Profoundly immoral and malevolent. That had always been the definition of evil and yet here this stranger stood speaking truths Tesseract had never wanted to truly hear. All that he stood upon, he had taken from another. His crown was a guilty one at that, stolen from the head of a mourning queen. He had always known that and yet, remorse had never come searching for him. This other wolf though spoke so calmly of evil as if he knew in his very core that his actions might have been seen as immoral, some heinous crime committed upon the lives of those within Glorall. He spoke so calmly. It unnerved Tesseract. The words were light enough to be breathed in, a choking feeling that no amount of ragged breathing could dislodge.

If I am evil, than you are too. Was he, though? All that Tesseract had done had never been to hurt others. It had always been to give his family a home, to give others a home and hope, a place to be safe and warm. He had helped Caligula remove the impurities in their blood if only to see her happy and to give their family some kind of purpose, some kid of success. He had fought time and time again just for others. But had he? Or had he always been just as dark as those that crawled about in the shadows? Had he infected Moladion with his own kind of malevolence? It made him grit his teeth, growling down at his foe with a combination of confusion and determination. The pain ebbed and flowed freely like the tides. He was awash with new sensations alike.

Eden, on the other hand, stood awash with a new sense of strength. It flowed through him like adrenaline, pressing him forward on awkward, stifled steps. He had finally begun to realize the culmination of his efforts. Soon, he could begin to purge their society of weakness. He could provide a stronghold for those that desired to break the chains they lay shackled in. They were living in a bird cage. Somebody needed to shatter it. As he watched the other begin to break apart before him, it seemed so close that he could almost taste it. Evil? Goodness? Mere words in a world that did not need them. Nature was nature. You prevailed or you fell. There were only two options and now, he starred the two down in the form of a pair of violet eyes.

As Eden lunged, Tesseract's very life seemed to hang in the balance. Though his leg refused to budge, he forced it down with a crackle of lightning-like pain. He, too, dove forward, his jaws agape as a snarl resonated out into the darkness. The two came together then, jaws clattering together with metallic snaps, hollow growls and spit flying through the air. A storm very well formed between them, dirt kicking up in the midst of it all. Tesseract's teeth caught the top of Eden's skull, biting down between his ears with a particular savagery saved for those who needed to be crushed. Tesseract shook and yet, the male pulled away with little regard for the lost flesh, blood pooling above his eyes before seeping down like tears. He snarled, a horrid sound caught between anger and amusement, before he shoved forward once more. His shoulder smashed against the solid bone of Tesseract's own, shoving him back once more. Behind him, Tesseract's leg gave way, forcing him into the dirt once more with a hiss. Still, among the dirt and blood, he kicked and snapped at the air as the other stood over him, practically steaming in the autumn chill.

"So kind, I am. I will spare you this night but you will leave lest I crawl into every den. I will make the sea turn to blood. You will leave, but you will live."

Eden spoke with a tone so flat, baring his teeth in the dim moonlight. For all intents and purposes, he had seen the strength of Glorall's king even if it had failed beneath his own. Still, he had fought and he had taken his share of blood and pain. Eden would allow him to live, as bruised and battered as he were. Perhaps he was lucky in a sense, and yet perhaps he would have been better off dead for fear struck a chord within Tesseract that he had never known existed. Even through the blackness of the night, he could see the copper of the other's eyes digging into him like teeth themselves. He did not bluff. Already, the wind blew so gently with the scents of Tesseract's own children and the scents of his pack mates. Was it selfish to fight further? If he lost and they were taken in the night, was it selfish? The intention had been good...

With a snarl, Tesseract began to rise. As he scrambled, he lashed out, his teeth slicing the male's muzzle as he kicked up the sand and earth beneath him. It clouded in the darkness, breaking apart the moon's rays so that he could run then. For once, he ran. All the pain went ignored as he forced himself towards his children as silent as ever, desperate to find them safe and quiet in their dens. All the while, Eden stood as stoically as ever, blood running like rivers across his body. His muscles quivered with pain and adrenaline and yet, slowly, his mouth twisted up into a grin of finality. He had freed Glorall's king from his burdens, after all.