With each silent step, Aresenn prowled through the taiga of the Polar Sound- the late morning sun casting long shadows across the valley. The crisp air carried a mix of scents: the sharpness of pine needles, the earthy musk of damp soil, and the distant tang of saltwater. The evergreens towered above as he wove his way in and out of a more densely forest part of the valley. Their branches reaching towards the sky in bristly clumps. A chorus of spring birdsong filled the air, accompanied by the occasional rustle of small animals scurrying through the underbrush. He was aware of it all, his sense tuned into his surroundings- though it was in search of a specific individual. Sephiran. Having just returned to the Sound after his scouting mission with Absinth- just in time for the gathering no-less, this was the first opportunity he had found to report his findings.

Aresenn's ears twitched in casual anticipation as he followed the scent trail, weaving through the landscape he had become quite familiar with. Though, after some time spent searching, Aresenn eventually felt a twinge of frustration. It was a rather windy day, and the scent trail eluded him. He eventually came to a halt in a small clearing, the aroma of the ocean inlet filling the air. With a deep breath, he lifted his head and called out to the brute. Hoping he was near enough to answer the beckon.

With an amber gaze that scanned his surroundings, he awaited Sephiran's response. Whether it was an answer or a sudden appearance, he was ready for anything.

"Aresenn Praetor"

While Aresenn was out completing his mission, scouting the neighboring territories with his little… friend, Sephiran would call her. The young Saxe’s mind had been running rampant, to the point of a near psychotic break. Call it an episode of mania- as he couldn’t shake the persecutory delusions plaguing his mind. It started with the information Rhazien shared with him. How Absinth had done something to Aurelia, resulting in a suicide attempt. The attempt itself wasn’t surprising- she had been threatening him with it for quite some time. But, whatever Absinth had done to provoke her into actually performing the act, must have been extreme. Or so he believed.

Rhazien had offered to handle Absinth. Which left Aresenn to Sephiran. But it wasn’t just the new event that had heightened Sephiran’s paranoia. In addition to the conflict between Aurelia and Absinth, he had noticed something… on several occasions. He had smelt Armada on Aresenn’s pelt- the owners of the market, who had attacked them at the borders and banished them from returning. Was the former pirate trying to deceive him? Was he conspiring with an enemy? Did he take him for a fool?

These musings were heavy on his mind- all-consuming, acting as an accelerant, spiraling his mania into new depths. Oh, it was all too perfect. Aresenn was calling for him now. And Sephiran bolted through the forest, crazed and out of touch with reality, until he found Aresenn. Emerging from the treeline, he came to a sudden halt. His body language had become aggressively offensive, while an unhinged spark danced in his eyes. “My, Aresenn,”  He began, walking towards the boy. Similar to how he had stalked towards the girl they killed together- calculated, predatorial, malicious. You have so much explaining to do.” Cryptic and accusatory, he treated the man as if he had been caught committing treason.

"Speech"

Aresenn's keen senses immediately picked up on the sudden appearance at the edge of the tree line. His head tilted in silent question as he observed the mysterious figure that had abruptly halted at the threshold of the clearing. He could sense that something was amiss - there was a frenzied look in Sephiran's eyes that set his own fur on end. Even the sound of his own name called out in acknowledgement sounded off, almost as if it were meant as a threat. However, Aresenn remained steadfast and composed as the other brute approached. But deep down, he knew that there was trouble brewing, whatever it may be. You have so much explaining to do. "Is that so?" His voice remained steady, but inside he was steeling himself for the inevitable and preparing to face whatever hostility he was being met with.

"Aresenn Praetor"

Staring at the crimson brute, and analyzing the distance that lay between them. Sephiran was calculating the subtleties of his movements, while surveying the makeshift arena for a means of punishment. He was expecting Aresenn to immediately confess. Wasn’t that why he called him? Wanted him to wallow at his feet, begging for forgiveness, which Sephiran would withhold if he had committed treason. Was he really prepared to kill Aresenn, right here and now? But instead, Aresenn stood his ground. Not pleading for forgiveness. Acting oblivious to the danger in front of him.

