It was full night when he stalked the battlefield, a dark phantom shuddering beneath the bear mask he wore. The weight of his demons had woken him, nightmares flickering beneath his skin and he couldn't breath, had woken with a gasping inhalation and black spots in his vision. Dizzy, confused, and furious, he had charged at Vili only to have the white-booted male dissolve into shadows and leave him sprawling in the snow. Salvation lay within the clash of fangs and the scent of blood just over the border. Still caught in the fog of a hellish dreamworld the scarred creature threw himself into the search for someone, anyone, who would meet him beneath the silver wash of the full moon to drown the memories and voices that screamed endlessly in his skull. His thick muzzle lifted unbidden, a guttural howl that was half moan tearing from his throat, an invitation that stuttered and ground to a halt as he choked it out. He wanted, he craved, he needed the blood and the pain to center him and tell him he was still alive, that he had not yet joined the ghosts that haunted him. ""

Xephyris had taken time to spend alone and finding new purpose since the siege and the fall of Hellstrom. His wounds had healed, a nasty scar left across the top of his muzzle left by the fangs of a formidable opponent. And now, without the direction and guidance of a leader, Xephyris would take hold of his own future. He needed to continue to prepare himself to live the life of a protector. He had no ties yet, nothing to keep him grounded, although he still knew a few wolves that were important enough for him to spill blood keeping safe. He needed to better himself at every opportunity to make sure he did not fail them.

Now he was ready to put himself back into the fray. He'd come to the battlefield in search of an opponent, someone to test himself against. He would keep his experiences at the forefront of his mind and force himself to learn from them, growing sharper from those battles. He paused in his stride, ears perked as he heard a guttural howl, an invitation for bloodshed. Xephyris would answer the call with a howl of his own, letting it be known that he would come.

It was not long before his opponent came into view. The massive, dark-coated hessian might have gone unnoticed in the dead of night if not for the brilliant, silver light of the moon revealing his presence. Angry silver eyes narrowed as Xephyris came to recognize the shape illuminated by the moonlight. This was the man that had taken down Sin, stripping away the pack's hope as their leader was defeated. This would be good. Not a word would be uttered; instead, Xephyris approached the male, squaring himself just 10 ft. directly in front of the man. A low growl rumbled in his throat and hackles prickled at the back of his neck, glaring into the shaded eyes of the strange wolf who wore a skull over his face. He was ready for combat, and wasn't going to waste his energy sharing words.

Unlike Xephyris, Hati did not recognize the male who materialized before him. Whether he genuinely did not know him from the siege or if he was blinded by the bloodlust didn't really matter - whether the man was a stranger or an enemy of Imperium did not change the outcome. Hati returned the male's growl with a guttural snarl of his own. Slowly he dropped his head, allowing the bear's skull to slide to the ground, to open himself to the chaos and fire freed from the confines of the mask he was the hellhound. Paws spread just passed the width of his shoulders and hips, weight settling evenly between between them. His toes spread wide, nails biting into the ground, and his joints bent to lower his center of gravity. His head was held evenly with his spine, his tail tucked beneath his stomach to protect it. Along his back and neck his hackles were raised. Ears pressed back against the dark fur of his neck, his eyes narrowed, and his muzzle tilted down to protect his throat. His shoulders were hunched forward sullenly, driving the skin and fat and fur of his scruff up into protective folds. Saliva glistened on his bared fangs as he bellowed at the other male, and sprang forward explosively. He had half a foot in height on Xephyris and was built just as heavily for his size as the shorter male was, and he intended (as much as he was capable of rational thought) to use his advantage. He twisted his upper body slightly to bring his left shoulder forward more, and sought to slam the point into Xephyris' windpipe a few inches below the jawline, attempting to crush the delicate tube and leave him choking. Simultaneously he attempted to jam his right forepaw down on the inside two toes of Xephyris' left forepaw in the hopes that the angle of the pressure and his superior weight would crack the bones there. As he did his neck arched, bringing his muzzle to point towards his left as he aimed to fasten his jaws in a crushing grip overtop the base of Xephyris' muzzle and eyes - his right canine tooth aimed for Xephyris' right eye and lower right incisor for Xephyris' left eye - in a bid to mangle the smaller male's sight. HATI vs XEPHYRIS for SPAR Round 1/?

