The dilapidated concrete nearly shattered to pieces under the weight of a passing traveler. Long, curved claws pitch as the night sky scraped along the ground. These belonged to the pair of golden yellow taloned feet with pale yellow webbed skin connected to the three frontal digits. They trembled the earth with each formidable step as if ready to make a grand entrance. Such was the way this being presented himself. With neck and back straight, an heir of pompousness seemed ever present. Lined mostly with plush, tawny brown fur over a sleek and toned frame, this was no mere mortal man, but instead pure beast. A pair of feathered wings pitch as the night sky folded seamlessly along his back, the bottoms only mere inches from the ground and nearly resembling a cape. His tail was odd in that it started narrow and tan furred, only to transition into a wedge shaped fan of tail feathers.

His head was much more avian, alert golden eagle eyes watching intently ahead of him. Covered in soft, white feathers, his cranium was inherently equipped with many features. His goldenrod beak was seemingly trapped in a light sneer, protractible fangs and teeth ready to sink into prey at any second. What likely stood out was the trio of fin shaped structures jutting from his plumaged noggin. One acted as a foot tall crest lining along the middle of his head with beige webbing draped across, the other two hanging from the sides of his face almost like ears. Also peculiar was the array of russet scales trailing down his chest to the bottom of his tail. The amalgamation of raptor and feline certainly led to the idea of him hailing from Griffins, though he was a more composite creature with added amphibious traits.

Tharraleos was this water loving Griffin’s name and was doing what he did best; wandering aimlessly with no real end goal set in mind. It was always the journey he enjoyed more rather than the destination. That would explain why he found such a seemingly ancient city for the first time during his travels. Though it kept things interesting, finding new discoveries even after two millennia. Though he mostly embarked on undersea, subterranean and airborne adventures, so it wasn't so impossible, but he was oddly taking a more grounded approach this day. And as usual, nothing notable but taking in the foreign surroundings while continuing forth in his own thoughts.

---

Screens flashing, systems malfunctioning left and right, Raelis was in a frenzy as the Erinn, his ship, entered the atmosphere of the unknown world. He'd managed to detect life here--intelligent life even--before the heat shields on his ship had failed. Taking it as a sign he'd descended anyways, the ship falling rapidly even as he did his best to preserve it, still, it was sure to be a crash landing at best.

Bracing himself, he used the controls of the ship to change angles as they rushed down into the blue skied planet, down further, the ground still far below, but rising quickly. Having already had time to don his armor he spread his great wings, his body already infused with Devene energies, and pressed them against either side of the cockpit. This was to be something of a dramatic entry it seemed.

The ship having heated up drastically, he'd barely managed to steer it to what appeared to be ruins, as it struck the earth and began violently tearing at it as it shot forwards, skidding along and into the ground. Had the impact been any more direct it may have killed even him, but in this case he'd only nearly lost consciousness. As the Erinn carved the earth around it and rammed straight through structures, the asaraen realized that it was about to collide with something far more solid, something made by the hands of a sentient. Narrowing his avian eyes within his helm, he brought his legs in near his body, surged the energies throughout, and then kicked with the full extent of his strength, releasing a blast of heat and light energy as he did so. The reinforced material that had once served as the viewing port for the ship shattered and melted in equal parts, a powerful eruption of energy cascading from it, followed swiftly by Raelis form as he lunged from the cockpit of the Erinn and thrust downwards his powerful wings, sending him hurtling into the air.

In the next moment the Erinn struck a solid metal pillar and came to an abrupt stop, though luckily without Raelis within it. The enchantment on his wing armor keeping him aloft, the warrior looked down upon his ruined vessel, the entirety of the cockpit having warped and folded backwards as it struck the pillar. He sighed, the repairs were likely to be difficult, especially given the state of this planet.

