Tsarvix Pyrrhic had listed off a multitude of names while matching attendees with their sparring partners. Tsarvix of course didn't recognize any of them; he'd not been a member of The Risen Empire long enough to be introduced to the other wolves. He knew Pyrrhic, and that was enough for him. As he waited to learn who this Aureus was, the other wolves met their pairs and split off to find space to spar. The only one left behind was a cream-colored titan who looked exactly like Pyrrhic. The chocolate male looked from his opponent and then back towards his God, unable to contain his disbelief. This had to be some sort of sick joke.   Tsarvix had absolutely no intention to disobey Pyrrhic however ridiculous his request may be. He didn't know why out of all the wolves he had matched with Pyrrhic's doppelganger but he intended to put forth his best effort in this spar regardless. He met Pyrrhic's -no, Aureus's gaze with as much confidence as he could muster and swallowed. This was to be his first spar in these new lands and his first fight since he was young. Tsarvix wanted desperately to prove himself, but as he sized up his opponent and planned out his attack he couldn't help but feel like to harm this look-alike was a horrendous sin. His ears pulled back and he tried in vain to see Aureus as anything other then his beloved deity. This wasn't fair, this was playing dirty. "You can start." He muttered and sighed, unable to bring himself to make the first move. "Speech" "You" "Think"

TIED TO WHAT IS LATE, AIN'T YOU NOW

Aureus fidgeted with eagerness as his brother spoke, pride filling his bosom. Pyrr really was the best choice as heir. He held himself like a leader and Aureus felt a small twinge of jealousy as his brother fell so naturally into his roll within the pack. Aureus had a simple roll for now. He was a soldier, but every so often he flirted with the idea of something more prominent. He was the brother of the heir after all. He should be making a name for himself.

They were paired into spars and he glanced over at the man he was to duel. A good-sized man of an average build. He glanced at his panther companion. "Why don't you sit this fight out Kali?" The panther shrugged. "If it pleases you." He slipped over to a tree in the courtyard and quickly climbed it to get a good vantage point for watching the spars.

Aureus moved to stand across from Tsarvix, gazing curiously at the new male. He'd heard of the man that Pyrr had recruited. The man didn't seem to certain. Had Pyrrhic neglected to tell the man he had a twin? Aureus grinned as he was given the first move. "Excellent. Good luck to you, lets have some fun."

His defenses fell into place with practiced precision, hackles laced down his back as he rolled his shoulders forward, his neck scrunching back. Ears pinned tight to his head as his tail shifted to align with his spine. He adjusted his weight across his limbs and steadied himself into a strong stance.

Eyeing his opponent for a moment he suddenly burst forward in an attempt to close the distance between himself and Tsarvix as Aureus sought to charge him directly head on. His upper body would lift, his weight shifting across his back legs, his tail fanning out wide for added stability, as he attempted to lift both his front legs off the ground. He sought to wrap his left forelimb around the right side and back of the base of Tsar's neck, right in front of his shoulders.  Aureus aimed to wrap his right forepaw behind Tsar's left foreleg, just below the elbow in a bid to pull the limb back towards himself to unbalance the other male.  At the same time as he attempted to wrap his fore limbs around his opponent, Aureus also tried to slam the exact center of his chest into the base of Tsar's neck where it connected to the chest.  Aureus hoped to cause bruising as well as knock the air from the other mans lungs, hoping the combination of his pulling limbs and pushing chest might throw his opponent off balance and take the man to the ground.

Also in conjunction with his other attacks his head would tip down just a bit more, having already been tipped for his defenses, as his jaws splayed wide in an effort to bite the man's face.  Aureus sought to angle his head slightly to his own left so that his upper fangs would land just above Tsar's right eye and his lower fangs seeking to hook under the corner of Tsar's right-sided jaw.  He wanted to get a firm hold and also tear deep into flesh in hopes that the bleeding wound over Tsar's right eye might run into the eye and temporarily blind the man.

