a low rumbling draws their attention, the distant promise of an oncoming storm. leaning up against a tree, Araneae cranes their neck up to the sky and observes the purpling dusk, tracing the first cluster of stars as they appear through the trees. there’s a restlessness surging through their veins, urging them to their feet and through the woods at a brisk trot. they try to dispel it with a burst of speed, breaking into a sudden run and relishing the wind through their fur. but as they slow, the itch is still there, crawling beneath their skin. a moment later, their stomach gives a loud grumble. perking up, Araneae darts their gaze about the woods, searching for a hint of movement. tonight, they’d catch their own prey. wouldn’t that be cool?! “speech”

As the lateness of the day approached, Lioness paused, and patted at the wolf’s paw. Understanding the signal, Kite pulled her eye coverings up, bunching them around her ears and took in the growing shadows and lateness of the day.

She let out a sigh of relief, that feeling of first seeing the world again as day fell away never seemed to fully leave her. She was mostly nocturnal by necessity, and was just considering what to do with her evening when the strange scent of a stranger washed over her. There was enough Armada - and Bas and Hazel - in the scent to tell her they weren’t a stranger to the pack. She scrunched up her nose in surprise. Did her dumb Nephew pick himself up a stray?

Curious about the nature of this pup, she angled her paws so that they would cross paths. When she did reach them, she almost missed them. A black shadow, so close to the ground her eyes danced right over them at first. It was Lioness who warned her. The cat at her paws nudged her again, angling her attention downwards - and there they were. She scrunched up her nose again. They were so tiny. How did Basilisk not… squish them? He probably sneezed out snot bigger than this pup. "Who are you, than?"


"Kite"

an obtrusive voice calls out, snapping them abruptly from their musings. frowning, they glance up to find a young woman looming over them, a strange animal at her side. unnerved by the close proximity, Araneae shuffles a step back to better meet the newcomer’s gaze – which glistens oddly in the shadows of the woods. puffing themselves up in an attempt to look big, they lift their chin at a haughty angle, bristling at the stranger’s tone. “i’m Spider,” they announce, stressing each syllable as though speaking to a small child. ironic, that. “i’m from the Armada.” this is a particular point of pride for them, made evident by the way they seem to swell even further with pride. “who are you?” “speech”

Oh, so it was like that, was it? She found herself immediately responding to the other wolf's haughty tone. No matter that she had started it. She certainly would be finishing it. Drawing herself up a little more, and glad that it was dark enough for her eyes to function without blinding pain, she looked down at the much smaller wolf. It was nice that Spider was so small, it made looking down so easy. Good of them to oblige her like that.

“I,” She said, drawing it out “Am Princess Kyanite Fatalis. Daughter of the esteemed Warlord, Sirius Fatalis. Leader of the Armada, the largest pack in Boreas.” Heh, paying attention to some of her classes came in handy. Normally she hated being called a Princess, but sometimes it came in handy. She blinked slowly down at Spider, over her crystal-encased eyes. "But you can call me your Highness"

"Speech"

Araneae feels their stomach drop, eyes widening against their will. this rude woman was a princess? truly, there was no injustice in the world! fighting to keep their expression under control, the child gives a haughty sniff, hoping to appear unaffected. "royalty, huh? that explains your spoiled attitude," they taunt, voice affecting that whiny, sing-song quality so common among angry children. nevermind their own attitude towards this woman was just as sour; they were a child, and thus unaware of their own hypocrisies. "what, do you expect me to bow, too?" drawing themselves up to their full height (a truly whopping couple of inches), Araneae's lips curl back in a sneer, teeth flashing beneath dark satin flesh. "well i'm not gonna bow, and i'm not gonna call you 'your highness,' either!" a mirthful smirk sweeps across their face as a thought occurs, and a moment later they add, "no, instead, i'm gonna call you Princess Stinkyfur!" “speech”

Kite’s eyes narrowed, unable to believe the pup so tiny and fragile looking as this one would be so unfazed by her. Unable to see the similarities of a small pup taking on a larger, crueler opponent, her idea of Spider started shifting. From mild nuisance to insufferable. “Actually, now that you mention it, a bow would be acceptable” She said, as if Spider meant every word of it. She waved her paw in the direction of the upstart.

