Shuriken was growing like a little weed, she was all leg and paw with a thin torso on top. She was blossoming in all of the wrong ways, ungraceful was her middle name not Shuriken. The young girl always seemed to have her skills on her mind these days, she had to work so much harder to overcome herself to be any good at anything. She’d failed horribly in the tournament and knew now more than ever she needed to work hard and train. Kiyohime wanted to be studying with Iki but if there was anything she was worse at than walking it was writing. Ike needed to practice her softer skills, but it kind of felt like both Venom and Hattori were guiding her to the more physical arts.

She was still young but that didn’t mean her parents were lax, she had been learning since before she could remember. There was always heavy emphasis on learning and becoming better. Sometimes it all felt too heavy, like her aunt’s lessons. She thought about those words that were spoken at the last sermon as she walked along the shoreline. For a long moment she didn’t even realize that she had wandered out of Ashen’s territory. She lifted her nubbed head, her mismatched horns or antlers she wasn’t quite sure yet, were only just peeking from her brow. They came in much later than her siblings had.

Her senses were suddenly alight, her appearance very deer-like as her doe eyes searched the beach and she stood cautiously. She didn’t think she crossed the line too far, and if she was okay right now she’d be okay… 30 feet down the dark sand beach. Her mom couldn’t be too upset with her either as she had Tanto and Phoenix with her. All was well until from seemingly nowhere the sky opened up and began to torrential downpour.

Ike looked up to the sky, suddenly soaked along with the dog beside her and the young pheasant on her shoulders. Tanto looked like he was still a puppy despite being not too much younger than herself. Phoenix looked a lot like a smallish brown bird, he didn’t even hint at the colors he would one day boast. He tucked himself closer to Ike’s neck, soaked and shivering as the rain continued to pour. The young princess was delighting in the rain, she was away from home, she was on a beautiful beach, what else was there to do but dance in the beautiful showers.

Wc: 420/1500

"Kiyohime Shuriken Ōritsu Abraxas"

It wasn't often that Ezra felt a desire to go any further out from the lands that The Hallows owned than the berry grove or perhaps the falls that were near by, but after being cooped up for so long and unable to even have the option of traveling he was feeling a little more adventurous than usual. He had gone to the berry grove first, but he ended up not stopping, continuing on until he found himself crossing he bifrost and going up into Boreas for the first time since the Ashen festival. He didn't know why he was traveling so far, but his paws were itching to cover some ground and get some distance behind him now that he was given a clean bill of health with his side completely healed and his fractured rib mended. He had his armor on for the first time since he got hurt and Aquila was drifting on the breeze high above him. An easy grin lingered on his lips as he moved through the trees of Boreas that were starting to snow the signs of the autumn weather that had started to fully take hold of everything, coloring the leaves with shades of red and orange. He didn't really intend to be away from the castle more than a day, but it was really pretty here. Perhaps he could send Aquila to go back to the castle and retrieve Syanna so they could keep exploring together for a couple of days...

Just as the thought crossed his mind he noticed the sky beginning to darken and when he looked up he saw Aquila circling down toward him, the black and chestnut eagle finding her way down to land on his shoulder. "Rain," Aquila told him simply. He was grateful that Artorias' raven had begun teaching his eagle how to speak his language, though she was still very short and simple with her statements. It was still better than her shrieking and chittering and him having to try and guess what she was trying to say. He nodded to her declaration that it was going to rain and replied, "We should find some shelter then." He kept going, keeping his pale gaze peeled for any kind of den or cave that they could duck into till the rain passed. His search brought him to a beach that was covered in dark, black sand that he remembered passing by on their trip to and from Ashen's lands for the tournament. He looked out over the ocean and his ears flicked when he saw the clouds rolling in much more quickly than he had anticipated - and moments later the sky opened up into a massive downpour.

