Winter; its frosty fingers grasping possessively at anything within its reach, wrapping chilled thumbs of ice around the stems of plants, blowing frigid gasps of air across grasses and leaves alike. It always seemed to be the most prevailing season; merciless in its massacres of life, unforgiving in its torturous ties. Spring forever came slowly, trying to pry open winter?s frozen palms, using endless variations of natural weaponry in an attempt to pull its desperate last embrace from the breathless lands. Though still the season clung on like a blood-sucking parasite, somewhere, there was always something struggling to break free from its deathly drip. A flower, it?s withered petals fraughting to unwrap in the heated kiss of the sun, would try and try for weeks before one day, Winter had had its fill and finally dropped away.

It were only natural for a youthful and budding she-wolf to test her abilities, to reach out with a wary paw and assess the misty waters; who knew what could lie so silently beneath? Whether it be a welcoming and rewarding change of northern current, or a bitter and cold bite from the hungry jaws of a piranha. One would never truly know until she had tried. Eos had always been the ambitious kind, endlessly determined to stretch far beyond the abilities of her siblings. Being a runt of the litter could do that to you. Though the russet lady had succeeded in her efforts, elegantly tucked abdomen would stretch downwards to a low and airy chest; bordered by straps and lacings of fuel-pumped sway. The youth was a prime illustration of determination and dedication; her self-trained fitness revealing one of the key elements to her material persona.

Though one thing the lady would not candidly admit was the habit of lack of thought, and while the banshee found a proud comfort on her haunches, there was no denying she had potentially cast herself into a dangerous and unlikely state of affairs. A youth in her first mature season, hoping to win over a weathered and oversized veteran with more experience beneath his skin than Eos could ever dream of. But sadly, it was just the way she liked it; risky, daring, implausible. It only made it all the more gratifying when she could boast so pretentiously of her victory. An elevated drawl would coast free of feminine jaws, rolling seamlessly athwart the fluctuating landscape of The Battlefield; an eerie and harmonious call to Glaciem?s alpha. She wanted all that were his; experimentation her only reasoning.

She wished her sibling nothing but the best of luck. Sure, there were feelings that were a bit mixed, with her disappearing for so long. Yet it seemed that whenever Syrinx reared his head she followed suit. They were a pair, and a part of her was jealous that her sibling had forged a relationship with Eos before he had she or Epiphron. Yet another part of her was relieved. That no matter what they had each other - they hadn't abandoned their family, they were simply finding their own way in life. It seemed that no matter what, Eos's way wouldn't include Valhalla. But would her sister accept her? It wasn't a matter they had ever discussed, they had never truly been close. At two years old, fully grown, matured, the only thing that they had in common was the blood in their veins. How much did that mean to the woman that was challenging for Valhalla's sister pack?


Collision was related to the alpha as far as she knew - how would he feel about one of his other siblings, who weren't blood related to him and hadn't been around, trying to take his brother's ice laden crown? There was no telling, there was no way to know how those involved would react. Yet Chrysanthe knew exactly where she stood - the opinions of others were unbeknownst to her, but inside of herself she knew where her loyalties lay. Glancing at her sister, her blue gaze flitted over her, noting that she had no substantial injuries. The other had grown quite a bit, she was once a scrawny thing but now she might have been larger than the alpha herself. And then her eyes settled on Eos's own, and she nodded toward her. "Don't lose." Her lips quirked into a small grin. She would support Eos, whether she wanted her support or not. Her sister had never asked for help, had left Valhalla and never looked back.


But she was still her sister, and damn it she couldn't turn her nose up at a sibling's ambition. She wasn't even upset at Syrinx for challenging her, it was the way that he presented the challenge and his sudden rule to Valhalla that irked her so.


With her sibling's victory in mind, she stood toward the side of the battlefield, waiting for Glaciem's alpha to show. He would have quite the battle ahead of him - win or lose.

Did they care when they died? When they choked; when they cried.- He was silent, the man twisting through the woods. He had known that she would seek her own kingdom come, though, it was unbeknownst to him which that would be. It was quite a curious thing to stand and watch her challenge for a pack that was in alliance with Valhalla. Or...was it smart? Surely, Chrysanthe would never take up arms against her own sister in war, so perhaps, Eos was merely doing what was best. From her, he expected a militant rule, something that though not bad, would strengthen many. Curiouser and curiouser grew the situation. Chrysanthe had actually come to witness such an event. He would offer her a smile before settling by her right side. His head turned towards her and he offered her words of a sibling, "If she wins, know my loyalty is to you, but my physical self will go to Glaciem, to lead beside her," Amusement dared to grow on his features and he chuckled lowly, "Does it amuse you how powerful our family is? How you rule Valhalla, how Pip will rule Seracia, and how we also have the potential of ruling here?" It was certainly a curious type of amusing, but it would have to do. The word was most fitting, "I know you don't approve of the way Eos and I seek power, but, you know we've never mistreated anyone. My challenge against your claim was unnecessary and in the wrong. Apologies," There was still something stoic in the man, but, that part of him wouldn't fade with anyone's influence.

He seemed surprised to see her for a flicker of a moment. Yet he met her eyes with a smile, settling beside her despite their arguable differences. There was so much that they could take out on each other, a plethora of beliefs and standards and ways of existing that didn't match up. Yet it was cast aside, it always would, it always would be. He was Syrinx and she Chrysanthe and they were siblings and above all else they had each other's back. So long as her brother obeyed the silent pact between them so would she - and the world kept turning on. She smiled back at him, glad to see him, not surprised to see him - for Eos was here and he was so much like her, why didn't se see it before?


That was why she was not surprised, not angry, when he said that he would leave Valhalla should Eos take Glaciem. "I expect nothing less of you." His loyalty was hers, just as hers was his. It was as if, despite their appearances, they were twins. Destined to be beside each other - they could not separate and live their lives close but not completely connected, as she and Epiphron were, or even as she and Syrinx were. "Maybe she can keep your head on your shoulders." Chrysanthe was fire, all sharp wit and passion and love. While Eos was a perfect blend of ice and ambition and logic. Epiphron may complete her in some ways, but honestly, should the four siblings be blended together perhaps then they would create something perfect. Perhaps that was why they were being split apart - together, they would create a force too divine for Alacritia to handle.


Or perhaps by separating they were becoming a force.


"There is nothing more terrifying than the ambition of an Adravendi." She said quietly, thinking of how they could all rise to power in locations that were just too perfect. In the north, the east, the west. Who would be able to stand in their way? What were the chances? "It does not amuse me, it scares me." These words, she spoke with a grin, hints of ivory glinting from her canines. The power she felt when with her siblings was nearly palpable. "You scare me." This time a laugh was held back, and she let her shoulder bump his. "But your challenge didn't." 'No hard feelings.' "You are one of the few I would rule beneath - at the end of the day I trust you, despite your brashness." It barely needed to be said. "In your place, or Eos's, I can't say I wouldn't do the same." She would not idly sit and watch the world go by as a rogue, she would try and stake some sort of claim of her own, which was exactly what Eos was doing.


"You two are not as complicated as you think you are." Syrinx was easy to decipher as a monster, enormous and intimidating without a bone in his body that knew how to truly relent. "I hope she wins, and I'm glad you're joining her. She won't look back to Valhalla, which means she probably won't come to me - but you seem to be an exception." Her voice was hushed, a whisper meant only for his ears. 'Take care of her because she won't let anyone else.' The alpha was sure that he got the message loud and clear.

~*~ Different creatures reacted differently to challenges of their power; Some were enraged, some were horrified, some scared, some cocksure and full of laughter. Gargoyle? Well Gargoyle had never considered how he'd react, because frankly, he hadn't given such things as these flimsy challenges much thought. When he did his preparations, it was for all out war, not a single one on one upon the ground of battle. Why in heaven's name would anyone be foolish enough to do that? For one thing, there was the brute himself - all of 41 inches, a size once thought to belong only to the dire wolves of legend, made strong by years of snowplowing and mountain climbing, and supple by far too much experience. But apart from him there was Glaciem itself. Anyone who knew anything of the pack, knew that it wasn't your average mob. An outside of great warrior's ability might concievably make it past the Chief, but then they'd be faced with a veritable army of angry loved ones and followers. To the winner would go the spoils... The snow crunched underfoot as Gargoyle stepped up to the chosen arena. He surveyed his would be competition with utterly lifeless yellow eyes. It was a female, and a young one, probably barely past her first heat. With bright eyes and a pelt of greys and cinamins, she was a pretty thing - and large too. Or at least would seem so standing next to just about any wolf but Gargoyle. At thirty seven inches, she was a good head shorter than the Northern Drake. Looking her over, gauging her muscle mass, analyzing her posture and balance - it all came like lightning shots to the male's head; A trait he'd trained so hard that it had become mere insinct. He was already wondering how much fur was between the air and her jugular, when he had the sense to shake his head and blink away the thoughts. Darker ones would follow. Oh how he'd missed this. Gods above, it wasn't right, he knew, but he wanted to grin. He wanted to leap for joy. He wanted to shed some heart's blood. And yet somewhere amid his euphoria, his good sense drew him back. Other wolves weren't his play things. This girl here, whoever she was, she had a soul and a life and a family -- and apparently friends too from the sight of those Valhallans having a pow-wow off on the sidelines. She had her whole life ahead of her. At the very least, she deserved some sort of knowledge of what she was getting herself into. Gargoyle didn't even bother with a hello or a name. They hadn't come here for pleasantries. If she wanted tea and biscuits she could pop over to the Amenti border and say hi. "I am from the old race.-" The male's voice came out in a low, rumble, without life or tone. He'd stepped himself into the ring, and now, he sat, as primed and rigid and the doberman who's blood he carried. There was a good two yards between them, and with his reflexes it might as well have been a river's breadth. He was here to fight, yes, but as she was the challenger and he the recipient, he would do so on his own terms. "-We do not play with hellfire and expect to come away unsinged. I will not state exacts, for I know not your mind, but the loser of this bout is to expect no mercy. Speaking for myself, I hold no ill feeling for you-" other than sorrow over her stupidity "- and I would feign touch a hair on your head, but I cannot speak for myself after I have begun a fight. If you carry on with this challenge, you face that which was once known as the "God of Death" in distant reaches of West. This is your only warning." Trumpet blowing. It was such vulgar stuff. For one thing, any mange-ridden son of a coyote could mesh together enough words to sound threatening, and for a second, words, no matter how powerful and truthful, would never be able to describe the monster that Gargoyle had once been. On any other occasion, Gargoyle wouldn't have even bothered saying anything. Why warn his opponent? Far better to just walk in, accept, and then tear them to shreds. Even now his claws were feeling that old familiar itch. How long had it been since he'd flayed something other than a deer? Ack! But that was just the problem! That was why he'd said something. Once he started he couldn't stop himself. He didn't want to kill casually again. Heaven and Hell only knew what it would do to him - the memories it would awaken. Throughout all this, not a flicker was seen in those yellow lamps; not a shift of fur, or twist of brow; Gargoyle might as well have been carved of granite. But appearances could be fooling. Under his thick winter coat, muscles were coiling as smoothly as snakespawn. While his tongue might be trying to ward the match off, the rest of his body wanted this. Wanted this oh so badly. ~*~

