The change in temperature was amazing. Ashiel was working his way back toward Auster and marveling at how he'd managed to go from raging snow storms in the north to the heat of western Boreas. Though, he shouldn't have been surprised. It was a long journey after all and he wondered how the other Abraxas might feel about his return. His mother had encouraged the journey and she'd expect full details of all that he had done and encountered and he hoped more than anything to make her proud. Ashiel paused as he peered out over the sandy landscape, a shadow crossing the sun just for a moment let him know that Griff had returned. He turned to the kite with an expectant grin but the stoic bird just shook his head. No luck. He'd been hoping for an exotic serpent or two to follow through on the lessons that the bird wished to teach him but that would have to wait for another time. Stretching out beneath one of the palms he let the warm breeze just stir his fur. Griff took to perching atop the tree. "Talk" "You" Think

Since meeting his new friend, the boy found himself simply hanging around the west. He still fully intended to head north and look at the wall, if for no other reason than to be able to say he did it. It was just that he... didn't really feel like it yet. That, and he wasn't sure if he maybe wanted to go check out this whole pack thing and see what was what now or later. It was honestly kind of a tough choice so he ended up flopping down in the sand and just laying for a bit while his head spun. He lifted his head from the sand slightly, peering over a slight hill as he heard someone nearby, mismatched gaze seeking out the source of the sound and finding... Some yearling, not too far from his age from the looks of it, but taller! Curious as ever and with no reason at all to hold back, Amos hopped to his paws and trotted towards the other boy without even bothering to shake the sand from his pelt. "Hello!" he called cheerily, tail swinging gently, expression friendly as always. Walk. "Speak!" "Think."

Ashiel had dozed off slightly, dreaming of black and white serpents and chasing after his sister while Griff flew overhead giving him a lecture on philosophy that he didn't understand and often swayed from the common tongue into bird speech. In the dream the moon had been shining big and bright before it was suddenly stained with blood and Amon was standing there looking at him expectantly. It was a confusing mess of a dream and he woke uncertain if it had been a dream or a nightmare. He shook his head and instead contended himself with looking out across the horizon. Ashiel snapped his head swiftly toward a cheerful hello as he spied a yearling with mismatched eyes heading toward him. He was a good sized male, built in a similar way to Ashiel. Ashiel quickly got to his feet and shook himself out to rid himself of the dream and the lingering remnants of sleep. "Hello there, who might you be?" "Talk" "You" Think

Amos maintained his typical, friendly demeanor as he sauntered over to the other boy. This guy's coat wasn't too dissimilar from Amos' own. It just had a lot more light, ashy colored markings, and leaned towards a softer earthier hue than Amos' dark slate. He was also taller than a lot of strangers Amos had talked to so far. Well, except for Angelus, he'd been super tall. Or... was it just that Amos was very little when he met the giant? No, he was quite sure that the man had been a massive, mountain of a wolf. "M' name's Amos Allantide. What's yours?" his mismatched eyes shimmered with endless depths of curiosity and a certain friendly hopefulness. He was always trying to make friends, to socialize and get along with anyone and everyone. He came to sit not too far from Ashiel, but a respectful distance so he didn't push into the other boy's bubble. Tail sweeping the sand gently, he eventually asked, "You wouldn't happen to be much of a fighter, would you?" The subject had been on his mind lately, and it was one of the first things he'd asked Angel so Amos figured why not ask this guy too. Walk. "Speak!" "Think."

Ashiel heard his companion stir in the trees above but it seemed the kite was content to stay put and so he paid Griff little mind. The boy introduced himself as Amos Allantide. "My name is Ashiel Abraxas. Do you live near this land?" He'd heard of the packs that resided here in the west and was curious if the boy was from one despite the lack of pack scent on his pelt. He'd skirted around the borders of one pack already but perhaps there were more. He had to admit he'd been enjoying his time exploring the west and warming his bones. Ashiel grinned as the boy asked if he was much of a fighter. "I like to think I'm an excellent fighter. What about you? You looking for a spar or something?" "Talk" "You" Think

