By the time Hector had begun to realign himself, it was too late for the bay to alter his course in any meaningful way. A wall of pearly whites suddenly appeared from behind Gaucho's dark lips, as his hooves powered into the un-resisting form of Hector. Gaucho knew what the orange giant's tactic was, even before his hooves melded into his flesh, and the caveman approved. Although it meant that Gaucho was robbed of the satisfying feeling of peeling back even more of Hector's flesh, he internally commended his opponent on his battle-savvy choice. It would appear that Gaucho's lowered antlers were not needed, as Hector's body listlessly gave way to Gaucho's momentum, and yet the bay was surprised, as he turned and kicked, that his hoof struck naught but the air.

As the battle continued, Gaucho felt glad for each spar which had trained and conditioned his muscles to push through and past this point: lactic acid had begun to build up, and Gaucho mentally willed himself to evenly pull oxygen into his lungs, and to resist the urge to let his limbs remain static. From the corner of his stormy gaze, he noted that Hector had not flown up to meet him, but had instead directed himself towards the sandy terrain. Now awash with amber light, the Orange Giant almost didn't need to kick up a screen of silt, for his coat already seemed to blend in with the blood colored ground. As a cloud of dust concealed his form, Gaucho snorted, as he circled high above. Two sets of eyes, one reptilian, and one equine, peered down into the mist, waiting for their target to reappear. After a moment of not seeing the tribrid appear, a breath of wind, presumably caused by the beating of Hector's wings, allowed Gaucho to see through the veil of silt and dust, to view the orange giant racing towards him.

With the sun still at his back, Gaucho dove down to meet Hector. Keeping his wings as close to his sides as possible, while still accommodating flight. Gaucho tried to make his large-self as small as possible, to once again increase the glare, should Hector look straight up at him. Had Hector participated in the Invasion, he likely would remember Kri's advice on this very point: To always keep the sun at their backs. Mara pressed herself firmly against Gaucho's browbone, intent on staying out of the way, and not hindering any possible attacks. As Hector aimed an attack with his rhino-like horn at Gaucho's left side, which was actually directly head-on, given Gaucho's position, the bi-horned tribrid was met with an intimidating pair of antlers. With a grunt, Gaucho felt as Hector's large horn struck his own antlers, and valiantly he tried to knock the large stallion away, and tried to use the leverage of having two horns spaced horizontally apart, to his advantage. He felt no pain from the impact, save from the strain it caused on his neck and wing muscles to try and remain stable, while in flight.

As Hector pulled away, to come around and attack again on his right, Gaucho grinned a child-like, toothy grin. He was a fast learner, this dimwitted caveman, and while he did not have the same spar-experience with Kri to give him ideas, as Hector did, he could nevertheless pull from his sources; only Gaucho would do it better. As Hector flew on his right, Gaucho threw his weight to the right, as he mitigated Hector's efforts and met him in the middle. If Hector wanted to bite him, Gaucho would give him a mouthful. Slamming his wings into his sides for one final thrust, the Bay tried to angle his shoulder upwards, so that as Hector's teeth found his crest, his right shoulder or chest might receive a wound similar to his left, caused by Gaucho's spiked-collar. Grunting as he felt Hector's hot breath, and teeth pinching his skin and mane, Gaucho allowed his wings to cease beating for a stride, causing his body to drop down slightly. Bucking with full vigor now that his thighs had had a chance to rest from Hector's previous attack, the bay aimed his kick for Hector's belly, or right side. Allowing his body to swoop down, before spreading his wings and angling himself upwards and into the sun, he flew around gaining altitude as he did so, to attack on the the right side of Hector's last known position. Forelegs splayed to thrash at whatever part of Hector he could, Gaucho's wings beat relentlessly, driving his primitive body straight down, aiming at Hector's right shoulder and neck. Defensively as he attacked, Gaucho kept his muzzle tucked to his chin, protecting his face with his rack of antlers.

[WC: 799

Gaucho remains in the air, looking for Hector as he disappears into a cloud of dust below. As Hector surfaces, Gaucho flies down to meet him with the sun at his back, taking his horn-attack head on and trying to deflect it using his antlers. As Hector flies around, Gaucho again throws his body at him, to try and gouge his right side/chest (with his spiked collar) as he bites his crest/mane. Gaucho drops, and bucks towards Hector's belly/right side, before trying to fly up and around and attack on his right. His forelegs are extended and his muzzle is down, to try and hit Hector's right shoulder and neck.

Attack 3/4
Closing Defense 0/1
Magic and Companions: 2/2
Gaucho will be using buffs Dance and Swift