Arriving to the battlefield for the third time in a season, Azure was only becoming more appreciative of the change in proximity from here to home. The walk was quite short, easy enough to fit in on a lazy afternoon or simply on the way back from a hunt. Ever since he'd approached what he felt was his 'skill cap' he'd stopped looking for strangers to spar with, but the escalation of the pirates had shown him clearly just how detrimental that apathy could be.

Stepping into the clearing, the Champion wasted no time in tipping back his head and calling for an opponent. Anyone would do, so long as this trip didn't turn into another dragging-a-smelly-slave-back-home sort of evening. A friendly spar, a recruitment match, or even a blood-spilling maim - Azure was prepared and accepting of anything.

"Speech"

"Looking for a fight, brother?"

Artorias hadn't missed Azure's absence from their arrival to the Armada, nor his subsequent avoidance of him and Briar during their visit. Whether it was intentional or not, it didn't make much of a difference. Artorias still had a matter to resolve with the Armadan Champion. Following Azure from the Armada, the Carpathian wolf approached across the clearing toward his dark brown and green opponent. Neither wolf had seen one another since the wedding down in the Hallows, not since the affair with Hanako. Azure's apology had been mediocre at best and offensive at worst, and the issue remained unresolved between the two alphas since then. Art would be lying if he said it didn't concern him over future relations between the Hallows and the Armada, or that it hadn't put a strain on their relationship trying to manage his emotions on the matter while keeping it quiet from Briar and Sirius.

Now it would culminate into this moment. Artorias harbored no true ill will towards his brother-in-law, but a slight of honor demanded satisfaction. He didn't want to spend his days treading diplomatic eggshells with the future Warlord. Better to just hash it out the way men did and let the conflict be settled. "You and I have something to settle. So set the rules and let's do this." Squaring up across from Azure, Artorias set his paws and leveled his body, muscles tensed and nerves ready to react. Artorias had no desire to do any true harm or damage to his brother-in-law, but if Azure chose to go for blood, then the Aegis would do what he must.

Artorias vs Azure for Whatever Azure Decides
Round 0/?
Age: 1+ years
Size: Dire wolf
Build: Medium
Offensive Battle Accessory: Damascus steel sword
Defensive Battle Accessory: Reinforced leather cuirass
Companion 1: Common raven, Male - Flying - Boosted
Companion 2: Silver cross fox - Battle - Boosted
*Companion 3: Common raven, Female - Flying
Mutation 1: Stronger teeth and jaws - Offensive
Mutation 2: Thicker fur - Defensive
Mutation 3: Enhanced vision - Perception
Skills: Master Fighter & Master Navigator
Specialty: Knight or Fleet-footed

"Artorias Carpathius"

The opponent who came to meet him was the last one Azure had expected to see. He raised a single brow, tracking the Hallow's alpha with his eyes as the man crossed the clearing and moved to stand before him. The meaningful way he stressed his new familial title left a bitter taste in his mouth after the way the Aegis had made clear that he did not see their ties the same way Azure did. We are family by choice., the greeting seemed to repeat. The Champion's ears flicked back as he absorbed it, though his expression remained where it had been - passively indifferent.

Artorias insisted they had something to settle and his annoyance only grew. This was not something he would have lorded over his head for rest of his life - he had already broken character irreparably in giving his brother-in-law so much in his apology in hopes of settling the issue. Trusting his sister's judgement, Azure had expected too much of the Aegis. He'd expected him to see when real effort was put forth and to appreciate the difficulty he had faced in placing so much potential ammunition in the man's paws. The things he had told Artorias were things he had never shared with another soul on this earth - not his siblings, not his brother, not even his mate. It felt frustratingly similar to the trust he had put into his litter-mates, only to watch them drift away and leave him behind without another thought. The irritation with him grew, and while he had no intention on declining the other alpha his right to a match to settle whatever he perceived needing settling, Azure knew then and there that he'd need to have a talk with Briar.

"So be it." He sighed, his annoyance growing with each passing minute. If Artorias needed to avenge his bride with blood, then Azure would comply. It was at least a method of appeasement he understood and respected, one he could do better than the baring of his soul. There was the matter of rules, to which Azure's head gave a small, sad shake. "I do not put restrictions upon family. Do what you must - you will find no retaliation from me, nor the Armada."

