He had waited too long. While his friends were becoming heirs and being promoted, he just remained where he was, collecting dust. What did he have to do to be recognised? When would he be rewarded, if he deserved a reward at all? Was it all because of the siege? He had suffered enough from it - beating himself up and sinking into a deep yet torturous depression. To this day he wasn't sure if he had gotten over it. Surely his whole career in fighting didn't rely on one siege. Either way, he could make up for it. Whatever the Primo had in mind, regardless of the difficulty, he just wanted to prove his loyalty and worth. So finding a secluded part of the plains, he tilted his chestnut head back and called for the alabaster leader, skin tingling with anticipation. Was this the right way to go about it? Yes, yes it was. "SPEAK"

Now that was a voice he didn't hear often. Bass' head pulled upwards as he glanced towards the caller, ears pulled forward fully. He didn't talk to Tinaro often, something that should be remedied. He was the only Lastic boy that stayed after the parting of their parents, which had meant a lot to Bass. In fact he was one of the longest withstanding members, something that should be called into attention. Bass wished that he had all the time in the world to spend with each individual member, but he didn't. Between Finch's recovery and trying to find his again distant wife, he hadn't had much time for anything really. Letting out a sigh, he pulled himself to his paws and padded across the clearing towards Tinaro. When he reached the brown and black man, for that is what he was now, he dipped his head in greeting. "Hi there Tinaro, what can I do for you?" he asked, curiously eyeing him. It wasn't often that his members called for him like this, and to say that he was just curious was an understatement. "Speech"

The Destruction momentarily arrived, greeting him with a curious gleam in his yellow gaze. He could easily guess why. It wasn't every day he called for the Primo, and the thought brought a tinge of guilt to his mind. Should he regularly be talking with the alpha? Would that have helped him rise through the ranks like he so desired? It hadn't ever struck him as possibility. After all, he was an alpha - he was probably busy with his many alpha duties and responsibilities. At least the leader had taken some time out of his day to answer his call, and the Lastic male was grateful for that. "Hello Bass. I hope you've been well," he greeted with a dip of his head, feeling his throat grow dry and heart leap to his mouth. How was he going to word this? "Well, I've been a Guardia for a while now, and I was just wondering what I could do to rank up." "SPEAK"

Politeness greeted him with Tinaro's words, making the alphas smile grow. From what he had seen he was a good kid, he had even managed to make it within Lark's circle of friends. His largest son was no easy man to befriend, so there was something there. When asked how he was, the gentleman simply shrugged his shoulders, thoughts of Finch entering his mind. "Oh you know, this and that," he answered, trying to really ignore the topic. He didn't want to talk about Finch at the moment. "And yourself?" he asked. So far, their conversation was nothing but pleasant. Tinaro was quick to answer what he wanted, and Bass' eye rose in surprise. It had been awhile since someone approached him about this, and he had thought that everyone was aware on how to rank up. Oh well, no harm in asking, right? "Well, ranks can always be challenged for. Do you wish to challenge me, Tinaro?" he asked, his smile showing teeth. "Speech"

The alpha didn't go into great detail about the recent happenings, 'this and that' was all he said. Whether he wanted to keep the topic quick or something had truly happened, Tinaro could respect that. It was best if he didn't interfere with the Primo's businesses. "I've been well," he answered with a nod, feeling no need to talk any further on their wellbeing. Besides, it was his rank that he wanted to discuss, or fight over, as that now seemed to be the case. He had always believed challenges were for higher ranks, and then there was the possibility of him losing. Without a doubt Bass was more experienced that him. Did he have to win to earn his rank? "But what if I lose?" he asked in a small voice. "SPEAK"

He picked up on the notes in Tinaro's tone, and he offered the boy a smile. It wasn't always an easy thing, calling the alpha to you to ask for a higher position. He respected his courage, and wanted to keep his spirits up as much as he could. He asked softly what would happen if he would lose, and he truly felt his heart going out to the brown man. "It isn't based of it you win or lose, Tinaro. It's based off your skills, and what I see from our fight. Even if you lose, you could still achieve a higher rank if I like what I see," it was more for higher ranks that he looked at wins and loses, but even then he could rank up a wolf who lost if they really proved that they deserved it. Tinaro had been a very loyal member thus far, this fight would be for purely skills. He didn't know if he had actually ever seen him fight, at least not close up. Bass stood there expectantly, waiting to see what he would choose. "Speech"

