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Z o m b i k ii rolled 5 6-sided dice:
6, 6, 1, 1, 6
Total: 20 (5-30)
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 Posted: Mon May 21, 2018 6:44 am
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 Chausika had been released; no longer a tarnished, no longer a thrall of Katiti. Truthfully, the black rogue never thought she would see the day she would walk the lands freely. Yet, here she was, an unbranded; with hopes of becoming more.
The black lioness never thought she would settle into a Pride, she was a wild untamable spirit who had been a wanderer since she was old enough to feed herself. The ancestors worked in mysterious ways and by serendipity itself had led her to the Outlands. Now, she was one of them and having tasted servitude had suddenly realised how much it did not suit her. Shield was what she was aiming for; and be it now, or after some training, the title would be hers.
Then maybe she would be able to call this Pride her home. Maybe then she would be worth something.
As she waited for someone to answer her challenge, her heart beat loudly in her chest. Guilt still pooled in her stomach and bile lingered in her mouth; her freedom had come at a price and she was still doubting the choice she had made. Maybe her rush to find her opponent came from a desire to punish herself, or maybe she was just so angry she wanted to let off some steam.
As her challenger approached, Chau stood, bowing her head before her silver eyes locked on the lion that had answered her call. For a moment there was silence, but only because she was so used to being a forced mute. Eventually, a quiet voice was summoned from throat muscles that were out of practice. Hopefully, the rest of her body was still in shape.
“My name is Chausika, unbranded; a tarnished no more.” She introduced herself before a smirk settled on her maw; cocky and excitable all at the same time.
”Let’s begin.” |
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Krysin rolled 5 6-sided dice:
5, 1, 4, 3, 4
Total: 17 (5-30)
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Posted: Mon May 21, 2018 7:15 am
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Ruka'sabili had no real need to duel - she was a vessel, one of the lions that fell underneath the Monarch's Soul's domain. Fighting would never be her area of expertise, but that hardly meant she did not know how to do so. The lioness had been through much over the past couple of seasons. Forced against her will to join the Myrsky Syntynyt, taken advantage of by a male and forced to have his cubs... and then in the end she was forced to leave some of them behind. Tragedy plagued her, intangible and impossible to defeat. The pale lioness could only hope that now her life would start to turn around again.
She was in the lands that had raised her, the only place she wanted to be to raise her sons. The boys trailed behind her, one batting at her tail. They had grown to the point where she no longer needed to carry them about, and they could hold their own against the bigger lions. There were hardly any cubs within the pride, but at least her boys had one another to pick a bone with.
Ruka approached the dark lioness with a maturity and grace that almost seemed unfit for an Outlander. Her time in the roguelands had been harsh, and her time in the Stormborn had tested her resolve. She was not strong by the typical measures, but there was a fierceness to her that was undeniable. The pale lioness had no need to answer this call, but considering who wanted to take up the challenge she'd figure she would politely step in.
Prince Isigidi would have pummeled the poor lioness into the ground without hesitation. She was only vaguely familiar with the Prince, since he had been the one to meet her at the borders... but his obsessive streak with battling was a little unnerving. She'd spare the once-tarnished the humiliation of losing to a prince. "I do not care who you were, only who you are now," Ruka answered, her tone distant and uncaring. She had little love to give after all she had been through.
"I am Ruka'sabili, a vessel to the sight."
"KICK HER TOOSHIE MOM!!!" Hikaru roared from behind his mother, pouncing excitedly from one spot to another.
...and she had thought she had told them both to stay far behind her. |
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Posted: Mon May 21, 2018 7:52 am
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Chausika was so sick of the sight of cubs today. Ruka’s little cheerleader was only a reminder of the sin she now carried on her shoulder, the life she had traded for her own. It made her nose scrunch with displeasure. ”Hey kid, give us some space, yeah?” Her tone was not threatening in the slightest, but firm enough to let the cub know she was not playing around. The black lioness almost felt bad about fighting a mother in front of her young, but not bad enough to throw the duel.
