[PRP] A Challenger (Umochozi x Sebor)

[Krysin]

He had made it, though there was no sign of his cousin or her bonded bird yet. Umo imagined she was deeper into the pride, if she had passed this so called 'challenge'. Njia was a capable lioness, far more than Umo was, so he supposed that she must have. It would have been easy to convince her to return to her mother if she had failed her challenge. Was it the right thing to do now, he wasn't sure. Njia had made her own decision, who was he to tell her what to do with her life?

The dark lion sighed, and reminded himself that he wasn't just here for Njia. He was here for himself, a new pride to call his home after having lost his previous one. Here he could start a new life, get things back into motion. Maybe his travelling days would be over, and instead of worrying where his next meal was or where he should go, he could worry over simpler things.

If his information was correct, and he supposed it was, he had to fight his way in. Umo had to prove his worth to the pride and show he wasn't just a pretty face. Truthfully, he was no skilled warrior. He could learn, yes, but it was too late to learn any tricks now that he was already here. This would be a test more so of his wits and his willpower. If he wasn't confident in himself now, there was no way he was going to win. So, he feigned it. Bravado wouldn't do much for him, but it may give him the mental boost he needed to persevere.

The lion roared his challenge, the sound echoing throughout the border. Then, he waited to see who would be the one to accept it.

SilverLutz

 

[SilverLutz]

Sebor lifted her head as a faint roar reached her ears, making them twitch with interest. It had been a long, long time since she had tested a rogue to see if they were fit to join the Stormborn, and now that her latest litter of cubs were old enough to take care of themselves - indeed, one was already a Reaver in his young age - she felt like she could head to the border to see this challenger.

It took her a few minutes to arrive but she found no other Reaver present to answer the challenge of the dark male. She trotted over to him after roaring in return to let him know she was approaching, and once she was within speaking earshot she paused.

"Welcome," she said with a little bob of her head. "You wish to test yourself to see if you are born of the storm, I see. I will test you if you are truly willing."

Krysin

 

[Krysin]

A lioness approached him, and though that should have given him some comfort with the natural differences in their strengths... Umochozi was unskilled. It was far likely that this lioness was stronger than him, and far more adept in battle. If this was just a test to prove his worth, he'd have to prove himself worthy. That, at least, Umochozi could do. Rose colored eyes looked her over, trying to evaluate her skill at first glance. It was difficult to determine, or perhaps Umochozi was just poor at reading others.

He had never fought a female before. Usually he took more romantic approaches towards them. Umo didn't dare underestimate her, however. If she came to answer his challenge, she was probably good. "Yes," he answered, inclining his head at her. "Thank you. I am Umochozi." The lion could feel his nerves bundling up, his muscles tensing underneath black fur. It was clear he had never been in this sort of situation, but he was going to try and come out on top anyways.

Hunching his shoulders, he slowly stalked towards her. His chances were better off acting first, and putting this lion in a defensive state. He sure as the gods knew that he couldn't read her well enough to defend against her completely if he was pushed back.

So, he started the attack, charging straight at her, hoping momentum and power would carry him through the assault.

SilverLutz

 

[SilverLutz]

"Sebor," she returned as he gave her his name. He was polite, that was refreshing at least. Normally those that wanted in were a bit brutish and harsh. Sebor was one of those lions, coming in head strong and with something to prove. That had been years ago, though, and now her main goals had been achieved. Females were no longer looked down upon in the pride, she was a Reaver, and there was even a female Warlord that had just taken power from a previous female. All in all, she had a very satisfying time here and she was more than ready to test others to see their merit.

Studying the male, she could tell he was nervous. The way he held himself spoke of false bravado but sometimes you had to fake it to make it. He shook off his uncertainty with a charge, though, and she made a mental note to herself. He was able to steel himself in the face of adversity which was a very important quality.

Rather than side-stepping the attack Sebor charged as well, meeting him head-on in a clash of bodies and paws and shoulders. She kept her claws sheathed as this was a test, not a battle, but she didn't hold back the surprisingly ferocious roar as she let her full power unleash into the counter attack.

Krysin

 

[Krysin]

He didn't expect her to charge straight for him. Surely they weren't on even ground with one another where she could expect to beat him a bout of strength. His doubts weighed him down, his own mind playing games with him. Instead of focusing on the fight he had just rushed headstrong into, he was more concerned with the lioness he was fighting again. He did not want to hurt her, but at the same time he could not afford to hold back against her.

Doubt played him for a fool, and by the time their bodies collided he had lost much of his original intent. Perhaps this wasn't for him. But then, where would he go now if he failed here? He had to succeed. His home pride had disbanded, his family now scattered to the winds. If he didn't make a home for himself here, it was likely he would not make a home for himself anywhere. Not with his current attitude.

Sebor was against, pushing against him fiercely. The lack of claws was a mercy. If Umochozi was shaken up by the idea of potentially hurting her, adding fangs and teeth into the mix would have hindered his drive entirely. Her roar echoed throughout the surroundings, shaking him with its intensity.

Umo outstretched an arm to try and wrap around her shoulder, to grab her and throw her against the ground. He had to force herself back somehow, because with the way they were tangled now, she was pushing him back. He could feel his back legs giving in, scraping against the hard ground underneath him.

