Leading his wolves into battle was quickly becoming something Artorias was getting accustomed to. The alpha of the sanctuary pack leading a raid... the notion was still ironically humorous in his mind, but sometimes you had to do what you had to do. The Hallows needed to expand, and there was only one way that was going to happen. And so, donned in his armor and armed with his sword, Artorias led his wolves to their next adversary. Marching from Hallowed lands down to Tojo-kai was a short trek through the warm summer day and the raiding party reached the borders of their continental neighbors by late afternoon, just in time for the fighting to take them straight through to dinner.

There was no hesitation or pausing of his pace as he crossed the threshold of Tojo-kai's borders, stepping into the warm coastal territory. The sound of the lapping waves in the bay getting clearer the closer they moved toward the shore. "Remember, we aren't here for bloodshed, but I want everyone to treat this like a real raid. Fight with no quarter given!" Artorias commanded his wolves. Then the Lord of Cinder raised his muzzle and issued his challenging call, announcing their presence to the Tojo wolves. The fight was on!

"Artorias Carpathius" | "Carpathian"

Bramble kept pace with the group, lingering toward the back. There were others who needed more experience, were far more excited to show their worth. Not that Bramble ever wasn't, but she'd raided before, and wanted others to be in the spotlight for now. Her strides are long and graceful as they cross through Auster, maintaining a companionable conversation with Quill.

As they neared Tojo's borders, Bramble could feel the excitement begin to build. Her lips spread into a joyous grin as her father called out to them to ready themselves. Allowing the adrenaline to guide her, she glances at Quill with a wink. "Winner gets to choose what our next outing is," she croons with a teasing tone before racing ahead. Paws hitting the sand, fur dampening from the humid environment. Bramble was ready!

Bramble Carpathius

table coding by bunni ♥

Real raid or not, Dusk was always ready for battle. The dark lady was more comfortable in her armor than she was without it. She had been ready before the raid party had even gathered in the castle. Dusk had blinders on when it came to battle. She apologized to Sitri beforehand. It would never be her intent to ignore him, but there was no way to turn off this part of her mind; to turn of the battle prep and readiness.

The group made their way towards the bay and the sounds of beach life became louder as they moved deeper into Tojo-Kai territory. So far, their opponents hadn't shown themselves despite the call of Artorias. Others spread out around her, taking their own places as they prepared for battle. When Tojo came, they would find a unified group.

"Dusk"

Quill had agreed to join the raiding party to show his worth to Artorias and to contribute to the pack that he now called home. It helped that he had Bramble beside him as they walked from The Hallows to Tojo-Kai, a pack that he'd heard of from his time in Fenmyre. The pack needed to expand, he was told, and the way to prove that they were capable of doing so was by raiding and becoming a more cohesive unit.

Bramble's voice met his ears and Quill directed his attention towards her, a grin on his maw. "That sounds like a good bet." He then watched her race ahead, though he maintained his slow lope. They were in no hurry and there would be opponents for all of them, he assumed. If the pack in question was worth anything, that is. Quill was ready for whoever came to meet him.

Quill Quilin Klein

Hattori had made the others aware of the raid, that whilst they should fight to the best of their ability it wasn't that serious. Nothing to warrant anyone getting hurt, at the very least. Accidents may very well happen, nips and scrapes were par for the course, but there were several talented healers at hand and so Hattori wasn't overly concerned.

Hattori was the first to push into the front lines; moving quick enough to be punctual but without any real sense of urgency. Donned in his armour and with companions at paw, he was as ready as he would ever be. And Hattori had always thought there was no time like the present. Wolves were gathering and with his Keen eyes the Kaicho was quick to spot Artorias at the head of the raiding party. He knew full well that the Lord of Cinder was a capable fighter, easily among the best, but Hattori found himself curious to see how this would unfold.

Launching forward, he made to clash with his challenger, shoulder angled up to bear the brunt of their collision.

"Fight well."He uttered quickly, not one for small talk.