"Nice ta meet ya'," he drawled, looking content with life and existence in general. Shaking his head Amos laughed, "Nah, I'm just a wanderin' loner, haven't really set up anywhere since I left my parents. Grew up in the orchard in the south. It's nice there, you should see it sometime if you like exploring." His tone was friendly as usual. He was especially curious about this wolf. He didn't often meet wolves taller than him, and especially not ones his own age. He guessed that meant he had no hope of getting that tall, but that was okay. Sitting back and moving to scratch an itch for a moment as he began responding, Amos considered his words a moment before saying, "Well, I mean, a spar would be nice since I haven't had much chance to do that yet. What I'm really hoping for, though, are some lessons of some kind. I guess that could include a spar but I'd like more tips and to hear about what others do when fighting, you know?" He straightened and his eyes seemed to be looking far away as he muttered, "I was 'sposed to be taught by a friend when I was younger but that didn't happen to the extent I'd have liked. An' what good's living alone if you can't take real good care o' yourself?" Walk. "Speak!" "Think."

The breeze shifted just slightly but it was still warm and pleasant. Amos didn't live in these parts and was just wandering since he left his parents. Ashiel could understand the feeling. "Thank you for the suggestion. I have been trying to get a general lay of the land. I'll have to see if I can find this Orchard you speak of." Ashiel did plan on heading into the southern territories next to do a bit more looking around before making his way back into Auster. Amos specified his wants and Ashiel considered. Mortals were beneath them obviously but if there was one thing he learned from his mother's journeys and now his own it was that mortals could be surprising. They had their own gems of knowledge if one could stand to dig for it. A refresher would probably do Ashiel a lot of good as well. "Ok, sure, we could share knowledge. It'd probably be a good exercise for me to. What in particular do you want to know about? Just like targets and that sort of thing or is there a particular attack angle that's giving you trouble?" "Talk" "You" Think

Amos could almost find himself preening at Ashiel's thanks. Wasn't like he got to chat with others and be helpful terribly often. That made it extra exciting. "I'm sure it'll be worth the trip. The fruit there tastes amazing if there are any there now." Honestly he kinda missed the fruit. Maybe he'd go back during summer and pick some, at the very least for the nostalgia. Amos contemplated what exactly he wanted to know and quickly realized he was sort of lost. He was a little nervous that it'd been too long, he wasn't sure where he was at or what he wanted to focus on. Ugh, this was stupid. At Ashiel's suggestions, Amos slowly replied, "Yeah, Targets. Or, well, okay so I guess a good starting point is at the beginning of a fight, or spar, if I'm making the first move I have a hard time deciding what I ought to start with. Like, there's too many ways I could choose to attack. What's your favorite way to start off? Oh, and what's a good way to do a lot of damage right off the bat?" Amos found he was actually getting kind of excited getting to talk about this stuff. He really needed more chances to learn these things. Then if he ever did end up doing something like joining a pack he'd have some kinda training and experience behind him. And, if he got to spar Aurielle someday he'd be able to give her a run for her money instead of falling flat on his face. Walk. "Speak!" "Think."

Ashiel resisted the urge to make a face at the mention of fruit. Fruit? A wolf eating fruit? It sounded extremely weird to him but the idea was unusual enough that it sparked his curiosity and he made note to try some while he was there. Amos seemed to fidget, searching for the words until he worked out what exactly it was he wanted to learn. Ashiel sat back and contemplated his answer for a moment before grinning. "I understand. There are so many possibilities it can be pretty overwhelming. Of course it does depend what sort of damage you're trying to do to your opponent as well as the height difference. That determines what are easy targets and what are not. I'm taller than most of my opponents so I prefer to go right for the face. By getting hold of an opponents head I can make it more difficult for them to do damage to me. The downside is that this is a fairly expected method of attack. Our servant woman Lydia was smaller and favored going for the throat or tendons in the legs when fighting my or my mother." Ashiel stretched a little as he thought. "I have been hoping to start branching out more, just picking at random a part of my opponents body and seeing if I can get to it and work out a combo that will bring them to their knees. But alas, it does seem old habits die hard. As for damage go for soft targets like the eyes, throat, stomach and areas where the limbs connect to the body." He gestured to the gap where his front left leg connected to his chest. "Slamming into that area on a smaller opponent with enough momentum could sprain or even dislocate the shoulder. Let me know if I'm not being specific enough. Do you have any targets you favor or want to know more about?" "Talk" "You" Think

