To say it has been eons since Saphira last stepped on the bloodied grounds of Blitzkrieg, would be an understatement. The sun bathes gloriously across her damp and cool skin. The water flowing across her body, to sink into the parched earth below. The grounds are greedy, and they want blood. Whose, it does not matter, but none ever escape unscathed.
Saphira's hooves scrape across the barren soil, and already her body has begun to warm. The sun is unrelenting, thrusting it's rays of golden light. Saphira attempts to escape them, but she cannot. Thus, she gives up, and faces her opponent. Altair. She is alert, if slightly warm. Her body coiling into an easy canter. Nothing too strenous, but something with enough power to deliver the forceful blows necessary.
She does not waste time, for every second is valuable; every second their bodies will get warmer, and they will become dehydrated, tired, weary, and unable to perform. She comes at Kivioq's left shoulder on an angle a little more/less than 45 degrees. She does not assume he is stationary, so even if he begins to move, change's direction, Saphira will adjust to accommodate. Her stride lengthens subtly, her forelegs rising a little higher the closer she comes. Her eyes seem to go blank, the ice taking over thought completely. She is void of everything and anything, the whispers in her head are maddening. She looks wild, untamed, deranged even. A single word is uttered from her blood torn lips, and it is so soft she doubts Altair will hear it. Isare Her body begins to shimmer. Water flooding out of every orifice. Lightning then snakes across her taught skin. Weaving through the channels of water. Slowly Saphira fades into the living storm, consumed and ravaged by it's devastating beauty. She then projects it from her body, and the figure of a horse gallops towards him. It's speed and grace are unparalleled, try and run, you wont escape. The living storm circles him, running faster and faster until it is a blur of motion. The storm rages all around him, forcing him to remain stationary lest he be killed by the storm. Pieces of lightning and water shatter from the forming globe. The elements drip down onto his skin, causing superficial lacerations and delivering small shocks while sliding towards the ground. Where they then reform with the globe. Saphira is still coming, a painted wraith through the living storm. Her weight has shifted back entirely by the last stride. Instead of continuing into the next, and moving past Altair, in a short and powerful surge of motion, her forelegs lift about 15 or so inches from the ground and strike downwards, but too far forward to be part of a normal stride. Instead they are aiming at the Lateral digital extensor of Altair's left front leg. It is the tendon and muscle that originates from the inside and middle section of the forearm, and from the back of the shoulder joint, which in turn becomes the lateral digital extensor again at the approximate position of the metacarpus, also known as the soft spot in the knee. (in other words her hoof is aiming just above the knee) This muscle/tendon is vital for movement. It is in control of extending the knee joint, pastern, and coffin joints, the small bones in the hoof itself. Without use of these vital areas, Kivioq would still be able to bear weight (although painfully) but any hope of forward movement, would be unlikely. Especially since a horse carries about 60% of its weight on the forehand. Making her attack all the more devastating. Because you see, although she is aiming lower on his leg, her target effects the entire leg in regards to muscle and tendon usage. She also calls into effect her use of Combo And strikes the target not once, but twice. The first hoof, followed closely by the second.
Saphira does not know exactly how Altair is positioned (since he can't defend, it will depend on how he was positioned before Isare), but it makes little difference. She is facing him, still on that 40-50 degree angle when she pivots. Now they are facing the opposite direction, Saphira still on his left side. Bare inches separate the two bodies, her lightning seeking his water with a vengeance. The globe falls, and Altair is free. Not that it matters.
Allow me to paint the picture for you, Saphira and Altair are now almost parallel to one another. Her hindlegs are a few inches behind Altair's forelegs, but well enough ahead of his haunches to avoid being stricken. Even if Kivioq were to bolt at this instant (only a few seconds have passed, not to mention he would likely be disoriented, and extremely sore from her attack and usage of Isare). Now Saphira is assuming that Altair is in some type of motion, for even he is not foolish enough to stand there like a lump, while she beats the crap out of him. And likely trying to evade her, while positioning the best way from him to attack. Saphira has angled herself towards his haunches, and in a surge of power and precision aims her forelegs at the groove where the barrel meets the haunches. There is a web of nerves there that lie close to the skin, (most horses get a spasm of muscle when you touch it, because its ticklish, so its very sensitive). Nerves are the brainwaves of the muscle. Should Saphira's hooves hit this target, it would hinder his motion, capability to step beneath himself, and also the nerves that are targeted, serve other muscles in the hind leg, and the haunch itself. Therefore in essence, she could render the entire leg useless. And when a nerve is damaged, it continuously fires the signal for pain into the brain. Therefore, not only causing injury to his left hind leg, but also distracting him in his ability to think, and therefore attack. Saphira has now hopefully maimed his entire left side, and her hooves land on the barren and unforgiving terrain.
She is sweating, the heat pummeling down on her with the full force of the sun's wrath. Her sides heave with exertion. Now as always we must go into defensive details, should Altair attempt to kick out at her, her hooves would strike anywhere along his leg, stifle, hock, gaskin, cannon, fetlock. All debilitating attacks on their own. Should he attempt to put on a burst of speed Saphira's hooves would seek his hock as the extended leg is open for her destructive tendencies. Should he rear, he would only be adding weight, increasing her chances, and making the attack worse given the added weight. Should he spin towards her, she would aim again for any portion of his leg within reach. Spin away from her, she would only follow through the full extent of her lunge, and likely end up maiming his hock and knocking him off balance.
Saphira does not leave his side, but after her hooves have touched solid ground, she presses herself against him. Following him, feeling every twitch of muscle.
Julie D'Vieuxpont