“You wouldn’t dare” She snarled, shifting her position into a fighting stance. No, she wasn’t going to take this. She was going to make this pup eat their words! With very little warning she suddenly lunged forward, aiming to grab Spider and knock the smaller wolf off their paws.

Kyanite vs Araneae (Spider) for Dominance
Round 1/?
Age: Over one
Size: Dire wolf
Build: Light
Offensive Battle Accessory: Dagger
Defensive Battle Accessory: Front bracers
Companion 1: Norwegian forest cat, Female - Battle
Companion 2: Peregrine falcon, Female - Battle
Mutation 1: Feline claws - Offensive
Mutation 2: Thicker fur - Defensive
Disability: Daytime blindness - Moderate
Skills: Master Fighter & Advanced Hunter
Specialty: Weaponsmaster

"Speech"

okay, so Araneae hadn’t exactly been expecting…this. although they had a smart mouth, they’d only ever been met with exasperation or amusement - never had someone been so eager to fight them. but this girl was mean, and as she dropped into a fighting stance, Araneae felt a similar desire to attack. to tear and bite and punish for the words that’d been lobbied their way. riding a wave of disbelief and fury, the pup bares their teeth and unleashes what they imagine to be a ferocious, spine-tingling snarl. Kyanite sends Araneae sprawling to the ground as she rushes them, eliciting a startled yelp. her teeth snap at them, grasping their scruff and pinning them beneath her weight. burning with indignation, Araneae attempts to pull their hind legs free, and should they succeed, begins to rain down a storm of sharp, churning kicks across Kyanite’s face, claws scrabbling for purchase. Kyanite vs. Araneae (Spider) for Dominance Round 1/? Age: Under six months Size: Extra-small Build: Light “speech”

Kite was almost surprised at how easy it was to tumble Spider off their paws. She paused for a moment as if to say ‘now what?’ when she felt Spider’s legs pull free, and then suddenly there was a great deal of kicking towards her face. She extended her feline like claws with a growl not dissimilar to a cats, and attended to wrap her larger form around Spider. Attempting to dig her claws into the other wolf. Trying to pull them down and compress them. Somehow she felt like that would prove her superiority. If she could just pin them down and make them feel helpless.


Kyanite vs Araneae (Spider) for Dominance
Round 2/2
Age: Over one
Size: Dire wolf
Build: Light
Offensive Battle Accessory: Dagger
Defensive Battle Accessory: Front bracers
Companion 1: Norwegian forest cat, Female - Battle
Companion 2: Peregrine falcon, Female - Battle
Mutation 1: Feline claws - Offensive
Mutation 2: Thicker fur - Defensive
Disability: Daytime blindness - Moderate
Skills: Master Fighter & Advanced Hunter
Specialty: Weaponsmaster

"Speech"

panic and anger wars through them, increasing with every second they remain held beneath Kyanite’s grip. their mind was a whirling cacophony of emotions, chief among them being embarrassment at how easily they were subdued. gaining a frenzy born of this combination, Araneae draws their hind feet back and sends them reeling forward in a particularly forceful kick, aiming to snap Kyanite’s face to the side and – hopefully – striking her eye. should this prove a successful distraction, Araneae would wriggle out of Kyanite’s grip, panting and glaring with tufts of fur hanging from their pelt in spiky clumps. if not, they’d continue to wriggle furiously, teeth bared in a snarl. Kyanite vs. Araneae (Spider) for Dominance Round 2/2 Age: Under six months Size: Extra-small Build: Light “speech”

And the winner is...

KYANITE

Totals: KYANITE Attack Roll: 73 Defense Roll: 96 Agility Roll: 2 Perception Roll: 54 Total: 225 Attack[73] + 85% Bonus[62.05]: 135.05 Defense[96] + 20% Bonus[19.20]: 115.20 Agility[2] + 5% Bonus[0.10]: 2.10 Perception[54] + 0% Bonus[0.00]: 54.00 Total[306.35] + 10% Bonus[30.64]: 336.99 ARANEAE Attack Roll: 58 Defense Roll: 60 Agility Roll: 81 Perception Roll: 77 Total: 276 Attack[58] + 0% Bonus[0.00]: 58.00 Defense[60] + 0% Bonus[0.00]: 60.00 Agility[81] + 15% Bonus[12.15]: 93.15 Perception[77] + 0% Bonus[0.00]: 77.00 Total[288.15] + -30% Bonus[-86.44]: 201.70