He cast his gaze around the area, his eyes glowing from within the darkness of his hood wherein lay his helmed visage. Yes, it was just as he'd thought, this planet reeked of magic and the scientifically illiterate. How quaint. Springing into motion, Rhay's Champion flew his way to the top of a nearby building and landed. His weight caused some of the stone to crumble away, but for the most part it held where it mattered, though he decided to keep his wings outstretched for balance and added mobility should it be necessary.

Then, suddenly, he narrowed his eyes, tilting his head slightly as he did so. Was that a heat signature he detected? Curious he pushed off of the crumbled dome and flew in the direction of the signature, though he was sure that his entrance would have either scared it, or drawn it closer in curiosity, it would still be faster for him to go to it. Perhaps the being might help him, and if not...it would probably be best to destroy anything dangerous that might get its talons into his ship. After all, he couldn't exactly afford to lose any of the still functioning pieces of equipment.

After a minute or so he came into sight of the bearer of the heat signature he'd sensed, and upon doing so he pulled up short, releasing a pulse of wind to stop himself in place, before circulating more to keep him aloft. The beast upon which he had laid eyes was strange indeed, but of course this was an alien world, so it was not entirely unexpected. He wondered if it was intelligent.

Hopefully its kind used spoken language, because if so he could always use his translator to facilitate communication. If not, well...that would be rather unfortunate now wouldn't it? Then again, if it wasn't helpful he was likely to kill it anyways, even if it was a rather massive creature.

"Hm?"

Tharr's eyes suddenly darted upwards in an intuitive reaction to change in surroundings. The fireball that was the Champion's vessel was instantly caught in view and this averted the bird cat's attention just as quickly. To his side was one of the many buildings to tower to the skies high above. He would need a vantage point to see where that would land and flight takeoff would prove cumbersome with all these structures causing a cramped space. With that in mind, the hybrid faced the structure and unsheathed the claws from his robust paws.

With a mild bound, the hybrid leaped up and grasped the aged brick and wavering lumber with the addition of his talons as well. The edifice swayed as a result of the sudden unbalance of weight, though this did not deter the warrior and only prompted him to begin his upward travel with the utmost caution and quickness. Before long Tharraleos figured he reached a sufficient height after noticing the rooftops of smaller buildings, leaving an array of punctured spots from his stab-happy ascension. Moments ago the commotion from the wreckage was heard not too far away; his acute hearing able to pinpoint its general direction. The steel at this part of the structure was in much better condition and was able to sustain him for a short time. He took this opportunity to dethatch his left paw and twist his body somewhat laterally. Near instantaneously, his amber eyes caught sight of the hooded, armored knight suspended in the air. Well that was certainly peculiar. Was this the one who emerged from the crash sight? His pupils began to increase to gradually twice their size, where a much better view of the figure could be seen. This individual seemed Holy in nature and from here, Tharr could faintly feel the Divine energy seeping from him. Definitely worth investigation from what he gathered.

The hexaped would release his hold entirely and leap backwards, the sheer force causing the building to tremble marginally. Any more strength behind his bound would likely have toppled it over. His lofty, black feathered wings would flare out to the sides, their span quadrupling his height, the rectrices of his tail fanning out and ready to act as a rudder of sorts. With unbridled grace, the avian feline drifted towards Raelis with his back adjacent to the ground. Right before losing momentum, he twisted himself 180 degrees and induced rapid wing beats to keep him airborne and leveled. The speed at first was lacking, but he'd soon close the distance to greet this stranger and his watchful eyes would ensure he wouldn't lose sight of him.

---

Energy spilling from his form he noted the great beast's approach, through the air no less, and he waited, one hand resting against the hilt of his sheathed blade. He didn't know what to expect from the creature and so felt it would be best to be prepared. Building energy in his armor, he charged himself as if for a fight, the waves of heat rolling off him becoming more pronounced, the temperature around his hovering form going from around 70 degrees to 90 from the ambient heat given off by him alone.

