She could smell them out there at the edge of the territory. The darkness of night helped to hide their strangely shaped bodies. The ashen woman knew for sure that there were a few of them. She had caught sight before they had slowly backed away into the darkness. The beasts were smart. One look at their slit, pupiled eyes let her know. Their minds were working. What they wanted from this place, the woman didn't know. She did know that they wouldn't get it though. This was not their land. This place belonged to the Aegis of The Hallows and she would not surrender it to anyone or anything.

Resin stood stock still, tail curled above her spine and her legs rigid. She was out in the center of the clearing where she'd stopped when she first laid eyes on the cats. Her lips had curled back in a snarl, exposing serrated killing fangs. The lead cat had done the same, revealing his own set of fangs. It only served to make Resin's blood boil. The cat had long sabers much like Sirius. The scarred warrior wasn't afraid of him and she wasn't afraid of these intruding bastard felines either.

Despite her lack of fear, she wouldn't be able to take them all on by herself. She needed the aid of her packmates. The one-eyed fae did not back down from challenges, but she was smart enough to know that she couldn't win this fight on her own. The ash and onys woman stared hard into the darkness, watching the shadows rise and fall as the group of felines paced. The call of a crow broke the stand off much too soon. The hulking felines rushed from the treeline, coming straight for her. Resin bristled, sent up her own war cry, and rushed forward to meet them in battle. The cry would travel, she knew. There was no chance of the pack not hearing. If they wished to retain their home, their lands and their lives, they would rally and they would fight for what was theirs.

"World-breaker..."

Coding|Alice. Art|Resin.

WC-348

Ulric was pacing the halls of the castle while sleep eluded him, wandering from the hall where his children were sleeping to the more open corridors and down into the heart of the castle on the first floor. It was quiet and he hadn't seen another soul - not that he was seeking anyone out either. There was too much on his mind for him to try sleeping. He had considered doing another patrol just to pass the time, but the ever present cold was even worse at night and being out in that for any length of time didn't seem worth it. He didn't want to acknowledge the uneasy feeling that hung in the air and attempted to ignore it, chalking it up to his own frayed nerves making him uneasy for no reason.

However, as soon as he heard Resin's call his hackles stood on end and he knew his instincts hadn't been leading him astray. Without a second thought he spun back toward the main entrance into the castle and loped toward the outside with long, powerful strides. He burst out into the cold night air and made a beeline for the first enemy he could find which sent him colliding into a massive feline that had just been trying to make a break for it into the castle. He used the full momentum of his running as his chest hit into the cat's shoulder, slightly knocking the air out of him while a snarl pulled back his lips. He was able to knock the intruder to the ground and pin it under his heavy weight while he fought to get a clear shot at its throat. It flailed and yowled, struggling under his grip and hooking massive claws into his shoulder, nearly flipping him off off of it in the process.

He grunted against the pain of its claws, but fought through it till he was able to get one of his oversized paws on its cheek to pin down its head and prevent it from snapping at his face. Moving quickly, Ulric latched his jaws onto his neck and bit down hard around its throat, violently shaking his head for good measure before hopping back off of the feline and out of range of any last swipes or attempts at getting an attack in on him as it died. He didn't skip a beat, knowing that there would be time to question what was happening or think about the events once it was all over. For now he could only think of the wolves that needed to be protected within the castle. He spotted Resin's gray form somewhere within the chaos and started working his way toward her, fighting off more attackers as he went.

Speech

Ezra was jerked awake by a echoing howl from Resin, the sudden sound making him groggily stumble to his feet while his heart was pounding like crazy. He heard a commotion from out the window and he rushed over to it so he could look down into the courtyard, his icy blue eyes going wide when he saw all the big, strange looking felines that were rushing toward the castle - and toward Resin. He gaped at the sight for a heart beat, struggling with what he should do. Did he go down there? Did he hide? Did he go get Jane, Fihona, and Emile and hide with them? Then he saw his father run out into the courtyard moments later, watching him charge head first into the fight and his ears flicked back with a frown. Feeling like he had something to prove, Ezra spun around ran out into the hall, darting as fast as his lanky legs could carry him down the stairs to the main level of the castle.

