[DUEL] Kelda'Satu/Kufutwa

[KasaiLoki]

Kelda'satu was a lioness brought up to enjoy life. She was born in the Stormborn, a pride of lions that tested their skills amongst each other, as well as outsiders. They traveled out of the lands when they were adolescents, returning with spoils of their trip that ranged from goods to actual beings.

The dark lioness had never experienced such a trip in her life time. Instead, she kept to the pride life, learning the valuable skills from within instead of outside. One day, the lioness would venture out, but she never did. Opportunities came and went, yet she stayed, using the excuse that she wasn't quite ready.

It was only when a dark lioness (darker than herself) approached her, advising a group of females were going out, and that Kelda should join did she change her mind.

When thinking of it now, Kelda believed she should have stayed home.

Somehow in the small time frame, Kelda managed to lose Sitara and Valkyrie, stumbling across terrain she never knew existed. Dry. Sandy. It was almost as if storms never touched this land. There, the Freeborn met what he called himself as a Scryer, an interpreter of the stars. The term was as foreign as the dusty colored pelt of his.

But. His words intrigued her. And here she was, on a field, ranked as an Unbranded (better than a thrall, Kelda would think), ready to duel her way up in the ranks.

She knew her mother would not be happy with her choice of not coming home, but the lioness was at the age she could make her own decisions. And right now, that decision was to stay. In hindsight, it probably was not the best decision that the feline had made in her life, but that was the fun thing about life. You never knew how it would turn out.

"Where you at?" Kelda murmured to herself, looking for her challenger.  

[KasaiLoki]

The muddy red lion appeared just as Kelda sat down.

"Ah, so you made it." The Scryer said with a stretched. He wasn't as muscular as most lions in the pride, for he devoted majority of his time to work instead of struggles. But with the pride returning to its former glory, Kufutwa was finding more and more time to spend as free time instead of using it towards reading the stars.

"So. You've heard a little bit how this works. Being the gentleman I am, I will let you start first. Please," he bowed his head, a paw extending out. "Ladies First." His dark eyes glanced up as a smirk placed on his maw.  

[KasaiLoki]

Somehow, the term 'gentleman' did not fully suit what Kufutwa had said, but she would not let that stop her. She needed to prove herself, a term many had used in the Myrsky Syntynyt when challenging for acceptance. This was a similar concept, with the exception if Kelda did not win the duel, she would not be turned away from the pride, but rather go through a more vigorous training to prove herself.

"I thought you'd never ask." Kelda grinned, eyes narrowing. All you got to do, is win. she said to herself. The rest will fall into place after.

So the lioness quickly headed for the male, her head bowed as she charged. She had seen the tactic by others in the Stormborn. They would crash into their opponent, hoping to push them off their feet, while they could incapacitate the other. Never having actually tried it, Kelda was not sure if that was something that actually worked.

Now was always the best time to try...

Kufu watched as the lioness aimed for him. Speedy thing isn't she. he thought to himself, watching the steps quicken as she aimed for him. The Outlander sidestepped her, however his paw seemed to twist at the joint, causing him to fall.

What the Hell?! he growled, falling to the ground.



Kelda did not let the stumble of the other bother her. Instead, she retaliated. The lion had done part of the work for her, now she just needed to finish the job. She quickly launched, wanting to keep in on the ground. She landed on his back just as the male rose to his feet. "No, stay down." She growled, grabbing at his ear, pinching at it as she bit down.

"You can't just tell an Outlander to stay down. That's not how these duels work." Kufu chuckled, but winced at the bite. He could feel a small dribble of blood dropping from it. The release, and disgusted sounded coming from the challenger just proved it. "Get use to the blood sweetheart. If you stay amongst these ranks, you'll be seeing and tasting a lot more of it." Kufu chuckled, bucking the female, feeling her claws try to grab at his skin to hold on, before they slid over his shoulder, and she flying off.

Kelda landed with a 'oomph', rising to her feet to glare at the male. "That's it?"

"Mm.. Not quite." Kufu aimed for the lioness's neck, biting down.

In that moment, Kelda found herself shying away, the male somehow grabbing the braid that formed instead of her actual flesh. With a twist and a painful tug, Kelda could hear her hair ripping as she swung her face to latch onto the other's maw. Her dark eyes could see a surprised look on the other's face, his dark green eyes speaking volumes where his own mouth couldn't. You win.

Kelda backed off, spitting out the awful taste of the lion's features in her mouth. "Want to say that out loud?"

Kufu grumbled, not expecting the duel to end how it did. "You win." He said shaking his head. "I think you cheated...but I concede."

"Cheated?" Kelda asked, aghast. "Never call a Stormborn a cheater." Her eyes narrowed as she stalked up to the other male. "Got it?"

Kufu smirked, his green orbs staring right into her dark black ones. "Good thing you aren't a 'Stormborn' anymore then. Huh? Welcome to the Oulands." The Scryer bobbed his head. "You have proven yourself against a member of this pride. You have shown great power in the duel, which should get you worthy enough to bypass the training and get you right into ranks. Have you decided what path you wished to take?"

The lioness thought for a moment, only shrugging in response.

"Well. Best start thinking of it sweetheart. You don't have much time to decide." Kufu turned to walk out, leaving the former freeborn to decide what path she would like to take on her new home.


[1104 words]