The summons came not for her, but for Gargoyle, for the true Chief of his pack. But Ocena stirred anyways, head tilting and a frown crossing her small features. What would a wolf want with challenging Gargoyle? She was sure that no challenger knew as much about him as she, but surely there were rumors, whispers of what her mate had done, what he could do again? He was a powerful wolf, larger than most, and he could certainly handle any challenge for his pack. Ocena had the utmost faith in him. But she wasn't going to make him face this alone. The petite female slipped from Glaciem's territory, setting off in search of the Battlefield. Her paws carried her surely along, allowing her to swiftly leave behind the frozen expanses of the pack that she had come to love so dearly. Whatever happened next would define the path that Glaciem would follow. Would it continue on the path that Crusade and Gargoyle had chosen for it or would they follow the path chosen by a stranger? Ocena knew that if Gargoyle lost his challenge, the wolfess that won would be out of her league. She would face a pack tied together by bonds of blood and love; a pack that was far different from other packs that ruled Alacritia's lands. Still, perhaps this female realized what she was doing. Or perhaps she did not. Either way, it was happening regardless. As Ocena padded onto the sprawling plains that passed as the Battlefield, she came to a delicate stop not too far from Gargoyle. "You can do it, my love." She breathed, trying not to distract him too much from the fight. But Ocena knew he could do it. What she was less sure about was what would happen afterwards. She had caught glimpses of the violence that lurked inside his core, and as much as Ocena loved him, she was worried that perhaps this violence would escape. After that, Ocena fell silent, content to watch in silence. She would not get involved in this fight. It was Gargoyle's fight, and she was far more likely to be a liability than anything else in a place like this, with her blind eye. Ocena could do nothing for him. But he could do it himself. Gargoyle didn't need her help. He would surely be able to defeat this challenger, who was a good amount smaller than he despite being far larger than her. Speech

It was crazy really, the efforts, the treacherous labor, the years that could go into raising a life; from several months gestation to a pup?s first taste of meat, young life could never flourish without passion and time. A mother would propose her own existence to save her child; hurl herself instinctively in harm?s way to protect that tiny, helpless, yapping voice-box that she so effortlessly insisted on adoring. And why? So many years, so many painful hours; obstacle after obstacle, the blood that would be spilled at nature?s feet, the powerless lives of so many mortals thoughtlessly slaughtered to give that one pup a fighting chance. And sure, for a while it may look promising, and that mother might smile lovingly upon her two-year old; proud of her efforts and her achievements. But all it took was a minority of exposure, a painless few seconds of curiosity, a single knock at realities door and that child?s heart could be torn from its chest in a matter of seconds; hours, weeks, months, years, wretched carelessly from the world in a concise, effortless, thirty seconds. So minimally, so tactlessly, so hastily.

As she saw the beast?s structure looming between the displays of rock formations, she couldn?t help but permit the thought to simmer her intellect; she could very well die today, if the male thought it appropriate so. But it didn?t fume her in the way one would imagine a youthful she-wolf to be rattled by such a potential; instead it only thrilled her, sent a tremble of ecstasy crawling dissonantly through the notches of her spine. It was decided in that moment, as the lofty fiend presented her his attendance, that this was how she would die. Eos refused to grow old, to wither away until all who knew her remembered her as that diminutive, elderly female who just wouldn?t let go- oh no, she?d be remembered in her youth, as something powerful, as a queen who went down fighting, a sovereign that spent her last vital moments thrashing at the veins of somebody far lesser; pride unwounded by her final defeat.

Though Eos? call had summoned the company of others, first Chrysanthe; an unexpected presence that although Eos didn?t exactly welcome, would regardless sanctify her with the mildest of encouragement as those mischievous two words broke free of dusty jaws. She seemed confident in her sister, something Eos had never noticed before, and for a few moments the youth was almost distracted from the hazardous proceedings about to unfold. Next was Syrinx, his presence sending a conceited quiver of delight through the pores of her skin. Her brother meant the world to her, and having him here, by her side while she battled for a monarchy of her own was enough to encourage a military of confidence to vault the immense walls of her coffer; inflating her lungs with poise and self-assurance as he unintentionally infected her blood stream with dangerous measures of superciliousness.

The alpha had arrived with poise, splendour, colossal mass swaying with self-worth as evident power clawed viciously beneath his skin; he was a representation of dread, maturity and confidence tainting the air that enveloped the four- now five- wolves. It seemed a small doe followed in pursuit, barely but a diminutive silhouette of void behind her king, a blemish of oblivion against the gleaming pride of the male that haunted in front. It was becoming more and more clear that she?d have to use her brain here, her previous spar had ended with bitter defeat when the lady failed to defend herself and calculate her attacks; so today it would be different, this ego-pumped brute could have the pleasure of being her raw experimentation. He should have felt honoured. The russet banshee raised herself from her haunches, initiating a more defensive stance as she readied herself for anything the beast may test her with; weight shifting excessively beneath dainty paws, anxious, prepared. He spoke now, his voice a haunting rumble and flawlessly appropriate for his exterior. Conservative threats lurked within each drawl, tongue flicking mercilessly with venom-soaked boasting. Unimpressed, Eos barely flinched; emotionless gaze held unwavering to his own, emerald depths swirling with a conniving desire.

?Save your breath, the supremacy that you so arrogantly declare to withhold is what encouraged my decision- not what would dissuade me from it,? surprisingly feminine tones fractured free of inky lips, lurking beneath the fold?s of her voice box, a potential death wish that the lady was all too aware of. Though still she didn?t doubt herself, experience and size wasn?t everything in the world of war; training, relentlessness and a placid clue of fortune could also be to guilt. She was so sure in this moment that this was what she wanted; no matter the outcome, this was where she wanted to be. Her abdomen buzzed with exhilaration, threatening to release an army of sanity-indulging adrenaline, her initial attack slowly beginning to brew beneath the surface of her mysterious gaze. She began to move closer, serpent of power coiling with peril within trained sinew; its fangs exposed, beads of venom beginning to well within her veins as its muscles caused her own to consolidate, to organize.

Paws were placed cautiously, weight distributed more profoundly to her hindmost limbs, ready to veer away from the monster should he decide to attack before Eos had had the opportunity; though it was against her nature to avoid, the precaution was there, and ready. Thick tail tucked conservatively between ample ham-strings, hugged securely to her abdomen, towers flicked forwards and backwards; testing the air for anything audible. Nape snaked downwards, spine contorting, beads clicking to turn the lady a fraction to the right. She paused, angling the male from side-on, assessing, attempting to locate weaknesses, imperfections. Unfortunately the male was a remarkable image of health, in his prime and bursting at the seams with sinew and might. However, nonentity was faultless, and Eos pinned a disadvantage in his size; lack of manoeuvrability. It was true, Eos herself was also well-structured, though her own physique would boast more of fitness than pure muscle; she was speedy, agile and lithe.

A brief moment was spared, calculating the distance between them and concluding her plan of attack; she would go for his left forelimb, coming slightly from behind in an attempt to situate herself somewhat away from his jaws, where she would hit his side with full force and attempt to bite down on the flexor tendons mid-limb; simultaneously throwing him off balance. If she could injure his limb in the first round, his balance would be affected negatively for the duration of their brawl, and Eos would be at a significant advantage. Chest inched lower to the ground, muscles beginning to pulse as a rush of adrenaline began to take her mind over, to infect her strain of thought with that infamously dangerous determination she was so well known for. Motor-drive coiled in her rear, torso tensing as shoulders relaxed; she prowled, attempting to conceal her plans from the King?s view, limbs encouraging her into a bouncing trot as she attempted to situate herself at his left haunch; angling her tail away from him at a 55 degree angle.

