I can't destroy what isn't there

The Warlord's anger was so great, he shook with rage. Despite everything he had built, the alliances he had forged, and his tolerance of other packs' foolery, an Armada wolf could not be safe in public. The Pirates had proved the ease and desire in which they would attempt such blatant acts against his wolves. Sparrow's words of approval rang in his ear as his daughter bested the Pirate bitch. Winning this time but what about the next, or the one after that? It couldn’t go on. He would need to consider what to do about this horrifying realisation that the Pirates were targeting his wolves.

The fight between Gossamer and Pyralis had completely derailed him from his intention to introduce Wren to his allies, despite his assurance to the young wolf that he would do so, as well as taking him from watching much of his son's most important fight yet. With frustration and anger in his heart, he took a step forward and wrapped a paw around Gossamer, holding her close against his quickly beating heart. She didn’t pull free too much, perhaps sensing her old man's need. His entire life was built on his need to protect his wolves, and he could feel it all unravelling before him.

Dragging Gossamer back to where Art and the others had waited, he seated himself between his son and law and sort-of-wife leaned lightly against the blue, less complicated wolf, drawing strength from the other Alpha. Though he did not trust himself to speak.


"Speech"

Things were progressing very quickly in the challenge, spectators had begun to arrive in vast numbers, most of them unknown to the aging Fatalis matriarch who had spent the last few years mostly confining herself to the pack lands. A few did catch her eye as familiar - namely the pirates who had harassed their pack on more than one occasion - and her eldest daughter, who she had very few encounters with since the heavy winter in which she had gone missing. Zee struggled to keep up with the various emotions the challenge had thrust upon her. Kotori's debut demanded and deserved her attention, Asla's seat upon her side brewed longing and insecurity, and then Pyralis made an attempt toward Gossamer, spiking warranted panic and rage. Sirius' arrival was well timed, and he stepped in with intent to intercept the pirate before Zee's hindquarters could rise up off the grass. She remained where she was, every muscle tensed with fury and her muzzle winkled in a silent snarl toward the pirate King and her dogs, but respecting Gossamer's need to do this on her own. Even her daughter's victory did little to settle the tremor in her coiled muscles, and as Sirius found his place beside her and leaned into Artorias, Zee shuffled to find comfort against the similarly sized form of her daughter. There was so much she wanted to say and speak on (and she did her best to intentionally ignore the scent of milk that only brought up more questions) but refrained for the sake of Asla's privacy and Kotori's ongoing fight. Perhaps once the battle was done, she could pull her daughter aside to catch up. "Speech"

Dunkan was late to the party, for the never ending fights for the power, for the right to own a pack. He came with the desire to find out who might take these lands as their own. The brown, white and black wolf arrived to the scene, eyes falling over all the attendants, some he didnt know but others he did very well, from his far away past. But as reserved as he always was, he didnt do any effort to speak or interact, he just watched, he just witnessed on his own spot, knowing he was a no one, someone no one will care about, but he didnt care, he never did. And like that he sat down and watched in silence. His companions close by, and his armor and claw wantlers on.

"The talking"

Sparrow watched the fight as the two tussled. She pedaled her drinks regardless, handing them to whoever had asked, and some who even hadn’t. She wasn’t entirely sure what Pyr was on about, but she could fight her own fights and suffer her own consequences if need be. Obviously, she’d be willing to back her if she really needed, but even if it came to that, she was full of empty promises and the likes.

Ah, as it turned out it, Pyra lost. Sparrow snorted as the older woman gave in and called the fight. She came over to Sparrow and asked for a bottle and Sparrow gladly handed it over, ”Pick stupid fights, get stupid prizes,” she said as her only chastising remark. ”Better luck next time, but for now we got bigger fights to watch.”

