He and Wade hadn't been here long. But when he lost Draven's trail and ran into Medusa instead and learned from her that he had more wandering about, he was curious. Did he remember his night with Medusa? Not really. She did, but she didn't go into detail, he only remembered a hazy cavern and glowing mushrooms and then everything was blank after that. Whatever happened resulted in what Medusa referred to as "her preciouses." And he could not deny the fact that he was keen to see how these yearlings had grown. But his motive was beyond that, too. Medusa was already strange enough...and he couldn't deny that she was a solidly strong wolf. He'd seen her fight and hunt before. Did her blood mixed with his bring about something disastrous? Did these ones carry the demons of old in his bloodline? He wanted to know. Medusa, however, had not told them of his existence. But Diablo had run into one of them, mentioned his suspicions. But Ig had brushed it off until recently. Still, he couldn't quite bring himself to confront them just yet, so he remained on the outskirts of the pack borders despite Medusa so willingly bringing him and Wade into the fold. For now, Ignis lingered on the edge of the water, paw dipped into pond as he considered his options.

Redrum stood at the edge of a cluster of willows, muscles twitching as his sharp eyes fixed on the unfamiliar figure near the water's edge. His breath came in shallow bursts, and his elongated ears flicked back and forth, catching the sounds of the forest around him. Curiosity gnawed at him, drawing him toward the stranger.

The wolf by the pond had a striking red hue from head to toe, something that immediately set Redrum on edge. Something about another predator dressed in crimson made his heart thud in his chest. Excitement, anticipation, he wasn’t sure. From the wind he could catch the stranger's scent, which only faintly carried the familiar notes of Insomnia. Tongue swiped out against inky lips, wetting them as he sized the bigger, older man up. What was his name? Why had he joined? These things he was always curious about. There was only one thing to do to sate his curiosity, and get a handle on who this new member was. Redrum's muscles tensed and relaxed involuntarily as he took a cautious step forward, then more, a predatory intensity sharpening his golden gaze.

He moved silently, his paws barely making a sound on the forest floor as he approached. Not on purpose, the young wildling just had a habit of… keeping his vibrant coat as his only flaw when it came to creeping up on his prey. Although he was easy to spot from a distance, hearing him approach would be far more difficult.

When he was satisfied with the distance he halted a few paces away, his head low and body coiled, ready to react as he let out a snort from his nares – an attempt to garner the red man’s attention if he hadn’t noticed him already. “Redrum wonders– who the newcomer is.” Redrum's voice came out in its usual halting manner, the words spaced unevenly. His eyes narrowed as he studied the red-furred wolf. “Redrum is Redrum. Red man is?” Not his most eloquent conversation thus far, but he wasn’t focused on making his words sound pretty.

"Murder"

He remained quiet in his contemplation. His good ear listened to the world around him, but his hearing wasn't as good as it used to be since his other ear had been taken, and even worse as he aged. He wasn't deaf perse, but it still wasn't good. His companions had gone to find food and check out the lands of Insomnia while their master tended to his own business of sorts. Even if that business was just...doing nothing all day. He did not hear the approach of the crimson boy. Not until he heard a snort fairly close to his position did he turn his head to find the long-eared crimson boy. He watched him carefully. Observed the way the yearling held himself. He seemed almost...predatory. A look in his eye akin to something he'd seen before. Something he had felt before. There was no mistaking that this one was his. Still, even as the boy spoke, Ignis' good ear barely twitched at the sound of his strange manner of speaking. Had he taken more after Medusa? Or was this just a singular quirk of his? Either way, the boy had questions. And you will answer what he wants to know. His lips pulled up in the slightest of movements to bare his teeth, a low growl rumbling in his throat at the sound of that whisper in his head. Already he could feel something stirring. He was interested. "Redrum..." An oddly fitting name. Leave it to Medusa, he supposed. At least she had the good sense to properly name her children. "Has your mother ever told you that your name spells murder, but backwards?" He lightly chuckled. Clever, that one. He did not really move from his position, but rather just kept his gaze on the feral child. "Your brother Diablo mentioned there were more of you running around...I suppose I should've come to see for myself much sooner." "My name is Ignis." "Ignis""Blödhgarm"

