While he had never been much of a hunter, he certainly had the sense to see the path that had been cut out by the large creature that came before him. The steady decline to the water's edge was damp in places, muddy in others. It made the descent into the fjord a little more treacherous than it normally would be, but It was just another tool to be used to achieve his intended result. The size of the track- the depth of the imprint- the beast he followed was most certainly a bear and a big one at that. And while he wasn't entirely sure of what was going to happen when he caught up with it, he certainly wasn't interested in a friendly conversation. He chased the high. The taste of blood. Ever since his fight with the coyotes, he craved the rush, and today he was going to satisfy the desire.

As he followed the trail of his unsuspecting victim, he came all the way to the water's edge. Breaking through the tree line with a quick panning look, his amber gaze immediately found the massive lumbering form of the grizzly bear as it appeared to be fishing just out in the water. Aresenn grit his teeth in momentary annoyance. It wasn't that he couldn't swim- he could swim just fine. But he wasn't sure how well he could swim whilst fighting for his life. Blinking in casual thought, he began searching his surroundings for a point that he could possibly lure the bear to that would give him the advantage.

( 264 / 1500 )

Before Sephiran knew it the season had changed, which meant the young Saxe pup had finally become a yearling. He could care less about how the weather was altered; but it was somewhat interesting to him, how this new place seemed to be in the spring season, while farther south had transitioned into fall. Whatever the cause for that, he would never know. But it was something he took note of regardless. And, what was even more intriguing to him, was that the small fangs that had sprouted in the winter had finally grown past his bottom jaw. They weren’t as long as his father’s just yet, but it was only a matter of time until they rivaled those of the Saxe Sultan. The saber fangs were a trait that had erupted in his father, for unknown reasons. And, to his knowledge, Sephiran was the only child who had received the trait… which made him further believe he was a prodigy, meant to rule over the lesser beings of this earth. A god who had manifested in the flesh of the Saxe child. Or so he grandiosity told him. His thirst for knowledge and power was what possessed him to cross the small land strip that cut through the ocean. Beyond this passageway was a ridge where the ocean and the river met. It provided the perfect environment to form a dense forest at the banks of the water, teeming with life that the boy could hear all around him. Though, nothing in particular stood out as he trailed along the edge of the water, silently wondering if the girl with the overly protective parents would show up. This went on for a while, and towards the end of his journey, he contemplated stopping to rest. But finally, something exciting presented itself to him. ( 568  / 1500 ) ”Speech”

It was then his attention settled on an overhang, near where the bear stood in the water. Maybe he could drop down on it from there and take it by surprise. Lacking any better idea, that's exactly what he moved to do. It took a bit of backtracking, for him to come down on top of the bluff, but he was pleased to see that the predator hadn't moved from its fishing spot by the time he got settled in his point of interest. Creeping to the edge, he peered down ... it was going to be quite the jump. Quickly taking stock of what he had to work with from his vantage, an idea popped into his head. With a swipe of his paw, he kicked a bunch of stones off from the ledge and immediately ducked out of sight. From his cover, he heard the bear growl, followed by the splashing of water as it hopefully moved closer to the source of the sound.

With his heart pounding in his chest, he dared to peek down at the bear, and while it wasn't perfectly aligned ... it was certainly a closer target than before. Without further hesitation, he launched himself down from his spot and immediately reached for a hold of the unsuspecting bear's shoulders. He had the advantage of surprise, but nowhere near in size. So he felt that at this point, his only chance at a prolonged engagement was if he maintained a death grip over the grizzly's spine. And with his canines sinking into flesh, he prepared himself for a violent ride.

( 833 / 1500 )

At first, it was only the sudden crashing of rocks into the river. What was off about it though, was that it didn’t seem like a natural occurrence. Then he heard the low growl of a predator much larger than himself, one he had only heard a paw full of times in his life. The growl of a bear. Sephiran was a haughty creature; a boy who believed himself to be indestructible, powerful, and almighty. But not even he was naive to the power of such a beast. And yet he couldn’t deny the adrenaline sprouting from his abdomen, or the excitement he felt at the thought of killing it. Impulsed by curiosity and bloodlust, Sephiran moved toward the source of the sound. He arrived just in time to see another wolf, who was close in age, leaping from a ledge to land on the bear’s back. His tongue slipped past his teeth to caress his fangs, saliva pooling inside of his mouth, as he watched the scene unfold. He was assessing the situation, deciding if this was a good time or a death wish. Perhaps even both. Either way, it didn’t take long for impulsion to set in, as his lust for carnage was irrepressible. He took advantage of the bear's furry towards the unknown attacker, choosing to circle the fray before launching himself at an exposed back limb. He closed his jaws around the lower portion of the leg, where he knew a cluster of tendons was just below the skin’s surface. His fangs sunk deeply into the muscle, penetrating nearly to the bone before Sephiran tightened his hold and violently jerked his head back. It took several heaves backward before he was able to tear through the achilles tendon, which would render the bear’s hind limb useless. But this victory would not come without consequence. The bear was no longer distracted by the attacker on its back and had twisted to contort its body in a way where it could swipe at Sephiran with its front paw. When he saw the attack coming, he tried to sidestep fast enough to avoid it. But, he wasn’t quick enough. The bear’s paw caught his right limb, and Sephiran’s upper half was scooped out from under him, causing him to tumble several feet away before rolling to an abrupt stop against the base of a tree. ( 1221  / 1500 ) ”Speech”