SilverLutz

 

[SilverLutz]

Sebor felt Umo sliding back against her strength, but she knew there was a difference between a lone rogue and a well-seasoned Reaver. She had the advantage of being well-fed and rested on her side where this male was probably a few days without eating and he'd been traveling for some time, she was sure. But he didn't give up, which was another point in his favor, and as she felt the paw wrapping around her she rolled with the pull, going to the ground smoothly and righting herself in an instant.

She kept her distance this time, circling the dark male with her head down, ears back, eyes intent. She darted in with a loud snarl and a swipe of her paw, aiming for his legs to either simply land a hit or swipe them out from underneath him.

Krysin

 

[Krysin]

Before he could press his advantage of her rolling onto the ground, she was up with a recovery that was astounding for him. She moved deftly, and there was certainly something impressive about how easily she was able to maneuver herself out of a dangerous position. It certainly took the wind out of his sails, and cautiously the lion backed up. He needed to evaluate her better, predict her more effectively. But these were all skills that had to be honed, that he needed to focus on and train.

Umochozi had done none of that in his time as a rogue. He was used to hunting for survival, but even Njia and her mother were better at that than he. His aunt, even crippled, was still better than him at it.

The lioness circled him, and anxiously he turned to face her, trying to always keep her in his sight. He felt like a cornered beast, even though there were multiple paths out of the situation. Umo tried to react in time to dodge her as she charged at him. But the snarl shook him, and he saw her paw move before his legs could respond to it. He tried to step back out of her way, but she caught him, tripping him up so that he landed gracelessly onto his chest, back legs still holding him up.

Stuck at a disadvantage, he did the only thing he could think of, and lifted himself rapidly, aiming a headbutt at her chest to get her to back off from him.

SilverLutz

 

[SilverLutz]

It seemed his nerves were starting to get the best of him as he struggled to keep Sebor in front of him, but the lioness took that into consideration. He was clearly not one that would rise in the ranks here but it did take all types. Perhaps he'd be happy being a Freeborn, taking a Reaver for a mate and switching up the gender roles. Or maybe he would turn out to be Reaver material and go out on Vikings. Or perhaps he was a future Lawspeaker or Bard, or perhaps had healing talents that were unknown at the moment. She wished a battle wasn't the only way to get in other than having a family member claim them or to be brought in by force as a Thrall. There were many talents in the world and fighting didn't have to be the only one.

Umo did fall, but he recovered in time to toss himself forward. His head caught her jaw and clacked her teeth together painfully. Unconventional, certainly, but effective. She backed off with a low growl, allowing Umo to get to his feet, but she didn't give him much time to recover. If he could handle this next attack well she'd give him the go-ahead to join, although she'd suggest honing his skills.

With another snarl she darted forward, but rather than charging head-on again, she dodged just to the left and lowered her head to ram her shoulder against his side, hoping to topple him.

Krysin

 

[Krysin]

It was the first bit of success he felt he had genuinely tasted in this test fight. The feeling wasn't pleasant, his head hitting the bottom of her jaw, but he was sure she felt worse for it. He had earned the precious time he needed to get back onto his feet and ready himself for the next attack. Even so, it was barely any time at all to recover. Sebor was relentless with her attacks, barely giving him room to breathe, let alone think.

That likely was better for him. If he didn't have time to think, he didn't have time to doubt himself or his intentions. Keeping him in the heat of battle was the best way to keep him focused.

She was charging again, and Umo had only just righted himself. There was no time to dodge. The best he could do was brace himself for the next assault. Outlasting her was a way to victory. If he didn't have strength, he had stamina. The dark lion still expected a full frontal assault, but the fact that he was expecting to be hit contributed to the way he was able to take her blow. He could barely follow her movements, but his body did react to the way she rammed against his side. Claws dug into the ground, his knees and elbows bent to brace himself against the blow.

His body gave a little, but he refused to fall this time. Umo held his ground with a growl, tail whipping restlessly from side to side. He twisted deftly away from her, backing up quickly to put distance between them again. He hunched low to the ground, yellow tinged teeth bared as he prepared for her next attack.

SilverLutz

 

[SilverLutz]

Umo rocked, but he held his ground as Sebor's shove rocked into him. The lioness hopped away from the male and turned around to find him crouched and with his teeth bared, ready for another assault. His look alone had changed from the original lion she had faced and it was with a little smile and a chuckle that she pulled up from her own stance, relaxed once more.

"I've seen enough. You lack confidence in yourself, Umochozi, and I believe that is unfounded. You held your ground well and I think with a bit of training and some confidence boosting, you will do well here." She twitched her tail and nodded back in the direction of the pride before turning to head in that direction.

"Walk with me and ask any questions you have about your new home. I'll fill you in as best I can."

Krysin

Last from me!

 

[Krysin]

It was over. The decision had been made quicker than he had expected, and he almost immediately interpreted it as a refusal to accept him. His posture changed from a lion ready to fight, to the polite male that had first greeted Sebor. He shook himself free of the tension and anxiety that had built up in him.

He had been accepted, and for a moment he did not believe it. Yes, he had held his ground against her, but he doubted he had made any decent dents into her own defense. In his opinion, she was the clear victor of their little bout. The dark lion smiled breathlessly and approached the female. "Thank you for your time," he replied before following her into the pride that was now going to become his new home.

SilverLutz

Thank you! <3 Just putting a quick wrap on this sucker.