She moved forwards now, her trot bringing her cadaver into a concluding lurch as muscle retracted and released in a swift few seconds of explosive power; emerald eyes taking one last glance, a final pinpoint, a bullseye, before lids snapped closed in an endeavour of protection. She would go by sense now, attempting to force her weight into his side, throwing him off balance and attempting to lock down on the exposed flexor tendon that lingered below the elbow. If she could just get that tendon to fray, to splinter away and detach itself beneath her jaws; Eos would be set, and her mass and inexperience adjacent to the male would rapidly be crushed with any physical superiority he contained. Ears lay pinned against her scalp, body held squat to the earth beneath him as she awaited that initiating conformation of contact; that welcoming reward that would inflate her confidence for the duration of their brawl. The flag had been raised, war was afoot.

Eos vs. Gargoyle ? Round 1 of ???

Attacks: Finely calculating her direction of attack, Eos decides to take Gargoyle at a 55 degree angle from his left-behind, attempting to slightly avoid his jaws by staying low to the ground behind his limb (on the suspicion the large male is not very manoeuvrable). She attempts to clash with his shoulder with both speed and power, potentially throwing him off balance and simultaneously lowering her head where she would try to locate the flexor tendon below his elbow, and using the force of her jaws, bite down hard onto it in an attempt to seriously injure or tear.

Defenses: Whilst assessing, Eos shifts her weight in anticipation from limb to limb, muscles coiled and at the ready. Then when moving around him she tucks her tail between her legs, shifting her weight predominantly onto her hinds so she is able to quickly dart away from him should the need arise. Neck and skull are lowered. During attack Eos pins her ears and closes her eyes, she also attempts to keep low to the ground and out of reach.

Injuries: None.


Ooc: Nice to see you, Clash! Your writing is so boootiful D: Good luck. <3 ps. sorry for length, will be shorter from now on, you just need to decide on number of rounds. Preferably nothing crazy xDD

(ooc: ack! sorry posted an empty table by pressing reply instead of preview -
this has been seen by Nyx - just finishing up the post atm then I'll post it
here -- also, slight language warning)

~*~ Gargoyle's chest swelled and shrunk as a great lungful of breath was released. The she-wolf's words... was he relieved by them? No that wasn't right. He should've been disappointed, reluctant, pitying, anything but relieved. He'd swallowed down that demon of his for so long, run so far away form it, that now any quirk of his that reminded him of it sent a chill through the marrow of his bones. And yet now, it was all that training, all that experience, all that warfare that he was counting on. He wasn't about to half-ass this thing just because his opponent looked like she'd just lost her milk teeth. No, with Gargoyle, there was never any middle road. Once his adrenaline kicked in, once he had that first, delectable taste of wolf's blood, there was no going back and until he had his fill. It was a cool day in hell when the drake could separate the warrior, from the killer. The girl threw his words back at him, shredding what last bit of lifeline she clung to. She wants this, a voice hissed at the back of his mind. She stands before you willingly. She accepts the terms. She's ready to die. And yet Gargoyle remained impassive and seating. Behind the laconic stained glass of his yellow eyes, he was peering down into the hole he'd burried his former self in. Go on. The truth was, he didn't have much of a choice here - unless he felt like offering this pup the throne of Glaciem. He had to fight. And that wasn't the problem. The problem was how much he wanted to. He barely heard his mate's words. Ocena was saying something. Wishing him luck or telling him he could do it. Even she urges me on. That did it. That snapped the last link of chain that had been keeping the male in check. His heart pounded. Adrenaline surged in tidal waves through his veins. Here it was, his chance to kill again without the guilt that had come to stain his soul. He could be himself once again. And despite all this inward shift, there was no movement on the outside, no hint given by the sitting wolf... ...except that a smile began to curl slowly over his usually stone-frozen muzzle. His eyes followed the she-wolf as she shifted her position. She was moving with a suppleness that showed she had at least been in fights before. Her eyes covered his frame, glancing at all the right places, keeping herself ready for the moment of truth. Good for her. She angled herself to his side, and almost behind him. Gargoyle couldn't moved too. He easily could've mirrored her and started walking the classical circle with her. But, no, he staid where he was, sitting as cool as he pleased. He'd let her make the first move, her first mistake. Only his ears and his eyes shifted to track her. Finally, she made her move - after a bit of a trot to close the distance, she made her plunge for his left leg - the tender batch of tendons just below his elbow joint. From the way she'd been lowering her head and bunching her muscles, he'd expected such a low target. And was she- did she just- was she closing her eyes? She was going to make this easy for him, wasn't she? It pleased Gargoyle to wait as long as mortally possible - he wanted to make sure all her momentum, all her weight was behind this throw - and then he moved. The beast had been waiting, winding himself up like a metal spring and now all of that energy was released quicker than most eyes could follow. All his weight was on his hind legs as he sat and now he raised himself up on them - twisting round, at first away from the incoming attack, but then coming right back at her. It was a simple spin of the torso, but now his frame was risen. His hackles were up, his teeth were bared and his oversized claws were ready to tear. With the force of that spin behind him, his forelegs (one of which was dripping blood where she'd nicked him) were sent to slam into the she-wolf's frame. If all was timed, she'd only just have had her forepaws touch the ground. Well now he intended to send her whole body crashing down to the ground. And once he got her underneath him, heaven help her. His forelegs weren't his only attack though. No, he wanted blood. Hind legs still bent and planted and steady - he threw his whole torso into the attack. He'd smash his broad chest into her rib cage, his jaws would search out the flesh beneath her fur. If given the time, he'd tear himself a hole into her side and see the color of her lungs. x.x gargoyle vs. eos - round 1 of 4 x.x attacks: 1. uses his sitting posture as a technique, he whips round and sends his forelegs forward to slam into Eos's side. 2. intends to follow up with smashing his chest into her side, hoping to send her off and balance and into the dust. 3. if his chest collides, it's a simple matter to bring his teeth down and start ripping into her side. x.x defenses: 1. spun round to avoid the angle of incoming attack. 2. hind legs planted and steady. 3. if the move succedes his throat and chest will be pushed against Eos's side where her teeth can't reach. x.x injuries: a nick on his left foreleg just below elbow x.x notes: Yumpy and I agreed on four rounds. ~May the odds be ever in your favor~ ~*~

Massive cranium would lift, ivory pelt of shimmering white would gleam beneath the blinding whiteness of the sun. Two toned oculars flickered towards the field of death, where she, scarcely a month before had regained her retribution. Where Tortuga had been vindicated, it seemed she had done her pack well, the vast majority seemed to approve her reign and her choice of co-regent. A moment of contemplation would leave her motionless, before she turned, skull dipping to call her Nnoitra. I will be at the battlefield. I need to watch this fight. A dip of his cranium, acceptance of full responsibility and the goddess was gone. The Queen's heavy strides ate the ground beneath her, her massive frame becoming a blur of blinding white as she escaped Tortuga's grasp and slid into unclaimed territory. The battlefield had become both a place of hope and a place of sadness for the Queen, but her presence, albeit she could not rightly say why, was required here, she needed to be here, to watch, to study. Lunging to clear a last bit of foliage that stood in her way, she would skid to a halt, claws tearing into the earth to stop her bodice. Her eyes danced to the various forms already present. Gargoyle... she had saved his life once, there was a bond between the two of them, albeit a strange one, but a bond never the less. This woman, she knew nothing of her and she had no rhyme or reason to attack Glaciem, no emotions flickered across the woman's maw, but her eyes would shift back to Gargoyle, cranium dipping ever so slightly, she had chosen who she wished to win this war. Speech,

Something had seemed to loiter behind his mustard gaze, a shuddering and swirling being that forked with yearning at his iris. A being trembled within his soul, cold and lifeless; something dark and sinister that lurked beneath the gallant surface. Such was the way with most wolves these days, eh? No matter where your ambitions carried you, life would throw treacherous challenges in your way; you had to overcome them, and many did, but like the false hero that began to crumble before her, the majority were never the same afterwards. The beast was so close, and yet so mentally far away; something troubled his mind, tapped mercilessly at his core, but it didn?t impress her- hell, it couldn?t even make her blink. In fact it seemed to be growing habitual for personalities to be disturbed by one thing or another; pure sanity was rare, and this ?King? was just another of the millions that didn?t possess it. Their mind was their weakness, and although in some situations it may have made them stronger, in the end they always collapsed; psyche disintegrating in the acids of their plights, frail cadaver dragged into the pits of their despairs.

It had been foolishly unrealistic for the colossal male to presume he could manoeuvre his body in such a way, fling his shoulders away from her only to send them back all before she hit the earth; his substantial efforts would reap poor rewards, the smaller females closer position to the soil, chest reaching ambitiously for its earthy kiss, would mean only her elevated hips would prove accessible to the fiend. She wasn?t entirely sure how it had occurred, but as swiftly as contact was made with his limb, her rear-end was forced oblique; flinging her pelvis away from the beast while elbows stayed planted to the soil beneath her, torso embracing it?s unsullied surface with perceptible crude. Hinds struggled; momentarily thrown into a vigorous fit of disarray. She needed just a few seconds to salvage herself, emerald eyes flashing open to locate his limb once again. But he wasn?t done, now he pushed forwards with his corpse, a daunting lurch of prime flesh colliding with her shoulders with irrefutable power. A spine-quaking yelp cursed free of inky lips, the banshee struggling beneath his weight as he began to gnaw; jaws meeting fat-laced flesh at the top of her shoulders.

