i dont mind if anyone else wants to enter this to watch!

A lot had been on his mind lately. Perhaps it was his life flashing before his eyes just as everything started to look up for him, or maybe it was his birthday and the addition of Sirius and Zee's newest litter that had him wanting more. Children were a responsibility that he knew neither him or Malachai were ready for, if they ever would be. He might adore kids, but raising them when he still felt like one himself was probably a recipe for disaster.

Grimshaw instead sought responsibility in a different way. He already knew that he would be asking Malachai to marry him soon, something he was nervous about but just as equally confident. Ever since Artorias' wedding, Grim knew that he wanted the same for himself and the Klein man, but he didn't know when until recently. Waiting until the right time would be the hardest part, but he knew that soon the other man's birthday would arise. He felt comfortable giving himself until the fall to propose, but that hardly did anything for him now.

His bar would be opening soon, though he planned for that to be more of an grand opening and so took his time to finish the last touches to acquire as much alcohol as possible before, what he hoped would be, the big event. He'd been doing a lot of thinking during this time, that he appreciated everything that the Armada had done for him. It only made sense to him that he would want to repay that back, more than he already had in the rank he'd acquired before their move back in Winter. He might not be of Fatalis blood, or even a Carpathius by blood, but he felt that he'd done a lot for the Armada since Sirius brought him here that fateful night.

He'd hunted religiously through The Long Night until he himself could no longer push through the worst of the symptoms, provided food and pelts for the sick before he would need them himself. Although he wondered if anyone noticed his efforts, he never questioned it or expected anything in return. He was serving his pack and doing what he was expected to do... but that didn't mean it wouldn't add up over time, hopefully backing up his reasoning for standing in the middle of the Col with his back to the Obelisk. Sirius had recently handed over his rank to Azure, and after their short trip to the Crazy Cat Compound Grimshaw had a new opinion on the man he'd hardly had the pleasure of getting to know before.

His loyalty had been to Sirius, to the man that had saved his life that day, but he was also loyal to the Armada. If Sirius felt that Azure was ready to lead, the Grimshaw would trust them both. With that came the desire to prove his loyalty to Azure, however this time he wouldn't beat around the bush. He sought to prove his loyalty in a much more direct way, seeking to claim the responsibility he felt that he was actually ready for. Dipping his head back, Grimshaw called for the new warlord as his muscles twitched with excitement and nerves.

"Speech!"

art © basilisk ─ code © skelle 2022

A second call in one week? Things were getting interesting. At least this one had merit, he was being summoned by an actual adult warrior and not a broken runt. Arriving promptly, he inclined his head respectfully and offered the man his full attention. Was this brought forth from the trip they had taken together, or was it something else?

"Grimshaw. To what do I owe the pleasure?" Azure had his suspicions - could smell the adrenaline and excitement as well as witness it visually in the twitching of the man's muscled form - though he had been proven wrong before. After all, Grimshaw had told him he'd recently fallen off a mountain. Was he even healed enough to go through with what Az had expected this call to be for? The new Warlord remained polite and relaxed, though within his own adrenaline was beginning to spike. It felt very emboldening to be called for in this manner, to know that Grimshaw had not decided to wait for Sirius' return to have his words. It made him feel accepted in his position as leader and not merely a temporary replacement.. though he'd never admit it aloud.

"Speech"

While it might not have been recommended that the man engage in such an important battle, Grimshaw hardly cared. He healed long enough, took more than enough time to rest and recuperate and so here he was. He was the first to admit that he was stupid for falling off of the mountain, but everyone made mistakes and it was only those that didn't learn from them that one had to worry about. Grimshaw knew he had made a silly error that could have ended in the loss of his life, but fate had been kind of him that day and he sought to make the best of it.

It didn't take the man long to answer his call and for that Grimshaw was thankful. He dipped his head briefly as he approached, though he wouldn't offer the man much time before stating his intentions. He didn't call him to the center of the packlands for a chitchat. He called him here to prove he's earned more than the rank he shared with the warlord's own son. Sure, the child had earned it, but that didn't make Grimshaw feel any better about being ranked with a near child.