Art by Naiterion

Redrum’s muscles tensed as he observed the man, his eyes narrowing with that of curiosity and caution. The older wolf's low growl and bared teeth didn’t intimidate him; instead, they drew him in further, like a moth to flame. He heard the subtle beginnings of hissing in his ears, at the back of his mind. Despite that; His ears flicked forward, fully attuned to the brute before him, golden orbs tracking the subtle shifts in posture and expression, trying to read every nuance, every flicker of emotion. Like he would with a doe before he set into his stalk and inevitable hunt.

“Redrum’s– name..? Murder?” He repeated, the words halting, almost uncertain. The word bounced back and forth in his mind, testing its weight, rolling it around as if trying to grasp its full meaning. A grin slowly split his maw, sharp and predatory and much too wide and toothy. He tilted his head slightly, his intense gaze locking onto the blood-red man, a reflection of the cunning and ferocity inherited from his mother. "Mother... is– clever. Redrum– likes his name– twofold now. He will– thank her later." A swell of pride filled his chest, the name taking on a new, thrilling significance, especially when it came to prey.

The mention of a brother he didn’t recognize, a wolf named Diablo, sparked a fierce blaze in Redrum's golden eyes. He pushed forward, his chin tilting up to meet Ignis’s gaze head-on, challenging and questioning, caring little for personal space. “Diablo? Brother? Redrum does— not understand.” The muscles in his shoulders twitched, his jaw snapping together with an uncontrollable click of his ivory fangs. The uncertainty of the interaction gnawed at him, bringing his flaws to the surface. A distant conversation played in his mind, faint and dull with time. How many kids has Ig got anyway? Ig. Ignis? The boy was not daft, but all the same, he knew nothing beyond Medusa and Insomnia. "Ignis speaks– in riddles. Speak– plainly, red-man." His low baritone rumbled out, still tinged with the remnants of youth, yet carrying the weight of his growing self-assurance.

He sniffed the air deeply, drawing in more of Ignis’s scent, his mind working to piece together the man’s origins. Redrum’s nose twitched as he processed the unfamiliar yet oddly exhilarating aroma, instinctively searching for clues like he would for prints in the dirt or the markings of antlers on trees. He got the inkling he needed to ask a new question. One that had appeared in his mind as the brutes name was spoken, as he seemed to know things Redrum did not. Fine. Out with it then. "What should– the name Ignis– mean to– Redrum?" His voice, broken and uneven, came out low and rough. The older wolf seemed to have the answer, and it was starting to bristle the young vermillion brute’s fur. Redrum was not one for patience or subtlety; he needed answers, and he needed them now. Sure, he could seek his mother out now and ask her himself, but this man… he wanted to hear him speak.

"Murder"

His lip twitched as he watched the boy. Making sense of what he'd said regarding his name. It seemed the recognition of the name pleased him, and he was right. Medusa was an odd one, there was no mistaking that. But she was also incredibly clever in her own way. Whatever she had been doing in raising this one, well...suffice to say she had been doing a far better job than he ever could. Not that he'd admit that anytime soon, if ever. "Yes...she is a clever one, alright." That, he couldn't deny. And at the mention of Diablo, the boys demeanor changed. Diablo had mentioned once upon a time that he had battled a boy in the battlefield that smelled oddly familiar despite never having met him before. His suspicions grew when he put two and two together. The way the red boy acted, his crimson coat, the vague familial scent...granted, Ignis couldn't remember much of that night with Medusa in the cave, but he also never neglected the potential that something had come of it. And that something was standing right here in front of him. "Yes. You two fought on the battlefield. He bested you, but you were younger then. No doubt you'd likely best him now." He smirked. Diablo was a cocky bastard. Too full of himself. But he had little to show for his high and mighty attitude. Was this boy equally as cocky? It didn't seem like it, but then again, they didn't know each other. So he couldn't quite determine whether he was true or not. He studied the boy as his emotions seemed to grow. The child had questions. There was a hunger in his gaze. In the way he moved. Part of him wanted to draw this out and see if it would click, but it appeared the boy needed a direct answer. Rising from his position, the crimson male approached the boy, closing the gap between them until he stood just inches away, red eyes boring into the golden gaze of his newfound child. "I am your father. And you are my son. There is no mistaking it." Forward. Direct. His fur bristled slightly as he anticipated a violent response, though perhaps there was a chance that wouldn't come. After all, nearly all of his children had been unpredictable so far...this one might not be so different. "Ignis""Blödhgarm"

