Let's Kill Tigger!

Artorias approached the familiar borders he had come to know so well. The vast sea of tall grasses swayed gently in a warm late-spring breeze, bringing with it the scents of the Armada. A small smile crept slowly across his lips while fiery amber eyes surveyed the lands beyond. There was something about the Armada that always held the notion of home to him. Maybe it was because of all the time he spent here under the instruction of Sirius. Maybe it was because this was where his godfather, his girlfriend, and a pack close to his own lived. Whatever it was, crossing over the borders into the sea of grasses felt comfortable and easy to the young alpha. He didn't give a call as he entered, making straight for the Warlord's den as requested to keep his presence in the Armada a secret until the Fatalis brood's birthday celebration. Gods, he couldn't wait to see the reaction on Briar's face when he showed up at the party!

No sooner had he walked past the border and stepped into the long grasses, Artorias caught the scent of another predator on the wind. His nostrils flared, taking in the scent of a feline close by. The dire brute's head snapped in the direction of the smell, eyes narrowing to deadly points. If this was an Armada wolf's companion, he had no cause for alarm—but if it was an invading predator... Artorias turned to go scope out the area, to see if it was an actual threat or not. The weight of the sword on his back brought him some comfort, knowing that whatever he was stalking, he would have it outgunned. Unfortunately for him, Artorias didn't count on the fact that he was being stalked too.

As he moved through the grasses, nose twitching to follow the scent and eyes wide to spot his quarry, Artorias heard the telltale rumble of a big cat. He froze, turning in the direction of the noise, and seeing the flash of sunburst orange in amidst the green grass. The wolf barely had time to process what his eyes were seeing before the tiger roared and pounced at the wolf, very clearly not an Armadan companion by the lack of handler with it. Artorias snarled and threw himself to his back, curling to bring his hind legs up and intercept the tiger's pounce by kicking it in the chest. He managed to throw the tiger back away from him and buy himself some breathing room, rolling to his paws, but the sudden pain in his bandaged right foreleg where the pirate had stabbed him flared up like fire in his muscles. The Aegis grit his teeth to stifle a yelp, facing off against the tiger while trying to keep his weight off his right leg. The tiger got back to its paws just as Artorias drew the sword from his back, squaring off against the apex predator.

"Artorias Carpathius" | "Carpathian"