Vale had been wandering for god knows how long. He’d almost crossed paths with quite a few other wandering wolves, but the brute was careful to keep his distance. He hadn’t had contact with anyone else in who knows how long. He surely couldn’t remember. It was daylight now, so him being out hunting was against his code. He could be easily spotted without the protection of darkness. Still, he’d just run out of food the day before, and fell asleep before he could catch himself another meal. It was risky, but Vale would have to get past it.

With Summer now behind them and Autumn in full force, Vale could already sense the change in the environment. A cool breeze threatened, but his coat had already started thickening, preparing him for this weather. The breeze was making tracking a bit more difficult though. Vale had to focus and look for tracks of some sort. Something to help him find something to hold him over for a day or two. So, when the beast saw hoof prints on the ground, he could hardly contain his excitement. Well, on the outside he looked like a psychopath, but on the inside, he was crying tears of joy.  Following the tracks and using his sense of smell as a back up plan seemed to be working well for him. The tracks were fresh, and the creature must have been a fat one, because the tracks seemed deep.

Sheep was now in his sight, and the man just needed a place to stalk his prey. There were several huddled up in a group. Not a large one though,  he'd just have to do this right. Scare them all away and injure one of them. The horns on these sheep were large, they could definitely take a chunk out of him if he moved too fast. Vale decided to use the large rocks scattered around to his advantage and crouched behind them.  The only downside to this hunt, was the fact that the group all seemed healthy. However, Vale was confident in himself and his ability to take one of these fat things down.

This was his first visit to the Rock Garden this season, which meant all of his traps needed to be set and tested. He had neglected them last season which meant more work for him this time around, especially if he wanted to stay fit and healthy before the inevitable arrival of winter. This was his birth season, and with it came the turning of his age- he was getting older now, and it had been almost three years since the last time he'd truly succumbed to the likes of his demons. That wasn't to say he didn't still hear them, but they were getting easier to outwit.
He made sure to always stay busy, and over the last three years, he had a lot of intricate trap work laid out across the Garden to show for it. The most common yet possibly the most frustrating to assemble were his tension traps, where his collected bramble thorns got most of their work. They crumbled after they decayed any longer than couple weeks, which meant frequent visits.. and... he had been up for several nights now just replacing those alone.

Each trap was carefully held together with the thinnest willow branches that he could find, their leaves plucked from them to make for a perfectly moldable twine. They were stretched repeatedly, making them versatile and able to withstand the tension needed of them without stretching too much after they were set. At a ninety degree angle and usually hidden beneath the coverage of a small bush or carefully laid out leaves- a separate, thicker branch was deployed, held snug by the twine yet obviously stressed so that if it was disturbed in the slightest, it would quickly work to reform itself to its natural posture. Elias angled wrapped bramble roots with the longest, sharpest of thorns he could find at the end of these stressed branches so that they would be launched toward whatever disturbed the hardly visible willow twines along the grass.

He had just finished his work and decided to lay in the shade of one of the massive stone structures within the garden, though he was within sight of two of his tension traps. When he heard the ram, the brute didn't even budge... finding it odd that a single ram alone was out running around. He figured it must have been running from something, so the colossus simply remained guarded as his ears listened and his ruby gaze watched, shimmering like the lenses of a red-eyed camera.

When the thick brute came into view, Elias was a bit surprised to see him barreling after the sheep alone. He waited, patiently
He waited, patiently as he would attempt to calculate the direction they both were going- and unfortunately, it appeared to be only slightly off from the trajectory needed to get to one of his traps.

Elias was a lean wolf, and although he was not quite as limber as he had been in his early youth, he was still very much fit from vigorous training and well muscled. He was quick to lift himself off of the stone he'd been leaning on and get on his feet, his wide-splayed toes already clutching the earth as he propelled himself off like a heat-seeking rocket locked onto the target of the sheep. He wanted to get its attention, as well as the other male, so a low growl left his chest as his paws continued to assault the ground beneath him.

