Blitzkrieg: SOME OF US WILL NEVER SLEEP AGAIN; [STRANDWOLF]

Oft to the Wanderer,__ weary of exile,
Cometh God’s pity,__ compassionate love,
Though woefully toiling __ on wintry seas
With churning oar__ in the icy wave,
Homeless and helpless __he fled from Fate..

Legend stepped into Blitzkrieg, a terrible growl ripping from her contorted muzzle as she sought out her opponent. But her growl was lost to the winds. The wind whipped violently around them, sending her snarled mane streaming out behind her. She tucked her head to her chest, adopting a powerful canter, moving with the screaming wind as she used her element to target the other.

Legend is a savage creature – she senses Strandwolf’s weakness and pounces on it. She’s a predator posing as a housecat.

Her Earth roared as she pulled closer, tremors of wrath bearing down upon the lightning stallion. Her Earth howled for blood each step of the way, attempting to confuse, disorient, pressure the stallion. Her powerful sway and complete mastery of her element would pay off eventually.

She rocked her weight onto her hocks, slinging her weight across her coiling haunches as she approached the Hyena head on. Her canter was springy, a testament to the lightness of her forehand and elevated stride. Three, two, one stride before collision -- Ausbilden. She smiled, her elevated stride becoming a rear as her shape changed instantly – to the figure of a great black Kodiak bear. She brought her left paw back as if notching an arrow, only to send the broad paw reeling forwards in a tremendous smack – her long, hooked claws seeking to rake ruthlessly across the eye, cheek and down the muzzle. Her whole body contorted with the force of the blow – and if she was lucky, Strandwolf’s lower jaw would go spinning into the dust.

A bear’s slap is no thing to shrug off – particularly not from a bear well over 1,000 pounds of raw anger. The force behind the blow would be enough to permanently disorient the Hyena, even give the horse a concussion. Not to mention her claws, well over four inches, could easily blind and cause lacerations. All this, and the battle hasn’t even begun yet.

Before her paws hit the ground, her form once more changed – this time into the black horse Strandwolf was so familiar with. On her descent from her mighty-bear attack, she angled her rock hooves downwards, aiming to land directly on Strandwolf’s right knee in a brutal combo. Legend had the added benefit of striking while gravity pulled her downwards -- having nearly 1,000 pounds of brute force on a small bearing bone would surely destroy it. The knee consists of carpus –two row bones and 3 joints. The first row, from medial to lateral, has four carpals, the radial, intermediate, ulnar and assessory. These bones, hardly bigger than the human thumbnail, would easily be butchered to shattered splints beneath her earth-shattering hooves. The force behind her rendering blow would be enough to burst synovial membrane, destroy ligaments (such as the Stay apparatus) and the collateral tendon, not to mention the arthodial joint that slid behind the knee. The plethora of viable targets meant only one thing – wherever she hit, she was bound to hit painfully.

If she hit home, Strandwolf would never be able to walk again.

She landed with a heavy grunt, panting from her exertions. The wind clawed mercilessly along her neck as she shifted to the right (Strandwolf’s left – I assume they are chest to chest at this moment). She dropped her head as her shoulder passed his, snaking her powerful neck as her shoulders passed his haunches. And then, she unleashed a titanic double barreled kick, her powerful haunches uncoiling in an attack designed to decimate Strandwolf’s elbow. The attack was implemented with brutal force and surgical precision – her hind hooves came out from underneath her like two unleashed screaming demons. She attacked the left because it would force Strandwolf on his right and presumably already injured side.

I don’t believe I have to waste time describing the excruciating pain that would be incurred – nor the terrible possibility of how easily the elbow could be shattered.

She grunted upon impact, feeling the terrible force of her attack rolling from her body to Strandwolf’s own. And then, once more, her rock-hard hooves hit earth in a stride – only to have her drop her head once more in her final attack. Once more, her hind hooves came singing out from under her, the crippling force behind them enough to shatter bones and decimate muscle. But this time, rather than the elbow, her hooves would likely collide ruthlessly with the tender Obliques that ran along the last ribs. The last ribs were ‘fake-ribs’ – they were not attached to the sternum and were easily obliterated. A well placed kick, devoid of any significant power would easily snap them from their cartilage encasing. Imagine what Legend’s devastating kick could do. It was an attack that easily executed too – double barrel kicks are swift and powerful.

Once more she felt the rolling concussion as her hind hooves hit flesh with a sickly smack. And once more, her rock hooves returned to the embracing earth. She felt a strange twinge in her haunch and pain hissed along her dorsi muscle – she had likely pulled something when she had kicked out so mightily. She panted, tucking her head as the wind shrieked along her body. She allowed a cruel smile to grace her savagely beautiful features – oh, Strandwolf; what a world of pain.

She continued her fluid canter, executing a tight rollback, her fluid canter extending as she circled around her opponent. Almost as if she were taunting him – he, heavily injured and she, uninjured.

Perhaps she was. She’s never been a nice pony.

- S L V. L E G E N D -
Thus saith the Wanderer__ mindful of misery,
Grievous disasters,__ and death of kin:
“Oft when the day broke off,__ oft at the dawning,
Lonely and wretched__ I wailed at my woe."