DUN. DUN. DUN DUN DUN DUN DUN.

Dirt clods fly into the air, the ground overturned from its grassy face to reveal a mess of dark earth dotted by crimson drops of lifeblood.

The entire clearing was dug up from the battle. Crixus’ heavy hooves trampled down the grass, only for it to become kicked up in large clumps each time he pivoted back to face the Wolf King.

It almost looked similar to the rubber drifting marks a car might leave behind on the pavement. It showed the force and momentum taken by the Minotaur as he sped up and head-butted his enemy.

The clearing itself was becoming wider.

2 beasts faced one another. One that flowed with a trained flourish in his movements; though somewhat broken at times with the occasional off-balance footstep. The other relied on wild instincts and a flaming body honed from years spent on the hunt.

Both were at a disadvantage in the fight. The Minotaur, unused to fighting without sword, spear, or shield, his body still struggled to adjust to the unbalance that proved to be wrought by a lack of arms (in both senses of the word).

The burning Wolf King, unable to keep up with the blunt force impacting his body with each head-butt that connects with his body, just barely missing becoming pierced by the one sharp horn.

Haaaaa. Haaa. Haaaaa.

Panting, the nameless Wolf King lowers his head, readying himself for Crixus’ next pass. A quick glance beyond the strange twisting bush shows the bird and worthless green creature watching.

It was quite a let down when the bird refused to fight him. Why then, had it challenged him, then expended all that effort to run away. Inconceivable! At first, he’d thought it was a step in the Raven’s challenge.

Hunting the Raven down hadn’t been easy, he would give it that.

The scent of the Raven itself was nigh-impossible to track. Scenting it when his Pack finally discovered the green creature, he found the scent of the bird itself wrapped in a thick layer of musty odors. The scents of different creatures’ droppings mixed together. Creating a powerful and disorienting scent that he had to be careful not to focus too long on.

This Raven was the first one he’d ever seen in this territory.

A long time ago, his father the mighty Alpha warned him never to wander into Raven territory. It was a shame he never found out why.

Father would only twitch his ears and ignore the small runt pup that would later become the Wolf King.

It made the Wolf King lower his head warily, glancing between the Champion and his Alpha, the Raven.

If this armless bull-man creature was this powerful…

How much more terrifying was that Raven?

The pride in his lone eye was gone, replaced by a ferocious will to survive. Victory was no longer a certainty as it had once been when the fight began.

Unable to prevent the so-called “maimed”(if he could fight this well, he didn't need arms!!) Minotaur’s attacks, the Wolf King could only shake his head. That was the only way he could deaden the high-pitched howling in his skull.

Yet, the lifeblood flew in a heady rush through his veins. The joy of the fight against a more-than worthy opponent. It gave the Wolf King a reason to live. Greater than the need to protect his Pack. Greater than the quickening heartbeats he felt as the light in the eyes of his prey dimmed, the finality of the weight slackening to the ground.

Again. The Minotaur came at him again, head lowered with horns faced towards him. Blood, his own blood on the enemy’s horns, dotting the bull-man’s hide red.

It should have been the enemy’s blood.

Breathing in a deep huff through his long snout, it was easy enough to know what was happening to not just himself, but the Pack that observed the fight.

The only scents he picked up now were the blood scents of his own Pack, beloved Mate, and himself. There was a disease running through the Pack, one that made them weaken and cry blood from their eyes, ears, and nose.

His instincts told him it had something to do with the Raven.

….But he didn’t know what. How could a Raven cause a disease? Was a Raven capable of something so terrifying?

Of creating an unseen enemy that killed with no tooth or claw?

Now, it was becoming all too clear he needed to win, not just for the sake of the Challenge, but for his Pack.

Wet snout twitching, he growls low, a warning to the enemy before him not to push him much farther. The Challenge was issued. His Pack was dying. This Wolf King would win.

With each blow, the howls grew louder and louder, making it hard for the Wolf King to ready for the next attack, and the next.