Art by Naiterion

Redrum’s ears pinned back as he processed the words, his golden eyes narrowing into slits. The older wolf’s acknowledgment of Medusa stirred something fierce in him, a flash of pride tinged with an edge of protectiveness. His lips quivered, caught between a snarl and a grimace, as he grappled with the surge of emotions.

But the mention of Diablo? That set a different fire in his chest. The battlefield, the struggle—Redrum’s memory was hazy, but it pricked at something primal. “He bested– Redrum once... then, nine months old.” His voice was tight with barely concealed disdain as he spoke through clenched teeth. His muscles coiled, each twitch accentuating his inner turmoil as he replayed the vague memory of the clash. “Now? Redrum would tear– Diablo – apart.” The thought was almost intoxicating, fueling a growl deep in his throat. The idea that he had been outmatched, even by a brother, gnawed at him like a festering wound. He could feel his claws flexing into the dirt beneath him, trying to anchor himself. The cat began to hiss in his ears, sending them flicking in each and every direction.

As Ignis drew closer, closing the distance, Redrum’s body tensed further, every instinct screaming to lash out, to challenge this sudden declaration. His breath hitched as those crimson eyes locked onto his own, setting his fur bristling on end. What did that mean? “Father?” The word hung heavy in the air, spoken with a mix of disbelief and scorn. The concept was foreign, an abstraction that had no place in his world. But there was no lie in the old wolf’s gaze. No hesitation. Just cold, hard certainty. What was a father? Redrum had only ever had a Medusa.

Redrum’s lips curled back slightly, exposing the tips of his teeth as conflicting emotions warred within him—anger, confusion, a gnawing sense of betrayal. His fur rose involuntarily, mirroring the tension radiating off Ignis. Mother. Father. Mother. Father. He’d heard it before, though now that it applied to him, it was strange. “Redrum… has no need for– fathers.” The defiance in his voice was palpable, yet there was a tremor beneath it—a sliver of doubt creeping in. His gaze flickered over the older wolf, searching for any hint of deception, but found none. He felt his jaw twitch, a subtle expression of the conflict threatening to break free.

For a heartbeat, silence reigned, thick with anticipation. Redrum’s claws dug deeper into the soil, each flex a manifestation of his pent-up energy. The old brute’s words gnawed at his mind, sinking in deeper than he wanted to admit. “But if– this is true,” he continued, his voice rough and jagged, “Then Redrum will decide– what that means.” He took a step back, eyes burning with a mixture of fury and curiosity. He wasn’t ready to accept this claim, but he couldn’t fully deny it either. The connection, however unwanted, was there—a thread that both intrigued and repulsed him.

His muscles quivered with unreleased energy, every fiber of his being demanding some kind of resolution—an answer, a fight, something. He settled for neither, keeping his stance firm yet taut, ready for anything. “Redrum does not– follow blindly,” He snarled, his voice raw. Aligning his gaze with the man's, his shoulders rolling.“You say– father. Prove it.” It wasn’t just a challenge—it was a test. He needed more than words, more than declarations. He needed to know if this Ignis was truly someone worth reckoning with, or just another obstacle to be overcome. His sharp gaze lingered, waiting for a sign, something to validate the old wolf's audacity.