The Blade of Rhay was practically humming already, and he hadn't even deigned to draw it yet. Wishing the creature would communicate, if indeed it could, the knight kept from saying anything...knowing that its language would be gibberish to a species of a different planet. If the beast got too close, within 8 meters, or did not attempt to turn away around 10 or 12, Raelis would draw his blade and emit a warning pulse of light and heat energy. Otherwise, he would weight, hooded visage tracking the creature's movement.

He hadn't quite decided yet, but he was fairly certain he'd have to kill it, as strangely graceful and majestic as it was.

Tharr continued onwards, noting how the stranger became increasingly more readied the more the beast drew closer. A completely understandable reaction, thought the hybrid. It was quite customary among those he encountered, though this individual seemed different; unafraid even. He watched as the swordsman stood his ground, only floating in place. Naturally, hovering idly would be taxing on his perpetually beating wings after some time. Besides, it seemed more civilized to speak at ground level, and the beast did enjoy acquaintance sometimes before bombarding them with animalistic ferocity.

As such, the beast would begin descending still with the winged warrior in sight. His wings would beat in a flurry of flaps as he approached the ground to ease the landing. His talons would touch down first, where his flight bearing limbs would fold seamlessly along his frame. His laser focused eyes still locked on Raelis about 15 meters away at this point. Tharr would watch him momentarily, still determining if he was a threat. He deduced this individual was a warrior not unlike him and would really only attack if provoked. Communication needed to be established to really determine if this wielder of light needed to be put in the same condition as his ship.

@yoshua171

---

Yet, it did not approach, instead keeping a seemingly respectful distance before landing 15 meters away, if one were to draw a diagonal line from Raelis to the beast. So either it was skittish, something he doubted, or intelligent. The latter seemed more likely. This in mind, Raelis slowly let some of the air out from beneath his wings, drifting down to earth gracefully. Before he touched the ground he flapped once, weakly, pushing himself back a few more feet so that 15 meters remained between them. As he landed he braced himself slightly, keeping his hand upon his blade, the heat from his armor increasing the temperature around him to around 110. It created a sheen on his armor and on the metal supports of the nearby buildings, but was not quite hot enough to ignite anything, it wasn't dry enough. Still, if he had not been what he was, it would have been...comfortable to him. His armor was 160 or so degrees fahrenheit, except at his feet, where he was being careful not to set the wooden buildings on fire.

Gazing across the field of ramshackle buildings of scrap metal and wood at the beast, Raelis made a gesture, pointing at the creature, and then at his own skull, before moving his fingers to position them like a mouth, snout, or beak, opening and closing them once he had. He was trying to ask if the individual could talk, but there was no telling if the creature--let alone any other inhabitants of this planet--would have similar gestures. Still, it was better than nothing.

The humming of his blade had turned into a powerful pulse, releasing small waves of light energy with each one. The pulses came every two seconds. He was ready for combat, and he was feeling...well, fairly certain he would need to. He didn't trust this creature, it was intelligent and clearly had a level of physical development that would make it dangerous if it turned on him when he didn't expect it. He figured it might be better to kill it and find a less threatening creature than to confer with it.

This in mind, he drew his blade, and then turned its tip to the ground, stabbing it into the building he stood upon. It stayed where he'd stabbed it, pulsating light regularly. He waited.

Still, he figured that making the threat and his power clear would do one of two things. Anger or irritate the beast, revealing its true nature as hostile, or it would be cowed, and so would not dare attack him. Plus, this way...he would be even more prepared for sudden movements.

Tharraleos watched intently at the man, feeling as if he was witnessing an angelic warrior emerging from the heavens directly. Between the intense light and Holy radiance, it seemed the beast was giving respect more than anything. As Raelis touched down, the mammalian bird felt the elevated heat resonating from the swordsman. Then came the gesture; a very common question as he's experienced. Coherent speech was a trait he wasn't born with, but instead learned over his expansive lifetime. He was an animal, after all, though a remarkably intelligent one at that. Though hopefully a language barrier wasn't present. First was a nod from his feathered head.

