It was deeply refreshing for Typhon to know that he had a place somewhere. Thus far, Ashiel had proven to be a capable leader - not that he doubted otherwise - and the feeling of truly belonging to the Abraxas family, something he had never honestly felt, was starting to take hold. He was grateful that he had been welcomed back, infinitely so, and he wished to continue working toward whatever his family needed of him. One thing that he needed some pointers on was definitely fighting. If their family had any hopes of further conquest, he knew it was of utmost importance that their fighters be in optimal condition.. and he knew this was an area that he was lacking in the most.

It'd been awhile since he'd visited his family in the Risen Empire, though he knew by visiting he would only be looked up more favorably by Malleus and any others he might've promoted to higher up within the pack. He looked eagerly upon the cathedral in the distance as he approached the borders of the Risen Empire, thoughtful as he got a better grasp on his surroundings. Finally, deciding not to delay any longer, Typhon tipped his head to the sky and called for Malleus. He hoped his visit would be welcomed, and hoped even further that someone within the pack might give him a bit of training, if they had no other pressing matters to attend to...

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It had been only a few short weeks since Malleus had taken on the role of Risen Emperor, but the days felt as if they were flying by. With the new role had come a new mindset. Before he'd felt like a part of the Empire, a piece that moved with the many at the direction of the one, and he'd cared about their mission and the success of their people. He hadn't thought it possible to care more about the Empire's success. Malleus had been wrong. Now he was the Empire. He felt the presence of (or lack thereof) his packmates as acutely as he felt his own limbs. Malleus lived and breathed pack business, and cared deeply about the well being of his people. It was funny how that worked, but he certainly couldn't complain. Before he'd felt uncertain about his future and what the Fallen God expected of him. Now his days were busy and he had no time to worry. Every day Malleus woke up energized and ready to start the day, and every night he fell asleep completely exhausted by the day's activities - and he loved every second of it. Perhaps after his father returned he'd set out to make his own pack. He reached the border in no time at all and was pleasantly surprised to find Typhon waiting for him. He hadn't seen the man since Ashiel had laid claim to the Eclipse Empire. "Ah, Typhon," he said with a warmth he reserved for family. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

It was quite a reassuring feeling to know that the Abraxas were finally taking what was rightfully theirs. Two of his family ruled now, and their empires were surely growing. He couldn't be more proud - though with that sudden rush of pride came the burning need to impress the superiors of his family, to train and develop his skills as carefully as he could. He hoped Malleus would be able to help him with that, if nobody else.

A slight grin tugged at his lips at the younger wolf's approach, though likewise he nodded his head in polite greeting.  "The pleasure is all mine, Malleus," he argued gently, a soft chuckle leaving his throat. He was still growing used to being among Abraxas again, and he hoped the slight anxiety that gnawed at his insides almost constantly wasn't apparent as he stood before the Risen Empire's leader. He made every effort to conceal it, of course, with that grin of his.

"If I'm being honest, I was hoping I could bother you for a practice fight one of these days - if now's not a good time, of course," Typhon added quickly, shrugging his shoulders.  "I've heard you're not such a bad fighter yourself and I'd love some pointers." At least if he knew where his weaknesses were he could practice on his own time and hone his skills for his family's sake.

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Malleus brightened visibly as Typhon mentioned his desire to spar. Lately it felt as those all he did was patrol and gather herbs. It would do him some good to practice. He didn't think he'd ever forget how to handle himself in a fight, but it was good to stay in shape and to keep his reflexes sharp. He grinned at the elder Abraxas. "I have no business to attend to, but if I did I'd make it wait. I've heard good things about you too and would love a chance to see how we stack up." Malleus stepped back so that several feet were between the two, and then squared off with Typhon. He gave a shallow dip of his head and rumbled, "First move's yours."

Typhon wouldn't let his past dictate his future, and he was determined to never let himself fail his family again. At least some of the slightly younger family members, such as Ashiel, might not know that he had been banished by his father rather than simply leaving of his own accord. He wondered if Malleus even knew - even his own brother had thought him dead - but he didn't dare ask.

He grinned when Malleus accepted his request, the expression brightening his features substantially.  "Thank you, Malleus," Typhon dipped his head, grateful for the chance to show his potential. Even if he didn't come out victorious, at least he would show he had the drive to achieve great things someday, even if he wasn't fully trained quite yet. "Hopefully I don't let you down."

He settled into a more defensive stance, keeping his limbs slightly bent and spreading his weight out as he assessed Malleus's possible weaknesses. He was considerably larger than Typhon was, and therefore stronger, but perhaps he could use his speed to his advantage. Quickly ducking his head down, he rushed forward and made to unhinge his jaws and snap at the fleshy part of Malleus's chest.