Amos listened to Ashiel's response with eager interest, dark ears standing at attention and expression bright and curious. He was undeniably an enthusiastic and highly driven student. Taking mental notes of everything he was told for later use, he eventually piped up, "Hm... I'll have to try both methods I suppose." At his height he'd likely face opponents both larger and smaller than himself, so he figured testing all possibilities was going to be important. He'd just have to start doing lots and lots of spars. "I suppose the only way to develop good strategies is to keep trying things until you find what works, huh?" it seemed logical enough to him that the best teacher might just be experience. He took in the suggested points to attack and tilted his head thoughtfully for a moment. "Okay. So, trying to cripple paws or limbs on a large opponent could be good because it would limit their mobility, right?" After a moments pause to think about what else he might ask, Amos finally came up with, "Hm, alright, if you were my size what targets would you focus on on a larger opponent? So far everyone I know that I wanna spar with is my size or bigger. Well, most are closer to your height really." Walk. "Speak!" "Think."

Ashiel caught the sound of rustling palms and glanced up for a moment to see his kite, Griff, peering over and listening with interest. He knew that canine fighting methods did catch the birds interest. Ashiel nodded at Amos' question about strategies. "Yes, that's really the best way. When it comes time for a fight you want your body to react naturally, on instinct. Over-thinking in a fight will only hurt you. Your opponent isn't going to give you time to work out intricate plans and strategies." He nodded again as Amos spoke. "Crippling an opponent of any size is an advantage. Smaller wolves can be faster so it's useful to limit their movement." Amos next question was a bit trickier. Ashiel had never really had to think like a smaller opponent before but he could see how this would be a valuable asset. "That's tricky. I've never tried to think like a smaller wolf before. I would say though since you're lower go for lower targets. You're uniquely suited to get at tendons in the front and back limbs. Ramming your shoulder into an opponents knee at a good angle could dislocate it. If the angle is right you can also try going for the belly, or if your opponent is male, his uh… you know." Ashiel hoped these ideas would help. He knew as a larger opponent he was always a bit more nervous about his undersides when facing off against smaller wolves. "Talk" "You" Think

Hmm... Okay, so Amos would just have to do lots of practicing, sparring, whatever it took to cement the sort of automatic instinct that would make battle come more naturally. That he was more than prepared to do. Nodding slowly, he couldn't resist the urge to ask, "Do you ever get nervous going into a spar or fight?" it seemed like this guy had a fair amount more experience in these areas than Amos. Sometimes Amos got a bit jittery thinking about sparing, but honestly he'd never really felt afraid of getting hurt. Maybe that was cause of how he was raised though.

Taking in Ashiel's suggestions and committing his words to memory Amos smiled, "Mkay, that makes sense. I suppose it might be a good idea to use the terrain to one's advantage too then? I imagine one could surprise a larger opponent if they could jump off of something to attack from above in a way they normally couldn't." That would be kind of cool. He bet Aurielle could do that by jumping down from her wall... Oh gosh, what if she did that to him?

Ashiel nodded his head at Amos question. He wasn't sure why he felt the need to be honest, to admit such a weakness. He knew his mother wasn't the sort to get nervous but Ashiel often did. "Yes, sometimes I do when I'm fighting against a more experienced opponent. But the more you practice the more confident you'll get." Ashiel nodded as Amos spoke about using the terrain. Ashiel had been pretty lucky with most of his fights being on flat terrain though there had been a few terrifying practice matches with his mother along the canyon ledges. He knew there'd be more of those to come when he returned. "Yes, it's always good to use your surroundings to your advantage. Get the drop on a larger opponent can help but always be carefully of giving an opponent a shot at your underbelly." A wolf crashing down from a good height could sprain an opponents jaw but it might not be worth the damage if the fangs were to rip through tender flesh. "Would you want to try a practice spar with me?" "Talk" "You" Think

For some reason it was kind of a relief to know that others got nervous too. Well, it’s not like he didn’t know other wolves would feel such things, but meeting someone who would admit it aloud made Amos feel better. Maybe knowing someone more experienced went through the same thing would help his nerves as he started down the path of a fighter. If he was serious about it he needed to practice lots, so he’d be sparing plenty and getting nervous would be a bit of a hindrance. He could work through it though. He had to. ”Alright, well that’s good cause I intend to practice a lot,” he said with a determined grin, any trace of seriousness erased in a single moment.