"I am capable of verbal communication, yes." He started. His interactions were first spoken in his native Greek tongue. He'd wait for a response, studying his reaction to see if a misunderstanding was in play. "My name is Tharraleos Polemistis." He went on with the same dialect and a respectful bow as well. This sign of respect transitioned into a defensive stance as the intentions of this stranger was still unknown. He had shown enough honor and at least the beast had a name now. Each resourceful tool at his disposal was prepared to unleash an onslaught if necessary.

---

A nod, something understandable, or had that been coincidence, he thought. Then, his illusions were cast aside as a series of ordered sounds exited the creature's mouth, and so he summarily became a being, in the knight's eyes, rather than a mere monster. His translator started its work, and seeing as the creature had demonstrated understanding of body language. Raelis made a circular gesture with his hand, motioning the great being to go on. After listening for a moment more and compiling more examples of the language, his translator settled, notifying him--and him alone--that the translation was finished.

He spoke, his translator notifying him that the creature had told him its name. He bowed his head briefly, though he kept his gaze on the creature at all times. It seemed both of them were poised for combat should it become necessary.

It would.

"I am Raelis Vaerkturian, a Warrior from...another world. A...knight in your language," he said, the translator in his helm and on his neck shifting his own language into that of the being's. Tharraleos, was its name. It sounded like a male name, which his translator confirmed.

"Greetings Tharraleos," he said, placing one gauntlet covered hand on the pommel of the Blade of Rhay as if leaning upon it. "My kind are known as the Asarae, making me Asaraen," he clarified further, "What, if I may inquire, are you exactly?" The heat around his body had ceased to rise, but rays and waves of light continued to blossom outwards from his form, flowing backwards or up, usually so as not to completely blind Tharraleos.

He eyed the creature, the systems in his armor telling him that the air and the atmospheric pressure was actually ideal, though the gravity was different from on his world, which was just as well really. The heat energy, mixing with the surrounding air, made eddies and whirls of dirt, dust, and light that flowed off of him, but never marred his armored form.

A thought came to him, perhaps this Tharraleos was a warrior himself? Perhaps...perhaps he was a worthy opponent. Maybe, rather than need to slaughter a beast, no, a person, he could instead engage in a contest of skill and power.

Maybe.

Tharraleos listened with the utmost concentration. No syllable was missed by his acute sense of hearing, though the status of Knight was the most prominent thing be paid attention to. There was no doubt he was faced against a powerful force and couldn't help but feel enticed about battle. This minor rush of the thrill of combat was enough to entice the much more feral combatant waiting to be unveiled.

"A pleasure to meet your acquaintance, Raelis." The hybrid responded, his voice having an heir of sophistication. By now the warrior would likely gather this was no mindless beast, but instead a cunning animal.

"I hail from a Warrior subspecies of Griffins known as the Aerasginero. We harbor amphibious traits and are thus masters of land, air and sea." He explained. Such was true given his composite nature. Very frequently did the bird cat often get mistaken for a Mergriff of sorts. "My kind are additionally known to transform from the humanoid as you see before you to much larger, 4 legged beasts. Such can be dangerous given the increase in power, but some loss of self control.” He explained. Noticing he was going on a bit more than usual, the hybrid cleared his throat.

"Now, honorable Asaraen Knight." He started once more, stance shifting ever so slightly. "May I ask to see just what your people are capable of?" He requested, eyes never straying their gaze from the light wielder. From here, Tharraleos would act on the defense, reacting accordingly to attacks to gauge his opposition's strength. Something told the warrior not to be careless against this one. Even from this distance the heat was nearly unbearable. Caution was most wise to come out victorious.

---

Listening, somewhat intrigued by the creature's nature, though he had not heard of a 'griffon' or this Tharraleos' species before he still found the explanation very helpful, if odd given the circumstances. Then, it, no he, made a rather intriguing proposition. Was that a challenge? "You issue me a challenge Aerasginero?" He asked, a smile coming over his helm-hidden visage. The knight chuckled slightly, but seeing as he had been about ready to fight the creature anyways, this was rather fortuitous. Now he could not be seen as breaking code, which was much appreciated really.