He stood above her now, her abdomen forced to the earth, whatever ambitions he had of pushing her onto her side had been drowned by her previous defences; but still he had access to her nape, and although vaguely protected by a thin layer of fat, the pain that tore so heartlessly at her nerves was enough to persuade a fit of screaming, jaws clashing together in desperation as he continued to dig, tunnelling her flesh like a ravenous predator. Each second that passed felt like painstaking hours, the lady managing only to tuck her tail beneath her frame and hold her ears pinned against her scalp. What else could she do to protect herself from further maim? Nothing. Other than return the favours. Perhaps he had placed consideration in his balance, and in his vitals; but as he stood so confident over her, still snapping voraciously, he only rebirthed the previous opportunity he had tried so exceedingly hard to evade.



Coffee fore-pillars loomed before her, supporting his carcass of burden as he continued to attack, a fine river of crimson tracing the chasms of his left arm- perfect. With no more warning, Eos snaked her nape forwards, ivories flashing with famished aspiration, tongue curling before pulsating tonsils; mid-air she would swivel her skull, ever-so-slightly to the right, yet another calculated attack for not only the flexor tendon, but now also the bone. Should she succeed in her efforts, she would dead-bolt her molars so decisively onto that limb with bone-crushing pressure; it was unlikely her opponent would ever regain that pride-infused strut of his. She lingered with superior purpose, becoming oblivious to the pain amid her shoulders, her mind so thirsty for that rewarding crack, that perfectly rupturing resonance as bone compressed and splintered beneath her jaws. Let him feel the sensation of tearing skin as fillet fragments tore free of his pompous leather, and then let him fall; let him become her casualty, and she his assailant.

But she wasn?t done yet, oh no- then she would push forwards; gathering her hinds beneath her, bunching her spine into an awkward arch, forcing all of her power to assimilate behind her pelvis. She would propel herself off the ground, front limbs cupped hastily to her chest as she aimed dead-centre for the male?s heart with the top of her skull, still hoping to maintain a twisted hold on his limb. Using not only her weight, but the sheer power of hind-drive, she could knock the mammoth fool so easily backwards; he may have planted those hinds in firmly, but the lack of care positioned in his front limbs meant that that?s exactly where he was at risk, at fault. With all weight distributed behind him, and his fore-muscles at ease, he should have been more than undemanding to toss backwards. Then, ohh then!- Eos would be unstoppable. Tail tucked, ears pinned, eyes closed, jaw compressed towards her chest; there was no going back.


Eos vs. Gargoyle ? Round 2 of 4

Attacks: Gorgoyle managed to force her down, but not how he had intended; spine-up, belly-down, Gargoyle stands over her, more to her left side. Here he becomes oblivious to the placement of his front limb, and Eos see's a perfect opportunity- she attacks the left forelimb yet again, which is already injured. Gathering herself, she pushes her neck and skull forward, swivelling slightly to the right to allow an easy latch onto the limb. Then, she hopes to hold, increasing her intense jaw pressure with bone-crushing abilities. But she's not done, sparing a moment of potential pressure, Eos hopes to maintain her hold on the limb if successful, whilst still managing to coil her hind limbs beneath her, bunching up her spine before propelling herself forwards and upwards, head forced downwards to hopefully ram the male's chest with full force. Because of his hind weight distribution, Eos suspects he will not only be pushed away from her shoulders, but forced backwards, potentially flipped onto his spine.

Defenses: Thrown downwards, Eos only manages to hold her tail in between her legs, pinning her ears. In defense to Gargoyle's attack to the top of her shoulders/nape, Eos propels herself upwards and forwards to force him off her. Because of the angle of her skull, her vital arteries in her throat should be protected also. Weight all on her hind-end, forelimbs lifted off the ground and tucked in her chest.

Injuries: Large, deep bite wound to the nape/between the shoulders, though it will scar and take time to heal, it has not harmed anything vital; thanks to the fat layer in that area.


Ooc:

~*~ Gargoyle had plenty of experience to tell him that it is when an animal is most threatened that it becomes most dangerous. But this was his first wolf's meat in far too long. He was ripping her apart, knawing deeper, already his muzzle and chest had become washed in the stuff as he pressed himself down upon the prone creature, like a hunter at a kill. It was thanks to this contact that he felt her wrigglings - at first in pain, and but then attack. He felt the swing of her bones as she snapped her head around. He shifted his leg back - but not quite quick enough! Ivories connected inside his left foreleg, and the he-wolf roared aloud -spraying his opponent's blood like spittle. His shift at the last minute had saved his leg bones - the fae hadn't gotten quite the hold she wanted - but she still had half a mouthful of his flesh and tendons. It hurt like heck, but the male had had worse; a heartbeat later and he was already preparing for his counter move - However, the girl was moving again. He'd released her and pulled back and that was exactly what she needed to make her next gamble possible. He saw the bloodied back bend, and the skull that was connected with his leg, twisted awkwardly and made a go at his chest. But while the girl had plenty of muscle behind this, there was very little space between them for her to gather momentum - particularly when her head was already latched onto his leg so close to his belly fur. Had she been merely a regular sized wolf or even just a large one, Gargoyle could've easily dismissed the move and kept her down, but she was just large enough to tip him back a hair. Gargoyle felt himself swaying back, and rather than scramble to keep himself upright - he flopped down with it, swinging his free foreleg about the she-wolf's form, meaning to trap her close to him as they went down together. Even as he felt the first tug of gravity, however, Gargoyle was already making his counter. The key lay in that the she-mutt was going for a hold not a rip or tear. She had his leg where she wanted, but that meant that her head remained where he wanted it. He held out his foreleg - holding out her head - and arched his neck like a stallion, bringing forty two gleaming fangs straight down. This was his reply to her taking of his leg - he was going to take her head. He'd latch one jaw on either side of the skull delivered so close to him, and BITE. A large breed of dog could sometimes muster up a bite force of 750 psi, but a Timber wolf? Those averaged out at 1500 pounds per square inch, and that was just for an normal sized one. Gargoyle wasn't interested in taking a hold he wanted a thick, wet, crunch. And just because his jaws were going for the end game, didn't mean that he forgot his other limbs. All this was happening as the two were in mid air, before Gargoyle's back hit the dust. When that did happen, he was rolling with it, his weight forcus on his shoulders, leaving his hindlegs free to claw and slash upwards, going for whatever was free on the hind half of the she-wolf, legs, inner haunches, belly - whatever he could reach with those long grey claws of his, he'd happily shred. The brat was kidding herself if she thought that, like a turtle, this titan was going to be helpless as soon as he was on his back. His belly was exposed, perhaps, but exposed to what? Her teeth were locked his his leg, his hind end was going to be kept busy with his clawing back feet, and her forepaws, she'd need to try to stabalize herself, unless she wanted to be resting her pretty little chest on his, which, of course, he wouldn't mind. He wanted to feel the beat of that heart thrum and them die out when he splattered the battlefeild with her brains. x.x gargoyle vs. eos - round 2 of 4 x.x attacks: 1. as Eos comes up and forward and pushes her head into his chest, he reaches a clawed foreleg around her shoulders, intending to trap her close and possibly throw off her balance as they go down. 2. As Eos's head is so close and unprotected, it's a simple move for Gargoyle to arch his neck and attempt to bite down around it - if he succeeds he intends to splatter her brains. 3. Meanwhile, when he hits the ground, he rolls with it, his weight goes, at least for the moment, onto his shoulders and his hind legs are perfectly free to claw and rip upwards. x.x defenses: his attacks are mostly taking care of his defenses - his hind legs clawing upwards, keep his belly and lower vitals protected. his hold on Eos's head would keep her teeth from going anywhere but his leg. x.x injuries: his left leg is, at the moment, taken compeltely out of the fight. At this point there's no broken bones, but serious damage to the tendons and flesh. Once the she-wolf pulls away he'll have to deal with blood loss x.x notes: was jamming out to "Carry on my Wayward Son" while writing this xD ~*~

She had been so sure, so certain; would have placed all her biddings on a triumphant strike, on the rewarding sensation of crushing bones, the cracking and splintering as fragments echoed within her ears and fed her assurance even more so. Her heart had hovered light for the rewards, swaying towards her throat with anticipation, so thirsty for blood. But her hopes had come crashing down upon her lungs, somehow, against all odds; the bastard had managed to avoid the crippling latch. Sanctified only by the feeble crushing of veins and ligaments, Eos had to convalesce and promptly- though Gargoyle had now been partially disabled by the loss of a limb, and would potentially be victim to profound blood loss, the adrenaline-fuelled banshee was hardly contented. If she was going to win, she wouldn?t conquest half-heartedly, oh no- it was all or nothing in this twisted, perverse world. And so as she felt the beast gradually begin to topple over, she didn?t allow the dissatisfaction to curb her spirits; instead it only compelled her more voraciously onwards, veins impelling with the nostalgia of her greatest inner-being.

