He trotted easily across the Field, cloaked in the grey of pre-dawn. He was determined, intent on building his skill and knowledge, and climbing the ranks. He meant to wear the Rainbow Moonstone of the Sentinel on his necklace if it killed him… though he preferred to stay alive. His last trip here he had received an inexperienced opponent. It would be interesting to see what he found today. How many wolves would be searching for a spar at the crack of dawn? Above him, Chrystal floated like a ghost, enjoying the lighting more than full daylight, though she tried her best to stay with him during the day. He was fully armored as he had been last time, and he searched for a good spot to take a stand. He found a spot by a pool of water, and the ground at the water’s edge was laid thick with slick mud. He pressed a bracered paw into it, testing the slip factor and found it to be possibly a good challenge to fight in. Finally, settling into a relaxed stance, he tipped his head back and sang a summons for an opponent, tail giving a brief wag as Chrystal circled above. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

Eligos stepped into the battleground flanked by his grinning dog proteges and clad in brand new, unfamiliar armor. It still felt awkward and strange to him, and Kida and Cypher thought the whole thing was a hilarious new game and had taken turns trying to sneak up and tug on the leather armor until he had cuffed them both around until they were both flashing theor bellies and grinning submissively. The leather felt a bit stiff yet, and he thought it wise to get used to the weight and awkwardness in sparring before he really needed it, so he had made his way to the battlefield. There, he waited quietly for a time rather than wander and waste energy, until finally a call rose over the land and he rose with it, trotting towards the source. The wind brought him the scent of his opponent before he saw him, so when he came upon the other male he merely nodded stiffly and said in greeting, "Valhallan." No other words were needed; they bith knew what they were there for. Eli settled into a fighting stance, and waited.

It seemed there were those who looked for spars at the crack of dawn. It was none other than the alpha from Aerie. Cai’s eyes flicked to the two dogs, well aware that they might play a part in the spar. While he hadn’t quite expected an alpha to answer his call, Cairo nonetheless flashed an easy grin at the man, nodding and answering, “Eligos.” He was already stanced, but dropped into a light, playful bow before springing forward, claws sinking into the mud beneath him for purchase as he sought to come in face to face with the alpha, keeping eye contact, though his peripheral watched both the man’s body and for the fuzzy forms of the two dogs. He sought to abruptly swerve slightly to his left, Eli’s right, aiming to plant the point of his armored right shoulder in a ramming blow to the right side of Eligos’ chest, hoping to catch him inside the jointure of his right shoulder and jar it, at the very least to heavily bruise the right side of his chest. His head cocked to his left, jaws pointing to his right as he sought to duck his head downward and inward with a sharp twist, aiming to clamp his front teeth down on the back of Eligos’ right elbow for a hard pinch, keeping tabs on the dark-and-gold man’s movements as he went. Cairo Lanze Adravendi vs (Eligos Abraxas) for (Spar) Round 1/2 Age: Over 1 Year Size: Large Build: Heavy Offensive Battle Accessory: Bear claw bracers Defensive Battle Accessory: Torso armor Companion 1: Barn Owl, Female - Flying Companion 2: Mandrill, Male - Battle Skills: Expert Fighter & Advanced Hunter Specialty: N/A Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

The other male grinned and greeted him just as simply, before dropping into a silly play bow and leaping forward. While Eligos mught have sighed at the nonsense if he hadn't been focused on the fight, it immediately racheted the malinois pair's energy level through the roof, eliciting screeching barks from both of them as they raced in circles around both Cairo and Eligos.

When Cairo dove in, Eligos shifted, swinging his hindquarters to the left and stepping forward so that both the charge and the bite would land on the wide y-shaped leather breastplate, seeking both to slam the leather against the nipping muzzle and drive Cairo back.

The overlapping leather armor was surprisingly easy to move in, but the weight threw off his balance just enough to make him need to pay close attention. The helmet bisected his vision as well in a disconcerting manner, but neither was debilitating; he would be able to get used to it woth practice.

His head low, he brought it up sharply, seeking to slide the knife-sharp edge if his helmet ridge against the right side of Cairo's neck (a gentler motion than he might have used in a real fight, but still one intended to cut) as he raised his head and snapped his jaws towards Cairo's ear with the intension of grabbing it at the base and gripping there. As he did, Kida - always the more forethoughtful of the malinois - took the opportunity to dive for Cairo's left hind, seeking a grip just above his hock in an attempt to jerk it towards her like a particularly violent game of tug.