A growl pulled from Aslatiel's chest and the woman's scarred lips pulled back to flash teeth as the old wolf challenged Gossamer. Her younger sibling wanted to prove herself and go against the challenger herself and Asla respected that. It obviously bothered their father as well. The dire man came back towards them and Asla focused on Kotori so that she didn't make Sirius uncomfortable. It was no great secret that there was tension there but now wasn't the time for it.

Gossamer won her battle against the older wolf and came to rejoin the group. Asla flashed her a grin and nodded before turning her attention back to Kotori. It was a fierce battle and Asla wanted to rush in and tear the challenger apart herself, but this was something that her little brother needed to do alone. If he was going to be an alpha, a leader, no one could come to his rescue. He had to go to the rescue of others.

The woman's galactic gaze was fixed on the challenge when she felt weight against her side. A soft gasp pulled from the fawn and grey fae as her attention was pulled away at the sudden contact. Her mother was leaning into her. Dark ears pulled back for just a moment. She'd sat here with them, but she hadn't expected this. There was a little war of emotions within her, but eventually Asla pushed it all away and leaned back into Zee, nosing the older wolf's cheek and placing one grey and white paw upon hers. She then turned her focus back to the fight, a little warmth flaring within her at this small gesture from her mother.

"Aslatiel"

Kotori keeps his ears flat against his skull and his tail between his legs to keep both from being easy targets. The fur on his neck was scrunched up to protect him from his enemies' jaws.  Kotori kept his eyes squinted as protection from this exact scenario of jaws coming for his muzzle.  As Corbie's teeth strike at his face, Kotori tucks his chin further down and toward his chest which causes his horns to stick up to help defend his head.  Kotori’s paws were planted evenly, aligned with his shoulders to allow for good balance.  

Kotori pushes his weight into his hind end, body moving backward just a fraction which is enough to stop the worst of the damage from Corbie’s bite.  Her teeth connect to the middle of Kotori’s muzzle and slash down near the left side of the nose, leaving behind a trail of blood and a wound deep enough that it will leave a scar

The kinkajou takes advantage of Kotori being distracted and rushed in to strike. Kotori pivoted his hind end to his right to try and avoid the worst of the attack but the claws still struck twice along his left flank, right before the left thigh.  The claws thankfully are not overly long so Kotori’s fur coat offered some defense but the sharp claws still cut through Kotori’s flesh but failed to damage the muscles beneath.  The step would also have him facing where Corbie had been standing as she had attacked his muzzle.

Kotori liked his head being lower than his opponents because it let him attempt a two-pronged attack.  Kotori kept his injured muzzle down even as he jerked his neck up, aiming to jab his horns under Corbie’s jaw near the base of her neck.  Kotori twisted his head at a ninety-degree angle to the right in a smooth motion to bite the underside of her neck, attempting for a firm grip on the neck that he could press his weight into.

Kotori vs Corbie for CLAIM
Height 42"
Build Medium
Round 2/3

"Kotori Fatalis"

The approach of Sirius to his side brought Artorias' attention around to greet his father-in-law with a sober smile. He had figured if Zee was here, then Seer would no doubt follow shortly after. The Warlord introduced him to a young girl at his side as Wren, the tawny brown-hued wolf giving a nod of her head, which he graciously returned and chuckled when she gave her polite words. "Likewise, though the circumstances could be better," he replied, glancing back to the impending challenge that was just kicking off into a proper fight, then replied to Sirius, "No, I haven't seen her for a few weeks."

Not more than a moment after he'd greeted his in-laws and Seer's newest pupil, Artorias heard a familiar and highly unwelcome voice clear their throat and call out Gossamer from behind them. Fiery eyes snapped to Pyralis, the pirate taunting the girl with belongings she must have stolen from her. That alone would have been a classless act, but the deranged hag pushed it further when she then made an attempt to abduct Gossamer from right in front of her own family. Artorias stared in shocked disbelief at the pirate's brashness. She really had some nerve, didn't she?

