[PRP] A Morning Stroll Gone Wrong [Kitisho/Ngao/Ukweli] FIN

[Chibi Sheepcat]

[ My apologies for the cheesy title. XD *couldn't think of anything better*]

Ukweli had slept very little last night.

He had been hopeful that another vision would come, to tell him that Hifadhi had safely taken the cubs deeper into the valley. When no vision had come, he had secretly hoped that the lack of blood-filled images meant that all had gone well. After all, he had received no warning about disasters yet to come, right? It was incredibly frustrating to have their airborne communication cut off due to those damned vultures. The ancient lion would have loved to send Viza out to make sure Hifadhi had made it safely across the valley.

Finally growing tired of pacing his small den, Ukweli decided it was time to go for his morning walk. One had to keep themselves as fit as possible, especially considering his age. While he was no where near as agile or powerful as his friend Hifadhi, Ukweli liked to be in enough shape that he could run if he needed to. He was long past the point of head on confrontation with any adult creature. Once he was outside of the den, Viza came to land on the top of his head. It was their usual routine, her using the time to preen and him using the time to think.

And so Ukweli strolled, lost in thought.  

[Bloody Anubis]

[-totally SHUNS-]

Finally, the time had come to take action. Plans had been brewing, he knew, but now was the time to put them in motion. The details were vague to him, whatever they were exactly here for failed to reach him as he had not been told anything about it. One thing was for sure, though, one thing he had always known- they had never been here to settle down.

His orders were quite clear. For the good of their cause, the remaining seer of the Aka'mleli had to fall. To Kitisho, it didn't sound like much of a job, but he had never denied Msiba or Mchawi before and he didn't plan to start now. Besides, it was a nice break from the facade. He was not the type to be ungrateful for what he had.

Ukweli was easy enough to find, and just as simple to follow. Even someone as large as Kitisho could muffle his steps, though in this case it hardly looked like he needed to. The old lion seemed lost in himself, and his bird companion was occupied elsewhere. It was simple enough for the scarred lion to keep a slight distance off behind Ukweli and follow him. Eventually, he had gotten the general path of the elder in his mind and cut around to a piece of terrain where he would await him.

It was a heightened place in the valley, no bigger or smaller than a hill upon which he could wait and still be hidden from Ukweli's immediate view. He jerked the shoulder that Ulinzi sat upon, a clear signal to get off. He didn't want the martial eagle to join him in the fight, or the carnage. When the seer was just a little past mid-way of his perch, Kitisho silently began to descend, his movements swift and strong. The fire in him was beginning to peel itself out, and the daggers of his claws were already tearing up the earth in his wake. Finally, he slammed himself from the angle of his hill, launching down the final few feet, ready to land and take Ukweli from the side. It would be a swift death, he had imagined.  

[Ary Keeyara]

It was hard to say if Ngao was more or less stressed by having the children across the valley. She trusted Hifadhi more than anyone; that was why he had gotten the job. But a part of her still remembers their spars and how lately his body had been slowly. It was likely a change only she, someone who had practiced with him often, would notice. But it caused her to worry none the less.

But she was forced to put the worry of Hifadhi and the children he protected to the back of her mind. It was up to him now and she had much to do here. She was left with the responsibility of protecting the rest of the pride and keeping things in order. And though both Hifadhi and Ukweli told her not to jump to conclusions, she was keeping a close eye on the outsiders.

This morning she had set out to make her rounds. She tried to make her patrols quick, since she did not like being away from the main group very long. But the fact of the matter was they needed to be made, regardless of her feelings towards the newcomers. So she had ran along, keeping a relative silence as she sped through the disrupted landscape. This was her home...she knew every little rock and tree. The problem was that said trees and rocks had been torn and thrown about by the earthquake. It seemed it was hard to keep up with anything anymore.

Hofu flew along the ground near her, lowering and lifting his altitude as he dodged objects. It was a shame the skies weren't clear...he hated flying so close to what could be danger. He was a cautious soul...he never too unecessary risks. He always claimed it was because Ngao was wreckless. She didn't think so, but Hofu insisted she got it from Hifadhi; not a normal wrecklessness, but a stubborn sense of one.

The angle Ngao was running was perfect to catch the wind. In this way she could tell who she was going to come across before she did so. She smelled Ukweli and wondered what he was doing so far out. At first it wasn't a cause for worry...and then she also noticed Kitisho. Immediately her gutt twisted terribly. Something just didn't feel right about this.

