Agni Kai

As Artorias stalked around where Oxx's scent permeated the strongest, trying to track down his nemesis in utter silence, there came a solid thud of weight and flesh from behind him. Before Art could react and make the pivot, a force and weight that nearly knocked him to the ground landed on his back, knocking the wolf's breath from his lungs with a snarling grunt. Artorias did not go down, bracing himself on the rocky terrain while turning his head with a snap of his jaws at the wolf that had landed on top of him, and was greeted by sharp serrated teeth biting into his scruff with a firm grasp. Artorias gave a yelp as he was roughly mounted by his murderous brother, trying to project his voice so the others might hear him and track him down. He wasn't alone—but would Oxx know that, or did he assume the young brute was still too bold and arrogant that he would come after him alone again?

Pearly fangs bared through snarling obsidian jowls, the Aegis growling his fury out even as Oxx dominated him, disarming him and sending his sword sailing across the ground with a clatter of metal and flash of silver in the dark. The teeth in his ruff dug in deeper, tearing the skin until warm blood seeped over his brother's tongue. Art winced and growled, but otherwise showed no reaction to the pain. He squirmed and struggled, trying to throw Oxx off of him, but the heavier brute had a secure hold on him. Oxx's suggestive remark of them having a "round two" drew a furious snarl from Artorias, who thrashed more until Oxx's forepaws gripped his hips harder and began to grind himself into his rump. Artorias felt the familiar rub of flesh beneath his tail, snarling and snapping his jaws all the while to act as a siren for his allies to find him. He had faith that his teammates would get here before they found him being violated by the massive dire wolf.

Oxx tugged at his scruff, making Artorias yelp again as serrated fangs ripped through his flesh and muscle like steak knives, pulling his head roughly back until Art was staring up at the dark sky. Artorias flexed his muscles, tensed and ready to spring, just waiting for the leverage to do so... And then he heard the thundering of paws and felt the weight get thrown off his back. Artorias was sent crashing to the rocky ground when Chimera slammed into them, freeing him from Oxx's grasp. The dark-furred wolf scrambled to his paws, hurrying to right himself while Chimera struggled with Oxx. Artorias rushed the fallen Oxx, his fangs going for the exposed soft belly of their opponent while Chimera savaged the other wolf's shoulder, both wolves working in tandem to keep Oxx from getting back up again. What Artorias really wanted was to grab his sword, but he wasn't going to leave Chimera to try and contend with the feral monster alone.

Fortunately, more snarls signaled the entrance of Rudy and Ezra into the fray, the two Hallows wolves charging in so Ezra could incapacitate one of Oxx's hind legs and Rudy could take one of his slate eyes. With more than enough wolves to handle the behemoth, Art disengaged and ran back to where his weapon had fallen. He snatched Embershard up in one graceful move, then rounded and rushed back to the fight while Oxx continued to fight back. Artorias was not going to give him that luxury. Circling the fight, the Aegis placed himself on the opposite side of Oxx's hind end from Ezra, spinning to bring his razor sharp blade around in an upward arc that sliced cleanly through Oxx's functioning leg below the knee, the limb falling with a fleshy thud to the unforgiving ground. With both of his hind legs out of commission, the fight was over. Oxx had no chance of winning against the four fully abled wolves. He would know that by now. He would know what came next.

"Stand back, Rudy," Artorias growled in command to Rudy as he rounded around Oxx's front, his sword clutched in his jaws as deep crimson blood dripped from the silver blade. He needed clear access to their enemy's head for what came next. The Aegis stood before the crippled beast, glowering down at the bloodied and beaten form of their sociopathic brother. A glance to Chimera urged the man to keep his distance. He was good with his sword, but he didn't want to accidentally clip his friend in the dark. Artorias, who had spoken not a word the entire fight until now, would deliver violent justice. Burning embers of eyes fixed with the cold slate of Oxx's remaining optic. "Oxx, for your wanton violence against our family, the Hallows, and Fenmyre, I strip you of your name as a Carpathius and sentence you to die. You will be forgotten. Your name will be erased from our history. You will never harm another again." Artorias squared his paws up with his shoulders, bracing his body while he brought the edge of his blade to Oxx's head. "Spune ultimele tale cuvinte."

Artorias gave Oxx more courtesy than he deserved by permitting the deranged wolf to speak his final words before the Aegis condemned him to oblivion if he was lucky, hellfire if there was any justice in the world. When he felt he had allowed Oxx to draw breath for long enough, Artorias delivered the killing blow. He drew a steadying breath, fiery eyes narrowed to lethal points while he focused on his nemesis, then with a turn and jerk of his head he brought his sword across Oxx's throat with deadly precision, severing veins and arteries as the sharp steel cut through the flesh and sinew to end Oxx's life in a spray of blood and gore. It was a clean cut, one that the seasoned swordsman was careful to ensure he did not decapitate the sinister wolf. Artorias wanted Oxx to experience every second of his death. There would be no swift end for the beast that had raped and murdered his way across these lands, no quick and painless passing into oblivion. This was brutal justice and Oxx would suffer every moment of it until his last moment.

"Artorias Carpathius"