Malalia

The raid was coming. The raid was coming, and ever since she'd heard the announcement, she'd been a little off her game. A subtle thing — it was as if someone had shifted the whole world an inch to the left, and here she was, stuck in the same place and grappling with the aftermath of it all. Her blows didn't strike just so, and she couldn't sprint without stumbling, once or twice. With a groan, she collapsed into her bedding, worn out from sheer frustration. Her mind ruminating over the hours passed, over every mistake she'd made, every move that could have been executed better.

It was probably just nerves. Nobody wanted to lose, and not on their first raid either. She closed her eyes, and curled a little more deeply into the furs. You only just started training. You've been working hard and Sirius knows that. The sentiment didn't bring much comfort, though, and she drifted to sleep with a sigh and a furrowed brow.

Today... she'd woken up today with a different sort of buzz going.

She knew it before she'd crawled out of her den, before she moved a short distance away from the communal area, too keyed up to make for the proper training grounds. She began practicing her feints, completing the maneuvers without so much as a puff of hard breathing. For once, her mind was quiet, silently focusing on the thud of her paws against the earth. She couldn't care less if the move was perfect. She just needed to let this energy loose.

"Speech"

There was a noticeable shift in the energy around the territory since the meeting had been dismissed. While the news of the upcoming raid was surely a topic on everyone's mind it was not the only change to affect the two sister packs. Azure's father had opened the rank of Reaper to determined Armada wolves, the Empress had birthed her children, and Sirius had named two of his sons heir and promised that one would be chosen to assume his title when he was gone. Azure had always been competitive, though now he had something real to strive for - a throne of his own some day. At some point he was sure his mother would force him to go meet Deathbelle's new pups, perhaps send him and his brother on some sort of heir-bonding mission but for now he planned only to train as hard as he could and prove to Sirius that he was the preferred choice to succeed him. In the young boy's mind there was no better way to prove his worth, kindness and a soft touch got a wolf nowhere in life. He was on his way to Sea's Plain to fight some more imaginary opponents on the blood stained sand when he spotted one of the newer members imitating his fighting style. Battling phantoms was much more interesting then bloodying tangible wolves, and it came at much less risk to his own skin as well. "Hey!" The boy shouted, galloping up towards the woman and nearly stumbling upon his overly-wide paws in the process. "That's my thing, how I train. You can't have it." His brows furrowed and his maimed ears twitched in aggravation. Who did this wolf think she was, copying the Heir to the Ashen Armada? "Speech" "Thinking" "You."

Malalia

An indignant little squeal reached her ears, and Mal huffed crossly as she rolled to a halt. She had been in the groove -- what could this interloper possibly want right now? She turned, her green gaze locking onto the overgrown pup that was springing her way. 'One of the heirs.' She recognized him from the meeting, when Sirius had announced their competing status to the pack, but she'd never interacted with the boy before now. Mortis had been sweet and cheerful when she'd met him. Azure shared his energy, but his surly greeting was the farthest thing from sweet.

Her eyebrows shot skyward at his possessive little rant, and a moment passed before she let loose a brisk laugh, her tail swishing with amusement. Oh, he may be bigger than her, with an impressive set of paws to boot, but shining through it all was the fact that he was still, very much, a child. Perhaps Mal had been just as assertive when she was the same age -- gods know her mother allowed it -- but she couldn't remember being outright rude.

"See, it's actually my thing." Well, as far as she knew it was everyone's thing, because who the heck owned training styles? But she was only a yearling herself, and no one ever that said Mal was diplomatic.

She took a step towards him, her posture all ease. "Who says I can't have it?"  She paused for a few heartbeats. "Wait, don't tell me, because I don't care. Now, if you don't have anything important to say, I'm going to keep training, your highness." With a flick of her hears, she turned to move away from him, and perhaps to the actual training grounds. Her words had dripped with sarcasm, but it's not like Mal was trying to be mean. His protest was just a little ridiculous, and, kid or no, she wasn't about to put up with it.

"Speech"

Nobody had ever spoken to him so boldly before in his life, at least nobody who wasn't his parents or mentor. The boy blinked at her, taken back by her brave response and not knowing exactly how to respond. She was older than him... was it him who was the fight-style thief? Azure couldn't allow the confusion to topple him, and he huffed and puffed out his chest to try and regain his confidence. He began to argue back, but then she turned to walk away! Azure's jaw dropped and he grunted his unintelligible disagreement to her rear before loping forward to try and catch her. "Everything I have to say is important!" He argued back, frowning. "You can't just walk away, I'll, I'll.. I'll bite you!" The pup had made up his mind quickly after the threat, and suddenly he pounced towards her. Coming from the angle he was, the boy aimed to wrap his forelegs around her neck from behind if she did not turn around and try and bite upon her scruff. Azure Keres Fatalis vs Malalia for Dominance Round 1/? Age: Under 6 months Size: Dire wolf Build: Medium Mutation 1: Saber fangs - Offensive Mutation 2: Bear paws - Offensive Mutation 3: Bone spurs - Offensive Skills: Expert Fighter & Expert Hunter Specialty: N/A "Speech" "Thinking" "You."

