I'm waking up, I feel it in my bones ("Challenge")
11-19-2018, 01:41 PM
(This post was last modified: 11-19-2018, 02:01 PM by Chaos.)
It was part whimsy, part frustration that had led Chaos off on this adventure. With Rhythm and Rhyme back, with the knowledge Valen had laid on him about their kidnapping, it had brought back a lot of memories. About Imperium, mostly, and how happy he'd been there before his dad had disappeared to try to find his mate and her kids. Then everything had fallen apart, and it hadn't been until he'd unexpectedly been landed with Crew that he'd found something that gave him that sense of really belonging again. He'd been an idiot to give that up and leave Artemis and Valdis and the others without a home. He hadn't really told his dad about that, because it made his fur prickle with shame. He'd have made his dad proud as an alpha, he was sure of it. But he'd gone and ruined it by walking away from Crew. He'd let them down, let his family down, hell he'd let himself down by assuming he couldn't hack it as a real alpha. He'd just been playing at it.
Maybe it was time to get serious.
He'd gone north to see if he could find Leto, or Artemis and any of their old group, but instead he'd found the border of a pack. A spurt of excitement flowed through him. He didn't believe in signs but hell maybe this was one if ever there had been one. He paced the border for a few minutes of thought while his owls found perches in the pines overhead. The right way to do it, the traditional way, would be to go to the battlefield and call the alpha there, challenge him all officially and traditionally where anyone who wanted to could come and gawk, but he'd bucked the system his whole life so why conform now? If gawkers wanted to gawk they could come here and do it.
With a devil's grin and his feet planted wide in the snow, he threw his head up and sent out a challenge to the alpha to defend his title.
OOC: Since this isn't going to be a judged, real challenge there's no point in putting it in the battlefield. Anyone is welcome to show up who wants to but I won't be waiting long because I want to get this played out one way or another.
Unless otherwise mentioned as absent, assume that both Great Horned owl companions are nearby
Chaos speaks in a strong lisp, which I am usually too lazy to write
11-19-2018, 02:33 PM
Enrico's ears flicked up at the sound of a howl from the borders, then his brows climbed. A challenge? That seemed... highly irregular. He exchanged a grim look with Asriel, and without a word needing spoken the pair veered from their patrol to move down into the newer territory that they'd only recently patrolled. It didn't take long before they stood across the border from the would-be challenger. Enrico looked him up and down with eyes that remained a cool and distant blue, then raised one brow at him. "You're a little too old to still be this foolish, pup," he rumbled to the much-taller male. His eyes lingered on the male's lengthy canines, their flat saber-like lengths reminding him of Kestrel's companion, but when they returned to meet the challenger's stare they were flat and without fear.
Asriel's own blue eyes had shifted from the challenger to the trees, where movement had revealed the watchful eyes of a pair of owls. The big cat snarled at them, but they didn't take wing or move to hide from the predator, rather moving closer along their branches, hissing back at him, making their allegiance to the interloper clear.
Enrico didn't spare a glance for the interplay between the three companions, except to mentally note the location of the hisses around him. "So you want to take Niente from me, do you?" It cost him nothing but time to keep the younger male talking, except to make the challenger impatient. An impatient wolf made mistakes. Mistakes cost fights. As much larger and younger as this wolf was, Enrico would need the leg up those mistakes would give him.
Asriel's own blue eyes had shifted from the challenger to the trees, where movement had revealed the watchful eyes of a pair of owls. The big cat snarled at them, but they didn't take wing or move to hide from the predator, rather moving closer along their branches, hissing back at him, making their allegiance to the interloper clear.
Enrico didn't spare a glance for the interplay between the three companions, except to mentally note the location of the hisses around him. "So you want to take Niente from me, do you?" It cost him nothing but time to keep the younger male talking, except to make the challenger impatient. An impatient wolf made mistakes. Mistakes cost fights. As much larger and younger as this wolf was, Enrico would need the leg up those mistakes would give him.
11-19-2018, 03:32 PM
Chaos wasn't left waiting long before an older male with gray fur and blue eyes and a snow leopard at his back appeared through the cold ice-fog to move up to the border. They sized each other up, then the other male made a snarky comment in a tone of voice so deadpan that it actually took Chaos a moment to catch the sarcasm. He grinned, baring long inches of fang. "Aren't you a little old to be trying to run a pack? I'm seeing an awful lot of white on that muzzle."