Sirius tried to intervene, but Gossamer stood her ground, engaging in her own fight while her brother fought for his right to claim the pack. Artorias could sense the tension in Sirius, keeping the older wolf in his peripheral to intercept him if he had to while both men watched Gossy tussle with Pyralis. Gossamer had to do this herself now. With his attention split between Kotori and Gossamer, the Aegis almost missed the form of another earthen-hued wolf slipping up near him—almost. Fire-kissed eyes flickered up and did a double take when he saw Audra. The relief that washed over him was palpable, mouth falling open as he breathed a sigh of repose; she was all right. The look they exchanged said all they needed to right now; they would speak more later after these pressing matters had been resolved.

The obnoxious screech of Sparrow's voice called out amongst the crowd, cheering on Pyralis as she supported the aggressor. Artorias leveled a steely leer her way. That was when he noticed the number of pirates in the crowd. Fucking pirates... A paw moved to rest on the strap of his scabbard, prepared to draw his sword at the first sign of further violence. He had no problem lopping a pirate's head off if it came to it, starting with the rabid two-faced cunt that led them. Between himself and the Fatalises, he felt confident they could handle a few drunken idiots if needed.

There was no need for escalation, however, as Gossamer made short work of thrashing Pyralis in spectacular fashion. The old bitch surrendered with some colorful words and backed down; Artorias released a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. His tensed posture relaxed and his paw fell from his weapon. With some of the electricity in the air discharged, he shifted to settle back into watching Kotori and the nameless woman fight, though he did watch while Seer dragged Gossamer back to sit with their group and cheer on Kotori. He deeply understood and empathized with his father-in-law's need to protect his family and his wolves, but he also understood Gossy's need for redemption for herself.

Artorias offered his support to Sirius, letting his fellow alpha draw strength and composure from him. The azure-furred wolf leaned forward so he could give Gossamer a proud smirk and an approving nod. "Well done," he whispered to his sister-in-law, a knowing look in his eyes. "I hate them too." Then his focus was solely on Kotori again, watching and supporting his brother-in-law in hopes of seeing a second Fatalis victory today.

"Artorias Carpathius" | "Carpathian" | "Corbin" | "Eira" | "Argent"

One big happy family

Artorias has two ravens named Corbin and Eira and a fox named Argent. Assume they are within calling distance at all times.
As his mate, Briar may enter Artorias' threads unless marked Private.
____________________

As Kotori's horns threatened her, Corbie sidestepped to her right and kept her muzzle tucked down to defend her throat. The tip of the closest horn still caught her cheek, slicing a moderate laceration up her left cheek to take a notch out of the bottom side of that ear, folded back as it was. Fortunately, though, the movement brought her on the wrong side of him for him to bite her so despite the burning line across her face she counted herself lucky when that missed entirely.

She'd been careful to keep her weight balanced throughout the move, so her body was quick to adjust as she recentered her weight, evenly distributed to all four paws. Her eyes remained narrowed, her ears back despite the pain in the one, so they'd be more protected. She stayed half-crouched to lower her center of gravity and to force him to reach further down to attack her. Her head and tail remained neutral with her spine for balance, the tail especially important for balance during agile movements. Her joints quickly returned to their loose state, ready for another quick motion, and her paws - widely spread - flexed dull claws into the dirt for grip as they returned to the earth. Her hackles were splashed with her own blood now, but they remained raised.

Turning her own head to her left she sought to a bite for the left side of Kotori's neck, her fangs attempting to hook just behind the jaw and ear and lacerate the muscles there, though not to grip but simply to slice so she could move quickly again as she needed to. The size difference was simply too great to risk trying to hold him without wearing him down, like hunting an elk or a caribou alone.