He came around a corner into the main corridor in front of the entrance to the castle and skidded into a hard stop as he and one of the big cats ended up face to face. The intruder had just stepped across the door frame and they just happened to meet on either side of the foyer. He and this cat stared each other down for a few beats, both of them clearly startled by the unexpected approach. Then all at once the fight kicked off, the dangerous looking big cat swiping toward him with razor sharp claws as it lunged toward him. Ezra dodged out of the way, narrowly missing the swinging paw. He did this a couple of times until Aquila came screeching through the big entryway, sweeping down toward the feline's head and distracting it long enough for Ezra to finally make a move.

The young male managed to get a strong bite in on the big cat's back leg as it spun around to swing at Aquila, who swooped out of the way toward the high ceilings above them. A pained yowl echoed around the foyer as his serrated teeth ripped through the flesh and he shook his head, ripping out a bloody chunk of the cat's thigh. He jumped out of the way again as it tried to turn and face him, but the leg immediately gave way when it tried to put weight on it and made the feline stumble and fail at it's attack. Ezra darted past it then and out into the night, leading the limping cat back out of the castle after him.

Walk | "Talk" | think

Ever since his encounter with the supreme dire wolf, Artorias had been doing his best to keep patrolling the walls of the castle, keeping an eye out over the plains that surrounded the castle as if invaders could come cresting through the hills or emerging through the trees at a moment's notice. The fight with that dire wolf had left him down, but not out, the cuts on his face scabbing over and the limp in his hind leg no longer painful with each step. It had also left him overly cautious and wary. If a monster like that could exist and so casually breach their borders, what else could be out there...? This extended winter was unnatural and carried an air of danger with it. No one would be safe so long as it continued to bring about strange predators from somewhere deep within the realm of nightmares. And so he sat watch, ignoring the cold and the snow and the solitude while he remained vigilant for the safety of his home and his family.

So it was that the dark-furred young man was sitting atop the gatehouse staring out into the night, watching for any signs of danger. He'd seen Resin head off on a patrol, and while he wished to join her, his hind leg put up swift protest at the idea of extended exertion in the cold. He scowled, bright amber eyes piercing the veil of darkness like two burning fires, scoping out the trees where he'd watched Resin head off to. It was quiet... so very, very quiet. He shifted his weight on his paws, crunching snow beneath his feet. Humid breath hung in thin clouds with every exhale. A light shiver ran down his spine. Something felt wrong... It was the same feeling of discomfort that had come when he'd seen the supreme dire wolf. Fur bristled along the young male's back from nape to tail. There was tension in the air, so palpable he could tase it electrifying the cool breeze. Even the close roil of ocean waves on the coast couldn't soothe his anxious nerves. Something was wrong...

Resin's call shattered the stillness of the night and snapped Artorias' head in the direction of the cry. He could just make out her silhouette near the trees charging toward the forms of several hulking creatures that looked like bears but moved like lions. Mom! Cold dread gripped the boy's heart, and it was only a beat before he was springing to his paws and all but hurling himself down the stone stairs along the side of the wall, leaping down the last few to save time and snatching up his wooden sword propped against the wall while sprinting out of the gates. He caught sight of Ulric and Ezra both lumbering out just ahead of him, and he followed the dire man once more into the heat of combat. Artorias panted through clenched teeth around the hilt of his weapon, eyes focused on the pack of predators his mother had already engaged. Although he didn't quite keep pace with Ulric and Ezra due to his injury, he flung himself straight at the nearest enemy—which he realized were giant leonine cats—with a ferocious snarl.

The wooden blade of his sword made hard contact with the closest cat, clocking the feline so hard in the jaw that it stumbled to the side, dazed and confused. Artorias was relentless, leaping to the cat's other side with a spin to bring his sword back around to the other side of the cat's temple. The massive cat roared and reeled back while it tried to gauge what had just hit it. Artorias strategically positioned himself between the feline and his pack mates and mother, snarling and glaring while he paced back and forth in front of it. By keeping his momentum, Art was able to seamlessly transition into a bounding leap to the side when the cat swung a massive paw at him, its razor-like claws catching nothing but air and snow while the boy danced around his opponent. He had learned from his last fight in the snow that his movements would need to be more deliberate and calculated, and it was with that knowledge Artorias was able to maneuver around the cat's side, bringing his sword into the back of the cat's leg with a resounding crack.