Malalia

She was briefly pondering the supposed benefits of reproduction, when the scuffle of paws announced that the pup had begun to follow her, returning with just as much bravado as before. Mal snorted faintly at his response -- Likely story. -- but her head whipped around as soon as the threat of biting her left his maw. "Oh, hell no--"

He leaped.

She pivoted quickly enough that the wrap failed, but his left paw still managed to scrape down her left shoulder. Keeping to the outside, she dropped low and bolted forward, jaws parted in an attempt to bite his left ankle. Throwing all of her weight forward, she would try to carry him off his feet with her momentum. The initial bite would be hard, but she would follow her trajectory, letting go quickly enough to put some distance between them again.

The wound on her shoulder throbbed, but she didn't let the pain show, not even for a second. Instead of training, she might need to get it treated and take it easy for the day. Not cool. Her stance was firm, but her paws were ready to move. "I didn't know the heir to the Armada was such a brat," she goaded. "Do me a favor and let me know when baby's done with his tantrum, mmmkay?"

Malalia vs Azure for Dominance
Round 1/2?
Age: Over 1 year
Size: Medium
Build: Light
Skills: Beginner Healer & Novice Fighter
Specialty: N/A
"Speech"

To Azure's disappointment his attack had not been as stealthy as he'd hoped, and it did not take much effort for the woman to shed out of the way and come out of it with only some scratches. Speed was not his strong point, and she'd landed a bite upon his ankle before he could manage to dodge. He bared his teeth at her, growing as she taunted him further. "I am not a brat or a baby!" The boy roared, darting towards her once more. He bore his weight upon his uninjured side, lifting his left foreleg to try and land a heavy slap upon her muzzle. Best case scenario his wide paws would deal a throbbing blow, but his long and curved bear claws might leave her some scratches to remember him by as well. Worst case scenario... well, Azure didn't like to think about failing, nor how his mother and father would respond if they could see his assault upon Malalia. [OOC: Thank you for the fight! ;) Don't take my annoying boy's words to heart, he's a jerk to everyone!] Azure Keres Fatalis vs Malalia for Dominance Round 2/2 Age: Under 6 months Size: Dire wolf Build: Medium Mutation 1: Saber fangs - Offensive Mutation 2: Bear paws - Offensive Mutation 3: Bone spurs - Offensive Skills: Expert Fighter & Expert Hunter Specialty: N/A "Speech" "Thinking" "You."

Malalia

Oh, for once Mal wished she was big and heavy enough to simply whack him in the head and be done with it. Not that she was helping the situation much -- it wasn't as if insulting the kid would make him tuck his tail between his legs and walk away. At least not this kid, that was certain.

She was lucky, though. He'd caught her off guard before, trying to get her with her back turned. Now? When he moved forward with his left paw raised, she easily sidestepped, his claws missing her muzzle and barely grazing through the fur of her right shoulder as she ducked. Mal bolted for his right foreleg this time, aiming to wrench his ankle backwards and pull him to the ground.

[OOC: Lolllll, definitely. And thank you!]

Malalia vs Azure for Dominance
Round 2/2
Age: Over 1 year
Size: Medium
Build: Light
Skills: Beginner Healer & Novice Fighter
Specialty: N/A
"Speech"

And the winner is...

MALALIA

AZURE must give up by submitting, fleeing or passing out. Totals: Azure: 145.71 (38, 8, 38, 57 - Adjusted to 58.9, 8, 38, 57) Malalia: 316.45 (12, 94, 76, 23 - Adjusted to 12.6, 94, 79.8, 23)

-nyx

Azure's attempted slap whisked past the other wolf's face and as his leg came back down upon the ground, her retaliation was headed his way. Swiftly her jaws closed around his foreleg and Az could not keep himself upright through her pull. He fell to the ground with a heavy 'oof' and his lips pulled back with his elongated canines on display towards her. Though the boy was growling and doing his best to frighten her, he knew he'd lost and made no attempt to stand back upright while she was still so close. It was a humiliating loss and the brazen pup was willing to do anything to get back the feeling of superiority he'd lost. "I could tell my father you insulted me. Hurt me." He threatened lowly still on the ground beneath her, remembering the way Sirius could make wolves quake with his mere tone. Of course, Az could not infuse his words with even half the danger the alpha could and he doubted he'd get the reaction he hoped. The entirety of his threat was a lie, a bluff. Azure knew that although the Warlord could sometimes seem to be heartless and uncaring that the opposite was true. Sirius believed Azure's pride to be his downfall, and the boy was more than confident that if his father could hear him now that he'd be in for a world of pain at the titan's paws. [ OOC:Congrats!!! I'm glad you won, Azure sure as shit didn't deserve to have victory there. I did see the thread you started me for Zee and I'm gonna get to it in the next day or so (: Just been spending a lot of the hot days with my daughter and less posting lol] "Speech" "Thinking" "You."