Artorias had left the bout open to him to initiate, and Azure had no interest in passing the ball back and forth. He wanted it over with, to forget it all had happened and to focus on what mattered. Pressing issues like Sparrow and her pack of heathens deserved much more of his energy and hatred than Artorias ever could. He crossed the distance between them in a short, ground-eating lope, lifting his forepaw high as he neared in an attempt to bring it over top the man's shoulder (on the side where his sheath were, if sword is worn) - aiming to subject him to the strength of his grapple as well as the long and curved claws upon his mutated paws.

Azure vs Artorias for Dominance
Round 1/?
Age: over 1 year
Size: Dire wolf
Build: Medium
Offensive Battle Accessory: Bracers with knife
Defensive Battle Accessory: Condor body armor
Companion 1: Large flying fox, Male - Battle - Boosted
Companion 2: Clouded leopard, Female - Battle
*Companion 3: Fisher, Male - Battle
Mutation 1: Saber fangs - Offensive
Mutation 2: Bear paws - Offensive
Mutation 3: Bone spurs - Offensive
Skills: Master Fighter & Master Hunter
Specialty: Bloodletter

"Speech"

The irritation painted on Azure's grimace gave Artorias no joy. He didn't enjoy feeling this tension from someone he was supposed to call family. His marriage to Briar was supposed to help tether him closer to the Fatalis family, yet he'd never felt more at odds with someone as he did with Azure. All he could think of was the apology he'd been given, laden with excuses and stories made to make himself seem empathetic and like the victim in his narrative. He'd tried to shift the onus of the conflict onto Artorias by claiming that he was the one that needed to understand Hanako and how she was, as if that forgave all trespasses and offenses by the mere merit of her existence. Artorias could understand Azure's desire to shield his mate from reprisal just as he desired to avenge the slight against his mate, but it had felt more like Azure was trying to avoid culpability than take it and make amends. Ultimately, that hadn't been what led to this confrontation. What had led to the two dire wolves facing off was Azure's attempt to appeal to Art's love of family to twist things in his favor. He'd forgiven the words said against Briar, but this was now between the Champion who had tried to manipulate him and the Aegis he'd offended.

Artorias did not know Azure. That was the long and short of the matter. He knew nothing about the man opposite him save for his name, title, and lineage. He did not know the effort Azure had made when he'd apologized, did not know that he was the only one the Champion had spoken those words to, but he also never considered the fear Azure had of him using his vulnerability against him. Artorias was not in the business of keeping sensitive information to harm and manipulate others. Azure agreed to his challenge with an uncharacteristically exasperated sigh, then told him he put no restrictions on family. Artorias' scowl twitched on his face when Azure used that word. Did the dire wolf really consider him family? How could he? He didn't know Artorias any more than Art knew him. The azure wolf shook his head at the mention of the Armada. "This is between us. Just us." There would be no retaliation on anyone's behalf for him—not his family nor his pack. Whatever happened, happened.

Like that, their fight began. Azure didn't waste time on banter, something Artorias appreciated and respected. He'd rather get down to the matter at hand as well. Azure charged, closing the distance between them swiftly. Although he had more than ample time to draw his sword, Artorias did not. He held his ground, but he did not escalate with Azure. He truly did not want to hurt his brother-in-law. He didn't want to draw blood or maim him—his face was torn up enough as it was—or do anything with any lasting consequences. He just wanted to show Azure his mercy and familial love was not to be taken advantage of.

Artorias held his ground, paws set and reflexes tensed. His sharpened eyes followed Azure's movements, watching while the other man lifted his mutated forepaw high to bring it down on him. Artorias shifted his weight, pivoting to the side and then lunging forward, but not quite fully out of Azure's strike. The weight of the other wolf's paw clapped down on his shoulder, not quite as squarely as his opponent had sought, but enough to force Art to brace against the other wolf's strength. Matching in height and weight, Artorias did not go down, instead seizing the opportunity to use their closer proximity to push himself through to lunge for Azure with parted jaws, seeking to bite down where the Fatalis prince's neck and shoulder met. Azure's claws raked through his thicker fur, thankfully nullifying much of the damage, though the sting still remained. As he moved, Artorias also lifted a forepaw with the intent to wrap it around the other side of Azure's neck and get him in a grapple. He might not be able to topple the battle-hardened Armadan, but he was certainly going to try to make it difficult for him to maneuver.

