The Warlord had found evidence of the crocodile, in the way that it had snaked up the beach, and finished a meal left behind by one of his wolves. The beach was his main training space, and young apprentices could often be found on its shore, training and exercising. He could not allow the beast to live, or at least remain, where it might threaten them. He found the creature in the early hours of the morning, high up on the sand, bathing under the warmth of the sun. He crept away from it, and made his way back to the Tall Grass Plains. He would turn this into a lesson, and he knew just which wolf he wished to fetch for it. He arrived promptly outside Malalia’s den, and scratched at the door. “Mal?” he asked softly. He would grab Mort after this, and give both the youngsters a lesson. Ooc: (Fight a large predator & fight training will be 30 points in total ;) ) "Zee" & "Sirius"

She didn't want to wake up, but the soft alert from the Warlord was enough to stir the fitfully-rested girl. She was sleeping better these days, but a late night of training coupled with an early morning did not make for a happy wolf. Malalia only groaned by way of answer -- I'm awake, I'll be there soon -- taking a few seconds to roll over on her side and make her peace with the fact that, yes, her day was starting now.

With a tired sigh, she scrambled up the entryway and poked her head out of the opening, blinking away the last dregs of slumber. "I will never understand you and your early mornings," she greeted him, jokingly chiding. The yearling fully exited her home and bumped his shoulder to say hello. "What's on the agenda?"

"Speech"

The Warlord only chuckled, good-natured at her groaning. Thee young apprentice was coming along well with her training, even if she didnt rise at the crack of dawn like some people. "A moment asleep, is a moment wasted" he joked back. No need to tell her about his rough past, that left sleep a little difficult to grasp more often then not. He had already spoken to Io of it at length, but there where some demons that would likely never be laid to rest.

He returned her shoulder bump, already beginning to walk in the direction of where he knew Mort to be. "Grabbing one of my kids, and then we are going to head down to the beach and chase off a saltwater crocodile" he explained, voice deadpan as he gave her a chance to digest that. He would have brought along Azure, but he would be missing out on this adventure, as punishment for being a brat to Malalia.

He found Mort at the border where he was stationed for part of the morning. The boy looked half asleep, and very bored. "Come on son, were going on an adventure" he called out.

Ooc: if you wanna go next, then I'll bring Mort in. So he can cash in on some fight points too ;)

Mal only hummed softly, concealing the suspicion that "one of his kids" might be Azure. Gods, she hoped not. Sirius wouldn't do that... or hell, maybe he would. It was inevitable that she would have to work with the boy one day. And deal with his ass when he's grown....

But, much more interesting was the crocodile tale. That woke her up. Something like fear and excitement churned in her belly. She'd never fought one of the reptiles before, careful to stay well away from the creatures... but she wasn't on her own anymore. A lone croc would be a piece of cake for a trio of Armada wolves.

Soon enough, though, Mort's scent drifted past her nose, and her tail wagged in greeting when she sighted the winged pup. "Heya," she chuffed. Mal paced forward to greet him, lifting up to poke her paw on his forehead. "Are you gonna be this sleepy while we're fighting off a crocodile?" she teased, revealing their adventure for the day.

"Speech"
[ooc: fun fact, did you know that Mal hates Azure's guts *gasps* ]

Mortis brightened considerably at the appearance of not just his father, but his friend, too. Better yet, he was relieved of his post and told they were going on an adventure. He wiggled in excitement and laughed at Mal poked him on the forehead. He playfully battered her wing a wing in retaliation, making sure the feathery appendage tickled under her nose. "A crocodile!?" He gasped, looking to his father for confirmation. When his dad nodded, his eyes widened and he bounded forward.

"I'm ready!" He promised. This was going to be interesting. He had fought Malalia before (and lost) but he had never fought alongside her. His father had taken him to hunt a few things before, but never a crocodile. Wouldnt it just swim away? No one said it, but he knee his Da couldn't swim.

For once, his questions went unasked, and he bounded along besides the pair to the beach.

Ooc: I cant blame her! Haha. Sorry, phone posts only for the next few hours. I'm at work

Malalia said nothing more on the walk, not until they found Mort, and she shared the secret of the adventure with him. He hid a smile at the boys enthusiasm. Even he could admit that his winged pup had come along way from the timid creature he had started out as. With the two younger wolves following alongside of them, they were soon joined by Bast, the leopard, with Marshal upon her back, and his newest companion. The small female bear, who liked to lumber along on two paws. It meant she towered over the wolves a little.

