When the summons of a challenge rings out across the territory the vipers attention is ensnared. The voice was familiar, and despite not knowing the man personally curiosity would draw her toward the call. She greatly enjoyed witnessing challenges, especially when it drew a large crowd. She didn't get to see wolves in large quantities often so when an opportunity arose she would take it. Who knows, maybe she would find a familiar face in the mass of wolves. Emerging from the tree line she stalks toward the group quietly. A mass of wolves stands around a large and dark man whom is perched regally on a boulder. The closer she gets the more familiar he looks. Then it clicks in her head- he's the guy she met in the woods a few weeks ago, the one who had been chasing the doe. She's just about to take a seat amongst the others when a irresistible scent grabs her attention. Blood red eyes scan the crowd,  a wicked smile curling her lips as her gaze falls upon the purple form of her little sister. Internally she laughs, amusement spread across her face as she stalks over to the woman. She makes no attempts at hiding her arrival, instead approaching the girl head on. "Well well, fancy seeing you here, sister." Emphasis is placed upon the word sister, her brows furrowing in amusement. She takes a seat right beside the purple woman and deeply inhales her scent. Thankfully she didn't smell like their mothers anymore, which makes her wonder where the girl had been hiding all this time. "Absinthe, you remember me, don't you?" How could she not remember her?

She shouldn't have followed her mother all the way out here, but what was she to do? She had lost sight of Jayne...again...and she didn't think she'd find herself in such a scary place like this. At first she had thought the woman was on the other side of Fiori's territory, or perhaps in the next region over...but this field was frightening! There were so many wolves - even exotically coloured ones in green, purple and red - all gathered around. What was going on? Why were they all here? The child aimlessly wandered through the crowd, keeping away from the adult's paws so she wouldn't be trampled over. Panic gripped her chest as she desperately searched the bodies for her mother, her breaths quickening. She didn't want to be here at all. What if one of these wolves ate her up? A quiet whine slipped from her lips as she lumbered on with her search until a silvery form came into her view. Bright Moon! Though she didn't know the woman that well, it was the only familiar face she could see. After all, she felt more protected around this female than with those strangers. Slowly approaching the woman, the pup remained silent as her gaze continued to comb the crowd. By a large, slate man she found her mother in a teary state. The girl flattened her ears in confusion and fear. She had never seen her mother cry - what had happened to upset her? What was happening anyway? What if she wasn't supposed to be here? Speak Thought Others

It was hard for her to face this. She knew she had to go. The moment she heard her son's challenging howl she knew she had to be there. This was her worst fear realized. For practically as long as she had been alive there had been a conflict between her blood family and the family that she had married into. It had been a crazy dream for her to believe that they could continue to live as they had been, completely in peace. She knew Bacchus probably didn't have malicious intent behind his challenge, but all the same she hated that the wolves that she had come to respect and love so dearly were being put through this. She finally forced herself to make her way to the battlefield and when she arrived she was surprised by the large gathering of wolves that had arrived. She hesitated for a moment near the edges, but once her gaze landed on her son and then her tearful wife she could feel her heart breaking. She quietly made her way to Amalia's side and sat opposite her mother in law, the both of them sitting by her like bookends. She forced her gaze to meet Bacchus's and she could only stare. No words could leave her mouth. This isn't what she wanted. She did not want to see her son or her brother in law hurt. The father of her daughters hurt. She never truly thought of him that way, she only saw herself and Amalia as Diana and Jayne's parents, but that's what he was. Even so, there was a part of her deep down that was proud in the most sickening way possible. She remembered a time when she was an alpha herself and she had hoped that one day her sons would take her place and continue the legacy that her father had laid out for them. That dream had died long, long ago and she had accepted that as fact. In a way seeing her son strong and waiting for his first pack challenge made her proud, but she would have been truly proud and excited for him if it wasn't a challenge for Leo. If it wasn't a challenge that would disrupt the way of life for a half of her family. For her daughters. She swallowed hard and looked away, leaning down to press her nose to Ama's cheek. "Talk" "You" Think

Jayne watched both of her mothers and her sister leave after she heard some kind of howl and then as Athena left Jayne decided she better go too. After all, she had to watch out for Diana right? She went as fast as her paws would carry her without sprinting, arriving soon after Athena did. She looked around at all the wolves until she finally spotted her sister and she ran up to her, a little out of breath from her trip. She sat down close to her so that her side was pressed to Diana's. She saw their mothers a short distance away and her ears pressed back against her head when she saw how upset they looked. She followed their looks to a big blue-hued and white splattered man in the middle of the big group. He reminded her a lot of their older brother cause of how he was all big with the blue-ish fur. Was this one of their brothers? She wasn't sure. She whined softly and glanced at Diana. Did she know what was going on? Speak Thought Others