Malalia

She really should've known better than to expect the barest fraction of humility. A pout and begrudging silence, Mal could have taken that in stride.  But no -- even in defeat, Azure was unbowed beneath her, his bared fangs mirroring her own. Victory had never felt so unsatisfying.

The threat that slipped from his maw only made her ears stand erect, her green eyes narrowing to slits. "Really? You run around picking fights and then whine to daddy when you can't handle them? That sounds pretty pathetic. But hey -- " And the girl sat down, the picture of patience. "Please, tell him about this. Go right ahead. And while you're at it, I'm sure he'd love to hear why you attacked me in the first place." But Azure wasn't going to do shit, and she knew it, and he did, too. The Warlord loved his kids, she was sure, but Malalia just didn't believe that he coddled them to this degree.

She'd thought Azure to be overzealous, worked up over a pointless argument, and she'd been willing to play into it for a while. Her taunts had been merely that. But seeing him try and threaten her into submission left her prickled as a porcupine, blood boiling beneath her skin. He wasn't just an annoying little kid anymore; Mal didn't like him. 'Arrogant little ass.' Maybe he'd come into that all on his own. Maybe his bluff contained a shred of truth, and Sirius had allowed him to be that way.

Not that it mattered. The Warlord was certainly formidable, a man she respected, but... "I'm not afraid of your father," she growled, "and I'm definitely not afraid of you. You lost, so deal with it."

[OOC: Thanks! I didn't know with his rank if she'd win out or not so it's kind of a relief lol. And for sure! Hope y'all are doing well :)]

"Speech"

The boys were under more strict observation, now that they competed for the position of heir. Bast had heard every word his favoured competitor had uttered, and relayed it to the Warlord. By the time the Alpha appeared, the fight was at its end, and he caught the tail-end of Azure’s rant, and Mal’s reply. atta girl he thought quietly to himself. He wasn’t training his warriors to take that kind of shit.

“A leader doesn't whine to their members, and then throw a fit when they can’t push their weight around.” he said, announcing his presence with his words. “Hello, Malalia” he said more politely, before turning his words back to his son, and the lesson he was delivering. “If a leader doesn't have the respect of their wolves, then they have no reason to stay. You can have a pack of members that don’t want to be there, that will fight you at every turn, and wear you down - assuming you can do anything to make them stay” he nodded his head towards Malalia, that had just kicked the boys ass. “Or you can earn their respect, and they will fight for you and with you. Your mother taught me that - the importance of the respect of your wolves. If you can't earn that in the duration of this competition, then you don’t deserve to lead.”

If the rolls had been reversed, and Malalia had instigated the fight and spoken to his son that way, he would have fought her himself. Instead, she had stayed steady despite Azure being the heir, and apparently a bit of a bastard. This wasn’t the first time he had caught wind of Azure disrespecting the wolves of the pack. He needed to learn that ruling wasn’t just being an alpha, it was having a pack to lead.

The lack of ability Azure had to get under this warrior's skin frustrated him beyond belief. What was the point of being a prince, of being the son of an alpha if other did not cower before him? No matter how fast he'd grown or how hard he trained he boy could not seem to win a single fight. Notched ears pulled back at her words, his eyes narrowing as she sat and mocked him. Azure could come up with no response, knowing she was right but unable to swallow his pride to admit it. He pulled himself to his feet with his fangs still bared (considering whether or not it was worth it to go for a round two) when the voice of his father reached him. Azure's blackened lips relaxed and his snarl faded. The pup's chest huffed, and he turned towards Sirius and considered what the warlord had said. It was difficult, Azure had too much respect for the man and usually a reprimand or lesson would have him cowed if not out of understanding then out of fear of losing his position in the heir race. However Sirius had not delivered such a lesson publicly before now, and the fact that a pack-mate was here to bear witness made it much more difficult for Az to accept. "They only wear you down if you're weak." He argued cooly, shooting a pointed look towards the she-wolf. "Hell, Dad, all the wolves here have reason to stay because they're not allowed to leave without fighting you anyways. Be strong enough to win every challenge and you can keep them here regardless of their wants." He was simply finding reason to disagree, to not have to bend to his father's will in front of a wolf he considered lower then himself. Had they been alone for the conversation, perhaps Azure would have apologized to his father and ended it there. As it was, he'd do his best to not be appear even weaker then he'd already been rendered, while still careful not to antagonize the warlord and receive punishment for it. He wrestled with his next words, unable to resist taking one last jab at the woman. But how to do so carefully enough to avoid his father's wrath? Azure's tongue slipped out to brush across his teeth as he thought, and his paw lifted to gesture towards Sea's Plains where the woman had originally intended to go. "You have permission to leave, now." The boy commented with a flick of his paw. [OOC: Oh god I'm sorry Mal XD I can't help it, he's a brat.] "Speech" "Thinking" "You."