Now a decently sized party, they continued on to the beach, and the Warlord slowed them before they reached it. "We need to go around him, so he cant just slink back into the ocean, and terrorize our beach another day, when warriors arent around to stop him." Sirius informed them, he indicated for his companions to split one way, and the pups to split another. "Make a wide path around and meet me by the water front" he told the companions, before leading the younger wolves down to the beach.

Malalia sucked in a breath, nose twitching furiously and maw partway open, before she made a show of fake-sneezing on Mort's wing as his feathers tickled her nose. She chuckled to herself, and only grinned further when the boy gasped with excitement. As they set off, Sirius' companions joined him, along with a new friend; a female bear that walked on her hindlegs. Mal smiled in greeting at the creature.

It wasn't long before they'd come to the beach, and Sirius was giving instructions to block the crocodile's escape. "Are crocodiles often a threat here?" she asked, keeping her voice to a murmur as they moved further down to the shore. The excitement had settled, and anticipation pickled her pads and raised the guard hairs along her back. "What's the plan after we cut him off?"


"Speech"

“Gross!” the boy snickered, before shooting a look towards his dad and calming down. He didn’t want Sirius to think twice about inviting him along for this. They reached the beach in no time, and the Warlord brought them to a halt, and explained the start of the plan to them. Seer’s companions split up, and Mortis continued to follow his dad towards the beach, skirting around where this crocodile must be.

At Mal’s words, the boy shrugged. “I’ve never seen one before” he admitted, and then fell silent to listen to his father's next instructions. Sirius explained the creatures weaknesses, and the best way to tackle it. He knew the fight was about to start. He nudged Mal, eyes widening as he gave her an excited grin.

Mortis answered her question first, and the Warlord shook his head, as well. “Not often, but it's not the first time i’ve seen one hanging around, either” he admitted. “Probably running from winter, from the streams further North” he suggested, as they hit the ocean, and he turned them back inland. That cuts off the creatures best escape, it was a lot slower on land that it was in water.

Malalia asked for the plan, and he waited until his companions caught up to them - confirming the Crocodile was exactly where he had left it. “Alright, the strength in their jaws is concentrated on closing. Their ability to open it is very weak, so avoid an open mouth at all cost. The Bear will concentrate on grabbing its maw, and holding it shut. Malalia, you can concentrate on its feet, keeping it from escaping, Mort, your heavier, keep its tail from lashing us. Its hide is very thick, so i’ll concentrate on piercing it. Ready?”

Mal tossed him a small smile, nudging him back, but otherwise her eyes and ears were focused on Sirius' explanation of the crocodile's habits, and the plan that he formed. It was good to hear that it wasn't a regular occurrence ... those snapping jaws and thick hide made for a tough beast to defeat. Too, she'd never actually fought one before, only done her best to stay away from the formidable creature.

Still. It was better to learn how to defeat it, than find herself helpless against a future threat.

The yearling nodded at the Warlord's plans, her eyes peeking over the plains to where the crocodile lay ahead of them. Adrenaline coursed through her, but -- She adjusted her steel claws, perfect for piercing through the reptile's thick hide, and steadied her stance. "I'm ready when you are," she confirmed, waiting for their cue.


"Speech"

Mortis Fatalis

His father gave the go ahead, and Mortis gave Mal’s steel claws one quick glance as she adjusted them, and then looked back towards her with a grin. He hadn’t realised, but now they kind of match! Only, he could beat her steel claws were heavier then his feline-like ones.

Mortis bounded ahead, at the same time the companions did. Seer’s creatures moved up in an arch, aiming to circle the creature, and limit its movement. The crocodile woke from its lazy nap on the sun, and glared unblinking eyes at the moving party. Its mouth opened, and its tail slid across the sand behind it.

The young boy raced for its tail, even as he saw Sirius and the bear head around its head. When it moved to keep Sirius in front of it, Mortis dived for the tail, trying to hold it still. He was shocked at how sturdy the creature felt beneath him, and when it moved again, he felt like he barely made an impact on keeping it still.

With a snarl, the boy sunk his darker like teeth into a softer point of its back leg joint.

Sirius looked over the party, assessing their readiness, and found none of them wanting. He grinned, eager for the fight to come, and gave a quick nod. “Alright, go. Be safe.” he ordered, through protecting them was his main objective of the day. This was a training exercise, and a lesson.

He moved towards its head, keeping a distance as he circled it, and its eyed zeroed in on him, and it moved in a slow circle across the sand, keeping him in front. Mortis, seeing the problem, would go for a bite against its back leg. The crocodile hissed in anger and pain, and Sirius launched himself forward. “Don’t let it throw you, Bear, go for the left side of its head. Mal, help Mortis hold it down! Weaken the legs!” he yelled instructions, even as he reached the head. It turned fast, angling its teeth towards him.

