Excitement pounds through Fern as she once again approaches the tournament area. With her last win, the gray girl knows that her next opponent will be Briar’s mother. Nervousness starts to tint the edges of her eagerness and, while the first time the gray girl had laid eyes on the Queen was at the wedding ceremony, she could tell that the older wolf knows how to fight. As Zee approaches, Fern offers the emaciated woman a smile and happy wag as she says, “Good luck!”

With her greeting done, Fern shifts into serious mode and quickly setting her defenses before rushing in toward Zee. Her gray form runs straight at the Queen, appearing to all who look, as if Fern is going to take the woman head on. However, the girl does not want to get in range of the woman’s horns and, at the last possible moment, she shifts her paws to carry her toward Zee’s right side. As she takes her first stride along the woman’s right side, Fern once again changes course, pivoting on the spot to launch herself up toward the Queen’s neck. She tries to grab the older wolf’s scruff in an attempt to control the woman’s horned head.


Fern vs Zeitgeist for Dominance
Round 1/2
Age: Over 1 year
Size: Medium
Build: Medium
Mutation 1: Enhanced vision - Perception
Skills: Master Fighter & Master Hunter


"Fern Lark"

While being terribly out of practice and shape, Zee somehow managed to pull off a second win. Being declared the victor was easier in the last fight, knowing it was not her own daughter's spirit she'd crushed on the way to building up her own. She nodded respectfully toward her departing opponent, and shuffled into the next ring to await the next. This wolf again was unfamiliar to her, but Zee greeted her with a soft smile regardless. Her monochromatic opponent's wagging tail did help to ease her nerves, and the Fatalis Queen's own wagged tentatively in reply. "You too." She echoed, shifting into her stance as it became clear the fight was about to be underway. This time she was not able to get the first move in and a flicker of panic swelled in her chest as Fern barreled down upon her. Her speed and agility was the only clear advantage she had over the other - who, while not matching the size of her last two opponents, Fern was surprisingly smaller than even herself - still had weight on her own emaciated form. It took an adjustment to begin to think like a small wolf and not the titans she was used to fighting. It was common for an oversized beast to rush her head on, to destroy her ability to fight back with a well-timed grapple of their significant weight. Being smaller in stature herself, Zee was able to determine roughly the concept of the bait. Fern's attack was nearly identical to the one Zee herself had used in the last match, and curving her body swiftly to the side she managed to narrowly dodge the teeth that grasped for her scruff. The feel of jaws parting through her hardened fur reminded of her mutation too late - it was new, acquired in the Long Night and so far had yet to be bit. Zee was not yet aware of how best to use it in combat, or whether or not the grab would have been lessened had she allowed the jaws to find purchase. Cursing herself, she put the thought out of her mind to focus on the immediate. Fern's muzzle was close and Zee's own darted out in an attempt to clasp her jaws overtop the younger woman's bridge of her snout as it withdrew. Zeitgeist Fatalis vs Fern for Tournament Spar Round 1/2 Age: Over 1 Year Size: Medium Build: Emaciated Mutation 1: Kudu horns (small) - Offensive Mutation 2: Thicker crystalline fur - Defensive Skills: Master Navigator & Master Fighter "Speech"

The Queen is an experienced fighter and it doesn’t come as much of a surprise that she is ready for Fern’s attack. Zee dodges the girl’s teeth and, as the disappointed girl pulls away, the older wolf strikes out like a snake grabbing unsuspecting prey and latches her jaws around the girl’s snout. Blue eyes widen in shock as instinct quickly kicks in, causing her to plant her back legs and raises her front end. Pale paws strike out, aiming to slap at the slightly taller wolf’s face in a bid to get the jaws off her own. Weight sinks down into her paws and, in a last-ditch effort to win, Fern pushes off the ground in an attempt to send both herself and Zee sprawling. Maybe she can even get lucky and pin her!

Fern vs Zeitgeist for Dominance
Round 2/2
Age: Over 1 year
Size: Medium
Build: Medium
Mutation 1: Enhanced vision - Perception
Skills: Master Fighter & Master Hunter


"Fern Lark"

Feeling her jaws touch skin for the first time in seasons brought pause to the Queen's ambition to win, hesitation holding back the full extent of her limited strength. There was a small hope that the other wolf might just surrender here where they were, but as Fern's paws came up and fell heavily upon Zee's face she knew it was too much to hope for. If the tournament wasn't so public, so readily able to reflect poorly upon her pack and her mate, Zee might have considered submitting herself, if only so she'd not be made to draw blood upon another so soon into her return to combat. Her eyes squeezed shut against the flailing paws upon her face, her jaws locked in a middling grip upon Fern's muzzle. With her eyes closed, the change of pressure was harder to navigate. It wasn't until Fern was nearly done her maneuver and had lifted off the ground entirely. This would be what determined the victor - Zee forced herself to try and maintain her hold upon the maw, her own paws coming up and aiming to fall down upon the woman's shoulders before she could tip their weights over, to stabilize them both before she could fall into an unwilling pin. Zeitgeist Fatalis vs Fern for Tournament Spar Round 2/2 Age: Over 1 Year Size: Medium Build: Emaciated Mutation 1: Kudu horns (small) - Offensive Mutation 2: Thicker crystalline fur - Defensive Skills: Master Navigator & Master Fighter "Speech"

And the winner is...

Zeitgeist

Fern must give up by submitting, fleeing or passing out. Totals: Fern : Attack Roll: 24 Defense Roll: 18 Agility Roll: 42 Perception Roll: 37 Total: 121 Attack[24] + 35% Bonus[8.40]: 32.40 Defense[18] + 0% Bonus[0.00]: 18.00 Agility[42] + 0% Bonus[0.00]: 42.00 Perception[37] + 10% Bonus[3.70]: 40.70 Total[133.10] + 25% Bonus[33.28]: 166.38 Zeitgeist: Attack Roll: 41 Defense Roll: 6 Agility Roll: 69 Perception Roll: 84 Total: 200 Attack[41] + 15% Bonus[6.15]: 47.15 Defense[6] + 5% Bonus[0.30]: 6.30 Agility[69] + 25% Bonus[17.25]: 86.25 Perception[84] + 0% Bonus[0.00]: 84.00 Total[223.70] + 25% Bonus[55.92]: 279.62