The guard found himself in a moderately better position. Yes, he was sent tumbling when a random pony crashed into him. Yes, his wing was crushed painfully between the ground and his armour as he rolled onto his back. But it was nothing compared to the skull-splitting crack, followed by the short, wailing scream from the stallion above him. Whether the guard recognized the symptoms in a fraction of a second or did so just to protect himself, he latched onto Neil with all of his legs and a single wing. Doing his absolute best to prevent his assailant's limbs from thrashing about.