The giant cat roared again in pain when its elbow fractured, suddenly unable to put weight on its front leg. Artorias continued to use his sword like a cudgel, spinning to bring the sword around into the knee of its hind leg and toppling the cat under its own massive weight. Once it was down, Artorias leaped onto the cat's side, dropping his sword to the ground as he switched to fangs and claws. He bit and clawed into the cat's neck, tearing flesh and tasting blood. The cat yowled in distress and swung at its attacker, catching Artorias in the side of his head with a huge paw. It made the boy's ears ring and head spin, but fortunately the cat's claws did not make contact with him. Stunned, Artorias was easily flung off of the cat, both rolling to their paws to get back up. Artorias picked up his sword while staring down his enemy, both predators holding their ground and daring the other to make a move. Eventually the big cat limped back a few paces, hissing at the wolf and showing massive saber fangs before retreating back to the trees.

Artorias snorted and growled in response, then turned—only to have another massive cat pounce and take him off his paws. Pinned beneath the unbearable weight of the giant feline, Artorias just had the clarity of mind to swing his sword up, locking the blade between snapping jaws as the cat tried to take a bite out of his throat. Artorias and the sabertooth growled and snarled as they struggled against the strength of the other, Artorias making sure to keep his sword wedged firmly int he cat's teeth so it couldn't bite him. Trapped in a stalemate, he began to look around for some trick to pull to gain the advantage. He found his answer between the big cat's legs, and the story Sirius had told him long ago about how he lost to a smaller fighter returned to him. Artorias growled and brought a hind leg into the cat's genitals with all his might. The cat yowled and all but collapsed on top of him as if his brain had short-circuited. Artorias used the limpness and weight of the cat to twist and roll it off of him, ending up on top of the bigger predator now and brought his sword down on the sabertooth's head with a battlecry and all the strength he could muster again and again and again.

The crunch of the cat's skull caving in was both sickening and comforting, and Artorias watched as the cat's body spasmed and went limp. Slitted yellow feline eyes stared into nothingness, glassy and empty, devoid of life. Beneath its head, the white snow melted and turned red with the sabertooth's blood, the coppery scent hanging in the air. Artorias savored his victory for only a second before he turned his burning gaze back up to the battlefield, scanning and finding his mother before rushing off the dead cat to go help her defend their home from the remaining invaders.

"Speech" | Thoughts | ”Corbin"

One big happy family

Artorias has two ravens named Corbin and Eira and a fox named Argent. Assume they are within calling distance at all times.
As his mate, Briar may enter Artorias' threads unless marked Private.
____________________

Indigo was with Cossette when he heard the Aegis call out. Her voice was urgent and Indigo barely had a moment to tell the tiny girl to seek out shelter before he was up and moving on massive limbs. The closer he got to his two year mark the bigger he was. His mane was coming in much mor ethic and now he could tell the hair was growing on his chest and belly, along with the underside of his chin. He couldn’t be completely sure but his teeth and claws had been aching and he figured they were getting close to full length.

He realized as he ran that he would be getting an opportunity to test out these assets. Inigo’s stride was long and ate up the ground towards Resin. He felt his hackles slash mane rise, making his huge self look even bigger. He made his way to the clearing, not the first to arrive but he couldn’t be called late. His bright blue eyes widened with surprise as he caught sight of their opponents. Had he not known better he would have guessed they were his kin. Massive fangs descended from their maws, they were thickly built and even with his mane Indigo wasn’t sure he was bigger than these strange creatures.

Indigo didn’t hesitate any longer and raced to Resin’s side, his teeth bared as he aimed to tag team the cat that had Resin in its sights. A deep growl resonated in his chest as the saber wielding tiger turned its attention to him. A massive paw went for his face and Indigo lunged for the paw, his teeth meeting flesh as he crunched down, breaking toes and letting blood flow into his mouth.