"I challenge you for the Gladiator rank," he nearly barked, pausing only to steady his adrenaline filled voice. "To prove that my loyalty isn't just to Sirius, but to the whole Armada, and to you." He finished, holding back from beginning the challenge now in favor of a proper start, or in case a verbal debate on his own behalf was in order first.

"Speech!"

art © basilisk ─ code © skelle 2022

Azure maintained the state of calm, nodding as Grimshaw stated his intention and fixing him with his sharp judgemental gaze. This wolf had ambition - not had a rank such as Gladiator been challenged for since he was a brand new adult. It was not a bad thing, though Az took the role he had to play here seriously. He was responsible in Sirius' absence for ensuring that the right wolves rose up; as emboldening and empowering as it was to be challenged here in his father's stead today was, it would be as emasculating and enfeebling to appoint the wrong wolf to power and be reprimanded on his sire's return.

He considered the request carefully, allowing the silence and tension to build while he mulled over his words. "As my Gladiator you would be expected to act not only in my stead, but to act swiftly and without hesitation. To have the confidence and strength of will to strike down disobedience and disorder. A Gladiator does not have the luxury of wavering or second guessing, and thus I will not give you that option today." He turned his head and gestured his companions forward, watching as they crossed the threshold of the caverns and made their way to stand at his side. "Fight me with all your might, Howler, and I will give you the same. If I catch you holding yourself back, I will assume you are not right for the job." He hoped it went unspoken that neither man would intentionally aim to disable the other, nor remove body parts. One could be an efficient taskmaster without dismembering their charges.

He gave the man a moment to ready himself and opened the battle with a snarl. His companions rushed in at the signal, the fisher circling wide while the leopard took the other side. Both land-creatures aiming to come at Grimshaw's rear flank as Azure went for a frontal assault. Azure moved quickly, crossing the space between them in large strides and aiming first to crash hard into the other man's chest with his shoulder blade. His jaws parted, moving at the same instant to come around Grimshaw's side with intent to graze his sabers across the side of the neck to open two painful and parallel gashes there. As for Az's bat, he took to the sky. Circling above the combatants to wait for an opportunity to distract and harass.

Azure vs Grimshaw for Minor Maim (Neck scarring)
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"

He was ecstatic that the man accepted his challenge, though it wouldn't show on his features more than it already had. He'd been prepared for this, though he was aware of the chance he'd be turned down either in favor of Sirius' return or not believing him to be ready. It didn't stop him from preparing though; bracers strapped snugly to his forelimbs and his skull sleeve armor protecting his vitals from harm.

The man spoke and Grimshaw would listen carefully, intent on doing exactly as he had said without his suggestion. He smirked and grabbed the the bottle he assumed to be liquor and downed the liquid with two quick swallows before tossing the pungent bottle away. He wasn't given but another moment to prepare himself for the equally large, but slightly heavier, man to come charging at him but he was ready more than ever to begin despite the foul tast left behind in his mouth. The leopard and the weasel hadn't gone unnoticed by Grimshaw, but he knew that behind the obelisk his own companions would wait and so he kept his focus on the man barreling towards him.

The wolverine was quick on his feet to trail the weasel, snapping after the vermin's tail to yank the smaller animal back and away from the flank it sought. The monkey was much more stealthy, having climbed to the top of the obelisk and watching from above until the right moment to jump. As the leopard came close, the howler monkey would leap with the intention of landing on the felines back and holding on to distract it from its own attack. Azure wasn't the only one with a giant bat, though, and Grimshaw knew this. His own had hung back, hiding on the mountainside near their den until it could catch sight of the other bat. Taking off, the bat hurried over to distract the other bat, intending to chase it around or coerce it into chasing him.

Grimshaw, pleased to be distraction free, held his ground with spread limbs as the man's left shoulder would collide into the center of the chest and knock the wind out of his lungs. It caused him to cough, saliva spraying from between clenched teeth as he growled. The familiar sting of sabers scraped down his neck, though he was blind to most of the pain even as his head dipped downwards with parting jaws. If his flesh snagged into the man's teeth he wouldn't know as he sought to capture the man's massive left paw between his own sharpened teeth and (much smaller) sabers. He doubted Azure would lose his balance and land on his face from his accelerated forward motion should he be successful in grabbing Azure's gigantic paw, but Grimshaw couldn't say that he wouldn't like to see it and that it wasn't his intention!

