Rhyme had listened when Shaye told him of the man and two pups that had appeared to her at the border. She asked him to test the older one, she what rank he might be fit for. Rhyme hadn’t decided how he might test him, but he knew he’d make a decision after they had talked. Not sure where he might find him, and not knowing what he looked like, Rhyme found his way to a clearing in the Serpent Plains. Scouting out a flat area he called out to the newly accepted wolf to appear before him. If the pups appeared too he wouldn’t be disappointed. Shaye had mentioned that he would potentially be tutoring the young male. Rhyme was curious about them, and felt himself grow excited for the pack to have grown. Having an apprentice was a good second to producing his own brood. He still had a stake on the future of the pack. Lowering himself to his haunches he called out for the wolves. ""

Ace was in the middle of digging out a den for him and the pups, though he wasn't sure he could keep calling them pups for very long. Come next season, they would be yearlings and would probably want to seek out their own dens when that time came. For now, though, he toiled away to try and make a den big enough for the three of them. Whether or not they chose to sleep there was their choice. The only thing that made him stop was an unfamiliar howl that seemed to be calling for them. His head rose a little too quickly and banged against the top of the unfinished den. He grumbled and backed out, only to find Ignis laughing at him. "So I amuse you eh? C'mon, I think someone is calling for us." He shook his head to distract from the ache before he and Ignis went to seek out whoever it was that called. He was still unfamiliar with the territory, so it took them a little longer than he would have liked. Once he was sure that they were at the right spot, he searched for whoever might have called, and soon found a large male standing alone in a clearing. Was this him? Shaye's secondary alpha? He seemed to fit the part well enough. The titan male approached, dipping his head to Rhyme as he came to a stop a few feet away with Ignis right beside him. "Hello, you're Shaye's second, I assume? I'm Acere, and this is Ignis." He nodded towards his nephew for a moment before returning his gaze to the male. "I was told you would be the one to rank me." Honestly, Ace was eager. He didn't know if he'd need to be tested, but if he did, he was definitely ready. "Speak"

He was sitting outside the entrance to the den that his uncle was digging. Ace had said he was digging a den big enough for the three of them, but that they didn't have to stay there if they didn't want to. Truth be told, Ignis decided that he would sleep there. Ace and his sister were all he had, and being in a new pack made him a little nervous and excited at the same time. He would stay in the den with his uncle and sister (if she decided to), and maybe when he got accustomed to living here, he would make himself a den. After all, he was sure that the den would eventually feel cramped with two giant wolves and his sister, no matter how big his uncle was able to make it. He listened to the scraping of the earth as his uncle dug, meanwhile Ignis sat and watched the world around him. His sister, he assumed, was somewhere nearby. A howl caught Ignis' attention then, and soon after that, the thud of his uncle's head on the roof of the den got him laughing. He watched his uncle crawl out, amusement sparkling in their eyes. They were being called, but for what, Ignis wasn't sure. Maybe he was to meet whoever was supposed to mentor them? That's what the she-wolf alpha said, right? This thought made him feel even more nervous and excited, so he trailed quietly behind his uncle as they sought out the stranger. It didn't take long for them to find another male sitting in a clearing, seemingly waiting for them. His uncle greeted the stranger and introduced both of them. Ignis nodded as he came to sit beside his uncle. Although he would grow as tall as Acere, he wasn't yet filled out with toned muscle. Instead, he looked gangly with long legs and scraggly fur, parts of his body still disproportionate to the rest of him. His uncle assured him he would fill out and finish growing by his second year, and Ignis couldn't wait until he no longer looked like a gangly, spider-legged, awkward looking teen. "Hello," His voice sounded more nervous than he wanted it to be, so he quickly shut his mouth and studied the male before them. "Speak"

Rhyme stood when he saw the pair appear on the horizon, one pale and tall. A few inches taller than Rhyme and a bit heaver, while the younger smoldering pup was lankier and about as tall as Rhyme at that point. He smiled politely as they came to stand before him, guessing correctly that it had been him calling for them. Acere introduced the two of them and greeted the alpha, and the boy offered a greeting as well. Rhyme nodded to both of them in turn, having such massive wolves this side of the border would certainly bolster the ranks. "You are correct, hello gentlemen. Rhyme Imperialis.” He offered them his name, and decided to get right down to business. "I hear you have some fighting experience Acere?” He looked to the scarred male, obviously he had seen battles in his day. "And that you, Ignis, would like to train as a warrior?” He turned his dual colored eyes to the younger boy, wanting to engage the almost yearling as much as his guardian. "”