Wc 290

Rudy had been sleeping.  He worked hard earlier in the day with training and hunting but sleep was a serious thing also to have the energy to keep himself going.  Rudy was a deep sleeper normally but this night something woke him up.  The boy had always been one to trust his instincts but since when did his instincts tell him to wake up?  They were supposed to wait till he was awake to tell him things.  The young motley-colored male lay there for a moment puzzling over what to do.   Rudy wanted to ignore his instincts and go back to sleep.  However, he had never ignored his instincts before, and perhaps that was the only reason the hunter of trouble was still alive.  The boy got up, shook himself awake, and stepped out from the den into the biting cold.  Still, the urge to listen and seek out what bothered him was too much to refuse.  There was pressure in the air that had nothing to do with natural weather.  It was as if the world was holding its breathe, waiting for something to happen. Mom howled, a call to defend. Rudy ran towards the sound of her voice, scooping up Savage, the Tasmanian devil and as he left the castle ground he spotted the threat.  Enemies that belonged in the dark, who appeared part of the night itself, or maybe that was his active imagination coming up with such an idea.  Either way, others had beat Rudy to the fight but he would make sure to leave his mark.  They were giants, beyond giants, and admittedly for the span of one heartbeat his paws slowed a stride but then his hesitation was gone.  They were on Hallow lands, they were fighting his mom, brother, and the entire family that the pack was.  They would either run and never return or they would die. Rudy spotted mom and Art but then he heard Reddy, his hawk, call out a warning, and Rudy jumped aside fast to just miss the cat-like creature that had tried to lunge in and surprise him.  Rudy put the attention on the monster, surprised it had managed to sneak so close without his being aware.  Rudy tried to go wide so he could attack from the side but the cat wasn’t going to let him.  This was no bear and was perfectly agile,  following to keep this a face-to-face fight.  Catzilla was fast and a giant and from the vicious smile on its face as one who planned to enjoy killing its prey. Rudy was snarling, he was snarling before the thought he should snarl at it came out.  How dare this cat creature smile as if the fight was already over.  Savage was clinging to the boys back still and saying things that were surely extreme curses in its own language.  A head-on clash with the cat would end badly and was only an option if there was no other choice, but what were his other choices. Rudy had thought Reddy would be great for a birds-eye view on things but now Reddy showed he had more uses.  The bird dove down with all the speed gifted to the species and while its aim had been higher up the cat's head the animal had spotted it in time to look up.  Its mouth came open in an attempt to bite and kill the foolish bird but instead, Reddy’s talons sunk into the top of its muzzle and a moment later the hawk flew away again. The cat might have wanted to get revenge on Reddy but it wouldn’t get the chance.  The moment catzilla had looked up Rudy had used the opening to lunge in and bite at its throat, teeth squeezing to chimp down.  He felt the jerk of the cat’s muzzle when Reddy slammed into it.  Everything felt like it went into slow motion as his brain tried to soak in so much with each heart-pounding moment.  Rudy had drawn blood that was flowing freely from the cat’s throat but he waited for a second too long to get the distance.  He had hoped to take it down fast but there was just too much cat.  As he darted away cat claws raked his along his haunches, the beautiful paler grey area growing darker.  Adrenaline right now was helping the pain to go unnoticed.  Catzilla hadn’t continued to lunge at him and instead was eyeing Rudy with a more critical gaze.  It was injured and unsure if the fight was worth keeping up, but it was also angry. “Ok Savage,” the boy spoke softly to the devil on his back, “Just like we practiced, get ready.”   The devil moved forward so that its front paws were now on top of Rudy’s head, his body weight pressed forward.  Rudy did charge in, but only so far as to let the cat believe the fake.  It leaned in also, one large paw coming out planning to slash into Rudy.  Rudy dashed in and out to allow just enough time for the devil to leap off his head and onto the giant beast's head.  The small vicious devil spun around to slash at an eye before the cat had a chance to shake its head sending the Tasmanian devil on a flight several feet to be buried in the snow. WC 900 "Rudyard"