Limbs worked to pull him forward quickly, his tail fanning out behind him for balance as both it and his thick neck remained aligned with his spine. His ears folded back as his teeth became barred, the meat of his snout wrinkling in a hideous smile as he lunged for the sheep. It immediately turned to get away from him and was sent on course to the north right over a sparse collection of bushes. For a brief moment, he looked to Vale and offered the shortest wink before his eyes flashed right back to their target. He hoped the stranger didn't interrupt his process but instead helped him keep the hooved beast on course.

Vale was almost ready to leap for his prey when a foreign wolf got to the creature before he could. Was this a bandit, trying to make off with his prey for his own? This was exactly why Vale stuck to hunting at night. He had to intention of interacting with others, but if this male helped him with a hunt, they would be forced to interact. How was it that Vale had gotten so terrible at keeping to himself. Before, he wouldn't have given someone else the chance to take his prey from him. Now he had to see what happened to his meal. It seemed the larger male had sent the prey running. Vale caught this strangers wink, but what was that supposed to mean?

The thick brute was still determined to catch this thing for himself. He needed some kind of food, and he'd be damned if this man took it all for himself. It was a matter of life or death, and he sure wasn't going to starve for his own fear of others. Limbs propelled him from the earth as he went barrelling after the creature. He went around the bushes, hoping to cut the fat sheep off. Mind was still full of thoughts as he tried to understand what this other wolf was trying to do. It seemed as though he were going after the creature too, but it was almost like he set Vale up for the perfect hunt.
Perhaps hunting was better with a teammate because Vale was ready on the side of this creature. Massive paws hitting the earth, as he tried to get in front of the sheep. Finally, once he realized he wouldn't be fast enough to cut the thing off, he leaped.

Teeth bared and jaws wide, he was aiming to grab hold of the creature somehow. Teeth managed to sink into its skin, and he was latched by its shoulder. Vale's attempt was to use his weight to take him down, but the creature only wavered and caught his balance again. He was really putting up a fight. As the creature kept on going forward, Vale noticed he wasn't going as fast as he had before. Possibly his weight wearing the poor bastard out? Sheep started whipping its skull back, trying to knock the brute off, but he wasn't letting go that easily. He'd already gotten a taste of the thing, its warm metallic blood spilling into his mouth.

The thing did, however, manage to clip him in the maw with a long curled horn. At this point Vale was finally able to steady himself and dig his paws in the earth, trying to bring this thing to a halt. It shouldn't have been too hard considering he was already slowing it down. Of course, this was a perfect opportunity for the other man to help take it down too. That was if the stranger's motive was, in fact, helping him. As far as Vale was aware, other wolves were selfish. Was this man only going to start a fight once their prey was won and attempt to take it for his own?

Elias had half expected this to happen- that his own presence would send the other male into a competitive drive to catch up to the sheep faster than Elias could and keep the kill to himself. A dark chuckle nearly escaped his inky lips as he watched this play out, judging the thicker male's footwork and speed as he would attempt to push himself after the bighorn and worker harder than he really needed to. Elias didn't judge the stranger too poorly for this, as he had no real way of knowing what lay in those bushes.

When the stranger moved over to the bushes himself, Elias was nearly prepared to watch a disaster happen- his eyes carefully watching the other's paws as he knew exactly where both of his traps were lying hidden. Vale practically stepped over his first tension trap and Elias slowed down a bit, watching as the two remained on the course he had been hoping for... though now, his heart seemed to race as his adrenaline soared with a bit of concern. If Vale was the one to run into the tension trap before the sheep, that might be a horrible end to their little hunt.. and not exactly the help Elias was hoping to provide.

Elias himself had gotten used to hunting with strangers, having been a lone wolf for the past three years- he had to. If he ever wanted to take down bigger prey, teaming up with other capable bodies he might not necessarily trust had become a part of his life that he just willing accepted. He always parted ways with them after, but... he tried his best not to leave foul impressions. He did enough of that without meaning to, so... hopefully the duo would fall into the next trap correctly and spare him the conflict that would come from Vale running into it himself.

