Noah only called out once in his defense and the falcon completely ignored the call though it was understood. There was blood in the falcon’s eyes and if Noah wouldn’t leave its area, its skies, it had the full mind of ending the eagle’s life regardless of it being the bigger bird. The falcon used its speedy advantage greatly and constantly beat at Noah with its wings and scratching talons. Each time Noah was able to deflect a blow, or lessen it, but he knew he couldn’t keep up with the falcon forever. It didn’t help his situation that there was another panic in him that was of Elann’s creation following a roar the rocked the area. The birds roosting in the trees watching the aerial altercation suddenly were thrown into the sky as they cried out in mounting fear, a fear that only made Noah’s stomach sink all the more.

The eagle rolled in the air to deflect another blow from the falcon who disappeared into the openness again. Noah flew over the treetops towards the river in an attempt to escape and also figure out the source of the roaring. That was when an unfathomable and painful wretch came to his chest and entire being. His sights were ripped entirely away from searching and pinpointed themselves on Elann and the bear charging her. Panicked, Noah cried out in useless fear. He immediately shifted his position but exposed himself entirely to the falcon’s next incoming assault. His worry for his bondmate superseded his own safety and it wasn’t until the falcon’s talons were digging into his back, raking at him, did he continue to realize he was in trouble as well.

Noah buckled in the air, sharp pain shooting through his body from the center of his back. His wings faltered and the wind that was beneath was suddenly gone all in the briefest of moments. The eagle regained his control, not faltering enough to plummet to the ground. His back burned hotly and each beat of his wings only caused more pain that was unable to be ignored despite the numbing adrenaline. His mind was still more intently focused on his bondmate than himself, and as he regained his control he was observing the scene far below him on the shore of the river that flowed.

His eyes, overly alert in this moment, were only further distracted by the blinding flash of pure light. The eagle closed his eyes and rolled away from the foreign conjuration despite his muscles shouting for him to land. There was hot blood rolling down his feathers and down into the river below. His large hollow frame attempted to achieve the aerial acrobatics it was more than able to do, but the searing pain made it a near impossibility. He was almost sluggish as his mind split between his bondmate’s wellbeing after the flash of light, his own pain, and the whereabouts of the falcon who was trying to end his life.

Noah knew he needed to land but it was too much of a pain to decelerate to the point of making a safe landing. He was below the canopy and his mind’s distractions were a heavy disadvantage. Again, he was assailed, the falcon’s talons grasping and wings beating. For another time they ripped at his feathers and Noah’s forceful disengagement caused them to rip out in the same way they tore in. It was then that he buckled entirely under a pain he couldn’t bear any longer and fell from the sky, bleeding the entire way down. Unable to angle for the deepness of the water, he had nearly resolved himself to his fate until his feathers were forced on end, a buzz on his mind. In the next instance a lightning bolt struck down into the river’s small clearing, a deep rumble of thunder coming from what was only a patchy cloud sky.

A surging of wind rushed up from the ground as well, catching in his wings to slow him. He landed with a soft thud and splash on the shore on the bank opposite of Elann. Weak or not, his flash of transforming light was just as bright and magical, but the man that lay on the shore was bloodied. His breathing was heavy and his now large heart pounded away in his ground-facing chest. There was another splash behind him as the now roasted falcon plopped down into the river where it continued to flow with the current downstream. Noah’s lower body was submerged in the water, his torso above, his pale skin was streaked with crimson.

There were several bleeding marks on his back, more down his right ribcage and on the outerside of his right arm. They burned hotly and only did moreso as he calmed. He realized that he hadn’t broken anything, but felt that his exhaustion and confusion did more to his body than anticipated. Noah had very little experience being on the receiving end of an assault; most times he managed to escape without a scratch, but this was the second time he had his blood drawn by another beast. At the moment he didn’t feel like a king of skies anymore, just another who had been toppled. It didn’t help that his bondmate was endangered as well.

He used his unafflicted arm to pull his lower body out of the water. When he was fully settled on the sand of the bank he turned and sat up, careful not to get sand in his burning, hashmarked back. The pain grew more and he was able to pinpoint its origin on and between his shoulder blades, explaining why it had been difficult to fly after the wound was inflicted. With his left hand he dusted wet sand off his chest and looked around the now deafly quiet clearing. The bear was dead and he could see Elann across the water. However, in the distance by the treeline, he could see another figure.

It was a woman dressed in dark greens whose skin was fair and her eyes burning with a seething hatred. She scalded Elann with her gaze and roared out much like the bear did before. The bear cubs had flocked to her and she crouched with them surrounding her. Looming behind her still was a gigantic bear, larger than the one Elann had slain. Its brutish body lumbered forth towards Elann as the woman roared again. Noah had heard stories of a woman in the forest who treated the bears like her children. A lowly god by the name of Oriana had graced the Benshira and Kelvic with her presence, but this was not a benevolent visit. There was anger in the goddess’ soul for Elann.

The same pure light that had blinded Noah early returned but in a soft and ethereal form. He recognized it as Elann’s patron deity, Yahal. The god didn’t manifest himself entirely but hovered around Elann. Oriana’s angry eyes bore still on Elann but she didn’t roar again. Her rage was still burning hot when she rose, turning towards the deepness of the wood taking the bear cubs with her. Her lumbering giant of a companion followed, leaving Elann under the defense of Yahal. Once Oriana’s frame couldn’t be seen again Yahal faded once more.

Noah sat in the sand utterly bewildered, his body burning hotly.