Artorias vs Azure for Dominance
Round 1/2
Age: 1+ years
Size: Dire wolf
Build: Medium
Offensive Battle Accessory: Damascus steel sword
Defensive Battle Accessory: Reinforced leather cuirass
Companion 1: Common raven, Male - Flying - Boosted
Companion 2: Silver cross fox - Battle - Boosted
*Companion 3: Common raven, Female - Flying
Mutation 1: Stronger teeth and jaws - Offensive
Mutation 2: Thicker fur - Defensive
Mutation 3: Enhanced vision - Perception
Skills: Master Fighter & Master Navigator
Specialty: Knight or Fleet-footed

"Artorias Carpathius"

It was likely the first time in Azure's life that he'd come to blows with an individual over whom there was no advantage. Each man was an experienced and proven battler, an alpha, equal in size and weight and even gifts. As Azure made to grapple Artorias he felt the weight of the Aegis' paw mirroring it upon his own shoulder. Flexing his paws, Azure aimed to dig his claws deeper into the unnaturally thick fur, wishing to hold onto the position. Whichever man buckled first would be the loser, there could be no question of unfairness when it came to combat like this.

Artorias' jaws clamped down upon his shoulder and Azure's own jaws parted in response, his seething inhale morphing into a snarl. With Artorias' head bowed to bite nearer to his chest, Azure arched his own neck to attempt to land a bite of his own upon the man's side of his head. His top teeth aimed to come down atop the ear and the bottom teeth below it. It would not do to escalate this into anything more then it was, and Azure had experience in fighting with his sabers against people he did not wish to harm heavily. He ensured the extended canines were angled to enclosing the ear between them rather than pierce it, and intended on grasping as much flesh as he could at it's base with the bite to reduce the risk of tearing to the ear itself as he sought control of Artorias' head.

Azure vs Artorias for Dominance
Round 2/2
Age: over 1 year
Size: Dire wolf
Build: Medium
Offensive Battle Accessory: Bracers with knife
Defensive Battle Accessory: Condor body armor
Companion 1: Large flying fox, Male - Battle - Boosted
Companion 2: Clouded leopard, Female - Battle
*Companion 3: Fisher, Male - Battle
Mutation 1: Saber fangs - Offensive
Mutation 2: Bear paws - Offensive
Mutation 3: Bone spurs - Offensive
Skills: Master Fighter & Master Hunter
Specialty: Bloodletter

"Speech"

Fear and intimidation were not emotions Artorias felt when he was facing off against an opponent. He'd experienced enough in his short life to callous him to such feelings. It was a double-edged sword; early trauma to break him so that it would harden him later. Azure was an intimidating wolf, a presence to acknowledge and a force to be reckoned with. But Artorias was no stranger to fighting opponents that matched him in size, stature, mutations, or ability. He had faced off against Sirius and toppled the Warlord. It would be a challenge, but one the young alpha was not going to buckle under. While he pressed his attack, Artorias felt the bite of Azure's bear-like claws dig into his skin, his thicker coat doing what it could to help buffer the razors on the other wolf's paw, but it could not stop everything. Artorias flinched when he felt those claws find purchase in his skin, just about that time his jaws made contact with Azure's shoulder. Art bit down as hard as he could, not seeking to draw blood, but not giving Azure any inch to take advantage of. He had to be careful; his stronger jaws could clamp down harder than most wolves, and he didn't want to break his brother-in-law's shoulder or cripple him.

His successful attack had put the two dire wolves into a grappling match, both pushing against one another's might and trying to gain an advantage or leverage over the other. They were so evenly matched, it would likely come down to a stroke of luck or the right timing. Wrestling against each other's mights like sumo wrestlers would mean whoever made a slip first would lose. The snarl Artorias was able to draw from Azure gratified him, though it was short-lived when he heard that same snarl come closer to his ear. In his current position, Artorias was unable to withdraw from Azure quick enough to avoid his attack. Azure's jaws wound up clasping around the top and side of his head, those deadly sabers grazing his skin without piercing him. Artorias could still struggle, though at the cost of rending his scalp and cheek through Azure's teeth. Knowing he was about to be in a risky position, Artorias threw his Hail Mary and threw all his weight forward, using the powerful muscles in his hind legs from years of avid exploration and racing to propel him forward into Azure with all his might. Still locked to one another in their grapple, he sought to throw Azure off balance with his aggressive surge and shove his head harder into his opponent's grappling jaws, hoping it would be enough to stun or knock the Fatalis man off his paws, even if it meant dragging himself down in Azure's jaws along the way. This was not a graceful fight by any means—it was raw, primal, emotionally charged. Artorias was trying to prove something to Azure.