CORBIE vs KOTORI for PACK CHALLENGE/CLAIM
Round 2/3
Height 31"
Build Medium

Kotori's legs were spread, aligning with his shoulders as he lowered his center of gravity to allow for quick movement. Toes spread and claws sink into the ground for better traction as he readies his attack. His ears stay pinned to his skull in the hope of avoiding injury to them. Kotori quickly pulls his head up to align his neck with his spine. He kept his head tilted down slightly, to protect the underside of his neck, while he also scrunches up the skin on his neck to add further protection. Kotori's eyes remained narrow to help avoid injury while his tail stays tucked to keep it safe.

As Kotori was raising up his head Corbie’s bite landed directly where she had aimed between jaw and ear, ripping through the skin and tearing into the top layer of muscle that lies underneath. Blood pours from the wound and Kotori knows that it will require stitches.  Kotori sidestepped to his left, mirroring the direction that Corbie had stepped, and prepared to use his height to his advantage.

Kotori moves forward, shifting his weight into his rear legs while keeping them even with his hips for balance and lifting his front legs aiming to wrap his left leg over Corbie's right shoulder where shoulder and neck meet.  Kotori presses forward intent to have his own neck above Corbie’s and aiming to bite the area that is right before where her neck connects to her head.

Splash, Kotori's snow leopard, runs into the fray, rushing in past his owner and up along Corbie's left side. Placing all its weight into its back legs, the leopard raises up and uses its right front paw to try and rake its claws along Corbie's left hip. At the same time, he twists his head to the right, in an attempt to bite Corbie's upper left thigh.

Kotori vs Corbie for CLAIM
Height 42"
Build Medium
Round 3/3

"Kotori Fatalis"

Her fangs were able to get purchase on his neck as he raised his head, and the spurt of his blood mingled with hers staining her face and down her neck and chest. He reared up slightly to try to throw his paw over her shoulder, but Corbie took a step back at the same time she pivoted her hindquarters again - this time to her left ninety degrees - and the paw slid all but harmlessly down the front of her right shoulder leaving only minor scrapes behind from the dull claws.

Though opening her jaws it made the gash on her cheek burn like a hot poker she ignored the pain as she aimed to catch his lower jaw in her mouth from underneath on his way down before his bite could connect (COUNTER) in an attempt to break the bone and end the fight. She winced internally at the thought of doing so much damage to an opponent, but better to have him need to suck up meat slurry for a few weeks and end it quickly than to drag out the fight. All the while they had been circling, Tam had been circling with them to stay out of their way, and now behind Kotori and somewhat to Corbie's right, the collie made his move. Tam was rather more grimly practical than Corbie about causing permanent damage, so he sought to land a deep slashing bite on the back of Kotori's left hind leg at the hock in the hopes of permanently severing the tendon there - like hamstringing a large prey animal.

Unfortunately Corbie's move brought her blundering into the way of the snow leopard companion's attack, though pivoting had changed her angle somewhat she couldn't avoid it. His bite hit along the back of her left thigh, leaving moderate lacerations there that might have been worse if she hadn't been in the process of moving so his bite hadn't been able to get more of a grip. The claws caught her on top of her left hip and the top of her tail, leaving somewhat severe lacerations that would undoubtedly scar.

Through her pivot she was careful to keep her weight centered as much as possible for balance, her legs spread slightly shoulder and hip distance apart, so an attack couldn't knock her over. She crouched slightly to lower her center of gravity, and allowed her joints to stay loose and flexible even as she moved. Her paws were spread wide for tract the increased surface area, her toes flexed to drive her dull claws into the ground for grip with each step. This meant that - though it hurt like hell - the leopard's attack wasn't able to throw her off balance or knock her over. Her head remained neutral with her spine except when she was actively attacking, and her raised tail moved as she'd pivoted to keep her balance. Despite the painful notch out of one, she was careful to keep her ears pinned back to make them smaller targets, and her eyes narrowed to protect them as well.

