeding nose. “And I used the opportunity. So if you would just guide me to the centre of your azureness, that would be great.”

“I will shove your sorry flank out of the lair! That’s what I am going to do!” I stepped forward to follow through on that when he spoke again.

“I was afraid you would say that. Well,” he stepped aside and an azure dragoness along with a green unicorn stallion entered the hall behind him, “I brought some company with me should that be the case. You don’t mind that we let ourselves in, do you?” A light smile was now plastered across his face.

I took one step back. Yeah, while my azure instinct was trying to convince me to storm forward and beat the feathers out of my opponents for invading my territory, I still had enough common sense to hold me back.

“Looks like we have some unwelcome guests,” Roary piped up, entering the hall from the hallways leading towards my room. “How rude to come in without invitation.”

“We should show them the way out,” Calmly added, emerging from the living room behind me with a spear in hoof and Mom’s old fabric armour she used to endure Night's attempts to hop on her back before he’d gotten his mind around not using his claws.

When both of them stopped next to me, I noticed that both of them also had bleeding noses.

“Look,” The other azure started and raised his hooves in a calming gesture.. “I know we both want to claim the right to be the dominant here. But as the call has it, only one of us can be that. The fighting outside is getting out of hoof, kirins are getting seriously injured. You can feel it just as I can.” He tapped his forehead scales with his hoof tip before a grim expression overtook his face. “Some have also died. Your ambush was reckless!”

“They are not dead!” I interrupted him harshly. “They are just out of your merriment, as well as undetectable by an azure.”

At this revelation, a hint of relief washed over his face. Yeah, he was definitely on my naughty-kirin list for entering my mind, but at least he cared for his merriment.

“I take it that that’s the same effect that’s shielding half of your merriment from my senses as well?”

“Comes in very clawy, doesn’t it?” I smiled.

“It is some ability. I will certainly put it to use as soon as your merriment becomes part of mine,” he replied.

My first instinct was to growl, but then a thought sprung into my mind, completely extinguishing that intention. Baffled, I realised that even if I were to be claimed, it wouldn’t affect my villagers from the swamp at all. They would still be bound to my command, which would be influenced by the one who claimed me, but still… I could simply order them to shoot whoever dared to claim me with anti-azure-rays!

My bright smile ignited a spark of uncertainty on his face. Much to my delight.

“Good luck with that!” I laughed.

“What do you mean?” His eyebrows furrowed.

“I will explain it to you after I claim you. So,” I pointed at the hallway leading towards the outer lair, “whoever you may be, be gone!”

“Ah, where are my manners?” He nodded slightly. “Candid Diversion, future emperor of the kirins. Always a pleasure to meet a new member of my merriment.”

“Fiery Leadership,” I replied as I waved my claw like he was already my subordinate. “Your soon to be leader.”.

After this exchange we stood there, simply looking at each other. Both of us with a spark in the eyes. I wouldn’t deny that my anticipation of claiming him grew with every second we remained this close to each other. Must be an effect of the call. Or at least I would like to see it that way.

“Well, this is anticlimactic,” the stallion to the left of my opponent said.

“You always miss out on the wonderful tension before the actual fight takes place,” the dragoness said, her eyes locked on Roary. “This is going to be fun.”

“Indeed,” Roary agreed, his claws carving little furrows in the floor.

“Since we can’t settle this diplomatically, we should get this over with I guess!” Candid Diversion said before gesturing for his advisors to attack. Instantly, Roary and the dragoness stormed forward, crashing into each other, roaring, biting and slashing at each other furiously. Not that Calmly had to hide herself in that regard, like an arrow, she had sprung forward. Her advance was like a dance, rushing left and right, leaving the stallion none the wiser regarding her next move. She even bounced off the walls and ceiling on her approach, though, the expected shots of the unicorn which she made this for never came. Instead, he waited motionless. Only when she reached him, taking a strike at him, did he raise his shield. With a shower of blue sparks, Calmly’s spear glanced off of it, only leaving a spider web of cracks across its surface. When she retracted her weapon, he dropped his shield and grabbed her spear, first with his magic, then his hooves. Fiercely, they struggled for control of the weapon.

With both our advisors engaged in close combat, that only left myself and Candid Diversion. A fair portion of the muscles in my legs and barrel had unconsciously gone tense, having been instinctually called into action in preparation to storm forward and rip him apart for daring to enter my territory, my lair, my mind! However, I knew better than to give in to my gut feelings and recklessly dash away from my allies and into the midst of three hostile fighters! Instead, I headed for the treasure room. He would be making a grave mistake if he dared to follow me, but, it would also be to his detriment if he didn’t prevent me from getting my claws on the additional spear Dad stored there for emergencies when he wasn’t home but Mom needed a weapon.

“Catch me if you can!” I even tried to provoke him, but he just stood there watching the fight rage on. Well, he’d already proven he wasn’t a fool when it came to combat. I slightly expected him to teleport, or to use some other magic trick to increase his chances, but he didn’t use any of them.