“What's going on here?” Mortis roared. His newly developed authoritative tone striking out between the two wolves. Having been wrangling six puppies for the better part of a season, he held a great deal more confidence in dealing with children then he had had. The winged wolf slowed to a stop just before the two wolves. One a pup, the other a yearling. His patrol had been interrupted by the ruckus, and his eyes move over them now. “Kyanite, get off them right this instant!” He ordered. He recognised the other pup as Hazel’s new ward, though they had not been formally introduced. The both of them were covered in little cuts, and had been scrapping like wild animals from what he could see. He trotted over, and placed a wing evenly between them the moment Kite complied. “Well, what do the two of you have to say for yourselves?” "Speech"

Kite was winning. She could feel her superior size giving her the upperhand. She was about to beat this awful, stupid puppy into submission when the voice of an adult suddenly thundered through the forest behind them. She froze instantly, and then slowly turned to look up at the towering form of her oldest brother. She winced at the sight of his angry form. Angry Mort was a very unusual sight, and she knew she was in trouble.

At his command, she jumped up off Spider, and then suddenly a wing came down between them. What did they have to say for themselves? What could she say? The truth. “It’s all Spider’s fault! They called me Princess Stinkyfur!” She said, her expression falling in the perfect pose of hurt and upset.

"Speech"

talk about a saviour! Araneae deflates in relief at the appearance of a new wolf, shooting the stranger a wide-eyed look of innocence and desperation. help! they tried to convey, straining over Kyanite’s shoulder - never mind they’d had just as much to do with the initiation of this fight. gratitude and humiliation roils through them as Kyanite releases them, and they clamber to their feet with burning cheeks. they’d been so…so soundly beaten! it was downright embarrassing. outrage joined the mix at Kyanite’s claim, their mouth falling open into a moue of disgust. “that’s not true! she…she was mean to me first!” they protest, stomping an angry foot. although, when Kite brings up the whole ‘Princess Stinkyfur,’ incident, they can’t help but chuckle into their fur. “she is,” they grumble to themselves, hoping not to be overheard. “speech”

Mortis knew that Kite was an unhappy wolf, and it didn’t surprise him to find her in a tussle with another pup. But that didn’t excuse her behaviour. But nor did that give allowance for Spider to mean to her, either. He let out a sigh, and lowered the wing he had erected between the two of them. He looked from one pup to the other. “Kyanite, you are going to apologise for being mean to Spider. Spider, you are going to apologise to Kyanite for calling her names. The two of you are going to shake paws with that apology, or Sirius and Hazel will be hearing about this.” He warned them both. The two of them had definitely gotten off to a bad start. Was there anything he could do to repair it? "Speech"

Mortis might not have heard their remark, but Kite certainly did. She shot Spider an angry glare, and seethed at Mortis’ ultimatum. That wasn’t fair. She was Mortis’ sister, and Spider was just a stupid nobody who didn’t know how to mind their manners. But she didn’t want Sirius to hear about this. He had already been banning her from things left right and centre. She didn’t want to give her dad any more reason to keep her from things.

So she stomped forward, and held out a paw. She had every intention of squeezing their pad with her toes as hard as she could if they also offered their paw. “I’m sorry I fought you” She said, and thought as loudly as she could Because your just a stupid pup that can’t fight anyway.

"Speech"

all things considered, Araneae is relatively pleased with how things turned out. sure, they’d still gotten their ass handed to them - and they had to apologise to that bratty princess, the injustice of it all - but at least they hadn’t gotten shouted at. and privately, they were just hoping Bas and Hazel weren’t told about this; after all, if they were gonna get in trouble for fighting, it might as well be for a fight they’d actually won. so really, they could suck it up and apologise, at least externally. didn’t mean they had to actually be sorry, or anything. “i’m also sorry for fighting you. and i’m really sorry for calling you princess. stinky. fur.” pain slices through them as Kyanite grasps their paw, but they squeeze it back just as tightly, hoping to elicit that same pain twofold. and next time, they add to themselves, i’m gonna kick your ass. indeed, though it perhaps would not be any time soon, a seed of determination had been planted in Araneae’s heart: one day they would be strong enough to grind Kynaite into the dirt. “speech”