Aureus vs Tsarvix for Spar
Round 1 of ?
Size: Extra Large
Build: Heavy
Fight skill: Expert

Tsarvix Tsarvix readied himself as Aureus wished him luck, nodding his head in response. He was concentrating too hard to lose himself in politeness. Perhaps the other would take it badly, but the doppelganger wouldn't understand Tsarvix's hesitance even if he tried to explain. He began with the easiest of the defenses, balance. Sliding his paws along the dirt, they were to spread just enough past his shoulders and hips to bear his weight. His toes splayed wide, his claws digging into the ground for traction. He lowered himself slightly for a more favorable center of gravity, head ducking to come in line with his spinal cord. With balance handled, he focused on protection next. Ears pulled back tight against his neck and eyes narrowed as he recalled his training. The fur upon his hackles puffed, as did the ruffles upon his neck and back. He knew to protect his throat, and so he angled his muzzle sharply downwards. Lastly, his paws lifted one after the other to loosen the muscles in his shoulders before jutting them upwards slightly in a way that gave himself a hunch. Aureus barreled towards him, and for a moment all Tsarvix wanted to do was drop everything and run from the furious God. This wasn't Pyrrhic, however, and so he steadied himself against the yearling's charge. He expected the larger male to come low- as most of the other wolves he’d fought- and was caught unawares as Aureus’ front end lifted and his left foreleg fell upon Tsarvix’s broad opposite shoulder and held. It was an unexpected strategy, and while Tsarvix thought on how best to displace the weight, Aureus’s right paw came around his left leg, and Tsarvix was forced to think quickly. Tsarvix threw his weight to his [Tsar’s] right with as much forward momentum as he could gather in the space between them, a sad attempt to push back against Aureus’ incoming impact of chest. The movement shifted his torso just far enough over that Aureus’ sternum was to land against Tsarvix’s left collar bone rather than the vulnerable windpipe. A dull warmth spread through his shoulder first, followed quickly by a hard thuddy pain. Aureus’ heavier form would cause at least a severe bruise. Now was not the time to withdraw in pain however, as Aureus’ was making an attempt to take Tsarvix to the ground. Suddenly, he felt a sudden wet tear from above his right brow and blood began to drip over his eyelashes and partially obscure his vision. He yanked his head left and away suddenly, tearing Aureus’ fangs from the skin before they could grasp firmly, but causing more blood to pour from the wound. He was unable to see past the thick cascade of crimson and squinted his right eye shut, wrenching his head forward towards Aureus as he threw himself to match Aureus’ downward pull. However, he’d for the moment not need his sight if he was successful in his attempt, as he’d try to ram the right side of his neck and head alongside Aureus’ own neck’s right side, dropping his weight to accept the fall to the ground, hopefully putting enough momentum into it that Aureus would not be able to react in time to pull his left foreleg off of Tsarvix’s shoulder. If executed correctly, Tsarvix hoped that the weight of his massive opponent would work against him, crushing his own foreleg beneath his[Tsar’s] right shoulder. It was a risky move, however, and even if it worked out the way Tsarvix intended he’d still be on the ground and subject to Aureus’ greater strength. His next move would be to ensure that he’d not be trapped beneath the giant and so he angled his muzzle sharply upwards and to the right, snapping his jaws in the direction of Aureus’ cheek in an attempt to grab hold upon whichever pocket of skin he could. He needed to land something for insurance, so that Aureus would pull back and give Tsarvix some breathing room for the next round of attacks. Aureus vs Tsarvix for Spar Round 1 of 2? Size: Medium Build: Medium Fight skill: Intermediate "Speech" "You" "Think"

A spar underway caught Malleus' eye. It was between his son Aureus and Risen's newest member, Tsarvix. Already convinced of Aureus' skill, Malleus was eager to see how Tsarvix stacked up against him. He was hoping for a demonstration of competence, but he would be satisfied if the mortal was simply promising. Although he had his misgivings about Tsarvix, he wanted the mortal's devotion to be genuine. More than that, he wanted him to be of use to the Empire. Pyrrhic had promised to teach the man their ways and to ensure he became a capable soldier, but time would tell.

