It had been some time since he had felt the rugged burn of pain to such a degree. As a wolf, of course, he had felt the nip of nature from time to time but this was always something different. The pain inflicted by another who sought to destroy was... well, it certainly gave the word its intended definition. He had only been thankful that he had not far to travel, for at least Jumanji had given him the choice to battle on familiar territory. Even then, each step was slow and drawn out on the side of his greater wound, a dire effort to prevent the muscle from stretching or constricting too far below the skin. He'd gotten a good bite, he had to admit, and it had been difficult to hide it even during their fray. Now, however, it seemed like a stiff board had been laid across his right side. For now, at least, he could ignore the punctures that lay across the fatty tissue of his scruff. That was nothing compared to this.

If there was one thing, though, that worked as a distraction from his pain, it was the pained howl of another. He had heard such a sound before and he knew instantly who it might have been; Riopat, their Marius, who seemed plagued with such misfortune. Finally, however, he could relate though his sadness worked in different ways. If hers was loud, then his was quiet and internal, festering away within. It might have felt good, in a way, to accept the release his challenger had offered but it did not feel good. Beneath the blood lay the memory that Caligula was still gone... but he had to ignore that. His pack needed him and he needed them.

His steps might have been slow and his mind a haze of residual adrenaline, but eventually he saw her pale form once more calling out over the vastness of the land. He took a moment to steady himself, attempting to better remove the taste of blood from his mouth before he let out a sharp, hoarse bark from behind her. With effort, his tail arched somewhat, waving slowly as he forced a meek smile to his face as he spoke out to her.

"I'm growing to detest whoever it is that keeps giving you such grief."

This wasn't about him, this was about Riopat now. He had done his duty and now, he had to continue doing it.