Hanzō vs Artorias for dominance
Round 1/2
Age: over 1
Size: Dire wolf
Build: Balanced
Offensive Battle Accessory: Tanto
Defensive Battle Accessory: Shinobi cuirass
Companion 1: Asian Golden Cat, Male - Battle - Boosted
Companion 2: Mountain hawk-eagle, Male - Battle - Boosted
*Companion 3: Akita, Male - Battle - Boosted
Mutation 1: Enhanced vision - Perception
Mutation 2: Antelope horns - Offensive
Mutation 3: Reinforced bones - Defensive
Skills: Master Fighter & Master Hunter
Specialty: Bloodletter

Ochitsuki still felt very out of place in Hattori's pack, which was something that the koi woman never would have imagined. They were of similar upbringings, held similar values, and yet there was such a wide chasm between them. She just couldn't wrap her head around it. He was cold to her, mean even, taking his anger out upon her with a wicked, silver tongue. And so she kept to herself, doing what she thought needed to be done and mostly staying silent. Everyone rallied for a raid though, and Ochi was no different.

Moving towards one edge of the Bay's border, foreign wolves came into view. She was older, but she wasn't dead or helpless. Hattori clashed with the leader and she ignored their battle wholly, choosing instead to make her way towards a brown and teal fae. Ochi gave a slight but polite nod and move in to intercept the larger woman. Wooden training sword between her jaws, (didn't want to lop any heads off...) Ochi swung for the woman's long legs, aiming to strike the fae's left leg first and hopefully knock them out from beneath her.

"Ochitsuki"

Ochitsuki vs Bramble for Dominance (Raid)
Round 1/?
Age: Over 1
Size: Large
Build: Light
Skills: Advanced Fighter & Beginner Intellectual

Fuji had been going through the herbs Mochi had collected on her travels when the call rang out. Nipping at the yearling's heels she left her hut with haste, only pausing long enough to check her vest was fitted properly.

Gosh they'd come so far, but she grinned around her sabre teeth, dexterous paws flexing in the dirt. Tori and Ochi were already engaged as her gaze zeroed in on a moving shadow. She barely tipped her head in greeting before she was charging forward, ram horns lowered. With the height difference between them, the woman could probably step to the side and send her flying beneath her opponent, but she hoped she might catch a shoulder or a rib in her charge.

"speech"

coded by NachoMumma


Fuji vs Dusk for dominance
Round 1/?
Age: over 1 year
Size: Toy size
Build: Heavy
Offensive Battle Accessory: Katana
Defensive Battle Accessory: Vest
Companion 1: Asiatic Golden Cat, Male - Battle
Companion 2: Straw-necked Ibis, Female - Perception
Mutation 1: Sabre fangs - Offensive
Mutation 2: Ram horns - Offensive
Mutation 3: Crystal spikes - Defensive
Skills: Master Fighter & Master Healer
Specialty: Knight

Ellara arrived quickly behind the others, her eyes eagerly scanning the horizon in search of her friends that were in Tojo-Kai. This raid still left her heart hurting, but Art's words that they were not here for bloodshed reassured her that those two innocent wolves would be alright. This was just practice. It was good for them. She sighed, shaking her latte-pink and coffee-brown pelt beneath her lightweight hide armor; protecting her neck and front limbs. Her pink eyes, usually soft with melancholy, burned with focus as she moved into formation alongside the rest of The Hallow's raiders.

Anove, her two barred owls, muted brown in color, circled - their keen gazes scanning the Tojo-Kai warriors for any sudden movements. She had prepared herself for this moment, determined to prove her loyalty to The Hallows; she was so thankful they had taken her in and given her somewhere warm and cozy to practice her healing. Taking a deep breath, she steadied her nerves, her eyes darting to the clash between Artorias and Hattori. Spotting Ochi engaging Bramble, Ellara quickly set her defenses. The raid was on, and she was ready to defend her pack with practiced precision.

Ellara "Ella" Praetor

CODE BY SIN

A small blur of color came barreling towards her and Dusk thought that she saw it nod, but she didn't reciprocate. She was in battle mode and a nod would have been a waste of time and effort. A horned head lowered and The Hallows fae squared herself, stance widening and her body dipping down slightly. She took the hit to the shoulder, leaning into it, actually. The horns would have bounced off of the leather covered steel that draped over the front of that shoulder.

Anticipating a slow in speed from her attacker, Dusk arced her maw downward, intending to place a bite just behind the smaller fae's skull. She would try to apply enough pressure with her hyena-like jaws to keep her opponent still, but not enough to harm her.