Avantika hadn't been sleeping when Resin's call rang out. She didn't often sleep all the way through the night, even if she'd gotten lots of activity the day before, her body preferring to wake her up once or sometimes even twice a night. She used this opportunity to patrol, although it was really just a pleasant walk most of the time. To her knowledge, there weren't any close-by packs now that the Hallows lived in Auster, and it wasn't like the pack was too warlike even before. There were many capable fighters among them, yes, but that didn't mean they liked serious conflicts. It was one of the things the ocean-eyed foundling liked about her pack. They were peaceful, but far from harmless. They were more than able to defend each other. And since Avantika had joined them, they would defend her just as well. It was the reason she was so determined to do her part and protect the pack herself. She had to repay them for everything they'd done for her. Why, she could have ended up in some brutal, cold group, with no one to look out for her or help her practice without their fangs pressuring her to get it right all the time. Then where would she be? Resin's war cry gave her a chance. She would not hesitate to take it. There was a small delay as she had to wake Kaata, who would let it be known that she did not want to be woken, but Avantika was persistent. Her little hawk was always a prick when she didn't want to wake up. But Avantika's heart felt like it was trying to jump up her throat and run to the call itself, and it would not be ignored for one more moment than necessary. An unstoppable force met an immovable object and the object was found to be more movable than originally thought. Anyway, Kaata would have been even more annoyed if her 'kiddo' had gone off without her to a potentially dangerous fight. And if Resin couldn't handle something herself without calling in the pack, then it was sure to be dangerous. A hard knot of dread and anxiety formed in Avantika's stomach, but her heart was furious in its fight to keep the youthful girl from dwelling too long on it. So they went to meet the call as quickly as they could, Kaata flying and Avantika feeling as if she might, too. She barely had time to breathe as she charged headlong into the fray. Later she would think about how her fear always seemed to run on extremes. Either completely paralyzing or completely absent, like now. Her fight or flight response was an interesting thing, making up its mind very quickly. And it was happening more and more now. Or perhaps she was just learning how to fight. She caught glimpses of gray, brown, and black fur, but her main focus was on her opponents. There seemed so many of them, huge, hulking monsters with fangs just meant to rip and tear her and her family to pieces. She had one last thought before her attack. I have fangs too. There was one cat locked in a confrontation with Rudy. His Tasmanian devil had just been thrown into the snow when Avantika charged from the cat's backside. She leaped forward, her teeth to the beast's upper hind leg. She didn't stop her teeth from ripping at the flesh, and when she released, she had a mouthful of blood and fur to spit out on the snow. "Duck!" Avantika obeyed, but not quickly enough to avoid the slash of sharp claws against her ears. Her tender left ear was shredded. The adrenaline of the moment dulled the pain, and Avantika sprung forward, almost standing up to grip the giant cat's neck, just under the thing's chin. She forced her teeth to dig as deep as possible, letting the blood spew over her face. Salty. People said that victory was sweet, but the wolf realized that, while that might be true, fighting tasted hot, delicious, and salty. Its teeth continued to mangle her ears. Both this time. Avantika released her grip and moved a couple feet back, breathing hard. She was going to win this fight. She almost couldn't imagine not. She prided herself on rationality, but her emotions were dangerous creatures in their own right. When allowed to run free for only a moment, they would not be put back in their box. It was so much easier to free them than to recapture them. WC: 780 "Avantika to Kaata telepathy" "Kaata to Avantika telepathy" "speech"

Pain seared through the Aegis' hip as the claws of a cat ripped into her flesh. She regretted not having worn her bracers. Her armor as well, but the bracers with their attached steel claws would have helped tremendously. The only weapon that she had aside from her wits and her size were the serrated teeth nestled between powerful jaws. Jaws which were currently locked around the face of a big cat. No one ever expected a bite to the face and that was the reason that Resin did it so often. Predator, prey, enemy, it didn't matter. If they were deserving of her teeth, then she would use them to the fullest extent.

Within her jaws, the cat squealed. It placed its paws against the ashen woman's chest and pushed, trying to dislodge itself from her grasp. The attempt was futile as there was no way that Resin was letting go. The sabertooth tried throwing itself to the ground, but that didn't work either. It merely forced the giant warrior to press her weight down upon it. Sinking her claws into the ground on either side of the cat for stabilities sake, Resin used the thick muscles in her jaws to squeeze tighter and tighter. She could hear the squeak and squelch of the feline's skull as it gave way beneath her power. Bones cracked as she obliterated the eye sockets of the skull. If the cat had been panicked before, it was a flurry of pain and fear now. Mercy was Resin's middle name, however. The cat, now unable to see, backpedaled. Releasing her hold, Resin only needed to dip beneath the blind feline's chin and bite into its throat to end its suffering and its life.

She hadn't forgotten the cat that had sliced her hip, but when she turned to face it, another of her pack had already engaged the beast. They had heard her call. One after another, the wolves of The Hallows rallied behind their Aegis. They would defend their home and Resin herself would fight to the death to protect each and every one of them. Sacrifice was never a question. If it was necessary, it was something that she was always prepared to do. Any good leader would place themselves in harms way to protect those within their care. It was their duty. It was their right.

From the corner of her eye, Resin noted a second cat sneaking up on Indigo. Shifting her position, the maned fae released something akin to a roar as she surged forward, slamming her chest hard against the side of the cat to send it rolling over the snowy ground. In an instant, she was upon it, teeth sinking into its throat and chest. Whipping her head back and forth, the woman ripped out great furrows of flesh and the cat soon bled out.

