RP:Fire and Blood

Summary: Dominic/Brand encounters Desparrow out in the forest. A battle for survival ensues.

(RP:An Unmasking directly follows, chronologically.)

Ancient Forest

Desparrow was deep into the ancient forest, having not visited his territory in some time but the key signs to look for would be that there are piles of bones littered about, even rotting pieces of kills and hide hanging from branches or staked to trees with bone. On top of that the place is well treaded with the paws of wolves and towards the center was a pile of bones that had been crunched down considerably, which right now happened to be where Des was sitting. Right now the lycan's wolves were in Cenril as per his plans to take it over, having moved them from their territory to a new one in his other home but it wasn't out of the question the alpha visited his vacated land when he pleased.

Dominic was on his way back to the clearing in which he’d been privately training when a bone snapped underfoot, disrupting his train of thought -- last time he’d passed through, there hadn’t been any -bones-. This was new. He gingerly lifted his foot off of the offending thing and paused to take more careful stock of his surroundings. This wasn’t the only sign of a predator, it turned out, just the first one he’d stepped on. And the air smelled… wrong. If he’d had any sense in that moment, the proper thing to do probably would have been to immediately turn back towards the town, but it was as he considered his options that he laid eyes on the apparent culprit. Through the trees some distance away and atop a pile of bones sat… an elf? Okay, so half of that made sense -- he’d been told there were elves in these forests. The surrounding carnage was more than a bit unsettling, though. Maybe it was best to just keep his distance and try to make a detour to his destination. He stepped around anything else liable to crack under his weight, trying to give the stranger a wide berth. And even though he hadn’t seen the elf give any indications of having noticed him yet, the hair on the back of his neck stood on end, and the voice in his head whispered of danger.

Desparrow was not aware of any intruders immediately, another drawback to having withdrawn his ground forces from the area some time ago; usually his wolves would have spotted anyone entering the territory and immediately called out to their alpha to let him know. Leaning back against the tree and atop his throne of trophies he basked in the moonlight while inhaling deep several times over but catching something off about the air.. It was several more sniffs before he was sure of it but the scent of a human had been caught by smell but the problem was where was this alleged intruder. From afar it could be noted that the man stood tall but under six feet and had short cropped black hair and a severed left ear: the top half was missing. Beyond that he appeared to just be worn from battle, a few facial scars but clothed so nothing beyond that could be noted. Dominic was apparently off the hook, for now, though giving a wide berth would become more difficult as Des wandered off through the trees in an attempt to follow the scent but for anyone looking it appeared he just walked away.

Dominic stepped slowly, green eyes fixed on the ground ahead of him as he tried to avoid any more noise. Stealth had never particularly been a necessity for him, so he couldn’t walk in complete silence, but enough care and enough apprehension was at least a decent motivator to try. In his mind, Brand was unceasing and adamant that he should take over their shared form -- and resisting him was only adding to the difficulty of moving with care. “It’s fine,” Dominic murmured under his breath, addressing the other identity that had long taken up lodging in his head. “You promised. Let me handle it until I can’t.” He was almost to his clearing now -- and he had begun to think of it as -his- clearing, in all the time he’d spent relatively undisturbed there -- and the bones and decaying matter were becoming more and more scarce. He paused, turning around and scanning the trees behind him, but saw nothing. Maybe Brand was being paranoid…

Desparrow knew this place in and out and although his prey was eluding him for right now it would take only a quick change in order to turn it to his favor. Whether he was out of sight or not, but sure that he was, he quickly shifted into a semi-state of lycanthropy, acquiring some of the features: claws on hands and feet, a height and bulk gain, on top of an elongated jaw and a thin coat of fur, and some of the benefits but maintaining a great deal of control over his form. Now when he inhaled he had a much keener sense of smell and was actually able to direct himself towards Dominic and it wasn't long till the prey was in sight. Moving quickly, quietly between the trees he managed to get within a dozen or so yards before the other would hear him but only as Des charged forward for a leaping tackle to pin Dominic and go instantly for a bite on the shoulder.

Dominic hadn’t even consciously registered the sound of a threat upon him before he felt the sensation of being thrust aside, further into himself, relegated to watching on as a spectator within. Brand had heard all the justification he needed to take over. And in the instant the lycan lunged, their communal body shifted -- this one was taller, a bit older, more muscled and scarred. Black hair turned to a rusty blonde but the same green eyes looked out from their shared face. There was little time to react further, however -- the transition could sometimes be a bit disorienting. As his back hit the ground, the lycan on top of him, Brand threw forward a hand with a hastily conjured fireball in its grip, aiming for the creature’s jaw and hoping to derail the trajectory of teeth to shoulder. It wasn’t a large blaze, but it could still singe the creature if the blow connected.

Desparrow was not halted even by this transformation that his quarry had which to be honest was more than interesting, just as was the fact that this new persona Brand was capable of magic! Flames connected with the semi-transformed elven lycan and with whimper and quick retreat granted the prey advantage of surprise and now distance as a few yards were made between them. Still Des was to himself considered a powerful war mage and the powers of destruction were not lost on him. In the palm of one enlarged hand formed a sphere of what appeared to be electrical energy and it was sent much like a bowling ball towards Dominic in the form of ball lightning which by sight was harmless but when it collided with anything would release a large explosion of both physical and electrical force.

