Blue light bathed over the avian's charcoal and copper colored form as it sailed through the tunnel's wide open maw into Polaris. His eyes were narrowed into slits as he silently cursed himself and Fate.
He should have known better than to trust that smooth talking wolf, but her promises had made him believe in himself. That faith had faltered over the seemingly endless flow of time, but it had sparked whenever he saw Fate again. He should never have gotten excited, should have known better since he'd already been tricked before, but he hadn't been able to help himself. Now, here he was, still empty taloned and hearted, and angry at himself all over again.
Talion probably would have kept gliding along, damning Fate and himself, if the Spire hadn't crackled in the distance. The sparks of light drew his gaze and attention. Curiosity about what could have caused said activity made him angle toward the Spire.
Within moments, the melanistic barn owl was making a wide circle around the Spire. His eyes drifted over the tower first, and then skimmed down to the ground surrounding it. He noticed the filly almost right away, though only because of the shifting ground before her. A massive, dark hole suddenly appeared at the Spire's base, and from it, a deep growl seemed to rumble its out.
His every instinct screamed to fly away NOW, but this was the first interesting thing to happen to Talion since meeting Fate. Also, he had always hoped for some grand event to occur before his eyes, and this very well might just be one. So, with pretty much no regard for his own safety, Talion dipped down and landed on a large, spear-headed rock a short distance from the filly.
He didn't pay any attention to her though. Instead, his eyes were focused on the opening, and the darkness within. He thought he could make out some sort of movement, but he couldn't at all be certain of what it was.
Cold air rose sharply from the exposed area in the ground beneath the Spire; the crystals above the broken ground remained floating, dancing back and forth with crackling energy sparking between them, keeping them close together. The temperature continued to drop. Dense, dark clouds formed high above the filly and the newcomer and snow began to fall from them, gentle at first, but growing more violent by the moment.
Talion would see a hulking shape lumber up to the entrance of the den, shielded by the sudden density and sheer whiteness of the blizzard that overtook them—a ghost, its pale coat blending into the snow, but its glittering gemstone sparkling on its breast. It stood nearly half the size of the Spire itself.
But his attention was on the filly, and more specifically, the magical piece of stone that belonged to him and not to her. He was not an intelligent creature, but he certainly was possessive, and this thing he had been given... well, he liked it! The yeti let loose a demanding and powerful roar that shook all of Polaris, an icy wind spewing from its fanged jaws. Then in one swift motion, Svarog hurled a fist toward the magically charged stone piece in an attempt to grab it with no regard for the young Gembound near it.
Post-Roll
Slumber and clumsiness plagued his decision as his large knuckled fist knocked the statue piece clear across Polaris and far away from him. His face twisted into a snarl as he watched it disappear through the blizzard; then his gargantuan fists lifted and slammed heavily into the freshly piled snow, sending an explosion of it rushing into the air, the ground quaking beneath each strike. Svarog roared at his mistake, the sound deafening. This was that small black thing's fault! If she had not disturbed the magic stone, it would not be gone!
His beady eyes focused sharply to look for her in the blizzard, fists clenched in the snow; his haunches were coiled beneath him. The yeti was ready to launch himself in her direction, if he saw her.
Tiny white flecks began to drift down around Talion, making it hard to concentrate on the recently opened hole in the ground. Since the flurries only increased in volume and thickness, he never truly got a good look at what was coming out of the ground. All that he knew for certain was something was definitely coming out, and it was of gargantuan proportions.
A shiver wracked Talion's feathered frame as the snowfall picked up to blizzard-like conditions. How could this possibly be happening, he wondered wildly, before movement near the filly caught his eye. The owl turned his head and squinted through the curtains of falling snow, barely able to make out the hulking beast that loomed over the young equine. The roar that suddenly burst forth from it gave him an indication of where its head was though, and the fact that it was so high up scared the wits out of the Gembound.
He watched, too shocked to move, as the beast seemingly swiped at the black filly. It didn't manage to hit it though, instead knocking a stone away. It roared again, apparently mad that it had missed, and coiled for a pounce. At this point, the young equine broke away in a panic, running in the same direction the stone had flown. Talion didn't blame her at all, though he didn't see how she could possibly make it away from the beast. He, on the other talon, might be able to.
Once again, he tossed all caution to the wind, and decided to ride this wild adventure to its end. Whatever that was. He puffed out his copper-hued chest and then screeched out as loud as he possibly could,"Hey! You! Over here!" As Talion screeched, he drew his wings under him and launched into the air. He'd have to most fast if the thing actually noticed him.
The filly's black shape was easy to spot against the snow but the yeti's vision was not that of an eagle's, and he lost quickly in the blizzard's winds. Easy to spot again, he readied himself to launch her way before a screeching sound distracted him. His eyes darted to the side to find the source, pointed ears twitching at the strange shrill hooting. It was a fly!? What was this small flitting thing that darting through the air and yelled at him!? Insulted that a bug would dare demand his attention in such a way, he slung a heavy fistful of snow into the air.
post-roll edit (oh no)
He had already been crouched in the snow, knuckles hidden within the fresh powder. The attack was sneaky and fast, and his aim happened to be a lucky shot. If the bug happened to fall due to the hit, the yeti was interested in lumbering over to find the pest—because, how dare it! And, what had it been!
Talion had no sooner found an updraft, and was looking over his shoulder, whenever he was struck. He couldn't say exactly what hit him, but he felt a cold wetness seeping into his feathers as he fell.
The impact of hitting the hard-packed dirt of the cavern floor nearly knocked the breath out of the owl. Talion gasped for air as his thoughts reeled. Why was he on the ground? Oh yeah, he'd been hit by something. What had hit him? He didn't know, but he did remember there was a beast. And he was faintly aware of the ground vibrating beneath his crumpled form, as if something large were approaching.
"Ungh," Talion groaned, already feeling soreness setting in. The beast was getting closer though, he was certain of it. Mainly because the owl could feel its hot breath warming the air above him as he struggled to get up. His talons scrapped uselessly on the fresh coat of snow that was covering the floor though. He was too disoriented to think straight, much less get up in a hurry under pressure and unfamiliar conditions.
@Llamrei @Aurora
The yeti could not reach its prize in time before the previous black woosh darted back through the snow, shouting at him; he roared toward her, icy breath cascading from his jaws in a sweeping wind. His attention again returned to her, attempting to lurch at her before something clonked him on the side of the head. Svarog howled at the suddenness of the attack, the pain radiating from his temple and through his thick skull. Cradling his head in a large knuckled hand, the yeti growled lowly, rubbing the impact site.
Unfortunately, whatever the kitten had found was not the statue piece; the statue piece was larger and heavier than the kitten, so whatever young Aurora had carried was not the missing tail.
@talion @llamrei @aurora