His frame visibly relaxed when the alpha explained that the challenge didn't rely solely on winning, but skill as well. Being the competitive male he was, he wanted to win as well, even if his chances against a more experienced fighter were slim. The question still remained in his mind. Was he good enough? Was he skilled enough? "In that case," he began confidently, holding his chin high. "I challenge you for the rank of Prima Guardia." Was it too high of a rank? Should he challenge for something lower? Well, it was too late now. His words had been spoken and he couldn't take them back. Even if he wasn't skilled enough, he could at least be promoted to a Seconda Guardia; he wouldn't mind. Settling into a defensive stance, he awaited further action. Was Bass meant to start the fight or was he? Oh, if only he knew. "SPEAK"

The youths apprentices posture soon changed, and Bass gazed at him with an approving glance in his eyes. But when he said he wanted to challenge for a head rank, he had to say that he was shocked. That was not what he was expecting from Tinaro, but none the less me was pleased. "So be it, Tinaro. The first move will be yours. I wish you luck." he said softly, already feeling the adrenaline pump through his body. Backing up, he attempted to put six feet of space between them. With ease he fell into his defenses, ears pinning back as his head lowered to raise with his spine, his tail raising to do the same. His hackles stood on end and he rolled his shoulders forward, chin tucking in towards his chest. He spread his legs so that they were an equal distance apart, legs bending slightly as his weight shifted evenly across all limbs. Toes spread and his claws bit into the ground, yellow eyes narrowing towards Tinaro. Lips pulled back into a snarl as he growled at the boy, nodding his head slightly for encouragement. He was ready. "Speech"

ooc: sorry for the wait! will be quicker in the future

The first move was his, and he wouldn't disappoint his leader. Defences momentarily buckled onto his form - ebony paws placed an equal distance apart, limbs slightly bent at the joint, toes splayed, claws dug into the earth, weight evenly distributed, shoulders rolled forward, head lowered in line with spine and tail, chin tucked, eyes narrowed and ears pinned. The adrenaline began to pound through this body as the energy built up in his muscles. This was it. He either went big or went home. All thoughts of doubt and fear were squashed as he prepared to charge, and without further ado, he commenced the spar, determined to prove himself to the Destruction. Taking long yet swift strides, he attempted to close the distance of six feet between them as quickly as possible head-on, dropping his left shoulder and slightly rotating his upper body in the process. With as much force as he could muster, he attempted to drive the bony part of his left shoulder directly into the leader's windpipe, hoping to knock the wind out of the older male or damage the air passage. He next attempted to ram his forehead into the lower left side Bass' face, right on his jawbone, seeking to bruise the bone and cause discomfort in the area if the man ever wished to open his jaws to bite. Following that, his own jaws unhinged and sought to grab ahold of the centre of Bass' left cheek, while simultaneously he lifted his right forepaw, redistributing his weight in the process, in an attempt to stomp it onto the Primo's left forepaw, hoping to bruise or dislocate a few bones. TINARO vs BASS for RANK CHALLENGE (Prima Guardia) Round ONE of TWO? (I'm alright with three rounds if that's what's required) "SPEAK"

ugh I just realized I am late with this, I am so sorry...