Elias was at a hard trot, keeping himself several wolf lengths behind the other male and bighorn. When he watched the horn of the sheep clip the male, he noticed how little it seemed to phase the brute. It was notable, and something Elias would keep in mind- this one had durability. It wasn't surprising, considering his impressive stature. Elias continued to follow, waiting as they neared the second trap. Vale was struggling to bring the thing down, but once the hoof of the beast clipped the hair-trigger twine, the brambles were sent flying into the beast's side in an instant without any intentions letting go. The thorns embedded themselves into the sheep's inner hip and stomach, though the strength of the beast ripped it from the earth Elias' had laid it on and caused it to drag off to the side as the two continued to run. Blood spilled quite heavily from the deep wounds created by the thorns, as well as the hold Vale was keeping on the thing's back.

Elias was ready, and the bighorn was getting tired. He'd been increasing his base while focusing his breathing to remain steady so that all his energy could be spent in his attacking lunge. He caught up to the dragging bramble trap and stepped on the thornless end of the branch, causing it to rip out of the sheep's side and leave craters behind in the beast's skin. Blood poured with a fervor from the sheep's quickly beating heart, and he was sure the brambles had hit a worthy artery that would leave the thing too weak from blood loss to run in just a matter of seconds. He waited, watching this whole thing play out as Vale never once let go of his hold, and waited for him to finalize the kill before he would attempt to approach the barbaric looking wolf.

Vale was starting to get frustrated as this creature was still moving pretty fast for an injured beast. A part of Vale expected this stranger to come running up to help. Apparently, he was right about others being selfish. Perhaps the large brute was right for keeping his guard up all these years. The events that came next surprised the young man. Everything had happened so fast, he wasn't quite sure how to react to it all. Suddenly, a trap seemed to go off, and one that could have been set off by Vale if they had only moved off course a bit further. This trap sent brambles flying at the creature. Luckily none seemed to hit him, or maybe the adrenaline rush kept him from feeling any pain from it.

Horned beast cried out in pain as the blood spilled from these fresh wounds, he could feel the creature slowing down, the more blood it lost, the weaker he got. There wouldn't be a fight for much longer, and Vale would finally have the opportunity to end the bastard's life. Imagine the brute's surprise when the thorns were torn from the creature's side, making this hunt a lot messier than it had been before. It wasn't anything the man wasn't used to though if anything it made the kill he was about to claim as his own much more exciting. The chase was the most satisfying part of a hunt.

Like clockwork, the sheep came to a halt, and it was nowhere near graceful. Thing collapsed, a raspy breathing coming from the horned demon. A smirk played on Vale's lips as he placed a massive paw atop the creature's almost lifeless body. Young man looked up to the stranger, almost as if seeking some kind of approval, although he had no intentions of waiting for any. Vale took hold of the beast's horn, the same one that had nicked him on their venture together, and snapped its neck. There was something so majestic in the clear sound that now echoed around the pair and this carcass. Honestly, the only thing majestic about it was the vengeance he claimed after that damn thing caught right below his eye.

Beast dragged their kill towards the stranger and set it down with a grunt. His breathing was heavy, as any time he got into a long or drawn out hunt. His endurance wasn't the best given his size. Massive paws and strong legs could carry him to the ends of the earth no problem. Strength and durability weren't his issues. Vale just looked at the man at first, taking in anything he could observe. Scars, any possible weaknesses such as injuries, in case a problem arose and there had to be a fight. However, this was also the man who assisted in getting Vale's dinner for the night, so how bad could one conversation be. He'd attempt his best introduction before only managing a low grunt. Yeah, no, he'd better try again. "I'm Vale, you are?"

Elias stood with his paw still held down firmly on the branch wrapped in bramble thorns, his eyes focused on the scene unfolding in front of him quite intently. He was curious as to how much stamina the horned beast had left, though his answer was soon delivered to him. He started to walk toward them when the sheep fell over, only wanting a better vantage point to witness what happened next.

He watched as Vale got his vengeance, taking hold of the very same horn that Elias had witnessed get him earlier. He could see the subtle blood rolling off the man's cheek, and he smirked as he snapped the ram's neck. He lifted his head, remaining teen or so feet away as he waited for Vale's approach. He admired the strength in the specimen before him as his ears perked, completing the look of his impish crown. He watched as Vale dropped it in front of him, his ruby gaze glancing to it for half a second before moving back up to the man as he introduced himself.

