The bloodstained clearing was still and silent, aside from the distant clash of another ongoing battle. Ludovic stepped into the plain with an easy gait, his fiery fur right at home within the expanse of dirt and scarce grassland. He surveyed his surroundings, mismatched gaze gleaming with intrigue. He was confident, sure of himself; even though his mother was actually not nearby this time. Gone off on his own, no more babysitter. Well, aside from the near flock of ravens overhead circling him.

Nothing to do about that. Lifting his head, he loosed a deep howl, and it echoed out with challenge and promise. A summons for a fight, come what may.



"Ludovic Praetor-Inferos"

Once the sky had stopped being so bleary and red, her mothers' tight hold had begun to ease. They had taken the children on a field trip to the Battlefield today and Lore had come along with only a small amount of her usual trepidation. She bounced nervously from paw to paw until she heard the call of someone more or less around the same age - at least, both Thalia and Theory approved of her seeking out this opponent. Lore bounded towards the source of the noise, skidding to a stop in front of a tall young male who didn't look quite like anything she'd ever seen before. He was boldly colored in shades of red, white, and black with intriguing bi-colored eyes. Was he touched by her Lord? Lore, still too shy to make the first move, stammered: "Y-you called for an opponent?"

"speech"

coded by NachoMumma

Ludovic tilted his head, his dual-toned eyes shining as he regarded the smaller girl who approached, beckoned by his call. She was jittery, like a hare deciding whether to bolt or stay. This stranger smelled of a pack, and with her pale features and earthen shades of hues he couldn’t even begin to guess which. Amusement flickered across his features, though his voice retained its smooth, easygoing tone. Playful, even. No sense in scaring her, what would have been the point in that anyways?

“I sure did.” the boy replied, charcoal tail lashing excitedly behind him. Ludo took a moment to look her over, before continuing in a softer tone. “And here you are, looking like you’re not sure whether to fight or run.” He stepped just a bit closer, framework still relaxed as he let a small chuckle slip past his lips at her demeanor. She didn’t seem much like someone ready to bite into someone else. “No pressure, loosen up. If you fight too tense you’ll pull something. My name is Ludovic.” And with that, he set his defenses. Paws spread shoulder width apart, his skull lowering, tail jutting out behind him stiffly. Pleasantries aside, maybe if he gave her the first shot on him she'd get a little more confident and actually be more of an opponent?

Ludovic vs Lore for Spar
Round 1/?
Age: Under 1 year
Size: Extra large
Build: Heavy
Offensive Battle Accessory: Talon Claw Fittings
Defensive Battle Accessory: Leather over shoulders
Companion 1: Raven, Female - Flying
Companion 2: Raven, Female - Flying
Mutation 1: Tough Skin - Defensive
Mutation 2: Reinforced Bones - Defensive
Mutation 3: Reinforced Teeth - Offensive
Skills: Master Fighter & Expert Intellectual
Specialty: Weaponsmaster


"Ludovic Praetor-Inferos"

Lore's eyes widened a sliver when he spoke to her in friendly tones. She often went about the world waiting for something bad to happen - so much so that when something nice happened, like a striking stranger taking an interest with her, she unwrapped the moment like a present and savored it to the last. Still, she couldn't joke down the nervous little laugh that slipped out. "No, no running," she said quickly, beginning to set her own defenses by dipping her chin to protect her neck.


"Loosen... loosen..." Lore murmured, hopping from paw to paw for a moment and then stretching long and low in front of him before setting the rest of her defenses. Neck tucked, paws spread, tail out, ears back, she faced him with a suddenly serious expression. Fighting had become a more academic exercise for her, but she tried to stir up something within her. She found herself wanting to impress him, but in a different way than she liked to lord over her siblings. "I'm Lore. Nice to meet ya, Ludov - !" With that, she tried to catch him off guard by darting forward, crossing his right side and bending low to try and grab with her jaws at his back right paw to throw him off balance.

