[DUEL] First Attempt - (Zuka & Iroh)

[Lithiasaur]

Iroh smiled warmly as he approached the waiting stranger.

The big, fluffy cream-tinted lion was not angry or aggressive for the sake of it, and had always been a bit of a softie in that regard. He liked meeting new lions, and liked recruiting them into the pride. New blood only made them stronger, as time had proven.

Easy going, but not to be underestimated, the sagely lion sat down in front of the grey-ish, white lion in front of him.

"Are you ready for your duel, then, my friend? Feel free to take the first attack!" He had no intention of going easy on the stranger, of course, but that did not mean he had to be rude.

Vesale

 

[Lithiasaur]

Iroh grew serious as the other lion readied for a fight, bowing his head respectfully before standing and bracing himself for the attack. He felt the weight of the hit of the other's paws, growling on instinct and turning to counter.

The other's attack brought them close and Iroh used that to his advantage. He was a large lion, anyway, but his reach only went so far. He swung a hefty paw at Zuka, aiming for his face but not stretching his claws out for the blow.

It wasn't in an effort to spare the other injury, not really, but more because he wanted to stun and incapacitate the other.

And also he did not believe in leaving scars that had no meaning.  

[Lithiasaur]

Iroh had to commend the other for his tenacity, and the follow tackle was hefty enough to knock the large lion sideways and make him stumble on his feet. He snarled and lunged, though, not to be deterred.

This was fun, for the older lion. He had always enjoyed sparring and training, and of course these entry battles always held an interesting challenge to them.

Some lions proved to have quite a lot of potential, while others he was not sure he would have chosen if he actually had a say. Still, if they won their battles, they were allowed in. It was just that simple.

And he liked it that way.

He snapped at Zuka's back leg, aiming to pull it out from under him and maybe get some ground back, knocking the other down as he had been.  

[Lithiasaur]

Iroh grunted as he was hit in the face, shaking his head and rolling away. He got to his feet slowly, shaking his head and getting his bearings. That was an interesting move. He grinned, enjoying himself, and scuffed his paws against the ground.

"Well played, my boy. But we're not done yet!"

Iroh charged forward, opting to use his head this time, lowering it down like a goat on the attack and aiming to battering ram straight into the other lion, using his heft and size to his advantage. When one was as fluffy and round as Iroh, one had to learn how to harness it instead of letting it be a liability.

The older lion was tougher than he looked.  

[Lithiasaur]

When the stranger latched on to his mane, Iroh gave a sound of surprise. That was not one he had been anticipating. The other was not biting him, though, or trying to cause any damage. It seemed he was just trying to take Iroh off his feet again.

The cream colored lion shook his head mightily, putting all his weight into the shake in an effort to throw the other lion from him and get some space between them. This battle would need to end soon, or he would use up all his stamina and not have much left.

The younger lions could fight for longer than he could, these days, but he was still tough and worth a good scuffle.  

[Lithiasaur]

Iroh had to move and take a chance. He saw the other charging and opted to meet him head on. At the last moment, he reared up and dropped down on his opponent, grabbing him by the back of the neck and then using a mighty shake to throw him as hard as he could.

It was enough to give them some space.

He took a breath, waiting for the other to get up, though he hoped he would not. At least not to fight again. Iroh was puffed out, though he was grinning without realizing it because he was so exhilarated from the fight itself. He just couldn't help himself, and really liked a good fight.

Either way, he was sure this young lion would be joining the pride soon. if not today, than not long in the future. He could just see the spark in him.