Honestly, when he heard his brother's howl he didn't know what to feel. He felt numb as he forced his paws to move toward the battlefield. He saw the huge group of wolves that had come to see the spectacle and still, he only felt a confusing, swirling mix of emotions. He frowned and quietly searched the crowd for his family. He saw his mothers sitting with Pip and decided against going to them just yet. His continued searching spotted his sisters. He hated that they were here. He didn't want them to see any kind of blood shed, not this young. What an introduction to their older brother they were getting. He saw Vitus next and wasn't entirely surprised. He knew he had shown back up in Fiori recently, but he hadn't had a chance to speak with him yet. Finally his eyes spotted Arivae and he'd automatically move toward her to be at her side throughout the fight. He saw that Bright Moon was near his sisters so he was sure she would keep an eye on them. If anything he knew that they would go to their mothers if they went anywhere at all. He sat down heavily on his haunches next to Arivae. His emotions were so overwhelmed that he felt truly shorted out. He couldn't process any of this, not right now. He finally let himself look at Bacchus. He let the breath he was holding slowly leave him in a long sigh. He was confused, but not entirely surprised. He wasn't sure why. As he looked at his litter mate awaiting Leo's arrival, he wasn't surprised to see him waiting for a challenge. He remembered back in the day how eagerly he had waited to spar at practices and training sessions. If any of them were going to challenge for a pack it of course would be Bacchus. But why Leo? His eyes were glued on Bacchus as he waited in silence for the calm before the storm to end. Speak Thought Others

What... was this? Lillianna stood quietly, taking in the seen. Bacchus, standing proud, eyes flashing. Imperium, being nosy. Her, being nosy. Loners. Colorful wolves. The red man whom she encountered not that long ago. Eyes would travel to a tearful woman, red-marked. Fiori scent clung everywhere, and she couldn't help but gaze around and see so many Fiori. Two men, who resembled Bacchus. Brothers? And then... an older woman, sitting near the tearful one, staring straight at Bacchus. His mother? There was pain, palpable in the air, and the Abaven woman just didn't know how to feel. This... this was Bacchus' family, no? And yet he was challenging for the pack. This was no joyous occasion, no remarkable challenge. Heartbreak, on all sides - heartbreak, especially on that of Fiori's side. What was Bacchus doing? Why? Troubled, she would sit near the Imperium wolves, staring up at Bacchus with a questioning and worried gaze. "Speech" "Italian" "Farrym"

A challenge? Hmm, interesting. Ren couldn't pass that up - it could, after all, create a new pack, put a new alpha up in Alacritis. One he would need to approach, for certain. So he would detour towards the challenge, surprise flickering in his eyes at the many already present. The atmosphere, too. He'd think a challenge would be an inquisitive occasion, not such a heartbreaking thing, but it was as solemn as the death match. Why was that? Wait. Wait a second. Ren grew still as he remembered that this pack, this pack being challenged for was the one his sister went to. Frantically, his gaze would search out his sister, and he would spot her, loping towards her and slipping in between others. She was glaring angrily at the man who was challenging, a man Ren did not recognize. "Zephyra!" he would call lightly, knowing that no one else would be paying attention. He hadn't seen her since before.... oh god, since before he became alpha. Before Marina broke. He would settle himself besides his sister, and if allowed he'd press comfortingly against her side in a quiet sibling support.

"Speech"

Bacchus' challenge didn't bring out anger or sadness in him. He wasn't upset, he wasn't worried. He was surprised, but that was the most he felt. He knew when he became the alpha of Fiori that there was always the possibility that he could be challenged. He felt lucky to have gone this long without a challenge, raid, or war of some kind. He became the ruler of his pack exactly a year ago and for an entire year he had been given the peace to live in a pack he loved with his beautiful wife and young children. He was surprised that it was Bacchus that would be the one to do this, but he was not upset about being challenged or mad that one of Athena and Amalia's sons would be the one to challenge him.

He wouldn't hurry to arrive. He finished his patrol around the border and went to his den first to ensure that his sons and daughters would remain in the den until he and Svetlana returned for them. He did not want them there at the challenge. They were far too young still to be in such a place and to see him fighting like this. Only then would he make his way toward the battlefield. He didn't want to rush. He wanted to remain calm and collected as he strode toward the large group of wolves that had gathered. He recognized many of them, though there were a few that he did not. He wouldn't stop to speak to them all, but he would go to Svetlana first to press his nose to her cheek and give her a reassuring smile and he would give the same smile to his mother, Amalia, and Athena as they sat near where Bacchus was waiting for him.

Leo would approach Bacchus and stop several feet away. He held himself tall and proud, his shoulders relaxed as he looked to the larger white splattered man. "Well, what a surprise," he'd say with a slight smile. "To think it feels like only yesterday that you and Absinthe were asking to go on some journey. You finally return just to challenge me." He chuckled softly and gave a little shake of his head. "Fine. So be it." He was too proud to refuse his challenge. He had to try to protect his claim, even if he would fail. He lowered into his defenses, with his paws settling at equal distances apart, his toes spreading, and his claws digging into the loose soil. His ears would fall back against his head and his eyes narrowed as his lips pulled back in a snarl, baring his teeth. His hackles raised and the skin bunched around his neck to protect it as his head lowered to be even with his spine. His chin tucked down over his throat and his tail fell even with his spine as well. His knees bent slightly as he tensed his muscles to brace himself for Bacchus' first attack.

"Speech"

With hidden alarm he watched as the most unusual purple creature approached. He'd thought the tusked man was unusual, but this? Basileus was flabbergasted. He'd never seen anything so outlandish in all of his days. Granted, he didn't have all that many days under his belt, but he'd only ever heard stories of such wolves. He'd thought they were myths. Clearly he had been wrong. His gaze would have stayed fixed on the purple creature had not yet more freaks arrived. First came a dark-colored woman whose coat shown with an unusual sheen and then, after a brute marched up to Bacchus and engaged him aggressively, an unholy green and black monstrosity arrived to spit venom at him. Had they not already been up Basil's hackles would have bristled then. The brute was aghast. Now more than ever did he wish to return home! This land, while beautiful, seemed to be filled with bizarre, horribly inbred mutants. Before he could fully process the freaks that were already there, his attention was drawn away yet again by an alarming sight. A small woman as red as a fucking berry arrived on the scene. She went and - surprise surprise - sat beside the purple beast. Horrified by what all was gathering around him Basileus tried to fix his attention on Bacchus and the russet brute who he assumed was his opponent. Try as he might the mafioso couldn't ignore the oddities completely. Basileus watched them out of the corner of his eye. He'd bite any that got too close.