Nodding slowly, he digested this information. Maybe if he did get tackled from above going for the attackers stomach and soft vital areas would be a sound counter attack. He’d just have to watch that he didn’t break his face in the process; maybe take part of the hit to lessen the force on his jaws somehow… Food for thought, he supposed. He refocused quickly when Ashiel suggested a spar, face shining with passionate excitement as he fell into a playful half-bow and replied cheerily, ”I mean, if you’re offering, how could I say no?” Straightening up a bit he danced from paw to paw for a moment until he could settle down a bit and asked, ”You wanna start, or should I?”

ooc:  Do you want to do a judged fight or a non-judged fight? Are you cook with extending the default times?  I'm almost done with the challenge so I'm good either way.  Just dying a bit here so if you could go first that would be great. Also sorry for the shortness ><

Ashiel grinned as Amos stated that he intended to practice a lot.  That was a good attitude to have. To purservere and continue to work in the face of inexperience. It was an admirable trait and Ashiel was sure this particular mortal would go far, well, as far as mortals could.  Ashiel moved to stand across from Amos, leaving a space of ten feet between them as a starting base. He stretched for a moment then set his defenses and nodded to Amos. "You go ahead and start. Size me up, pick a strategy and go for it!" Ashiel braced himself, excited and eager to see how the other young man would attack. "Talk" "You" Think

OOC: Judged is good, if you don’t mind <3 And yes we can extend the default c: I know I’m busy a lot so it would be good for me too, and no need to overextend yourself, I’m chill with waiting for posts when you need a break.

Amos nodded, eyeing his opponent with a newly critical eye. Ashiel said go low with taller opponents. But Amos also didn’t want to do exactly what his sparring partner thought he would do; it’s be no good if he saw the attack coming a mile away. ”Well, if you insist.”

His defenses were set quickly, legs moved to equal distances, centering each limb where it ought to be for maximum balance as his knees bent and claws dug themselves into the earth for better traction. Head and tail adjusted to be even with his spine, chin tucking over his throat, hackles rising, ears falling back and eyes narrowing. With lips lifted in a faint snarl, he shot forward quickly and set out in an attempt to close the distance.

He tried to wait until he’d hopefully only left about a foot of space between them as he charged Ashiel head on, then shifted his weight back, front legs bending before he aimed to leap upward with his front end. He hoped to smack Ashiel in the bottom of his jaw, back where it connected to his skull and throat in the hopes of both startling the other boy and causing Ashiel to back up. As he came down from the attempted head butt he sought to land heavily, aiming for his right paw to land on top of Ashiel’s left paw and leave some minor lacerations at least.

Amos vs Ashiel for Spar!
Round 1/2
Height: 36”
Build: Heavy

Ashiel swiftly set his defenses in preparation for Amos' attack. His skull and tail moved to align with his spine. His chin tucked as his neck scrunched back, his shoulders rolling smoothly forward. His hackles raised as his legs spread equidistant apart, his weight distributed evenly over them. Ashiel's toes splayed, his claws digging into the earth as his ears pinned tightly to his head. He tensed, ready to see what Amos would do. The other boy exploded forward. As Amos' upper body would lift Ashiel's legs quickly coiled as he ducked, causing Amos' headbutt to just miss. Ashiel quickly tilted his head to his own right, jaws gaping open as he attempted to catch Amos' throat in his mouth. He hoped to clamp his jaws around Amos' throat, just below the youth's jawline with his upper fangs on the left side of Amos' upper neck and his lower fangs on the right side of Amos neck. Ashiel's goal was to get a good hold and squeeze the boy's throat and make him pass out. In addition Ashiel would lift his front legs causing Amos' paw slam to miss as Ashiel attempted to wrap his arms around Amos's lower neck, just in front of the boys shoulders. His left arm sought to wrap around the right side of Amos' neck while his right arm sought to wrap around the left side of the boy's neck. His goal was to get a good grip from which he could balance himself. Ashiel vs Amos for Spar Round 1/2 Height: 42" Build: Heavy "Talk" "You" Think

His initial attack missed terribly and Amos let air his through his jaws as he recalculated. The approaching jaws of his opponent had Amos checking that his chin was tucked defensively, simultaneously dodging via a hard lean to the right in an effort to change the target. Ashiel's teeth bit into the side of Amos' neck. The other yearling's lower jaw was a bit closer to his windpipe than Amos would have liked, drawing a nervous gulp from the dark male as he retaliated.