The male who called them gave his name and got right down to business. Something that Ace appreciated since he was mostly the type to get right to it. "I do. I oversaw the warriors in Ruina, was in charge of fight training, and dealt with most of the affairs concerning anything to do with fighting. Raids, war, what have you." While Ruina didn't last long enough to do the latter two things, Ace had his fair share of shortly after leaving his birth pack. He had experience in it, and most of his scars were evidence of that. Of course, he hadn't told anyone about the scars he got from the bear in his childhood. The albino woman he met a while back knew, but she had been the only one to really ask about them. Ace looked the male over, though he couldn't quite tell how good of a fighter he was. Shaye had mentioned that this would be the guy to rank him and assumed he himself had some fighting experience under his belt, though he wasn't sure. He wasn't about to jump to conclusions or judge him on his lack of scars. After all, those could also be attained by a myriad of losses as well as wins. "If you'd like, maybe I can show you what I can do one of the days, if not today." In fact, Ace was eager to brawl. He hadn't had a good one since fighting Elias, though if he had been able to predict his brother's abandonment, he was sure he would have done more to him that day. "Speak"

"Talk" Walk The man introduced himself as Rhyme Imperialis. A soft and quiet 'wow' escaped him. Imperialis sounded like a cool name! And the guy looked pretty cool, too! He got right down to it, asking them each a question. He waited for his uncle to finish speaking, then responded. "Yeah, I do. Just like my uncle! He's a great warrior, but you can probably already see that," He peeked at his uncle for a moment who started to look embarrassed, and yet Ignis could only grin. He always looked up to his uncle. And he had plenty of reasons to do so. "You a fighter too, Mr. Rhyme? You look like one, do you have any cool battle scars? Or stories?" He fell quiet when his uncle shushed him, but Ignis couldn't help it. He was pretty curious, and if he had the opportunity to ask questions then by god he was going to ask them!

Acere was quick to reply to Rhyme’s statements, giving him a quick history lesson in his previous roles. He had been lead fighter in the pack they had come from, the experience giving Rhyme a hopeful feeling for Acere’s future. The Imperialis nodded, taking in the information and internally processing his words. The man’s experience was more visible than Rhyme’s own, but he held his own internal scars. Acere went on to offer a physical demonstration and Rhyme smiled at the offer. "Your experience sound more than valuable to Abaven,” Rhyme offered. "We could arrange something..” He thought for a short moment before Ignis spoke up. The younger boy didn’t hide his admiration well, and Rhyme wasn’t sure what to make of it. He’d never been the object of such reverence. He managed to smile at the boy though, ready to answer the myriad of questions asked. "I am, though no scars are visible through my fur, thanks to my mother who is an excellent healer.” Acere seemed to shush the boy’s enthusiasm, but the alpha did not mind. "There will be plenty of time for me to tell you my stories later, I’ll be taking you as my apprentice.” Rhyme wondered if the boy would be as excited to join the apprenticeship as he was. He looked back to the firey boy’s pale guardian. "But, I believe we have some testing to do. You say you’re up for a spar now?” "”

Were he the more bashful type, he probably would have blushed and been embarrassed about the things Ignis said about him. He did his best for these kids, and it was evident he was doing a well enough job to gain such praise and admiration from his nephew. He had been training the whelp since he was quite young, and the boy had even witnessed him fighting off a pack of coyotes to save his sister. Though as Ignis began to pelt Rhyme with questions, he began to shush the boy, though it seemed Ignis was pretty pleased with himself and merely wanted to know about Abaven's secondary. He was a curious kid, and who was Ace to try and stop that? Ace returned his attention to Rhyme when he spoke of Ace's skills potentially being valuable to Abaven. The pale man was eager to help where he could, especially in a pack that seemed to lack in that department. At least, from what he had learned, anyway. Abaven needed fighters according to Shaye, so he would do his part where he could. Rhyme responded to Ignis, and Ace listened quietly. The other indulged his nephew's questions and even told the young male he'd be apprenticing with him. He watched Ignis' reaction, and it was just as expected. His attention turned to Rhyme once again when the male spoke to him, and Ace nodded. "Yes, I believe I am." Ace wasn't sure how well he'd do against the man, he didn't know how experienced he was or anything. On top of that, Rhyme was more well-rested then Ace was. He'd been a loner with the kids for quite some time, and his energy and physique wasn't where he wanted it to be quite yet. He was sure he'd do fairly well for this test, and should he lose, then he would simply work himself until he was back at peak condition like he had been before Ruina's fall. "Speak"

"Talk" Walk Rhyme told him that he was a good fighter but that no scars showed because of his mom. Well, that was pretty dang cool! His mom must be a really great healer then! Then when Rhyme said he'd tell him stories later and broke the news that he was going to be his apprentice, Ignis lit up! "Really!? That'd be awesome!" His tail beat the ground as his excitement grew. He couldn't wait to start training with him! Maybe he knew things that his uncle didn't? He couldn't wait to tell his sister, either! And then he wondered if she had a mentor, or if Rhyme would also mentor her. But wait, did she even want to be a fighter? He got to thinking about that, but it lasted a brief moment since the two adults started talking among themselves. Ignis looked from one to the other. Oh! Were they about to spar? He grinned as he quietly slipped a few feet away, just enough so that he wouldn't get in the way of things.