"Vale." Elias repeated, his expressionless features serene as his eyes danced, moving left to right as they focused on different aspects of the beast's form. He tried not to do this for long, not wanting to be rude but it was quite obvious that he was assessing him and committing his image and his name to memory.

His inky lips curved slightly as he looked back to the wound beneath Vale's eye, "You got him back for that, huh?" He grinned, blood-stain yellowed teeth flashing for just an instant while he did so. "It was impressive watching you hunt him down, I wanted to help but it all happened so fast. I'm almost certain you could have completed this hunt all on your own, and not many wolves can do that." He tried not to gush too much, but damn. This man was an apparent beast.

He lowered his neck, inspecting the ram. He shoved it with his nose, testing it's weight. It was a healthy ram, a very good kill... and Elias couldn't help but only be further impressed. "I'm Elias Praetor, these are my chosen hunting grounds. I have more traps all around, you should watch out for them. I wouldn't want to come and find you impaled in a pit somewhere, immobile. You almost ran right into this one." He tilted his head, looking up to the brute as one of his ears flicked and he rose his skull up to level with Vale's once again.

Vale was a bit shorter, but quite massive in his stature- Elias wasn't a fool. There was power in this man's body- as his muscles seemed much thicker on his skeleton than Elias' leaner figure... and he almost wanted to forgo the meal right then and there just to test it out. He wanted to compare their strengths, to see how much this man trained himself If only he could guarantee that Vale could remain in good conduct. The muscles in his shoulders twitched out of slight anticipation for a good spar, but he calmed himself for now. "Where are you from, Vale? And what part of this guy do you wish to claim as your own? You found it, you killed it, so.. you call it and it's yours."

As the man before him, Elias Praetor, spoke Vale wasn't quite sure what he was getting at. It seemed like a compliment, but Vale didn't really have an ego to boost, so what was the point in accepting? Though it was surprising to hear compliments from someone that was older and wiser than himself. At least that was the image this man portrayed. Vale simply grunted as a response, he didn't really have much to say. Bright yellow eyes flicked to inspect the man as he finished his ramblings, asking questions of his home and what part he wanted to claim of the carcass. Vale wasn't sure he wanted to give up this kill, regardless of the man's help. Though he figured while he shared his story, he would think of a reply about the meal.

"I'm not sure where I'm from. Don't remember much from my past, suppose that means I don't have one right?" The beast's voice was gruff, it only made him sound more like the caveman he probably appeared to be. "I know of a sister, that's all that has come back to me. I think I left because of her. I'm sure you didn't ask to hear my sad tales. Where do you come from, Elias?" Well, he thought he'd have a longer story to tell, but bringing up his sister he began trying to put all the pieces together again. That only made the young man's brain hurt, so the topic didn't make for a very appealing conversation.

As far as the meal went, the man still had no interest in splitting it really. Besides, he was beginning to feel some of his energy return to him. In fact, Vale had a great idea for the carcass. "What do you say we fight for the food. The winner gets to take the prize home?" This Elias definitely piqued his interest, and he definitely didn't want that to end. No, this man showed interest in him, it might be a good time to give him an idea of what he was working with exactly. Vale was never the predictable type, so today was no different. Instead of waiting for a reply, well our impatient brute decided it was time to start now. Yes or no, this was a fight, and Vale was going to initiate it. The grin painted across his maw only made it that much more obvious that he loved this violence. In fact, he wanted the pain and adrenaline rush, anything to keep his mind off of his family and keep him in shape.

Massive paws spread shoulder width apart, and the beast lowered his head. Ears pinned back alongside that thick skull, now hidden by his mane, and blackened lips pulled back to expose a mouth full of yellowed fangs. Toes sprawled and claws dug into the dirt as he prepared himself for some kind of impact. However, the anticipation was eating away at him and the man couldn't wait too much longer. Of course, the young beast was going to make the first move. He pushed off from the earth and lunged for the man. Assuming Elias had moved to prepare himself as well, Vale's first move would be to latch on anywhere near his shoulders. This way Vale had a little more freedom to move around. If he missed, however, he would go right again for the face, snapping his jaws in the man's direction. Then Vale would attempt to ram his head into the man's chest, using his own body weight to hopefully throw the taller man off balance. He might have had height on him, but Vale was noticeably larger in the muscular department. Vale had an idea that this gave him more weight, and it would assist him in possibly winning this fight. Taking the meal home for himself.