His will could only take him so far.

Body was in tatters, one leg bent out under him while his whole body heaved to retain some semblance of air in his lungs.

DUN. DUN. DUN DUN DUN DUN DUN.

The enemy comes!

Delicious excitement and crackling sharp, eye-opening pain spurred the Wolf King on, making him leap forward once again.

Again!

Oh, how he wished the battle would continue for eternity. Continuing this fight to the death, pitting everything they had against each other.

His tail slaps agains his hind legs as it expresses his pressed emotions.

How wonderful!

Testing his fire against might, the comparison of wills.

What titillation!!

Ding~!

[Evolution available for Kin: Crixus. Would you like to evolve him into Horned Ramstein?]

Yeah..No.

Greenie and I both lost consciousness every time we evolved. If Crixus was knocked out now, while fighting a creature that was clearly excited to take us down, we were done for.

I reject that offer for now. And I was going to save reading the description for later, Appraising it now and leaving the notification window in the corner of my vision.

No matter how curious I was whether evolution would regrow Crixus’ arms back…

Either way, it would come up again later, when we unlocked other evolutions for him.

More than that, it was important we got through this.

Crixus promised me me he would win.

He’d sworn an oath. So I needed to trust him. Even if a part of me wanted to bite all my non-existent fingernails of my non-existent hand. I would trust him.

So I needed to stay quiet. I wasn't going to be like that female wolf and be the annoying peanut gallery.

Miming zipping up my beak and throwing away the key, I ignore Greenie's confused look and wink at him.

Not Antora, Master.

Drawing a tear down his face, Greenie mentions towards the fighting duo.

Hmmm..I wonder..

Greenie was right. If it were the Antora meat, the Wolf King should at least be bleeding from his eyes or ears, like some of the other wolves already watching were.

So it wasn’t the poisoned Antora meat. If it were, the Wolf King would have some sign of excessive bleeding, but he had none. Unlike the other wolves that ringed the clearing, some who had blood dripping out of long snouts and drooping ears, the only blood that was expunged from his body came from the gouged forelimb.

But I knew there was something broken on the insides too, though the combination of thick fur and fire that enveloped the Wolf King’s body made it difficult to determine to what extent the injuries that Crixus had caused reached.

Back arching, the Wolf King narrows his eye each time he huffs out a breath, drooping tail wagging slightly behind him.

Brightly burning focus sharpened on the large Minotaur in front of him, the ravenous wolf was still burning (literally and figuratively, HA!) to fight.

But the positions were now reversed.

Crixus was on the offense, the wolf on defense. His hooves thudded heavily into the ground, skull and horns crushing the trees that got in his way.

If it wasn’t the Antora meat, then what was it???

It wasn’t compatibility either.

The fighting styles for the two of them were equally mismatched. Neither seemed to have the advantage; I could imagine either one coming out on top.

Hmm.

Squinting, I watch as Crixus roars and flips the Wolf King into the air by his horns.

A grey mass of muscle and flame flops in the air, limbs waving awkwardly.

Yes!!

Did we win?

Somehow, the Wolf King was able to right himself and lands on all fours, growling. Sigh.. This wolf had the tenacity of a cockroach.

Awwwww…..

But that was close!

We might win soon!!

Which meant…I appraised Crixus, trying to figure out what was going on. Was it the sort of title I had, like Perseverant, which kicked in for me when I was close to death??

There was a small window of time now I could use while I was sure Crixus wouldn’t die suddenly.

This time, I would use to try and figure out what was happening.

Taking in the information a bit at a time was tough, with my attention traveling between the information window and the intense fight. But I did it.

---Status---

Name:

Crixus

Race:

Tarsuen Minotaur

Title:

Provocateur

Allegiance:

Unkindness

Magic:

N/A

Abilities:

Skill [Weapon Fluency]

Skill [Shield Bash]

Skill [Penetration Step]

Skill [Enhanced Rigor]

Skill [Acute Scenting}

Skill [Iron Will]

Skill [Charge]

Skill [Grappling]

Skill [Pledge Alignment]

Skill [Sleep Recovery]

Resistances:

Pain Resistance

------

Pledge Alignment?