Just as she had slammed into the cat, another slammed into her. Resin went rolling through the snow, coughing and sputtering as she fought to find her paws. A rather large sabertooth was upon her, trapping the woman against the ground. Resin actually yelped as the rapiers within the cats mouth pierced her scarred shoulder and neck. They were dangerously close to hitting something vital and she needed to act fast. Planting her front and hind paws against the underside of her attacker, Resin pushed and she pushed hard. Sabers were ripped from her flesh as the cat was sent flying. Pain gave way to rage and the Aegis' singular vision ran red. She didn't even remember rising or rushing the cat, but she did remember the feel of its hot blood jetting into her mouth and across her face. She didn't stop there. The incensed canine decimated her fallen foe and for a moment, the old wolf became what she had once been in her prime. The side of herself that she was careful to keep locked away had risen to the surface just as it had when she had shredded Tamsyn's brother into little bits of flesh and fur.

Damage taken from then on was felt very little. An attacking foe pulled Resin from her task of erasing her deceased enemy. Acting on instinct and bloodlust, she was a flurry of teeth. She brought death to everything within her path. More than once she almost attacked a packmate, but held enough of her mental faculties to direct her madness elsewhere.

How many had she killed? How many more would come before this fight would be over? Would the enemy realize that they had been beaten or would they continue to come until every last beast was brought low and eradicated? Dispatching yet another striped beast, Resin stood over it, paws rested upon the barrel chest of its fallen form. When another for didn't immediately present itself, the woman decided to do what she could to strike fear into the rest of them. Raising her blood soaked muzzle to the sky, the Aegies of The Hallows released a long, low, blood curdling howl. No matter whether one spoke wolfen or not, the sound of victory was universal. All who heard it would know that the wolves had won the day. The felines, what was left of them, would think twice about showing themselves near the castle again. If they had any wits in their thick skulls, they would tuck tail and run back north where they'd come from.

With the influx of enemies tapering down to a mere trickle, Resin moved across the battlefield, dispatching any that might have been working their way towards death. Her ire had burned to embers and she was in possession of herself once more. Though the cats had attacked them, she would not allow them slow deaths. Those that turned and ran would be allowed to do so. Those stupid enough to stay would walk headfirst into doom. The wolves of The Hallows would not be stopped. They could not and would not be defeated.

"World-breaker..."

Coding|Alice. Art|Resin.

WC-1000
Total- 5448

Indigo didn’t arrive in time to help Resin beat the first cat down, but then again she was a completely capable warrior. Indigo had an odd opinion of his grandmother, she was his elder and held high authority and respect in his eyes. She didn’t cease to prove her wills and wiles, so the thought that he needed to protect his grandmother was unfounded. However, Indigo had always been like that, eager to put himself in danger in place of those that he cared about. Especially now. Indigo would not allow these enemies to breach the line. Cosette would be safe, he refused to let a hair on her pretty head be harmed.

The boy wasn’t defenseless against the beasts that threatened them, he didn’t have serration on his massive fangs but they were sharp and not to be underestimated. Indigo felt himself succeed as his opponent cried out as its paw was crushed between Indy’s jaw. The boy had to keep going, these creatures were threatening him and his home. Indy couldn’t allow that to stand, he didn’t know where they came from or what their purpose might be but it was obviously nefarious in the way they attacked the pack of wolves.

Indigo wasn’t the only one to answer Resin’s call, like many of the pack he was eager to step up and protect their home. Indy wasn’t alone, but he would have continued fighting even if he was. The boy refused to allow anything to happen to Cosette, he couldn’t imagine her finding the same fate as Rue, that would be his ultimate nightmare. So he fought, with little concern for himself, but massive efforts to keep the murderous beasts from his dainty friend. Indigo chomped down again on the cat’s paw, he shook his head violently and didn’t notice the cat sneaking up on him.

Resin was there just in time. He barely caught a glimpse before it was on the ground. Indigo renewed his efforts against his current opponent, he kept the paw in his mouth and using his massive claws he aimed to grapple the beast. Working the cat closer to him with each swipe of his paws the beast wriggled and screamed as its own teeth aimed for Indigo’s face. That was when he finally let go of the paw so he could parry with his own massive canines. The two of them struggled back and forth, but the cat was too wily for Indigo to hang onto for very long.

