Satisfyingly Gaucho felt both his body collide with his much more feeble comrade, and felt his teeth find their purchase on Levi's neck. Were he of a different mind set, he might have felt some pity, or given pause, as Levi's body failed to react to his attacks. Was Levi simply spent? Had his time away so degraded his body that he was unable to continue? Or had his encounter with the invading unicorns been more detrimental than he thought? He choose Gaucho thought grimly as his large body pulled away. Levi had chosen this moment to prove himself - he had not been forced into it, nor had there been any urgency from the herd, or from Gaucho. If Levi had lost, it would be on his own terms.

As the rain continued to fall, even Gaucho's well-trained body was beginning to feel the effects of the challenge. The footing, while not necessarily difficult, seemed to require more energy to traverse the wet sands. His fully saturated mane, tail, and coat also added an unnecessary weight. Perhaps Levi had been wise to call him down from his patrols during a storm, but surely it hadn't been-

HHHSSSSSSSsssSsssSSsss.

In his antlers, Mara's silvery body twisted and writhed in alarm. She rocked in her bone-cradle, trying to shake her bonded's thick skull with her momentum. SSSsssSssss she cried again, pulsating images of the sand rising around Levi, and forming into a shape as it had done before. Reacting to Mara's sudden frenzy, Gaucho lunged forward, ears pinned against his skull. Unfortunately, Levi's magic moved faster through the storm than did Gaucho.

Having lowered his neck slightly as was befitting his lunge, the edge of Levi's sand-blade scraped against the top crest of his well muscled neck - striking, and then crumbling slightly as his thick, wet, mane took the brunt of the bladed side, before the impact resonated into his neck. With an angry grunt, Gaucho crow-hopped slightly, rapidly changing his course as his large head swayed in the rain, as if trying to rid himself of an invisible attacker. As bits of sand fell around his shoulders, confirming what Mara had already tried to convey to be the case, Gaucho allowed his hind-end to swing around, bringing him about to face where he thought he spied Levi through the dim curtain of rain. His neck hurt slightly, centralized where the sharper sand-blade had struck against him and then dully radiating out. But it was nothing compared to the wounds he had inflicted upon the former sergeant.

His stoic and primitive gaze fell flat, as he looked at his comrade, who appeared as though a strong wind might knock him over. Nostrils flared, Gaucho extended his wings, allowing the rain to catch and form small streams as they ran down the length of his black appendages, pooling on the ground as he walked. "Done." Gaucho said simply, as he walked past Levi. Briefly his eyes scanned over Levi's body, noting the amount of blood that had come from the silver stallion. "Levi to go to Onnmmnnnmnmeee." He mumbled quietly, though it was unclear if this was an order, or a friendly suggestion. "Gaucho finish patrol."

With a grunt, Gaucho returned to the skies from where he had come, pleased that the rain was beginning to lessen.


[WC: 561
Closing Defense. 1/1]