Arriving at the treasure room, I pulled the secret stone and the chamber opened. I ignored the piles of gold and gems strewn across the ground and the pedestals holding the artefacts and family pictures as I rushed in. Instead, I flew up and grabbed the spear, ripping it from its anchoring above the door.

With the reassuring confidence of it in claw, I turned back to the hall. “Let me show you how we respond to having our lair invaded!” I was going to anchor myself in the centre of the hallway, waiting for an opportunity to attack him when another thought sprung to my mind. I redirected my attention and launched forward, not at Candid Diversion, but at the azure-dragoness! I aimed for the weak spot in her scales, right between her thigh and torso.

She, however, sensed the danger. Her eyebrows furrowed as she focused on me. She slapped at me with a wing, her wingspike burrowing in the ground next to me. Normally, I knew better than to attack an azure-dragoness, but I didn’t need to hit her. Unfortunately for her, she was in a fight with an azure-dragon herself. Roary had no reservations in using this distraction to his advantage, instantly piercing her exposed wing with his own wingspike.

I felt a moment of triumph, that was, until she just tore her wing from his wingspike, rending her wing’s membrane in the process. Sure, she wouldn’t be able to fly anytime soon, but I guess that wasn’t an issue when she was in my mind! Her roar of pain also wasn’t as uplifting as it should have been given the circumstances. In fact her pain only seemed to make her more dangerous. With a freshly kindled rage, she slashed out at Roary, who now had his claws full blocking all her attacks.

Before I could aid him with my spear though, I noticed that my opponent had finally decided to join the fight! While I had wasted my attack on his azure advisor, he had joined the hoof to hoof fight with Calmly!

Both stallions had pushed her back, and with coordinated attacks, were making an attempt at getting hold of her spear! “A little help over here!” She yelled when our gazes met!

“On it!” I rushed forward and aimed my spear at the other azure-kirin. As expected, he evaded, leaving an opening for me to strike at his advisor. His desperately raised shield sparked blue for the second time as my speartip glanced off of it, pushing him to the side from the sheer force of my attack. I couldn’t follow this up though as the azure now countered my offensive with a strike of his own!

I blocked it with my spear, resulting in us now struggling for control of it! His pull was more powerful than mine due to his strength and his cheating use of magic! Time to show him what pegasi heritage can do! I jumped up, steadied myself in the air with my wings, and sent a heavy kick right at his snout. Or, that was what I had planned. When I was already in the air, he grabbed my left wing and twisted it around with his magic. With a pain filled grunt, I had to let go of the spear, instead letting my body follow my wing movement, allowing me to crash right into the surprised unicorn.

“Time to surrender kid!” I heard Candid Diversion mock me as he swung the spear around a few times before settling it in his hoof. I was too busy to pay him notice though as I hecticly jumped up and readied myself for a claw to hoof fight with the other stallion.

Surprisingly, Candid’s unicorn advisor didn’t attack me right away. He wasn’t even looking in my direction.

His eyes were fixed in horror at the speartip buried in his chest. And so were Calmlies! Both of them were totally shocked by this occurrence.

“You… you pushed him… “ Calmly stuttered, unable to pull her gaze away.

For a second I stood there, my mouth agape, struggling to find the right words to say. My eyes pulled to the growing patch of crimson staining the stallion’s coat.

“Watch out!” Calmly screamed suddenly and retracted her spear, only to instantly push it forward again, right in the way of the spear Candid Diversion had aimed at my head.

With a loud ‘cling’ both speartips scratched against each other. Calmly was even able to redirect the path of Candid Diversion’s spear. So instead of my forehead, it missed my throat by a hair’s breadth and scratched harmlessly over my back scales.

That’s what I call luck!

“You disgusting son of a witch!” Calmly yelled, rage now replacing her hesitation. While I hastily grabbed the spear shaft, she stabbed furiously at Candid Diversion, forcing him to let go of it. I turned my own spear around and helped her as best as I could.

“I need some help, Apt Tactician!” He yelled. His shield was already breaking into little blue shimmering shards which disappeared on their way to the floor.

She tried her best to get loose from Roary, but he wouldn’t let her.

“Finish him off!” he roared and tackled the dragoness. Both of them fell to the ground, slashing, biting and roaring loudly while going at it.

“Right on it!” I replied. “Time to clean up the lair!” I coordinated my attacks with Calmly. Candid Diversion stood no chance against the two of us. When his shield faltered, he tried to evade or block our attacks with his hooves, leaving several bruses on his forelegs.

“This is not the end of it!” He pressed out after me and Calmy had him pushed back to the brink of the doorframe. Behind him, only the blur of colours remained. “I will beat you next time!”

And with that, when we made our next attack, he jumped backwards into the void. And the lair around us shattered as I woke up…

Author's Note

Thanks to Schattendrache & QueenChryssalisForever for their, as always, great support and help making these chapter