The desolate expanse that was The Boneyard, littered with skeletal remains and dust, stretched out before the silvery wraith as she entered the area. The gray-coated liger moved with a predatory grace, her reinforced leather vest glinting in the muted sunlight. Her pale blue eyes scanned the surroundings, searching for an opponent while her pair of barn owls did the same from above, keeping vigilant watch.

Graive's tail, adorned with an iron scythe, swayed in anticipation. The weight of the weapon felt familiar and comforting. Her malabsorption condition had left her lighter than she could be, but it also sharpened her resolve and honed her instincts towards survival. She was determined to survive this, to come out victorious, despite her physical limitations.

The Boneyard was known for finding formidable fighters among it's harsh terrain. The ground, littered with bones and debris, crunched under her massive paws as she moved deeper into the area without much care for who's corpse now laid beneath her. It was a stark reminder to the brutality of this world, there was no room for her to get sentimental over strangers that had fallen.

Graive's breath came out in steady puffs, her muscles tense - this would be her first time seeking an opponent like this. She let out a low, rumbling growl to call any willing challengers. Her barn owls circled above, ready to alert her if anyone were to approach beyond what she could see on the horizon.

"Speech"

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Their training had been going well, but for Seiko nothing was ever quite enough. They aspired to be like their father, maybe a bit too desperately - they would only feel as though they had achieved greatness once they could successfully best him in battle. That felt a long ways off still though. Heading to the northwest of the bamboo maze to the land rumored to be home to many spars, Seiko only slowed once the flat wasteland stretched out in front of them. This place wasn't suitable as a home to anyone, except for maybe rodents; the young wolf watched as one skittered around their paws as they moved, deftly moving from behind one pile of rubble to another, parting sparse decayed vegetation on the way. Seiko observed the critter with mild interest, wondering just what life would be like here. The growl was faint, but audible across the wasteland. Intrigued, Seiko directed themselves toward it, noting the owls circling overhead... in the daylight? Interesting. Their own companion scampered along behind them, an antlered tabby cat who'd been roped into coming along. Seiko hadn't determined yet whether she'd be a good fighter or not, but they wanted to find out now rather than later. Herajika at the very least seemed loyal enough, happy to stick by Seiko's side since they'd claimed them so early in the cat's life. The sound that echoed across the land hadn't been canine, so Seiko shouldn't have been surprised to see the pale lion standing before them, but still they didn't quite know how to take the sight. A respectful enough nod was offered as they drew closer, trying to silently assess their opponent. In particular their eyes were drawn to her large paws, knowing she'd need to be extra careful to avoid the sharp claws she no doubt possessed. "Just looking for a regular spar? No serious injuries?" They'd ask for clarification before jumping right into things. That was the respectful way to initiate, after all. Seiko slowed, Herajika coming up alongside them and puffing out her fur slightly to look bigger than she really was. Ready for whatever might happen, they made sure to lower their center of gravity slightly, shifting fluidly into a more defensive stance to show that they were ready to get started whenever the larger feline was.

Her owls had signaled the presence of another out in the Boneyard far before Graive's eyes locked on to Seiko, assessing the stranger with a calculated gaze all the while they approached. She noted the antlered tabby cat at their side and gave a nod of acknowledgment to the small feline. The faintest hint of a smile tugged at her lips.

"Indeed," she rumbled, her voice smooth yet firm. "A regular spar, no serious injuries."

Without further ado, the wraith moved.. and quickly. Her iron tail scythe whipped through the air behind and around her own frame, aiming to graze Seiko's left shoulder. At the same time, she lunged forward, powerful muscles propelling her towards her opponent. Her massive paws struck the ground with force, sending clouds of dust and bone fragments into the air around her before she lifted her right forelimb and unsheathed her claws in an attempt to graze them across the wolf's muzzle. Her attacks were sharp, but aimed to do far less damage than she could. She only aimed to make scrapes, not deep cuts.

The barn owls circled above, their keen eyes watching the developing confrontation; they would emit different sounds as the wolf approached or disengaged. Graive's focus remained unbroken as she listened to each vocal clue the owls gave her to the wolf's next move, her pale blue eyes glinting with determination to stay one step ahead. This was not just a test of strength, but a chance to learn how to fight these wolves should any come against the Empire. It was an opportunity to study.


Graive vs Seiko for Spar
Round 1/?
Age: Over 1 year
Size: Large species
Build: Light
Offensive Battle Accessory: Iron Tail Scythe
Defensive Battle Accessory: Reinforced Leather Vest
Companion 1: Barn Owl, female - flying
Companion 2: Barn Owl, male - flying
Skills: Beginner Fighter & Intermediate Navigator

"Speech"