What’s that??

It must have something to do with the oath that Crixus had sworn before the fight began!!

CRASH!!

A gasp escapes out of me when I look up to see Crixus fallen on his back, the top of his head smoking.

Good thing he was alive. The twitching tail peeking out under his thigh told me so.

But his hair!

With a smooth motion, Crixus bends over and plants his horns into the ground, smothering the flames.

Using that momentum, he rolls forward to land on his hooves and straightens up.

Tail continuing to wag behind him, the wolf does nothing, watching while Crixus puts out the flames on his head.

Uhh. Ok.

That was gentlemanly?? I guess?

With an silent understanding, they both rush at each other.

GROAAAAAAAAR!!

With a BANG! Crixus’s skull connects with the wolf’s dead on.

Yes!!

He’d done it!!

A soft, almost imperceptible whimper, then the wolf flies backwards, crashing into his pack members while they use their bodies to support him.

Once his backward momentum stops, they slowly lower him to the ground, his grey mass falling into a heap.

The flames on his back were still glowing softly.

Did we win?

I think we won!

Greenie!!

Turning around to high-five Greenie, I reach out a wing towards him.

But he doesn’t look down towards me.

Greenie??

His eyes were still fixated towards the Wolf King.

It’s still not over yet, is it?

Matted strands of hair wave up and down with Greenie’s hurried nods. They make me slowly spin my head back. It doesn't take long with my bird vision to see-

The dark mass rises up, the centers of orange fire on his back turning a dull red…and then…

Slowly… into a dull white-

!!!

Digging his paws into the softened ground, the Wolf King howls.

AWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

Crackle-crackle.

The cracking sounds of flames growing on his back turn into a slight hum, flames leaping brighter and brighter until they dance into a orb on the large wolf’s back.

Haahkkk!

Hacking out a mouthful of blood doesn’t stop the Wolf King from continuing to resonating the air his coarse, vibrating howl.

I’ll SHOW YOU.

MY ALL!!!

Yelping, the wolves quickly move back from the clearing, tail between their legs as some jump into bushes; while others circle behind trees, not looking back.

!!!

What-!

Was that a nuclear weapon!!?

My talons accidentally catch on a twig as I stumble backwards, Greenie swooping me up and running towards our cave, making sure to take our vine blanket with him.

That’s crazy!

Crixus wouldn’t survive that!

Heck, I didn’t know if we could survive that!!!

Gathers together flames for one final blast.

Burning bright white, the forest around us is painted white as the fire on the Wolf King’s back grows brighter.

The Wolf King was at a far enough distance that if I made sure not to look directly at the doomsday weapon he was generating, I could still see the area around Crixus.

Estimating the momentum of the approach by the quickly lengthening shadows of the trees, I will Crixus to run.

But he doesn’t. He only returns to that same charging stance, heavily furrowed brows set upon the wolf. How could he even see the Wolf King at this point?

This was crazy!

He needed to run!!!

I couldn’t stay quiet anymore!

Run!!!

Hot air bursts out in waves with the wolf acting as the nucleus.

Bam!

Grass flies upwards as Crixus stamps his hooves into the dirt, raring to go.

No!!! Crixus!!!

Swoosh!

The heavy crackling turns into a dull roar and the light comes!

50 meters away.

40 meters.

30 meters.

I can’t look!!!

But I have to!!

Screaming out with my full telepathic might I-

CRIXUS!!! DODGE!!!

DODGE LIKE YOU DID ALL THE OTHER TIMES!!!

Why isn’t he avoiding it this time???!

Why!!!!?????

The miniature sun launches itself towards Crixus.

Everything was white. No sky, no ground, no Crixus, no Wolf King.

No me.

It was too bright! I couldn’t see!