When the fox decided that winning the fight was beneath him and simply walked off out of the arena, Krix shook his head in disgust and pushed himself off the railing he'd been leaning on. In all his years as the champion of Hephaestus, he'd never encountered a fighter with such blatant disregard for his patron's honor. In all honesty, the act was baffling. Nevertheless, he was ready when his name was called and made his way to the fitting rooms to retrieve his weapons and remove his vest. Once his blades were slung on his back, his hammer slid into a loop on his belt, and the chains wrapped securely around his arms and torso, he stepped through the entrance arch and into the light of the arena. 

The view that greeted him was an interesting one, with hundreds of cheering onlookers and a bipedal wolf standing opposite him on the field of battle. He'd never faced a wolf before, and this one looked decidedly more feral than the fox that had faced off against the changeling. It also held no weapons and wore no armor, seemingly content to rely on its natural gifts in lieu of weapons crafted in a forge. A curious choice, though one that begged a question. What was it exactly that gave this creature the confidence to face a man with a longsword forged by the gods? He had no doubt the answer would be interesting indeed. He began to coil the chains tighter around his fists and forearms as he drew nearer, then halted his progress while his opponent was still two dozen meters distant. There, he planted his bare feet shoulder width apart, raising small puffs of dust as he settled them firmly on the dirt and stone beneath himself.

Some may have uttered a prayer at this point, a supplication to their patron to favor them on the field this day, but Krix's prayers were never uttered in words. Only in the clash of hammer on anvil and the wail of a bellows in the forge. He held the handiwork of his prayers on his back and wrapped about his limbs, and he had faith they would carry him through. "Let me guess, your patron is a keeper of forests and trees? I do love trees. They make excellent kindling for my forge."