Immense frame wavered with disparity, trembling and quaking as he began to tip over, a daunting mirror of the collapsing stories of a sky-scraper; slow-motion, petrifying, and yet ever so awe-inspiring. She waited anxiously for the conclusive crash, for the vital few seconds of self-destruction as the beast?s flesh became so dangerously at one with the earth beneath him. She felt his liberated arm reach over her nape, combing agonizingly alongside the fresh lesion that huddled so hideously between her blades. A silent scowl creased the shield?s of her swords, jaws still grasping possessively at his wounded fore-pillar. He hit the earth, but it hadn?t been as fulfilling as Eos had hoped; instead he rocked his body, the dame?s weight laying over him as he sent hind legs thrashing towards her abdomen. What he was planning to achieve was not entirely predictable, but it wouldn?t phase her; had he of been a bear or beast with claws essentially worth using it may have been a different story, but the worn-blunt nails of a canine were hardly worth the labours. Hind limbs spread, stabilising herself on either side of him.

She responded with irritancy, a low growl rumbling within the chasms of her voice-box as she began to shake her head brutally; skull quaking from side to side as she attempted to inflict a few moments of finalizing damage on that frail limb; then she would release, satisfied with whatever harm had been done. As she retracted from the grasp she would open her eyes, barely to a defensive slit, ears still pinned. Now she could move on, her next attack already brewing behind her venomous gaze; mind becoming oblivious to the attempted ripping and scratching that thrummed almost innocuously beneath her. But before she could wholly readjust herself, potentially one of the most unforeseeable assaults had already been emitted vulgarly upon her; liberty was spurred so effortlessly from her grapple, and Eos? armaments had found themselves swiftly incarcerated and disabled. His jaws closed around her skull without warning, holding her at an unnatural and awkward angle; eyes snapped closed, facial muscles balling themselves in attempted defence. Naturally her left fore-arm would reach over, pointed toes beginning to claw incessantly at his face, his unprotected eyes, a whole-hearted and frantic attempt to inflict enough pain to force him off of her.

Pressure increased around her cranium, but there wasn?t so much pain as there was discomfort; the fine trails of blood that departed miniscule pin-holes were but an illusion, crimson lies who suggested a false agony that tried ever so desperately to present itself. The male may have had his tactics in line, but whatever he was trying to achieve injury wise was not going to be successful; still though, Eos?s fore-paw thrashed viciously at his eyes, blindly attempting to damage the ever-so-tender sockets of his skull. An instant later, fuelled by the abhorrence of being so constricted, she would reach the other, right forearm beneath her skull and send a sharp, pointed jab towards his throat, initiated more as endeavoured defence than attack. Her chest lay against his own now, every expansion of his lungs and thrum of his heart reverberating against her rib-cage. If she stayed where she was, she would be powerless, and well- that wouldn?t do. Spine began to twist, muscles contracting within her nape to vigilantly rotate her skull from side to side, the male?s canines leaving shredded paths of scarlet as the lady somehow managed to free herself of his death-imposing grasp. The rounded form of her cranium perhaps to thank for plausibility.

One, lone, wrenching motion and she had released herself of his grip, it was simultaneously that she would reverse the momentum; cranium rotating to point her snout towards him, right fore-leg reaching ambitiously towards the base of his jaw to try compel it backwards; exposing the shallowest gulf of his jugular, she would strike with the venom-laced fangs of a cobra, demise dripping with copious peril; welling beneath her tongue, electrifying her veins, invigorating her mind and infecting her cadaver. Body began to pulse with ailment, mind clouding, polluting her psyche with the inky black fog of contamination; hidden vision, once a vibrant and luminous lime-green, began to swirl with a false, callous black. Ambitions of leadership were drowned now by the cravings to grate his gullet, to unthread his veins from his collar, to watch his jugular pound beneath the surface as his life spilled out across the carpets of reality. Eos didn?t want to merely experience his pulse on her tongue, no that would hardly be gratifying, so she would thrash her skull so voraciously and brutally that the flesh would tear from beneath his jaws, that the clock-work of his body would be viewable to the bystanders. Let them see his anatomy, from the inside out.



Eos vs. Gargoyle ? Round 3 of 4

Attacks: Eos finalizes her Round 2 attack by shaking her skull from side to side whilst holding Gargoyle's left forelimb, then she releases. Before she can attack again, Gargoyle's achieves a grip on her skull with his jaws, Eos naturally uses her left front paw to swipe and claw blindly at Gargoyle's unprotected eyes, mainly his right due to the angles. She also sends a sharp, pointed jab to his throat with her right paw, though this is initiated more as a defence out of desperation. After a few moments Eos manages to break free (inflicting more harm on herself during), using her jerking backwards motion to reverse her energy; she rotates her skull so her nose is pointing towards his own, and using her right front paw she attempts to push up under his jaw, potentially forcing his skull backwards so the lady has a clear shot at his jugular and throat. She then sends her nape and nose propelling towards him, where she hopes to achieve a calculated grip on the shallowest point of his jugular (usually a bit lower down the neck than most expect, not right under the jaw), quickly she would begin to shake her head from side to side, hoping to tear flesh, vessels and damage his jugular enough to cause him to bleed out.

Defenses: When the pair falls, Eos stabilizes her hind limbs on either side of Gargoyle's hips. Eyes were closed during the attack of Gargy's limb and ears were pinned, when she retracts her hold she opens eyes only to a slit so she can pinpoint her next attack, ears still pinned. When Gargoyle attacks her skull, she naturally holds her eyes closed again very tightly, tensing all the muscles in her face. In defense she claws hopfully at his eyes with the left forepaw and attempts to send a swift jab to his throat with the right, trying to cause pain and force him to release his hold.

Injuries: Large, deep bite wound to the nape/between the shoulders, though it will scar and take time to heal, it has not harmed anything vital; thanks to the fat layer in that area. I was a bit unsure with injuries in regards to Gargoyle's attack to the skull, since it's such a firm and muscle-less area, all that could be done would be superficial skin wounds, unless of coarse he managed a hair-line fracture to the skull or something, which Eos wouldn't be aware of. I suppose judge will decide this. So for now, on the right side of her head she has small, bleeding pin-holes in the skin from his lower incisors and canines. On the left she has superficial pin-holes, and also tearing through the skin and thin tissue a few centimeters long from Gargoyle's canines where she tried to free herself from his hold. I imagine these will scar and may be prone to infection. Superficial scratches and bruising to the lower abdomen from his hind legs.


Ooc: <3

~*~ To Gargoyle's surprise, the she-wolf managed to remain calm and collected enough to quickly extricate her skull. A wolf any smaller would've been flung off balance by the force of his hind legs alone. But this one was holding her ground. Noted. Good, he didn't want this to be too easy, did he? He'd gotten himself all hyped up and bloodthirsty, twould be a shame if it was over in a few seconds. He'd at least try to make it stretch a minute. And if his hind legs were ineffectual, at the fae's fore paw was too. The angel was too awkward for her front claws to do anything too terrible - a couple rakes in the fur above his eye would earn the male a dashing scar later on. When the teeth were retracted from his leg, ripping as they went, the blood started flowing. It was painful, but not debilitating. Gargoyle knew his way around wounds well enough to know that the bloodloss wasn't going to be a pretty thing, but it wasn't any more damaging than the crater he'd put in his opponent's back. Adrenaline and raw energy outweighed wounds at the moment. If the fight dragged on, then it would no doubt start to become a problem - dizziness, trouble seeing, lack of strength and balance etc. But from the way these two were fighting, that option seemed off the table. They weren't going for the long haul, they were going for the end-all. Or at least, Gargoyle had been. Only now, after her near lobotomy did the smaller wolf seem to get it in her head that she wasn't just fighting for Glaciem; She was fighting for her life. No more playing footsy, now she was jamming a paw into his neck, supporting the front half of her carriage with that limb. For one straining moment, his head had craned back and his eyes saw only the heavens. His throat bobbed and pulsed neath the creamy gold fur, soft and vulnerable. -- But the next heartbeat he was rolling, twisting his whole body, gathering his uninjured feet and doing his darnest to get leap up and off to the fae's left. All the female had holding him down was one paw, and even if she'd had all limbs pinning, he was her superior in size and strength - the leap up to his feet and the tear away was a smooth, quick one. Yet for all that, it wasn't perfectly clean. Though his throat was missed, the challenger's bite was not without reward. Her attack landed on the side of his neck, and as Garogyle pulled one way and the she-wolf another, Eos received a mouthful of fur and flesh from the left side of his scruff. Now whipped round to face the fae, Gargoyle clenched his fangs and stood with planted paws. He didn't have to glance back to know the damage. He could feel the blood dripping down the side of his neck. He could hear the droplets splatter as they hit the frozen earth. Once. Twice. Three times. But all the same, Gargoyle's muzzle twisted into that sickening grin. It was a nice slab of teddy bear stuffing she'd taken from him, but nothing serious had been torn. Close, but, again, no cigar. They'd had their foreplay, and now it was time to finish things. Something stiffened in Gargoyle's shoulders, something changed in his gaze. Claws like little icepicks cut into the frozen ground as he leapt back into the fray with jaws open and still gleaming red from his earlier dig into her meat. His ears were back tight against his skull, his lower jaw was tucked enough to guard his throat. With his hieght he could afford to arch his neck - a move which coiled and bunched his muscles, protecting his vitals and keeping his teeth positioned to better fend off another attack. He ran like he was going for her back again - as though he couldn't keep his maw away from that delicious spread of blood, after all, if he succeeded in getting his teeth there again, he'd ripped away enough flesh and fat to leave the bones much easier to find and crush. He'd have his eyes narrowed on that spot, just long enough to tempt his opponent into trying to figure out a counter. However the she-wolf chose to try to counter his charge, he'd switch targets at the last possible second. He wanted her neck - and he wasn't going for tearing away at flesh, no, this time he wanted a hold. He wanted her in his power. He wanted to lock his molars in her scruff and drag her down, beat her into submission. If the fae remained broadside as he came at her back, then the target would be the right side of her neck - if she tried to protect her back though, bringing her chest forward and/or tucking her hind end away, then Gargoyle would duck straight by her and go for the left side of her scruff. Once he had his grip, he'd keep running. Gargoyle had turned wolves into roadkill before, he could do it again. He'd throat his weight into the run, ignoring the stabs of pain from his left fore, and attempt to yank the challenger off balance. If he got the scruff, then there wouldn't be much she could do - her teeth's range would concern his shoulders only, and they'd been scared up plenty of times already. Gargoyle was ready for more pain to himself, so long as he came out on top this time. Then he'd show her what a wolf could do with his claws if he knew what he was doing. Wolf fillets, anyone? x.x gargoyle vs. eos - round 3 of 4 x.x attacks: charges Eos almost as soon as he gets free of the last attack,feints that he's going for her back again, coming at it from her right side, but at the last second, switches and goes for her neck, wanting her scruff. he intends to bite down deep and get a deathgrip which he'll keep running with, intending to pull her off her feet and drag her down where she'll be at the mercy of his claws x.x defenses: (dealing with past attack) rolls over to avoid the blow to his throat, the teeth instead land on the left/top part of his neck where his thick fur and scruff take the power of the attack. (concerning this attack) ears pinned back to keep them out of the way. neck arched to bunch muscles over his spine and recently targeted areas. jaws open, with lower jaw helping guard his throat. x.x injuries: the gash in the top half of his left foreleg. the shallow cuts above his right eye. the missing patch of skin on the upper left side of his neck x.x notes: ~*~