Dominic || A confident smirk curled Brand’s lips as he studied the lycan in the few seconds that had been allowed to him; he hadn’t quite seen a being like this one before. He didn’t know what it was capable of, but with the adrenaline and battle-lust coursing through his veins he was sure as hell ready to find out. But the grin faded as the sphere of lightning hurtled toward him -- and he only mostly managed to dodge left and back and out of the way before it caught on something ahead of him and detonated, sending sparks and debris flying every which way, some hitting his right leg and discharging painfully up the nerves there. It thoroughly disrupted his strafe and he only barely managed to turn his movement into a crouch favoring the other leg rather than falling over. The smirk returned. “Shocking. Literally and figuratively,” said the man. He was -chuckling-, of all the goddamn things. “I hate to steal your thunder, but,” and from his hunched position he thrust a hand at a large branch above the creature -- “I’m afraid I can’t resist.” A loud -crack- sounded overhead and a bolt connected with the limb of the tree, breaking it free and sending it crashing down onto the lycan’s position, if he didn’t dodge out of the way in time.

Desparrow hadn't had a good hand to hand combat in quite some time, since Kyros in fact whom he was actually at that time teaching the very art of. Des was currently only in a semi-transformation which granted the most control over the 'blessing' of his lycanthropy although even if he hadn't gotten started in this fight he would transform to an even greater state of power. When the bolt came crashing down upon a limb which then descended upon his form he was quickly brought to his knees and then prone with a great 'oof' and a grumble to follow. To Brand's disappointment however he would find that Desparrow was not out of the fight yet as his form continued to increase in size to the point that when he shoved aside the branch and was back on his feet he was at least thirteen feet in height and of considerable bulk for that size with a full coat of ebon fur. Magic surged in his veins and expelled in the form of spectral claws overlaying his own which when he made for a swipe released as several blades of energy towards Dominic, the power in them noticeable in how easily they dug trenches in the soil as they travelled towards their target, each of the four blades capable of apply a crushing and cutting force to the body.

Dominic || Brand looked smug as the branch hit its target, but he was wasting no time surveying the damage he’d done. Instead, he scanned their surroundings, searching for a terrain advantage. An elderly oak with low-hanging branches caught his attention, and sprinted towards it even as Desparrow grew and made his offense. He circled around to the back of the trunk as the ghostly claws moved forward, but didn’t quite make it -- one blade hit off to the side of the tree, two carved deep gashes into the gnarled roots at the base of the tree, and the last landed cleanly at Brand’s heel, splitting it open almost to the bone. The man howled out, and the wound bled amply, but then he was out of sight. He reappeared a moment later further up the tree, definitely out of reach of the creature but not yet up to the highest branches. And from this position, he dared the lycan forward, cueing up another ball of flame in the hand not being used to grip the bough he was perched on. “Can a mongrel like you climb, I wonder?”

Desparrow would have taken a bit of satisfaction that his attack had hit his target, even if a bit, had he been in his elven form but even though he was a strong willed one that could maintain an amount of himself in the full fledged form of a lycan somethings would just take too much concentration to manage. A grin however was offered to the man that bothered to flee injured up into a tree, though the grin could hardly be considered such, the corners of his mouth turning very slightly causing his upper lip to fold back showing off the entirety of his top row of teeth and gums. Approaching this tree that Brand had climbed the multiple options were calculated in a matter of seconds, one being that perhaps he could cut the tree down with the sheer power of his magic and his claws but when tested couldn't pierce the depth of the trunk to the core and out the other side: too thick. This is when a single ball of flames clashes with the top of his head and send him back several feet both angered and singed. As the next comes back he simply dodges before crouching low to the ground and with the aid of a little magic to assist the spring in his jump, leaped up into the air and swiping a claw towards the male. Des would sail through the branches, taking a couple more sturdy ones with him under en passe but if Brand wasn't careful, a bit of him would be taken under the weight of his claws and their sharpness as well.

Dominic || Brand chortled at Desparrow as the first fiery sphere landed successfully. “Hmm. I’ll take that as a no, then? I’ll make sure to put that in my notes later. ‘Strange rabid half-dog things can’t climb trees’.” Even though the lycan wasn’t talking back, he was conversing with the damned thing as casually as if they were having a friendly game of chess and not a battle of predator and prey. But his cocksure attitude almost cost him dearly as Desparrow made his giant bound upwards; the lycan successfully took out some of the branches below and even the one Brand had been standing on -- and with little time to plan a more tactical reaction, he ended up having to leap for the next branch over, one a little less sturdy. This one held his weight but shook fiercely at the jump; Brand braced his uninjured foot and leg against a knot in the limb and leaned the bulk of his weight closer to the trunk of the tree. This branch put him in a bit more precarious position, but it was also higher -- the rooftops of Kelay were visible from here. He’d have to be sure to head in that direction if he did any more treetop acrobatics. But there were other options, too -- fire had seemed to be most effective thus far in keeping the Desparrow at bay. Drawing more flames into his grasp, Brand called out to the lycan again: “Hey, wolf-creature. I have a burning question for you. How much wood do I need to roast you? ‘Cause there’s plenty here.” And with that, he threw the blaze downward to the branches that the lycan had caused to fall earlier. If he’d aimed right, and the creature didn’t do anything unexpected, the flames would catch on the fallen limbs and set the whole base around the tree alight. He’d worry about the consequences of potentially causing an entire forest fire later.