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As Typhon settled into a defensive stance Malleus adopted one as well. He set his defenses with ease; his movements fluid and indicative of years of practice. Since accepting the mantle of leadership Malleus hadn't had much time for sparring so he was glad for the chance to practice with Typhon. He waited patiently for Typhon to make the first move and then grinned excitedly when his opponent darted forward. Malleus braced himself, seemingly preparing for impact, and then leapt to his right at the last second. Typhon's teeth grazed the front/outside of his left elbow and left shallow gouges in their wake. As soon as all four paws were on the ground again, Malleus lunged sideways towards Typhon in the hopes of slamming the outside of his left shoulder into the outside of his opponent's left shoulder. Simultaneously he reached out and tried to bite into Typhon's scruff right behind his ears.   "Malleus" - "Pascal"

Though determined to impress Malleus, as well as hone his own skills, he felt an even stronger sense of purpose as soon as their fight began. That hot rush of adrenaline consumed him, making him feel more alive than he had in quite some time, and his attention narrowed in on the task at hand. He had no doubt in his mind that Malleus had braced himself for the blow - instead of feeling the larger male instantly topple at his attack, instead his jaws merely grazed Malleus's chest as he deflected the attack in one fluid motion to his right. Somehow he managed to put more pressure on the front of his limb, rewarding himself with the faint taste of blood at the slight scrape.

This fight was merely for practice, not to maim, but he knew the Abraxas were not ones to fight gently. Some blood and bruising was to be expected, and if he did not display enough aggression in his fighting technique he was sure he would be looked down upon. He'd been called spineless before and he intended to never hear such a description of himself again, especially from family. He didn't have much time to react before Malleus grounded himself properly and lunged forward, shifting sideways to slam against his own shoulder. He braced for the impact, wincing slightly as he felt teeth against his scruff. Not willing to go down without more of a fight, despite the stinging pain that the hold provided him, he jerked away from the hold - earning himself a nice wound to his scruff - before using his weight to shove directly back into Malleus, as if hoping to cause him to lose his balance.

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The pleasure of success rippled through Malleus as his teeth dug into Typhon's scruff. A hold at the base of the neck would give him control of his uncle's head and make it much, much easier to manipulate the man. Alas, it was not meant to be. Just as quickly as success came, it was taken from him. Seemingly without a thought to the damage Typhon tore free and left Malleus with a mouthful of ichor and flesh. At once Malleus was both impressed with Typhon's commitment and horrified at the implication that his uncle was so willing to incur damage. What if he'd gotten a hold of his face? The healer in Malleus cringed. Typhon slammed into him again and succeeded in jarring Malleus to the side. His uncle didn't succeed in bowling him over, though. Malleus' superior size and wide stance enabled him to keep his footing after a short stumble to the side. His shoulder stung where Typhon had struck him and Malleus was sure it would bruise later. Unwilling to let their spar devolve into a shoving match, Malleus swung around to face Typhon and quickly reared up on his hind legs as he sought to throw his forelegs around his opponent's neck in a bear hug.   "Malleus" - "Pascal"

Typhon's own fighting style was definitely less calculated and definitely more... well, desperate... than his nephew's own. The slightly older male had no qualms against injuring himself in a fight to come out on top, or to further prove his worth. Sadly, his injury went without reward, because despite pushing his full weight into Malleus, Typhon simply didn't possess the strength to overpower him. Only briefly would he stumble before regaining his composure.

Before Typhon had time to react, Malleus had reared up on his hind legs and pulled himself upright. His paws sought to wrap around his neck, and in a split second Typhon found that he'd underestimated his nephew's strength. The pressure of Malleus's bear hug made him lose his balance, and he went crashing down to his side, bracing himself for the impact. That was it - Malleus had won. In a real battle, this could mean his defeat - or worse, even his death - and he couldn't help but scold himself for the mishap. "Alright, you win," Typhon huffed, breathing heavily now from the practice spar they'd engaged in. "I underestimated you, nephew. That was a good fight." Of course, Typhon thought highly of his family members, but he was impressed that Malleus had beaten him with relatively ease. He could only hope the alpha wouldn't think any less of him for it.

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Malleus managed to wrap his arms around his uncle's neck. In the next moment he twisted to the side and succeeded in throwing Typhon to the ground. He was on the verge of throwing his weight onto the other when Typhon tapped. Satisfied, Malleus stepped back to allow the other man room to stand. It had been a good, quick fight and Malleus was pleased to see he hadn't lost his edge when he'd taken on more responsibilities. He certainly didn't think less of Typhon. No, he was simply pleased with himself. "Indeed it was," he agreed with his uncle's statement wholeheartedly. Now that the fight was over he turned his attention to the wounds his uncle had so readily incurred. He motioned towards Typhon's scruff. "Need me to look at those?"   "Malleus" - "Pascal"

It wasn't terribly surprising that even a younger family exceeded his fighting skills. As far as he knew, Malleus had grown up among the Abraxas, where he had been cast out.. though given his own circumstances, he believed he'd been better suited to train away from his family. Still, he was pleased with their fight, and it didn't seem like Malleus was disappointed with his own display of skills - which pleased him most of all. Beaming, he panted heavily as he stood, and struggled to catch his breath, deciding that the rest of the afternoon might be well spent resting.

He nodded appreciatively at his nephew's offer. He might think himself beyond needing a healer to patch him up, but he wasn't willing to offend his kin, especially not when his skills in that field far dwarfed his own nonexistent ones.  "If you don't mind," he offered nonchalantly, despite the slight sting he felt burning in his scruff. Perhaps he ought to have thought twice before pulling away from Malleus' bite, but he had no doubt the wounds would heal well before he needed to worry about fighting again, and it wasn't like he could change the outcome of their spar now.

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