"Dusk"

Dusk vs Fuji for Dominance
Round 1/2
Age: Over 1
Size: Large
Build: Balanced
Offensive Battle Accessory: Cat O' Nine Tails
Defensive Battle Accessory: Steel Armor
Companion 1: Groove-billed Ani, Male, Flying
Companion 2: House Cat, Female, Battle
*Companion 3: Canis Panther dog, Male, Battle
Mutation 1: Antlers - Defensive
Mutation 2: Stronger teeth/jaws - Offensive
Mutation 3: Retractable claws - Offensive
Skills: Master Fighter & Master Intellectual
Specialty: Knight

Come down, come down sweet reverence

Jynn hadn't slept well. A plague of restlessness seemed to have befallen her and no matter what she did she couldn't quite get comfortable. There was something amiss but she couldn't quite put her paw on it. She figured she must be coming down with something but her symptoms thus far remained indescript, vague and difficult to pin down. The late afternoon sun warmed her shoulders and gave her some comfort. Before she could dwell too long on her thoughts a challenging howl rang out. That sounded like Artorias. They were raiding? Well, that saved her the trouble having to travel to the Hallows to arrange a practice raid herself. Springing to her feet Jynn donned her armor and grabbed her weaponry before calling to her companions. She raced to the site of battle, eyes darting between the Hallows wolves and those of Tojo already engaged in battle.

She spied a woman of similar build and loped toward her before putting on a sudden burst of speed as she attacked the woman's right side perpendicularly, lining her right shoulder up with the outside of the woman's upper arm. Jynn lanced her own right shoulder forward in an attempt to slam her weight into the deltoid muscle and cause it to spasm. At the same time her jaws snapped forward, seeking to latch onto the flesh just behind the shoulder blades.

Jynn vs Ellara for Dominance
Round 1/2
Age: Over 1 Year
Size: Large
Build: Light
Offensive Battle Accessory: Bladed forearm bracers
Defensive Battle Accessory: Spiked helmet
Companion 1: Ethiopian wolf, Male - Battle - Boosted
Companion 2: Jaguar, Female - Battle - Boosted
*Companion 3: Jaguar, Male - Battle
Skills: Master Navigator & Master Fighter
Specialty: Weaponsmaster

Kina poured over the texts and maps her egret companion had found for her. Though she couldn't quite understand them in their entirety, at least not yet, she felt like she was getting closer. She devoted most of her waking moments to study, trying to absorb as much information as she possibly could. It was rough going. So much so that she was almost glad for the distraction of the friendly raid. She heard the call of the Hallows leader and quickly set about preparing herself. She did not yet have armor or a weapon to her name so she gathered her companions and headed to the battlefield. This would be a good opportunity to observe what others used so she could take note and have her macaque build something worthy of her.

By the time Kina arrived most of the wolves were engaged with opponents. Spying a tall man about her size and build who had yet to have an opponent she swiftly set her defenses. She sprinted toward the man, angling in toward his right knee. Her head lowered as her jaws flung wide. Her jaws attempted to latch onto his right kneed, her lower jaw on the outside and her upper jaw on the inside. In the same motion she attempted to stab her horns into his side for the simple act of rotating her head to bite would force her horns toward her opponent.

Kina vs Quill for Dominance
Round 1/?
Age: Over 1 Year
Size: Dire wolf
Build: Balanced
Companion 1: Little Egret, Female - Flying
Companion 2: Female Japanese Macaque, 20" - Battle
Mutation 1: Enhanced Vision - Perception
Mutation 2: Reinforced Bones - Defensive
Mutation 3: Eland Horns - Offensive
Skills: Master Fighter & Master Intellectual
Specialty: Bard

Briar followed along side her husband and along with the rest of their raiding party as they moved further south toward Tojo-Kai's borders. It was a rare occasion for them to be heading further into Auster rather than up into Boreas, but that made for an easier trip this time around which she was happy for. They reached the first scent markers that gave away the edges of their opponent's land without issue and Artorias gave the usual orders to not use excessive force, but to still treat this like a real fight. She was enjoying all of these opportunities she was getting lately to resharpen her skills, but she was also looking forward to finishing these frequent raids and accomplishing their goal of proving the strength of the Hallows enough to stake their claim on more land. As Art gave the challenging call to the Tojo-Kai wolves and they rushed forward to meet their opponents, Briar hung back slightly to let the others take the first few fighters that appeared, keeping a close eye on the battle field that erupted around them. She wanted to be strategic in who she took on and tried to leave herself available to jump in and help one of her pack mates if needed so she didn't try to jump into a fight right away–instead waiting to see if the fight would come to her.

