The way of the world. [open to PCs and / or mods]

[Nickorius]

The animal, crouched in the tall grass, observed it's prey. The midnight skinned creature had wandered off, frightened, while it's attention was diverted. It didn't fret the loss. The tan skinned man seemed like much better sport anyways. He had an aura about him. An aura of a warrior.

The animal crept forward through the tall grass, hiding it's full bulk by crawling on it's belly. It's attempt at stealth was mildly successful, a keen eye towards the grass would have revealed an unnatural rustling in the grass. Luckily all eyes were pointed in the other direction, and thus the mass of grey bulk made it's way to the edge of the full cover of the grass unseen. Slowly peeking his head above the grass he eyed the Myrian, who was looking at the ground intently. The animal stayed in the grass, intent to watch for a few moments.

Akuaysun looked at the tracks intently. With his closer inspection, he realized that the second set of tracks were not a humanoid, thought the size was about the same as a rather tall human. Rather, it was an animalistic print, though grossly over-sized. Content with his findings, he began following the tracks, not realizing that the maker of these tracks was closing in behind him.

After following them for a few moments, the animal set seemed to run off into the brush, as if something scared it...

As Akuaysun followed the tracks, the over-sized animal followed him. It crept quietly out of the grass, revealing it's huge, grey bulk. It salivated and licked it's chops as he stalked his prey. The dire wolf was ready for a hunt. Ready for a little relief from it's insatiable hunger. The beast got closer and closer to it's prey, when suddenly, as Aku saw the tracks divert and stopped, the wolf was in range of Bob. Just when the wolf's legs were tensing up for an attack on his Myrian prey, which was now only 20 feet away, Bob squealed "Eeeeooooeeeeoooooeeeooooo!"

Akuaysun whipped his head around, his eyes meeting a started, nearly 4 foot tall gray wolf. In any other circumstance, the beast would be magnificent. His huge body was covered in pure muscle. He stood growling with barred teeth that had to be 4 inches long. The huge wolf had an incredibly thick coat, suited for survival in the cold winter to come. Though, Aku didn't really notice the beauty of the animal. All he could notice was that it was crouched, ready to pounce, growling, with saliva dripping from it's huge, barred teeth. It's yellow eyes challenged him, objectified him. He was already meat in the wolf's mouth.

The wolf, thrown off by Bob's incessant cries, hesitated for a moment. Though just a moment. After regaining his composure, the wolf sprinted towards Aku, and leaped at him, mouth open, ready to rend flesh and crush bone.

[Akuaysun]

Aku’s feelings turned out to be true, as he and his horse progressed into the forest the beast stalked closer and closer to the pair. The former Myrian felt it closing in, its bloodthirsty eyes upon him. Aku’s ears listened intently with each step he made, his grip holding firm on the hoe he used as a stave. Inside his mind was relaxed and focused, centered on the flow of his internal Djed. He pulled it from his torso and pushed the power into his arms and legs, having gotten better at this in both Sahova and Sunberth. The man could feel his energy, the way it connected his physical and astral forms, the shocks of pure energy that fired between his nerve endings. Letting off a soft sigh it suddenly felt as if his body had been pushed into overdrive.

At the shriek of warning from Bob the warrior spun in the soft dirt, careful not to fall. His right landed before him, bent slightly to give balance in the mud as his left ran a perpendicular line to square his frame. Aku’s emerald –gold swirled eyes stared into the hungry eyes of the beast that gazed upon him. His dire frame a menacing sight to the traveler, the fur gently fluttering in the breeze as it stood up on end. What stood out the most perhaps was the toothy maw that glistened with saliva, the strong jaw muscles ready to snap closed on its prey. It felt like an eternity that they stared into one another’s eyes, but it was the wolf that broke the contest of who could claim the alpha role.

The former Myrian would not back down, nor would he flinch at this assault. He watched as the sharp claws ripped at the loose mud and propelled the beast forward to close the space between them. Still Aku did not flinch, his right hand firm at mid shaft on the hoe’s stout wooden handle, his left cradling the end of it, opposite the metal blade and its razor sharp edge. Akuaysun’s lips parted ever so slightly as the celestial being drew in a breath. He watched, with careful anticipation as the wolf drew closer, one of three things would happen in the next moments. The first, and most likely is that he would die, the second would be that the wolf would bow before him, falling before his unwavering gaze, that was likely the least likely of the trio of options. Then there was the third, which was what Aku prepared him self for. Just as the wolf entered striking distance the warrior would drop his left leg back about him, sending his body into a twist full of momentum and bringing the blade of the hoe up fueled by the Flux and backed with his full body’s momentum into its jaw or throat.

If his technique proved true, the battle would be over before it began. His hoe had at least four inches of steel that could bite into the unarmored flesh of the beast. Back in Sahova he had cleaved a man’s entire face and half his chest clean away and drove the steel into stone with a very similar strike. He had little doubt that if his edge cut true it would drop the beast. That was in the hands of fate however.

[Nickorius]

Though Aku's unwavering stare may have made even the most battle hardened warrior fall to his knees and beg for his life, the wolf was utterly unaffected by it. If anything, it was excited that it's prey wasn't running. A gleam of excitement flashed in the wolves large, striking yellow eyes.

Muscles rippled as he executed the last few bounds, closing in on his target. Saliva dripped from it's mouth as it growled with unnatural volume, shaking Aku to the core. Still, he did not flinch. The Dire Wolf launched himself into the air, claws extended and grasping at the Myrian in front of him, aching to rend the flesh from his bone; Aching to feast on the fresh flesh of a real humanoid. He had been wanting of a meal for far too long.

As the wolf cover the last few steps, he leaped into the air, claws extended, gigantic max open and dripping with saliva. At that moment, Aku dropped his left leg, turning his body, in an attempt to spin and bring the hoe up into the wolf's jaw. Aku's maneuver was less than perfect. His main goal (not dying) was wildly successful, but just his killing of the wolf that wasn'y quite what he hoped for. Aku had misjudged the length and speed of his hoe, and completely missed the vital neck or throat shot he had hoped for. The wolf had nearly cleared Aku when the hoe was brought up, tearing into the beasts underbelly with blinding speed.

The hoe dug into the wolf, fully emerging it's blade into the animal's underbelly. The wolf's leap was throw off target and he fell to the ground hard on his side. Aku was barely able, through his increased speed, to pull out his hoe before it was broken due to the wolf's off kilter landing.

The wolf took several moment's to regain his composure. His belly was wounded badly and bleeding profusely, which made it very hard for his to regain his footing. It took him several moments to get back on his feet, if he was left alone. He would take an awkward stand and prepare for another attack. This time charging at Aku's legs in a take-down attempt.