Most would ask questions; offering an inquiring and sceptical gape as they tried to push and pull at her reasoning?s, tug haphazardly at the strings of her mind and pry free the exposing truth beneath. They would ask her why, implore and plead for her to present elucidation: why, why? Why had she torn apart a family, attempted to over-throw a competent leader and thieve all that had been his? Hell, she wouldn?t even have a good answer when they did. Thus was the way of the world, eh? Wolves were prevalent creatures, with particular and multifarious hierarchy; always thriving to slither closer to the top. Some would be happy mid-field, coil their tails about their haunches as they leisurely watched the world glide by, but not Eos. No, others would reach and reach, further and further for the buoyant arms of greatness, and any who stood before them, any who attempted to barrier their ambitions, they?d rip and tear at all they were; attempting to overshadow them both physically and mentally, drown their psyche in reality and burn their cadaver in pre-eminence. These wolves would either fail or succeed, and Eos? journey had only just begun; success in her arms reach, failure chasing urgently behind her.

He?d done it again, and it disturbed her. Made her clench her jaw in fraught frustration, bigoted rage bubbling over the brims of her lash-line, simmering against the frigid kiss of winter-air as her veins throbbed simultaneously with an ever-sweltering lava. She wanted nothing more than to end this, to see the colossal beast deteriorate beneath her swords, crimson staining his pelt with glory; signifying the youth?s immense victory and he spluttered desperate last words. She was so convinced she couldn?t miss, and yet again and again this beast, this flesh-boiling bastard, had managed to survive her attacks of peril. His throat should have lay open before her, fizzing as oxygen absorbed his blood, as dreams stole his spirit from reality. He should have been next to dead. But somehow, beyond expectation, the idiotic fool had managed to struggle free from her grasp, and with a few eager skates he slipped inelegantly from her; the ladies jaws snapping in his wake, reaching so urgently for his tail as it lured her away from her standing forte. This had to end.

The distance between them pained her, made her skin crawl and yearn for his contact; like a teenager drawn her to lover, Eos craved the sinister touch of flesh on flesh, of her jaws embracing his blood stream, the faded throbbing of his heart against her ribs, the heat of his wounded breath against her collar as he fought for his existence. He watched her from his new safety-point, mind ticking, eyes flashing; the russet lady stood, rigid as a slate of lumber, muscles trembling with exhilaration, body emerging almost as if in an agonizing tremor as she longed so stalwartly to be in his contact again, fuelled by the endless rushes of adrenaline that shook her system to its core. A heavy string of saliva crawled from lips to earth, tongue lapping ravenously, flicking in and out of her maw like a fanatical monster; oh how badly she wanted him. She lowered her chassis to the earth, unstabilized by the endless quaking of her muscles, the anticipation of contact overwhelming body and mind.

A twisted grin etched eerie features, a sickening and suggestive curve of his damaged personality. His lemon gaze rested upon the banshee, the shuddering and quaking mess in all she was; a tremoring, salivating, crumbling image of apparent psychosis. She gifted him only the interrupted drawl of gargling air, a rumbling of thwarted anger as bloodied lips pulled back against stained weaponry. Then, he charged, lumbering for her right side; but she wouldn?t stand there and let him bowl into her ribcage, let him feast upon her spine or be forced ruthlessly to the soil- no, she would charge back. Babe spun towards him, silently astounded by the male?s lack of lameness, forearms reached out before her, nape stretching as she darted towards him with momentum, dexterity; a few brief moments of speed and she would slow as he neared, ears flicking against feminine curves, eyes narrowing, elbows dropping alongside shoulders, dragging her chest ambitiously towards the earth. She maintained balance, tail flagged, scarcely through the flashing lunacy of her mind, swirling vision churning with sinister desire as the pair devoured detachment at comparable velocity.

She had had it all worked out; she?d hug the earth, stay low, lower than her opponent was capable of. He?d continue onwards, and with barely a second to spare Eos would duck beneath him, potentially avoiding his jaws and placing herself below him where she?d gnaw fanatically at his abdomen and drop his innards athwart the battlefield. But the male had other ideas, with barely a moment to spare he had dodged sideways, making a conservative reach for the right side of the banshee?s neck; but she was too low, and although the multi-hued brute would attain a fickle hold at the top of her scruff, it wouldn?t be enough to immobilize. Though still jaws grasped flesh, and all plans of the vixen?s original attack were rapidly crushed, the awkward sensation of upwards dragging bringing the lady to snap and yelp with frustration; sprays of saliva spittled lips like a ravenous mutant, ears pinning as rage pulsed through her voice-box in endless waves of quaking screams. But there was an unanticipated opportunity. Angles had been kind, and the stretched spine and jaws of her opponent had swung open stained windows; Eos didn?t need an invitation.

The beast continued to move, and while his pace was sound the russet queen had been able to maintain an awkward, sideways tempo, just sufficient to scarcely evade the risk of being dropped to the soil and dragged like a spineless doll; though still she struggled, ankles knocking each other as she grew evermore unhinged by the peculiar perspective.** A brief moment of calculation and Eos, being minor in comparison and in a low enough position, would once again strike out at his collar; skull twisting to the right, nape coiling and bursting forward in a few split seconds of unremitting ambition. Had he forgotten that the shallowest summit of his jugular was not in fact directly beneath his jaw, but almost mid-way down his exposed and tender neck? Apparently so, and while he held the russet babe close, snuggled her in a bitter embrace towards his chest, she would heartlessly perforate his vitals and tear out his oesophagus; this time, she would succeed, and bubbling crimson would mark her victory as she thrashed her skull relentlessly from side to side.

It would be enough. She would make sure it was enough. But regardless she seized yet another opportunity; Gargoyle was holding her at her right side, and so Eos had access to his right also- perfect. The rhythm of his wounded stride sounded within her drums, pounding at her listeners as they swivelled, timing, calculating. The hinds would reach, then the wounded front-left, next would be right-fore; well, that was if the plot-brewing banshee didn?t have a say in it. With as much precision as the ghoul was capable, weight swung around in a feeble attempt to place her chassis entirely in front of his own, scruff twisting, fraying beneath his hold, and simultaneously her right fore would reach beneath him, attempting to hook his sound leg as it stretched forwards and forced all weight on the torn tendons of his left limb. If she succeeded, there was no doubting he would fall, pain and physical limitation his defeat, and again he would be at the banshee?s mercy. A mercy that would no doubt, never come.

Though her new fluctuating, side-on position, timed with the male?s rocking gait, would cause her to lose her footing, unable to maintain rhythm at such an angle; scrambling legs striving only half-heartedly to keep her poise, before the youth would accept loss of stability and allow herself to fall. Pain rocketed down her spine as gravity reaped her from his orifice, a tender ounce of flesh splitting with near-ease from her scruff. It wasn?t an image of grace, but nor was it without its rewards; previous defences of narrowed eyes and tucked quarters began to unravel, a two-second moment of open-window opportunity as she dropped away from the beast, slightly to his left side. The abdomen, in all of its unprotected, flimsy and feeble glory, gurgled beneath thin skin as vital organs twisted and churned. Lip curled, an instant of weight-rocking as she attempted to reach upwards and leftwards with a single, endeavoured snaking motion; if she maintained access, she would slash her armaments so far into his tissue, a pathway of intestine and bile would untangle in his wake. To hell if he?d get over that one so effortlessly, the monster was tough, but he was no hero.

The end was near.



Eos vs. Gargoyle ? Round 4 of 4
** = Click for suspected angles -->HERE.

