Having departed from the Training Grounds, Leonard’s legs propel him forward with urgency along the dirt pathway piercing through the forest and lined with rocks bearing runic symbols on either side, guiding him back to the wyvern-sieged village.

The stallion’s mane and tail dance in the wind as his nostrils flare in rhythm to the heart beating in his chest—a haunting scent of smoke bombarding his sense of smell and growing stronger with every passing second.

A shadow passes over the bushels of branches and leaves above, accompanied by a rumbling growl, prompting the stallion to lift his head in motion as he noticed the visage of the red-scaled behemoth gliding through the air with outstretched leathery wings through the cracks and windows of the treetops.

Even from this angle, Leonard quickly deduced that the large flyer was turning around for another pass over Peak Village. After all, this wasn’t the first time he’d seen a village being razed by such draconian entities, as such raids were frequent in the Lands Between. This was, however, the first time he’d have to apply himself without his brother's aid and protection.

But things were different now, and he wasn’t that same comically scrawny horse anymore.

Leonard’s ears twitched during his thoughts as he picked up the sounds of nearby conflicts—just before the stallion leaped forward unhesitantly and burst out into the open expanse of Peak Village.

The stallion paused at the forest edge he’d emerged from as numerous members of the Blades of Peril, along with able-bodied villagers, fired off spells from their alighted antler(s) aimed at the wyvern that passed overhead with a deafening, thunderous roar. But the magical blasts practically bounced off the draconian’s scales, the resulting magic particles sprinkling off afterward.

Much like the magical projectiles, arrows let loose from bows and crossbows hadn’t fared any better.

“Get those villagers to safety!”

Leonard had heard Blaza Qin's familiar voice cry out from somewhere nearby. The stallion’s head turned toward the source as the third-class master sergeant continued to bark orders, those under her obeying her every command.

“Sweet Buddha!” A Blades member exclaimed while escorting a common kirin to safety. “What does it take to kill that thing?!”

“Just focus on evacuations, recruit,” another member of a higher rank responds while tending to a kirin’s injuries. “Our big hitters will deal with Scaly soon enough.”

“Put those fires out!” Blaza ordered as Leonard urgently approached her.

“Wu Shu Koi Fish Style!” One of the Blades enacting Blaza’s order shouts, their singular antler alighted in an orange aura as a spectral fish of similar coloration and of a species Leonard had never seen nor heard of before appears around the kirin’s helmet, followed by a surge of water being spewed forth from the whiskered fish’s mouth.

“Blaza!” Leonard called out while coming to a stop and standing at the ready in a commendable militarized fashion, garnering the kirin’s attention as she turned to face him. “Where do you want me?”

Blaza was admittedly impressed by how smoothly the stallion had managed the transition. But if what she witnessed in that arena was anything to go by… Yeah. Her mind was officially made up.

“Good to see you up and about after that match with Flare, Leonard.”

Leonard shrugs, “Eh, it’s nothing a potion from Mulan couldn’t handle.”

Blaza nods. “Alright, let’s cut the crap. Here’s the situation: the strongest of our members are out there trying to divert that thing’s attention away from the village while we focus on evacuating the populace and limiting the damage. Any questions?”

“No, ma’am!”

“Good, 'cause I’d call you a Buddha-damned dumbass for not understanding anything I just said. Now fuck off to the center of Peak Village and do whatever you can. We’ve got things covered here.”

Leonard nods in affirmation and turns away with urgency.

“Hold up!” Blaza calls out from the rear, prompting the stallion to halt a short distance away and look back at her over his shoulder.

“Don’t you go dying on us, you hear? I want to see how you handle yourself during our missions beyond the Peaks of Peril, which can’t happen if you’re burnt to a crisp. Understood?”

A smile takes its place on the displaced stallion’s face. “Sounds like a Radahn-blessed plan to me!” He roared enthusiastically, rearing up and letting out a whinny before running off toward the heart of Peak Village.

Within Peak Village’s epicenter, which served as the marketplace and is often used for gatherings and assemblies, a large number of kirin scurry about as evacuation efforts and retaliatory actions against the wyvern continue.

Rain Shine and Mulan seemed locked in conversation among the masses, an aura of disagreement practically radiating off them.