CORBIE vs KOTORI for PACK CHALLENGE/CLAIM
Round 3/3
Height 31"
Build Medium

Sparrow meandered and finally settled to watch the fight. She could feel the ooze of disapproval from the likeminded wolves and it only sought to make her wish that it had been a raid instead, where they could all fight freely instead of this thin decorum. It was almost a shame, some of them were rather pretty and maybe even would have made good hook ups if they weren't so terse. She didn't miss the whispers to the woman Pyra had attacked from the blue man supporting Sirius, but she paid them no mind besides rolling a medium bottle of liquor their way with a wink. Some alcohol to loosen the nerves and cut the tension. IF you looked at him and Sirius, it would appear they were in love- wait, maybe not, not everyone was gay. It did mean they were probably allianced, though, which made sense in a way now that Sparrow thought about it.

Ah well, they had won and Pyralis got her punishment handed to her in front of like everyone, so that settled that in Sparrow's eyes. It did also, however, move her to silently wish against the horned man, since, yanno, his family already had enough packs probably, and any was more than enough since they were honestly kind of boring and took everything too tightly clenched between their asses, in Sparrow's unprofessional opinion. At least the splotched woman promised something of the unknown, even if that was a weak reason to root for her. Ah well, such was fickle life.

Corbie vs Kotori for PACK CHALLENGE

ROUND ONE

Kotori:

WRITING

8/10 for Power Play:

• -1 how does Kotori move to make the shoulder throw work? Remember his opponent is a good deal shorter than he is.
• -1 seems like he's attacking a front leg and also a back leg at the same time from head on, this seems like a lot of stretch given the stated position.

5/10 for Clarity:

• -1 "Kotori rushed to move toward Corbie." how is he moving toward her? Head on? At an angle?
• -1 "Kotori lined up with the intent" lined up how?
• -1 what damage is he going for with the shoulder throw?
• -1 "to aim a bite for the right leg" which right leg? Front or back?
• -1 what damage is he attempting to do with this bite? A small nip? A serious grip?
  

3/10 for Attacks:

• +1 shoulder slam
• +2 bite

5/5 for Defenses:

• +1 for flattened ears
• +1 for tail tucked
• +1 neck even w/ spine
• +1 hackles raised
• +1 shoulders rolled forward

10/10 for Injuries:

• first round

Status

12/12 for Experience:

• +6 Master Fighter
• +6 Master Hunter

5/5 for Health:

• no deductions

Kotori's round one total: 48/62

———————————————————————————————————————————————

Corbie:


WRITING

9/10 for Power Play:

• -1 "she pivoted her hindquarters to her right…avoided his shoulder strike almost entirely" I don't quite see how just pivoting her butt to the side would fully displace an attack to her front. Pivot implies moving around a center point which would be her front legs in this case. So they'd still be in the same spot just facing a different direction.

9/10 for Clarity:

• -1 "rising from left to right"  how is she rising?

4/10 for Attacks:

• +2 bite
• +2 companion scratch

5/5 for Defenses:

• +1 center stance
• +1 head aligned w/ spine
• +1 muzzle lowered
• +1 ears pinned
• +1 toes spread

10/10 for Injuries:

• minor laceration to top of right shoulder

Status

12/12 for Experience:

• +6 Master Intellect
• +6 Master Hunter

4/5 for Health:

• loner

Corbie’s round one total: 53/62

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

ROUND TWO

Kotori:

WRITING

8/10 for Power Play:

• -1 the head butt, plus turning head then also biting is too much movement. You need to give your opponent room to respond to your attacks.
• -1 "that he could press his weight into"  this is getting close to an if/then. Best wait to see if a grip is achieved before stating what you'll do with your weight.

7/10 for Clarity:

• -1 "body moving backward just a fraction" how far is a fraction? this statement is kinda vague
• -1 "to bite the underside of her neck" where under the neck? A bite just under the jawline is very different from just above the sternum.
• -1
after pivoting what angle is Kotori facing Corbie? Is he facing her straight on nor or at an angle?

