Eythan didn't take it well.

Actually, saying that, felt like an understatement.

Carni saw the strike coming but with such a wide swing, he was quick to step back and out of the way. No, this wasn't what he'd wanted... but it would do.

"Did you ever think that this is what father brought us back for!?" He shouted, even as he willed his magic forth. His wings came forward with a sudden ferocity, coming together in a deafening clap, sending silt into the air in the process, and Carni flying backwards and up into the air. "We were made to carry on his kingdom, Eythan! We are his heirs! He knew he was dying, but it shouldn't have been at your claws!"

Carni vs. Eythan
Round 1 of ?

Carni sends a sonic boom between them, taking to the air in the process.

His talons would only leave scores in the ancient earth and the world would suddenly explode. In a deafening wave of magicka, he flew. Instinctively, wings would shoot outwards in an attempt to right himself. His ears were ringing, he realized, when he saw Carni's mouth move to make no sound. Through the keening tone, he only heard vague mumblings. He hoped his voice was strong enough to carry over the din. "I think he had no reason for it other than guilt!"

Finding himself adjusted in the air, he hovered for a moment. Thinking of his next move. Another sob wracked his figure, disturbing his balance for only a moment. Then, he rose up and up, talons and teeth bared. And he dove for Carni's source of magicka—the only way he could make this stop.

He didn't want to do this. He felt sick.

Eythan v Carni
[ 2/??? ]

he goes right for the source

@Carni

It was starting to seem requisite for their family to have emotional problems. He looked for a moment more annoyed than angry, as Eythan argued with pointless butthurt yet again; but the brother wasn't finished with his physical conquest. The King of Canis braced himself; this would hurt, but he refused to use his claws on his own brother.

Another thrust of wings. Another thunderous clap, but a second too late. Eythan and Carni collided in the air and the two tumbled in a flurry of wings and claws.

For the first time in his life, Carni felt the sting of blood being drawn, Eythan's claws raking across his face but just short of his precious stone horn, shy of his eyes. With brows pinched and teeth revealed in a savage snarl now,
and blood staining his white fur, it was Carni's only priority to separate himself from Eythan's grip before both of them plummeted onto the stone and bone below.

Carni vs. @Eythan
Round 2 of ?

After failing to Sonic Boom him away again,
Carni is left struggling to stay airborne whilst trying to free himself of Eythan's attack.

Minor scratches across his face, around his muzzle and brows, barely avoiding eyes and stone.

There was a solid, satisfying smack! as he met his mark. With a vicious shriek, he raked his talons down his beloved brother's face, narrowly missing his goal. Wind whipped around them as they fell, locked together. He was going to wait until the last damn second to break apart if he had to. Yet again, he vied to grab that stone and leave some mark. All so he wouldn't be able to bring that back.

He felt coolness against his pads and dug in. "Please, shut up," he shrieked over the wind throwing them ever closer to the earth.

Eythan v Carni
[ 3/??? ]

he vies to at least sedate the source of magicka

@Carni

"LET GO OF ME!" He tried to will his magic forward again, this time directly from his horn instead of his wings like he normally would- but those were too busy trying to right their rapid fall. Seconds felt like minutes. There was a sickening POP and an anguished cry from the caster, whose spell hadn't backfire, but had instead been muffled under aggressive talons and scaled flesh- now likely to be bruised from the force of his magic's attempts.

Yet still, they fell. He knew what was coming but thankfully, it'd be better for him- whilst trying to wrench his head free, he was still focused on not plummeting to his death; which had at least placed the lighter, less one-track minded brother on the top of the grappling pair.

He braced, though Eythan would feel it first, in his hips probably. Carni's weight would follow after, but not as bad as his wings continued to work at pulling himself free of the tangled claws and limbs.

Carni vs. Eythan
Round 3 of ?

He manages to cast Sonic Boom, but it's stifled by Eythan's grip on his stone.

Carni opts to be above Eythan as they hit the ground; will edit if the pp's

His talons burned white-hot as magicka erractly sparked from the very stone he was holding. The ground loomed and he gazed into blue eyes fearfully—"wait no sTOOO—" Eythan shrieked softly, releasing Carni only a moment too late as his world exploded once more into a white blaze of pain. His ears rang again and he fell limp on the ground for a moment, talons still caressing the notches in the aquamarine stone. They, too, fell.