Sephiran’s mind was reeling, morphing into a state that was even more neurotic and unpredictable. Was it possible, he had misread the situation? No, never! He was a god- he knew everything, saw everything. Always able to put the pieces together, and extinguish threats before they could harm him. He just never thought Aresenn would be the one to burn him. “Is that so?” He said, repeating his words. Limbs shifted beneath him, unconsciously moving him forward. Pelt bristled, as a deep, guttural growl bellowed from inside of his chest. “Even when I’ve figured it out, and caught you in the act-” Closing the distance, readying himself for contact. His body was moving entirely on impulse. “-you deny your schemes?” Venomous accusations dripped from his opened maw.  

"Speech"

It became obviously apparent that Sephiran was lost in a delusion. One that completely consumed him- paranoia leading him down a treacherous path of madness and betrayal. As Aresenn looked into the dual-toned eyes of the individual he had described as a brother to Andromeda, he saw no trace of recognition or acknowledgement of the bond they had previously forged. The intensity of their gaze was matched only by the tumultuous rage burning within Sephiran. Is that so? His own words were spat back at him, dripping in a venomous anger. Aresenn could feel the weight of Sephiran's gaze burning into him, but he refused to meet it. Instead, he kept his own eyes fixed ahead, trying to appear unaffected by the other's intense glare. "How can I deny something when I don't even know what I'm being accused of?" Aresenn's voice was flat and controlled, betraying none of his own building frustration with the situation. He wasn't going to actively provoke the unstable brute before him, but he couldn't let the confrontation go unanswered. It was in his nature to stand up for himself and defend himself, even in the face of such an unpredictable adversary.

"Aresenn Praetor"

As he drew closer, he noticed how Aresenn broke their eye contact. The sign of a liar! He’s hiding something! Ears flipped back, pinning against his skull. Teeth bared, strings of saliva forming webs between his saber fangs, as he nearly descended upon the crimson male. Encircling him, the tips of their fur dancing. The manic rage simmering beneath his pelt was electrifying- dangerous and frenzied. It was true- the eyes staring back at Aresenn, didn’t belong to the brute he usually interacted with. Off screen, one might wonder- was Aresenn seeing himself in those eyes?

Laughter bubbled from his jaws- maniacal and demonic, before it abruptly ended with a snap of his jaws. “Absinth, Aurelia… Armada.” Stopping suddenly, bringing himself to a T position with Aresenn. “If you don’t confess,” Without warning, he could attempt to shove a shoulder forward into Aresenn’s ribs. Throwing his weight around, trying to intimidate him. “I’ll force it out of you.” A challenge and a threat. He wanted a confession.  

"Speech"

Despite the possibility of facing unjust accusations, Aresenn refused to back down. He drew upon his inner strength and braced himself for impact, squared his shoulders, and prepared to defend his personal space against Sephiran's imposing presence. With determination in his eyes, he pushed back against the burly Saxe with all his might, determined to make it clear that he wouldn't be pushed around. Despite feeling a force that threatened to knock him back from where he stood, Aresenn maintained a firm hold in his position- barring his teeth in a display of aggression, flattening his ears against his head to show he was just as serious. "I have no knowledge of Aurelia," he growled, his voice thick with frustration. His muscles tensed as he prepared for any potential attack, refusing to show any weakness in front of his coconspirator. "And vague implications won't get you information about Absinth and the Armada,"  he declared boldly, refusing to be intimidated by someone who was supposed to be an ally. He was prepared to defend himself at all costs, willing to stand up against someone he was supposed to be able to trust.

