It was dusk, with great stretching shadows falling across the grooves and prints along the Armada sand. The tide was slowly coming in, and he knew it would be only a few hours before it washed away the blood and markings within his arenas, flushing them clean.

He made his way to the one closest to the grasses of his main territory, looking back at the ocean for a short time, before raising his head sky-ward and calling to the small warrior that he had begun to train.

It was time to see what she had learnt in the days he had given her. If she had any affinity yet for the claws he had gifted her, and if her Wolverine listened to a word she said. She would have a lot to deal with, more than just the sizely brute, but he knew how badly she wanted this match.

"Speech"

Malalia

The trek to the shoreline took longer than she would have wanted, or maybe it simply felt that way. There was a nervous edge about the yearling ever since she'd received her battle aids. Oh, Mal was industrious, and she'd certainly put her blood and sweat into the effort... but it'd taken longer to work out the moves she wanted, and she'd obsessed over the details a little too much. Her training often felt frantic, a sinking weight behind every motion, every drill. What would Sirius think of her if she'd squandered the gifts she'd been given?

No. Her chest rose slowly as she drew in a breath, pausing where she stood. You won't let him down. It just... wasn't an option.

Pachou nudged at her ankle, and she grinned and gave the young wolverine a nudge in kind. At least he'd been attentive.... relatively. They'd put in the hours, though, and Mal was confident that he could follow some basic commands. She'd made some progress with the claws, too. The young woman smiled, and even so, the prickling feeling in her paws remained.

As they neared the training area, the Warlord's figure came into view. Mal gave a soft chuff and a swish of her tail to say hello, and loped across the plain to meet the dire wolf where he stood. She gave a little half-smile as she approached her mentor, cheerful enough. "You called?"

"Speech"

This was not just a simple lesson, this would be a spar. He wouldn’t give her any critique until the end. Until then, she was on her own against the titan. She was quick to appear, wolverine in tow, and knitted out for war. He returned her greeting with a slight dip of his head , and a similar flick of his tail. “Indeed I did” he agreed with a wry smile.

“Hop in” he said, indicating the ring he was already standing in. He would wait for her to get into place, and set her defenses. He would keep an eye on her wolverine, uncertain what tricks she might have taught him in their short time together.

Bast appeared between his legs, smiling at both girl and creature, but focusing her attention mostly on the wolverine. Bast was good for keeping companions off his back, and he was going to run Malalia hard today. He hoped to see her best in return.

“Ready?” he asked, and it was the only warning he would give, before he initiated the spar. He leaped forward, paws burning sand as he raced the short distance across the arena towards her. He aimed to catch her into close quarters if he was able to. He intended to slam his heavy right shoulder against her right shoulder.

"Speech"

Sirius Fatalis vs Malalia for spar
Round 1/?
Size: Dire wolf
Build: Medium
Offensive Battle Accessory: Front leg bracers with knife
Defensive Battle Accessory: Back leg bracers
Companion 1: Black Vulture - extra large - Male - Boosted
Companion 2: Snow Leopard, Female - Battle - Boosted
Mutation - Offensive: Cat claws
Mutation - Offensive: Fangs
Skills: Master Fighter & Expert Hunter
Specialty: Weaponsmaster

Malalia

At the man's indication to step into the ring, Malalia did so, her eyes trained on Sirius, occasionally glancing at the smiling snow leopard that had placed herself between his legs. Damn. It wasn't ideal.... but then, the last thing she wanted was the warrior going easy on her. If she was lacking, somewhere, she needed to know, and Sirius would tell her.

As she settled into the ring, she glanced down to check the fit of her claws, tugging gently with her teeth to adjust the claws. Sure that they were in place, she nosed the top of Pach's head and received a contented little chitter. "Go crazy, but stay at his front, and aim for his face," she murmured. Perhaps that was a little extreme.... but at worst, she hoped it would serve as an effective distraction as she rushed elsewhere. All that she could do was done, and the yearling settled into her defensive stance, drawing a deep breath, hackles slowly rising along her scruff. This is what she'd been waiting for.

The Warlord didn't pull any punches, it would seem. Without so much as a chance to reply, he was barreling towards her, not unlike an angry buffalo. Mal shoved down the panic, the frantic urge to run She waited until the last, the very last second possible before exploding away. Pach would leap straight out for Sirius' face or lower chest, claws and teeth outstretched as she aimed for a hold on the dire wolf. Meanwhile, Mal bolted along Sirius' right side, aiming to score her teeth from his armpit to his side. Too, her right forepaw would strike out, claws outstretched to slash at the man's right back ankle as she passed.

