Know your limits

Saracyn didn't often stray far from pack lands on his own, but given that his first birthday was fast approaching and he was a yearling now, he had been afforded many new freedoms from his parents. Alastor and Manea weren't strict parents to begin with, but now knowing that there was no leash holding him back, Sara was free to roam and go wherever his heart pleased. He could do whatever he wanted. And today, he wanted to go fishing. The young Elysium prince had headed up north to a wintry taiga just to the north of the pack and spent the morning and early afternoon fishing on the side of the arctic delta. He'd managed to score himself a decent haul of salmon and cod, finally able to help contribute to the pack in his own way. Sure, it wasn't quite as fun as hunting, but he was technically still getting to kill something—and he did quite like watching the way the fish flopped about on the shore and slowly suffocated on dry air until the life had left their eyes. It was fun seeing how long they'd last.

With a basket now filled with fresh fish, Saracyn began to make his way back home. The Elysium wolves would eat well tonight; it would be a veritable seafood feast! But as the young dire wolf was carrying the heavy basket of fish back towards his home, the heavy sound of footfalls caught his attention—along with the familiar grunting and chuffing of a large predator. Saracyn's ears flicked back, following the sound before his head even turned to face the stranger. Sure enough, it was a bear. Except this wasn't any kind of bear he'd sene before. It was a Kodiak bear, gigantic compared to its grizzly brethren and heavier too. It had followed the scent of fresh fish and tracked the wolf down, and it was hungry. Saracyn eyed the apex predator with a look of cool, lethal indifference. He bared his jagged teeth and snarled, wordlessly threatening the would-be thief away.

The Kodiak bear gave an irritated bellow and raised up on its hind legs, rearing up to its full height and dwarfing the dire wolf with a threatening roar. Saracyn still felt no fear; why should he? When he faced down the grizzly with his mother, they had kicked its ass so swiftly and thoroughly, it hadn't even really been a challenge. Besides, there was no way in hell he was letting some scavenger take his hard earned food away without a fight! Snarling again, Saracyn set the basket of fish aside and squared up against the bear, growling back and snapping his jaws. The bear was unfazed, and realizing the wolf wasn't going to back down, dropped back to all fours and charged. Saracyn easily sidestepped the charging ram of fur and muscle, leaping forward with gnashing teeth to bite and claw at the bear's side and shoulders. Despite landing a few solid hits, the bear seemed unharmed, and simply roared again and swung a thick arm at Sara, knocking the wolf aside like he were a rag doll.

Saracyn hit the ground and tumbled about with a grunt. The blow had hurt, and he'd likely be bruised from it, but he refused to give up like that! Leaping back to his feet, Saracyn snarled and charged the bear again, dashing in recklessly and leaping for the bear's side, latching onto the ursine's side with sharp claws while he tore into the animal's flanks with his razor sharp teeth. Calling for backup hadn't even been a thought in the proud prince's mind, not even when the bear easily turned and caught Saracyn with one of his paws, pulling the wolf away and hurling him away to collide with the unforgiving rocky ground and go sprawling across the earth. Again Saracyn got up, and again the Mendacium lad rushed brashly back into the fight, refusing to give up.

WC: 661 / 1500

"Saracyn Mendacium"