A long, low howl rose up from the heart of the grove. Somewhere around here lurked members of his family and instead of wasting time checking each and every land Malleus thought it would be in his best interest to simply stand in the very center of Auster and howl for them. He didn't expect any to meet up with him, but a howl from whatever part of the land they were in would at least point him in the right direction.

After a beat he tipped his head back to howl again but a cracking sound off to the side caused his voice to die on his lips. He whipped around and raked a suspicious gaze across the trees. Another deep crack, it sounded like a branch but he couldn't be sure, and a series of snuffs emanated from the darkness. Something big was headed his way. Malleus' lips curled back slightly and he let out a warning growl in the hopes of warding off whatever was out there. He wasn't in the mood to deal with a rogue right now.

A guttural roar was the response he got. That was not a wolf. Immediately Malleus jumped to his feet and began to back away. His hackles rose as a glowing shape emerged from behind a massive tree. It was a bear; or at least he thought it was; but it was unlike any bear he'd ever seen before. From the left side of its face to the toes of its left forepaw and halfway down it left side, the bear was hairless. Its pale skin glistened in the moonlight and it looked as the though patches of translucent scales dotted the naked skin.

Malleus barked once to see if it would flinch and when it didn't, he continued to back away. The bear followed slowly, its gaze locked firmly on the titan. He snuck a peek over his shoulder to make sure the way was clear in case he needed to bolt. At the moment he wasn't sure what to do. Did he run and hope that he lost the bear in the maze, or did he take his chances and fight?

Amon had almost given up hope of seeing some of his more wayward children again. He told himself again and again that he surrendered them gladly to the will of the Fallen God if He had need of them elsewhere... But that didn't necessarily make things any easier. The hulking male skulked through the murk of the shrouded forest, ruminating. Gaios and Alliyah were old enough that he felt no qualms in venturing farther and farther from the canyon. It was time for the male to begin pressing forward again. He felt the next generation well started with his and Pyre's efforts. But how to proceed? His thoughts were interrupted by a familiar howl. At first he doubted his senses, freezing for several long heartbeats while he waited for the wavering call to end. It could not be mistaken so Amon quickly changed his course, taking up an easy lope. His titanic stride quickly swallowed the distance between him and his son. The ghostly shadow of Amon's own features, coming upon Malleus' strong form was much like seeing a ghost of himself. Amon swelled first with pride, a gut instinct he could not and would not ignore, and then frustration. Where had the whelp been, to appear again now so suddenly? This was entirely washed away upon his realizing that they were not alone. A vicious growl split the calm between them, and Amon turned to see a beast skulk forth from the shadows between the gnarled trees. It was a bear, but disfigured by... perhaps some sort of mange? Of course, with the way the moonlight struck it's figure, Amon could almost imagine he saw something even queerer about the bear's skin. He was not given much time to ponder. He lifted his lips and snarled, coming to stand at his son's side. Should the creature chose to attack, it would not be Malleus it struck first. "I suppose you would not be worthy of the name Abraxas if trouble did not follow wherever you go," he said in a voice ringing with dry humor. "We will have to talk later about your prolonged absence later." They had larger problems to focus on at the moment than a long conversation about Malleus' whereabouts for the past several moons. Besides, Amon had long ago convinced himself to reserve judgement on his children until learning of their activities after leaving to experience the world on their own. He would afford the young male that much dignity, at least. Focusing on the moment at hand, Amon snarled at the mutated bear. Even a doltish mutant must understand that tangling with two wolves of their proportion and presence was bound to end in disaster... Or perhaps it was simply hubris instead. Either way Amon curled his lips and held fast in his aggressive stance. "Talk" "You" Think

The bear was diseased - it had to be. Bears and wolves had a pretty antagonist relationship to begin with, but in the absence of resources to fight over Malleus had never had a problem with one. Disease, he decided, had to be the motivator here. Why else would it be so intent to come after him? The bear's glowing gaze followed every move he made. If he ran he was sure it would follow. And if he held his ground...

His father's voice was a soothing salve on his frayed nerves. The demigod's words lifted him up and filled his chest with pride; Amon wasn't disappointed in the position he found his son in. No, he took the situation in and simply reaffirmed the thing Malleus was so desperate to be: worthy. His father thought he was worthy of their name. It was a small thing said in good humor, but it mattered to him.

And then just as quickly as he was lifted, Malleus was cut down. The promise of a talk later - though deserved - wounded him. Was he not trustworthy? Did his father doubt his commitment?

The roar of the bear cut short the titan's fretting. Clearly he had more pressing problems to deal with. It was unfazed by the appearance of a second wolf and Amon's warning snarl only seemed to further aggravate the bear. "I think it wants a go at us," he rumbled dryly. No sooner were the words out of his mouth and the bear was on the move. It charged the pair, clearly zeroing in on Amon now since he was in the lead.