There was too much riding on the outcome, hurt feelings did not even come into the equation. Her attention settled back onto the other female, her head tilting to the side in a way that amplified her playfulness. Even though Chausika was trying her best to be a good, honourable Outlander; deep down she was still the same troublesome rogue at heart. Besides, this one seemed stoic enough for the both of them.
”Well Ruka'sabili; who am I now, is the lioness who is going to dirty that pretty white pelt of yours.” Red hair was flicked away from silver eyes, a chuckle rumbled in her throat that settled into a growl. The fighting came easier to her than servitude than learning traditions; it was a world she was used to as a rogue. Now, her chains had fallen, and she did not have to hold back anymore. ”I will give you to the count of five to control your young before it's not my problem anymore.” And with that the dark lioness started to walk in a slow circle, her body low to the ground.
”5… 4… 3… 2….”
She counted down, trying to throw her off, distract her. ”Ready or not.” And with that, Chau pounced, fully aiming to land on the lioness and have their two bodies tangled in the dirt.
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Posted: Mon May 21, 2018 7:46 pm
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Hikaru's jaw dropped open as Chau 'ordered' him around. The cub looked expectantly at his mother, expecting her to step in to defend her precious son. When she did not do that, he pouted for a few seconds... and when that did not seem to get a reaction out of anyone he puffed up. The dark cub tried his best attempt at an angry roar, though the sound came out as more of a squeak than anything else.
That at least got his mother's attention. "Hikaru, join your brother," Ruka told her son firmly. Her boys were already going to be a handful, that much she realized. It was no wonder her own mother had dropped her off in the pride when she was a cub, if she had been as bad as those two.
"How unflattering," Ruka told Chau with a disapproving frown. Another crude lioness who just wanted to beat the crap out of someone, Ruka surmised from the lioness' words. Perhaps she should have let her face Isigidi, but if that had happened she was concerned about who's pride would be more injured. Her red eyes followed the lioness, but she refused to budge even as she was circled. This was her stand, her way of proving that Chau's words could not phase her.
The uncivilized lioness deserved to be put back in her place. It was no wonder she had been Tarnished.
"Mom, look out!" Hikaru cried from the sidelines, instantly concerned for the well being of his only parent.
Ruka was not so young or foolish to be taken by such a petty trick. When Chau came for her, she was prepared. The full weight of the dark lioness tackled into her and sent her falling back into the dirt. Her paws however did their best to sink into Chau's shoulder and drag the fiesty lioness down with her.
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Posted: Tue May 22, 2018 2:38 pm
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Ruka found little amusement in these duels, but understood the necessity of them. Anyone in the Outlands had to be capable of defending themselves. She just didn't see the point in making a game out of it. She was here to test Chausika's strength and see if the lioness was strong enough to skip her time as an Unbranded.
The two ended the little tussle on the ground with Ruka on top, keeping the dark lioness strategically pinned underneath her. Ruka was not known for her strength, but she could hold her own when the time came. "You know nothing of me," Ruka told the female in a soft, but firm voice. It was the kind of tone that alluded to all the troubles she had faced in her life without coming right out and saying that 's**t hadn't been easy'.
"YOU TELL HER MOM," Hikaru cheered from the sidelines, waving an adorable dark paw in the air. His little fingers were clenched into as much of a fist as he could manage, his yellow eyes fierce. Though he took after his mother considerably, his dark coat and his eyes were inherited from a father he would never know.
The air was pushed right out of her lungs as Chau's back legs kicked up into her stomach. Her hold on the female had been precarious, but she completely lost grip of her and tumbled to the side. Ruka found herself wheezing for breath, and after a few moments she seemed to collect herself. When her red eyes landed on the female, there was no love, no kindness. They were the color of blood, dark red pools that could drown anyone who dared to hold her gaze.
b***h.