Her front paws pivoting on the sand, she would follow the Warlord as he moved, doing her best to stay in his guard at his hindlegs. She would throw her weight on her own pack legs and lift herself up, aiming to sink her claws into his haunches from behind.

Malalia vs Sirius for Spar
Round 1/3
Age: (Only include: over 1 year, under 1 year, or under 6 months as applicable)
Size: Medium
Build: Light
Offensive Battle Accessory: Steel claws
Companion 1: Wolverine, Male - Battle
Skills: Beginner Healer & Intermediate Fighter
Specialty: N/A


"Speech"

Malalia moved, much as he had expected her too. He skidded his paws heavily in the sand, pulling himself to a stop, and leaving a mark on the beach behind him with his passing. Before he came to a complete halt, the Wolverine was there, in his face. He snarled heavily at the little creature, and aimed to smack it down with his forepaw. It was a great deal smaller than him, and just the distraction.

Meanwhile, Malalia would get in a shot with his distraction. Her teeth scratched against the fur by his armpit and side. He was starting to turn then, his pain telling him where she was. Her last attack hit sand instead of his ankle, and she was passing him.

“Keep the wolverine busy” he ordered Marsal, he needed Bast to help him keep this slippery wolf still. In response, Marshal came careening out of the sky, his wingspan greatly larger than the whole beast, as he attempted to scrape his talons down the wolverine’s side.

Bast would come around the other side of Bast, in a bit to cut off some of her escape - only Malalia wasn’t running. She was keeping to him, staying near his back. She got a bite into his hunches for his misjudgment of her moves. He had expected her to keep going and leave him in her dust. He lashed out with a back paw, aiming to smack her in the nose and dislodge her.

"Speech"

Sirius Fatalis vs Malalia for spar
Round 2/3
Size: Dire wolf
Build: Medium
Offensive Battle Accessory: Front leg bracers with knife
Defensive Battle Accessory: Back leg bracers
Companion 1: Black Vulture - extra large - Male - Boosted
Companion 2: Snow Leopard, Female - Battle - Boosted
Mutation - Offensive: Cat claws
Mutation - Offensive: Fangs
Skills: Master Fighter & Expert Hunter
Specialty: Weaponsmaster

Malalia

She'd meant it when she said to go crazy, and for the wolverine, that meant movement, frenzy, dodging the Warlord where he could and seeking out his next hit where available. So he scrambled, attempting to crawl around Sirius' shoulder and land its little teeth along his neck or scruff.

Pach wasn't a simply a sacrifice so that she could hit Sirius elsewhere. Sirius' command had her crying out one of her own -- "Watch out!" But the kit had been too invested in Sirius to register it, not immediately. Marshal swooped down, his talons glancing across the wolverine's side just as he leaped away from Sirius. Not as severe as the vulture had intended, but the animal wasn't unscathed, and let out a screech of pain.

Mal winced at the sound, guilt and determination chasing each other across her face. He'd been hurt... but they were still in the middle of a fight. "Go for his legs!" Gratefully, Pachou rallied, and began to skitter between the nearest legs at the time, which were the Warlord's front legs. He was aiming to nip and tear at his ankles, but was quicker now, careful of the brute's heavy front paws.

Unfortunately, the moment left her taking Sirius' back paw to the face. Her jaws clicked together, and she bit her tongue at the sheer force of it -- but she wasn't letting go for anything. Not unless Sirius was ready to smash her into the dirt. Get in his guard and stay there, where he can't reach you. The Valhallan wolf's advice echoed in her mind. It was a different approach to the harrying hit and runs that Sirius had suggested, but it worked even better with her claws, so it seemed. So Mal reached out to bite his paw, to stay him in her grip, and lurched forward, her forepaws seeking to sink into his hips, his haunches, lower belly -- anything they could to maintain a grip on his rear.

Malalia vs Sirius for Spar
Round 2/3
Age: Over 1 year
Size: Medium
Build: Light
Offensive Battle Accessory: Steel claws
Companion 1: Wolverine, Male - Battle
Skills: Beginner Healer & Intermediate Fighter
Specialty: N/A


"Speech"

The wolverine was definitely proving to be a pesky creature, keeping at him despite the hit Marshal had scored, and the continued threat of the bird, and Sirius’s front half. He treated the creature more like a fly then a real threat, and let his companions deal with the wolverine.

