Indigo was growing like a weed. His legs were lengthening and his proportions were becoming more and more skewed. The boy had a very long way to go until he could be called anything other than a big oaf. One day he would be an impressive sight, but as a pup he looked gangly with a dash of scraggle. Indy didn’t possess the confidence he would eventually grasp hold of, now he doubted almost every decision he made. He felt like he hardly knew anything at all, and worse he knew that he was a defenseless pup.

The young Fatalis boy knew his father wanted him to grow up brave and strong so Indy got it in his head early that he needed to fight. He needed to be like his dad: huge, powerful, and feared throughout the land. That was who Indigo wanted to be when he got older. Even if he had a ‘girly’ habit of keeping plants. He was going to show all of them that he was going to be the strongest. So he had to start with training.

The boy made his way to the arenas within the plains. He chose one and tilted his head to ask for someone to spar with him.

Gimli was bored more often than not, and as he lied flat on his back beneath a tree, a paw in the air as he swiped at the leaves that fell from the breeze every now and then, he sighed before closing his eyes. It was lonely as all heck. He was lonely. While the other puppies played together or interacted and did things together, he felt like an outcast. He wasn't sure if it was because he was a dwarf or they didn't see him as one of their own, but whatever the case, it was starting to get to him. He felt like he had to grow up before faster thanks to both parents leaving him, but even with his sire back, nothing really changed.

He was still here. On his own. Left to his own devices. Occasionally, his aunt checked on him, but that still didn't fill the void that everything had left in him.

So when he heard someone else call for a spar, he flipped over onto his stomach and thought about it for a moment. He didn't know who called, but he understood the tone behind it. He, of course, wouldn't pass up the opportunity. If they didn't come to him, he supposed he'd have to go to them. Not even to prove himself to them, no. He wanted to prove to himself he was better.

Getting to his feet, he went in search of the caller and it didn't take long before he reached the border to the allied pack and he spotted him. A large, gangly boy that was purple. Gimli almost couldn't believe his eyes and had to do a double take. He hadn't seen someone with such colors before, and it was certainly interesting compared to his mixed brown coat. Approaching the other boy, he gazed up at him. The difference between them was their height and color, and of course, Gimli was the only wolf he knew with a beard of sorts. It was neatly braided and held together with a clip bearing Tyr's symbol, something he chose for himself that represented him.

"Ye called fer a spar? Min' if I join ye?" He asked curiously, though his tone was guarded. Would the boy accept? Or try to chase him away?

His call was quickly answered, Indigo blinked back his vibrant sapphire eyes as he watched the other pup approach. Even though the Fatalis boy was younger he was already taller than the dwarf wolf. Not that he had near the control the Klein boy would have over his limbs either. As Indy studied his opponent more closely his confidence only fell, could he really do this? How could he be strongest if he was already intimidated by a pup only slightly older than he was?

Indigo tried to look confident, but his ears still fell to his head as the stranger pup said he’d like to be the one to spar with him. Indy lost his voice, but nodded enthusiastically as he spread his limbs and bent his joints. He wanted to warm the other boy he was new and didn’t know what he was doing but no words came out before his first attack.

The taller boy did what came naturally to him, Indigo aimed to wrap his front limbs around his opponents shoulders and sink in his claws as he aimed to take a bite out of the side of Gimli’s neck. This fight wasn’t near as intense as Indy had been when his brother startled him into a fight. He was thinking too much now, everything had been more natural and instinctual when fighting Azure for his life.

Indigo Arcturus Fatalis vs Gimli for Spar
Round: 1 of 2?
Age: under 6mos
Size: Dire wolf
Build: Heavy
Mutation 1: Saber fangs - Offensive
Mutation 2: Lion's mane - Defensive (dense neck fur right now)
Mutation 3: Cat claws - Offensive
Skills: Beginner Fighter & Beginner Healer
Specialty: N/A

It seemed that for a long moment, the boy would stare at him. He said nothing, only nodding to Gimli's question. The dwarf boy was slightly confused...did the purple brute talk? Could he? Was he shy maybe? While Gimli himself wasn't really the shy type, he could understand if the younger boy was. They were strangers to each other, after all, and besides...he was used to being around not so friendly folk. The other puppies ignored him unless it was for training or something, but at that point they were kinda forced to interact with him. Whatever the case was with this boy, at least they could get some practice in together. At least he got an enthusiastic nod and a warning by way of the boys stance before he was charged at.