Once he'd landed, paw slam missing as Ashiel sought to wrap his forelimbs around Amos' neck, his dark muzzle wrinkled with a determined grin. Ashiel's legs successfully wrapped around his neck, while amos redistributed his weight, shifting it back to his hind limbs so he could also rear up. His own forelimbs reached out to grip Ashiel's body, left arm seeking purchase under Ashiel's right elbow, right arm aiming for the left side of Ashiel's neck. Tail flagging out for balance while his weight remained even over his hind legs with claws biting into the ground for added traction, he sought to do the obvious - topple his opponent over.

Pushing the larger, heavier wolf over would be too difficult, so instead he took a few steps backwards, hoping to draw the larger wolf into resting more weight against him. Next he would seek to drag himself - and ideally Ashiel with him - to his own right, left arm aiming to pull under Ashiel's elbow in an effort to better grip him and prevent an escape. Twisting hard to his right, Amos would aim to throw his opponent down first, open jaws also seeking to bite at Ashiel's face. Upper jaws aimed for the left side of Ashiel's forehead while lower jaws would seek a place just below the other man's glittering green eye.

Rechecking the rest of his defenses, he ensured his muzzle wrinkled in a snarl as he aimed his bite, eyes narrowing to keep them protected. Hackles stayed raised along his spine, and ears pinned flat.


Amos vs Ashiel for Spar!
Round 2/2
Height: 36”
Build: Heavy

Amos' twisted away and Ashiel's jaws missed their target instead sinking into the upper left side of the boy's neck and gaining hold. His arm's successfully wrapped around the base of Amos' neck. As soon as his jaws sank into Amos' neck Ashiel attempted to thrash his head back and forth to tear deeper lacerations into his opponents neck. Ashiel also attempted to keep his arms wrapped around the base of Amos' neck, just in front of the boy's shoulders, his left arm around the right side of Amos' neck and his right arm around the left side of the boy's neck. As Ashiel made no move to break away, Amos' front legs successfully wrapped around his upper body, the boy's left arm resting under his right elbow and the boy's right arm landing across the left side of his neck in front of his shoulder. Ashiel spread his hind legs wide, distributing his weight equally between them and the weight he was placing on Amos' neck. His toes were splayed, his claws digging deep into the earth. His hackles were raised, his ears pinned as he rolled his shoulders forward, trying to keep close to his opponent. However, Amos would take a few steps back and then twist suddenly to Ashiel's left and Ashiel knew he was going to loose his balance. So, he tucked his tail between his legs, drew his hind legs up to his gut and let himself go limp, hoping that the sudden drop of his weight would drag Amos down with him. As he fell, Ashiel kicked his hind legs out and up toward where he hoped Amos' gut would be. He wanted to try and kick the other boy powerfully in the stomach and cause significant bruising. As he fell though pain would roll across his face where Amos' fangs would rip moderate lacerations through his head, the upper fangs slicing the flesh above the left side of his forehead and the lower fangs cutting through the skin below his left eye. Ashiel vs Amos for Spar! Round 2/2 Height: 42" Build: Heavy "Talk" "You" Think