"Aresenn Praetor"

Pushing back against his advance, Aresenn’s shoulder pressed against Sephiran’s chest. Bringing them to a standstill, growling in each other's faces, teeth bared and tensions high. His anger increasing by the second, as Aresenn wouldn’t confess- choosing to play into the facade of blamelessness. “Allowing Absinth to manipulate Aurelia into attempting suicide,” Tail waiving above his hocks, while his shoulders rolled forward. Trying to shove against Aresenn’s weight again. “Disappearing for days, and returning to the Polar Sound, reeking of Armada.” Nostrils flared, and Sephiran deeply inhaled the air between them. Testing for the packs scent on Aresenns pelt, and being quite loathsome about it. Perhaps he spent the last week in Armada, instead of scouting the neighboring lands like Sephiran commanded. Accusations kept seeping from every corner of his mind, fueling the mania. “You believe these to be vague implications?” The tension between them was quickly reaching a climax. “If you’ve been exploiting me. Conspiring with an enemy. Scheming ploys to steal my toys from me.” His tone was rising, the pitch of his snarl increasing. Saliva dripping from his jaws, splattering droplets in the space between them. “After everything we have done together- everything I have done for you.” I’ll fucking kill you. The rest was left unsaid. Whatever restraint Sephiran previously had, snapped inside of him. He needed to regain control. Assert dominance, invoke fear, show Aresenn what he was capable of. Without warning, his jaws were snaking towards Aresenn, viciously snapping at the side of his face. Throwing his weight forward, he wanted to topple him over.

As Sephiran spat his venom into Aresenn's face, he was overtaken by annoyed confusion. The brute was angry because he had allowed Absinth to manipulate Aurelia into Aurelia trying to take her own life? How did that have anything to do with him!? "I have no idea what you're on about with Absinth and Aurelia," Aresenn retorted, his voice dripping with disdain. "Contrary to what apparently is popular belief, her tongue is not attached to my brain." He struggled against Sephiran's counter resistance, trying to maintain his balance as the brute pushed against him with considerable force. The air crackled with tension, their gazes locked in a battle of wills. As for the Armada comment. Perhaps that did owe an explanation. "And If by conspiring with an enemy, you mean fucking the warlord's daughter. Yes. That’s exactly what I've been doing in the Armada." Aresenn answered shortly. He wouldn't have answered it that way had Andromeda been standing in front of him herself. It wasn't meant as a sign of disrespect, and it also wasn’t even all that true. But as tempers raged, and thoughts raced, he answered in a way he thought Sephiran would understand. If he wanted to hear it at all.

As it turned out, it seemed that he didn't. The flash of movement in his peripherals was the only warning of the impending attack. With the sensation of bone raking against bone, Aresenn snarled in rage. As Sephiran's body weight collided with his, Aresenn lost his balance and stumbled. In a desperate attempt to regain stability, he swung out, targeting the joint of one of Seph's arms with open jaws. But in the process, Sephiran's canines punctured Aresenn's jowls and tore through the skin across the bridge of his nose, leaving behind a searing pain that radiated across his face. Blood began to run from the puncture wounds and trickle toward the ground.

Aresenn gritted his teeth as he desperately tried to regain his footing, his muscles straining as he fought against the onslaught of his opponent. With a burst of energy, he pushed back against the force bearing against him as he anchored his weight in his own hold. As quickly as he could retaliate, he made the effort to try and lift up on his opponent's foreleg while shoving with his own body to try and throw Seph off balance. The smell of blood beginning to fill the air as they continued their intense struggle.


"Aresenn Praetor"

Fucking the warlords daughter. If Sephiran had been in a more stable state of mind - which lately, was quite rare - he would have asked Aresenn to elaborate. But given the already high tensions, which were rising by the second. The information sank into one ear, and fled out the other. He had already initiated an assault, and had no intentions of backing down now. Teeth slicing into Aresenn’s jowl and snout, raking across his flesh, bringing blood to the surface and creating a superficial wound. Shoving Aresenn forward, causing him to stumble. Sephiran kept pushing into him. Relentless, vicious, unrestrained.

