Blitzkrieg: Sure have. Too bad you wont live to see it. [II]

hearts that cry diamond tears;
spirits that walk for a thousand years;
here them calling on that darkest morning;
pulling me under, my thoughts dissapear;

Saphira wastes no time on introductions or scenery. She cares little about her opponent, if at all. The battle has begun. Mab approaches slowly, almost serenely. Saphira however is not stupid, and knows that even this casual approach will lead to something. She is moving, always and ever moving. Her sapphire eyes watching for any shift in motion. Then the mare exploded, and Saphira was ready, anticipating. Mab’s jaw unhinge, seeking her cheek, Saphira is not so foolish as to believe this is the main attack, and so instead of throwing her head into the air, she thrusts her face into Mab’s direction. No intention of causing contact, but if she did, all the better. She feels Mab’s teeth grate down her cheek, peeling away a layer of flesh and hair. Nothing serious, nothing to worry about. It stung, the cold air pushing into the bloodied wound. But Saphira pays it no attention, knowing the rest is still to come. She can see Mab’s body begin to rise, and Saphira knows she doesn’t have enough time to follow suit. So instead she turns into the rising mare (knowing that in such deep snow she cannot move too qiickly), and feels as Mab’s hoof slices down the inside of Saphira’s left fetlock and pastern. Her leg is raised, ready for impact on the ground when it is struck, lessening the blow. However, the pain is great, a dull thud of bone on bone. Saphira’s water rushes out to claw at Mab’s fire, raking waves across the blaze. Steam floating up between them. The wound hurts less than if it had been given by a horse of a stronger element. Oh to be superior. (I am not downplaying the injury, but it is fact that a horse with the weaker element cannot do as great as damage to the stronger elemental horse.)

Saphira is now facing the same direction as Mab, or almost when she calls into use her ability of Counter. Mab is moving away, trying to attempt to line her haunches up with Saphira’s shoulder. She has only made it a few steps when Saphira, following, always in motion, rises slightly, about 15 or so inches in the surge of a powerful but balanced canter stride (for the canter is most balanced of a horses gait, where trotting is a jarring motion not good for such a deep surface on snow) and expels her forelegs out directly at the back of Mab’s left knee. Her target is low, not risking the change of going to high and losing in power and balance what she gains in height. Also known as the Accessory Carpal Joint. The Accessory Carpal joint is made of 7-8 bones placed in 2 rows to form 3 joints. This joint is also known as the Pisifor, or locking joint. Which is basically a locking mechanism in their knee, thus enabling them to fall asleep standing up. Also, it is where some of the main tendons/ligaments attach. The Extensor Carpus (Extends the knee), the Flexor Carpus (Flexes the knee), the Digital Extensor (Extends the toe and knee), and finally the Digital Flexor (Flexes the toe and knee, and extends the elbow). An injury to this area of the leg is life altering. Most horses that sustain injury here, never recover because there are so many vital things all tied to the same point. Injure one, you injure them all. Let’s not forget to add the sheer force of about 700 pounds of pressure, and gravity into the mix, making even more pressure per square inch. With Saphira’s attack she could easily break this mechanism, or severely injure it, if not render useless Mab’s front leg. Not to mention a horse carries about 60% of their weight on their forehand, and this would make her attack even more debilitating if that were even possible. This target is small however, and even though Saphira has the advantage of being behind Mab, and the sight to see her target, there are still an array of places worth injurying. The back of the cannon bone, fetlock, pastern. All of these also have vital tendons and ligaments as well.

Her hooves grate off whatever portion of Mab’s leg she managed to hit, and land back in the heavy snow with a thud. Followed by pain radiating through her fetlock. She slips slightly, pulling on the tendons in her fetlock a little more than she would have liked. Each stride is growing harder, sorer. She keeps going, gritting her teeth against the agony that the joint protests.

Mab is by now attempting to balance on a injured limb, and cow-kick at Saphira’s ribcage. A very high target considering the weather, or high in general anyway. Saphira is taller than Mab, even if only slightly. And to raise her leg that high, while maintaining balance would be costly. Saphira uses this to her benefit. Keeping with her steady canter, she feels Mab’s hoof come in contact with the meaty flesh of her lower forearm. There is a sickening thud, followed by the hiss of steam and pain. Saphira recoils, her stride becoming choppier, less animated. She slows farther, dropping back slightly. Each step sends waves of pain along the muscle, where Mab’s hoof outline is visible in a small burn mark. Saphira growls, but keep moving, following.

She does not let Mab get more than ½ a stride ahead of her, even though it pains her to do so. Saphira is about even with Mab’s haunch when she launches her final attack. She braces on her hind legs and in a surge of up motion she expels both her forelegs out the Tarsus joint. The Tarsus joint (or the area right below the hock) is made up of 6 small bones. It acts like the heel in a human, and it creates the point of hock above it. It is also to the back of the Tarsus that the point of the gastrocnemius, portions of the biceps femoris, and portions of the superficial digital flexor attach. This joint is used in stability of the hind leg, and the flexing and compression of the hock joint. The hock is perhaps the more vital of the joints in the hind leg because it is needed for every use of the limb. Injury to the Tarsus joint would cause loss of balance, power, and stability, not to mention it would severely hinder, if not stop Mab completely of using her hind leg for anything but hobbling on. Combine this with the sheer force of Saphira’s weight, gravity, the force of her water, and Mab would be lucky to walk away from it. She calls into use her combo ability and strikes down the limb with both forelegs, one after the other. Increasing her chances for success. However, should she miss the surroundings areas are good as well. The cannon bone, fetlock, pastern, surrounding ligaments. All used for balance, power, and overall movement.

The sounds of hissing is glory to her ears, as water and fire detach from one another. Saphira stops, pain shooting down her foreleg. Her cheek stinging as the bite of the wind caressed it. The battle was over, and the fire mare and The Siren leave on opposite ends of the field.

the siren;
the keeper;
water III + lightning III + air III

you can hold the darkness from you;
if the will is very strong;
but that whisper always haunts you;
cannot change the Siren's Song.