He could practically taste the rage that engulfed the writhing creature beneath him as it leeched out over his tongue. The sweetly metallic taste of blood flooded his mouth, and had he been given the opportunity to enjoy it, he would have. However, he still had a fight to put up as he answered the call to death. His grip along the spinal column of the bear no longer was simply an attempt at causing pain- it became the only thing that kept him out of the way of those brutal claws that couldn't quite reach him where he had managed to position himself. He gave it his own best effort to flex his own claws into the bear's thick coat to help balance himself. However, it was very difficult to maintain as the predator thrashed this way and that. Instead, he shook his head as violently as he could manage, furiously ripping into the tough flesh that protected vital organs.

It wasn't until the grizzly's attention shifted to another wolf, did he realize he was no longer alone. He managed to stay on its shoulders as it took a swipe in retaliation. But after the bear knocked the other contender aside, its attention returned to him. As the bear pushed itself to rise onto its back legs, Aresenn's entire body weight fell into the connection at his jaws. The muscles alongside the sides of his face ached with overuse, and in the moment he felt his hold slipping- he felt the bear stagger beneath him (unable to support itself on the limb that had just been decimated). He felt himself beginning to fall backward... but it wasn't him that was falling- it was the bear. In a split-second reaction, he released his hold and propelled himself away, kicking off the creature's back. The praetor boy grit his teeth as his body struck the rocky ground in aggressive fervor. What he wasn’t prepared for, was when the weight of the bear came down on his hindquarters. He snarled in a fit of rage and sudden pain as he frantically pulled himself free. Luckily the bear was dazed, roaring in its own agony at the sudden injuries to its back and destroyed leg. However, Aresenn didn't escape scot-free. A tightness in his hip forced a limp as he hauled himself out of the immediate line of fire- but he ignored it- tensing his muscles to launch himself back into the fray once at a slightly safer distance.

( 1637 / 1500 )

For several moments Sephiran laid on the earth, somewhat disoriented and in a daze. The bear hadn’t hit him hard enough to cause any bone breaks, but it would leave an extensive bruise in a few day's time. Maybe even cause a limp, should the pain radiate into his shoulder joint. But it wasn’t something he couldn’t recover from on his own. Gritting his teeth, he pulled himself onto his feet, swaying unsteadily before he was brought back to his senses. He felt a little dizzy, but it wasn’t entirely from being smacked away. Most of it originated from the rush he felt while dancing with death. It made him feel alive. He didn’t hesitate to throw himself back into the battle, manic laughter bubbling from his jaws as he leapt at the bear who had stumbled and fallen on top of the other wolf. He hadn’t bothered to really look at the other canine, or assess their condition. If they died during the battle, then so be it. Sephiran would have another carcass to feed upon… and if it were a female, well, he would have other intentions. Using the strength in his hind limbs, he launched himself at the right side of the bear’s face, splayed jaws aiming for its eye. He raked his teeth across the socket, one of his fangs penetrating through the eye’s iris and ripping the ball from the orifice as he fell back down to the ground. The bear released a pained and enraged snarl, twisting around the swipe again at the boy. But this time, he was already anticipating the retaliation and had already darted behind a towering pine tree to use it as a momentary shield. ”Speech”

Just as he was circling to make his next assault, it seemed that the other wolf was able to make a recovery. Aresenn watched with interest as he went into the bear's face with outstretched jaws after a sudden outburst of laughter. His attempt made perfect contact, and while it was difficult for him to verify at his current vantage point, he was fairly confident that the predator's vision had been compromised. Excellent. Perhaps that would leave it open for an attack on that side. However, as it moved to retaliate for its stolen eye, the purple wolf was ready.

With the bear's focus on revenge, Aresenn fell in step behind it- latching on to it's remaining hind leg (the other one having been rendered useless). While he wasn't able to cause the same kind of damage as the saber-toothed wolf had, he tore at the limb as if his life depended on it. Not sure of who the bear would choose to pursue, the flamed brute bunched his muscles in preparation to leap out of the way at the first indication that he become the target. It seemed as if they were coming up on the beginning of the end for the wretched creature, and the promise of a kill only enticed him further.  