"Briar Carpathius"

Mochi pulled her lip back as Fuji snapped at her heels, half tempted to bap the tiny healer in passing. Had her father not warned her this was coming, well, she might have dipped entirely, but if he knew it was coming, he would expect his children to make a showing (for all the good her presence would do). She'd save her eye rolling for later when she was licking her wounded pride.

Joining the fray late wouldn't help her at all, the Hallows clearly had time to prepare and while she might have been able to put in a bit more effort her focus had been on keeping herself fed if she was honest. Picking out the nearest open opponent, an antlered lady that moved like she knew what she was doing, the gangly teenager loped closer, with an aim to shoulder check the shorter wolf, hopeful parted jaws and snarls would serve as some sort of deterrent, more a shove off than an ass whooping she couldn't deliver.

"speech"

Mochi vs Briar for dominance
Round 1/?
Age: Over 1 year
Size: Dire wolf
Build: Light
Companion 1: Ural Owl, Female - Flying
Companion 2: Ezo Red Fox, Female - Battle
Mutation 1: Enhanced Night Vision - Perception
Skills: Beginner Fighter & Advanced Hunter

Erik feels deeply weird about this. He knows the bamboo like the back of his hand, and here he is, as an adversary. Sure, this is all friendly. This is all in good spirits, good fun, whatever. Life had changed so much in the months since he'd last been here, since he'd last seen them. Trying not to allow the churning in his stomach distract, the boy arrives on the battlefield.

Fuji catches his eye at first, already charging Dusk. Trying to keep his head from spinning with it all, and half hoping he'd see Akito in the mix, Erik is tense. Rigid. Waiting. Breath nearly held, as he edges forward into the fray.

"Erik"

Ellara's blush colored eyes widened as Jynn closed in suddenly, the speed of the Tojo wolf giving her just a moment to react. She would attempt to shift quickly, twisting her upper body to the left and lifting her foreleg to absorb Jynn's shoulder strike against her bladed hide bracer. The impact jolted through her leg, sending a tremor of discomfort up to her shoulder, but she gritted her teeth and steadied her footing to avoid being toppled.

Not one to falter, Ellara pushed off her back paws to retaliate. With a sharp, decisive motion, she lunged forward, her jaws parting to aim a counterattack at Jynn's exposed shoulder, just behind where the wolf had struck her. Her intent wasn't to cause harm, but to throw her opponent off balance and regain control of the fight. Above her, her owl's soft hoots echoed through the battle, their muted brown forms circling watchfully, ready to signal any sudden shifts around her as they had done for her in many battles before this one.

Ellara vs Jynn for Dominance
Round 1/2
Age: Over 1 year
Size: Extra large
Build: Light
Offensive Battle Accessory: Bladed Hide Bracers
Defensive Battle Accessory: Reinforced Hide Collar
Companion 1: Barred Owl, Male - Perception
Companion 2: Barred Owl, Female - Perception
Skills: Expert Healer & Master Fighter
Specialty: Juggernaut

Ellara "Ella" Praetor

CODE BY SIN

Baptized in battle and forged in fire, Ember strides with confidence and poise across the borders of Tojo-kai in lockstep with her sire and mother, oceanic blue eyes sweeping across the expansive open bay. She wondered why her father had chosen to attack the bay rather than the bamboo grove the koi wolves treasured, but she reasoned that it must've been a strategic move. The Hallowed wolves were not familiar with the twisting labyrinth of bamboo and trying to fight in it would give their opponents a strong advantage. Out here, they were all on even ground. Smart.

As she's processing these combat tactics and committing them to memory, Ember notices Erik lingering around the edges of the battles, looking... nervous? Maybe. Anxious? Definitely. With a lopsided smirk on her lips, Em maneuvers over to Erik's side to bump him with her hips, giving him a wink. "Relax, this is all in good fun!" she tried to ease his tension, batting her eyelashes up at him as she added, "Tell ya what, you take out two Tojo wolves today and I'll give you a nice long massage when we get back to the castle tonight." With her deal made, Ember batted Erik with her braided tail before she sprang forward into the carnage, seeking out an opponent she could tangle with. She was here to fight, dammit, and she was gonna fight!

