The sound of bodies slamming together rung in dark ears like the sweet flutter of birdsong. Perhaps a cringe-worthy ruckus to others, but to Maskan it was the symphony of existence.

The impact shuddered up his body and hummed into his bones, but the distance was too close between them to earn any pain worth gritting teeth about. He'd hit the ground harder than that often enough on his own.
His teeth met only each other within the air.

His mind barely had the time to deliver a response, though he felt initially frustration, as any warrior does when their mark is missed, but that quickly shifted to a joy born from the thrill of competition. Half a set of twins means he was well accustomed to the drive to compete and prove oneself as better. Though he and Madyrn got along well most of the time, they weren't named after fire and shadow because of all their similarities.
The harder his opponent, the more fun was to be had. Make him bleed and he'd be fucking giddy.

Maybe he underestimated the duck... but he wouldn't admit to it. Should Kaj prove to be an eagle in the end, he'd never hear of it. Can't let him get cocky after all.

Not much time was given to ponder the true avian affiliation of Kaj however, as the cruel grip of teeth found something besides air. Not Maskan's teeth, but his leg.
An indignant squeal erupted from his muzzle while the offended left forelimb jerked away, rising and lifting a few times with his right foreleg as he tried to comprehend the abrupt hurt he felt. Weight leaned back onto his haunches to help free up his forehand for escape.
Not a snake as he first thought, just a yellow, fluffy, duck.

His leg was left red and raw along the cannon, the skin irritated from the hair loss. What blood there was only came in small beads, but it stung like hell.

Retaliation was sure to come, as Kaj seemed to know well. Rather than let Maskan gather himself, the boy's shoulder jabbed out, striking Maskan in his ribs. He exhaled a grunt, the pain an internal sharpness that made his body hollow around the source of impact while legs shuffled him to the right and away. His teeth flashed somewhere in-between, but it was high and wild, searching for anything yellow, perhaps a wing, in the haste to return fire while also putting up a shield.

The sensation of a dull ache settled into place on Maskan's left side as he stumbled to a halt, his still stinging left forelimb granting him less grace than usual. The sensation of pain left grim lines on Maskan's face, a glower settling within orange eyes. Somewhere along the sidelines the other brother laughed.

"You bite almost as good as you bark," Maskan growled out, referring to the previous bluffing done by Kaj. "Which might be saying something if you were a dog," Maskan's dour features shattered into a wide grin, laughter in his eyes.

No time for water breaks kid, Maskan's mind roared as he charged forward, offering only a few breathes in the time since he'd broken away from Kaj. Each stride on the hard ground echoed on his bruising ribcage and every sigh of the wind sprinkled dust on the tender flesh of his limb.
Their aches were like a dim fire feeding the machine of war that was Maskan.

He broke over the ground like a wave on the shore, furious and unrelenting - Kaj was the beach.
Forward motion slacked abruptly, an extended neck promising a bite, though it never came; a feint. Instead forehooves slammed the ground, once more rattling the bones and reminding Maskan of his age as much as his nipped cannon. His momentum sprung upward instead, knees popping to his chest as Maskan lifted in a tall rear. Haunches trembled with the new pose and weight, rear hooves digging into the ground as he gathered the strength of his hindend.
Was this why Madyrn always called him an ass, because it was the powerhouse of his body?

Maskan lunged forward with that hind shove, knees sweeping out in front of him, aimed towards Kaj's neck and withers, along the right side. Maskan hoped to use his weight and momentum to shove into Kaj and restrict him while black lips peeled back and teeth aimed for Kaj's head or neck.

Eventually Maskan would slip back to all fours, whether Kaj moved away or not, and in doing so Maskan would bring his hooves into play, hoping to scuff them alongside Kaj's right foreleg.
An eye for an eye.

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W: 795
2/4

Haha awesome :3 I had to shave off 100 myself.