Well, that wouldn't do. Without a thought for his well being Malleus kicked off in a spray of grit to engage the bear. He knew better than to challenge it head on, so the titan moved in an arch around to the bear's left side. All that exposed skin would work to his benefit. In an instant he had a hold of the bear's left elbow. The titan thrashed, biting down as hard as he could, and then he flung himself away to avoid whatever retaliation was sure to follow if he didn't put some distance between them.

ooc// Pardon my intrusion, I thought this would be interesting and meant to post sooner lol

He and Kimahri were wandering the woods, Kimahri's old friend in tow. The female Jaguar had decided to follow them, pledging herself to teach the wayward wolf her culture just as Kimahri had, as well as pledging herself as an ally to the canine. It was perhaps, an odd trio, but Dragon was glad to have two powerful companions at his side now. He didn't know just yet how he and Shiva would get along, though he was sure they'd forge a strong bond just like he and Kimahri had. It was then as they were making their way through the woods to return home, that the earthen male heard a howl, and no sooner did he hear that, a roar. Stopping in his tracks, he looked around, ears moving about to try and catch the exact location. Next thing he heard, the sound of snarling. What the? Curiosity getting the better of him, he decided he wanted to investigate, and it didn't take long for him to eventually find the source of what was going on. Standing a few yards before him was a...well, he imagined it was a bear...except beneath the glow of the moonlight, it was...well, glowing. He had never seen anything like it, and he had come upon the furred side of the bear, little did he know that the other side was naked and gross. Both of his companions came up on either side of him, their fur raised in alarm as their tails lashed. The two Abraxas wolves didn't go unnoticed, but his attention was mostly on the beast before them. "What the ever living fuck is that?" He nearly questioned himself. The bears movements and the sight of one of the other wolves charging at it set his own fur standing up, hackles raising as the alpha set himself into half a battle stance. Should they help? Or should he just say fuck it and leave them to it? He debated with himself, and finally settled on the thought that he'd wait a moment to see if these two would actually try to fight it, or flee. "Speech"

Amon watched carefully as an array of emotions flit across his son's well-controlled face. Amon would admit the boy had learned to school himself, and Amon could only hazard guesses as to what his son was feeling. Of course, the did have bigger problems to worry about at the moment. The freakish beast snarled at him, seeming to target it's focus on Amon himself. As the bear began to charge, Malleus ran forward, ready to engage. Something kin to delight flashed through Amon's veins at the prospect of seeing his progeny tested in such a way, even as fear curdled in him along side it. Malleus arced left, jaws latching onto the elbow joint of the creature's diseased limb. Amon urged his limbs forward and in several great bounds charged towards the bear's right side. As Malleus grasped the bear's elbow Amon latched his teeth into the delicate flesh found beneath the crease of the beast's shoulder joint. The bear, distracted a moment too long by his son's charge, was suitably distracted. Amon's teeth sank deep into the skin and muscle surrounding the bear's armpit, finding solid purchase. With a thunderous roar of rage and pain the bear reared upwards, lashing out and throwing Amon backwards. He landed with a thud and a gasp of breath, rolling back upright and skidding to a halt several feet away. It was then that he noticed he and his son were not alone. Another large wolf and two slinking felines lurked on the edge of their cursed little glen. He lifted a lip, a shiver of disgust rippling through him under his coat. A mortal, he knew at once, large though he was. Why in all realms of hell he was being trailed by two large cats did nothing to garner Amon's curiosity, only his distaste. Then again, they would perhaps be useful fodder for a distraction of sorts. Amon's eyes glinted with cold distaste, and yet he still called out, "Are you just going to stand there, then? Tch," he spat, then rounded on their true foe once again. Amon settled his body low to the ground, ears pinned flat against his monstrous skull. He crept sideways, looking for an opportunity to duck in and flank Malleus' next actions, whatever they may be. Amon was certain to keep himself positioned in a way that he would be able to keep an eye on the mortals as well, unsure of whether they would join the battle or turn and flee. Amon refocused on the bear, pleased to see a trickle of blood leaking through its fur, and the shining pink of fresh wounds. "Talk" "You" Think

With the bear being attacked on both sides it wasn't sure who to go for, which worked in Malleus' favor. He retreated unscathed; a fate his father didn't share with him. Upon hearing his father's pained gasp the titan bolted around and jumped back into the fray. With the bear between them it wasn't immediately clear to Malleus what kind of condition his father was in, so he decided to provide the senior demigod with cover by engaging the bear a second time.

The titan circled around behind the bear and then dove towards the creature's haunches. Most of his attention was on the bear, but out of the corner of his eye he searched for his father in the hopes of reassuring himself of the man's well being. Malleus' gaze didn't find him, but Amon's voice, directed at the stranger who had, until now, gone unnoticed by the titan, reached his ears. If he was well enough to speak, he was well enough for the time being. Malleus would see to his injuries later if necessary.

Mally's jaws flung wide as he set his sights on the back of the bear's left hind leg. He knew there was a lot of fur to bite through there, but he was hoping he could get through it and damage a tendon. A painful, uncooperative hind foot would surely slow the bear down enough for the wolves to handle it better.