Malalia

The sound of the Warlord stepping into the dispute was an unexpected surprise, but not an unwelcome one. The yearling was pleased to see that she was right, that the little brat had become one all on his own. It certainly hadn't come from Sirius, who was giving the boy a good tongue-lashing at the moment. And yet, even under the gaze of his father, whom he'd threatened her with, the boy didn't back down. She might've respected that kind of stubbornness had it not come from some egotistical little shit-head.

Her eyes couldn't have rolled any harder when he tossed a cool look at her. You're the one who lost, remember? But more than likely, he didn't. Maybe he never would. Maybe he'd face all his downfalls with blatant denial, and she and her packmates would be the ones to suffer for it. The young woman hadn't paid much thought to who would be her next leader, one day. That was a mistake she wouldn't make again.

Azure was thinking, now, and when he raised his paw, the next words out of his mouth nearly dropped her jaw. She managed to remain expressionless, the only sign of her bubbling rage settling in the slight flick of her tail.

Cue internal screaming.

If Sirius hadn't been standing right there she might've bitten his face off.

But the she-wolf only smiled, and barked out a dry laugh. "You said it best yourself, right? You didn't win this, so you couldn't keep me here even if you wanted to." She pushed off her paws to stand at her full height, as short as she was. "Not that I think you do — I'm sure you'd rather get your timeout in private." She took two steps, and got right into his space, her eyes unflinching and a few inches from his own, just daring the boy make a move in front of his father. And ohhh, she wanted him to touch her, just so she could see the Warlord stomp on him for round two. "I never needed permission. I just stuck around long enough to hand your ass back to you."

Malalia held his gaze for a few heartbeats. Then, she simply nodded at Sirius, and whirled around, her tail almost-but-not-quite brushing across Azure's nose. Mal padded unhurriedly towards the Sea's Plain. She realized she was leaving, just as he'd given her "permission" to do, but there'd only been a few ways she could play this. She doubted she'd ever really win, in his eyes. Least she could do was go on about her business, and maybe get in a few jabs of her own.

"Speech"
[OOC: Oof, she's mad as hellllll, but that was perfect lmao.]

Sirius snarled as the lesson went right over the boy's head, glaring at his son, feeling the first tendrils of dissatisfaction to him in his heart. He was glad Malalia pointed out his loss to him, or he would have done exactly that. “If your whole pack is against you, you’ll find your food poisoned, your wolves finding loopholes in every order. They will do their best not to fight for you, or protect you. They will be against you, if not openly where you can combat it, then quietly, where you can only guess. You will start to think you can trust nobody, and your empire will crumble at your feet, until you are nothing.”

The icing on the cake, was the way he turned back to Malalia, dismissing her like he had any authority over Sirius’s wolves. He clearly wasn’t mature enough to earn any such respect - from Sirius, or his warriors. He shook his head, reaching forward, and cuffing the boy gently over one notched ear. Disappointment heavy in his heart. “Strike one, two more and you're out of the competition for Heir.” he warned Azure. He would not have a brat as the future Alpha of the Armada. This was Sirius’s legacy, this was his entire life, what he had worked himself up from slavery for. Maybe that was the difference, Sirius had known slavery, well Azure had been raised on luxary.

Azure snarled at the woman's words, nearly taking a bite of her tail as it brushed the air in front of his nose. His father's words went in one ear and out the other, and the pup vibrated with rage. Time out? Time out?!? Azure could hardly contain it, though the cuff to his head was enough to bring him away from the bloodlust. Sirius' threat was real and Azure understood it's implications, tearing his eyes off the departing woman to stare away from both her and his father. It was the very most he could do to de-escalate, unable to bring forth an apology or explanation as he was sure his father wished from him. He stewed in silence for a moment, trying to get his anger under control before looking up at his father. When words still wouldn't come - at least, not words that wouldn't earn him another strike to his title - Azure spun and moved to leave in the opposite direction. -attempted exit- "Speech" "Thinking" "You."