Hunting or Hunted?

[Kalak8538]

The demon realized very quickly that there was another good reason to observe this fight. He would see just what the two were capable of. This way, there would be less surprises once he had to interact with the winner.

He noticed the mist, and gazed with intrigue. It was just like the caltrops... Janus was amazed, and perhaps a little worried, about how much control this one had in that monstrous form. He had hoped that such a beast would not be able to act so. He could deal with a clumsy and stupid beast well enough, but this one had tricks...

He continued to watch, waiting to see what other surprises were in store.

[Jace]

Jason saw the wolf put something into his mouth before he had made his attack. He didn't know what it was, but he figured he should probably watch out for it. This one was clever, judging from the caltrops he had used earlier. The grey wolf wouldn't put it past him to come up with another trick to give him the upper hand. The instant the mist left the black wolf's mouth, Jason's head dipped downward reflexively, letting it coat the top of his head rather than hitting his face. Of course this also gave him an opportunity to see the punch aimed at his abdomen which he otherwise wouldn't have noticed.

They were too close to each other and the punch was throw too quickly for Jason to move out of the way. He couldn't risk a full on hit either, not knowing the extent of the other wolf's strength. Doing the only thing he could, he used his superior speed to his advantage. Using his left arm, he blocked the point of impact just before the blow hit. A loud crack could be heard as the bones in his arm broke from the strength of the hit. He was strong indeed.

A low growl slipped through his lips, the only reaction to the pain he was now in. His left arm hung limp and useless at his side now, a handicap he couldn't really afford in this fight. The injury was worth it for the opportunity it granted him though. It was an extremely small opening, only a second or two at best, but it was all he really needed. The same time Jason's bones had broken, he used his right hand to grab hold of the black wolf's arm from underneath. Simultaneously, he shifted his weight and swung his right leg around the back of the other wolf's legs while pushing up and back on the arm he had grabbed, attempting to knock the wolf off of his feet and onto his back. If he succeeded, he would throw himself on top of the wolf, taking advantage of his loss of balance and attempting to bring his right elbow down onto it's neck.

[Salzem]

The other wolf ducked under Salzem's poison spit, but that was okay. It was simply a minor asset to this battle rather than a plan to rely on. However, instead of his fist slamming into his stomach and possibly shattering his rib-cage, the other wolf managed to duck to the side just enough for his fist to slam into his shoulder, shattering it and rendering his arm useless. Before the black wolf could celebrate, however, as the other wolf shoved Salzem to the ground, climbing on top of him and raising his good arm in the air to slam into his throat. Thinking fast and just barely fast enough, he raised his arms over his face and torso as the elbow slammed into his arms, gritting his teeth in pain. Although his arms were in better shape than the other wolf's, he could feel that if he took too many more blows to his arms, they would end up just as broken. Snorting and growling in pain and effort, he slammed one of his arms into the other wolf's broken one, intending to cause enough pain for him to roll off. Again he would strike the other wolf's wounded arm until he would give way and the moment he did, Salzem would spring up from underneath him and sink his teeth into his broken shoulder, sinking his teeth as deep as they would go, trace bits of poison still on his teeth.

[Jace]

The other wolf had managed to raise it's arms in front of Jason just as his elbow made contact. Of course it wouldn't be that easy, this entire fight wasn't easy. Already he had sustained an injury that made his left arm useless while the other was barely injured at all. It would take all of Jason's speed and cunning to win this battle, he was certain of that.

The would-be alpha kept sending blow after blow at the wolf's arms, trying to get in a good hit to it's neck or head. Anything that might give him the upper hand. Unfortunately the other wolf was as adept at fighting as Jason was, if not more so. He had managed to land a powerful blow to the grey wolf's shattered shoulder, making him cry out in pain. Still, this level of pain was nothing to him. He could fight through it, he would fight through it. If he were to make it known that he was the alpha, that this was his forest, he had to prove that he could handle a single stray wolf on his own.

His shoulder was hit another time, and another and another. Over and over again they exchanged blows until finally the pain was too much and Jason rolled off and away from his opponent. The other wolf had been waiting for that, however, and made his move the same time Jason had. The wolf sprang up quickly, obviously looking to sink his teeth into Jason's injured shoulder. Jason was quicker than the other wolf though, his reflexes sharper. Just before the other wolf was about to make contact, Jason's right fist connected with the left side of the creature's jaw, sending him off course and missing the injured shoulder.