OOC:

Vale VS Elias for Spar!

Round 1/2

Height: 38 inches

Build: Heavy

Elias' watched Vale the entire time he was talking. Quite honestly, Elias' knew he had a tendency to ramble- it was part of the loose cannon sort of mindset he came with. Everything just flowed off his tongue- he could say the most fucked up shit with the straightest of faces and he never know when to shut up, or when he was insulting someone or making them uncomfortable. He'd been through some shit, too.. so.. the awkward vibe he got off Vale when he was reluctant to continue talking about his history made Elias' look up at him, and truly study him- this time for his mind rather than his body.

Elias was about to open his mouth to answer Vale's question, but then Vale cut him off with more speech.. this time a proposal to the very same thing that had he himself had been curious about. So, he didn't want to share after all? Elias questioned the reasoning for him bringing the ram so close to him, but flicked an ear as he cautiously took a step back from the man. He wasn't afraid of him, but he wanted to prepare himself. "...sure."

He couldn't help but think that Vale would soon regret his decision of rudely cutting him off and picking a fight with a man he barely knew. Did he underestimate him? Elias shoved the thought to the back of his mind as he focused on preperation, determined now to show that he wasn't someone to be taken lightly or fucked with. This wasn't Acere, this wasn't someone trusted.. this was a stranger and he was overstepping his boundaries, but that could be corrected.. with a show of force.

Fight Stuff

OOC: Morgay and I agreed on the distance between them over discord. I also asked her for permission to specify that he was attacking Elias' left side shoulder, and she said yes. :)

His step back resulted in him being approximately five feet away from the brute and his kill, and as the earless wonder readied himself- Elias could feel his hackles instinctively prickle upward to shield the back of his neck and shoulders and make him appear even taller than he already was. With his heart racing and adrenaline beginning to soar, he squared out his stance quite quickly; his legs bent slightly at the knee as he prepared himself for an attack, and each paw aligned with the outer edges of his frame to keep him firmly grounded and ready for any extra weight that Vale might throw on him. His toes outstretched from one another, his talons flirting with the earth as he dug them into the soil to keep himself anchored and less likely to be tossed around. His neck smoothly aligned with his spine, locking into place to keep him sturdy while his core muscles tensed to aid with this goal. His ears pinned backward against his skull and flattened themselves as dramatically as possible for protection while his tail flattened itself against his flank for the same reason. His chin tucked downward as his mouth swung open, jaws immediately swinging agape and freeing the red muscle hidden within as he flicked it over his teeth in an eager display of desire toward getting a taste of what was to come. The skin of his lean neck bunched up as much as possible to protect his vitals with this new head position, but his eyes looked upward through narrowed lids and the meat atop his snout pulled into a wrinkled mess that exposed his gums more than normal and protected his nasal passageways.

As Vale came running at him, Elias' tried to watch him and gauge where he was aiming to attack. His left shoulder? Alright. Big mistake. Elias stood up slightly, using his height to his advantage for this attack as he decided to allow Vale to go for it. He watched as the man would have to lift his skull up to reach Elias' hackled shoulder and felt the inevitable pain that was his stained teeth breaching his skin as he embraced the warm feeling of blood pooling from the moderate bite wound. Moderate because it appeared that just as quickly as Vale made the bite, he forfeited it for some reason and was about to redirect his target to what appeared to be his chest. Elias didn't allow this, and quickly intercepted the attack with one of his own- previously opened maw turning to his left and aiming for the lower left portion of Vale's thick neck, right above his collarbone. Unlike Vale, Elias had no intention of letting go of his hold if he managed to keep it. His jaws were occupied now, aiming to clench his muscles and apply severe bite wounds to the brute's thickly skinned neck by shaking violently. Elias really wanted this bite to hold- because if the brute moved too much with Elias holding onto his neck, it would be stupid. His teeth were mere centimeters away from that precious artery he needed to be in-tact for his survival.