4/10 for Attacks:

• +2 horn stab
• +2 bite

5/5 for Defenses:

• +1 pin ears
• +1 tail tuck
• +1 scrunch neck
• +1 narrowed eyes
• +1 chin tucked

6/10 for Injuries:

• -3 severe lacerations to muzzle
• -1 minor lacerations to flank

Status

12/12 for Experience:

• +6 Master Fighter
• +6 Master Hunter

5/5 for Health:

• no deductions

Kotori’s round two total: 47/62

———————————————————————————————————————————————

Corbie:


WRITING

10/10 for Power Play:

• none seen

9/10 for Clarity:

• -1 "the movement brought her on the wrong side of him for him to bite her" this needs more clarification, I'm not sure what this is signifying.

3/10 for Attacks:

• +2 bite
• +1 to bite for maim attempt "lacerate the muscles there"

5/5 for Defenses:

• +1 muzzle tucked
• +1 centered weight
• +1 narrowed eyes
• +1 ears pinned
• +1 head and tail aligned w/ spine

8/10 for Injuries:

• -2 moderate laceration to left cheek

Status

12/12 for Experience:

• +6 Master Intellect
• +6 Master Hunter

4/5 for Health:

• loner

Corbie's round two total: 51/62

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

ROUND THREE

Kotori:


WRITING

6/10 for Power Play:

• -1 " Kotori presses forward" make sure you attempt this forward motion
• -1 "rushing in past his owner and up along Corbie's left side." make sure to attempt these movements. If Corbie moves all of this will be displaced.
• -2 only one attack per companion is allowed. A scratch and bite is two.

6/10 for Clarity:

• -1 "bite the area that is right before where her neck connects to her head." this is vague. Is it on the top, side, underside? where are the teeth trying to land?
• -1 what is Kotori hoping to acheive with his bite? is this a nip or serious damage?  Make sure to state intent or your opponent could get away with minimal damage when you meant a serious attack.
• -2 what angle is the snow leopard attacking at? how is it positioned toward Corbie?  all I know is its off to the left somewhere

5/10 for Attacks:

• +2 bite
• +1 leg wrap
• +2 snow leopard scratch

5/5 for Defenses:

• +1 lowered center of gravity
• +1 toes spread
• +1claws gripping earth
• +1 ears pinned
• +1 neck aligned w/ spine

7/10 for Injuries:

• -3 for serious laceration to neck

Status

12/12 for Experience:

• +6 Master Fighter
• +6 Master Hunter

5/5 for Health:

• no deductions

Kotori’s round three total: 46/62

———————————————————————————————————————————————

Corbie:


WRITING

10/10 for Power Play:

• none seen

9/10 for Clarity:

• -1 "his lower jaw in her mouth from underneath" how does she intend to position her own jaws to catch his? She could accomplish this in a few different configurations

6/10 for Attacks:

• +2 bite
• +1 maim attempt for bite
• +2 companion bite
• +1 maim attempt for companion bite

5/5 for Defenses:

• +1 centered weight
• +1 lowered center of gravity
• +1 spread toes
• +1 claws gripping earth
• +1 neck aligned with spine

5/10 for Injuries:

• 0 minor scrape to right shoulder, wolf claws are to dull to lacerate
• -2 moderate lacerations to left thigh
• -3 severe laceration to left hip

Status

12/12 for Experience:

• +6 Master Intellect
• +6 Master Hunter

4/5 for Health:

• loner

Corbie’s round three total: 51/62

Totals:

Kotori: 141/186
Corbie: 155/186

And the winner is...

CORBIE! Kotori must give up by either submitting, fleeing, or passing out.

Damage:

All scratches, pokes, bruises and light lacerations will heal within 3 ooc days
All moderate lacerations will heal in 1 ooc week
All moderate stab wounds will heal in 2 ooc weeks
All severe lacerations will heal in 3 ooc weeks

Notes:

Good fight, both of you! Shard, you did really well for your first tier 1 fight!  I don't really have much to add to this section. Specific feedback is given above in each round break down.

- By Lunarcat7