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Ire was, for once, in a pleasant mood. To be sure, his pleasant moods didn't involve a lot of smiling, or laughing, or frolicking about as they often seemed to with lesser types of lifeforms; they more took the appearance of simple silence and less showing of teeth. Angry Ire tended to wear a particularly malicious smile; contented Ire wore a close-lipped expression. Angry Ire was always out looking for a fight, contented Ire...well, contented Ire was also typically looking for a fight, but he was much less obvious about it. Force versus subtlety; both were tried and true methods, and all one had to do to get an inkling of Ire's mood was to observe the method used.

The reason for Ire's good mood would perhaps confound a lesser Soquili: It was directly tied to the scar that ran along his left temple and the other, shorter and nearly vanished scar along his right shoulder: battle trophies from one of the most satisfying fights he'd had in some time. As a kalona proud of himself and his abilities, proud of his place in the world and his contributions towards the glory of the kalona race, there were few things as satisfying to reflect upon as a well-executed fight. The fact that he had been injured was nothing, as he had done far more damage to his sparring partner.

No, the satisfaction had been in the fight, and though weeks had passed it was enough to keep his spirits high until the inevitable idiocy of the world distracted him again.

Unless something else happened to boost them even more...like another fight!

Ire had been moving along with a rather deliberate slowness, keeping both eyes and ears peeled for signs of life. Prey would be hunted; lessers, ignored; but other kalona...now, that was what he hoped for, and he had yet to find. But upon hearing the tell-tale signs of tree combat, he allowed a brief flash of a smile to cross his features. That sounded promising...

Or not. Before he had had a chance to get close enough to issue proper challenge, he had seen the fighter rise up into the skies. Though far enough away that his voice wouldn't carry, the other figure was dark enough against the sky for Ire to identify the tell-tale wings and tail of his race. Good. So it was to be an aerial pursuit then. He could live with that...

Shifting abruptly into a rapid run, Ire was soon in the air as well, heading purposefully and quickly towards the other stallion.

With his determined wingbeats, Ire had managed to bridge the gap between himself and the darker stallion to a close enough distance that he could see that the other kalona was indeed a full kalona, sporting horns, tail, wings, hooves, and fangs, as all proper kalonas do. The fangs, he was able to see in the brief moment that the other stallion had turned back to look at him, undoubtably stirred by the not-at-all subtle sound of Ire's wings. The expression on his face had been malicious, a sharp showing of teeth meant to warn off and deter. Well, that might work with lesser breeds and even with some kalona, but Ire had never been one to shy from a fight. Indeed, the sight of such an obvious willingness to show aggression was fire for Ire's blood, causing a slight, malicious smile to cross his own face.

As the other headed back down to the ground, Ire swooped after him, alighting a few lengths away from the other stallion in order to give each of them a chance to ready themselves. Well, that and talk.

"I cannot speak for everyone, but I've never found trees to be suitable sparring partners. Diversion for a few minutes of boredom, even a way to keep one's muscles tough in a pinch, but never a suitable sparring partner."