Attacks: Eos aims a partially blind snap at Gargoyle's tail as he ducks away from her, but this is nothing serious and merely a retaliation. Gargoyle charges towards her, and Eos charges back, staying low to the ground to try and dart beneath him- but he quickly changes direction and takes a hold on her scruff, leaving Eos snapping blindly for a few moments, then realizing he has given her an easy opportunity to rip at his throat. So she stretches beneath his hold, and aims a vicious bite right to the mid-way jugular (this sort of area = CLICK.), where again if she succeeds she will thrash her head from side to side. Hope slight attack repeats don't matter, wasn't much else she could do here, and it is a stronger attack. Anyway, Eos also see's another opportunity- with Gargoyle at her right side, and she facing his right also in front of him, she pivots her body slightly despite loss of balance and reaches out with her right fore-paw to hook his right limb as he runs. She calculates her timing, hoping he will stumble and place more weight on his badly injured left foreleg, causing enough pain to cause him to tumble and release her. But her efforts placed her at an even more unnatural angle, and the girl was unable to keep running side-on, so as she loses balance, stumbles and eventually allows herself to fall to his left, if Gargoyle managed to stay up at all after her attempted tripping, she would rock her weight to her haunches and reach up under his abdomen as he passed; attempting to latch onto flesh where it is unprotected and pull. Essentially creating an open wound, making him prone to blood loss, and if large enough, she may even expose organs.
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Defenses: When Gargoyle slips away from beneath her, she stiffens her body, tensing all muscles and lowering her body closer to the earth to try and stabilize herself; distributing weight on her hinds. He charges towards her and she charges back, running, but ensuring her elbows are low to the earth, dropping hers houlders, this would prevent him from bowling her over, and allowing her to try slip underneath him. She balances herself, flagging her tail evenly behind her, eyes narrowed, ears pinned. Eos bare's her teeth when Gargoyle attacks, ready to protect herself. When she falls she squints her eyes again, pins her ears, and tucks her haunches over her abdomen, tail tucked also, to try protect the abdomen being run over etc.
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Injuries: Large, deep bite wound to the nape/between the shoulders, though it will scar and take time to heal, it has not harmed anything vital; thanks to the fat layer in that area. I was a bit unsure with injuries in regards to Gargoyle's attack to the skull, since it's such a firm and muscle-less area, all that could be done would be superficial skin wounds, unless of coarse he managed a hair-line fracture to the skull or something, which Eos wouldn't be aware of. I suppose judge will decide this. So for now, on the right side of her head she has small, bleeding pin-holes in the skin from his lower incisors and canines. On the left she has superficial pin-holes, and also tearing through the skin and thin tissue a few centimeters long from Gargoyle's canines where she tried to free herself from his hold. I imagine these will scar and may be prone to infection. Superficial scratches and bruising to the lower abdomen from his hind legs. Now, Eos will have grazes up her quarters and (hind) heels from being partially dragged, tripping and then her fall. She also has a decent chunk of skin taken from the top of her scruff. She may loose a decent amount of blood from here.
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Ooc: If you're confused by anything Clashbum, drop me a PM. I was a little unsure with Gargy's last attack, and struggled quite a bit to come up with something that would make sense on Eos' end without dodging him- because let's face it, dodging is no fun at all. That's also the reason it's so long, as I tried as hard as I could to space it out and make sure I made some kind of sense, haha. Apologies in advance if I misinterpreted anything.

~*~ Up until that point in the fight, Gargoyle's attacks had been straight forward, hard-hitting ones, it was no surprise, that when he pulled the feint, the she-wolf played right into paws. Her hind end swung away and she came rushing to meet him, low to the earth. When Gargoyle's head swung out of her radar, he could just glimspe the look in her eyes - the next second his fangs were locking themselves in her scruff. He didn't stop to tear or rip - he just kept running and let his momentum do the damage for him. But to his surprise, the she-wolf who'd been running in the opposing direction didn't trip or fall or even pull him up short by sheer power, no, she started running with him, paws scrambling over the earth to keep herself somehow ahead. He?d never seen footwork like that on a wolf so young. Impressive. If he wasn?t so set on ripping her spine from her shell, he might?ve been inclined to learn more about her and where she?d learned to fight. For her age, she was probably the best fighter he?d ever seen. She had the size, the skill, the speed, and, from what he saw in those eyes during the headlong charge, more than her share of ambition and bloodlust. In an all out fight like this, it was amazing how necessary those last two traits were, but Gargoyle had seen before how easily they could overpower and blind the inexperienced. How they could consume the head til thoughts of power and invincibility led to needless risks and stupid mistakes - like the one she was doing now. She was playing into his hands - instead of trying to pull free to stop his attack, she was keeping herself close, keeping herself right in front of him, a perfect target for his clawing forepaws and thrashing head. If they'd been in a less open area, he could've body slammed her against a tree or a slab of stone, as it was, he was content to see her floundering to stay a few inches beyond his charging bulk. She was lucky she hadn't broken a leg already. He felt the she-wolf twitching and twisting. He realized that her mind would go back on the offensive, and he had to take her down before she managed to get more than the flesh and fur she was chewing under his jaws. He felt her teeth on his tenderest skin and, oh, how it sent such shivers of pain and pleasure down his form. More adrenaline kicked it so that, in the next moment when everything happened too fast for casual eyes to follow, it seemed to play out in slow motion, like the rehearsal of some violent tragedy. Gargoyle increased his speed, forelegs swinging up higher to try to claw at the fae's chest, face, eyes - whatever they could reach to deter her from snagging her precious target. But Gargoyle, in extending his stride, made two things possible; one, it opened him up to be easier to take off balance when the she-wolf made a sweep with her paws at his injured foreleft. And secondly, he made it alot harder for the girl to keep up. When she tried to alter her position, she went down. The skin of her scruff gave way and Gargoyle was left with a mouthful of wolf's meat and a banged up leftfore. Then came the interesting bit. Though the challenger was going down, falling, faltering, she did so slightly to his left and snapped upwards - trying to get at his undercarriage as he went by. But it was rushed at best. Perhaps if Gargoyle had tried to stop and steady himself, the attack would've landed full on, but he knew better than to try to stop his bulk cold. He let the fall take him into another earth-shuddering roll, and jackknifed back to his feet so quickly it seemed just an extension of the run. He'd turned too, so that when his last shreds of momentum slid his paws back, they were facing the downed girl. Each wolf had come away from the clash with bloodshed, and it didn't take a mind reader to see that they were far from sated. Both wanted more carnage, more chaos. Gargoyle didn't even bother pausing long enough to spit out the challenger's scruff, he just charged back. They had landed barely a stride's distance from eachother, but that was crossed in the blink of an eye. Gargoyle's rightfore whipped out, intending that the first contact be a strike to the challenger's face. With his unnaturally long claws and muscle mass, it was possible that it could rip out an eye, but it was mainly for distraction purposes - to keep the wolf busy in that half a heart beat Gargoyle needed to pin her down. He threw his weight down again - going for her neck just below the jawline - which, if his paw had connected would be exactly where he wanted. He'd had enough of her snaking around, he'd grab this viper just behind the head so her fangs would become useless. If he got any semblance of the hold, the next step was to show her what happens which a wolf his size takes control. His legs were planted and steady, allowing him to take full advantage of his bulk. Keeping his neck arched to avoid another go at the throat, he'd put all of his strength into smashing her into the hard frozen ground. With his power, one bash could daze, and any more could kill. He'd given her fair warning at the beginning - more than he'd done for anyone in a long time, but she'd chosen to disregard it and now mercy was off the table. No quarter asked, no quarter given. He was finishing this. x.x gargoyle vs. eos - round 4 of 4 x.x attacks: aiming a swipe at Eo's head with his right fore. then, bringing his head forward to try to pin his teeth into her neck - slightly to the side and just behind her head so she can't twist back around, if this succeeds he plans on slamming her skull into the ground repeatedly to daze, and hopefully kill x.x defenses: again, his attacks cover some of his defenses: extending stride to claw up at her chest and/or face as he runs to protect his forward vitals. then, when his hold leaves, he uses his momentum to roll with the trip up that Eos pulled off, coming back on his paws and twisting to face her - thereby avoiding the worst of her last minute attack at his belly. When making his final attack, he keep his forepaws ready as weapons, and keeps his neck perfectly arched to protect his throat. legs spread for strength and balance. x.x injuries: the gash in the top half of his left foreleg (steadily getting worse as he keeps using it, but not debilitating yet). the shallow cuts above his right eye. the missing patch of skin on the upper left side of his neck. fur and skin torn from the front of his throat. gash on the left side of his belly. x.x notes: wow, o.o it's over. thank you to Yumpy for being such a great oppoenant ic, and a kind, polite one ooc. no matter the outcome has been fun, and helped me gain a little more experience~ ~*~

