Lose yourself in the canyon maze

Determined not to lose your speed advantage, you urge your mount on, feeling its powerful muscles ripple beneath you as he devours the ground between you and the rockier canyons ahead. You skirt the forest, trees blurring past to your left as you fight for every inch of lead you can get. That isn’t much though as a winding horn begins to sound behind you. You doubt all of the remaining elves are defeated but nevertheless the hunt is on.

Plain turns to rolling hills turns to rockier uneven ground. You are **** to slow, though you are confident you are making speedy time beyond the capability of the horse behind. You are way beyond bow range and there is no tingle from your runic tattoos that would warm you of evil magic. You are also on the alert for the mechanical noises and hisses which herald the flying orbs. What does take you by surprise however is a blurring shrieking shape which comes entirely without warning from the sky. It barely missed you, flashing past and swooping along the canyon floor before vanishing upwards out of sight.

Your eyes widen as another of whatever it is crashes past on the other side. This time you see wickedly sharp claws as they skitter off your armour, across your leg where they are unable to penetrate your runic magic, and down the flank of your horse leaving a bloody gash. He snorts and whinnies, writhing beneath you and slowing considerably. You can hardly blame him! You glance upwards quickly and finally pick out four circling shapes far above. One begins to grow as its dive begins, hurtling in on you at terrifying pace. You can see blood red eyes on some type of hybrid war bird., a falcon or an eagle.. you barely have time to see it clearly. Controlling your wounded steed as best you can you flail your magic, just about knocking the bird up one side with a rushing blast of air.

You glance down at your bow, knowing you would have to stop to use it accurately. Even I accurately you can’t shoot one handed. Even aiming your magic is hard enough at pace. And your horse is losing blood..

The decision is taken from your hands as another sickening crash signals another unseen attack. This one behind against your horses rear. But even as you turn to try to defend, something whips across your path. A rush of blood marks the end of you loyal horse as his throat is torn away in one swoop. The world tilts as he collapses beneath you, throwing you towards the stony ground without warning. You feel your protective magic flash at **** power, see a pile of rocks coming at you, brace yourself...! The impact is lost in bruised blackness.