“This isn’t up for debate, Mulan,” Rain Shine asserts with an icy tone, standing before and towering over the dark-gray-coated leader of Peak Village, whose body was filled with inner conflict. “You and I both know how dangerous it is for you to use the full extent of your powers.”

Despite the validity of Rain Shine’s argument, Mulan’s heart insisted that she act; she couldn’t just stand by and do nothing while the wyvern burned their home and slaughtered her people.

“But, I-!”

“I said no!” The larger kirin interjects sharply, bearing her canines and teeth in a growl. “Things will only get worse if you go up there. If Genghis Kahn were to sense your chi, even for a second, it would be more than enough to bring him here. And if that were to happen...” Fear begins to seep into Rain’s words, to which the kirin quickly takes a recuperative breath to steel her nerves.

“It would mean the end of Peak Village.”

Mulan parts her lips to speak, only for the sky above them to suddenly illuminate with blinding ferocity, followed by a ferocious roar being loosened from the wyvern’s maw, the scenario garnering everyone’s immediate attention as ears perked up and heads are raised towards the heavens.

“Flare, myself, and the best of the Blades will handle the wyvern,” Rain Shine states, fixing her gaze back onto Mulan. “You will remain here and help in the evacuation efforts.” Her features begin to soften as she spots Mulan’s state of helplessness, sorrow, and frustration.

The larger kirin takes a step closer and lowers her head to gently nuzzle at the base of Mulan’s singular antler. “I know it frustrates you, my friend. But you mustn't join the fray,” Rain pleads before tenderly seizing Mulan’s right cloven forehoof with her own and raising it. “Promise me that you won’t, despite how hard I know it must be for you. Please…”

The duo locked eyes, and seconds passed for what felt like many cycles of Sun Wukong and Lady Chang’e’s celestial bodies. But Mulan soon relents as her ears fold against her head, and she hesitantly agrees to Rain Shine’s ‘terms.’

“I…” Mulan croaked. “I-I promise, Rainy.”

Seemingly pleased with the Peak Village leader’s response, ‘Rainy’ steps back, turns around, and looks skyward with determination. She raises a cloven forehoof as light-blue magical particles flow around her like an ocean current, generating winds in her vicinity that flutter her mane, including the manes of those nearby and any objects and fabrics subject to the manifested breeze’s might.

The magic particles then gather within the palm of ‘Rainy’s’ cloven digits before stretching out in either direction to form a particular type of weapon—a formidable polearm—her trusty naginata. All the while, some of those particles had also begun to surround her hind legs.

Rain swipes her weapon sideways and twirls it around before rearing up and grasping it with both of her forelimbs. “Spirits, aid me!” She decrees. “Kelpies of my blood, guide me!”

On cue, and as if her request was answered by forces invisible to nearby onlooking eyes, she abruptly jumps and is launched skyward with admirable force and a noticeable sparkling sound while aiming her weapon directly at the wyvern locked in aerial combat with Flare, Sun Tzu, and other notable members of their community.

Like an arrow loosened from its’ rest, Rain Shine careens past several treehouses and rises above the tallest of those natural spires, courtesy of a prowess granted to her by her kelpie-ancestral ties.

“Spiritspring-” She began while passing by several of her aerial allies—many doing so by means of levitation spells and sporting aspects of avian-like entities—and preparing to impale their large, scaled adversary. “-Thrust!”

‘REEEEAAAWWWR!!!’

The wyvern lets out a loud, painful screech as Rain manages to breach one of the beast’s hardened scales on its underbelly and pierce into the soft flesh beneath, causing blood to spray out and rain down on her mane and coat while also traveling along the pole of her weapon.

The wyvern thrashes and barrel rolls with a beat of its wings, sending out winds powerful enough to blow away foes who were too close. Because of this, Rain is blown away from the action but quickly manifests a puddled platform made of the same particles she’d created before that ripples as she lands and steps onto it, effectively allowing her to ‘walk on water in the air.’ However, she’d lost her weapon in the exchange as it remained lodged into the wyvern’s stomach region.

Flare, using her magically enhanced flames to keep her aloft, maneuvers over to her superior like a fiery comet.

“Rain Shine,” the scarlet-haired kirin began on approach. “Are you alright?” She questioned while hovering in place.