Eligos Abraxas vs Cairo for Spar
Round 1/2
Age: over 1
Size: Extra large
Build: Medium
Offensive Battle Accessory: Centurion Helmet
Defensive Battle Accessory: Leather Armor
Companion 1: Malinos, Male - Battle
Companion 2: Malinois, Female - Battle
Skills: Advanced Fighter & Beginner Intellectual
Specialty: N/A

Goodness those dogs got excited quick. He knew Chrystal would alert him to their attacks though, and so remained mostly attentive to Eligos. The man shifted, and Cairo abandoned the nip for his elbow as he used the slick mud beneath their paws, skidding slightly as his bracer claws dug down to the hard layer of dirt beneath to pivot on his front end, hind end swinging with a slippery hop to his left, aiming to bring himself facing the same way as Eli, side to side. The movement was an effective evasion of the female dog’s dive for his leg, as he sought to counter Eligos’ head swing and bid for his ear by lunging forward and aiming to snatch Eli’s lower jaw between his own teeth – carefully – though it was likely to place his muzzle firmly in the way of a bite as he aimed to throw the point of his left shoulder into Eligos’ right side, more for a ramming than anything as he shifted his weight into his other three legs, left seeking to snap up and forward to wrap around the inside of Eli’s right foreleg and grapple it above the wrist, hoping to drag it backward toward himself. Chrystal meanwhile stooped and sought to dart in at Eligos’s face on the left side, talons outstretched, giving a screech, aiming to distract the man at most, though she kept an eye out for the dogs as well. Cairo Lanze Adravendi vs (Eligos Abraxas) for (Spar) Round 2/2 Age: Over 1 Year Size: Large Build: Heavy Offensive Battle Accessory: Bear claw bracers Defensive Battle Accessory: Torso armor Companion 1: Barn Owl, Female - Flying Companion 2: Mandrill, Male - Battle Skills: Expert Fighter & Advanced Hunter Specialty: N/A Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

Cairo's quick motion sent Kida skidding past in the mud in her attempt to change direction to keep up with him, but the inexperienced dog couldn't keep her footing in the uncertain terrain and ended up rolling. Cairo's attempt to keep him from his bite made him reverse the direction abruptly, tucking his chin against his throat and seeking to slam the helmet down on top of Cairo's muzzle. He remembered at the last moment to tilt his head to keep the sharp ridge from making contact, lest it cause more damage than a cordial spar called for. He squinted his eyes nearly shut and braced himself for the bird's attack, though he knew the cheek pieces of the helmet with their own sharp ridges should ward off any real attack. Tension evident in his form and paws flexed to drive his dull claws in for grip, he sought to shove forward against Cairo in an attempt to drive the other male further into the mud in the hopes of causing his paws to slip. With a yip of excitement, the muddy Cypher flung himself onto Eligos' back to race along the leather armor like a ramp before flinging himself over their heads with the intention of landing on Cairo like a furry cannonball, twisting to pivot so he'd land towards Eligos, teeth aimed for the scruff of Cairo's neck.

Eligos Abraxas vs Cairo for Spar
Round 2/2
Age: over 1
Size: Extra large
Build: Medium
Offensive Battle Accessory: Centurion Helmet
Defensive Battle Accessory: Leather Armor
Companion 1: Malinos, Male - Battle
Companion 2: Malinois, Female - Battle
Skills: Advanced Fighter & Beginner Intellectual
Specialty: N/A

And the winner is...

CAIRO

ELIGOS must give up by submitting, fleeing or passing out. Totals: Cairo: 283.2 Rolls: 72 92 2 24 Adjusted: 97.2 110.4 2 26.4 Eligos: 277.84 Rolls: 61 95 21 29 Adjusted: 82.35 109.25 21 29

He had been holding his own well enough until the sudden weight of a dog leaping off his shoulders when he was already unbalanced in his own attack sent him face first into the mud. He came back up dripping muck from his face, blinking it out of his eyes, and glaring dolefully at the entirely unrepentent canine who had resumed racing around and barking. Kida, who he could usually count on to be the more serious of the pair, was curled up in paroxysms of mirth, her howls of laughter lacing his ears back in long-suffering annoyance. All right, there was no point in continuing the fight when those two clowns had so thoroughly contributed to stomping him into the ground - a more literal metaphor than it usually was. Well, he could admit when he was beat, anyway, and gave Cairo a helpless shrug before he shook his head, attempting to clean the mud from his eyes without swiping a paw over his face and risking cutting himself on his own helmet. Wouldn't that just be the icing on the cake? "It seems I have a lot more work to do before these two can be allowed in public," he said dryly. "You fight well, Valhallan."