Artorias had pointed Mercury in the direction of a wolf called Memento. He was yet to meet the wolf in question, and wanted to get a feel for the other. He wasn’t in a place of authority, and intended only to offer his knowledge if it was desired. He made his way to the starlit plains. The wide open spaces would be a good place to start. The light dusting of a layer of snow was cold to his toes, but it wasn’t long before they grew accustomed.

Despite winter, it was a sunny day, and there was warmth to the light that fell to his dark, rich coat. Falling into a stance of attention, he raised his head and called out to the wolf he knew only by name. It would be good to meet more of the pack he intended to call family.


"Speech"

It was a new day in the Hallows. Memento Mori rose and gathered her companions Jacques and Rein. There were no special plans for the day but the three of them would face it together. The cold was a bit unpleasant, however. The scars of Meme's and Jacques' body aches and hurt.

"I'm getting too old for this going out in the snow shit." Jacques grumbled. "We're around the same age, Jacques, and not even middle aged yet! We can beat this." The woman stuck her tongue out at the jackal. "I bet you're just ready to retire."

A calm arose, a call for her, and Meme furrowed her brow. She didn't recognize the voice. "You going to answer them?" Rein asked. Memento Mori nodded. Yeah, she was.

Leading the trio onward they made their way to the start plains. A man was waiting for them. Memento Mori tilted her head to him. "Hello there, you were looking for me?" She asked.

Mercury knew the name, and not the face. He watched the stranger as she made her way into the plains. It was when she made a beeline towards him that he was sure this was the wolf he sought. He waited until she stopped in front of him, and nodded his head politely towards her. “Memento Mori, I presume?” He asked, through her words already confirmed it.

“I’m Mercury Ermis, newly settled into the Hallows. I've been a battle instructor, and offered to teach some of the Hallows wolves. Artorias gave me your name” he explained, nodding towards her to give her a chance to explain interest in the offer or not. He was not an authority here, and he would not pressure any to learn if they did not wish to.

"Speech"

The man before her was polite, dipping his head to her before he spoke. Memento Mori dipped her head in kind, her pale gaze fixed on the blue hues of the man’s own. “You presume correct. Memento Mori Lore, at your service.” On either side of her a companion shifted, Rein looking at the man with kindness in his gaze while Jacques sized him up differently, more on guard and suspicious compared to his brother and their wolf companion. Someone had to be more cautious, after all. They had yet to meet this individual after all. The stranger would introduce himself as Mercury, a new arrival of the Hallows. He was someone seasoned in instruction, one that was willing to teach the wolves of the Hallows about the art of battle. Meme blinked, a bit surprised that Artorias had given her name. “I’m a little surprised that Artorias brought me up if I’m being honest but glad he did.” Meme glanced towards Jacques as the jackal grunted before looking back to Mercury. “Currently I am a guest of the pack, rather than a full fledge member. The wolves here have been kind, and inclusive. If you’re willing to give me some battle pointers, or even just a friendly spar, I’d like to take you up on that offer.” The woman gave a bit of a sheepish grin. “Fighting is not my primary skill if I’m being honest. I don’t mind working on it though.” "Talk, 'Think.'

Mercury raised a brow as Memento mentioned her surprise at being on his list. His unvoiced question was quickly answered as she explained being a guest and not a member. At that, his own surprise matched hers. Why had Art given her name? He had set out to give the Hallows a boost with knowledge from an additional source. He was surprised that someone staying here as a guest would be someone Art would specifically wish him to train. But if that was his Aegis wish, then Merc would rise to the challenge. Perhaps it was a package to help see what support Meme could get in the Hallows.

“Nothing wrong with that, and it's a good skill to have, whether you intend to use it or not” he agreed easily. “How about we have a spar, and go from there? It would be good to see the range of your knowledge” he explained, already falling into a battle stance, and indicating for her to do the same, and make the first move.


"Speech"

As Mercury commented on fighting Meme gave a nod of agreement. Whether it was a primary specialty or not it was useful to have in a pinch. Perhaps if she had known more back then, when she was a child, she might have done better against that Abraxas pup. Though the scar had given her a lesson in its own right, and for that, Memento Mori was grateful. He spoke of them starting with a spar, of gauging what knowledge she had by that standpoint. Memento Mori gave a nod and motioned for her companions. “You two sit out for this one.” She told them. With that Memento Mori let her pale, ghostly gaze slip to the man before her. He was already in a battle-ready stance waiting for her. She slipped into a stance of her own easily, suggesting that it was something she’d done before more than a few times. Her face remained calm and collected, a thoughtful look in her now narrowed eyes. There would be no more time for the pleasantries before their spar, but rather it would be after that their talk resumed. Memento Mori kicked off suddenly, though she fully expected Mercury to expect her approach. The distance between them was eaten up, her pale gaze never leaving his form as if it was locked to her target. Memento Mori would not, however, attempt the usual slam into her opponent's shoulder that she’d seen many a wolf do. Instead, once she neared close enough, Meme would leap first to her right, Merc’s left, and hit the ground hard, allowing her weight to shift in those precious seconds. Then she aimed to bodily push that weight back off and slam into his shoulder from the side with her own. She also attempted to shift her head to her right at an angle so her muzzle dipped upward and sought to bite the upper part of Mercury’s back that was off at an angle from the shoulder. Here’s hoping he didn’t mind her taking the spar seriously. "Talk, 'Think.'

