//------------------------------//
// Open Wound 
// Story: Tear the Sky Asunder 
// by Ice Star 
//------------------------------//

Where magic fails to protect him, his skin shall be cut
by crackling light, flowing behind a feathered blur of blue
who keeps her breath steady as she soars
quickly, cutting through smoke and snow
despite her exhaustion
she presses on
and slowly
carefully
manages to
keep
on going
when her wings ache
and a few singed feathers
fall to the ground

But
she sees a spot
where she can strike
her blue-green eyes
looking upon it with desperation 
and
lashing out with
a burst of speed to bring her closer
faster
so she can't waste the small chance that she had discovered

And she soars, darting and flying down to his shoulder
with webs of crackling light behind her
flowing like a battle standard
of magic so glorious it managed to rival the natural force
that it mimics

Luna, brave and tired, burns the monster
and a wound, deep and burning, is made
followed by his enraged bellows as she arcs away
slipping out of reach
and
she watches there

Her eyes are wide as she takes in his roaring
and he stares at the burning wound
unable to believe that he could be wounded
by a mare so young she is not yet grown

From between his fingers, blood seeps 
his barrier and disbelief doing nothing
to hide the crimson drops welling up
and falling past the barrier of 
ragged, burned, and torn flesh
and rolling down the smoldered fur
of his dark coat
and onto the trampled, cinder-smothered ground
wet with fresh snow
and the monster watches
with a hateful glare
as they fall there, forming a sickly slurry
of blood and slush

Turning to face the goddess
Tirek shot the goddess
a look of pure malice
and his horns crackled with stolen power

Luna stretched her wings,
choked back a gulp
and fought on