Xephyris grinned eagerly as the beast faced him and dropped his mask, returning his challenging growl with a thunderous snarl of his own. Fearless, he was not worried about the other male's size. Himself, he knew he was smaller than most opponents he would face, and he had come to terms with that long ago. It was why he chose targets larger than himself - he had to learn to fight in a world full of bigger, beefier wolves. As Hati readied himself, Xephyris would do the same. His paws shifted in the dirt until they were spread equidistant, knees and elbows bent to lower his center of gravity, toes spreading and claws digging in for good balance. Shoulders rolled forward, bracing for what was to come, while his scruff bunched up protectively around his neck. His head was lowered, just beneath the level of his shoulders, chin tucking to protect his throat. Ears tucked back, muzzle wrinkled up to expose his fangs and eyes narrowed defensively. His hackles would rise along his entire spine, and tail whipped out behind him like a rudder for balance.

The gray-coated male would surge forward at the same time that Hati sprang forward. As the larger male thrust forward his left shoulder, Xephyris would come in low, weight distributed evenly with each paw. Opening his jaws he would aim for the shoulder that was meant to strike his trachea (Hati's left shoulder) in a counter. His head tilted to his right, his lower jaw aiming for the front of Hati's shoulder blade, the upper jaw going for the muscle on the outer side of the shoulder. He hoped to leave deep, serious lacerations with his fangs. He would acquire mild muscle strains to his jaw and neck (should he be successful), but it was preferred over a crushed windpipe. Seconds later, he felt excruciating pain as the two inner toes of his left forepaw were crushed, the bones fracturing; they did not break entirely nor shatter, but still painful nonetheless. He snarled, shifting his weight to his hind legs to take the pressure off his injured forepaw and prepare to lunge.

With Xeph's position adjusted, Hati's fangs would meet in the back of his gray flecked scruff, leaving moderate punctures in the loose skin several inches behind the back of his skull. Xeph growled again with the pain, but the adrenaline would be enough to keep him going for now. His right forepaw lifted, before shooting forward in an attempt to strike Hati's left forepaw, hoping to crush the two outer toes. Then, uncoiling the power in his hind legs, Xephyris would try to ram the front, upper part of his left shoulder into the front-left side of Hati's chest, where the other man's lower neck met with the chest. He intended to leave moderate bruising on the man's forechest, and hoping to get in close quarters for his next attack while bracing himself mentally for the other man's assault that would surely follow.

Hati vs Xephyris || Spar || 1/2

Hati didn't halt his charge as Xephyris' teeth struck the bony front of his shoulder to leave deep gashes over the bone - instead he attempted to continue to shove his left shoulder into Xephyris' muzzle at full charge, hoping to smash the other male's teeth against bone - ignoring the dull pain as Xephyris drove into the right front part of Hati's chest, ignoring the moderate bruising. He shifted his weight to his hindquarters for more forward power, lifting his left forepaw in an attempt to help drive his left shoulder up further, managing to avoid Xephyris' own attempt to stomp on his paw. He released his bite as soon as it failed to land where he wanted and keeping his muzzle turned towards his left so that his upper teeth would be on Xephyris' right and his lower teeth on Xephyris' left, he sought to snap his teeth into the spaces between Xephyris' vertebrae immediately behind his shoulders, seeking to sever the spine there. He also sought to grind his right forepaw down on Xephyris' already-injured left forepaw. Throughout it all he kept his stance widened, with his weight mostly shifted to his hindquarters for power and balance, his toes spread wide, his nails digging into the dirt below him. His tail remained tucked beneath him to protect it, and though he could not keep his head level with his spine he arched his back to round it upwards, bringing his hindquarters further beneath him to allow him freer movement. His joints were bent slightly, hackles raised, and his ears were pressed back along his skull. His eyes remained narrowed, and his shoulders hunched forward to drive the skin of his scruff up. Despite his fury, he did not slip on his defenses - they were purely muscle memory, drilled into him with blood and pain for years, and it would take far more than bad dreams to drive him past that. HATI vs XEPHYRIS for SPAR Round 2/2

He was glad when he felt his teeth strike their intended target, however his opponent was not phased at all, and instead shoved his shoulder further into his jaws with even more force. The mild muscle strain in Xeph's jaw grew into a moderate strain, but his teeth found enough padding in Hati's flesh to remain intact. After his failed attempt to stomp on Hati's paw, Xephyris would return his right forepaw to the ground and shift his weight to his three good legs, leaving his left forepaw raised off the ground. Hati's attempt to worsen Xeph's paw injury would miss its mark. Having to hop on his right forepaw, Xephyris would side-step to his right just one small step to adjust his positioning slightly. He wanted to stay close to Hati, but not directly in front of the beast if he could help it.

Quickly Xephyris readjusted his defenses, his three good legs widening to distribute his weight evenly, most of his weight shifted to his hind legs. His toes splayed against the ground and claws digging into the dirt to give him traction. His shoulders rolled forward, allowing his scruff to bunch up protectively. His hackles remained raised to create a thick layer of protective fur. His ears lay back defensively, silver eyes narrowed, while his scarred muzzle remained wrinkled up angrily, the skin bunching up around his face. His tail shifted to tuck between his legs, and with his fangs exposed, he would prepare himself to lunge again.