[Salzem]

Salzem never bit into the other wolf's shoulder as right before he could do so, a fist came from nowhere and smashed into his cheek, throwing his mouth off course. The black wolf stumbled back, but regained his footing almost immediately, no longer going on the offensive. He felt the impact of that fist had cracked something, but no matter. His healing factor was already on its way to repair any damage he might have sustained. However, instead of continuing the fight, Salzem actually took a step back, lowering himself into a less aggressive posture. By no means was he submissive. No, that would have been against everything that made the wolf what he was. There was no chance that he was going to give up these grounds to a little dog that had only a little skill to call his own. But, that head-blow really knocked him through a loop, even if he didn't want to admit it. He felt his head nearly bursting with pain, his jaw was cracked, the world was leaning one way and then another... Even though he wasn't doing the best on his end, he could see the other wolf wasn't doing much better. That broken arm had started to swell, turning a nasty red and blue under his fur. It looked painful... feverish almost... If Salzem had that kind of wound, he didn't know if he'd let himself walk like that, let alone fight.

With his jaw broken, Salzem was unable to speak, so he took a few more steps back, claws and teeth still extended if the other wolf wanted to pursue him further although their wounds should make it obvious that neither was in a suitable condition to continue their brawl. Salzem would have favored disappearing into the wilds to come back and defeat him another day, but he didn't dare turn his back. Instead, he waited for this upstart dog to say something, something that would give Salzem an opening.

[Kalak8538]

It seemed the battle was dying down now. All that was needed was for one challenger to either flee or finish off the other. Janus was excited, for the time had nearly come. He put one hand into his pocket, readying the crystal for when he needed it.

With the two severely injured, perhaps he offer a deal. The winner would most likely be desperate for some healing. All Janus had to do was swoop in, and talk the winner into receiving such "help". He already had the plan in mind. He just need to wait and see the situation developed...

[Jace]

Both wolves stood facing each other now, their injuries obviously straining them. Jason's breathing was heavy, his broken arm hanging limp at his side. Randoms spurts of pain shot through the injury that made him grit his teeth, a low growl rumbling from deep within his chest. The other wolf seemed to be severely dazed from the blow Jason had landed. Not surprising, considering the red eyed wolf felt bones breaking under the weight of his fist as it made contact with the other's jaw. The wolf was in a less aggressive stance now, though his teeth were still bared in anticipation of a continued fight, not that either of them were in any condition to do so.

"You're.....pretty....damn strong." Jason said through his panting breaths. A twisted smile crossed his face now, corrupted by the pain the alpha wolf was in. "My pack could use someone like you. We don't have to continue this fight. Neither one of us is in good enough condition anymore. I felt your jaw break under my fist and my left arm is unusable." he glanced down at his injured arm then, the sight was not very appealing. It had begun to swell, turning black and blue all over.

"What do you say?" he finally asked.

[Salzem]

Salzem eyed the other wolf suspiciously as he complimented him, saying that someone like him was needed in his pack. He offered not continuing this fight, that neither of them could keep it going anyway the shape they were in anyway. The black wolf glared as the man stated that he had felt Salzem's jaw break under his fist. Worst part was, he was right. He could feel the swelling already beginning beneath his gums, pushing his teeth out in painful angles. The wolf followed his opponent's gaze to his arm, the limb turning a sickening purple/blue and swelling to disproportional amounts. Salzem must have broken the thing in so many different places, it was a wonder why his arm wasn't poking through his skin. Salzem's eyes glowed dangerously red for a moment, as if he were going to attack before fading completely. Slowly, warily, he regressed back to his humanoid form, his jaw appear red, blue and purple popping up around his chin-line.