Almost immediately he was soaked through to the skin and he sighed, a little smirk pulling across his lips. Well, not much point in looking for shelter now? He'd keep looking just so he could start to dry off, but there wasn't much point in hurrying now. He continued down the beach a bit further and to his surprise he saw another figure standing in the rain as well. As he got closer he could make out who it was through the rain - realizing it was the same speckled and splattered princess who had congratulated him after he won the tournament. This certainly wan't the most ideal conditions to be reconnecting with the younger girl, but he was kind of excited to get the chance to properly introduce himself this time! He walked over to where she was standing, chuckling to himself. "This is some beautiful weather we're having, huh?" he joked over the sound of the pouring rain as he came to a stop across from her, giving her a grin.

WC: 626
Total: 1046/1500

Ezra Adravendi

She was just about ready to lift herself to her back legs and dance around in the pouring rain when her pale dual toned eyes fell on a somewhat familiar form. The boy from the tournament! With curious features tilted to the side Ike smiled as she watched the Hallows warrior approach through the rain. The both of them were soaked to the bone and yet both of them wore a grin. Without hesitation the champion approached and Kiyohime’s tail eagerly wagged at her speckled hips. She knew his name because she had been paying far too close attention to the tournament, it didn’t occur to her that Ezra might not have caught her own name. He joked with her about the beautiful weather as he smiled at her as they met by chance here on the beach.

”I don’t think it could be any nicer,” the young princess returned with a big smile. Seeing someone so talented grin so easily, it was so much different from her family. Even her uncle Plague was so much more serious than Ezra was, and she couldn’t deny that the grass was very obviously greener on the other side. She liked being able to grin without reigning her emotions in. She didn’t feel like being proper was so important while she was looking at Ezra.

”What are you doing up here?” She asked him curiously. Though she wasn’t sure of the scale of the world she knew he lived on the other continent, and that seemed like it would be forever away to a young girl like Ike. Even roaming this beach was farther than she had ever gone alone. Tanto tilted his head curiously as well and the little pheasant continued to seek shelter from Ike’s neck pitifully.

304
1350/1500

"Kiyohime Shuriken Ōritsu Abraxas"

He chuckled as she enthusiastically agreed that it couldn't be any better, enjoying the wide smile he got in return. It wasn't often that he socialized with anyone outside of the pack, but he had enjoyed their little exchange the last time he saw her and it was nice to reconnect with her since their interaction was so brief last time. Now that he was fully soaked with the rain he didn't really feel any hurry to escape the rainstorm - much to Aquila's displeasure he was sure. The black and chestnut eagle was still perched on the pauldron that covered his shoulder, looking absolutely miserable being drenched in the rain, a stark contrast from the goofy grin that Ezra typically found himself wearing these days. He hadn't always smiled so easily and some days were more difficult than others, but more recently the good days out numbered the bad. The pain of his mother leaving had mostly faded or at least loosened enough to be pushed to the background and he felt like he was finally coming into his own enough to find some genuine confidence in some areas of his life.

"I just got the all clear from our head healer to be out of the pack lands after an injury I had recently so I'm just stretching my legs and exploring," he explained when she asked what he was doing there in Boreas. In was definitely a valid question - this was a lot farther than he would just casually travel normally. "Besides coming up here for the festival I haven't been in Boreas since I was really, really little so I figured why not go see some new sights, you know?" He didn't really think much of the fact that she was outside of Ashen's claimed lands. By the time he was a few seasons old he had been allowed to go to the lands immediately outside the pack's border so he just assumed the same for her. It was also slightly hard to tell how old she really was with her height, he only knew that she was younger than him. "I'm actually glad I ran into you though! I realized as I was leaving last time that I forgot to ask for your name."

WC: 356
Total: 1706/1500

Ezra Adravendi

He was so easygoing and the goofy grin he wore didn’t make her feel bad about her own. She was an ungainly puppy and she was far away from any real beauty or grace her mother or sister’s wore. The Princess wore a grin on her features, unrefined and unhiding of the way she enjoyed how easy going her company was. Her family and pack emphasized appearances, and she wanted to be a part of that so bad she forgot to relax.