Using Pungent Potion
Grimshaw vs Azure for Minor Maim (Left Paw Scarring)
Round 1/2
Age: Over 1
Size: Dire wolf
Build: Light
Offensive Battle Accessory: Leather foreleg bracers with knife
Defensive Battle Accessory: Dire wolf skull head armor
Companion 1: Wolverine, Male - Battle
Companion 2: Black howler monkey, Male - Battle
*Companion 3: Melanistic flying fox, Male - Flying
Mutation 1: Elongated sharper teeth - Offensive
Mutation 2: Double upper canines - Offensive
Mutation 3: Enhanced vision - Perception
Skills: Master Fighter & Master Hunter
Specialty: Juggernaut


"Speech!"

art © basilisk ─ code © skelle 2022

From Grimshaw's flanks the two land companions were intercepted, each forced to turn to acknowledge their own combats and abandon their attempts to harry and harass the wolf opponent. From the sky his bat was interrupted for the first time in the creature's long life with him, and Azure made a mental note to finally equip it with the wing blades he'd meant to so long ago.

Distraction free, the wolves met chest to shoulder in an explosion of growls. Azure felt his fangs lace through the flesh upon the man's neck and moved to finish the combination attack with a grapple, his forepaw lifting from the ground with the intent to throw over the man's broad shoulders. The positioning of his head made visibility poor however, and as his left paw came up, a sharp and seering pain shot through the wide pad. The bite brought the movement of that limb to a halt, his toes flexing instinctively against the pain to try and curve his claws inward into the lower half of his attacker's muzzle (though truthfully he could not anticipate it working when he was feeling blindly.)

The paw was sensitive, the pain enough to fog his mind and bring from clenched teeth a bubbling snarl. Without his most easily utilised and practised with mutation, Azure was forced to change tactics. He would have to attempt to make use of the strength of the man's jaws to continue. With one weight-bearing limb held in the air, he knew his only chance to complete his attack was to force Grimshaw's head and neck to bear his weight to regain mobility, and push into the bite. Even if the man held fast to his paw, Azure could use the strength as a sort of stepping stone to take the weight off his right limb and allow it to move. If Grimshaw would release, well, he had mobility back anyways. Throwing his weight into the puncturing teeth would, unfortunately, deepen the injury significantly - but it was not Azure's first maim and the prospect of a fourth serious injury was not enough to make him concede.

Shifting his weight to his left side, he aimed to throw his right limb over the man's left shoulder, releasing his bite to make room. While normally making a habit of utilizing his bear paws in this sort of attack, he would have less raw strength and less leverage with one paw contained and with only one to pull with. Instead, he sought to draw his body very close, pushing his limb and elbow spur past Grimshaw's back, and then recoiling the arm backwards while bending it to attempt to drive the point of the spur into the space beside the spine. As he applied pressure with his elbow, he aimed to pull with his mangled paw (whether the grip upon the muzzle landed or not) the same way, hoping to find Grimshaw on the ground and bring about the end of the fight.

Azure vs Grimshaw for Minor Maim (Neck scarring)
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"

The tearing of fangs through his neck was painful, but kept him focused as he snapped at the mans rising left forepaw and caught it between his sharpened teeth. He was mildly surprised he had managed to successfully capture the large paw, but it would be no more than a moment later that he felt the elongated, curved claws of Azure's bear-like paw wrapping around his muzzle and digging into the flesh as the man used his jaw as leverage to rise. He did he best to keep his grip, hoping that the large man bringing the arm on his opposite side over would be far too uncomfortable to achieve nut he was wrong.

Azure's arm wrapped around Grimshaw's narrow shoulders easily, causing the darker man to growl around the man's paw. The weight on his back was familiar and easy to support, but as it hung off of his left side it felt as unbalanced as it looked. With rigid jaws he did his best to retain his grip as he ducked his head down and then towards the right as if he were going to flip the man off of his shoulders by his massive arm. In fact, that was his exact intention. As he rolled his shoulders forward, he felt the spur of Azure's elbow dig into the flesh adjacent to the spine within his neck as if he were a fish snared by a fishing gaff in the gills.