Lore vs Ludovic for Spar
Round 1/2
Age: Under 1 year
Size: Large
Build: Light
Skills: Intermediate Fighter & Advanced Healer

"speech"

coded by NachoMumma

Ludovic’s grin widened as her nervous laugh escaped, her anticipatory energy almost infectious. He held his ground, watching her hop from paw to paw with something between amusement and approval. When she stretched low, obviously preparing herself, he inclined his head just slightly, observing the way she set her defenses up. "There she is. The fighter." he murmured under his breath, more to himself than to her, though his tail gave a subtle flick of encouragement, of excitement—maybe both. His stance remained calm, loose, and steadfast as she introduced herself.

“Lore, huh?” he repeated smoothly, testing the sound of her name on his tongue, voice faintly mischievous. “Well, let’s see what you—” Her sudden lunge cut him off, her burst of speed catching him off guard as she darted to his right side. He let out a sharp laugh, a mix of surprise and delight, as he tried to pivot in order to face her, his body acting on reflex. But her aim was clever—he felt her teeth catch his back paw, and the unexpected angle forced him to stagger, before he shifted his weight on his other three paws to avoid losing balance entirely.

“Quick on the uptake, aren’t you?” he remarked, voice still playful as he twisted sharply, aiming to loop his forepaw over her shoulder and use his weight to push her off-balance in turn. Not quite wanting to use his teeth or talons on her. The glint in his eye and the teasing lilt of his voice made it clear—he was enjoying this, and he wasn’t about to let her win easily.

Ludovic vs Lore for Spar
Round 2/2
Age: Under 1 year
Size: Extra large
Build: Heavy
Offensive Battle Accessory: Talon Claw Fittings
Defensive Battle Accessory: Leather over shoulders
Companion 1: Raven, Female - Flying
Companion 2: Raven, Female - Flying
Mutation 1: Tough Skin - Defensive
Mutation 2: Reinforced Bones - Defensive
Mutation 3: Reinforced Teeth - Offensive
Skills: Master Fighter & Expert Intellectual
Specialty: Weaponsmaster

"Ludovic Praetor-Inferos"

When she caught him by the paw, another guileless laugh bubbled up from her throat and caught her by surprise. All of her scrapping so far had been between her siblings or lessons with parents. This was her first true fight where she'd test her mettle against a stranger and she found his energy infectious. There she is, the fighter. His words provoked the exact reaction he desired and Lore had a feeling he was used to speaking things into being, that maybe he had a way with words. She was perceptive, but not enough to resist falling under his spell. Like a girl giddy at her first co-ed dance, she was relishing in the heart-pounding adrenaline of sharing close quarters with someone new - uncharted territory.

The anxiety that usually panged her was still there, but it was taking a backseat. A muted buzz versus its typical loud drone. She felt him stagger and a bright spear of triumph pierced her heart. Abraxas was guiding her name true. Was it really like her mother said - if she followed Him, gave herself up to His power, she could accomplish anything? Lore turned bold, and when she angled her gaze up at him when he slung a forearm over her shoulder, her eyes were glittering. She nibbled a bit between his toes - nothing sharp, more of a tickle in the way her mother sometimes groomed her paws too thoroughly at Lore's protest. There was a strange moment when she felt like she wanted this to last forever: his weight bearing down on her, the possibility of her spilling his blood, all hanging in one precarious second. Anything could happen.

He succeeded and tucked himself over her, his superior weight making her grunt and gasp in surprise, immediately losing grasp of his paw. Lore stumbled beneath him but then decided the path of least resistance would be to drop down entirely. She dropped down into a play bow until essentially her rear end was pressing up into his chest from beneath and her shoulders and head were close to the ground between his back legs. With another little laugh, she wagged her tail furiously to try and tickle his nose.

Lore vs Ludovic for Spar
Round 2/2
Age: Under 1 year
Size: Large
Build: Light
Skills: Intermediate Fighter & Advanced Healer

"speech"

coded by NachoMumma