Unsheathing her claws, she aimed a swipe for Chau's face. Whether her attack did or did not land hardly mattered - she was just aiming to get the female close enough again to do some real damage.
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Posted: Tue May 22, 2018 3:03 pm
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“You know nothing about me.” Chausika’s tone was mocking as she repeated the lionesses words, silver eyes rolling so dramatically in their sockets they threatened to fall out.
“Yawn.”
Then, a claw came her way. Chau turned her head to the side instinctively, hiding it behind her shoulder; which is were the lionesses blow landed. Claws sunk deep, breaking through black fur and drawing blood. The unbranded stumbled backwards, her face scrunched up in pain as her jaw clenched so tightly she was afraid her fangs would break.
The yelp that escaped her was agonising but soon turned into a slow laugh as she rolled the muscle, adrenaline alone dulling what was going to leave a deep scar. It hurt like a b***h, but her sudden amusement was greater than the pain. Dare she say she was enjoying herself; oh what had that Seer done to her? The thought of Katiti watching this only made her laugh more.
Are your little birds watching now? I'll give you a show.
“That all you got?” Silver eyes finally opened, staring down the lioness with a low growl bubbling in her throat. The dark female was not trying to make an enemy of her white rival; the trash talk was only a tool she used to unarm her opponents, anger was blinding most of the time. Chausika was not the strongest or the bravest, but she had the ability to get under anyone's skin. Katiti could probably attest to that.
She was certainly not above using every tool to her advantage, it was a rogues code. Ruka just happened to be on the other end of that survival instinct.
Forcing her paw back on the ground she pounced towards the other female, aiming to land at her side and sink her teeth into the female's hind.
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Posted: Tue May 22, 2018 3:27 pm
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It was as if she were battling a child, impulsive and reckless. She really thought the lioness should be ashamed of herself, but it was clear Chau did not have that level of self-awareness. Whomever had raised the lioness had clearly done a terrible job. It was easy to see how Chau fit into the Outlands, she had all their spite and their fight. But such ferocity had to be tempered. There had to be some refinement in the lioness, yet all Ruka could see was some rough little girl desperate to prove her place in the world.
It irritated the hell out of her.
The feeling of her claws raking through flesh only felt that more satisfying considering how much she was starting to loathe the female. Drops of red dyed the tips of her nails. In the background, she heard her son scream a 'YEAH MOM'. It was perhaps that distraction alone that made her unprepared for Chau's next attack. She had never expected to have cubs, and did not know how much she could care for them. Ruka had always imagined she'd be like her mother, absolutely terrible at it.
And maybe she was - but she did care for her boys.
The feeling of teeth puncturing her hind quarter's drew a roar from the pale female. Chau's fangs pierced her flesh too easily, dipping into her muscle. Surely Chau could taste it, the sudden explosion of blood between her lips. It happened so quickly that Ruka's mind went blank. She did not think - she reacted with a fury only an Outlander could possess.
She twisted violently to pull herself not out of Chau's grip, but rather deeper into it to try and shove the lioness back onto the ground. Through the pain, she refused to give up, even perhaps if she knew she had already lost this fight. "ENOUGH."
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Posted: Tue May 22, 2018 3:50 pm
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As soon as the word hit Chau’s ears she let go, her mouth full of blood as she stepped away from the lioness. White fur was stained pink; her colouration probably making the injury look more severe than it was. As much as her own dark pelt hid her own. Still, it was only fair, they had scared each other and both would be sleeping awkwardly tonight.
Chau panted and rolled her shoulder again, wincing at the pain and shaking her head. ”Girrrl, your claws are sharp.” The dark lioness chuckled as she shook her head. Her wound stung like a b***h, but she was sure Ruka was feeling the same way. There was no anger in the female's heart; they had both made the Outlands proud, it was a good fight.
A good show, for any audience other than the young boys.
”Hey munchkins, your mom needs kisses.” She called, bowing her head to the lioness before she turned to leave. There was no point in staying and letting fluffy vengeance rain down on her.
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