[Duel] Maya vs. Ciro

[Pandorus Sphinx]

While Maya awaited Calypso's orders she wandered deeper into the prides territory, her eyes glazed over with a bloodlust. She was a little worked up from the talks of murder and matricide, her mind wasn't in the right place to make rational decisions, not right now.. yet she fumed her way to the closest figure she could, calling out in her own frustration.

"I demand you fight me!" She shouted, the burns on her pelt rippling as she flexed her shoulders from side to side. She knew this pride was full of strong warriors, today was the day she had a taste of a true Stromborn duel. If Maya was going to join the ranks of these revered fighters she would need to learn her way around the battlefield.  

[KasaiLoki]

Ciro'mekaitso wasn't on border duty, yet he found himself wandering in that direction on this drizzly day. Any day now he knew his children would start asking to taking them on their first viking, and not that Ciro was dreading it, but he had to face the fact that they were getting older.

One thing the male had learned in his aging in life was time was just going too fast when it came to his own children.

A sigh left his maw just as a newcomer came rushing up to him. His gold eyes blinked at the sudden intrusion, and it took him a moment see who just was challenging him.

"My My. Don't you have some intricate scarring on you." The Captain stated with an amused look, his claws flexing into the sands as his eyes narrowed.

"Well then, if it's a fight you want, it wouldn't be a gentleman to deny a lady of her needs. Show me what you got." A smirk flashed across his maw as he waited for the female to make her first move.  

[Pandorus Sphinx]

His words only seemed to piss the malformed female off, this was shown with a flash of her fangs and eyes filled with fiery rage - intensely gazing at him without speaking a word. Coming here and meeting Calypso had opened her eyes to some personal truths, truths the seer was unwilling to abandon so swiftly now that they had come to light. She wanted to be here with her, to grow strong too. Her body was lean and burned but Maya was not weak, not by a long shot. She would have her pound of flesh and she would earn her way into the pride no matter the cost. She needed to be her equal.

"I am no lady." Her words crossed her maw with a deep hiss as she took toward him with one fast strike, grazing his side as she passed him. She missed, it was hardly a hit.

The lioness spat as she turned herself full circle, standing still for a moment while she eyed him down. This one had a mouth on him.... Maya wanted to rip it off his face.  

[KasaiLoki]

"You are no lady?" Ciro tilted his head as the lioness aimed to strike. He was quick to avoid, watching her movement carefully before going on the offensive. He circled around her, getting a view from the back. "Mhm...Pretty sure those are lady parts back there..." The male advised with a quirked eyebrow, lunging for the female.

"You got to do better than that." The captain stated. He didn't avoid any parts of her. He was curious if the burn or scar or whatever was wrong with her leg would weaken her. He aimed for that, waiting to see the reaction.

"You got spirit, that's for sure. But, spirit won't let you win the battle. You need more." His eyes narrowed as he swiped her shoulder.  

[Pandorus Sphinx]

Lucky for her the male was unaware of the extent of her injuries, so when he took the low-road and aimed for her arm she could only chuckle at his transparency. Going for her obvious weakness, who could have guessed? Sadly for him her burns had left her numb in over half of her body, arm included. So his hit only made her stumble, doing more harm to her footing and less to her physical response to pain. Even if he drew blood Maya could not feel it, it was a shield, her burns.

"I'm having a hard time finding your parts, so at least one of us is sure." As she spoke she turned, paws wide with claws extending into the earth, her smirk turned into more of a frown with her upper lip quivering a little in annoyance, still she found pleasure in denying his advances, words meant very little to her.

The lioness moved herself at him once more, this time her body on the defensive as she rammed full-force into him, her shoulder clipping against him with a loud slap.

"You talk to much." She winced with a soft smirk, her eyes wild and untamed.  

[KasaiLoki]

"Ouch, hitting below the tail. That's okay my dear," Ciro said as he backed away from the female, "If you would like to see it, I do know of a rather...secluded area here. However..." as she rammed against him, he was pushed back, a small hiss interrupting his words. Nevertheless, he continued once his footing was restored, a smirk ever prevalent on his maw.

"Ah, feisty." He licked his lips, eyeing Maya. So the shoulder and arm brought nothing to her. He wasn't going to aim for that again. Her hind quarter maybe? That seemed unscathed. Something had to be a weak point.

"I'd say the same for you, but I particularly like your voice." He hummed, launching himself for her hind quarter. "Just how loud can your own voice get I wonder?"  