Using the advantage of his leaner figure to move quicker than Vale possibly expected, his body swung around after his bite with his butt end facing outward behind him to realign his spine and keep Vale from being able to attempt to get on top of his back. Feeling rather confident, his tail surrendered it's usual placement at his flank for protection during his fights and flagged upwardly to declare his dominance quite proudly. Elias then went for his second attack, and decided to slam the bottom of his left forepaw on top of Vale's own right forepaw, aiming to crush his toes and break a few bones while applying moderate bruising to the area and keeping him anchored into position. He put all of his available weight into it as he growled, low and forcibly, daring Vale to make his next move.

Vale VS Elias for Spar!
Round 1/2
Height: 42 inches
Build: Medium

OOC: Sin gave me permission to edit as there was a little confusion on positioning.

Vale smirked as the blood from his original bite spilled into his maw, however, his second move had missed. This still didn't seem to discourage him, as Elias' teeth sank into his thick neck something left the male's maw. A cross between a loud groan of pain mixed with his own laughter. Vale had obviously underestimated the brute's speed and was pleasantly surprised by his move, and he was caught off guard by this severe bite to his neck. Of course, the beast wasn't going to thrash his way out of this one as his hold was too strong and dangerously close to his aorta. Any wrong moves and this could be the end of our poor Vale. Instead, the brute spent this time considering what Elias may do next, this time calculating the male's speed. No, there would be no way he could let him land a second attack.

Eyes narrowed as he realized the man was not about to release him. Instead, he straightened himself out, making it clear he was going nowhere. Grin still plastered across the beast's face as Elia did his little toe stomp, and it seemed he underestimated how much Vale was truly willing to risk. The pain was now radiating through his leg. Something was definitely broken, but it wouldn't stop him. Ignoring that ache, Vale would yank himself from Elias, using his front paws as a sort of leverage. Vale then realized how he could easily rip and possibly really fuck himself up, so the brute then decided to try to get Elias to release his hold. Even for a second, enough to get away. Vale grunted as he'd attempt putting all of his weight into his upper half, sort of acting as a dead weight. The man might have been faster and have had a deadly grip on him, but Vale was fat, and this might just trigger some kind of release. Vale's attempt was to either send the man off balance with this shift in weight or bring himself crashing down on top of the man. Either way, he'd be happy to have enough release to yank his neck from Elias' hold.

This was Vale's last move though, and should the hold be released slightly giving him an opportunity to get away, Vale would bow his head to the brute to show respect. Also, a sign of his own forfeit if the other man was still not done. He was not expecting such a good fight out of him, and it really had pleased him. Vale would throw his head back in a fit of laughter as the pain in his paw now came back full force. "You really got me, old man. I'm impressed, myself." Elias had been talking about being impressed by the man's hunting skill but was he still impressed now that they fought? It was probably obvious that Vale was young and maybe a bit inexperienced. Would he still show interest in him?

OOC:

Vale VS Elias for Spar!

Round 2/2

Height: 38 inches

Build: Heavy

He could feel the flesh of Vale's neck caressing the sharp slopes of his thick teeth, his fur bunched around his inky lips and ticking into his flaring nostrils. Blood pooled from the would, creating a bubble pink froth at the corners of his mouth, and at the end of each nostril as the fiend snorted the blood away with every push and pull of his breathing. His eyes slowly lost their narrowed posture as he heard the laughter of Vale ripping through the air, his ears perking to give it attention.

His paw remained lodged on top of the brute's, and it didn't seem to phase Vale at all- despite Elias knowing damn well his weight had been enough to crush a couple toes at the very least. The bite didn't phase him, either.. and Elias was just about to let go.. not wanting this man to go full on beserker and risk getting himself killed. Elias' goal was not to kill him, not at all, but to show him how grave his mistake was.

When Vale pushed forward, Elias was just in the process of letting go anyway and not expecting it- it certainly did push him off balance and he felt his weight slowly slipping, the feeling of vertigo overcoming him as he realized he'd lost his footing. He quickly moved his well-trained limbs to accommodate for the unexpected change of his balance. He stumbled backward a few paces but managed to catch himself and get his stance squared once again, thinking that Vale would issue yet another attack.