"Murder"

His lips lifted up in a smirk at Red's words and tone regarding Diablo. "And of that I have no doubts. I'm sure he's done things to deserve it, after all. I would not stop you." Essentially, he had given Red the green light to do as he wished with his brother. It was high time the obsidian boy learned his place at last, to shut down that holier than thou attitude that he had done nothing to deserve. He watched closely at Red's reaction to the little that had been said. Few words had been spoken, but a great weight hung heavy in the air as Red processed what he had learned so far. Ignis tensed as Red's emotions flickered across every fiber of his being, from his curling toes and bristling fur, to the curl of his lips as he showed his teeth. “Redrum… has no need for– fathers.”

The slightest of scoffs slipped from the red man. "Everyone has a father. Whether you like it or not, you do not only belong to Medusa, but to me as well." The antlered male held the boys defiant yet uncertain gaze. Practically a challenge in and of itself. Red seemed to be volatile, something that the Crimson Demon expected. And when he spoke again as he stepped back, that's when he knew what needed to be done. Show him. He heard the whisper in his mind. He could feel it twisting and wrapping around his consciousness. His very being. He didn't want to harm this child. But if it was proof he wanted. Then proof he would get!

For once instead of fighting it, Ignis let his mind be swallowed by the very thing he feared the most. Now it was time to see if Red carried the same Demons that Ignis battled with. His own lips peeled back, baring his yellowed fangs. "Very well. If it is proof you want, then proof you shall get, boy!" He snarled, fur bristling along his spine as his muscled tensed in preparation for what was to come.

Without further warning, he launched himself at Red, a fierce snarl ripping through the air as he sought to slam his weight into the boy. This was far from a friendly spar, and it was likely the pair would be encouraging each other to bloodshed. And what happened between them after this was yet to be determined, but he needed to know! Jaws gaped open as he turned his head in toward Red's own, seeking a bite down upon the boys neck in an effort to subdue him as much as possible. Bleed!

Ignis vs Redrum for Minor maim - neck scarring
Round: 1/?
Age: Over 1yr
Size: Dire wolf
Build: Heavy
Offensive Battle Accessory: Skull helmet
Defensive Battle Accessory: Black bear cape
Companion 1: Palm cockatoo, Male - Flying
Companion 2: Wolverine, Male - Battle
Mutation 1: Sika deer antlers - Offensive
Skills: Master Fighter & Master Hunter
Specialty: Mangler

"Speech"||"Crimson Demon"

Redrum's eyes narrowed into slits as Ignis’s words lodged in his mind like shards of glass, each one sharpening the razor edge of his anger. The smirk curling on the older wolf’s lips fanned the flames already roaring in his chest. Diablo deserved what was coming—no, he needed to pay, and Redrum wasn’t going to hold back. The scars etched into his face were proof enough of that resolve.

As the air between them thickened with tension, Ignis spoke of belonging, of fathers, and Redrum’s lip curled involuntarily, twitching as it did so, a snarl threatening to rip free. Belong? To him? The very thought made his muscles coil and furiously spasm, his claws gouging the earth beneath him. No one could claim him, not like that—not beyond Medusa. The connection to this so-called father gnawed at him, twisting his insides into a tight knot. Medusa was a constant, a comfort he could rely on. This intruder, this father, was an alien force, dragging Redrum’s volatile emotions to the surface in a torrent of confusion and fury. He would not so easily claim a place within the boy’s life.

As Ignis’s aura darkened, Redrum’s senses honed in with sharp precision. He recognized the shift, the menace seeping from the older wolf like a toxin. Instinctively, his fur bristled, every fiber of his being readying for the inevitable clash. The snarl that finally tore from Redrum’s throat was one of raw, unbridled rage—an animalistic sound as the feline within him, his twisted alter ego, began to rise.

