Balrog's golden form shifted subtly once he realized his dagger wasn't going to land, narrowly avoiding the teeth aimed for his scruff. He'd need to keep in mind how much taller Cit was; for a moment, he circled the behemoth warily. "She's alive, still hurt," he answered, his tone softer than before but obviously still tense. "She misses you. Did you think it would be easy for her to lose her prize son? For Father? For any of us?"
His anger began bleeding through into his words before he lunged forward again, feinting high before twisting mid-strike to aim his obsidian dagger toward Citadel's left flank. His movements were precise but lacked the bite of true malice, more of a test of Citadel's reflexes than what would be a fatal blow.
"You don't have to stay gone, Citadel," he growled as his ravens circled above, their harsh cries echoing over the barren field. "You don't belong out here, nor do you belong as a Songbird. Mother didn't know what else to do to teach you. You can come back, we can talk to her."
The words were weighted with his emotion, his attacks matching his plea - forceful, but.. controlled.