Artorias vs Azure for Dominance
Round 2/2
Age: 1+ years
Size: Dire wolf
Build: Medium
Offensive Battle Accessory: Damascus steel sword
Defensive Battle Accessory: Reinforced leather cuirass
Companion 1: Common raven, Male - Flying - Boosted
Companion 2: Silver cross fox - Battle - Boosted
*Companion 3: Common raven, Female - Flying
Mutation 1: Stronger teeth and jaws - Offensive
Mutation 2: Thicker fur - Defensive
Mutation 3: Enhanced vision - Perception
Skills: Master Fighter & Master Navigator
Specialty: Knight or Fleet-footed

"Artorias Carpathius"

And the winner is...

Artorias

Azure must give up by submitting, fleeing or passing out. Totals: Artorias: Attack Roll: 87 Defense Roll: 67 Agility Roll: 76 Perception Roll: 89 Total: 319 Attack[87] + 55% Bonus[47.85]: 134.85 Defense[67] + 20% Bonus[13.40]: 80.40 Agility[76] + 55% Bonus[41.80]: 117.80 Perception[89] + 40% Bonus[35.60]: 124.60 Total[457.65] + 25% Bonus[114.41]: 572.06 Azure Attack Roll: 85 Defense Roll: 14 Agility Roll: 59 Perception Roll: 96 Total: 254 Attack[85] + 110% Bonus[93.50]: 178.50 Defense[14] + 10% Bonus[1.40]: 15.40 Agility[59] + 0% Bonus[0.00]: 59.00 Perception[96] + 0% Bonus[0.00]: 96.00 Total[348.90] + 40% Bonus[139.56]: 488.46

Artorias shoved himself forward, the surge of energy managing to unbalance Azure briefly. His rear legs began to buckle against the push and he was forced to release his brother-in-law long enough for the Aegis to get the upper hand and come out victorious. He broke off from the combatant and blew out an annoyed sigh.

"You get whatever you need settling out of your system, then?" Azure knew how to take a loss, he'd long outgrown the frustration of not winning every match he threw himself into. He'd move on from this with ease, the question was whether Artorias could say the same - and whether the blue-furred alpha would take his win as an excuse to continue to look down upon him and his family. Absently he wondered if Artorias now regretted not taking his offer in going further in their match, and whether or not taking with him a chunk of Azure's skin might have restored the male's pride further.

"Speech"

For what felt like an eon, the two powerful alpha wolves struggled against one another's might. A true tale of unstoppable forces and immovable objects. But just when Artorias began to feel the strain in his muscles tugging away his confidence for a victory, Azure's stance wobbled, and it was enough for the Carpathian to shift his weight forward, shoving into Azure hard enough to push him back. Azure broke their grapple before he went down, conceding defeat with an irritated sigh. Artorias was breathing hard, not quite a full pant but the effort it had taken to defeat Azure was evident. It had been a damn good fight.

The Fatalis man asked if he'd gotten what he needed out of his system and Artorias... Artorias just balked. He had expected some sort of retort, some sort of snide comment or... or anything to justify his anger towards Azure! Instead, his peer gave him nothing to use to fuel that negativity. It left the Aegis standing stunned, frustrated while he caught his breath. "No. Yes. Maybe. Ugh..." Artorias groaned and shook his head, a silent snarl contorting his features into a grimace, though it was directed inwardly and not at Azure. "I don't know. I thought... I thought I'd feel justified. Satisfied, or something. But I don't." With another huff and a groan, Artorias' tensed stance relaxed until he flopped back to his haunches, the fight in him ebbing away. He'd felt slighted by Hanako's remark at his wedding and by Azure's oblique apology after, but the reception he thought he'd felt for challenging his brother-in-law wasn't there. Instead, Artorias just felt hollow, like he'd done something wrong for all the wrong reasons.