"Ffffain" The lycan mumbled, wincing at the crippling pain of a broken jaw. Salzem wasn't the smartest person, but he knew an opportunity when he saw one. It was the same with those slavers, all those years ago. They taught him how to speak, how to use traps and guerilla warfare. As soon as he outgrew their usefulness, Salzem killed them, ate them, then used their bones as the base of his first powder poisons. They gave him many useful skills and this wolf and his "pack" was no different. This cocky, arrogant wolf was nothing but a sack of meat and opportunity, both he planned on feasting on in the future. With a snort, Salzem slashed the leather of his pants to long shreds with his nails, taking one and tying it around his jaw and head, making a temporary brace for it to heal. Even if his recovery was accelerated to days, it could still heal wrong. He took another longer, thicker strip, folding it into a loop before holding it out to the other wolf, pointing at him with his other hand.

"Ahm. ere." he grumbled through his teeth. If the dog would cooperate, Salzem would wrap the leather around his head, tying it off at the back of his neck before gripping the wolf's broken arm and maneuvering it gently into the leather sling with a gentleness one might think Salzem incapable of having. He could have just let the idiot wolf suffer but he wasn't the monster he makes himself out to be.

[Jace]

Warily, Jason watched as the black wolf regressed back into his human form. The damage to his jaw was now very apparent. Different hues of reds, blues and purples enveloped the wolf's skin. The wolf then said something that, though jumbled from the broken jaw, sounded a bit like 'fine'. The Alpha relaxed at this point, seeing that he had....somehow...managed to gain this wolf as a new member of his pack. "Great!" he said in response.

The black wolf then tore his own pants, using the strips of fabric to create a brace for his injured jaw. Probably a smart thing to do considering it could still heal wrong, even with their enhanced healing abilities. The wolf then took another strip and folded it into a loop before motioning and trying to tell Jason to go to him. The grey wolf obliged and moved closer. He just watched as the other wolf made a make-shift sling and, more gently than Jason thought possible, placed the injured arm into it. "Wow that's impressive. Thank you." he said sincerely. He might have just gained this wolf as an ally, but he still knew next to nothing about him. That was something he needed to change.

"I'm Jason by the way. Alpha of the pack that lives in these woods. I'd ask your name, but we should probably wait until your jaw has healed a bit more before you try to speak too much."

[Salzem]

(And thats where I exit lol)

[Kalak8538]

(Hey guys, sorry I didn't respond for a while. Life was crazy...
I'm not sure if the thread is ended... Please tell me if you no longer plan on continuing:) )

Boring... So boring. A battle between titans deteriorated into nothing more than words.

"A waste of my time..." the demon thought.

With the two beasts now allies, it would have been foolish to try to move in. Even as injured as they were, just one would still be able to do significant harm. Janus sat there on his bough, contemplating why he was still there. Maybe he was hopeful?

He stuck a forked tongue out, feeling disgusted by the feeling of newfound camaraderie. In his opinion, it as such a waste when violence and use of force was forsaken by the creatures of this plane. This would never do where he came from.

His waiting seemed to be fruitful, as one wolf simply... left. This would not be so much of a disappointment if he could get one soul out of this. He dropped down, foliage rustling under his feet. The demon emerged from the brush, and addressed the one remaining wolf.

"Oh good! I was ever so worried about you!" he pretended.

Truth was, he expected the other wolf to win.

"Looks like you took quite a beating though... Maybe I could help?" he offered, as a toothy and sinister grin spread on his face.

[Jace]

(yea we're done with this one. Sorry man, maybe next time.)

The grey wolf would leave just as the black one had, turning his head back to look at the other intruder in his forest and deciding it wasn't worth it to continue this. He was too injured now, but he would find the thing again once he was well rested. Until then he might just have one of his pack keep an eye on him. "No thanks. We still have business to discuss, but as you can see I'm in no condition to do so at the moment. Heed my warning though, my pack will be watching you while you're here. Try to stay out of trouble." and with that, Jason would take his leave.

[Kalak8538]

(It's all good! Catch ya later then!)

Something about his words sent a chill up the demon's spine. He did not like the idea of an entire pack of these things stalking (or possibly hunting) him. Perhaps taking the soul of their leader was not the wisest course of action.

"Always..." Janus replied, giving a formal bow to his former target.

Once the second wolf had disappeared out of sight, he spit a curse. This whole ordeal was just a waste of time after all. For now, it was best to take his leave of this forest. Should he return, it would be some time, hopefully long enough for these wolves to forget him.

He walked off, and disappeared into the shadows of the woods.