“I’m fine, Flare,” Rain answered, standing firmly on her platform and never taking her eyes off the wyvern. She lets out a small pulse of magic from her body, the wyvern’s blood on her mane and coat being blown off effortlessly. “Thank you, though I seem to have lost my weapon.” Her moderate amaranth eyes watched as the wyvern spun around to reach under it and bite onto the embedded naginata to pull it out, but to no avail.

Flare chuckles in amusement of Rain’s words. “Says the kirin, who probably has a whole armory tucked away in the Spirit Realm.”

Rain raises a brow over a deadpanned expression, “You know that’s not how it works.”

Flare shrugged. “Could have fooled me. Still, that attack of yours just made us an opening.” The duo’s eyes instantly darted towards the armored form of Sun Tzu taking the lead in the distance, Flare forming a knowing grin seconds after as they recognized the calculative look on the seasoned warrior’s face.

“And, judging by her expression, it looks like Tzu is just about to wrap things up for us.”

Seizing the opportunity brought about by Rain Shine, Sun Tzu had already formed a plethora of battle stratagems to deal with the invasive draconian and quickly announced the first among them.

“Strike before it pulls out the Spiritual Maiden’s weapon!” Tzu’s voice boomed and radiated enough authority to jerk everyone to attention. “It’s been lodged just above the creature’s heart! Incorporate guerilla warfare tactics, and in the confusion, I shall deliver the final blow!”

The kirin all around Tzu roar out in unison and affirmation, their vocals akin to a legion of lions. They then soar through the air to enact Tzu’s strategy while she backs away and waits for the chance to strike—Rain Shine and Flare joining the fray in the form of a large ball of fire crashing against the wyvern and a kirin skipping from ‘puddle platform’ to ‘puddle platform’ while firing off magical blasts in doing so.

The wyvern growls in primal fury as its orange-slitted eyes try to lock onto one of its foes, hoping to snatch them up in its jaws and swallow them whole. But just as it would attempt to lunge forward, another member of this bothersome swarm of prey would strike it elsewhere.

Its large frame was both its greatest advantage and disadvantage. It didn’t have to worry about sizing up any of these sacks of meat; the difference was almost like comparing a boulder to a mountain. But even it knew that great mass comes at the cost of speed. However, it did possess one unique trait, something that’s often overlooked when it comes to its- his kind.

Many make them out to be mindless beasts, and although that was certainly true for most…

He wasn’t one of them.

Having reached the center of Peak Village during the ever-raging conflict above, Leonard quickly applied himself to escorting any and all members of the village he could find to safety, which was anywhere BUT the marketplace, as suggested by Mulan, whom he’d managed to get in contact with just moments ago.

Despite her best efforts, he could tell that there was something bothering her. Maybe it was something Rain Shine said before she made that incredible jump of hers—which was amazing to see! Although, if he were to be honest, it’s nothing compared to what Radahn is capable of, but it’s still pretty damn impressive.

The stallion was currently running to and fro, his eyes scanning every house caught aflame for anyone signaling for aid and his ears on full alert for any cries for help.

“Leonard!” A familiar voice called out from the east, prompting the Redmane to halt in place.

“Sandy?!” Leonard exclaimed in recognition as the kirin and saddle arabian hybrid approached him hurriedly, her breaths fatigued as if she’d been running around for quite some time.

“What are you doing here?! Aw, Radahn’s balls, Tzu is going to lose her mind! I thought you evacuated with Angus and his family?”

Sandy manages to catch her breath. “I haven’t seen Udrako since she entrusted me with the pups in her care and ran off to check the School Grounds.”

“The School Grounds, got it! I’ll go there now and-”

“I know a shortcut!” Sandy interjects. “The Blades are stretched thin as is, and I’m afraid none of them have been able to make their way over there yet. If any of them did make it, we haven't received any reports as of yet. We need to get there now before it’s too late. Please, come with me; I may need your help!”

Leonard nods in affirmation. “Of course. Lead the way!”

No further words were needed, only action, as they went off with Sandy in the lead toward the northern provinces of Peak Village. As they ran together in urgency, there was a thought that lingered within Leonard's mind, which, admittedly, only served to bolster the severity of the situation.

'If I let anything happen to Sandy... Tzu is going to kill me.'