Surreal Adravendi

The song sent her stomach plummeting. A howl had rung out for Fiori; a challenge. Battlesong flew ahead as the silver timber Adravendi galloped across the terra, northward, skirting Argead's borders. The flooding of the rivers had gone down sufficiently to where she could cross with little trouble, and as her paws truck gravel on the other shore, she heard the heavy thunder of larger paws behind her. Regulus. She had missed the last call on the field regarding her family. She didn't intend to make the same oversight again. So she only slowed long enough for her eldest to catch up before gaining pace again. They came onto the scene at the same time Leo arrived. Surreal took quick stock, noting several familiar faces among the throng that had gathered. Including her younger son. A pang slashed through her heart at the sight of him, yanking an involuntary gasp from her jaws before she forced herself to go to Epiphron. From the way he'd looked at his own kin at the claiming, she doubted he wanted to be touched by his own mother. "Pip..." She started, but trailed off, for once not knowing what to say. What could she say? I'm sorry I wasn't there to kill Sin so your daughter would still be alive? She settled for turning her eyes to gaze at the partners of this dance. Leo, and a male that resembled the large female that stood beside a female that looked just like Pip, save for being tiny and having a soot colored paw in place of russet, and a bunny tuft of a tail. Amalia, then? Then, that would be Athena. Falk's sister. Her eyes flicked between the male and Athena, and the confusion in her interestingly hued, dual toned eyes, and slowly she began to grasp the situation. Her mother hadn't raised an unobservant daughter, however much recent events might have made it seem. There was nothing she could do in this instance except sit and hope Leo prevailed. Armada versus Adravendi again. Was it always to be that way? Beside her, she felt Regulus settle, vibrant coat catching hairs with her silver. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

Regulus Anatolii Adravendi

He'd heard the call and was already on his way when his mother had surged past him. He'd followed at a distance, before the river had slowed her enough for him to catch up. From then on, they'd been neck and neck, pretty much. He'd been close enough to hear her pained sound as they'd arrived, and his eyes found his brother's form a moment later. He had to force back the rumble of disappointment. This was the first time he'd seen Tor since he'd run off. Not a peep, though he'd caught whiffs of him on the wind. A brief glance was given to the male that stood central, around whom the throng seemed to have formed a circle. Leo was speaking, and as Regulus followed his mother to Epiphron and company, he listened. Talk about circumstances. This fellow was challenging his own alpha? Or Ex Alpha? A frown furrowed his vibrant brow as he sat beside his mother, leaning close enough to offer a pillar to lean on. It wasn't Celestial being called for, but this was still their family's home being endangered. Vivid, fathomless sapphires roved the crowd, noting a few familiar faces, including one of the Imperium wolves who had been at the border collecting a wayward pup. The arrogant one. A brief nod was cast his way, even if he wasn't looking. The Imperium boy that had been at the Claiming was there, too. Did everyone turn up for these events? His toes spread slightly, claws lightly dragging along the ground. Inside, he was a bundle of nerves. It was taking a lot of will to keep his expression detached and confident. So many varied emotions here; the air was thick with heartbreak, confusion, anger. Was this how it had been the day his grandmother had fallen in the Challenge for Valhalla? And in the times before that? Something to ask his mother at a different time, depending on the outcome of this fight.