She was soaked, outside her parent’s rule, and probably looked the farthest she could from a princess of her stature. She couldn’t decide if she was worried or elated about how much she enjoyed removing her sense of propriety. Ezra explained himself, he’d gotten injured but was stretching his muscles for the first time after getting the all clear. Ike shouldn’t even have been out here exploring at all, but she didn’t quite mention that part. She should have had an escort beyond her soaking companions, but she was already here and she trusted the boy.

"Other than seeing the Armada,” which didn’t count either because she usually had Sirius with her anyway. "This is my first time alone… seeing the sights.” She grinned as she confessed. Not that he seemed worried about her whereabouts.

Her eyes widened slightly in surprise and her pink skin blushed slightly as he mentioned he was glad to have found her again. He did have manners, not that Ike would have minded a lack of them, when he reminded her they hadn’t been properly introduced. "Oh!” She grinned, suddenly feeling unnaturally bashful. "Well, it’s kind of long. I’m Princess Kiyohime Shuriken Ōritsu Abraxas.” It was a mouthful and if she hadn’t already said it ten million times she would have tripped over her syllables. "But really, I just prefer Ike.” She told him at the end, still grinning like a fool and showing off her bright pink skin.

"Kiyohime Shuriken Ōritsu Abraxas"

Ezra grinned back when she admitted that this was her first time out seeing the sights and replied, "Well, I'm glad I get to be a part of your first outing then!" Maybe he had just gotten away with more when he was her age because of his mother's disappearance and his father being so distracted by his heartache, but he was kind of surprised to hear that this was her first time out "seeing the sights" as she put it. There unfortunately wasn't a lot to see right now because of the rain but that didn't seem to phase her too much. He liked her grin that matched his own. He had felt pretty out of place through some parts of the festival and the tournament because the Ashen wolves all seemed so proper and had so much regalness about them, but she didn't seem like that at all. It made him like her all the more.

When he pointed out that he didn't know her name she seemed to get a little embarrassed at the small slip up and he felt kinda bad for making her feel like that, but he had to know her name, right? His head tipped curiously when she told him that it was kinda long and as soon as she started to rattle off long, extravagant name he realized just how right she was. He blinked with surprise, his mouth moving a couple of times like he was trying to figure out how to say it back to her, but luckily he didn't have to make a fool of himself attempting it because she quickly followed it up with a much easier nickname. "Ike," he agreed with a chuckle and a nod, "I can handle Ike."

He glanced at the sky, seeing that the rain storm wasn't going anywhere fast, and he offered her a little shrug and a grin. "Well... Since we're already soaking wet, do you wanna do a quick spar? On top of not getting to go out because of my injury I haven't gotten to spar or anything yet either!" He was just dying to flex those muscles that he hadn't used in weeks and quickly shake off the rust before it could form.

Ezra Adravendi

All her life she couldn’t wait for the day she could call herself a proper princess, poised and graceful and never stepping a foot out of place. It came naturally to her beautiful sister and she had always inwardly been jealous of that fact. Never would she ever say it outloud, she loved Ikigai far too much for that. Her sister was always there for her when she tripped and even if she couldn’t share her grace she tried her hardest to help Ike find her own. Some days she wasn’t certain she would. That was why Ezra’s lighthearted presence was so special, she didn’t feel like she had to be prim and proper standing here in the rain with him. She was soaking wet, her posture was relaxed, and her maw sported a goofy grin to rival his own.

Ezra almost looked like he was going to try and repeat her name back to him, but she didn’t miss the look of relief as she gave him her nickname. He grinned, happily taking the name Ike and using it with ease. Her grin brightened and she nodded enthusiastically. Most everyone called her Ike besides her father, who was proper and serious by nature. "It’s good to meet you, Ezra!” She chuckled softly, they had met twice but now they were officially introduced.

