Gaucho's dark eyes widened with continued pain, but now surprise as well, as he watched his eagles make full contact against Levi. Dumbfounded, he bellowed loudly, as if cheering them on. They had never been able to make physical contact before - their ethereal bodies typically disbursed immediately, perhaps causing chilling or numbness, but never physical wounds. Gaucho stronger the beast concluded with a grin, as he hobbled into the air.

Gaucho, who had never before seen Levi's magic deployed, nor was even aware that his comrade had acquired such, was forced to rely on sheer strength and battle savvy to evade the amalgamation of sand that was rising towards him. Although his vision, diminished both by angle as well as light, could not fully comprehend what was happening below him in the watery sands, his instincts ushered his great wings to beat down; fast and hard. His body rose up, into the torrential rains to avoid the blob - his mind quickly turning from pride over the wounds his creations had created, to another sort of a pride: that of one brother for another. Whether intentionally or not, Levi had forced him to fly higher - possibly into range of a lightning strike - less he risk impact by the grainy boulder below.

For all of Levi's tardiness and poor judgement, maybe he had learned a thing or two while he was away. But was it enough to take his title back?

As Mara's bite found her mark, it was almost as if Gaucho's own teeth had been the ones to sink into Levi's silvery hide. He could nearly taste the way the toxin felt as it flowed from Mara's fangs and into Levi. The sensation was nearly so potent, that for a moment Gaucho merely hovered - legs continuing to swim over Levi's swaying body, drool dribbling down his dark lips, as the sensation pulsed warmly in his mouth. It was only as Mara began to wind her way back up his barred leg, then neck, and finally back into his antlers, that the euphoric feeling was broken. Nickering rather oafishly towards the snake - possibly the most affectionate sound he has ever to this date made - Gaucho's dark gaze turned downwards to Levi.

As the former Sergeant moved uneasily on his feet, no doubt feeling both the effects of Mara's poison, and his previously sustained injuries, Gaucho wondered momentarily if this was not some trick. If sending him into the air to be struck by lightning hadn't worked, perhaps the silver was trying to snare him some other way - by feinting and exaggerating his injuries, so that Gaucho would come lower, to be assaulted by sand once again. They were in a desert after all - perhaps the rain had diminished the range with which Levi could stir the sands.

But it was Levi who had issued this challenge now - and fake wounded or not - Gaucho would not rob him of the opportunity to prove to them both, who truly deserved to lead the Throat.

Still hovering in the air, Gaucho leaned his body forward to move towards Levi - almost appearing like a horse who was on the down-side of a very large jump. His large wings folded to his sides after one last beat for direction and speed - his hind legs trailing high behind his dark body. He hadn't been in the air very high, and Levi hadn't appeared to have moved much. As such, Gaucho aimed for his right shoulder to connect against Levi's left; as Gaucho's front hooves hit the sands he tried to use the momentum from his downward descent to try and shove the already unsteady stallion, and try to cut him again with his collar of spikes. As his back hooves crashed to the earth, Gaucho again grunted in pain, as his right leg was forced to bear his weight on the slippery sands. The tenderness was not so strong now - his time in flight had allowed blood to return to his cramped muscle - but even so, the bruise still flared brightly in his mind.

Moving away from Levi a few strides, Gaucho moved to spin around to face his challenger. His hindquarters swung with relative grace - his legs crossing easily to bring himself about. Nostrils flaring as he looked upon his comrade, Gaucho tossed his head confidently, sending tendrils of sopping black mane into the air, only to slap down against his dark coat. "Gaucho always ready" he advised without malice or pride - these were the words he had spoken to Levi when Levi had previously requested this challenge, and they seemed fitting now.


[WC: 791
Attack:3/4

@[Levi]