As soon as he had the beast, Azrael was convinced that he had won. A dark smile spread across his face as he growled. "I WIN!" But his celebration was too soon as, a moment later, ash was being flung right into his face, immediately blinding him and causing a horrible sting to erupt in his eyes. He roared and staggered back, forgetting, for a moment, in a fit of rage, that they were only training and tried to spit a glob of flaming bile at his enemy.

But the magic didn't come and he ended up just spitting saliva, which was gross enough.

Now there was a problem - what should Beta do? Stay here and continued to ward against the fire and rage of the beast? Or should it make a stand, try and cripple it before falling back?

It decided that it didn't want to risk getting another face-full of flame and crept back, disappearing into the shadows, hidden from Azrael's senses. He would sneak around and try to knock him out - then the game would be won.

Azrael continued scratching at his eyes with two of his arms while he raised his lower palms to keep an eye on the beast. But just as they opened and laid his gaze on it, it disappeared, falling into the darkness. Growling with frustration, Azrael turned, trying to find where that pesky little creature had gone off to.

Whatever it was doing, it was no match for magic and its heartbeat was loud and clear on Azrael's radar. Getting the last of the ash out of his burning eyes, he decided not to go straight for it this time, but hide. Wait, gather in shadows once again before striking.

He wasn't moving. Beta could still see him and smell him, but he hadn't moved an inch. It didn't know if he had sensed its position yet, but it didn't really feel like taking that chance. If he could sense its position through magic, then it didn't stand a chance with its stealth.

It picked up a pebble from the ground and hurled it towards Azrael, where it would clatter right next to him, on the other side. Hopefully, he'd turn his head, because that's when Beta would have its chance.

The clattering rock next to Azrael surprised him and he flinched, but he didn't look, he didn't let himself get distracted by it. Instead, he turned his head around, to look at the place where he knew the ruby to be. He might not be able to see it, but he could sense it. And, if he wanted, he could just burn it down with magic.

He let out a snort. It wouldn't be that easy to distract him.

It was right - the beast knew exactly where it was. Which meant that sneaking wasn't worth it. It would have to try something...different. Something that it had worked out a little while ago. When all else failed, it might be the thing to turn to.

Despite its...less then stellar experience with magic, Ruby-Beta pressed its pay to the ground, sending a surge of magicka into the ground. It felt a shudder through its body and it stepped back - the spell had taken hold. Slowly, it began to creep back, hoping that Azrael would take the bait.

As the creature began to slink away, Azrael decided that it was time to make a move. Shadows began to crawl over him, hiding him from view as he turned, beginning to silently creep after the creature. Unless it was using magic, which he doubted - why would it when it could see him right there?

To give it the impression that he was going a different way, he opened his wings and flapped once, as if he were taking off, and then began to pace forward, faster, silent.

But then, suddenly, he felt intense pressure falling down on his shoulders. He couldn't resist it, nor was he expecting it. With a roar, he fell to the ground, smashed down by a sudden change in gravity. He could move, a little bit, and he immediately began to fight against it, trying to push himself back to his feet. In the confusion, he lost track of the beast.

As soon as it heard the roar, it moved. Swiftly, silently, still invisible in the shadows, it slunk around the demon until it was staring at his back. Well, it couldn't see him through the shadows, but it knew where he was, it could hear him struggling to stand and it kept its focus on where it'd heard the roar.

It crouched, bunched its muscles, and then surged forward, throwing itself at Azrael's back. A swift paw lashed forward, hitting the back of his head, although it held back, not quite delivering that stroke that would completely knock out the demon, but hard enough to deliver a message. It curled its lip in a grin. "And there. I win."

He had almost gotten himself free when a heavy weight fell on his back and a hard hit was delivered to the back of his head. It sent a pang through his body and a twinge of uncharacteristic fear. If the beast wanted to, it could have easily knocked him out with a stronger, more precise blow. So, as soon as he was free from the trap, he stumbled back with a growl, but didn't attempt to continue the fight.

"You...you are a sneaky little hunter." He snarled, pride wounded from the loss, but he had enough self-respect not to insist they carry on, that it wasn't a true defeat. Instead he let his emotions out with an ear-shattering roar that he would have liked to back up with fire, but nothing but a spark came from his mouth.

He turned around once the beast had gotten off of him. "Fine. You win. You are the better hunter. I will train, so that our next meeting...I will crush you."

Beta released its grip from Azrael's back, feeling sore all over from the exertion of this hunt, but it was panting, wild exhilaration in its veins. It wasn't sure if it liked that feeling too much. "Yeah, yeah I do my best to be sneaky. You weren't too bad either. Thought you were gonna roast me alive." It chuckled and sat back, stretching its muscles.

Their next meeting? It wondered what their next meeting would even be like. More training, or would Master Vargas send it to him to collect his stone? But no point in telling him that. "Yeah, I'll work too. Thanks for the training by the way...er, what's your des- I mean, what's your name?"