The boy looked up to the sky, there was no relief from the rain. He mentioned a spar, he hadn’t been able to really test himself with the way he was injured, and the young girl wasn’t about to deny him this. "Oh, yes please!” She told him enthusiastically, knowing a spar with him wouldn’t be the serious training she would get from her father. Plague was always offering fun lessons, but this was something new all together. "Ready or not!” Ike didn’t give him any more warning before she leapt at his massive form.

She was all leg and enthusiasm as she aimed to lift herself onto her back legs and wrap her arms around his neck. Her cat like claws extending to try and grip at her opponent. She wanted to use her tiny little antlers to catch him under the jaw while her delicate jaws opened and went for his neck. Tanto looped around behind Ezra as a distraction and Phoenix flapped his wings to try and obscure the boy’s gaze.
Ike vs Ezra for Spar
Round 1/1
Age: under 1
Size: Dire wolf
Build: Light
Companion 1: Golden pheasant, Male - Battle
Companion 2: Akita, Male - Battle
Mutation 1: Antlers - Offensive
Mutation 2: Talons - Offensive
Mutation 3: Quills - Defensive
Skills: Advanced Fighter & Advanced Hunter

"Kiyohime Shuriken Ōritsu Abraxas"

Ezra grinned at the enthusiasm Ike had at his suggestion of a spar, glad that he had found a like minded wolf when it came to fighting. He knew she had been a part of the tournament as well, but he knew not all wolves that practiced did it out of enjoyment and he didn't want to make her do something that she only did out of obligation. She was quick to jump right into the thick of things and lunged at him almost immediately and he quickly dropped into a familiar defensive stance to take her on.

He still had a little bit of a height advantage over her since she was still growing, but she was lighter and a bit faster, especially with this element of surprise she had. Her forelegs wrapped around his neck and while his armor did block her talons from hooking into his scruff, they were able to hook around the edge of the metal plate on his armor so she was still able to get a pretty good grip on him all the same. He yanked his head to the side to avoid her antlers that she tried to jab into his jaw, but by doing that it kept him from being able to avoid her biting at his neck, making him wince as her teeth poked at his skin. Aquila swooped down from the near by tree to chase off her canine companion as he tried to circle around Ezra and he tried to just do his best to see past the wings of the pheasant on her back.

He tried to twist some in her grip so that he could throw his shoulder into her chest - though not super hard since he didn't want to hurt her too badly with the spiked pauldrons that capped his shoulders. He also tried to reach one of his long limbs around her side as he twisted to try and pull her down to the ground, hoping that her two-footed stance on the wet sand would make it easier for him to knock her down.

Ezra Fortis Adravendi vs Shuriken for Spar
Round 1/1
Age: Over 1 year
Size: Dire wolf
Build: Medium
Offensive Battle Accessory: Spiked pauldrons
Defensive Battle Accessory: Reinforced leather cuirass
Companion 1: Black-and-chesnut eagle, Male - Flying
Mutation 1: Serrated teeth - Offensive
Skills: Expert Fighter & Intermediate Hunter
Specialty: N/A

Ezra Adravendi

And the winner is...

Ezra

Ike must give up by submitting, fleeing or passing out. Totals: Ike: Attack Roll: 31 Defense Roll: 35 Agility Roll: 75 Perception Roll: 22 Total: 163 Attack[31] + 60% Bonus[18.60]: 49.60 Defense[35] + 10% Bonus[3.50]: 38.50 Agility[75] + 5% Bonus[3.75]: 78.75 Perception[22] + 0% Bonus[0.00]: 22.00 Total[188.85] + 0% Bonus[0.00]: 188.85 Ezra: Attack Roll: 19 Defense Roll: 86 Agility Roll: 91 Perception Roll: 73 Total: 269 Attack[19] + 45% Bonus[8.55]: 27.55 Defense[86] + 10% Bonus[8.60]: 94.60 Agility[91] + 0% Bonus[0.00]: 91.00 Perception[73] + 10% Bonus[7.30]: 80.30 Total[293.45] + 20% Bonus[58.69]: 352.14