The boy let go to his chagrin, and instead of deciding he had enough the saber cat was back at him. Indy was ready, but the cat already knew his tricks. They circled each other for a long moment before the feline made its move. It sprang with an incredible quickness and Indigo did not expect it to reach for his hips. Massive claws grasped his rear end as dagger like teeth plunged into his flesh. Indigo roared with pain as he bent in on himself and went for the cat’s neck. The struggle continued, but it was because the cat knew it was losing. It hadn’t been able to remove its fangs quick enough to get away from Indigo’s grasp. The boy ripped open the beats’s throat and with only a strangled whine its life force poured from the wound and the animal slumped into its final rest.

Indigo stood proudly over the animal, his senses on fire as he searched out a next opponent, unsure if he’d find another.

wc:589

Despite their combined efforts against their enemies, it appeared to Artorias as if the onslaught of feral beasts was never-ending! More of the tremendous smilodons just kept emerging from the dark woods as if a portal to hell had opened directly within those trees and more of the nightmare creatures just kept spilling out right at their doorstep. Yet even in the face of these wretched horrors and their overwhelming numbers, Art would not permit himself to tire or weaken or surrender. Surrender meant death—for him, for his family, for the entire pack. He rallied to Resin when he saw the majority of the sabertoothed cats converging on her, leaping through the air to pounce on one's back. Landing on the predator felt like standing on a rock, so solid were its rippling cords of muscle and sinew. That didn't deter the young wolf though as he brought his sword down on the back of its head as hard as he could once, twice, three times before the cat finally bucked him off.

Artorias landed on his feet and spun to face his opponent—just in time to see thick claws ripping through the air at his face. He recoiled, just barely avoiding the attack, feeling the fuzz on the sabertooth's paw brush past his chin. It was a surreal moment, and as soon as he had control of his faculties again, Art intercepted the next swipe with his sword, the wooden blade cracking audibly against the tiger's leg. The smilodon yowled as bone broke in its joints, shaking its now limp paw. Artorias didn't relent though, using his momentum to spin the opposite direction and bring his sword around into the cat's temple with another crack—only this time, he felt his sword suddenly go lighter as the old wood snapped under the hardness of the sabertooth's skull. Once again, he was left holding just a broken and jagged edge of his weapon, and was now facing down an angry apex predator.

The sabertooth growled, but Artorias reacted first before it could pounce, bringing the broken end of his sword back into the cat's face and sinking the splintered wood deep into its eye socket. The smilodon screamed and howled as it was partially blinded, but the blue-furred boy was far from done. He grabbed the cat's big head with a paw and held it steady while he slammed the heel of his other paw into the hilt of his sword with a grunt, spearing the broken sword deeper into his foe's skull until the hilt was pressed to its face. All at once, the cat's sounds ceased and its body went limp, jaws hanging open in a silent cry while it flopped lifeless to the snow. Artorias grabbed the hilt of his sword and pushed against the dead animal's head to dislodge his weapon, bringing about globs of blood and gray matter along with it. Even when broken, a sword was a dangerous weapon.

Resin's yelp of pain snapped Artorias out of the fog of war in an instant. Wide, panicked eyes watched his mother take the brunt of a saber bite to her shoulder, and he responded without hesitation. Paws kicked off against the ground, rushing to his mother's aid while more of the beasts came, alerted by her cry and the prospect of an easy kill. Artorias would not allow that. A sabertooth leaped across the battlefield at him, but Art dove beneath the creature, kicking up snow and ice as he slid across the ground beneath it and rushing past it. He arrived at his mother's side just as the scarred fae lost herself in her battle frenzy. Artorias ran up alongside a circling cat, jabbing his sword as hard into the side of its neck as it could and piercing its jugular, the cat yowling in pain and shock as its lifeblood spurted in thick streams down the sides of its neck. The cat swung at Art, but the boy just danced around its attacks while it bled out, its strength ebbing away with each beat of its heart until it collapsed, weak and dying to the snow. The coup de grace was delivered in the form of a swift bite and twist to the cat's neck, ending its life in a last act of mercy.

Artorias hurried to Resin as soon as the smilodon lay dead, turning to protect her flank as she unleashed hell on the beasts. In her blood rage though, Resin took a bite towards Artorias, snapping at everything that moved. Fortunately he reacted faster than his older mother, dipping away before serrated teeth came too close. "Mom!" he shouted in shock, watching her with narrowed and guarded eyes as recognition slowly crept into her single eye, and then she set off on her rampage against their foes. Artorias had never seen Resin like this before, the woman having lost almost all semblance of herself in her fury. It was concerning and terrifying, yet violently effective as she carved a bloody swathe through the remaining cats. With Art watching her back, none of the remaining tigers dared to try to sneak up on the two wolves. Resin's bloodthirsty howl made the surviving felines flinch, and a ferocious snarl from Artorias dared them to try anything.