This was crazy! He had never seen anything like it before! He watched for a moment as a large wolf was thrown off like it was nothing more than a rag doll! Dragon stood almost mesmerized for a minute until the words of the thrown wolf brought him to the reality of the situation. He cast a quick glance at the titan before the male ran back towards the fray, meanwhile the other wolf was circling behind and seemingly going for the bears hind leg. "What're you waiting for, let's bring this monster down!" Kimahri roared with Shiva following suit as Dragon brought up the rear. The trio spread out with Kimahri and Shiva circling to either side before they then sought to leap straight onto the bear's back, claws gripping hard and deep, thus causing the bear to bellow with rage! Dragon would race in from the front, trying to keep it distracted enough so that the wolf in the back could do his damage. The bear lurched forward to take a swipe at Dragon, claws barely catching the front of his chest just as he barely managed to jump out of the way. This thing is faster than I expected! A snarl ripped from his throat as he then decided to strike the very paw that had swiped at him. Teeth clamped down upon it, fangs biting down into the sensitive pads and into the muscles on top as he viciously shook his head. He'd pull back, keeping his weight on his haunches and nails dug into the earth to keep him from being dragged forward. OOC//sorry for taking so long T^T if you wanna PP Dragon's companions feel free to shoot me a pm/ Skype message ^^ "SPEAK!"

Amon's body still lanced with pain, particularly in his hindquarters, from where the bear had tossed him. The shadowy brute watched as his words seemed to take root in the brown stranger, who seemed equally bolstered by the vigor of two felines who had arrived with him. Amon decided that particular curiosity could wait for later and, with much more pressing concerns on his mind, quickly lost sight of the cats. The bear lunged forward at the brown male's advance, just as Amon's son latched on to the bear's left hind leg. Knowing this was his ideal moment to strike, Amon rallied himself. Putting his faith in the other two males, Amon left himself unguarded and leapt in towards the bear's right side. He prayed to the Fallen God that his son and this other male would be able to hold him long enough for Amon to do significant damage. He had set his sights on the tendon which connected the bear's armpit to his shoulder joint. He aimed his upper jaws at the bulging meat of the bear's right shoulder's centermost point. His bottom jaw he hoped to hook on the underside of the uppermost part of the bear's arm, it's very apex. With crushing forced he clamped his jaws shut, pulling back as his did so. Amon anchored his feet, pulling with all the force his massive body could produce, hoping to tear both flesh and ligament away from the bone. The bear roared in agony as the litany of blows fell upon him. Amon fell back, his jaws laden with a rich haul of flesh. His attack had been successful, but it left him in very close company of the mutated beast. The bear rounded, what remained of it's coat bristling with pain and rage. Amon could see nothing but illness and fury in its small, beady eyes. Amon scrambled backwards as the bear wrenched towards him, struggling with the presence of the other two. Amon retreated as far as he could, barely out of the creature's grasp, and unfortunately relying on the other two to waylay the beast long enough to truly escape. All the while Amon watched the creature carefully, uncertain how much damage he had truly done to their foe's shoulder. He noted with satisfaction that the creature's right front arm was now streaming with blood, but the it could very well be enraged beyond the point of feeling pain at this point. He kept a careful eye on the beast, watching and waiting for it's next move. "Talk" "You" Think

With the distraction provided by the brown male, Malleus was able to sink his teeth into his target. Blood burst across his tongue as his teeth sunk in deeply. He could feel the hard, slick cord that was the tendon between his teeth. Without hesitation or mercy, he ground his teeth together and severed the tendon.

If not for the four other creatures fighting with him and pulling the bear's attention in all different directions, Malleus would have leapt off the moment he'd found success. Instead he dug in his heels and stiffened his back before shaking his head from side to side. He could feel the skin and muscle around his teeth tearing further, the damage spreading beyond the puncture wounds thanks to his twisting.

Another roar from the bear told him he'd stayed in that one spot for too long. In a heartbeat he was off like a shot and spinning away from the bear. He wanted to get out of swatting range as quickly as possible so he could regroup and come in for another attack if necessary. If the bear had any sense at all left in its diseased head it would take stock of its predicament and maybe, just maybe, give up and run. He could hope, right?

The two larger males kept their onslaught going on the mutated beast, and while they were at it, Kimahri and Shiva had torn into its back but we're thrown off before they could do more damage. After the other two males began their retreat, Dragon waited a moment longer before starting his. He felt a trickle of blood on his nose from the damage that the dire male (Amon) had done, and as the bears rage was made even clearer, Dragon took his cue to let go. He retreated several yards, eyes narrowed as he tried to calculate his next move. He had done significant damage to the bears right paw, the pad and webbing was torn and no doubt he had managed to break a few of it's toes. That coupled with the damage Malleus had done to it's hind foot, the bear would certainly have trouble moving now. For a moment, Dragon turned his attention away to see where his companions had gone, and moments later he felt his body being thrown sideways. He landed with a hard grunt, the air nearly knocked out of his body when he realized what had happened. Shiva had gotten him out of harms way just in time. It seemed that the second he looked away, the bear had charged, seeking to smash him under its weight. Then out of nowhere, Kimahri had flung himself from a tree and right back onto the bears back, claws outstretched and lashing at the creatures ears, shredding them. For the moment, Dragon sought to get his breath back but remained alert in case he needed to jump out of the way again. "SPEAK!"||Kimahri||Shiva