The brutes teeth raked across Sephiran’s front limb. Their momentum and opposing forces locking them in a grapple of strength. Both of them only achieved flesh wounds in their initial attacks. And, with Aresenn’s advancement against his foreleg, his balance was being disrupted. Tail waving like a banner behind his hips, as he struggled to keep himself upright. He suddenly lowered the upper half of his body, bringing his head and shoulders down. And then shoving himself forward in an attempt to headbutt Aresenn directly in his chest. Wanting to knock the wind out of him, and prevent himself from completely toppling over.

Aresenn growled in pain, his vision momentarily blurred by the blood that streamed down his face. The taste of iron filled his mouth- a mixture of Sephiran's and his own- fueling his anger and determination to fight back. Summoning every ounce of strength, he answered Sephiran's assault. But in making contact with the other brute's forearm, Seph's change in posture made it difficult to maintain the hold without having to compromise his own stance. With a surge of adrenaline, Aresenn released his grip on Sephiran's arm, knowing that he needed to regain control before he was overpowered. As Seph's head came crashing towards his chest, Aresenn quickly shifted his weight to the side, narrowly avoiding the full impact of the head butt. But even still, the attack managed a certain duress that reverberated through what he imagined to be both their bodies. A coughing wheeze forced from Aresenn's lungs in response.

In a staggering recovery, Aresenn moved to use the momentum from dodging the attack. He swiftly retaliated by lunging forward with a guttural snarl, attempting to sink his own canines into Sephiran's shoulder. The savage exchange of flesh and blood continued, each bite and tear met with an equal amount of resistance.

"Aresenn Praetor"

Throwing his weight forward, and mentally preparing himself for the dizziness that would follow a successful headbutt. Sephiran was vicious in his assault, wanting to knock Aresenn to the ground, where he could really dig into him. But of course, the brute wasn’t going to take the onslaught without retaliation. Aresenn shifted to the side, avoiding the bulk of Sephiran’s attack. He still managed to partially hit him, which caused him to stumble forward before regaining his footing.

Shaking his head and releasing a snarl while pivoting to whirl around and face Aresenn. The Saxe had just realigned himself with him, when Aresenn’s jaws came striking out. Latching into his shoulder, which Sephiran didn’t try to avoid. Blood bubbled from the wound, splattering from the heavy breaths that came from Aresenn’s nose, as he clamped down on the meaty section of his shoulder. Pain searing across his flesh, hot and infuriating. A sensation he wasn’t fond of.

And while he had a hold on Seph’s shoulder, he would use their proximity as a catalyst. Raising his opposite forelimb, trying to hook it over Aresenn’s neck. Opening his jaws in sync, striking at the side of his face to try and disorient him. His goal being to grapple with him with enough of his weight, to shove him to the ground.

Aresenn's primal instincts took over as he savored the metallic tang of blood in his jaws, his teeth sinking deep into Sephiran's shoulder. The satisfying crunch of bones between his teeth only fueled his ferocity, as he relished in the return of dominance he held against the other brute. Despite the searing pain from Sephiran's counterattack, Aresenn refused to release his hold. With a deep growl rumbling through him, he channeled all of his strength to maintain his grip even through the continuous raking of his face. Every muscle in his body strained and trembled with the effort, but Aresenn was determined to ensure that his friend understood that he wouldn't let an unreasonably violent tantrum like this go unanswered.

Though, it was clear Sephiran was not easily intimidated by opposition. He used his strength to lift his forelimb and wrap it around Aresenn's neck. Aresenn was caught off guard by this unexpected action, desperately trying to gain traction by digging his claws into the ground. However, fate would have it that the loose soil beneath him gave way during the chaotic struggle for control. With a fierce resolution, he refused to loosen his hold on the other brute's flesh, exerting all of his strength to keep himself from faltering. As they grappled with each other, he was acutely aware that one wrong move could send him tumbling to the ground, with a chunk of flesh caught between his teeth. But he was determined to not be seen as a being who would tolerate such an attack, even if it meant taking Sephiran down with him a piece at a time as he furiously defended himself. The tension in their bodies was palpable as they struggled against each other, locked in a deadly battle for dominance. In this moment, there was no room for mercy or forgiveness – only the challenge they presented each other.