Letting his hand slip down from the pommel of his blade to its handle, he gripped it and then pulled it from the ground, before letting his arm fall to his right side along with the hand that held it. There was a smile in his voice as he took a step forward with his left foot, bent it at the knee, and angled his body mostly sideways, making himself a smaller target. His armored wings remained partially furled behind him as he looked to the great beast, the being Tharraleos. "I shall take you up on that offer then, as a fellow warrior and a Champion of my kind, I would be remiss to turn down such an opportunity to test my mettle. So, let us dance then," he said and as the words left his mouth the Blade of Rhay released a crescendo of light energy, and then the area around Raelis darkened to the same level of ambient light that prevailed elsewhere. The blade however, continued to glow, it was now as a glowing ember of a star, made to take the form of a blade.

Raelis began to circle Tharraleos, sizing the great creature up. It would not do to make the first move if he didn't have to.

Every last movement the Knight made did not stray from the alert perception of Tharr. The way he spoke and carried himself denoted his status as a renowned fighter and his title of Champion seemed to hold great merit. His further caution continued to be out of reverence more than fear. This opponent would likely be near death under his talons in just a few moments. But there was hope entertainment would be plentiful. This one seemed to harbor some potential.

The avian feline watched undeterred at Raelis' display of light, taking note of the alteration in surrounding heat. The latter of which did little to stir him. Then there was brief silence lasting only a few seconds that bared the illusion of minutes. Each combatant intently studied the other with pinpoint precision like a laser. While Tharraleos was one to offer the initial strike to his opposition in a way to gauge their strength, his intrigue in this specific individual lead to the idea to switch things up.

With that in mind, he would abruptly make his move in the blink of an eye. Raising a leg ever so slightly, he brought it down with immense strength and struck the ground in front of him, the force behind it being lessened than usual given the weakened foundation of the vicinity. Though this was more than enough to send a narrow, precise tremor in the form of splitting ground careening straight for the winged man. This would either induce instability or force an approach and Tharr would react accordingly, even if none of these outcomes came to fruition.

@yoshua171

---

Channeling heat energy through his being, Raelis increased his armor from 160 to 200, and began utilizing the Blade of Rhay, immediately bringing it to 240 degrees up from room temperature. The ambient heat around him rose from 110 to 150. As he managed the thermal energy about him, manipulating it with the Light of Devene, his perception noted that Tharr had begun to move, its body wheeling around somewhat, then striking the earth with its tail. Raelis reacted as the movement occurred, unveiling his wings and letting them thrust down once in all their armored glory. He soared upwards 6 meters, in a spinning motion, ending with another flap from one wing to stabilize himself. A blast of pressurized air was released at his opponent, and then he let the rest of the air holding him aloft, be pressurized around his wings. He fell, then, moving the air behind him, he released a powerful burst of heat backwards, and fire blossomed, sending him downwards and forwards at the beast. His wings spread, and he was flying again, but this time at Tharr, having evaded the crumbling buildings that the creature had caused.

He was not one to rush an opponent, but he had a plan and tarrying simply would not do. The question was, how would Tharr react?

Tharraleos watched with intrigue in his visage at the man's display of aerial maneuverability. Such was frequently a drawback of the much larger albeit deceptively nimble Griffin, not that it served as a problem. His stance became much more grounded, rear talons rooting him to the spot with knees bent. With wings flared out and furled into makeshift fists, he would look at the Knight almost like a batter would perceive a baseball.

The much extended reach would of his plumaged extremities was most beneficial. The heat radiating from this warrior wasn't beyond anything he could handle, but having moderate distance was more preferred until more information was known about the particular style of combat. Be it sword, fist or foot, whatever Raelis would throw at the hybrid would be met with a winged punch boasting immense force of its own. This was aimed to either contest or surpass him in a clash of sheer brute strength. Although hastiness would be prioritized in said strikes as prolonged exposure would result in searing consequences.