He'd leave Luck in the grass and only moments after his call ruby eyes would find their way to Basil's form. All he'd receive was a slow nod, but it was enough to have the silent support. Absinthe would do the same, however she looked a bit more confused than his russet friend. A few other spectators appeared, one sounding more jovial about the events that would unfold. He'd quirk a dark brow towards the unknown group as he was reprimanded? He'd try not to focus too closely on those whose faces he did not know, but one younger wolf would make that impossible. He didn't really remember many of Amalia's family outside those that lived in Fiori, so he wouldn't recognize the loner. As the green she wolf came to back up his words Bacchus would find an amused grin playing on his features. Heartily, he'd start to laugh. "Hahahaha! Because it's my home" By that time Amalia appeared, he could barely hear her, but the emotions on her features were plain to see. There was no pride in her gaze. "Don't you want me back, Mother?" Svetlana, Epiphron, and Arivae would appear toting similar looks of confusion, anger... He'd feel his hackles raise, not that he expected them to support his coup but fear. It both excited and horrified him to know he'd caused such a cacophony of emotion. He'd catch sight of Vitus, the scarlet woman he'd met recently found her way to Absinthe's side. Storing the reunion in the back of his mind for later he'd see the strangers appear frequently, somber looks on most of their faces. Then came Athena. At first all he saw in her was the same emotion that lingered in Ama's gaze, but as she came to sit by her wife there was something else. Was it pride? His eyes would trail to his other litter mate, Tiburtius as he sat beside the dark woman. He'd feel his lips curl up again as he wondered what his brother must be thinking now. Lilliana's appearance was also interesting, and he watched as she sat with the onlookers. Of course his gaze would not be allowed to linger on her for long, the guest of honor would make his way through the crowd. Bacchus held no ill will towards his uncle, he wished one thing, the right to rule their family as King. "A lot's changed, Leo." He'd rumble as he watched Leo fall into his battle stance. ----------v this is a fight post v---------- The first attack was offered to him, and just as naturally Bacchus would fall into his defenses. His ears falling to his skull as he narrowed his gaze, tucked his chin, and rolled his shoulders forward scrunching the skin to protect his neck. Hackles would raise all along his back as he aligned his spine with his head and out stretched tail. He'd bend his knees and distribute his weight evenly between his paws as he spread his toes and dug into the rock with his nails. He had to keep from snarling as the fog of battle settled over him. Coiling his haunches Bacchus would seek to leap off his rock directly towards his russet and white opponent. He'd redistribute his weight evenly as he hit the ground and with the added momentum of the leap he'd aim to slam his broad chest into Leo's neck. He'd seek out the base where neck meets chest, wanting to hit his windpipe and inhibit breathing. With the hit he'd seek to wrap his front legs around his opponent's neck, shifting his weight back onto his rear legs. He'd want his paws to land on Leo's back both paws on either side of the spine directly above the shoulders. Bacchus wanted to gain control of his uncle's movements. At the same time his jaws would open wide as he aimed to bite down on his uncle's white face. His top jaw wanted to close over Leo's right eye, hopefully taking out his vision as he bit down. The lower jaw sought purchase underneath Leo's right jaw, hopefully his teeth would catch beneath the ledge near the back of the jaw and would severely inhibit Leo's biting ability. Bacchus v Leo for Kingship [Fiori] round 1/3 .ooc. 3 rounds was good for you yeah? Sorry, I should have asked! ""

(Sorry for the late post)

A howl went through the land just, it seemed, as Archelaus made his way into it. His gray and white paws would carry him towards the familiar voice. His brother was challenging his uncle for a pack? Archelaus was curious to see how this would turn out, to say the least. So his first stop would be the battlegrounds. Maybe the rest of his family was there. When he got into the battlegrounds, the strong stench of blood made him snort. Pinning his ears, he moved towards his brother. It seemed the battle had already started. Two pups caught his attention, just for a moment, before he searched for his other family. His mothers were there, and his brothers as well. After a moment of hesitation, he made his way to Vitus, sitting down beside him. In a way, the silver male was proud of Bacchus. Archelaus would glance over at his mothers. If he knew any way to comfort them, he would at least try to."Speech"

Leo had never been much of a fighter. It wasn't that he couldn't, it just had never been something he truly enjoyed. His strong build disagreed, but his nature was much more one for being a cheerful lover. However, has he finished settling into his defenses and waited for Bacchus to do the same, he made himself get into the mindset that he was fighting to defend his place in Fiori. No, he was defending his home. He didn't know what Bacchus had planned if he won. He didn't know if he and Svetlana and their children would suddenly be looking for a new home. He was protecting the life that he was building for his pups and his family. He made himself ignore all the onlookers and focus in on the large male ahead of him.

He ensured that he was firmly set in his defenses. His paws were spread evenly under him and his toes were spread with his claws dug firmly into the ground. Bacchus was much larger than he was so he knew he had to brace himself for whatever would come next. His hackles were raised and his neck and tail were laying evenly with his spine. The skin around his neck was bunched around it protectively while his chin tucked down to guard his throat. His lips pulled back in a snarl to expose his teeth as he saw Bacchus's legs tense with the first signs of movement. His ears remained pinned back against his skull and his eyes were narrowed to protective slits. He bent his knees slightly and tensed his muscles in more efforts to brace himself against Bacchus' attack. He'd pull in a breath to steady himself just as Bacchus leaped from his perch toward him.

Bacchus would go barreling out of the gate, not that Leo had expected any less. He saw Bacchus' front legs come up off the ground as he reached toward him, the male's chest quickly coming at him. Leo let the distinct height difference between them be a slight advantage and he would duck down and slightly to his left. He adjusted his stance as he did this to keep his paws equal distance apart and his paws firmly in place. This caused Bacchus' chest to collide with the top of Leo's right shoulder instead of with the area between his chest and neck. Leo would shove his shoulder into Bacchus' chest right as they collided, hoping that would deepen the bruise that the contact would leave on the other male's chest. He knew it would do the same to himself, but he was willing to take that. His movement also disrupted Bacchus' attempt to wrap his legs around Leo's neck. Instead, Leo would feel Bacchus' left leg fall across his shoulders and his right leg would hit the top of Leo's neck, but Leo would pull his head back enough to cause the limp to fall towards the ground. What Leo wasn't anticipating was Bacchus' open jaws. With their change in position, his nephew's teeth would land on the back of Leo's neck, getting a mouth full of his scruff. Leo winced when he felt his teeth sink into the thick skin there, but the adrenaline kept the worst of the pain away.

Quick to respond with an attack of his own, Leo took advantage of Bacchus' leg that had fallen in front of his head. His jaws opened wide and he turned his head to his left so he could reach forward to attempt to grab onto the upper portion of Bacchus' right leg. He wanted to sink his teeth deep into the limb and bite down hard in hopes of impairing Bacchus' movement and potentially forcing him to keep some weight off the leg. Leo also shifted his weight to this other three paws so he could lift his left paw without risking throwing himself off balance. He'd aim to use his left paw to slam it down on top of Bacchus' right paw, hoping to crack the toes there or at least bruise the paw badly to impair his movement even more. He was very aware of his opponent's leg across his shoulders and his jaws on his scruff. In the same movement of his first attack on Bacchus' leg he raised himself out of the sight crouch his ducking had caused him to do, pushing his neck toward Bacchus in his reach toward Bacchus' leg. He hoped that by doing this it would put enough strain on Bacchus' lower jaw to force the man to let go.

