Adapt, Improvise, Overcome

Maverick shifted the pair of leather bracers on his forelegs back and forth, still trying to grow accustomed to the feeling of any sort of armor or clothing on his body. Coming from a lifetime of living with virtually nothing to his name, having things like weapons and armor at his disposal somehow felt... opulent. But Venom had asked him to take some things from Ashen's reserve of weapons to help outfit himself for combat, and given that he was now the official consort to her majesty the Empress, he supposed he would need to learn how to properly fight and defend himself or his lady if a threat ever arose. Like her ex-husband. Or her ex-boyfriend. Or... well, hmm, now that he thought about it, how many enemies did Venom have? How much had the unsuspecting vagabond bitten off when he accepted a relationship with her? Oh well, it was far too late to consider going back now. He was in this for the long haul, so he might as well make the most of it.

With a sigh, Mav looked down at the steel-studded bracers on his forelegs again, trying to imagine how to use them as a weapon. Most fighting was done with biting and claws. But maybe he could use them to bludgeon or ram into an opponent to cause some damage? Maverick lifted one leg and shook his paw back and forth, feeling the way the leather armor moved with his motions. It still felt strange, but he supposed he could get used to it with enough practice and time. Resigning himself to learning to deal with this new style of fighting, the snow and sky brute decided to test out his new equipment. Sure, he could have gone to find any sparring partner within Ashen (no doubt Plague would have snatched up the opportunity to give him a sanctioned beatdown), but what better way to test his new equipment than in a trial by fire? In this case, a fight with a real live predator.

So Maverick began to patrol the border of Ashen, his nose twitching to sample the air, nares flaring to find any traces of scents that might lead him towards an intruder or a threat. While he rounded the northern border of the shrine, the musky scent of a coyote burned at his sense of smell. The patrolling wolf paused mid-stride, sniffing furiously at the air again to gain more information. The coyote was close, not quite in Ashen lands, but definitely nearby. Teal eyes narrowing, he stalked through the forest, following the direction of the foreign scent until he came across the lone canid chowing down on an unfortunate hare it had caught just outside Ashen's borders. Technically, he could have left the carnivore alone, but the coyote had committed the sin of existing nearby when Mav was jonesing for a fight. Sorry, coyote, nothing personal!

With a growl, Maverick charged the coyote, catching it by surprise in the middle of its meal. The coyote tried to spring to its paws to engage the attacking lupine, but Mav was already on top of it, throwing his body towards the smaller canine with his forelegs braced against his chest so the metal studs of his bracers faced out towards his opponent. The studs made full contact with the coyote's torso, sending the poor critter sprawling across the ground with a pained yelp. The studs had not actually pierced the coyote, but they sure looked like they hurt! The coyote snarled back at him, trying to intimidate the wolf to leave it alone, but Maverick responded with a louder growl. Not willing to give up its meal, the coyote squared up against the white and navy wolf, then rushed at him with sharp teeth bared and aimed for Maverick's chest and neck.

Maverick took a bracing step back to balance himself, then intercepted the coyote's charge with a lunge forward of his own, once again bracing his forelegs forward to drive the studded leather bracers into the coyote's head. The coyote bounced off of the wolf's attack, flipping backwards and crumpling in a heap across the ground once more. Maverick watched while the coyote, now dazed and confused, writhed about on the ground for a moment before righting itself in a somewhat groggy manner, stumbling while it got back to its paws. It looked concussed and fully no longer willing to fight. With a shake of its head to straighten itself out, the coyote turned one last threatening snarl to the wolf, then slunk away through the northern forest, disappearing out of sight a moment later. Maverick held his ground and waited until he was sure the coyote was not coming back, only then did he relax and slip back over the border and into Ashen territory, quite pleased with the effectiveness of his new toys.

WC: 815 / 800

"Maverick"