"Aresenn Praetor"

Locked in a battle for dominance, Sephiran and Aresenn tenaciously grappled with one another. While the crimson brute tore into his shoulder, Sephiran fangs raked across his face. Having already punctured his lip, lacerated his nose and snout. Tainting those handsome features he claimed the Armada princess wanted to fuck. Snarling, rolling his tongue in his mouth, and savoring the metallic taste of Aresenn’s hot blood, as it wept from his wounds. Sephiran wasn’t going to back down until he had the brute beneath him, with his knife drawn to his throat. He’d meant it when he said he would force the information out of him.

And suddenly, Sephiran got what he wanted.

Attribute it to his strength, momentum, the loose soil, or a combination of it all. Suddenly Aresenn was tumbling backwards, losing his footing, as Sephiran shoved his weight forward and threw him to the ground. But with this, Sephiran paid a price- the chunk of fur and flesh he held in his mouth, gave way to the pressure. Ripping away from his body, leaving him with a flesh wound, and Aresenn with a mouth full of Sephiran. The pain in his shoulder increased- searing across his chest, all the way into his opposing limb. Snarling, snapping his jaws, infuriated with the pain. He came down onto Aresenn, trying to pin him, while his jaws snaked to the blade hidden in its sheath.

Drawing the blade, and gripping the handle tightly between his jaws. Sephiran loomed over Aresenn, glaring down at him. Admiring the roadmap of lacerations he’d left on his face. But Sephiran's eyes weren’t as maniacal as before- one could tell that the battle had satiated some of his bloodlust. Moving down, intending to draw the blade to Aresenn’s flesh. It seemed as if he was going to stab him- but his actions abruptly came to a halt.

Ears twitching upon his skull, eyes shifting to the north. It was an ear piercing scream echoing throughout the Polar Sound that froze him. Absinth. Rhazien was making good work of her, wasn’t he? “I wonder if that’s how Aurelia screamed, when she tried to take her life.” Seething through the leathered handle, Sephiran turned his gaze back to Aresenn, looking for recognition. If there was an inclination of worry, fear, or even remorse.. Sephiran’s rage would be quelled, and he would allow Aresenn to go witness the mutilation of his little friend.

Aresenn's world narrowed down to the pulsating pain in his face, the metallic taste of blood in his mouth, and the sheer determination to resist Sephiran's overpowering assault. As he felt the ground give way beneath him, sending him tumbling backward, he fought to maintain his grip on Seph's shoulder. The chunk of flesh ripped away, leaving a gaping wound on his opponent, and a mouthful of fur and blood for Aresenn. Crashing to the ground, Aresenn snarled in defiance, refusing to let the pain or the loss of a piece of his adversary deter him. Sephiran descended upon him, attempting to pin him down, a glint of a blade catching Aresenn's eye. The looming threat of the hidden weapon was clear, and Aresenn prepared for the inevitable strike.

As Sephiran raised the blade, ready to plunge it into Aresenn's flesh, the sudden scream of Absinth pierced the air. He was vaguely aware of Sephiran's voice- the nature of his taunt. His eyes, still clouded with the red haze of battle, widened with a mix of recognition, hate, and fear for the girl who he had come to care about. In a sudden surge of strength, he forced himself to his paws with the intention of pushing Seph in the event that he didn't move out of his space. He held a cold stare, a wordless message passing between them. This isn't over.

Aresenn didn't waste any further time, turning his back on his friend in silence. With a surge of adrenaline, he sprinted off in the direction he had heard Absinth's cry. There would be no mercy if he caught whoever it was that made her scream like that.

- End Thread-
"Aresenn Praetor"