Using Pungent Potion
Grimshaw vs Azure for Minor Maim (Left Paw Scarring)
Round 2/2
Age: Over 1
Size: Dire wolf
Build: Light
Offensive Battle Accessory: Leather foreleg bracers with knife
Defensive Battle Accessory: Dire wolf skull head armor
Companion 1: Wolverine, Male - Battle
Companion 2: Black howler monkey, Male - Battle
*Companion 3: Melanistic flying fox, Male - Flying
Mutation 1: Elongated sharper teeth - Offensive
Mutation 2: Double upper canines - Offensive
Mutation 3: Enhanced vision - Perception
Skills: Master Fighter & Master Hunter
Specialty: Juggernaut


"Speech!"

art © basilisk ─ code © skelle 2022

Malachai was doing his best to focus on himself a bit more, it was hard, Grim had been up and properly mobile for a while now but it was hard for Malachai to not worry. But Grimshaw was moving forwards and Malachai knew he needed to make sure he wasn't going to be left behind. That was a fear he'd never felt before but an anxiety had been nagging at the back of his mind since the night Grimshaw had returned from the Hallows, and it only got stronger as Grimshaw had recovered and continued to work his ass off for the Armada while Malachai had been struggling to adjust. He was terrified that he'd be left behind, that he wasn't worthy of Grimshaw, that his boyfriend had better options. This was the emotion that surged through him as he caught Grimshaw's call. That and pride. He was so proud of Grimshaw Malachai stopped what he was doing to make sure he showed up to support his boyfriend. He arrived while the fight was well underway and the man settled himself on his haunches silently, knowing well enough he didn't need to say anything for Grimshaw to know he was there to support him.

"Speech!"

code © skelle 2022 ─ art © naiterion

And the winner is...

Grimshaw

Azure must give up by submitting, fleeing or passing out. Grimshaw's maim is successful. Totals: Azure: Attack Roll: 75 Defense Roll: 31 Agility Roll: 37 Perception Roll: 95 Total: 238 Attack[75] + 110% Bonus[82.50]: 157.50 Defense[31] + 10% Bonus[3.10]: 34.10 Agility[37] + 0% Bonus[0.00]: 37.00 Perception[95] + 0% Bonus[0.00]: 95.00 Total[323.60] + 40% Bonus[129.44]: 453.04 Grimshaw: Attack Roll: 88 Defense Roll: 40 Agility Roll: 81 Perception Roll: 43 Total: 252 Attack[88] + 110% Bonus[96.80]: 184.80 Defense[40] + 10% Bonus[4.00]: 44.00 Agility[81] + 5% Bonus[4.05]: 85.05 Perception[43] + 20% Bonus[8.60]: 51.60 Total[365.45] + 25% Bonus[91.36]: 456.81

The brawl was a fight of raw strength and power, each man making moves through their own pain and neither quite ready to concede. As Azure pulled Grimshaw into the sharp one-armed hug, he felt the man's frame exert pressure back. The teeth remained locked tight upon his paw (which was starting to feel rather numb by now) and taking advantage of Azure's lack of balance, Grimshaw managed to use his own grab against him to flip him.

Azure knew he'd been bested, not bothering to launch another assault once he pushed himself back up to his paws from the ground. The injured limb hung before him, blood dripping down between his toes and onto his curved claws as he held it up from the dirt. It was a win well earned, and Grimshaw had followed every instruction and managed to give Azure a scar he would remember from it. "Well done, Gladiator." Out of breath and panting, Az gave the man a proud grin. "I think you could have bested Sirius with that one."

He noticed then the spectator, Grimshaw's own mate come to watch his victory. To Malachai he directed his next words. "Tend to him well, he's earned it. I'll leave you two to celebrate." Glancing back to the victor, Azure bowed his head. "And Gladiator, come see me when you've had your wounds looked at. I have a job for you." With another wolf added to the Armada's ranks of leadership, the responsibility of determining and doling out punishment was no longer Az's concern. He was especially thankful of the timing of Grimshaw's promotion - it meant that Kite's punishment for her attempted maim against him might be seen as fair and unbiased, without Azure having a hand in it.

"Speech"