Of course Rhyme didn’t believe Ace was in his peak condition, but even still half exhausted from his journey Rhyme was sure he could accurately judge his skill. He had no intention of it being an intense fight, there would be no blood drawn. Rhyme smiled at Ignis, his excitement was not discounted. He did seem as excited as Rhyme felt. For now though, they had a spar to focus on. The Imperialis let himself shift into appropriate defenses. Ears back, eyes narrowed and his teeth bared. As his hackles rose, knees bent, and his weight shifted evenly between his limbs. Rhyme didn’t waste any time as Acere told him he was ready. With as much speed as he could muster with the small distance between them Rhyme aimed to come at Acere with a fury. He’d attempt to close the distance between them, aiming the broad side of his right shoulder at the center of Acere’s broad left shoulder. He didn’t want to cause any bruises, but wanted to push Acere around a bit. At the same time he’d aim his shining jaws at the base of Acere’s skull and spine, wanting to grab and gain control of the pale man’s head. Rhyme v Acere for unjudged spar Round 1 of 2? (for quickness) "”

Ace mimicked Rhyme when the alpha set his defenses. He settled into the familiar stance that came naturally to him. Legs set equidistant apart for balance, toes spreading and claws biting the earth. Ears flattened as his eyes narrowed, tail aligning with his spine and head, chin tucking over his throat and shoulders rolling forward. The simple actions of setting his defenses always came effortlessly to the male. He had fought since he was younger than Ignis was now, so it all usually came without thought majority of the time.

When Rhyme came at him, Acere was prepared. He carefully watched Rhyme's movements, ready to make his own moves when the time was right. As soon as Rhyme burst forward to close the distance between them, Ace immediately rose upon his hind legs and sought to counter rhyme's thrust with a thrust of his own, throwing the left side of his chest up and forward in an attempt to slam it into Rhyme's right shoulder. It was an effort to catch him off guard, maybe make him rethink what he was doing and potentially unbalance him and force him back.

As he did this, he sought to wrap his forelegs on either side of Rhyme's neck to try and gain a hold and keep him close. Simultaneously his head tilted to his left as he then sought a grip with his teeth on the right side of Rhyme's neck. He knew this was a test, so he held back so as not to draw too much blood if any. Because of his motions, Rhyme's bite would instead land on the right side of Ace's neck, pinching the loose flesh there and causing Ace to growl with irritation.

Acere vs Rhyme for Unjudged Spar
Round: 1/2
Height: 45"
Build: Heavy

 speech Thought Quote

"Talk" Walk He carefully watched as the two males prepared themselves for their spar. Crimson gaze studying every movement. From the way their lips twitched to form their snarls and bared fangs, to how they moved their legs to better their balance. When the two men clashed, Ignis' fur stood on end with excitement. The only time he'd seen his uncle in action was against the pack of coyotes that threatened to hurt his sister. He absorbed what he saw like a sponge, storing it away in his mind for later use. It was in moments like this that he knew he wanted to be a fighter. A warrior. To be the best in the lands so that everyone knew his name!

Rhyme was met instead of with Ace’s shoulder he’d gain his chest. Acere had reared, but Rhyme remained on all four feet. Acere came crashing onto his shoulder, and he felt a bit of bruising but he imagined Acere’s might have been worse. He let Acere wrap his arms around his neck, but the lithe alpha tried to push against the heavier male. His goal was to topple the white titan backwards as his balance would be more compromise than his own. With his tail still flagged behind him and his feet evenly distance for balance with knees bent. With his hackles raised, ears back and eyes narrowed as Ace’s teeth befell the right side of Rhyme’s neck, gripping similar to his own bite at Acere’s neck. Rhyme attempted to readjust his grip, aiming to grab more of his opponent’s flesh at the right side of Acere’s neck behind his head. He’d want to use this grip to help put Acere on the ground. Rhyme v Acere for unjudged spar Round 2 of 2 "”

He had succeeded in some of his attempts, but what he didn't expect was for Rhyme to not follow him in his movements. Crimson gaze narrowed, and try as he might, he could feel himself losing his balance. He needed to change the course of this fight, and fast. He sought to keep his grip around Rhyme's neck, though he was being pushed back as well. He had to readjust his bite, to try and keep himself from being pushed, or at the very least, drag Rhyme down with him. Ace briefly let go of his hold on Rhyme, but that was all Rhyme apparently needed to bring him down. As soon as he had done that, Rhyme had readjusted his own bite on his scruff, tugging and pulling it. That along with Rhyme's pushing had sealed the deal for this fight. Ace hadn't been quick enough. He was falling backward, a growl erupting from his throat as his back hit the ground. He was surprised, but then again, he didn't know what Rhyme's skills were before this fight. He brought his tail up to cover his underside, and he knew he needed to submit. Rhyme had bested him today. "I yield!" He waited for Rhyme to move before picking himself up and shaking off his coat. "You win...for today, anyway." His tone held a hint of friendliness. "speech"