---

Right before Raelis entered Tharr's winged range he flapped, coming to an abrupt stop; a blast of pressurized air flying forth even as the hilt of his blade grated against the side of his armor. The blast of wind, instantaneously, became one of heat as well; the added spark of metal on metal igniting it all into a wave of flame 9 feet high and 12 feet across. It was like a single burst from a massive flamethrower, or perhaps the breath of a dragon itself. Capitalizing on the volume, breadth, and intensity of the attack, Raelis shot down and forwards, making contact with the ground just within the creature's range. He dodged to the left, his weight barely upon the ground as he used heat and wind to stay partially aloft. He made his approach, the wall of flames obscuring his location and drowning out any sounds he made as he ran towards Tharr. Similarly, the blast acted as an attack in its own right, thus serving a dual purpose.

Raelis would not be pulling a single punch, as it were.

The ever alert eyes of Tharraleos watched the man form the wall of flame. The slightest of grins tucked at the corners of his beak from the resourcefulness of his opposition. A distraction that serves as an attack? Already this man was showing potential, which meant he didn't want to risk disappointing him and ruin any chance for enjoyment. As the torrent of fire careened towards him, his right wing folded against him while the left swung through the air in a wide, underhanded arc, folding itself directly afterwards. This was well before Raelis was within range, which denoted his target wasn't the Knight. Instead, he decided to show his own elemental prowess and from the feathered appendage came a large, crescent shaped construct of air.

It soared through the air vertically, its bottom edges tearing through the ground's surface like a hot knife through butter. It carved its way through the wall in a similar fashion straight down the middle, causing it to part with the 2 separate halves just barely passing him. But even with that minimal exposure, it was quite clear he needed to avoid direct assaults from the heat. He had no specific defenses against the likes of blazing temperatures, though he wouldn't prevent him from attaining victory. After all, he had prevailed against proficient magic users in the past, so this was nothing he couldn't grasp.

The barely visible arc of wind didn't stop at the scorching detriment. Instead it would carry on for a couple meters more before fading away. If the Champion were to find himself in the path of this, the impact would likely be enough to cause minor damage to his armor. These projectiles were known to slice through the likes of steel with relative ease. This was also a way to gauge the durability of his foe, assuming it met its mark. Either way, Tharr would stare intently at the man's reactions and would adjust himself accordingly.

@yoshua171

---

Since Raelis had dodged to the left during his hidden approach he entirely evaded the potentially deadly crescent of wind that sliced through and somewhat disrupted the flames of his attack. Not optimal. Of course, unlike many forms of magic which conjured effects, Raelis' did not and as a result the heat energy he'd used to ignite the flame remained for a few moment, as did the light.

Of course light too was something he controlled. So, spreading out his influence, Raelis took hold of the light and had it flash into incredible brilliance. Seeing as Tharr had reacted quite readily despite the brightness of his flames before, he figured that perhaps the creature's eyes were similar to his own, making it easy for them to adjust to changes in illumination. It was time to test just how well they adjusted...and how quickly.

As the light bloomed it then, all at once, vanished in a sphere around them, pulled out of existence and into Raelis' body, hidden. There was no glow emanating even from his own eyes, yet, he could still sense the creature's shape and know its location. Within the creature's reach now, he shifted the movements of the wind holding him up, before releasing all the stored light in a flash, filling the entire area with blinding light once more.

In that light was superimposed the image of his sword arm drawn back for a slash even though he was barely in range.

What could he be up to now?

Raelis would find his foe to be far more resourceful than anticipated. It was true the ever increasing light was a bother to the mutant hybrid's optics. Though the blinding glare had one simple solution to avoid repercussions. Tharr's eyelids swept upwards to shield the sensitive organs and blacken his vision entirely. Even with sight no longer in effect, his other senses would be able to compensate. Most notably was his sense of touch, and each alteration in wind current created vibrations that registered through the beast's webbed crest. Plus there was the inevitable clinks and clanks an armor the Knight wore would resonate within his acute auditory receptors. Those two alone would give the sea dweller more than enough information to accurately determine his opposition's movements without the need for sight.