The transformation was gradual but undeniable. His mind started to morph, the instinct to inflict damage and avoid death taking precedence over all else. The feline part of him, a self-defense mechanism honed through trauma and necessity, roared to life, urging him to make Ignis bleed. To hurt. To maim and rend asunder. His bone claw fittings flexed with lethal intent, the desire for blood and flesh becoming an overwhelming need. He needed it now. Now. Now!

There was no hesitation as Ignis lunged. Redrum’s body reacted with a primal reflex, driven by a maelstrom of fury and the desperate need to prove himself. Ignis might have age and experience, but Redrum had his demons too—dark, insidious forces that wouldn’t bow to anyone. As the weight of Ignis crashed into him, Redrum twisted, rolling with the impact, his jaws snapping viciously at Ignis’s exposed side, thirsting for the taste of blood. A screeching hiss escaped Redrum's jaws, his tail lashing at his hocks as he fought his father. But he wasn't truly there. Not really.

The world shrank to the vicious clash of teeth and claws, the scent of blood mixing with the rich scent of earth upturned by claws in brute force. Redrum’s mind was a storm of rage and defiance, an ironclad refusal to be dominated. He would not be subdued, not by this wolf who dared to claim the title of father so easily. To this boy who did not know what a father was.

His teeth sought purchase on Ignis’s ribcage in retaliation, in the bloodlust to tear. The overwhelming need to draw blood, to leave his mark, was all-consuming. This wasn’t just a battle; it was a violent struggle for dominance, a war of wills that Redrum had no intention of losing. His golden eyes blazed with feral intensity - it was a silent vow that he would fight to the bitter end. The beast within him demanded it.


Redrum vs Ignis for Minor Maim (Scarring)
Round 1/2
Age: Over 1
Size: Extra large
Build: Heavy
Offensive Battle Accessory: Feline claw fittings
Defensive Battle Accessory: Feline mask
Companion 1: Merlin Falcon, Female - Perception
Companion 2: Merlin Falcon, Male - Perception
Skills: Master Fighter & Master Hunter
Specialty: Hawk-Eyed


"Murder"

The clash of crimson bodies was almost too hard to ignore. It was difficult to determine which end was which with the pair as they both sought to tear each other apart. It was a test of dominance and which Demon reigned supreme! Blood would most certainly be spilled, and although Ignis' own mind was deep in the dark pits of a strange slumber where he could still see what was happening, he had no control over what his Demon would do. He hadn't come here with intention of harming the boy, but something drew them together like a magnetic force. A clash that was inevitable be it sooner, or later. Blödhgarm did not like to be challenged, and he took every opposition that reared its head as a threat on his very being. He did not discriminate. How many of his own children had he maimed? Or tried to rip to shreds?

Yes, it hurt Ignis in some capacity. But it was hard to feel that sense of emotion and morality when he was no longer in control.

His body made contact with the crimson boy, though his teeth would miss their mark as Redrum twisted around him and snapped wildly with all the ferocity of a vicious cat fighting for its life. Ignis' claws ripped up the earth and he could smell the scent of it mingled with blood as Red managed to draw first blood. A snarl of pain and rage ripped through his throat as teeth ripped at his exposed side. So caught up in his visceral rage and torment of his mind, he gave little thought to defense. Regardless, the Crimson Demon ripped himself free, forsaking his own body in favor of retaliation. To ensure this boy would remember this day.

One way or another.

He twisted his body toward Red's own, throwing himself forward once again as he sought to grapple the boy, forelegs seeking purchase around Red's body as he made the effort to slam him into the dirt! His head bowed as he then sought to slam his antlers against the side of Red's head whilst his jaws sought to grab and tear at the tender flesh of his child's body on the downward motion. A guttural snarl unlike any other emanating from jaws that dripped with saliva as He demanded flesh and blood! At this rate, nobody would be able to stop them no matter how hard they tried. He knew that in some capacity. When two Demons clashed in such a way, only one would come out on top until they were torn down once again.