Memento Mori vs Mercury for Spar
Round 1/2
Age: Over 1 Year {4 Years}
Size: Extra large
Build: Light
Offensive Battle Accessory: Bone dagger
Companion 1: Black-backed jackal, Male - Battle [Not Used]
Companion 2: Black-backed jackal, Male - Battle [Not Used]
Skills: Advanced Intellectual & Advanced Fighter

Mercury wasn’t left waiting long before the other wolf took off. Diving at him, and he braced for impact. Her charge took her not into a frontal attack like many wolves preferred, but one that brought her to his side. Slamming into him there. His balance held him steady as he absorbed the impact of her shoulder with nothing more than a soft grunt. This spar was more to teach him about her fighting style than anything else, and he paid close attention to her footwork balance, and choice of attacks.

As she went for his back, Solar, his cormorant dived down towards them with a fierce cry. Attempting to drive her off balance as he aimed to rank his front around to her side, lifting a forepaw as he aimed to wrap it around the one closest to his head. Attempting to dig in his cat-like claws. The point of his attacks was to test her balance s they fought.

Mercury vs Memento Mori for Spar
Round 1/2
Age: over 1
Size: Dire wolf
Build: Medium
Offensive Battle Accessory: Creepy Contact Lenses
Defensive Battle Accessory: Leather bracers
Companion 1: Cormorant, Female - Flying
Companion 2: Silver Fox, Male - Battle - Boosted
*Companion 3: Silver Fox, Female - Battle
Mutation 1: Cat claws - Offensive
Mutation 2: Thicker fur - Defensive
Skills: Master Fighter & Master Intellectual
Specialty: Weaponsmaster

"Speech"

Memento Mori’s attack landed and was surprisingly easy. Mercury kept his balance and, as she kept moving, Meme instinctively corrected her own, keeping the weight back across her four limbs. Getting unbalanced by your opponent was something you didn’t want to risk. Her fangs might have sought her opponent’s back but, as a new threat came in with a fierce Memento Mori needed to properly divide her attention. An ear flicked as the bird came diving toward her, but she did not falter there. Her bite was thwarted, but from the corner of her eye she saw another issue as Mercury tried to bring his front around to her side. His paw hooked around her foreleg and she felt cat-like claws digging into the skin. Memento was moving, trying to avoid him yanking the leg out from under her and keeping her upright as they fought. Her balance shifted more to her other three limbs, hoping to use the weight distribution to keep him from gaining anything from his hold. Memento Mori’s bite shifted direction as well as she swung her head back toward him, jaws aiming to snap toward his face. While she would not attempt to get a hold she sought to get close, enough to startle the man back if she was lucky. The companion he had, while interesting, was an afterthought at that moment. Her focus was all on Mercury. "Talk, 'Think.'

Memento Mori vs Mercury for Spar
Round 2/2
Age: Over 1 Year {4 Years}
Size: Extra large
Build: Light
Offensive Battle Accessory: Bone dagger
Companion 1: Black-backed jackal, Male - Battle [Not Used]
Companion 2: Black-backed jackal, Male - Battle[Not Used]
Skills: Advanced Intellectual & Advanced Fighter

Mercury's careful scrutinising of the wolf he fought told him of her shifts in balance as they fought. She would be a difficult wolf to knock off her paws, and he marked it down as a strength. His attempt at knocking her off balance was thwarted. As he snapped his paw back on the ground, her head shifted towards his own. Mercury opened his own maw, displaying an impressive array of teeth as he attempted to dissuade her from her own attack.

He attempted to shove his shoulder harder into her. If he could unbalance her, perhaps he could use his larger size to drive her back a few steps. Distract and hinder as they fought.


Mercury vs Memento Mori for Spar
Round 2/2
Age: over 1
Size: Dire wolf
Build: Medium
Offensive Battle Accessory: Creepy Contact Lenses
Defensive Battle Accessory: Leather bracers
Companion 1: Cormorant, Female - Flying
Companion 2: Silver Fox, Male - Battle - Boosted
*Companion 3: Silver Fox, Female - Battle
Mutation 1: Cat claws - Offensive
Mutation 2: Thicker fur - Defensive
Skills: Master Fighter & Master Intellectual
Specialty: Weaponsmaster

"Speech"

And the winner is...

MERCURY

MEMENTO MORI must give up by submitting, fleeing or passing out. Totals: MEMENTO MORI Attack Roll: 68 Defense Roll: 96 Agility Roll: 33 Perception Roll: 10 Total: 207 Attack[68] + 10% Bonus[6.80]: 74.80 Defense[96] + 5% Bonus[4.80]: 100.80 Agility[33] + 5% Bonus[1.65]: 34.65 Perception[10] + 15% Bonus[1.50]: 11.50 Total[221.75] + 15% Bonus[33.26]: 255.01 MERCURY Attack Roll: 4 Defense Roll: 27 Agility Roll: 91 Perception Roll: 64 Total: 186 Attack[4] + 55% Bonus[2.20]: 6.20 Defense[27] + 20% Bonus[5.40]: 32.40 Agility[91] + 0% Bonus[0.00]: 91.00 Perception[64] + 45% Bonus[28.80]: 92.80 Total[222.40] + 25% Bonus[55.60]: 278.00

He was a tough one. Mercury parted his jaws, displaying his teeth to dissuade Memento Mori from her attack. It was a well-thought-out plan, the woman hesitated, feeling his shoulder shove into her. The maned woman stumbled a step but refused to give any more quarter than that, refusing to let him topple her. But she was sure that this had been enough. She chose to backpedal, her pale gaze shifting to the wolf before her. He was strong. She could feel her companions eying them as Meme tipped her head to Mercury, conceding the match. “You’re pretty tough. If I let you keep pushing, I probably would have stumbled a bit.” She admitted to him. Her ears twitched as she lifted her head and Memento tipped her head to the side. “You’re an experienced fighter for sure. I can’t help but wonder what brought you to the Hallows.” Hopefully she wasn’t stepping on any sore spots there. "Talk, 'Think.'