"Speech"
Bacchus vs Leo for Kingship of Fiori
Round 1 of 3
ooc: 3 rounds is fine! Sorry if this post is confusing. I had to type it really quickly before work. I'll be on Skype if you have any questions!

W-what? Ashe hadn't been in the pack long, in fact she had just recently joined with her...child. But now, she found herself at the battlefield shortly after Leo, the only male and family member she had come to trust asides from Odysseus. Her ears pinned back against her head as she watched them fight, and she felt her gut tighten. Her breath quickening. If Leo lost...she would not remain in Fiori. Or at least, she would rather not...the male he was fighting with was completely unknown to her, and he frightened her. With her past, she did not trust males at all...and she had the feeling that this male would only terrify her further. No...if she had to run away, she would. But she would not remain. If Leo won...could she still stay? What if he got challenged again? She watched the onlookers, watched them watching the fight. Her breath was held, and by the end of this, her fate would be determined. Fur stood on end as she watched from a distance...and she wished once again, that her family were here to comfort her. "Listen to me talk" 'and know my thoughts.'

While Bacchus hadn't collided with Leo quite where he wanted he knew very well when they hit. He'd feel an impressive bruise form on the  flesh front of his chest as he rammed into Leo's form. It was a moderate bruise, pain free for the moment, but it promised to bring distraction when the adrenaline had faded. His left forelimb would take hold of Leo's back while his jaws sank in to the loose skin there. He would redistribute his weight, keeping 75% of it in his rear legs and the other 25% in the limb on Leo's back so he wouldn't have to drop his right leg to the ground. This would cause Leo's foot stomp to miss entirely. He'd feel Leo's teeth sink into his mostly unused leg as his opponent shifted his neck forward. The movement hadn't bothered him like Leo had intended, Bacchus held the loose scruff in his mouth and instead of letting go he'd aim to bite down harder to keep control of his uncle and progress his earlier puncture wounds. The bite to his leg (which landed on the fleshy upper part of his right leg. Both jaws would clasp around either lateral side 1/4 the way down from his elbow to ankle.) At first they would be moderate puncture wounds. Bacchus would take this chance to try and shove himself forward again. He'd want to further push his chest into Leo's shoulder, redistributing his weight again so 50% was in the back half, 25% was in his chest and left leg while 25% would also be put into his right limb so that when he shoved forward with the added momentum of Leo's shove he would worsen his puncture wounds but also aim to hyper-extend Leo's jaw with the force. He wouldn't let his defenses fade, keeping his ears on his skull, eyes narrowed, and hackles raised. He'd keep his chin close to his chest and his shoulders rolled forward to protect his neck. His tail would keep close to his legs and belly to protect himself, his toes were spread and his claws would dig into the earth (and hopefully leo depending which paw you were talking about.) He'd keep his knees bent and his back legs slightly further than hip width apart. Bacchus v Leo for Kingship [Fiori] round 2/3 ""

Leo was disappointed to feel his paw smack back onto the ground when he realized Bacchus was somehow keeping the limb suspended in the air in front of him. His teeth would meet their mark though and he would feel his teeth sink deep into the thicker part of his nephew's leg. He wouldn't feel Bacchus' jaws leave his scruff like he had hoped. Instead, Bacchus' teeth would bite deeper into his skin while he felt more of the larger man's weight press into him. The bite on his scruff would deepen into some pretty nasty lacerations and he could feel the wetness of his blood on the back of his neck. His jaw tensed from the stinging pain that cut through the adrenaline, but he forced himself not to linger on it. He still had a fight to finish.

Leo kept his defenses in place despite the added pain. His ears remained pinned back against his skull, his eyes were narrowed into protective slits, his shoulders were rolled forward with his hackles raised, and his tail was level with his spine for balance. All four paws were once more on the ground and he made sure to keep his weight distributed evenly so he could hold his own as Bacchus tried to push into him. His toes were spread and his claws dug into the ground to aid with this as well. He kept his muscles tensed and his knees slightly bent to prepare himself for his next move.

He knew he was going to have to do something or they were going to be stuck in this stalemate of seeing who could hold their bite the longest. Leo would release the hold he had on Bacchus' leg, both to move into his next attack and to avoid letting Bacchus strain his jaw. He'd quickly shift his head up, toward Bacchus' neck, with his jaws still spread from opening them to let go of Bachhus' leg. His head was still rotated to his left. He would aim to latch his jaws onto the lower portion of his opponent's neck, near where his neck met with his shoulder. He hoped to bite in such a way that his lower jaw could land across Bacchus' throat to cut off some of his breathing as well, hoping that the shoving motion that Bacchus was doing would worsen this pressure on his opponent's throat as well. He wanted to get Bacchus' leg off of his back, but he couldn't think of a way to do that without risking the integrity of his defenses. So instead, he would focus all of his attention on this bite to the lower portion of Bacchus' throat, hoping to get a firm hold there and give his nephew at least some moderate lacerations.

