This flaming guardian could be your worst nightmare...
The smell of burning feathers was a moment of triumph, a moment of celebration. Until things went south. Sol’s heart was in his throat as the teryr struck at Bel. The near miss was almost enough to make the stallion fly south, though a part of him screamed to let her fight her own battles. He wasn’t going to make that mistake again. Particularly not in front of anyone.
Then the teryr turned. Angry eyes flashed as its head turned and struck at him. The moment seemed to slow, Sol watching the creature as it caught one of his wings in it’s beak. That was when the world went white with pain. It was electric, hotter than the sun itself. The world around him disappeared, his entire body revolting at the pain of the attack, at the wing that was now broken. Blood was flowing, though he was not as aware of that point.
Shock stills his remaining wings, the feathers crumpling as he began to fall. As the air passed his frame, the stallion’s awareness was jolted. He was getting cold, a sensation that was foreign to the massive stallion. Focusing on his wings, he began to try to slow his descent. The pain that ripped through his wing was a pause to his work. Then he connected with the snow that cushioned his fall. Rather than sand, the snow softened the blow and helped him to wake from the shock induced stupor.
His eyes open, golden orbs seeking the mare that was his entire heart. Fear for what he might have missed pushed him to his hooves. And that is where he stopped. She was glowing. In the bright daylight. Her body was cloaked in ice, the magic that seemed to be so connected to her emotions. She had been frosty when they had their moment of rage not long before. Then the words echoes through him. Mate? Had she just said the words that he thought? Before he could continue the thoughts, her magic exploded.
Exploded was probably the best word for what he witnessed. The mare was pure ice as she released the magic that she held in her heart. The world around him was cold, the flames at his hooves sizzling and steaming in reaction. That was when the cold got worse. Sol was not one for cold weather. Since his magic had developed, the stallion didn’t get cold. His temperature ran higher, most likely thanks to the radiation from the sun. But this was different. The cold was a punch to the gut, a crushing fist around the stallion’s lungs. There was an edge to the ice, a pain that was so radically different from the fiery pain of the teryr’s bite. His heated body was unsure of how to handle it, cringing away without thought.
Sol wouldn’t blame Bel, not after what had just happened. But it was striking to see the range of magic. His hooves were cold. Glancing down, he saw that the cold had driven the very flames from his golden feet. It was an odd moment as he tried to understand the difference. It had been years since he had not seen the flames. Then he noticed that his legs themselves seemed to be heavier and colder. They hurt, though not as bad as the wing that was still aflame. Glancing at Bel again, he flicked an ear at her raging magic. He wanted to go to her, to make sure she was alright… but now was not the time.
Focusing on the battle again, Sol carefully tucked his wings. The injured one refused to tuck like the rest, dragging slightly. Stepping forward, he let his body absorb all the radiation he could hold. It had been a few moments since he last released his magic, not enough time to lash out like he wanted. Instead, he funneled all of the radiation into one flare. One solar flare that was as strong as he possibly could make it. Once this battle was over, he was probably going to be comatose for a while. Oriens knew that he hadn’t been training his magic as he should.
Sol released his magic, aiming the flare for the teryr’s whole wing and eyes. It was all that the stallion had left, the magic that he was getting used to using disappearing from his body. All of the glow that he had been emitting was gone, his body normal and simple. After the flare was unleashed, he found himself moving closer to Bel, wishing they were able to have a moment of privacy to discuss the words she had screamed.
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Notes: Sol released one final solar flare with all the power he could muster, currently on the ground near Bel.