AMOS vs ASHIEL for SPAR ROUND ONE AMOS: WRITING 8/10 for Power Play: Attempts -1 “He tried to wait until he’d hopefully only left about a foot of space between them as he charged Ashiel head on.” The wording here is a little bit squirrely. The first half is kind of an 'if this than that' statement and the last half falls under 'should have been attempted' Excessive Movement -1 “As he came down...” You're not giving your opponent time to react. What if Ashiel tries to stop him somehow? A shove forward during this time could knock Amos over. 6/10 for Clarity: Attacks -1 “He hoped to smack Ashiel in the bottom of his jaw, back where it connected to his skull and throat in the hopes of both startling the other boy and causing Ashiel to back up.” What body part is he using for this? You called it a headbutt after the fact, but nothing before that line describes what body part Amos is using. -1 “...aiming for his right paw to land on top of Ashiel’s left paw and leave some minor lacerations at least.” If he's using his claws to create those lacerations you need to say so, otherwise I have to assume he's using just his paw in this attack and that doesn't make much sense. Positioning -1 “His defenses were set quickly, legs moved to equal distances, centering each limb where it ought to be for maximum balance...” Is this a wide stance? “Maximum balance” is subjective as this can be achieved in different ways depending on the positioning of the fighter. -1 “...he shot forward quickly and set out in an attempt to close the distance.” Between himself and what? 3/10 for Attacks: +2 for headbutt +1 for paw stomp 5/5 for Defenses: +1 for raised hackles +1 for tail raised +1 for head lowered +1 for narrowed eyes +1 for flattened ears 10/10 for Injuries: None Status 4/12 for Experience: +1 beginner fighter +3 intermediate intellectual 5/5 for Health: pack status: pack wolf unhealed event status: no unhealed fight status: no Amos' round one total: 41/62 ASHIEL: WRITING 10/10 for Power Play: None 9/10 for Clarity: Movements -1 “As Amos' upper body would lift Ashiel's legs quickly coiled as he ducked, causing Amos' headbutt to just miss.” If Amos is lunging upwards towards Ashiel's throat, wouldn't ducking simply cause Amos to hit him sooner? 5/10 for Attacks: +3 for bite +1 for grip +2 for bear hug 5/5 for Defenses: +1 for raised hackles +1 for pinned ears +1 for tail aligned with spine +1 for shoulders rolled forward +1 for widened stance 10/10 for Injuries: None Status 8/12 for Experience: +4 advanced fighter +4 advanced intellectual 5/5 for Health: pack status: pack wolf unhealed event status: no unhealed fight status: no Ashiel’s round one total: 52/62 ROUND TWO AMOS: WRITING 7/10 for Power Play: If/Than Statements -2 the twist down attack hinges on Amos getting a grip on Ashiel's neck. Because of that, the twist down should have been saved for the next round once Ashiel had a chance to respond. Excessive Movement -1 jumping up on Ashiel, stepping back, dragging to the right...there's a lot happening there and during the time Ashiel could be doing anything. You need to give your opponent time to react. 7/10 for Clarity: Attacks Directions -1 “...simultaneously dodging via a hard lean to the right in an effort to change the target.” His right? Damage -2 “Ashiel's teeth bit into the side of Amos' neck.” Which side of his neck and where specifically? What damage did he take from this? 5/10 for Attacks: +2 for bear hug/twist down +3 for bite 5/5 for Defenses: +1 for tucked chin +1 for using tail for balance +1 for weight centered over hind legs +1 for claws dug in +1 for narrowed eyes 8/10 for Injuries: -2 moderate puncture wounds to neck (damage assigned by judge) Status 4/12 for Experience: +1 beginner fighter +3 intermediate intellectual 5/5 for Health: pack status: pack wolf unhealed event status: no unhealed fight status: no Amos' round two total: 41/62 ASHIEL: WRITING 10/10 for Power Play: None 10/10 for Clarity: Clear 7/10 for Attacks: +3 for thrashing bite +2 for bear hug +2 for double leg kick 4/5 for Defenses: +1 for raised hackles +1 for flattened ears +1 for shoulders rolled forward +1 for tucked tail 0 all other defenses negated by attacks 8/10 for Injuries: -2 for moderate facial lacerations Status 8/12 for Experience: +4 advanced fighter +4 advanced intellectual 5/5 for Health: pack status: pack wolf unhealed event status: no unhealed fight status: no Ashiel’s round two total: 52/62 Totals: Amos: 82/124 Ashiel: 104/124 And the winner is... ASHIEL! Amos must give up by either submitting, fleeing, or passing out. Damage: Amos: Moderate punctures – 1 ooc week Ashiel: Moderate lacerations – 1 ooc week Notes: Tips for writing and some suggestions. (no points are deducted here): For both: VERY good fight, guys! My tips and suggestions are listed in the deductions above! - By Lazuli