"Speech"
Bacchus vs Leo for Kingship of Fiori
Round 2/3

The opponents exchanged similar injuries, blood would begin to flow freely and adrenaline would remain high as the men danced through their battle. Leo was difficult to move, he'd dug himself in and wasn't ready to let up just yet. As Bacchus moved forward so would his opponent shift. Though he'd keep his grip as he pushed forward Leo was quick to remove his jaw from the heavy limb. He didn't let go of Leo's scruff fast enough to think about countering his move, the feeling of teeth upon his flesh brought pain. Leo's fangs would meet the right lower side of his neck. He'd gain mostly loose skin but he'd also get muscle. His opponent would miss his vitals, but Bacchus felt the pain. He'd be severely lacerated along the lower right side of his neck. With his chest in leo's shoulder the russet male was unable to gain the hold he wanted. Bacchus was quick to cease his shoving so as not to worsen the bite he'd receive. As his jaws let loose Leo's scruff he wasn't about to keep them empty. With Leo so close Bacchus couldn't help but find himself going for Leo's eye a second time. As Bacchus aimed to bite at Leo's right eye, with his top jaws seeking to puncture the soft tissue and his lower jaw wanting to wrap around his opponent's middle right cheek bone. During this attempted bite the silver Armada would aim to shove 40% of his weight onto Leo's Right shoulder while Bacchus's Right leg sought to trail down Leo's left limb and trip him at the front left ankle. Bacchus would aim to hook his paw around his opponent's lower forearm and upper ankle, seeking to pull the limb toward himself. This combined with his shove to the upper right shoulder of his opponent would seek to force Leo's left shoulder to the ground. With 40% of his weight in his rear paws and the last 20% in use to pull out Leo's limbs Bacchus would also use his chest to lean into Leo for support, and hopefully helping to push him down. With his ears back, eyes narrowed, shoulders rolled forward, and neck scrunched he'd keep his defenses as solid as possible. His toes were spread and his claws dug into the ground. Hackles were raised and his knees were bent as he pushed onward. His tail was tucked against his legs and belly as he aimed to help protect his undersides. By now his breathing was becoming more ragged but he'd do his best to keep it even as he focused on the last few moments of battle. Bacchus v Leo for Kingship [Fiori] round 3/3 ""

Leo felt a rush of satisfaction as his teeth met skin and his bite took hold of the lower, right side of Bacchus’ neck. He didn’t quite get the hold across his opponent’s throat like he wanted, but he still felt his teeth sink deep into the skin and flesh all the same. He’d feel Bacchus pull back from the push he was doing before and soon after his teeth would leave Leo’s scruff, but Leo knew better than to think Bacchus would just leave him be. With his head turned to the side, it was easy to see Bacchus’ neck raising and head bending till suddenly he had an eye full of his nephew’s teeth. He felt a quick moment of panic and he’d rush to let go of the hold he had just gained to get himself out of the line of fire as soon as he could. It would be impossible to miss the attack entirely, but as he let go of Bacchus’ neck he’d tuck his head down against his throat again, leaving the skin that he had bunched around his neck as the only option for Bacchus’ teeth to gain a hold on. He’d feel the fangs sink into the skin, gaining a slightly deeper hold than the previous bite Bacchus left on his scruff. His nephew’s teeth left deep lacerations in the skin and the top layer of muscle near the base of his skull, where the loose skin a mother might pick up a pup from would be. It hurt like hell, but Leo would rather have another bite on his back and scruff than risk losing an eye.

He of course would never fail to keep his defenses up, no matter how shaken up he got. His paws were planted firmly on the ground with his toes spread and claws dug in. His chin was already tucked down over his throat from his dodge his shoulders were still rolled forward. His hackles were raised and the skin was bunched around his neck. His ears were still pinned down against his skull, his eyes were narrowed, and lips pulled back in a snarl. He kept his tail even with his spine as well as his neck as best he could. His knees were bent slightly to give him a little more freedom of movement while he kept his muscles tensed and ready to move. He met Bacchus’ shove with equal force, but his opponent’s larger size did force Leo to take a half a step back. That combined with Bacchus’ paw pulling at his left leg Leo’s stance was disrupted for a moment. He lifted his left paw quickly to pull it out of the way of Bacchus’ paw and was quick to get it back onto the ground to reset his stance.

All of this delayed his next attack, but at the same time gave him a few more precious seconds to figure out what he was going to do. His movements were pretty limited with Bacchus’ teeth firmly planted on the back of his neck and with his right shoulder pressed into Bacchus’ chest. Leo settled on lifting his chin from his throat enough to get his jaws in line with his opponent’s shoulder while keeping his neck as still as possible. He aimed to bite down on the front portion of Bacchus’ shoulder, but he wouldn’t aim to bite and hold like before. He wanted to bite and tear, wanting to tear the skin along the front half of his shoulder. He knew it was getting close to the end of their battle so inhibiting his movements wasn’t worth the time and effort. At this point he just wanted to cause enough damage and pain to make Bacchus stop.