With the swordsman now in range, Tharraleos made his move. His right wing lashed forth in a hefty, backhanded fashion, looking to send his target hurtling towards the broken down buildings. The force in this was rather immense, especially with the momentum gathered up throughout the swing. It seemed like it was aimed to break through defenses, though the moderate speed of such would make it relatively easy to avoid outright. Although the other wing had its ends furled into a fist and ready to provide a backup of sorts in case his initial attack failed. Regardless of Raelis' reaction, he would be prepared to react accordingly.

---

Reaction. Adjustment. Movement.

With Tharr's strike came the sureness that the beast warrior's stance was planted to allow maximum leverage and strength. Raelis understood this well, having fought for much of his life. This in mind, as he swung, shifting the trajectory so his blade swung diagonally downwards, he shunted light and heat together downwards through his armor, along with pressurized air. In response an explosion erupted below him, shredding the supports of the entire structure upon which Tharr stood, but that was only half of it.

The other half was that explosions had shockwaves, and this one sent him upwards and to the right, right over Tharr's back and out of the way of his strike all at once. It put the beast warrior at a very slight disadvantage, for his wings and limbs couldn't reach. Still, Raelis knew to be wary of the warrior's tail all the same and so made his maneuver swift.

As he rose over Tharr's back--were his motions unimpeded--he finished his slash, releasing a pressurized blade of superheated wind and light. Such was its strength that it rocketed him further upwards at an even greater speed, putting him out of harm's way once more. All the while, he continued to build heat, recycling energy from any and all of his attacks once they'd served their purpose. Worse for Tharr though, was the fact that with every passing moment, Rhay's Chosen grew more powerful, for he continued to generate Devene energy even as he fought, having turned it into a largely passive process.

It was a dangerous thing indeed.

With vision still blackened and none of his attacks making their mark, perhaps it was time to play on the defensive side until an opening presented itself. This left Raelis' advancements unabated. The sea dweller took instant notice of the crumbling ground beneath him and knew he'd find himself in a literal hole if he didn't act quickly. His gold talons tightly gripped the remnants of the foundation below him and braced himself to leap up and forward. What stopped him, however, was the nagging feeling that's exactly what the Asaraen Knight was expecting. Surely if he leaped right this second, some kind of ramification would ensue. As such, he would feint imbalance for as long as the remaining structure would hold.

One didn't need the array of enhanced senses to distinguish the searing blade careening towards him. Such a clever bastard that winged swordsman was, but Tharraleos harbored potent cunning of his own. With a deep inhale escaping his rostrum, Tharr studied the rapidly closing distance of the projectile while making sure he had the least bit of footing was still existent. It seemed the pressurized torrent was to make his mark, but in an attempt to alliviate both of his current predicaments, the beast suddenly bent his feathered knees and sprung forth. The sheer force of which deteriorated what was left of that portion of the ground; Raelis' projectile bringing further structual damage.

Though he wasn't quite free of danger yet. He simply transitioned from one unfavorable circumstance to the next. The bound didn't take him very far given the lack of leverage and definitely wasn't enough to attain lift even with all the vigor in his wings. He was simply forced to wait until he landed with a loud crash moments later to execute his next move. If he was successful in reaching a grounded state, he would instantly flip around to face his opponent. His eyelids would relieve their hold on each other, but his optics wouldn't be completely uncovered. The nictitating membrane at the corners of his eyes acted as a third eyelid for certain situations. Typically used during flight or swimming, this translucent lid would sweep horizontally across his eyes to protect from debris while retaining moisture. Here, he would test it against the blinding light Rhay's Champion boasted, where hopefully it would fair better than having no vision at all.

@yoshua171