the way we stalk, the way we kiss

The thunderous roar of massive paws rushing his way was what alerted him, the magnitude of the tremors increasing with each long stride. Sure enough, one of the myriad giants that seemed to populate the rival group was charging headlong in his direction. With those crimson eyes and vicious snarl on display... well. It wasn't going to be a fun one, by the look of things. The wraith steeled himself, gripping the hilt of his wazikashi between nimble jaws and drawing it from its sheath in one smooth motion. As the much larger male closed in, the glint of silver covering his fangs drew his eye. Oh great, this was going to be so much more painful than he truly had any interest in dealing with. Too late now. Eyes narrowed, ears flattened, and he dropped his centre of gravity with loosened joints and tense muscles. He kept his tail tucked, one less thing for this bloodthirsty young man to grab a hold of.

And then he was beset, the collision of the titanic male only slightly mitigated by the awkward stooping required for the horned wolf to grab hold of his face. His swing was interrupted, and only a portion of his blade could bite into the thick flesh of his opponents right foreleg, just above the bend of his elbow. He snarled, hind claws digging into the soil below as he sought to loosen the powerful grip of his opponent over the top of his muzzle. His vision was obstructed, the blood from his lacerated snout dripped steadily onto his tongue. Forelegs lifted, the claws on his front paws outstretched as he attempted to shove into Diablo's chest with both front paws and sink his dirt-laden claws in for good measure. He needed distance in order to stand any chance. Given the difference in their size, both of his dark paws were only able to reach the middle of his chest, on either side of his sternum. The skin there was thinner, only slightly, with less muscle anchored to that connecting bone that would ensure that the bite of his claws was felt.