"Speech"
Bacchus vs Leo for Kingship of Fiori
Round 3 of 3

BACCHUS vs LEO for KINGSHIP OF FIORI ROUND ONE BACCHUS CLARITY - “Coiling his haunches Bacchus would seek to leap off his rock directly towards his russet and white opponent. He'd redistribute his weight evenly as he hit the ground and with the added momentum of the leap he'd aim to slam his broad chest into Leo's neck.” This makes it sound like Bacc landed right in front of Leo, and I'm unsure if he landed, and then closed the distance, or landed right in front of him for the shoulder slam. -2 - “With the hit he'd seek to wrap his front legs around his opponent's neck, shifting his weight back onto his rear legs. He'd want his paws to land on Leo's back both paws on either side of the spine directly above the shoulders.” Without rearing upwards at least somewhat, it would be hard for Bacc to get his paws that far down Leo. -2 Total: 6 POWERPLAY - “Coiling his haunches Bacchus would seek to leap off his rock directly towards his russet and white opponent. He'd redistribute his weight evenly as he hit the ground and with the added momentum of the leap he'd aim to slam his broad chest into Leo's neck.” You are assuming that Leo did not/will not move. Also, there is no distance stated or assumed here, so its hard to say how far away he landed and then how far he has to run, if he even does run. -2 - “With the hit he'd seek to wrap his front legs around his opponent's neck...” When you say 'with the hit' it makes it sound like you are assuming that the shoulder slam hit, and means that there is too much movement in your post. -2 Total: 6 DEFENSES - Ears pinned, eyes narrowed, chin tucked, shoulders rolled, hackles raised, head aligned with spine, tail aligned with spine, legs bent, weight evenly distributed, toes spread. Total: 10 ATTACK + 2 shoulder slam, plus severity (+1), minus power play points (-1) + 1 for bear hug, (+1 for each leg, -1 for clarity) + 4 for bite to throat, plus maim attempt (+1) Total: 7 INJURIES - First round! Total: 10 Total for Round One: 39/50 LEO CLARITY - “This caused Bacchus' chest to collide with the top of Leo's right shoulder instead of with the area between his chest and neck. Leo would shove his shoulder into Bacchus' chest right as they collided, hoping that would deepen the bruise that the contact would leave on the other male's chest.” How much damage did this do to his shoulder? Major bruise? Minor? -2 - “Leo wasn't anticipating was Bacchus' open jaws. With their change in position, his nephew's teeth would land on the back of Leo's neck, getting a mouth full of his scruff. Leo winced when he felt his teeth sink into the thick skin there, but the adrenaline kept the worst of the pain away.” - How much damage did he take from the bite? -2 - “His jaws opened wide and he turned his head to his left so he could reach forward to attempt to grab onto the upper portion of Bacchus' right leg.” Where on Bacchus' right leg? -2 - “His jaws opened wide and he turned his head to his left so he could reach forward to attempt to grab onto the upper portion of Bacchus' right leg.” ... “He'd aim to use his left paw to slam it down on top of Bacchus' right paw, hoping to crack the toes there or at least bruise the paw badly to impair his movement even more.” You can't bite the leg and also stomp on it. Stomping on it assumes that it has been put back down. -2 Total: 2 POWERPLAY - “Quick to respond with an attack of his own, Leo took advantage of Bacchus' leg that had fallen in front of his head.” - You're assuming that Bacchus didn't move his leg. -2 Total: 8 DEFENSES - Toes spread, claws bit in ground, hackles raised, tail aligned with spine, head aligned with spine, chin tucked, ears pinned, eyes narrowed, legs bent, legs evenly placed. Total: 10 ATTACK + 1 shoulder shove + 2 bite to limb, minus points for clarity (-1). + 1 paw slam Total: 4 INJURIES - First round! - (Moderate bruise to right shoulder) - (Minor bite to scruff) Total: 10 Total for Round One: 34/50 ROUND TWO BACCHUS CLARITY - “...his toes were spread and his claws would dig into the earth (and hopefully leo depending which paw you were talking about.)” Are you trying to make an actual attack here? Its hard to tell with it nested like that, and makes me second guess the attack. -2 - “He'd feel Leo's teeth sink into his mostly unused leg as his opponent shifted his neck forward.” What leg? -2 - “...while 25% would also be put into his right limb...” You can't put weight on a limb that's not on the ground. -2 Total: 4 POWERPLAY - “Bacchus held the loose scruff in his mouth and instead of letting go he'd aim to bite down harder to keep control of his uncle and progress his earlier puncture wounds.” You did not attempt to achieve a hold in your first post, and Shelby did not state that Bacchus achieved a hold. Because of this, you must attempt to keep his scruff in Bacc's mouth. -2 - “Leo's shove he would worsen his puncture wounds but also aim to hyper-extend Leo's jaw with the force.” This all depends on if Leo keeping a hold on Bacc's leg. Since there was no attempted hold, you cannot assume that he will keep holding it. -2 Total: 6 DEFENSES - Ears pinned, eyes narrowed, hackles raised, chin tucked, shoulders rolled, tail tucked, toes spread, claws in ground, legs bent, grounded legs set equal distance apart. Total: 10 ATTACK + 0 for body shove, minus points for unrealistic hoped damage. (Leo's jaws wouldn't hyper-extend from this movement.) + 1 for worsening damage to scruff, minus points for power play (-1). Total: 1 INJURIES - 2 moderate bruise to chest - 2 moderate puncture wounds to right leg. Total: 6 Total for Round Two: 27/50 LEO CLARITY - “He hoped to bite in such a way that his lower jaw could land across Bacchus' throat to cut off some of his breathing as well,...” Where was his top jaw aimed? -2 - “He would aim to latch his jaws onto the lower portion of his opponent's