The Owlstrice started its attack as Ace tried to steady the trembling shaking his body. He was not afraid. In fact, the danger made his heart thunder in his chest, the pain only a nagging feeling in the back of his head, the beast charging forward clear in his eyes. No, he wasn't afraid. But his body was still hurt, even if he didn't really register it completely. And so, he was shaking, his grip on the sword less steady than he would like. Still, he needed to get his timing right. His life depended on it.<br/><br/>And then, a sword stopped the beast on its track, weapon soon followed by its owner. It was a small distraction, just a few more seconds when Ace didn't need to worry about getting killed by a giant and deformed owl, but it was a welcome break. His arm relaxed for a moment, and the mercenary exhaled a shaky breath as he tried hard to steady himself.<br/><br/>The cacophony of sound that followed was almost deafening, and Ace cringed in discomfort. He could still hear his bigger companion's voice, but he could not make out all of the words. It didn't matter. He could still understand what he wanted, but he still didn't feel safe enough to leave the support of the tree behind him.<br/><br/>Seconds later, it didn't matter, as the gush of wind from the creature's wings pressed him hard against the tree, and a grunt escaped his lips as he rose an arm quickly to his face, closing his eyes. His heart was beating madly, the danger of not being able to see the Owltrice clear in his mind, but it was what he could do to stop anything from getting into his eyes.<br/><br/>The terrified scream - one that he remembered too vividly - made every nerve of his body snap. Anger took control of his body, and it seemed to move all of its own as he took the few steps that separated him from the Owltrice and buried his blade deep within its chest. The feathered thing gave off a terrifying cry, its head driving downwards in a last desperate attempt to kill its enemy. This time, however, Ace was expecting it, and he punched the creature's face away from his shoulder. It wasn't strong enough to hurt, but was enough to snap it away and give him a few precious seconds to twist the blade inside and fall to the ground.<br/><br/>The Owltrice soon followed, kicking the air with its long and naked legs, before finally stilling.<br/><br/>The sign of his sister reaching out for help, just like she had years before, was too much to bear. Now, like then, he was unable to help her in any way. Ace gritted his teeth, reaping his sword out of the dead body of the Owltrice and pressing his eyes close, cursing the damned owls that kept shrieking and flying around, no longer trying to attack them.<br/><br/>"Fuck this." Ace grunted to himself, punching the ground with all the strength he could muster, hands closed so tightly that, had he not be wearing his gauntlets, he would probably draw blood.<br/><br/>It was only when everything had quieted down, that he dared to open his eyes again. On the ground, a pale creature laid strangely contorted. Somehow, the sight of it didn't make the fact that he hadn't help any easier. Ace groaned at himself, angry at how weak he still was, before he finally took the time to sit straight and look at the hole in his leg.<br/><br/>He couldn't see bone, and he could still move it. The pain was slowly fading, giving way to a strange numbness. Well, he could deal with that later. Right then, Ace simply pressed his hands to the wound, hoping to stop the bleeding.<br/><br/>"So you get hit by a tree and I'm still the one who get a new hole in my body. Doesn't seem fair." he said, although there was no real anger in his voice, as he looked up and searched for the other two.