Meanwhile, Malalia was getting in a few hits at his rear end. His haunches and back legs were starting to get sore, her quick movements had scored a few hits across his skin, and left a trail of blood. No matter what, he was going to remember this fight for at least a few days to come. Realising she wasn’t moving from his haunches anytime soon, Sirius sacrificed balance to pivot on his feet, coming around to - hopefully - surprise Malala, and aimed to smack her hard across the side, even as he fought to regain his balance. That was she wouldn’t have a moment to take advantage of his more pacerious state.

As Marshal wheeled about in the sky to come at the wolverine again, Bast would leap in to keep the creature off of what was now Sirius’s back.

Ooc: when I say he pivots around, think like this: click

"Speech"

Sirius Fatalis vs Malalia for spar
Round 3/3
Size: Dire wolf
Build: Medium
Offensive Battle Accessory: Front leg bracers with knife
Defensive Battle Accessory: Back leg bracers
Companion 1: Black Vulture - extra large - Male - Boosted
Companion 2: Snow Leopard, Female - Battle - Boosted
Mutation - Offensive: Cat claws
Mutation - Offensive: Fangs
Skills: Master Fighter & Expert Hunter
Specialty: Weaponsmaster

Malalia

Of course he was. Of course the Warlord was ready to smash her into the dirt, and it was foolish to expect otherwise. For all her determination, and her focus on staying her grip, she wasn't prepared for Sirius to come pivoting at her, sacrificing his balance to barrel into her side. Pach hadn't expected the move either, squeaking in surprise as he darted out of the flurry that was Sirius' feet. He skipped even further away, growling for the leopard to come no further, batting his claws in the air to warn off the vulture. Valiant as he had been, the wolverine was out. Still, he tried edging around to Mal, trying to get closer to her, crying out from the sidelines.

Mal felt the breath leave her lungs, her grip wrenching away from the brute's rear as he slammed into her side. She landed half on her feet, her right foreleg and hindleg buckling under her as she slid away from the brute. Still, her claws would dig in during the fall, hoping to score one last blow as they detached, however glancing, even as she crashed.

Malalia vs Sirius for Spar
Round 3/3
Age: Over 1 year
Size: Medium
Build: Light
Offensive Battle Accessory: Steel claws
Companion 1: Wolverine, Male - Battle
Skills: Beginner Healer & Intermediate Fighter
Specialty: N/A


"Speech"

And the winner is...

SIRIUS

MALALIA must give up by submitting, fleeing or passing out. Totals: Adjusted rolls: 129.8 79.2 23 78.1 SIRIUS' total is.. 387.63 Adjusted rolls: 35 25 86.1 91 MALALIA'S total is.. 260.81

Her last blow got him right across the muzzle, before he knocked her to the ground. He lifted his head upwards, feeling a trickle of blood running down his snout. Malalia, however, was out. She landed hard on the ground, and he placed a paw gently over her form, an indication that he had won the bout. He then moved beside her, and gave her a nudge. “You good, little one?” he asked, careful not to lean over her - if he did, he would bleed upon her brown form.

“That one felt… surprisingly close. When you train, you train hard” he admitted. “Good thinking with the distraction, and getting at me from behind.” he would continue on, giving his praise, before moving on to advice. “I think you would have had me, if you’d manage to knock me off my balance when I turned to get you. But otherwise… I no longer fear you taking on a bigger opponent, Mal”

Malalia

The loss was expected. Mal didn't feel shame, or bitterness. With her heart pounding in her ears and her chest heaving with breath... Truth be told, she wasn't feeling anything aside from her current exhaustion. The yearling had put everything she had into the match, and she wasn't about to get up, right this second. "I'm okay." She closed her eyes, tasted the blood in her mouth from her bitten tongue. "Pachou, what about you?" A squeak was her answer, and suddenly the kit was nosing under her chin, and encouraging her to stand.

Okay, ya little brat. Malalia slowly moved to her paws. Her left side was bruised where the Sirius-train had ran into her, and her right side wasn't much better with her crash into the dirt. There was the kick to the face, and her jaw was definitely sore. But otherwise, she was pretty unscathed. Huh. "You know, I kind of expected more blood to be honest..."

The Warlord's words puzzled her, just for a moment. "Am I supposed to train easy? You... you just gave me Pach, and the claws. Now that I'm saying it, I don't even know how much you had to give up for them...." She simply shrugged. "The least I could do was try and make the most of them." The fear of disappointing her mentor had kept her on her toes. Every waking moment since she had received her gifts, Malalia had been training, and sparring where she could.

It had been a relief to hear his praise, though. She smiled lightly. "You can thank Zeitgeist for that. She gave me a couple of pointers. Oh, and this wolf from Valhalla I ran into." A huge chunk of her training had pivoted around their advice. That in mind, she nodded at the Warlord's, brightening a little to hear that she was "officially" cleared to fight wolves larger than herself.