neck, near where his neck met with his shoulder. He hoped to bite in such a way that his lower jaw could land across Bacchus' throat...” Without moving out from under Bacchus, this bite would be very hard to achieve. -2 Total: 6 POWERPLAY - None seen. Total: 10 DEFENSES - Ears pinned, eyes narrowed, shoulders rolled, hackles raised, tail aligned with spine, weight evenly distributed, toes spread, claws in ground, legs bent. (I don't count tense muscles as a defence.) Total: 9 ATTACK + 3 bite to neck, plus grip attempt (+1), minus unrealistic bite (-1). Total: 3 INJURIES - 3 Major lacerations on scruff Total: 7 Total for Round Two: 35/50 ROUND THREE BACCHUS CLARITY - “Bacchus was quick to cease his shoving so as not to worsen the bite he'd receive.” ... “This combined with his shove to the upper right shoulder of his opponent would seek to force Leo's left shoulder to the ground.” Is he shoving, or not shoving? To shove or not to shove, that is the question. -2 - “...while Bacchus's Right leg sought to trail down Leo's left limb and trip him at the front left ankle. Bacchus would aim to hook his paw around his opponent's lower forearm and upper ankle, seeking to pull the limb toward himself.” The way this is worded is very... confusing to me. Is he hooking hum around the ankle? Does he have two ankles to make it an upper ankle, or is he just aiming at the upper portion of the ankle? How can he be wrapping it around the lower forearm as well as the ankle? Also this is too much movement how its worded, first lifting the limb, trailing it down, hooking, and then pulling. -3 (Also, "while Bacchus's Right leg sought to trail down Leo's left limb" That makes it sound like he's seductively trailing his paw down his leg. XD That was all I could picture... I'm sorry! xDD) Total: 5 POWERPLAY - “With 40% of his weight in his rear paws and the last 20% in use to pull out Leo's limbs Bacchus would also use his chest to lean into Leo for support, and hopefully helping to push him down.” You must attempt to lean into Leo for support. The way you worded the '20% in use to pull out Leo's limbs' makes it sound like you are assuming that the paw swipe will land. -4 Total: 6 DEFENSES - Ears pinned, shoulders rolled, toes spread, claws in ground, hackles raised, legs bent, tail tucked. -1 for not adjusting weight for raised limb. (Did not include neck scrunched' as its not clear enough. Is his chin tucking towards his chest?) Total: 6 ATTACK + 4 bite to eye + face, plus points for maim attempt (+1). + 0 paw swipe, minus points for clarity (-1). + 0 for shove, minus points for clarity + power play (-1). Total: 4 INJURIES - 3 severe lacerations to right side of neck Total: 7 Total for Round Three: 28/40 LEO CLARITY - “That combined with Bacchus’ paw pulling at his left leg Leo’s stance was disrupted for a moment. He lifted his left paw quickly to pull it out of the way of Bacchus’ paw and was quick to get it back onto the ground to reset his stance.” The way that its worded makes it sound like Bacchus was able to get his paw out from under him, but then you dodged it. -2 - “He aimed to bite down on the front portion of Bacchus’ shoulder...” What shoulder? -2 Total: 6 POWERPLAY - “He felt a quick moment of panic and he’d rush to let go of the hold he had just gained to get himself out of the line of fire as soon as he could.” Bacchus stated that there was no hold achieved, you cannot say that you somehow still got a hold. -2 Total: 8 DEFENSES - Toes spread, claws in ground, chin tucked, shoulders rolled, hackles raised, ears pinned, eyes narrowed, tail aligned with spine, head aligned with spine, legs bent. (Just a note, snarling lips do not count as a defense unless you specify that it aids in bunching up loose skin around the eyes.) Total: 10 ATTACK + 3 bite to shoulder, plus severity, minus points for clarity (-1). Total: 3 INJURIES - 3 severe lacerations to back of neck Total: 7 Total for Round Three: 34/50 Totals: BACCHUS 39/50 + 27/50 + 28/50 = 94/150 LEO 34/50 + 35/50 + 34/50 = 103/150 And the winner is... LEO Bacchus must give up by submitting, fleeing or passing out. Leo remains the alpha of Fiori, and is now immune from challenges for two weeks. Damage: BACCHUS - Moderate bruise to chest will take 3 OOC days to heal. - Moderate puncture wounds to right leg will take 1 OOC week to heal, may scar. - Severe lacerations to right side of neck will take 2 OOC weeks to heal, may scar. LEO - Moderate bruise to right shoulder will take 3 OOC days to heal. - Severe lacerations to scruff will take 2 OOC weeks to heal, may scar. - Severe lacerations to back of skull will take 2 OOC weeks to heal, may scar. Notes: Tips for writing and some suggestions. (no points are deducted here): KATG6 A lot of my notes are listed above, but just be careful on how you word things. I know that you think you are being helpful with the percentage of weight, and sometimes it is! But this time it just left me a little more confused and lost. You lost some points for defenses in the last round too, which I can understand because of positioning. But there is always usually a way to sneak all 10 in. Try to throw in some more varied attacks, as well as more attacks in general! You both would have had a lot more points that way. Just watch the way you word things, I know that its a pain in the ass to be specific but there were some power playing and clarity issues here. Great fight! SHELBY Same as above, a lot of my notes are listed up there. Same for you though, you lost some points because of how you worded things. Also, you NEED to state how much damage your character is taking, because otherwise I get to come up with damage. And I'm mean sometimes... xD But you also need to toss in more attacks, you guys both had pretty low attack scores. Watch your attacks for realism though, and remember that wolves aren't exactly like people. Great fight you guys! - By [Evelyn]