As Tinaro set his defenses, he too lowered himself into a fighters stance. His legs were set an equal distance apart, his head lowering to align with his spine as his tail rose to do the same. His toes spread as his claws bit into the earth, legs bending slightly as his shoulders rolled forward. Ears pressed flat against his skull as Bass' golden eyes narrowed, hackles raising along his spine. At last he evened out his weight to be evenly spread across all limbs. It was that moment that Tinaro charged forward, and Bass took a side step to his left. First his left front leg and back leg took one step to the left, and his right front and back leg quickly did the same. He stepped just wide enough to put them shoulder to shoulder. Tinaro's left shoulder met the front of his right shoulder, a moderate bruise spreading at the impact site. He flinched lightly from the pain, but gritted his teeth and pushed passed it. He was for sure getting old, this hurt more than it used to in his springy youth. As he saw Tinaro's head stretch for his own, Bass' jaws quickly unhinged as he sought to stop the headbutt by attempting to bite at the boy's face. Bass' head tilted towards his own left, his top jaw seeking the left side of Tinaro's muzzle while his bottom jaw sought the right side of his muzzle. He was aiming for about an inch above the nose, hopefully obtaining a grip on his face. He didn't wish to hurt the younger man too much though, so he tried to focus his pressure across the hardier side's of the bridge of his nose, and not the loose, thin skin of his lips. This would also hopefully stop Tinaro from biting him, countering the bite to his own cheek. He had been so focused on stopping the bite that he didn't notice that the youth's paw had rose. Bass let out a growl as Tinaro's paw slammed on top of his own front left paw, moderate bruising spreading across his entire foot. He quickly shifted his weight towards his right, taking a bit of pressure off of his now bruised paw. He knew that this would effect his balance, leaving him open to being toppled over. Snarling, Bass jutted out his left shoulder and tried to ram it upwards, hoping to hit Tinaro at the base of his neck where it met his chest. Bass hoped to keep the top bony portion of his shoulder at his point to cause discomfort, hopefully making the younger man back off a bit. Not able to think of anything else to do, Bass waited for a further attack. ------------------ BASS vs TINARO for RANK Round 1 of 2 "Speech"

He hadn't been expecting the leader to counter some of his attacks, for he was so used to his slams and bites smoothly landing exactly as planned. Then again, he was up against the alpha; he had to expect the extraordinary. He tried to keep that in mind as he collided with the other male, the bony part of his left shoulder ramming into Bass' right shoulder instead of the windpipe. Moderate bruising blossomed in that area. As he sought to head-butt the right side of the leader's face, jaws clasped around his muzzle, preventing him from inflicting any more bites and creating moderate lacerations. Wincing in pain, he thrashed his muzzle in the alpha's hold whilst managing to successfully stomp on the other man's left forepaw. At least something had gone to plan. He had to be more alert, more aware. After all, he had a rank at stake. And aware he was when the Primo decided to ram his left shoulder into the area where Tinaro's chest met his neck, though he managed to redistribute his weight to his left foreleg and left hindleg as Tinaro leaned to his left side. The shoulder striked the crook where Tinaro's right shoulder met his chest, inflicting moderate bruising. Letting out a hiss from the pain, Tinaro was quick to retaliate by twisting his upper body and attempting to slam his left shoulder blade directly into the front, bony part Bass' right shoulder, hoping to worsen the bruise already spreading in that area. Whilst doing so he angled his head towards the leader's skull, open jaws attempting to grab a hold of the right side of Bass' face. His upper teeth sought to pierce the base of Bass' right ear while his lower teeth sought to hook underneath the right side of Bass' jaw. Throughout the fight he tried to keep his defences in place when and where possible. Ears remained pinned and eyes remained narrowed as he remembered to keep his weight evenly spread upon all four limbs, shoulders rolled forward, chin tucked, abdominal muscles tightened, hackles raised to protect his neck, tail straightened in line with his lowered head and legs slightly bent. TINARO vs Bass for RANK CHALLENGE (Prima Guardia) Round TWO of two "SPEAK"

