Frolicking into the cave with practiced whimsy, a gentle breeze plays upon the tips of their fur, carrying scents both warm and inviting. Like an amiable muse, it effortlessly captures the hearts of her audience, beckoning the little ones with an irresistible call. All at once, the once peaceful den blossoms with anticipation and excitement, as a myriad of eager paws drum against the stony floor of their home. Each eager to chase the fading melody before it leaves them behind.

Marco rose from the cushion of his mothers side, determined to catch up with his littermates who had already gotten a head start Together, the four of them raced on stubby legs, yipping at one another in shared passion as they soon crossed the threshold that marked the boundary of their den. Grass tall as his knees tickled his fur, and sunlight licked upon his pelt with affection rivaled only by his own mother. His two brothers were already upon each other, their hazel hides dancing in the emerald weave. He too was ready to join the fray! Except before he could, there came a warning from his scalemate, one that came far too late.

Suddenly his entire body was thrown forward, and he felt sharp pins on the nape of his neck. A surprised yelp was the prize won by his sister, who stood over him victoriously. Even from his pinned position, there was a fire that burned in her eyes, one that still greedily yearned for more. Not wanting to be the prey, Marco pushed hard as he could on his hind legs, but found his efforts thwarted. A fresh face glowed with pride, the very same one that belonged to his sister's scalemate. Its coils were wrapped around his back legs, apparently aware of Marco's plans before he even made him.

With a disappointed frown, Marco turned towards his own to find it pinned in equal fashion. The two of them were thoroughly defeated, prey to the wicked hunter that was their sister.

It took a few seconds of gloating from his sister before he finally felt the pressure lift from his back. Standing up, he found it hard to look at his sister, let alone his brothers that still tussled in their own epic battle nearby. He yearned with all his heart to be a mighty warrior, but time and time again, his prowess was found to be lacking. Weakest in the pack. He was an embarrassment!

Something wet brushed against his cheek, and when he turned to discover the culprit, his sister beamed at him with enough joy to melt away any doubts in his heart. Quick as a songbird, she lowered her front half in a playful bow to signal her challenge. Given the opportunity for a rematch, he lowered himself in kind, eager to be one to catch her this time.

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He stared her down, strafing rightward as he searched for any weaknesses he could use to his advantage. She responded in kind, oddly patient for a littermate that was infamous for her impulsiveness. The only guess that he could make was that she wanted to see the best that he could muster.

A despondent hiss came from his other half, letting Marco know that her form was flawless, there were absolutely no weaknesses. This hardly deterred him however, rather, the challenge only served to fuel his fighting spirit. His scalemate however, did not feel the same. But this time would be different, of this he was sure. He would prove it to the demoralized serpent.

After a feint to the left, his sister went high to meet him in the air, and Marco dashed low. There was always the chance that he could fool his sister, but never her other half. Wise to his antics, the serpent readied its fangs in preparation to catch the devious little brother, but little did it realize, it was the prey that Marco was after all along! Caught in his teeth, he pulled hard on the serpent that struggled with desperation in his jaws. A small triumph, but this was only half the battle, so Marco shifted his attention towards the back that was turned in his direction. Victory was truly in sight! All he had to do was leap, and at last, his sister would be caught. And so he did. However, she shifted underneath him as he descended. Instead of landing on her back, he felt the soft fur of her underbelly brushing up against his own. With her scalemate still secured in his mouth, Marco still believed he had the upper-paw over his sister. Except there was no fight left in the gaze that looked up at him. Puzzled, he looked around, and discovered that his sister was splayed on the ground in dramatic defeat.

When it finally occurred to him what happened, his sister leaned up and licked him right on the nose, which caused him to let go of her scalemate out of pure shock. He was so caught up with the thought of winning, it never occured to him that his sister planned for Marco to win all along. He finally thought he won one over his sister, but it was all a trick… When he looked at his sister, he expected to find a smug face, but instead there was only pride. Not for herself, but for her little brother. In her eyes, there was no weak orothus in front of her, only family that she wouldn't trade for the entire forest.

His own scalemate stared at him with a deadpan expression, as if to say 'told you so'. But so help him, Marco was determined to, at the very least, have the last laugh. While his sister was still pinned to the ground, he used his front paws to ruffle up the fur on her chest, to which she happily surrendered to his horrible wrath with joyful cries.

In his single-minded fury, he didn't notice his other half hissing at him in desperation. Before he knew it, two more bundles of fur piled on top of them with excited war cries. In the chaos, Marco could hardly tell which direction was up, and which way was down. But he did know one thing.

This was the happiest day of his life.