Galleon entered as she always did: a low rumble, accompanied by a lazily moving bulge in the sand. She surfaced with a shake of her head. She blinked, a quick flash of shutters. Vakornol, she remembered this one being called. She remembered a little of this opponent--not actual combat, of course, but another deathmatch participant. She was relieved that her opponent was another creature her size--she'd felt quite bad about fighting One, even if the little mammal had proved more clever than she'd expected.

Vakornol spoke. Galleon grunted in surprise, 'hey you with the face' wasn't the first thing she'd expected to hear from Vakornol--most the giant beasts she'd encountered tended to be reserved or...simply odd. Vakornol was peppier than she'd expected. It suited her just fine, though. "Wouldn't dream of it!" Galleon said, baring her bone sheets in a grin. "Good luck t'ya."

Galleon inhaled and submerged her head up to her nostrils, snapping her dorsal fin open. She'd start with her favorite. A charge. With the noise of a heavy gale, Galleon took off, rapidly gaining speed. She'd aim for where she saw--and felt-- Vakornol last, and then attempt to breach and flip her with a toss of her head.

"When I speak"
When I think

Galleon didn't know what she expected Vakornol to do. Dodge, or maybe mitigate the impact somehow. Instead, as she tossed her head back, she found herself tossing Vakornol bodily into the air, with little resistance on the valkhound's part. Galleon snorted in surprise. She couldn't help the "are you okay?" that slipped out. Had she gone too far? Maybe that'd been too much for the self-professed old lady. Galleon She hesitated, as she watched Vakornol begin to fall. Galleon shook her head out. Galleon surged after Vakornol, keeping her eyes above the sand. She couldn't let the advantage go, but she wouldn't hurt her.

As she neared, Galleon would dive. Not enough to truly be lost beneath the sand, but enough to flip down, leaving her tail exposed. Galleon would try to catch Vakornol in her fin, stopping her momentum, and bat her down with a tail flick.

"When I speak"
When I think

Galleon felt claws on her tail, and the animal panic of an unseen body part being touched meant she flicked Vakornol down harder than she meant to. The muffled "im good!" somewhat reassured her. That is, until she felt the vibrations of Vakornol slamming into the sand. Her hit had landed. She felt only a little satisfaction from that. Guilt and dread were the bloated emotions taking up most of the space in her heart. She surfaced again, her blowholes shooting sand from her head. East's commentary found its answer.

Vakornol had not stuck the landing. Stuck it right, at least. Vakornol..did not look good. Galleon's opponent had a visible injury on her ankle, swollen and held oddly. She'd been dealing a good deal of damage to Vakornol. Too much, she was certain now. She didn't feel quite like a good galpal at this moment. Were her face not perpetually frozen, her discomfort would've been obvious. She briefly considered asking if Vakornol was up to this--but she knew that wound would be worse than slamming into her again.

She mulled over what she could do to make this more fair. Preparing to take an attack would be too obvious. So would making distance between them. Perhaps she was moving too fast. Did she need to telegraph her attacks more? Galleon exhaled heavily. That may work. Her exhale continued, intensifying, and she began to move towards Vakornol. The short distance between them meant she wouldn't build up enough speed for a good hit, but that served her just fine. Galleon raised a front fin above the sand, aiming it to slam flat side into an uninjured part of Vakornol.

"When I speak"
When I think

Vakornol clear's Galleon's fin. Vakornol shows more dexterity than she'd come to expect. But Galleon is relieved-- that's what she wanted. She's showing some fight! All that is well and dandy, but then from the corner of her eye, she sees Vakornol's claws lash out at her side. Instinctively, seeing that sudden burst of speed, she can tell that its going to be a heavy hit. She abandons the nonstop offense she'd been running this whole time, and leans her bulk towards the lashing claws, attempting to throw her tougher scutes into the blow, and minimize the damage.

Vakornol's claws hit her side heavily, and the scrape of claws against scales grinds against Galleon's side. Chips fly off, and there is a sudden crack. She can feel the air against her in an oddly raw way, and her side is beginning to ache beneath the site of initial blow, but she's certain she avoided what could've been a bleeding wound. She exhales heavily, shocked. But...more than that, the thrill of it! Galleon laughs.

"Thats more like it!" She says, swinging around to face Vakornol, eager to see what else she has up her sleeves.

"When I speak"
When I think