TIED TO WHAT IS LATE, AIN'T YOU NOW

Aureus' limbs landed as he'd intended but as the smaller male shifted his chest would collide with the man's collar bone rather than the windpipe. He didn't bat an eye. It wasn't uncommon for an attack to be displaces and in fact it was rather common. Aureus would go with the flow as he always did. A sore spot began to form on his chest from the impact. That was the trade off of throwing oneself at an opponent, there was always going to be reciprocal damage but it only made the rush of battle more enticing. It made the fight feel real. His fangs collided successful with Tsar's face, tearing through the skin. The man jerked his head back causing Aureus' grip to fail but the wound to worsen as the man ripped himself free.

In a moment Aureus was moving to his next set, holding his defenses as best he could. And then they tumbled. Tsarvix threw his weight to his right and Aureus followed, his left foreleg being pinned beneath Tsarvix and the ground. Clever little minx! It wasn't exactly how Aureus wanted to fall but he'd always planned to go downward and he shot his jaws down toward Tsarvix's face as the other man's jaws shot up. Aureus attempted to counter Tsar's bite by seizing the other man's lower jaw betwixt his own. He aimed for his lower fangs to rest on the underside of of Tsar's lower jaw with his upper fangs on the top, digging into the mans tongue. Aureus wanted to gain a painful grip that would force his opponent to submit though there was always the chance that he'd leave the top of his own muzzle to get shredded. It was a gambit worth taking.


Aureus vs Tsarvix for Spar
Round 2 of 2
Size: Extra Large
Build: Heavy
Fight skill: Expert

Tsarvix Tsarvix felt a rush of success as he felt Aureus' limb press hard into the ground beneath his shoulder, but the pleasure was short lived as his opponent took it in stride and rather then pulling back as he'd hoped, threw forward to counter Tsar's bite with his own. With one eye temporarily blinded, he was unable to properly judge the depth between them and could not dodge the bite in time. As Aureus' teeth found purchase against his lower jaw, all Tsarvix could do was try and bite down hard against where Aureus' upper jaw closed around him and match the larger male's force best he could. It was a game of chicken, and Tsarvix was determined that if he would be the first to release his bite that first he'd suffer it for as long as he could. It may have only been a spar, but Tsarvix's instincts screamed danger the moment he lost control of his muzzle. His body scrambled to find freedom and writhed in desperation. His hindlegs were drawn close to his body and upwards, and then lashed out in Aureus' direction. Hopefully his claws could land upon his opponent's more delicate underbelly and with enough force that the other male might release his jaw. Aureus vs Tsarvix for Spar Round 2 of 2 Size: Medium Build: Medium Fight skill: Intermediate "Speech" "You" "Think"

And the winner is...

AUREUS

TSARVIX must give up by submitting, fleeing or passing out. Totals: Aureus: 269.88 Tsarvix: 138.12

- Judged by nyx

Tsarvix It became to much for him rather suddenly - Aureus maintained a firm hold upon his muzzle and Tsarvix could only bear the pain for so long before he was forced to submit. He couldn't call out very well as Aureus had held on his lower jaw, and so instead he told his body as firmly as he could to remain still and stop flailing. His eyes shut, his ears fell back upon his head and he stood there in Aureus' grip as quietly as he could while absorbing the pain. For good measure, he attempted to speak as well. "Ib gibe." His adrenaline falling away, the chocolate wolf would finally see Malleus as he watched the spars. His heart lurched and he suddenly felt like a failure. What would Pyrrhic think? "Speech" "You" "Think"

TIED TO WHAT IS LATE, AIN'T YOU NOW

Aureus' bid paid off as he seized hold of Tsar's lower jaw. Keeping his defenses up he steeled himself for a struggle but soon the fight was over as Tsarvix submitted. Aureus swiftly let go and licked his lips before speaking. "Good fight." He'd meant it to, it was a decent fight for a new recruit but Aureus' attention soon focused on his father. He turned to face Malleus, triumphant smile on his face. He was just getting better and better and it was exhilarating. Trotting over to Malleus he sat near his father. "Any notes you'd like to give me, dad?" He was always ready for feedback from the wolves he respected and there was no one alive he respected more than his father.