As the cats began their retreat, only the dying and stupidest remained, a few solitary stragglers for them to finish off. Artorias roamed the battlefield with Resin, finding any wounded cats and finishing them off by tearing their throats from their bodies. By the end of the fighting, Artorias' coat was stained and sticky with blood, but he had somehow escaped unscathed. His sword, however, had broken once again. He sighed to himself; he would need to get another from the armory, and he was running low on supply. But more worrying to him was Resin. He had never seen her lose control like that before, and it concerned the boy for his mother's wellbeing. He made a mental note to talk to Tamsyn about that later. For now, there was still work to do...

"Speech" | Thoughts | ”Corbin"

One big happy family

Artorias has two ravens named Corbin and Eira and a fox named Argent. Assume they are within calling distance at all times.
As his mate, Briar may enter Artorias' threads unless marked Private.
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Before he could make much progress on fighting his way through the crowd of saber toothed felines toward Resin, he heard a familiar avian screech and it made him freeze in place, his gaze darting back over his shoulder to see Ezra running out of the castle with the eagle he kept with him flying just over his head - one of the attacking cats chasing his son out into the courtyard. His silver gaze spotted the limp to the feline's gait and the ripped portion of its leg from a bite clearly given to it by Ezra, but that didn't stop him from snarling with a rolling growl as he leapt past a big cat that tried to swipe at him to barrel toward the one chasing after Ezra. He reached the feline within moments and slammed his broad chest into its shoulder, sending the already hobbled cat tumbling into the snow. He threw his weight onto the feline, his large paw pressing into its throat and leaving it to sputter and struggle under him. One of its paws swung and connected with his face on his already scarred cheek, narrowly missing his eye and leaving a trail of deep cuts through his skin. It made him grunt against the pain and pulled another deep growl from his chest.

Before he could retaliate, Ezra reappeared in the corner of his vision and suddenly the saber cat's yowls of pain filled the air as his son's teeth connected with its neck. Ulric acted quick to pin down one of its legs with his free paw and bit the ankle of the other before it could try to claw at Ezra to get him off, but moments later Ezra jerked his head back and the feline soon fell limp under him as his son's dangerous teeth did the job of shredding the intruder's throat. He looked up at Ezra with a proud nod before quickly turning his attention to the rest of the attackers. There would be more time to dwell on it later, for now they needed to finish the job that had been started.

Soon he heard Resin's reverberating howl and even as he continued to fight any saber cat he could get his teeth into, he could already sense their fight waning and spotted a few escaping through the castle gates. He killed another and another before he was able to finally look around and struggle to find another opponent. The ranks of the pack had truly come out in mass to help their Ageis and defend their pack and for that he was proud. The courtyard was covered in blood, but as he looked around at his pack mates he could safely say that not much of it was spilled from them. There were some wounds that would need to be tended to, including their own, but the attacking felines certainly got the worst of it.

Speech

Ezra heard his father's growl behind him as he ran off with the saber cat trailing behind and he skidded to a stop, spinning around in time to see Ulric's massive form slam into the feline in question. He went wide eyed for a moment while he watched his father wrestle with the cat and get it pinned to the ground under him. He saw the cat flailing around and was about to run over to help when the cat got a good swipe in on Ulric's cheek, making Ezra flinch a bit at the sight. Already feeling a bit guilty that he hadn't moved faster from the get go, he darted in as soon as he saw an opening and latched his teeth onto its neck, ripping his head back after a moment and letting his serrated teeth do what they did best and rip apart the flesh he was gripping on to. He staggered back and spit out the mouth full of fur covered flesh before looking up at his father, seeing his nod before Ulric went off into the fray again. He gave the cat he had killed one last glance before turning and doing the same. He stuck close to his father's side, acting as his wingman throughout the rest of the fight to knock away any of the cats that tried to get to him while he was fighting a different one and getting a few good bites of his own in here and there. He still didn't like his father, but maybe he could put aside his anger for a little while so they could defend the pack together.

Walk | "Talk" | think