Eos vs. Gargoyle for Glaciem Round 1 Eos: CLARITY: 10 / 10 Your post was clear. POWERPLAYING: 10 / 10 No powerplaying found. DEFENSES: 6 / 10 I've given you full points for the lowered neck, battle-ready position, pinned ears, closed eyes and folded tail. For her balancing I have given you half points as I would recommend having equalized balance. ATTACK: 6 / 10: You've received full points for planning a two move attack but had points deducted for the closed eyes as a precise plan as used in the post would be difficult to pull off when the character can't see. INJURIES: 10/ 10 No injuries, first round. Round one Eos Total: 42 / 50 Gargoyle: CLARITY: 10 / 10 Your post was clear. POWERPLAYING: 6 / 10 It is somewhat unrealistic that the character could move from sitting, to standing, to shoving in such a short amount of time, especially given his stature and Eos' attack on his forelimb. DEFENSES: 4 / 10 I've given you full points for your counter. Just as with Eos I reccommend having equalized balance and you've received half points for this. You have also received points for the position of Gargoyle's attack. However, no other efficient defenses were listed. ATTACKS: 8 / 10 You've received full points for planning a multiple move attack. INJURIES: 7 / 10 I've deducted an additional point for the injury on the forelimb as I believe Eos' attack should have had more damage than acknowledged due to Gargolye's sitting position. Round one Gargoyle Total: 35 / 50 Round 2 Eos: CLARITY: 10 / 10 Your post was clear. POWERPLAYING: 10 / 10 I found no powerplaying. DEFENSES: 6 / 10 You've earned full points for tucked tail, pinned ears, closed eyes, tucked in jaw and attack-counter. ATTACK: 6 / 10 You've received full points for a two move attack but some were deducted due to Eos' eyes being closed. INJURIES: 8 / 10 Bite wound to the shoulder. Round Two Eos Total: 40/ 50 Gargoyle: CLARITY: 10/ 10 Your post was clear. POWERPLAYING: 10 / 10 I found no powerplaying. DEFENSES: 4/ 10 You've earned full points for your counter and position. ATTACK: 10/ 10 You've received full points for a multiple move attack. INJURIES: 6/ 10 Serious wound to forelimb. Round Two Gargoyle Total: 40/ 50 Round 3 Eos: CLARITY: 10 / 10 Your post was clear. POWERPLAYING: 9/ 10 Within the post actual injury regarding Gargoyle's scratching with his hind legs was not included though it was included in your ooc. DEFENSES: 6 / 10 You've earned full point for both counters and pinned ears and closed/slit eyes. ATTACK: 6 / 10 You've received full points for a multiple move attack. Some points were deducted for the moments that Eos' eyes were closed. INJURIES: 6 / 10 Bite wound to the shoulder. Superficial wounds to neck/skull. Bruising/Scratching to stomach. Round Three Eos Total: 37/ 50 Gargoyle: CLARITY: 9/ 10 Multiple confusing typos. POWERPLAYING: 7 / 10 The damage done to Gargoyle's forelimb would make it difficult to run as he is doing in this post. You also do not acknowledge realistic damage to his right eye which is open and defenseless when Eo's scratches at it DEFENSES: 8 / 10 You've earned full points for open jaws, pinned ears, tucked chin and bunched neck. You've also earned full points for your counters. ATTACK: 4 / 10 You've received full points for your planned attack. INJURIES: 3 / 10 Serious wound to forelimb. Scratched right eye. Bite wound to scruff. Round Three Gargoyle Total: 29/ 50 Round 4 Eos: CLARITY: 10 / 10 Your post was clear. POWERPLAYING: 10 / 10 I found no powerplaying. DEFENSES: 7 / 10 You've earned full points for low posture, balanced tail, narrowed eyes and pinned ears. Full points for counters. Partial points for balance (on hind legs). ATTACK: 10/ 10 You've received full points for a multiple move attack. INJURIES: 3 / 10 Bite wound to the shoulder. Superficial wounds to neck/skull. Bruising/Scratching to stomach. Second leision to scruff. Scratches on hind-limbs. Round Four Eos Total: 40/ 50 Gargoyle: CLARITY: 10 / 10 Your post was clear. POWERPLAYING: 8 / 10 You again ignore the injured left forelimb. DEFENSES: 5 / 10 You've earned full points for your counters and balanced weight. ATTACK: 8/ 10 You've received full points for a two move attack. INJURIES: 0/ 10 Serious wound to forelimb. Scratched right eye. Bite wound to scruff. Bite wound to throat. Gash on underbelly. Round Four Gargoyle Total: 31/ 50 Totals: Eos: 159/200 Gargoyle:135/200 And the winner is... EOS! Gargoyle must give up by either submitting, fleeing, or passing out. Damage: Eos- Bite wound to the shoulder. Superficial wounds to neck/skull. Bruising/Scratching to stomach. Second leision to scruff. Scratches on hind-limbs. Gargoyle- Serious wound to forelimb. Scratched right eye. Bite wound to scruff. Bite wound to throat. Gash on underbelly Notes: I think you both did very well in this fight and had very innovative moves. Clash, you would have scored better if you had listed more defenses than just your counters. It is also important to acknowledge each other's attacks and to plan attacks reasonably. As in Gargoyle's injured forelimb and Eos' closed eyes.

~*~ (ooc: permission given by Yumpy for slight powerplay before Gargoyle goes down) The northern beast charged. He attacked. He had the smaller fae's cranium in his jaws- but at the first, swift, movements of his own head, something snapped in his mind. It was like someone had opened up a wound in the back of his own skull and let everything, his focus, his balance, his strength, all drain away. He tried shaking his head - it was just a head ache right? A bit of minor concusion maybe? He'd kept fighting with far worse! But it didn't go away. It got worse - it wasn't really pain (Gargoyle knew how to fight through pain), it was... emptiness. Gargoyle reeled back, releasing any hold he had. It was the wound in his leg! The bitch had snagged an artery! And the idiot he was - he hadn't noticed, he'd just kept using that leg. He'd left a zigzagging trail of red around the chosen arena, and now, as half glazed as swung round, he could see it standing out in boldest color. He'd been so close... her skull within his teeth...but now? The giant swayed, made one last movement with a foreleg to try to steady himself, and then came crashing down. The world swam in a fog before his eyes. Maybe he should've been experiencing sensations of guilt or fear or failure or anger- hell, anything. But there just wasn't enough juice in him anymore to even think probably. He'd been going full power for too long and all of a sudden, everything was sapped from him. He couldn't even feel his legs anymore. Only by sheer will power was he keeping himself from completely giving in to the darkness. He couldn't pass out now, if he did, he'd probably never wake up. The Chief was laid out prone at the challenger's paws. This day, the fates were against the brute who fought for his home. He'd lost. ~*~

Slowly, it had all begun to fall together; the twisting arms of fate had reached out ever-so-silently and begun to stroke the power-sick body of the youthful female. Still her mind was unaware of the decisions of destiny, but her body, escalating rapidly in its clout and motor-drive, would embrace the choice with relish. The beginning had long since departed, and rapidly the end of the pairs quarrel would begin to unfold; both creatures with sinister intentions, twisting glibly within the lobes of their psyche was a relentlessness that would provoke the winner to terminate the weaker opponent once and for all. The youth was more than willing to lose her life to the ravenous jaws of greater power, more than contented to be remembered as the banshee that was euthanized by an overwhelming tidal-wave of vigor, and went down fighting. But today wasn?t her day, oh no- she had far too much to accomplish first.

Attacks had been launched, and all had landed one way or another. Slowly, the youth with slim chances would begin to rise above her previous superior; and as a whopping load of pressure was applied to her skull, only to teeter off into swaying instability, it would only become more clear. She would issue a shaking and shuddering thrash of her skull and nape as a retaliation to his brief moment of contact, lip peeling as an aggravated growl thrummed within her pipes. Lime-green gaze would crawl up his crimson-washed limb, watching with a swelling pride as his colossal chassis swayed between each limb; and soon he would fall, leaving Eos a shivering and shuddering mess of adrenaline as he eased out of consciousness.

With far too much wrath and oomph to let fizzle, the new queen would reach out with a fore-paw, pressing it to the torn and tattered flesh of his nape; feeling his pulse ever so weak beneath her touch, saliva-splattered jaws crawling downwards until hot, heavy breaths would crawl down the defeated beasts ear canal, waves of snarling and growling still evident with every exhale of the lungs. She stood, light on her legs, muscles still trembling as adrenaline slowly began to ease; mind still clouded by the monsterous disease that had overcome her. She had won. Valhalla?s royal runt, had officially stretched far beyond natures intentions; she had battled not only a king today, but destiny itself, and she had come out on top.

Nose would press against the bloodied mess of the beast?s nape, threatening to tear that ever-so-accessible jugular she had strived for so many times before. But something would stop her, perhaps a dwindling thread of purity, mislaid someplace within the twisted tapestry of shadow that consumed her. The great beast would live in that moment; it would be up to mother nature to decide how long for, though it would not be the russet youth to drag him vulgarly from reality. And with a final, heaved breath, forced to bubble through the arteries of her defeated opponent, the new sovereign would turn; tail held proudly behind her, body still quivering with instability as she would unhurriedly steal away, not sparing anybody a second glance. Eos would cease barely a few yards away, and the eerie drawl of victory would bleed from spoiled pipes; a shrill, wavering cry, announcing the birth of a new queen.

She would depart then, as companionless as she had arrived; a whole new being beneath the frayed skin that laced her wounded remains.

--EXIT EOS?



OOC/I?ve already told you how much I have appreciated this battle, Clash. And although it?s a bitter-sweet win for me, and I feel a little down knowing you and Gargy tried your all- I?m glad we are still in the same place as we were before the battle. I love your writing, and I love Gargy- hence why I decided to have him live when we discussed it. Let?s face it, half of Ala would eat me if you let Eos finish him. <3

>>>Massive thanks to Viv! I know you spent a long time on this for us, and I want you to know I really appreciate the effort you put in, plus the suggestions at the end. I?ve learnt a lot. :) <3