Desparrow landed on the other side of the tree, only noticing that Dominic had moved after turning to see if he had hit his target or not but it appeared that he was unharmed from his last attack. Even if Des wasn't responding, it wasn't because he was incapable, in fact the marking on his chest, the crimson crescent moon that looked much like a scar was an enchantment placed on him that allowed him the gift of speech even in this full blown state, he just didn't want to answer. These taunts were noted but until some time had passed no indication they had any effect at all was made, but he did back off several more feet when the branches burst into flames which to his target's probably delight seemed to keep him at bay. His azure gaze darted to those flames before rising back to Dominic and in that second perhaps in the way he looked at the man, it would strike the other that the lycan was far more intelligent than perhaps assumed. Raw magic energy, ether, vented from the pores of his flesh and formed a mist around him, and as stated previously normal lycans would never be able to conjure magic in this state, the animalistic and primal nature overpowering the mind and the processes required to command and control it but Desparrow was a magic wielder of exceptional will power and in this state could express his abilities in a very raw state. "Fire.. Burn..." his voice deep, rough like pouring gravel as the two minds, one a fine tuned intellect, and the other a ravenous primal existence run almost purely on instinct tried to comprehend what to do next when in an instant Des rushed forward and with a push of magic he drew those flames that surrounded the tree to his own body. In streams they came to him and appeared to engulf the entirety of his right hand but in fact he had merely used them as a starter to produce his own magical flame that circulated from the tips of his claws to his wrist. A fierce push of strength, and again a little help from magic he plunged his hand flat into the trunk down to the core where he released that burning magic. At first there seemed to be nothing going on but seconds later a deep creaking could be heard and then heat all throughout the tree before it cracked all along the center where his hand had plunged to spew embers; the heart of the tree from the roots to the very top had been burned with such intensity that it burst and was about to crumble, the flames spewing from this deep crevasse before it lost all manners of stability and began to fall, with Brand in it.

Dominic || “Hah! So you -can- talk.” Brand seemed quite pleased by this revelation, but didn’t have time to bask in it before the tree he was standing in began to lose its integrity. “Oh, of all the gorram things --” There weren’t a lot of possible maneuvers from this position, and even less time to ponder them. As he saw it, he could either leap for the branch of the next nearest tree and hope he made it, or he could fall with the tree and try to turn it to his advantage. With only milliseconds to consider, he chose the latter, twisting his body so he’d land in a runner’s crouch on both hands and his good ankle. The moment his fists hit the dirt, the ground rumbled out in a ripple before surging up and over the heights of either of them. If he was lucky, he would trap the creature in a cage of rocks and earth and be able to sear the inside like it was an oven; even if he was unlucky, the size of the wall and the shaking of the earth between them was likely to buy Brand enough time to start sprinting for Kelay. He didn’t wait to see which it was but instead immediately took off in the direction of the town -- though his injured ankle did serve to slow him down some and created a trail of blood behind him. If he'd successfully caged the animal, he'd worry about roasting it after he'd gotten his foot patched up.

Desparrow was no fool, in fact he was laughing while he backed away from the falling tree that crumbled before his might which actually gave him more pleasure, more than the disappointment that his quarry was relatively okay but that just meant it would be more fun! For the Lycan, the hunt of his prey was a lifestyle, it, much like host of the curse Desparrow and his lust for battle, was something to live for! He was thrown off by the uproar of earth and further retreated though was caught by the end, his foot snagging and taking a good blow which sent the lycan to the ground. Brand's scent lingered, mingled with upturned soil and scorched wood but when he got back to his feet the human was gone. A chuckle passed his lips as he took slow steps towards the trail his foe left, stopping only when the sharp scent of blood hit him and when he leaned down he was delighted to have a taste and further cement Dominic's scent so that although not tonight, but in the future he could hunt again. After all, a cunning opponent had presented itself and Des wanted to see it through to the end but for now he reverted to his elven form and wandered off towards his pile of bones where he had an extra set of clothes. Dominic was spared tonight.

Kelay Way

Dominic || Brand only slowed when dirt and grass became the brick and cobblestones of Kelay. Somehow, despite running with a limp, he hadn’t been followed. He’d either successfully trapped the lycan, or -- and the thought rose up with an unsettling lurch in his gut, a reminder that Dominic and his ever-present anxiety were still within -- he’d been -allowed- to escape. He turned around now to face the forest, emerald eyes searching for any sign of movement. There was none, but he knew better than to think that meant anything. And damn -- he’d left the clearing still blazing. Well, there was no way he was going back now to douse it; the forest would just have to fend for itself. Brand peeled his gaze away and began his stagger foward in search of a healer.