"Ember Carpathius" | "Carpathian"

Not far into the fray, a smaller woman meets her eyes. Thankful that she's not made to wait long, Bramble gives her a polite nod back. Her paws slow, centering her balance, and assessing the older wolf in front of her. It is obvious she hold a practice sword in her jaws, but that doesn't scare Bramble. Her father was adept at swords and she had practiced many a time against them.

Settling into her battle stance, Bramble moves as Ochi heads toward her. Wooden sword swinging toward her left ankle, Bramble jumps backward, the tip of the wooden sword brushing a hair past her. Not wanting to give up the moment her opponent is slightly off balance (or so she hopes), she counters her leap backward, rocking forward and lunging toward Ochi's right shoulder. Jaws open, aiming to snag onto her scruff and keep her in a close hold.

Bramble Carpathius

table coding by bunni ♥

Bramble vs Ochitsuki for Spar
Round 1/2
Age: Over 1
Size: Dire wolf
Build: Light
Offensive Battle Accessory: Sharpened & Elongated Canine Tooth Covers
Defensive Battle Accessory: Green leather cloak with a hood
Companion 1: Male Fisher, 45" - Battle
Companion 2: Female Common Raven, 48" - Battle
Mutation 1: Cat claws - Offensive
Skills: Master Fighter & Master Intellectual
Specialty: Tactician & Bard from Briar

As expected, the girl jumped back just enough so that the practice katana narrowly missed her. Rather than stop and set her stance again, Ochi continues to spin in a full circle, thus avoiding the bite to her shoulder, but feeling her fur brush against her opponents body. Coming fully back around, Ochi again struck out once more with the sword, this time aiming to knock into the fae's opened muzzle. Her move was more like a dance than any sort of battle strategy, but one did as they must. Ochitsuki's tail undulated behind her body, giving her proper balance and her dexterous digits clung to the ground for maximum support and grip.

All around them other battles raged, but Ochitsuki's focus was only on the teal-touched fae before her. She tuned out everything else, mismatched eyes locked on her opponent and ready to discern her next move.

"Ochitsuki"

Ochitsuki vs Bramble for Dominance (Raid)
Round 2/2
Age: Over 1
Size: Large
Build: Light
Skills: Advanced Fighter & Beginner Intellectual
(Kina for Tojo Bard)

Quill watched as an older wolf made her way towards Bramble. He had the utmost faith that his new... friend... would win the day. He would continue watching Bram until he had no choice but to look away. Unfortunately, his attention was forced to shift before he could see the outcome.

It didn't take long for someone to come his way. A horned woman came at him and wasted no time in trying to bite him. She ducked low, trying to grab his knee. Quill let her have it, stepping into the bite with a bit of force. His knee bent and he attempted to drop his weight down upon her. His own jaws opened wide with the intent to grab onto whatever fur and skin that he could manage as they fell. Simultaneously, his mastiff would fly in from where it had been laying in wait. The dog would leap forward, seeking to put its own weight upon the wolf to hold her down to the ground.

Quill Quilin Klein

Quill vs Kina for Dominance
Round 1/2
Age: Over 1
Size: Dire wolf
Build: Balanced
Offensive Battle Accessory: War axe
Companion 1: Tibetan Mastiff, Male - Battle
Mutation 1: Mane - Defensive
Skills: Master Fighter & Master Intellectual
Specialty: Gambler

With their companion trailing dutifully along behind them, Seiko made their way to the attackers. Like their father, they moved with little sense of urgency. Though this was little more than a practice raid, they couldn't help but feel as though it was something far more serious. A chance to prove to their family as well as to themselves just how far they'd come in their training. Jumping into the fray chaotically wasn't their style. Instead the young Tojo-Kai wolf hung back, assessing the scene. Some of these warriors from The Hallows seemed clearly quite skilled, hardly hesitating before striking. Seiko wasn't quite as confident, though they feared letting their nerves show. Hesitating for a long moment before their gaze found a wolf familiar enough, Seiko aimed to catch his attention before charging him. Herajika, their tabby cat companion, dove forward quickly and aimed to swipe out at Erik's paws before trying to dart and dodge away from him. Likewise Seiko charged him head-on, aiming to bring their paws up and down onto his shoulders, hoping to gain some control over him from the jump. Seiko vs Erik for Dominance Round 1 / ? Age: Over 1 Year Size: Dire wolf Build: Balanced Companion 1: House Cat, Female - Battle Mutation 1: Antelope Horns - Offensive Skills: Expert Fighter & Intermediate Intellectual