With the power in his hindquarters, Xephyris would launch himself in Hati's direction, aiming for the left side of the man's neck. Just as he did so, Hati's teeth would make contact with Xeph, missing their intended target, but still leaving severe punctures that bled instantly. Rather than biting over Xeph's spine, Hati's top teeth would strike just to the left of Xeph's spine, right behind his shoulder, the bottom jaw digging into the back part of Xeph's left shoulder, right where the shoulder met with the ribcage. Pain flared from the wound, but it only drove Xephyris to fight harder, seeking vengeance for the blood spilled. With his left forepaw raised and muscles coiled in his hind legs, he would try to thrust forward and to his left slightly. He sought to drive the upper, bony part of his shoulder blade into the side of Hati's neck, midway between the shoulder and jaw line, hoping to leave a moderate bruise along the side of the man's jugular. As he did so, he'd plant his left hind paw heavily on the ground, pivoting slightly to his right with his hind right paw coming off the ground, he'd try to aim his right hind paw at Hati's right forepaw. He hoped to bring it crashing down on the man's paw to inflict fractures in the small bones.

Lastly, his neck would crane to his left, head whipping quickly to the left, jaws parting wide as he aimed to snag his jaws onto the left side of Hati's face. His intention was to hook his upper teeth into Hati's left eye, hoping to damage it beyond use, while his lower teeth aimed to hook underneath the left side of the man's jaw, hoping for a moderate puncture alone the jawline. Oh this battle, it was so, so satisfying, even if it was just a spar; the intensity was felt, and he dind't feel like he was fighting just to improve himself. Xephyris snarled with determination, hoping that his aim was true, as pain wracked his body in the most gratifying way.

Hati vs Xephyris || Spar || Round 2/2

OOC: edited just to add rounds, vs and for what. Permission from Evelyn! Thank you!

HATI vs XEPHYRIS for SPAR ROUND ONE HATI: 7 for clarity: -2 How is Hati attempting to approach Xephyris? Aside from mentioning that he sprang forward you made no clear mention of an approach or the positioning intended. -1 “...his right canine tooth aimed for Xephyris' right eye...” Upper or lower right canine? 10 for powerplaying. None seen! 10 for defenses. +1 for each seen to max of 10. 10 for attack. +2 for shoulder throw +1 for severity +1 for stomp +1 for severity +3 for bite +1 for grip +1 for severity 10 for injuries. First round. Hati's round one total: 47/50 XEPHYRIS: 10 for clarity: All clear! 10 for powerplaying. None seen! 10 for defenses. +1 for each seen to max of 10. 6 for attack. +3 for bite +1 for stomp +2 for shoulder throw 10 for injuries. Fractured toes Moderate punctures wounds to scruff Xephyris' round one total: 46/50 ROUND TWO HATI: 10 for clarity: All clear! 9 for powerplaying. -1 “...ignoring the dull pain as Xephyris drove into the right front part of Hati's chest...” Xephyris was aiming for the left side of Hati's chest 10 for defenses. +1 for each seen to max of 10. 7 for attack. +2 for shoulder throw +3 for bite +1 for severity +1 for stomp 7 for injuries. -2 for moderate lacerations to shoulder -1 for moderate bruising to chest Hati's round two total: 43/50 XEPHYRIS: 7 for clarity:   -1 “...leaving his left forepaw raised off the ground.” When did he pull it out from under Hati's paw? -1 “He sought to drive the upper, bony part of his shoulder blade...” Which shoulder? -1 Given their positioning I'm not sure how exactly Xeph's right hind paw can reach Hati's right forepaw. 9 for powerplaying. -1 “...Xephyris would launch himself in Hati's direction...” This should have been attempted 10 for defenses. +1 for each seen to max of 10. 6 for attack. +2 for shoulder throw +3 for bite +1 for stomp 6 for injuries. -1 for strained jaw - 3 for severe lacerations to shoulder Xephyris' round two total: 38/50 Totals: HATI: 90/100 XEPHYRIS: 84/100 And the winner is... HATI! Xephyris must give up by either submitting, fleeing, or passing out. Damage: By now it's all healed! Notes: Tips for writing and some suggestions. (no points are deducted here): For both: I am so, so very sorry this has taken me so long to judge! It was a good fight, guys! You both did very well and I don't have anything to note besides how sorry I am it took me so long. I truly am sorry!! - By [Lazuli]