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Strangers were already something Seiko struggled with, and someone of an entirely different species. Though they'd had enough time now with Herajika to vaguely understand small cat behavior, this opponent they were facing was a different story entirely. Seiko wasn't so sure their knowledge would help them here at all. "Fine," Seiko verbally agreed to the liger's conditions. They just hoped she would stay true to her word - that was the thing with strangers, you could never know if they were to be trusted or not. Seiko would just have to stay sharp and ensure they keep themselves safe at all costs. Seiko couldn't have anticipated how fast the big cat would move. She dove forward quickly, and instead of just tensing up and taking the stranger's attack Seiko decided to try to shift out of the way. It struck the young wolf then just how much larger and heavier this feline really was. She stood more than a full head taller, and outweighed Seiko significantly. This was due to be a challenge, though the young Tojo-Kai wolf had never been one to shy away from things they thought difficult. Even with the way Seiko tried to twist around to the side, the large cat's claws still struck their muzzle. The pain wasn't devastating but it was enough to give pause as they tried to reorient themselves and keep traction - falling over and submitting this early would be embarrassing. They were much more skilled than that. Not wanting to shy away from the sudden assault, Seiko noted that Herajika's fur bristled just beside them. The house cat struck quickly, aiming to dart forward and bite onto one of the bigger cat's forelimbs, hardly enough to do damage at all but maybe distract her for a split second. Seiko took the opportunity to lunge forward too, hoping to push their smaller weight hard into Graive as they aimed to part their jaws and bite down on the forelimb opposite the one their housecat was aiming for. Seiko vs Graive for Spar Round 1 / 2 Age: Over 1 Year Size: Dire wolf Build: Balanced Companion 1: House Cat, Female - Battle Mutation 1: Antelope Horns - Offensive Skills: Advanced Fighter & Novice Intellectual

The satisfying impact as her claws grazed Seiko's muzzle made the huntress in her shiver in delight. The young wolf twisted, trying to evade, but her size and strength gave her an edge. Graive's blue eyes flickered with wild instinct as she prepared for the next move from the wolf and their companion.

Herajika's sudden dart forward caught Graive's attention, the antlered tabby aiming for her right forelimb. Instinctively, Graive shifted her weight, pulling her limb back just in time to avoid the bite. She admired the little cat's bracery, but her focus remained on the wolf.

Seiko lunged forward, aiming to push their weight against Graive and bite down on her left forelimb. Anticipating the move, Graive planted her hind legs firmly and squared her stance, bracing herself. As Seiko closed in, Graive swung her left shoulder downward and into the bite, attempting to deflect Seiko's attack with the reinforced leather covering that area.

With a swift motion, Graive counterattacked. Her right paw, claws partially extended, slashed down towards Seiko's shoulder, aiming to disrupt their balance and force them to retreat. Simultaneously, her iron tail scythe swung behind her, threatening the wolf with her lethal potential.. though she did not use the blade, merely dangled it in distraction.

Graive's barn owls circled above, all the while giving different clicks and hoots as their watchful eyes provided her with a sense of situational awareness. She moved with a blend of power and agility, her every motion calculated as she would attempt to keep the advantage in this spar.

Graive vs Seiko for Spar
Round 2/2
Age: Over 1 year
Size: Large species
Build: Light
Offensive Battle Accessory: Iron Tail Scythe
Defensive Battle Accessory: Reinforced Leather Vest
Companion 1: Barn Owl, female - flying
Companion 2: Barn Owl, male - flying
Skills: Beginner Fighter & Intermediate Navigator

"Speech"

CODE BY SIN | ART BY RES

Even if Herajika's attack wasn't much of a deterrent, it was still something, and Seiko quietly congratulated the little antlered cat on her quick thinking. Maybe in time the two of them could train together and figure out how to best align their abilities to become even stronger a team together- truthfully Seiko hadn't expected her to even join on on the battle but if she was interested in working together in that way, Seiko wouldn't deny her. The larger cat seemed to have rightfully anticipated Seiko's attack, shifting just enough so her shoulder fell right into the young wolf's parted jaws. Instead of being met with flesh, instead they found a mouthful of leather. Instead of trying to bare down into the armor instead they jerked backwards and their jaws snapped shut, trying to quickly find their next move. There wasn't much time to think though before Graive lunged forward, slashing her claws down her shoulder. The pain wasn't too intense, but was rough enough for Seiko to reel backwards and begin to stumble. The momentum was enough that their balance was nearly disrupted, though they tried to overcompensate the stumble by adjusting the way their weight was resting. They weren't willing to lose this fight so quickly. Their cat companion had pulled away, attempting to make a wide circle around Graive, and then she moved to strike again - Seiko would try to move in unison, slinking low toward the ground and once again aiming for one of their opponent's forelimbs. Seiko vs Graive for Spar Round 2 / 2 Age: Over 1 Year Size: Dire wolf Build: Balanced Companion 1: House Cat, Female - Battle Mutation 1: Antelope Horns - Offensive Skills: Advanced Fighter & Novice Intellectual

And the winner is...

GRAIVE

SEIKO must give up by submitting, fleeing or passing out. Totals: GRAIVE: Attack Roll: 76 Defense Roll: 37 Agility Roll: 44 Perception Roll: 66 Total: 223 Attack[76] + 20% Bonus[15.20]: 91.20 Defense[37] + 10% Bonus[3.70]: 40.70 Agility[44] + 15% Bonus[6.60]: 50.60 Perception[66] + 20% Bonus[13.20]: 79.20 Total[261.70] + 0% Bonus[0.00]: 261.70 SEIKO: Attack Roll: 1 Critical fail! Defense Roll: 80 Agility Roll: 90 Perception Roll: 37 Total: 208 Attack[1] + 35% Bonus[0.35]: 1.35 Defense[80] + 0% Bonus[0.00]: 80.00 Agility[90] + 0% Bonus[0.00]: 90.00 Perception[37] + 5% Bonus[1.85]: 38.85 Total[210.20] + 15% Bonus[31.53]: 241.73