Instead, he witnessed a bow of the stranger's head and then heard the compliment he even had to offer. This truly was a man that he did not know what to expect from, but.. that knock to push Elias' off was enough to keep him firmly interested in Vale, to say the very least. He lifted himself up now that the spar was over, giving a bow of his own crown in respect to his opponent. He couldn't help but grin, forfeiting the will to hide his emotions as his bloody smile spread from ear to ear.

He hadn't felt this confident in awhile, and he was overwhelmingly thankful for the feeling of a good show of power. He didn't meet many who were willing to challenge him and attempt to catch him off-guard like that. After a moment, his grin died down and he stomped a couple paces back toward the two to claim what was his. His already bloodied teeth sank into the ram and in his excitement, he thrashed at it's back leg until he felt the skin tear well enough that he could grab hold.

The ripping sound of the ram being skinned filled the air, along with a bit of Elias' own laughter from his enjoyment of the spar and now this meal. He exposed the leg of the ram and dug in, taking a good fucking bite of what he'd rightfully won. Ruby gaze looked up to the brute as he continued to chew, and once he'd swallow his grin returned to him again, "Ever been trained, Vale?"

Vale VS Elias for Spar!
Round 2/2
Height: 42 inches
Build: Medium

Vale smirked as the man bowed back, showing him the same respect. Elias had definitely proved to be a worthy opponent, and Vale definitely didn't regret the loss. It was a learning experience for the young man. Vale watched as the man ate his prize, he'd won it fair and square but still he was hungry. So of course when the man brought up training, Vale was glad to have something to distract him. Beast chuckled,"Training, no. As I said before I don't know much about a past. You're the first real interaction I've had since I was 6 months old." Still the memories brought back the headache. Why couldn't he remember, he felt stupid. His own brain's failure made the brute's face twist up. Only for a second, though, as he realized he probably looked like a madman. Didn't want Elias thinking the beast was crazy. He might not be so keen to conversate anymore.

Was the man asking because he was interested in training him? If that was the case, would Vale even consider going with him? It wouldn't be like him to go along at all, but then again things were starting to finally add up in his head. He was also starting to try new things, like this little meeting today. Being out in the open on a hunt, talking to someone new, and even sparring with the man. Besides, this man was probably alone himself, he hadn't mentioned anything about a pack. It may be a good idea to take up an offer to be trained. This man seemed to be very good at what he did.

Still, Vale had to be sure that he wasn't trying to drag him into the pack life just yet. Vale wanted to ease his way into things, not just jump right in. So he'd pick up on the conversation that he'd so rudely interrupted before their spar. "I apologize for interrupting our conversation earlier. You were about to tell me about your own family, where you come from?" Adrenaline was finally starting to wear off and he could feel the severity of his injuries now. The broken toes probably causing the most pain at the moment. Vale attempted to shift his weight, so he could relax a little. Maybe distracting himself from the injury would make the pain leave with it. Even though the bite had been more severe, he wasn't putting any kind of pressure on it, so it was only a bit sore. Sore enough for him to wince at any kind of swift movements.

Elias watched the man very carefully while he continued plucking chunks of meat off of the leg of the ram, his nose pushing it's leg up so that he could get to the more tender meat along the inside of its thigh. It was really all he ever cared to dine upon, the only flesh of his kills that he really craved. He devoured it quickly as he listened to Vale, watching him as he seemed to confuse himself. There was something about this man that reminded him of.. Ruina.

He said nothing, though.. and even for a moment redirected his gaze back to the ram to give Vale time to collect himself. He knew he hated it when people stared at him while he was trying to keep his sanity from slipping. He waited until Vale spoke up again, this time revoicing his inquiries from earlier. He swallowed the food in his mouth and took a step back, his jaw unhinging slightly as his red muscle pulled the blood away from his lips to make himself more presentable before speaking.