The alpha's leopard snarled at Heecha and Sgili, but the owls just hissed defiantly back at him. It was day, so not their preferred time of day, but they were still capable of flying and fighting. They didn't fear the big cat any more than Chaos did.
The alpha spoke again, trying to draw him into conversation, and Chaos gave a bark of laughter. "Save it, old man. I'm not interested in talking things out. We both know why I'm here. Just give up. Let your pack have a more capable leader. Forfeit."
Unless otherwise mentioned as absent, assume that both Great Horned owl companions are nearby
Chaos speaks in a strong lisp, which I am usually too lazy to write
11-19-2018, 07:06 PM
Enrico tilted his head slightly, studying the youth with a frown that he couldn't quite stop from forming. It wouldn't be the first time he'd encountered arrogance in a younger wolf. Some used it as a facade for deeper insecurities, some as a protection from those who would prey on the weak. Some came by it honestly enough through a pride in their own skill, some through pride in a bloodline. Looking at this male, Enrico was surprised to find he couldn't quite tell which he was. Like his strangely colored coat, he seemed a seething mixture of arrogances. Confidence and pride weren't negative by any means but by this boy's age he should have gotten that level of arrogance knocked out of him.
Looking at the size of the man, the way he held himself, Enrico admitted that he himself was probably not going to putting more than a temporary dent in the long-toothed male's ego. His expression didn't flicker at all, though. "I can't do that," he said calmly. "Even if I wanted to, and we both know that I do not. I promised my pack that I would protect from people like you, and I will do so to my last breath."
Looking at the size of the man, the way he held himself, Enrico admitted that he himself was probably not going to putting more than a temporary dent in the long-toothed male's ego. His expression didn't flicker at all, though. "I can't do that," he said calmly. "Even if I wanted to, and we both know that I do not. I promised my pack that I would protect from people like you, and I will do so to my last breath."
11-19-2018, 07:57 PM
(This post was last modified: 11-19-2018, 07:57 PM by Ásvor.)
What was this, now? The sound of a battle cry instantly earned Asvor's undivided attention, drawing her away from her lazy patrols around Niente's territory. Life had been rather ordinary lately, and she wasn't sure it totally pleased her - so the sound of something new and exciting instantly perked her right up. Quickly enough she made her way to the male that had called, a rather large male with fangs that protruded below his jaw. Interesting. He was speaking to Enrico, and her ears perked curiously as she drew closer to the two. She only caught the tail end of what was going on, something about.. protecting Niente? Was this fanged-wolf intending to challenge for this pack? Head cocked, she hung back and listened to the engagement, wondering if any other Niente wolves might arrive to observe. Personally, it didn't matter much to her what happened to the pack; she'd told herself she'd remain where Valdis did, no matter the circumstances, and if they didn't particularly appeal to them they'd head off on a different course. For now, though, she as merely curious, watching and waiting. |
11-19-2018, 08:29 PM
The howl that wove through the trees chilled Ferrous more than she'd ever thought possible. Once recognized, the feeling confused her. Why did it matter if Enrico was being challenged? No skin off her nose, right? But this was her home too. She'd picked it, picked Enrico, and the thought that some unknown challenger could potentially change everything alarmed her. The diminutive fighter set off for the howler at a run and soon found herself on the scene of a standoff. Across from Enrico and standing on the other side of the border was a huge wolf with protruding teeth. Ferrous stilled some distance away and casually eyed him up and down. She assessed him openly and then once her mind was made up she sauntered closer with an expression that gave no clue as to what verdict she's reached. As she neared Zahir trotted from the treeline and moved to walk abreast of her. Together the pair stopped when they were just a couple yards away. She was within attacking distance should Enrico wish to just chase the man off, although she doubted quite strongly that he'd go that route. Maybe she was wrong but he didn't strike her as the type. Still, her presence evened things up a bit. Two cats versus two owls and if she stood on Enrico's shoulders they could almost equal one challenger sans fangs. With Asvor they had an edge. |
Ferrous has a saber-toothed snow leopard companion named Zahir. If she isn't
mentioned IC it's safe to assume she isn't there.