As expected, the grizzly had swiped at him, but fell short of a successful attack as he had darted behind the pine tree. He heard the razor-sharp, powerful claws scrape against the wood, leaving behind a large gash that could have easily gutted him. The thought of his belly spilling open and his entrails heating up the forest floor brought out another fit of crazed laughter. It even escalated the itch that was bubbling in his groin, which made his already erect fur stand even higher upon his flesh. Using his momentum, Sephiran circled around the tree, bringing himself on the bear’s wounded side, where it had been robbed of its vision. Blood was weeping from the empty socket, frayed clusters of nerves, tendons, and ligaments flailing in the air as the beast swung its head from side to side. Trying to keep the two attacks in its now single line of vision. Another snarl erupted from it, the second wolf having attacked from behind and the boy took this moment to initiate an assault of his own. There would only be a few seconds window of time to reach the area he intended to attack. And when the opportunity presented itself, he didn’t hesitate to surge forward, sliding beneath the bear to sink his fangs into the soft, thinner underbelly. His sabers penetrated deeply, surpassing the muscle to reach the abdominal cavity and pierce through intestine. ”Speech”

The Praetor boy wasn't entirely sure as to what was happening between the front of the bear, and the wolf that kept it entertained. What it all meant for him was the opportunity to continue doing further damage with his own attack. Ripping a muscle and tendons, he released momentarily only to find purchase in the bend of its leg. He sank his canines into the flesh, shaking his head to do as much damage as he possibly could in the length of time he had been given.

It was then he noticed the other boy fighting his way underneath the bear -likely in search of a killing blow. The grizzly was clearly struggling at this point, but it's claws were still sharp and it was still capable of dealing lethal blows. In order to buy his unlikely help some extra time, he released his hold to dart around the scrambling predator to its front. The grizzly shuffled its paws to try and find a way to retaliate to the wolf that had managed to find an inlet to closer combat, and when it drew back to take another swipe. Aresenn lunged- catching the bear's forearm in his jaws. The sudden crash of momentum nearly knocked him back as his canines took hold. However, the entirety of his remaining strength was greater than what the weakened bear had it's forelimb. And as it tried to withdraw its arm from his grasp, Aresenn made an effort to maintain control of it by pulling it back. With any luck, he hoped the other wolf would take advantage of the window of opportunity he had provided in turn.

Sephiran was unaware of what the other wolf was doing. All he saw in his peripheral vision was a flash of crimson rush across the front half of the bear, before it emitted another enraged roar. It started to stumble again, and he had to quickly dart from side to side to avoid being trampled. This movement worked in his favor, as his fangs dragged across the beast’s underbelly, creating a jagged laceration that turned into a perforation. Steam started to fill his vision as the body-temperature organs started to spill out from the wound. With one last tug, Sephiran released his hold and crawled out from under the bear with only seconds to spare. Up until now, he had been able to ignore the pain in his front limb. But now that the adrenaline was starting to deplete, he found that putting weight on his leg caused an immense amount of pain. So much that it made him yelp which was followed by a frustrated snarl. He stumbled several feet away, pivoting in sync to turn and face the bear and the other wolf. He took that moment to study the boy, noting his features and any other attributes he could pick up on. He was tugging on the bear’s front limb, trying to either pull it back or keep it grounded. Sephiran rushed forward, snapping his jaws at the bear but his aim was sloppy given his hurt limb. The bear didn’t try to retaliate, likely too exhausted from the fight and blood loss from its belly wound. In a last, feeble attempt at survival, the beast turned and tumbled towards the bank of the river. Dragging its entrails across the ground to create a bloody trail. Sephiran was hot on its heels, ready to watch its demise and bask in the glow of his success. -fade out / exit- ”Speech”

Once he became aware that the other boy had finished whatever mission he had been on beneath the bear, Aresenn released his hold on the bear's forearm, allowing himself to be cast aside with the last remaining force the bear had to muster. The ember-hued yearling landed on clumsy paws in an effort to absorb most of his weight in his front end to avoid pressuring his hindquarters anymore than he had to. For the first time since the beginning of the conflict, the mutilated beast wasn't actively fighting for its life and took the opportunity to try and flee back towards the water. It groaned in agony, likely lacking the energy it took to scream. And just as the bear turned around, he could clearly see the damage that had been done to its guts as they dragged the rocky ground behind it. "Nice." He mumbled, admiring the handiwork.

The bear would never make it to the water. With the final exertion of its waning life, the bear tripped over its own legs and staggered to the ground. Aresenn slowly approached behind it- limping in his back end- marveling at the giant soon-to-be carcass. It wasn't a clean kill, but nevertheless, he held great enthusiasm for what they accomplished today. And as he stood heaving, he crossed the remaining distance between the bear and the bank of water to grab a long, fulfilling drink in the silence leftover from a battle well fought.

-End Thread-