[ Something grabs his legs with unexpected force, something he can't see from around his own feathery bulk, and keeps him from launching back into the air after the strike. A frustrated, animalistic growl vibrates from somewhere at the base of his extended neck as he thrashes against the tendrils for a moment, but after quickly realizing that he's stuck for now, his spread-wide wings halt their flapping and he trains his eyes on her.
Fight her like a true wizard? Nonsense. This is a battle to the death, and Howl is not about to sacrifice any advantage he has over her in the name of propriety. That would be a grievous mistake, and one he'd made already, months ago, when he sought out Estinien, still under the misguided belief that he could fight in this war with some degree of respect for his enemy. He can't. And he won't. Especially not right now, as the Kenoma squeezes tightly around his soul, oppressive and merciless, like a constrictor suffocating a mouse. He doesn't need to be clever. He doesn't need to fight like a proper wizard. He only needs to win.
Howl digs his claws into the earth beneath him, the tingle of her shattered shield making his toes feel half-numb. But this violence is making his feel energized. The smell of blood is in the air. He can hear the pain in her voice. He can do this. He can do this, and avoid the wrath of the Regent.
He may be rooted to the ground at the moment, but that doesn't mean he can't attack her. With another bestial wail, he beats his wings into the dirt, sending a cloud of dust and particulate into her face. As he does, there's a sharp, loud crack of wood breaking, and in the same instant a tree at Akua's flank is crashing down towards her, snapped in half under the force of Howl's projected magic. No — he needn't attack from the sky. Ne doesn't even need to attack her as a beast. He just needs to win. ]
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Fight her like a true wizard? Nonsense. This is a battle to the death, and Howl is not about to sacrifice any advantage he has over her in the name of propriety. That would be a grievous mistake, and one he'd made already, months ago, when he sought out Estinien, still under the misguided belief that he could fight in this war with some degree of respect for his enemy. He can't. And he won't. Especially not right now, as the Kenoma squeezes tightly around his soul, oppressive and merciless, like a constrictor suffocating a mouse. He doesn't need to be clever. He doesn't need to fight like a proper wizard. He only needs to win.
Howl digs his claws into the earth beneath him, the tingle of her shattered shield making his toes feel half-numb. But this violence is making his feel energized. The smell of blood is in the air. He can hear the pain in her voice. He can do this. He can do this, and avoid the wrath of the Regent.
He may be rooted to the ground at the moment, but that doesn't mean he can't attack her. With another bestial wail, he beats his wings into the dirt, sending a cloud of dust and particulate into her face. As he does, there's a sharp, loud crack of wood breaking, and in the same instant a tree at Akua's flank is crashing down towards her, snapped in half under the force of Howl's projected magic. No — he needn't attack from the sky. Ne doesn't even need to attack her as a beast. He just needs to win. ]