The Warlord pulled to a stop, staring down the opened maw of the beast, and snarled at the creature, which hissed back at him. The Titan just needed to bide his time, and wait for the right distraction to get in close to its jaws.

"Speech"

Mal darted forward alongside Mortis and the other companions, tail streaming out behind her. She paused as the companions closed off the crocodile's escape point, hackles feathering up on her back as she circled its rear end. Even Mortis, when he leaped for the creature's tail, could barely hold the animal down by himself. When he bit for one leg joint, Mal went for the other, sinking her claws into the soft point of the limb and using her fangs to bite higher up on its leg. It's hiss was covered up by her own bubbling snarl.

Sirius was shouting commands, but she was already there. No joke; the croc was heavy, but as she jerked her weight down and backwards, the combined effort of herself and Mortis seemed to stay the crocodile in place, she gripped with her jaws and one clawed paw, and ripped at its leg with the other, beginning to reveal the pink and red tones of flesh underneath. The crocodile hissed, swaying its huge tail savagely, as it attempted to free itself.

"Speech"

Malaia was there in a moment, and he gave her the barest hint of a nod, before concentrating again on his side of the crocodile. He ripped into it with his long claws, through they mostly scrambled at the thick hide, and didn’t always find purchase. His fangs did a better job of sinking in, so he concentrated on digging them into the joint where the leg meets the body. He felt the shift as Bast jumped onto the leopard. She pressed her weight onto the table, and the three of them did their best to keep the leopard from moving. He tasted blood, and knew they were doing damage. He could hear Malalia’s rumbled growl, and picked up his own to match her. Not that it was a competition or anything. "Speech"

When the weight on its back end grew, it became clear the battle was shifting. Despite facing the Warlord with his jaws, it no longer had any semblance of the upper hand. It was distracted by the pain the three were dealing as they tore into its back legs, and it started to struggle, and attempt to turn to face what was now becoming the bigger threat.

Sirius took advantage of the distraction, running in, and slamming his weight onto its jaws, giving the bear time to lumber in more slowly. She wrapped her arms around the jaws of the creature, and Sirius moved his weight further down, until he was sitting just before its eyes.

He struck then, well it was very much trapped beneath the combined weight and strengths of all of them. He tore at its eyes with his claws, and dug his talons into the flat space behind its eyes, seeking out its brain. It was clear the moment he found it, as the crocodile jerked, and then fell still.

"Speech"

She would've snorted at Mortis' matching growl, had they not been fighting a goddamned crocodile in that very moment. Instead, she held on, continuing to slash at the croc with her free set of claws until her foreleg was good and bloody, the metallic taste seeping onto her tongue from her grip on the soft flesh where the croc's haunch met the rest of its body. As Bast added her own weight to the creature, the crocodile crumbled underneath them, unable to escape the barrage. Still, he hissed and thrashed, almost doubling its efforts to throw its attackers off. It seemed very much alive and kicking, belying the fact that the tides had turned.

As the crock twisted its head and lurched for Mortis, Bast, and herself, Sirius and Bear came in, trapping the crocodile's neck and head. From there, it was swift work. The copper tang in the air strengthened as Sirius dealt lethal blows to the crock's front end.

Then, a sudden jerk. Was it dead? She didn't dare loosen her grip on the thing, just in case.


"Speech"

Mortis felt like he was in for a wild ride as the creature fought like, well, like its life depended on it. At least he was fighting besides Mal, Sirius, and his troop of companions. There was no one else he would have trusted more in battle then this lot. It made his young heart proud to be a part of it. Sirius continued to shout instructions to them, and Mortis knew his father had a handle on everything. When the creature finally fell still, he tentatively released his grip around the base of its length with his fangs. Shaking out a stiff jaw, and blood from his fangs, he poked the dead creature, and then turned to Mal with a grin. “Okay, that was pretty wicked.” he admitted. A crocodile Az was going to be spitting jealous. "Speech"

When the crocodile was very much dead, he released his grip on it, and moved around its head, and towards the younger wolves. He surveyed them quickly, and ensured they were well. It appeared neither took any damage from this. A glance at his bear, told her she was also well. The bear grinned at him, and raised a paw for a high-five. He shook his head in amusement, and, more awkwardly then the part-time bi-pedal creature, returned the gesture.

“Decent sized beast, and hardly a mark on him.” he said, nudging their kill with a behemoth paw. “Who wants a crocodile rug, or a piece of armour” he tapped the scales appreciatively. “They would do rather well for defence”


"Speech"