He took only a moment to weakly try to kick Carni off of him with his hind legs before rolling over. His beak clenched in pain as he did so. Anxiety was swelling because holy shit something in him was broken. It wasn't his wings—thank the Bones—or his legs. It had to be the imapct area. In spite of his efforts to not show any vulnerability, Eythan's head plopped weakly on the ground.

Eythan is out of the fight due to a broken pelvis. Carni wins.

@Carni

Carni didn't fight the limp kick, staggering off of his brother with a groan and a growl. His own ears were ringing, like hellfire to his brain. He shook his head, and found that hurt. Something was wrong. A quick paw to his horn, a feeling of claw marks running across its once smooth surface, told him precisely what. Ow. Eythan, you asshole!

His scornful thought that he'd meant to turn into words died on his tongue at the sight of his bigger sibling now. The price of victory wasn't a few scratches or bruises; it was the sight of his own family broken at his paws.

"...whatever happened before, it's over now." His voice sounded alien to him, but it was his own at least. "I will continue to ensure the revival of our Kingdom." He stood taller, but his voice wasn't scolding now. "I want you by my side... It isn't fair that you'd hate me because of some dead guy." He looked sad again, which was hard under all the blood and fuss. "...I need your help. I can't do this alone."

@Eythan

Carni's voice cut through the din, oddly far more mature than he could've imagined. It was a clear, welcome break from the constant ringing in his ears. Eythan couldn't help the confused sobbing from bubbling up. Despite his blurring vision, he could see the damage done. How could his brother be so nice to him after he'd just bullied him and attacked him at the slightest bit of retaliation? He had just expected him to sit there without pause as he hammered insult after insult to injury. It was a requisite he had expected.

Instead, here he was, wounded at his mercy. Offering only sadness and grief. "You did fine on your own," Eythan murmured over his pain, trying to adjust himself so that his pelvis was somewhat comfy in its broken state. There was a brief tch! before he continued, "all I've ever done is hurt you." He'd tell the truth to save his own hide, he supposed. He wished he weren't so volatile and angry. "You're so much stronger than me. I'm weak." He ran when he did something wrong. Then he came back and fucked himself in the ass. Maybe someday he'd learn.

He decided on trying to get a little bit of that patented Carni optimism in past those sobs. "My pelvis is fucking broken," he tried to add goodnaturedly. "Unless you kill me right here and now, you're stuck with me at your side anyways." He shifted a little, adjusting his head so he didn't have to try to look at Carni from the fringes of his periphery.

"Really, though. This fucking hurts."

@Carni

"YOU NEARLY CLEAVED MY FACE OFF!" Carni protested, rather loudly and with force. "You've killed, can fight, can be far more than this.. this..." He sputtered for a moment, waving a tired wing hazardously around to find his words. "absolute MESS you've become!"

He hissed through his teeth, exhaling a deep breath that was well needed, then slowly pawed his way over to Eythan's side. He looked at the swelling in his brother's hip, then sighed again, deeper this time. Don't rub it in. He knows it's his own fault. There could be time for brotherly gloating later, maybe. For now...

"Of course it fucking hurts, it's a broken bone." He clicked his tongue and hummed tartly. "And we are part bird. Broken bones suck worse for us. Just... lay there I guess?" He looked over his shoulder at the exit from Canis. "I can try looking for a healer... but I'm exhausted..." He looked back to the two stones where he'd left them. "You caught me at the end of a long day already."

"I'll fly out first thing, once I've found us both a rat or two and had some rest. Hang tight." With that, Carni trodded off to the bone pits, to find dinner, not worried enough to look back, because Eythan wasn't going anywhere.

@Eythan
-- Carni Exits --

"I can be more than this mess," he demurred against the earth, "I can be a goddamn murderer. I was." Eythan felt awful then and felt awful now. As anyone who was suffering from guilt and grief, simultaneously, would, he fell silent for a moment. That is, until Carni padded over to his side. He huffed at the indignanties thrown at him. Taken aback, he tried to ease up onto his elbows at least, annoyed at his crippled limbs.

Ears dropping, he called out after the retreating form. "No! Please don't go!" They had just found some sort of vague middle ground. Surely, he could do something! But he didn't look back and Eythan was left cold, tired, and alone.