Onyx ears folded back to his head while he wrestled with his thoughts and conscience. He had felt anger going into a fight with Azure, but coming out of it, he just felt guilt. Azure had fought hard and he'd won fairly, but in the wake of that victory came no warmth of righteousness, no assured sense that he'd done the right thing. He'd just fought his brother-in-law, someone he was supposed to consider family, and for what? What did he get out of it? Had he just wrecked any possible relationship he could have had with the Armadan Champion? Artorias did not regret the choice to not go for blood on his kin; that would have only compounded his guilt more to harm Azure permanently. Artorias glowered down at the ground, that nagging feeling in his heart that he'd acted immaturely and judged poorly eating away at him. After a moment of internal conflict, Artorias simply mumbled, "...I'm sorry, Azure. I was angry and I fucked up. I should've been better than I was and I wasn't."

"Artorias Carpathius"

Artorias' contradictory response was unexpected, Azure's ears flicking forward to catch the uncertainty in the younger man's voice. He remained quiet while the Aegis wrestled with his emotions, observing the indecision and waiting to hear what his judgement may be. In the end it seemed the win brought the blue furred man no satisfaction at all, and Azure's head shook in disappointment as he was forced to acknowledge that this rift had not been sealed. There was only so much Azure could - and would - do to bridge this gap between them, and his limit for grovelling had already been well exceeded from the last time the two had spoken. Diplomacy shouldn't be this damn hard.

It took a long while for the other alpha to come to terms with his thoughts and eventually, a mumbled apology followed the silence. The admittance was surprising, and begrudgingly something Azure could half-way respect. "Yes, you should have been." He stated, his tone subdued as to soften the blow. "But anger is something I can understand..  and vengeance even more so." Who was Azure to judge an overreaction in defense of one's mate, when he himself was waiting for the right time to go scorched earth on another pack in defense of his own? He would not restate his apology (having felt he'd done more than enough of that back in the courtyard of the castle) but neither would he let his brother-in-law wallow in guilt. "If you can manage to put this all behind you, I'm willing to start over, for at least my sister's sake." The conflict had put a sour taste in Azure's mouth regarding his sister's choice of mate, but being willing to accept his share of the blame spoke to Artorias' character. They were family after all, and Az had no interest in harming the relations between the Armada and one of it's closest allies over one unbecoming comment.

"Speech"

Azure's curt response agreeing with his claim that he should have been better than stooping to petty revenge hit Artorias like a punch to the gut, leaving the Carpathian wondering if this was the tone set for the rest of their lives. Tense, curt replies and forced decorum for the sake of their alliance. But Azure didn't seem to be interested in holding any grudges against him, even empathizing with his familiarity with the emotion of anger and the act of vengeance. His brother-in-law surprised him further by offering a truce; an agreement that if he could let go of the resentment and put the incident behind him, the Fatalis prince would be willing to put this whole mess behind him and start over. For a wolf who specialized in the art of revenge, this felt like a brand new start for Artorias. How could he refuse the offer for a fresh start? He couldn't.

Artorias glanced up at Azure for a brief moment, perhaps to scrutinize the other wolf's sincerity, but found no signs of dishonesty in his expression. He nodded and picked himself up, rising back to his paws while he acknowledged Azure's offer. "Then let's start over," Art said assent. "We're going to be spending a lot of time working together, and I'd like to do it with us as brothers, Azure." The Armada and the Hallows had always been a close knit union of two packs, one born from the other. Aside from the Armada's tethers to the Ashen Empire, Artorias could not recall another alliance built in Boreas or Auster that stood stronger than theirs. Azure was still something of an enigma to the onyx and blue alpha, especially since Briar had little in the way of relationship with her own brother, but perhaps this would be the start of a new chapter where he and Azure would become thick as thieves. Or maybe they'd outright hate each other. Only time would tell.

"Azure," said Artorias after a moment, gold-flecked amber eyes shifting to meet the blues of his compatriot, "thank you, for not twisting the knife." He knew it would have been far easier for Azure to simply hold a grudge against him and seek revenge in recompense for his brash actions. Forgiveness took effort, and he wanted Azure to know it wasn't overlooked by the other wolf.

"Artorias Carpathius"