Bass was able to bite down on Tinaro's muzzle, but as the boy thrashed his head from side to side his eyes grew wide. If he kept that up, Bass' teeth could do some serious damage. Fearing a more permanent injury, he quickly let go, giving up his claim of a hold. The pale man's shoulder was also able to slam into Tinaro, although it was not where he had been originally aiming. It struck where his chest and shoulder met, a mild bruise spreading across the top of his left shoulder from the impact. Tinaro tried to attack Bass back with speed that impressed him, but the Primo was faster. Bass shifted his weight to his back legs, attempting to raise the upper half of his body in a rear. He tried to keep himself about 2 feet off of the ground, his back toes spreading as his claws dug into the earth. Bass' tail tucked to protect his now exposed belly, back legs set an equal distance apart. This meant that both Tinaro's shoulder slam and bite towards Bass' face missed, but with his raised upward position the younger male instead bit down on the lower part of his chest, more towards his right leg. He flinched as Tinaro left moderate puncture wounds, gaining a hold on him. Bass growled, and sought to quickly retaliate himself. Bass' chin tucked towards his chest, both his front paws attempting to hover just over Tinaro's shoulders. He hoped to then slam his body down and towards Tinaro, aiming for his right front paw to slam down on the younger boy's right shoulder, his front left paw hoping to do the same to his left shoulder. He hoped that with his downward motion he would pull down Tinaro's head that was locked into his chest with a bite, hoping his paws slamming on his shoulders would help with forcing him downward. He knew that his wounds would probably grow from being pulled on, and if he succeeded in slamming his already bruised left paw down, it would grow into quite a severe bruise. Bass dipped his neck downward, keeping his chin tucked towards his chest, tilting his head towards his own left. He aimed his open jaws for the back of Tinaro's skull, his upper jaw aiming for the back of Tinaro's right ear, his bottom jaw for the middle of the portion of flesh between his skull and neck. Bass was hoping to bite down and gain a hold, also aiming to help aid in pushing Tinaro into the ground. He tried to keep his head as aligned with his spine as he could, his ears remaining pinned towards his skull and his golden eyes staying narrowed. His lips were pulled back into a snarl, further bunching up the skin around his eyes for more protection. He tried to keep his weight level across all limbs, his back legs bent slightly. ------------------ BASS vs TINARO for RANK Round 2 of 2 "Speech"

TINARO vs BASS for RANK CHALLENGE ROUND ONE TINARO CLARITY -1 which way is he rotating his upper body? -2 where on the trachea is he trying to strike, from under the jaw down to the chest is a fairly significant are and affects positioning. Total: 7 POWERPLAY -3 you need to give your opponent time to respond to your attacks. Generally you can't do more than one attack with the same body part without it being to much movement so the headslam and bite are in conflict. Total: 7 DEFENSES +1 for each seen Total: 10 ATTACK +2 shoulder to windpipe +1 severity +1 headslam +3 bite +1 grip -1 pp issues +1 paw stomp Total: 8 INJURIES - First round Total: 10 Total for Round One: 42/50 BASS CLARITY no issues seen Total: 10 POWERPLAY all good Total: 10 DEFENSES +1 each seen Total: 10 ATTACK +3 bite +1 grip +1 shoulder throw Total: 5 INJURIES -first round -moderate bruise on right shoulder [1 ooc week to heal] -moderate bruising to forepaw [1 ooc week to heal] Total: 10 Total for Round One: 45/50 ROUND TWO TINARO CLARITY -1 "by twisting his upper body and attemptin" how is he twisting? -2 make sure to specify if Tinaro got his muzzle out of Bass grip Total: 7 POWERPLAY none seen Total: 10 DEFENSES +1 each seen Total: 8 ATTACK +1 shoulder throw (close proximity) +1 attempt at worsening previous damage +3 bite +1 grip -1 clarity issues Total: 4 INJURIES -1 moderate bruising to left shoulder [will take 1 ooc week to heal] -2 moderate lacerations to muzzle [will take 2 ooc weeks to heal] -1 moderate bruising to crook where right shoulder meets chest [will take 1 ooc week to heal] Total: 6 Total for Round Two: 35/50 BASS CLARITY all clear Total: 10 POWERPLAY none seen Total: 10 DEFENSES +1 each seen Total: 10 ATTACK +1 right paw slam +1 left paw slam +1 for trying to force weight onto opponent +3 bite +1 grip Total: 7 INJURIES -0 mild bruising to left shoulder [3 ooc days to heal] -2 moderate lacerations to chest [2 ooc weeks to heal] Total: 8 Total for Round Two: 45/50 Totals: TINARO Total = 77/100 BASS Total = 90/100 And the winner is... BASS Tianro must give up by submitting, fleeing or passing out Damage: NOTES see damage notes above, good fight guys and way to go Millie you are really improving! - By [Lunarcat7]