He thought for a moment, his eyes glancing at the sky as he tried to figure out which of his thoughts to address first. There were so many, his complicated mind often throwing itself in a thousand different directions at once. It's what made him ramble, and he would do his best not to allow himself to ramble on again like he had. Vale seemed like a man of few words, probably from his lack of social outlets growing up. Elias tried not to judge him too harshly, but rather.. relate with him. Elias had been on his own for quite some time now, too. He understood what it was like to be... feral.

"From another world. A jungle, not of Boreas or Auster. I was born into a pack of demons." Yeah, that's right. Fucking demons. If Vale had any doubts about Elias understand crazy, well.. maybe that little confession would be enough to ensure the brute that they were not far off from each other in that regard. "My father trained myself and the rest of the imps hard. Very hard. We weren't allowed a day of rest while he was alive. Sadly, he died before I turned a year- though.. I can't say our training got too much lighter after that."

He moved away from the kill and sat on his haunches, leaving it open for Vale to grab if he so wished. Elias had a metabolism higher than anyone he'd ever known. He had to eat often, but.. he also filled up really quickly. "I'm five now, though. That was years ago. It's been awhile since I've had a good fight," he grinned again, bloodied teeth thick and on display as he smiled to Vale. Mmm, he was still thankful. "Eat, you worked hard. We should also.. probably find you a doctor." Yes. We. Elias didn't really offer to train him, didn't really offer for him to come with him.. he just sort of.. decided. This man was his friend now, like it or not.

At the mention of his pack being demons, his ears or lack thereof, perked. Was Elias trying to say they were like him? Well, that stifled his fears about going with the male anywhere. He seemed to relate to the man, and if there were more wolves he could connect with like that, then why not? Elias spoke of serious training, and immediately Vale connected the dots. Maybe he meant to train him and make Vale an addition to this pack of his. However, he didn't speak of the pack being current, so the man might have just been nostalgic. He spoke of his age and figured that had to be the answer. This man was five, much older than himself. He had a lot of experience under his belt, and could probably teach Vale much more about everything really.

As Vale had mentioned before he didn't have much of a family, at least not one that he could remember. So Vale thought of using this Elias man as sort of a mentor. Someone to guide him and teach him to be better, less feral. Or maybe even to embrace his psychological issues and learn to use them to his advantage. Hell, if he lived with demons, Elias must be the man to go to for assistance with this kind of thing. He might have even understood Vale more than the boy understood himself. Just the thought of having some guidance excited Vale. He wasn't quite sure that he wanted to let his problems go, but if he could just understand them a little better and learn to control them he may be able to lead a normal life. Or at least semi-normal.

As Vale noticed the food being offered to him, well the beast couldn't resist. He even ate like he was from the wild, digging in like the creature he was. Made a mess of himself with the still fresh blood. The little bit of light brown in his coat now stained with the sheep's blood. However, the young male didn't care, as the warm meat slid down his throat, he could feel himself gaining strength back. He was large, and it took a lot to fill him up, so he was rather thankful for Elias' kindness though he wouldn't state that aloud. Elias may even feel like he really did earn it, but Vale was apart of the fight too. Elias won the spar and he knew it, maybe the man was simply trying to boost an ego that didn't exist.

Hearing Elias use the word we in that sentence, Vale knew he'd decided to take him in. No questions about it, but Vale wasn't going to argue. He'd made this seem like it could be an interesting adventure they might go on. The idea of staying with Elias and learning from him made the young man more than eager to join him. Beast would finish his meal and nod, giving only a grunt. Now with a full belly and all of his energy used up on the hunt and then their spar, Vale was ready for sleep. "We go tomorrow, I have taken up shelter near here." He lifted himself from the earth with a grunt and took the carcass by its horn, dragging it towards his little hole. It was just enough to keep them safe for the night before they made their journey in the morning. Once they'd made it Vale would let the carcass drop to the dirt floor of the tiny den with a thud. Curling up in a collection of weeds and branches in the corner, the beast huffed, tucking his head into the weeds and letting his eyes close ever so gently. "I'm taking that things horn for myself." He was sure to make that clear before letting that gracious sleep take over, the blackness of his unconscious dragging him further into sleep. Yeah, the young man would need his rest if he was planning on travelling with his injuries. Especially tagging along with his new friend, he'd have to be ready to help if they ran into trouble along the way.