[Pandorus Sphinx]

"Degenerate."

Maya's body jerked back as she slid to the side, the dusty lioness was barely scathed by his incoming incursion, but she felt claws hit soft skin and her eyes pinned wide for a split second - so he figured out where he could actually deal damage? Clever. Maya, however, was only further enraged and took to using her teeth to bite down on his back, her extended claws digging into his hip as she backed up, dragging him along with her by the jaws. Maya snarled as she sunk her teeth deeper into his flesh, the taste of blood filled her mouth like a sweet release. She felt confidant in her movements, only losing her concentration when she noticed her shoulder bleeding rather profusely. What was this..?

The lioness thrashed violently and removed her jaws from his back, her claws detaching from his hide as well. Something had her spooked.

"You really need to shut your mouth." Her words came followed by another hiss. Maya felt a little unnerved. Why was her confidence starting falter?  

[KasaiLoki]

When her fangs connected with his skin, and claws on his hide, Ciro grimaced. Okay, the feeling of pins into your skin was never the best feelings, and he was sure he was now feeling the slight seep of blood coming from the marks. Surely more scars to add to his already scarred pelt. Lovely.

She let go, and Ciro’s ear flickered towards her comment. She wanted him to shut his mouth? Well, sure, things could be done more quietly. A smirk on his maw as his eyes flashed, something hidden behind them. He made one more attempt to launch at the female, using his weight and strength to knock her to the ground. He wanted to stay on top of her. This was a duel she would not be winning, not today at least.

“Ah, my dear, my dear.” Ciro found himself purring, a clawed paw pushing on the back of her neck to keep her grounded. “I do declare this duel over.” He didn’t move from her however, not quite yet. He would let the situation speak however Maya would interpret it. “You have a fire in your heart, but you lack something.” His eyes narrowed as he lowered his head to her ear. “Unless you want to find yourself permanently under a male, I would suggest you figure it out and try a duel again.” His paw released from the back of her neck as he removed himself. He stood, a slight lazy look on his features.  

[Pandorus Sphinx]

Shock danced across her face like lightening against dark clouds. She felt her body fall flat under his, and with a loud yelp the disfigured female swore under her raspy breath.

"s**t..."

Nothing could cure her of this anger, nothing could change the outcome here today. Losing was hard in general, but losing like this felt insulting. Why had she allowed herself to lose face so easily? Was it words that defeated her in the end? Was his boastful chatter enough to keep her mind from focusing on the fight properly? Maya felt shame for the fist time in a long while, and the feeling was as raw as the wound on her arm. Her green eyes, though filled with a deep dislike for this dark male, acknowledged his victory as he ran a claw along the back of her skull.

As he removed himself from his place on top of her she rolled over and stood back up, the blood on her shoulder trickling down her dusty pelt, glazing over her scars like thick mud. Maya sighed.

"I refuse to spend a second beneath anyone, so I will take your advice." This was the first time the male would hear her speak relativity normal, despite her aggression she showed while the two fought, Maya's mood was easily changed when she knew that the loss was her own fault. She wouldn't blame anyone but herself. She needed to learn to drown out the voices, the memories that lay seared across her body seemed to still haunt her even after all this time.  

[KasaiLoki]

Ciro's smirk widened as the female spoke.

I refuse to spend a second beneath anyone. He shrugged his shoulders forward, daring himself to take a step closer to the female. "Good. Although, sounds like you never held that position before. How do you know you wouldn't like it." He mused, both his brows shooting up in amusement, before he took a step away, letting the lioness have her space to leave.

"When you feel you are ready, call for a challenge again. Who knows if I answer, but I will look forward to the day you can state you are part of the stormborn. Until then," his lip raised as a low growl emitted. "Get out before you become the lands newest thrall."  

[Pandorus Sphinx]

Maya's frown seemed almost permanent, at least around this male it seemed so. She found no amusement in his words and shameless flirting. Perhaps it was because the lioness didn't understand his sort of humor, whatever the case was Maya knew she didn't like it. As he stepped closer she stepped back, her ears pinning against her skull, brows furrowed. He was too forward.

"..." She wouldn't reply to his offer for a second duel, the dusty colored female would call on him again when he would least expect it.

"You wish." Her final words came with a soft chuckle before she turned away from him, heading back to the edge of the pride. Maya never once asked his name, so the next time the two went claw to claw she would make a point to. Remembering him as "the pervert" also worked for now, though.

She would be back.