Gimlie grinned as he flexed his own paws into the dirt, aiming to get some traction before he kicked off the ground. As the pair sought each other, Gimli's eyes darted beneath the larger boy. Like in previous fights, the other youth decided to try and wrap him up in a hug, and Gimli of course, was always ready for that. Only...in this instance, he was forced to move faster than anticipated. As Indy aimed to wrap him in a hug, he saw those claws come out and he was thrown off for a second. Eyes went wide when he saw them, and out of reflex, he ducked his head away and nearly tripped over his own feet trying to dodge out of the way. He stumbled, and couldn't catch himself in time as his momentum had taken him to the ground along with the way he moved. Normally, he aimed to slide beneath his opponents when they were larger, but this time, he was on Indy's right side and not underneath him. At least those devil claws missed as did those big teeth!

In a matter of seconds, he figured he'd need to improvise. Reaching out with his forepaws, he sought to hook Indy's hind leg in like a child grabbing onto his parents leg in an effort to trip him up, too. Not only that, but he sought to use that to pull himself closer and reached with his teeth to bite at the boys abdomen. Not too hard, of course, but enough to hopefully cause some discomfort and further trip up the larger brute.

Gimli Ahlberg-Klein vs Indigo for Spar
Round 1/2
Age: under 1yr
Size: Small
Build: Heavy
Companion 1: Norwegian forest cat, Male - Battle - Boosted
Skills: Advanced Fighter & Beginner Navigator
Specialty: N/A

Indigo was indeed a little bit shy of strangers, even the small Klein boy was a bit too much for the young Fatalis. Even if he couldn’t manage to offer the other boy words the smaller was receptive to a spar. Indy began with little warning, but he held a smile on his features as they began. One day the boy would be as close to a saber toothed cat as Boreas had seen in a millenia. Now he was more like a kitten, but his claws were sharp and Gimli wasn’t expecting them.

While Indigo didn’t land any of his attacks he still managed to put his opponent off guard. Gimli was rolled to the side as Indy returned to all four paws. Before he could think the smaller Klein boy was latched onto his leg and pulling himself closer, before he could bite Indy was curling back towards him. Gimli’s teeth latched onto his belly and the young Fatalis yipped. Not letting his brain even work he instinctively aimed to flop over onto his opponent. He wanted to land his full puppy weight to drive the air from Gimli’s lungs and squish him beneath his body.

Indigo Arcturus Fatalis vs Gimli for Spar
Round: 2 o 2
Age: under 6mos
Size: Dire wolf
Build: Heavy
Mutation 1: Saber fangs - Offensive
Mutation 2: Lion's mane - Defensive (dense neck fur right now)
Mutation 3: Cat claws - Offensive
Skills: Beginner Fighter & Beginner Healer
Specialty: N/A

He had managed to grab onto the other boy's leg and was now seemingly hanging on for dear life. Okay, maybe not for dear life but to keep his hold and restrict the other boys movement as much as possible. After all, it was slow going when you had a weight shackled to your leg, right? Teeth found purchase on the purple boy's stomach, though Gimli didn't keep his hold there for very long. Very quickly, he heard a yelp and Indy was turning in towards him. Gimli promptly released the hold he had with his teeth and sharply turned his head away before he got it pinned or something. As Indy sought to bring his weight down on him, Gimli would keep the hold he had on Indy's hind leg, but twist the lower half of body around so that his hind legs were facing towards Indy's body as much as he could. He aimed to try and stop Indy from crushing him by kicking his legs repeatedly like a cat pummeling another in the hopes it'd deter the purple kid or make him rethink what he was trying to do.  It was only thanks to his oversize cat companion that he even knew to do this....the only difference was, he wished he was as flexible as his companion because man, that feline could put itself into all sorts of positions and not feel a thing! Was he straining his body in this position? Yes. Did this feel awkward as hell? Also yes. But the smaller wolf had to constantly improvise when all he fought was larger opponents. And even though this boy was younger than him, Gimli knew Indy would be a lot bigger than he would ever. Still, he was younger. He was a pup. He looked nervous before their spar. So while the dwarf boy had never pulled any punches before, he sort of did this time. He didn't try to bite as hard as he normally would have, but just enough to make it irritating at least.


Gimli Ahlberg-Klein vs Indigo for spar
Round 2/2
Age: under 1yr
Size: Small
Build: Heavy
Companion 1: Norwegian forest cat, Male - Battle - Boosted
Skills: Advanced Fighter & Beginner Navigator
Specialty: N/A

And the winner is...

GIMLI

INDIGO must give up by submitting, fleeing or passing out. Totals: Indigo: 141.75 (22, 20, 94, 58 - Adjusted to 27.5, 23, 94, 58) Gimli: 159.45 (3, 46, 11, 96 - Adjusted to 3.6, 48.3, 11.55, 96)

- nyx