"Speech"

[OOC: I cannot read apparently. When you said "little one" I thought you were talking to her wolverine for a second lmao]

He chuckled when she answered him, but didn’t look like she was going to be getting to her feet anytime soon. She called to her wolverine, who came over and gave her the final encouragement she needed to stand. He leaned back, giving her some space to do so.

“I had high hopes for you, you showed potential, and you're meeting them. It was a risk, to give you prized gifts early on, but you're proving your worth of them” he explained himself further. She was a wolf he had taken under his wing, and decided to apprentice. But she was more than that, she was also an investment to the future of the Armada. He needed more warriors, and he had been taking steps to see that the Armada would gain them, and that they would flourish here. If Malalia continued to succeed, he would continue to reward her, and both would benefit from the arrangement.

“They cost some high quality pelts, and some heavy lifting, but nothing that can’t be replaced. Those claws, and that Wolverine, attached to a fighter, is worth more to me.” He promised her. He winced when she called his Wife by ‘Zeitgeist’. “I still don’t know how her full name got out, but she likes to pretend it doesn't exist. Zee, please” he explained with a chuckle. “I’m glad she was able to give you some advice - and Valhalla seems to keep popping up in my rear vision. I should pay them a visit one of these days”

He gave her a gentle knock on the shoulder, extra careful since he had already knocked her around today. “Let’s head over to Iolaire and get patched up. I don’t know how you feel, but i’m not looking forward to sitting down for the next week” he joked, already moving forward, expecting her to follow.

Ooc: Haha, sadly, he isn’t as mindful of companions as he is of his wolves :P

Malalia

To hear that she was, in fact, meeting his expectations was like a balm to the girl's soul. She hadn't felt, well, deserving of his gifts, as of late, but Sirius' words had soothed those fears. Not that she didn't wince at the mention of the pelts and heavy-lifting, but it was an urge that was slowly dissipating. She felt less and less like a lonely pup whom he had taken pity on. She felt like a warrior. An asset. Something that the Warlord and the pack, wanted and needed.

She started in surprise at the mention of Zeitgeist's preferred name, but gave a good-natured chuckle soon enough. "Absolutely. I'll keep that in mind."

At the hit to her shoulder, she narrowed her eyes and bumped him back a little harder -- but the joke was on her. A tiny yelp escaped when the movement jostled her, and her bruises flared unhappily. "Yeah, I deserved that," she muttered, but followed quickly after Sirius with a happy little tail wag and a hungry little wolverine trailing behind her.

"Speech"

The Warlord chuckled softly when she jostled him back, and it clearly rattled something. At least his wounds were mostly in the way of cuts. Her jostling did nothing to injure them further. The same couldn’t be said for Malalia, whom he had no doubt, if he shaved her tail to nose, would find her black and blue beneath.

“No argument from me” he teased at her muttered words. As the two wolves moved away from the beach, Marshal took off to roost in the nearest trees, and Bast followed the pair happily, wiggling between the two wolves to walk in the middle.

“I want you to start adding patrols to your responsibilities, fighting anything that means to threaten the Armada will be good practice for you.” He ordered, looking thoughtful as he began to navigate the long grass towards Io’s den. “And, if you can win two fights against ranked wolves, I'll move you out of ‘student’ and into the rank of Warrior. Of course, if you beat my Reaper challenge, that will only be the beginning.” he said, setting challenges for her to strive towards. He wanted to see what she was capable of, and how far her ambitions lay.

ooc: I'm super enjoying our threads together! Did you want to get any more going? with Seer and Mort?

Malalia

Mal was all ears as Sirius added patrols to her list of regular activities. That was definitely doable, although this and the trek to Io's reminded her.... I really need to pick up on my healing training. She'd had one lesson with the woman, and several fighting lessons from various warriors. And there was also the Reaper competition to worry about... She didn't want healing to take a back seat, no, but she couldn't slow her momentum now, of all times. Could she?

But that was a dilemma for another day, because Sirius was telling her that she might be made Warrior. An actual, ranked warrior of the Armada, no longer a mere student, if she could win two fights. Smiling as bright as the goddamned sun, tail wagging a mile a minute -- "Okay. I'll do it." That was all she could muster in her excitement -- no jests, no mischief, no exaggeration. She was going to win those spars if it killed her. And who knew what else.

"Speech"

ooc: -fade, probably(?), I'm sorry I'm a snail today lol-