Ignis vs Redrum for Minor maim - scarring
Round: 2/2
Age: Over 1yr
Size: Dire wolf
Build: Heavy
Offensive Battle Accessory: Skull helmet
Defensive Battle Accessory: Black bear cape
Companion 1: Palm cockatoo, Male - Flying
Companion 2: Wolverine, Male - Battle
Mutation 1: Sika deer antlers - Offensive
Skills: Master Fighter & Master Hunter
Specialty: Mangler

"Ignis"||"Blödhgarm"

Redrum felt the collision like a lightning strike, the force of Ignis's body slamming into him with bone-jarring intensity. But pain was a distant echo in the cloud of rage that had taken over his mind. The feral part of him, the cat-like predator, had fully awakened, and it drove him to move with a savage grace that betrayed his youth. His body twisted and coiled like a serpent, instinct guiding his every motion as he evaded Ignis's initial strike, jaws snapping with a vicious hunger that could only be satiated by blood.

The taste of Ignis's blood on his tongue was electrifying, a surge of triumph that fueled that feral drive for more. He felt the older wolf's muscles ripple as Ignis tore himself free, but Redrum wasn't about to let him have the last word. His golden eyes burned with an intensity that bordered on madness, pupils narrowed to slits as he prepared for the next assault. And there on his face was a smile as wide and unsightly as had been inherited from his mother those seasons ago upon his birth.

As Ignis lunged again, Redrum braced himself, forelegs digging into the earth as he anticipated the move. The older wolf's weight was formidable, but Redrum was quick, agile, his body reacting with the speed of a whipcrack. He felt the impact of Ignis's forelegs as they tried to grapple him, the pressure threatening to crush him against the ground. But Redrum's fury was a wildfire, burning too hot to be extinguished by sheer force alone—not without a hell of a fight. Fight or flight, right? He hadn’t ever had any flight in him. Wolves didn’t fly, afterall. Not even the ones with wings.

He twisted his skull sharply, an attempt to change the target of those horns, as Ignis's grip held him fast. The older wolf's antlers crashed down toward his head. Pain exploded behind his eyes as the sharp points grazed his skull and cheek, but Redrum used it, harnessing the agony as fuel. Snarling, yowling as his jaws snapped upward, aiming for Ignis's throat on the recoil, seeking to clamp down on the tender flesh there. The fury inside him demanded nothing less than absolute victory, and Redrum would tear apart anything or anyone that stood in his way.

Redrum vs Ignis for Minor Maim (Scarring)
Round 2/2
Age: Over 1
Size: Extra large
Build: Heavy
Offensive Battle Accessory: Feline claw fittings
Defensive Battle Accessory: Feline mask
Companion 1: Merlin Falcon, Female - Perception
Companion 2: Merlin Falcon, Male - Perception
Skills: Master Fighter & Master Hunter
Specialty: Hawk-Eyed
"Murder"

And the winner is...

REDRUM

IGNIS must give up by submitting, fleeing or passing out. REDRUM'S maim is successful. Totals: IGNIS: Attack Roll: 8 Defense Roll: 5 Agility Roll: 39 Perception Roll: 35 Total: 87 Attack[8] + 105% Bonus[8.40]: 16.40 Defense[5] + 15% Bonus[0.75]: 5.75 Agility[39] + 0% Bonus[0.00]: 39.00 Perception[35] + 10% Bonus[3.50]: 38.50 Total[99.65] + 25% Bonus[24.91]: 124.56 REDRUM: Attack Roll: 46 Defense Roll: 25 Agility Roll: 84 Perception Roll: 41 Total: 196 Attack[46] + 35% Bonus[16.10]: 62.10 Defense[25] + 20% Bonus[5.00]: 30.00 Agility[84] + 0% Bonus[0.00]: 84.00 Perception[41] + 50% Bonus[20.50]: 61.50 Total[237.60] + 25% Bonus[59.40]: 297.00