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Fear and intimidation were not emotions Artorias felt when he was facing off against an opponent. He'd experienced enough in his short life to callous him to such feelings. It was a double-edged sword; early trauma to break him so that it would harden him later. Azure was an intimidating wolf, a presence to acknowledge and a force to be reckoned with. But Artorias was no stranger to fighting opponents that matched him in size, stature, mutations, or ability. He had faced off against Sirius and toppled the Warlord. It would be a challenge, but one the young alpha was not going to buckle under. While he pressed his attack, Artorias felt the bite of Azure's bear-like claws dig into his skin, his thicker coat doing what it could to help buffer the razors on the other wolf's paw, but it could not stop everything. Artorias flinched when he felt those claws find purchase in his skin, just about that time his jaws made contact with Azure's shoulder. Art bit down as hard as he could, not seeking to draw blood, but not giving Azure any inch to take advantage of. He had to be careful; his stronger jaws could clamp down harder than most wolves, and he didn't want to break his brother-in-law's shoulder or cripple him.

His successful attack had put the two dire wolves into a grappling match, both pushing against one another's might and trying to gain an advantage or leverage over the other. They were so evenly matched, it would likely come down to a stroke of luck or the right timing. Wrestling against each other's mights like sumo wrestlers would mean whoever made a slip first would lose. The snarl Artorias was able to draw from Azure gratified him, though it was short-lived when he heard that same snarl come closer to his ear. In his current position, Artorias was unable to withdraw from Azure quick enough to avoid his attack. Azure's jaws wound up clasping around the top and side of his head, those deadly sabers grazing his skin without piercing him. Artorias could still struggle, though at the cost of rending his scalp and cheek through Azure's teeth. Knowing he was about to be in a risky position, Artorias threw his Hail Mary and threw all his weight forward, using the powerful muscles in his hind legs from years of avid exploration and racing to propel him forward into Azure with all his might. Still locked to one another in their grapple, he sought to throw Azure off balance with his aggressive surge and shove his head harder into his opponent's grappling jaws, hoping it would be enough to stun or knock the Fatalis man off his paws, even if it meant dragging himself down in Azure's jaws along the way. This was not a graceful fight by any means—it was raw, primal, emotionally charged. Artorias was trying to prove something to Azure.

Artorias vs Azure for Dominance
Round 2/2
Age: 1+ years
Size: Dire wolf
Build: Medium
Offensive Battle Accessory: Damascus steel sword
Defensive Battle Accessory: Reinforced leather cuirass
Companion 1: Common raven, Male - Flying - Boosted
Companion 2: Silver cross fox - Battle - Boosted
*Companion 3: Common raven, Female - Flying
Mutation 1: Stronger teeth and jaws - Offensive
Mutation 2: Thicker fur - Defensive
Mutation 3: Enhanced vision - Perception
Skills: Master Fighter & Master Navigator
Specialty: Knight or Fleet-footed

"Artorias Carpathius"