She increased her speed, claws coming out to help her grip. She was coming in at angle that would cross the scents of both paths, but she was aiming for Kitisho. She just didn't trust that lion...not as far as she could throw his massive body. Her hackles rose a little as shrubs whipped by. If he was up to anything...he was going to get it.

Finally she reached the two of them, a not a moment too soon. She launched forward, her speed impressive, but not surprising. It was the style of her mentor and the style she carried as well. She leapt out to the ground between Ukweli and Kitisho and, using the rebound, threw herself with a wide slash of her claws at the larger lion. There were no words. He was attacking Ukweli and she would not let Kitisho harm him.  

[Chibi Sheepcat]

Later, Ukweli would chastise himself for not paying better attention. Knowing his position and his current state of health he should not have traveled so far, nor left himself out in the open. He had been so concerned with the welfare of the cubs and the remaining pride that he often forgot about his own safety when theirs was at stake. It was still no excuse, though, to be caught in such a compromising position. Hifadhi may have stood the briefest chance against Kitisho, if only because of his skill as a warrior. Age would slow him as it slowed Ukweli, but his body would react instinctively to the threat in a way that Ukweli's would not. Ukweli did not stand even the slightest chance against any attacker Kitisho's size. He had traded his talents in the physical realm for those in a world beyond their own. Perhaps one day he would pay for this trade; today, however was not that day.

It was Viza who saw Kitisho first, the lanner falcon screeching her warning as she took to the sky. Ukweli had only half a heartbeat to turn around before Ngao was there, between him and the outsider. His reaction to the threat was instinctive, lips curling in a snarl before his mind had caught up to his body. The large body of his attacker gave him away instantly. Kitisho. Ears pressed against the back of his head, the old lion took several shuffling steps in reverse, eyes darting between Ngao and her opponent. This was bad. He had not foreseen an attack like this, though whether it was because the attack had been unplanned or because it was directed towards himself he did not know. The snarl slowly faded from his expression, though he remained tense, thinking. His old body would be useless to Ngao in a fight, a distraction that could keep her from, at the very least, escaping alive. Though his brain detested the thought, Ukweli knew what he had to do. He would have to leave this one to Ngao. Remove the liability and hope that she would pull through.

With a desperate look in his eyes, he retreated further, before making a run for it. They had sent Hifadhi away, and Ukweli did not know if he was now leaving his old friend's apprentice to face her doom. He could only pray that Ngao would make it out of this confrontation alive.
 

[Bloody Anubis]

It was nothing personal- apparently Ukweli was going to be in the way in the future if he kept living. Grim Reaper wasn't usually Kitisho's style either- if it had been under normal circumstances he would have at least given the older lion a chance to defend himself, keep a little dignity instead of being snatched uncerimoniously from the world like prey. Little did he know, things would not be going as simply as he planned. Kitisho had failed to notice the hidden shield and sword until it was directly in his face.

Where had she come from? It was the most fleeting thought in his mind before he was reacting, taking her head-on despite the whipping razors of her claws. He could not stop his momentum at this point, could only manage to twist so his right shoulder was taking the brunt of the damage while the rest of him surged at her like a wall. He had been surprised, the fire in him stoking higher for a moment. Ngao, wasn't it? He could see her from the corner of his eye. Captain Ngao.

A snarl had burst from him without being bidden to, a mixture of frustration and challenge and intrigue. Now this could be worth time, he thought, at least for a good practice. However, he had to remember his priorities, especially now that Ulinzi wasn't there to remind him. And the old lion was getting away. He issued another snarl, one overlarge paw coming up and seeking to roughly shove Ngao aside as well as provide a brief propulsion after the seer. Perhaps Kitisho was not as fast as Ngao, but he was certainly capable of catching up to Ukweli if just given a precious minute or two. His body pumped in hard cycles of muscle, sending him barrelling after his original target. If he finished work, well, there'd be time to play, wouldn't there? Not that he wasn't angry, boiling with an outrage as if how dare the seer attempt to escape.  

[Ary Keeyara]

Ngao hissed as he took her attack on his shoulder, hardly her intended target area. She knew, despite the smell of blood, that those wounds wouldn't be anywhere close to making him blink, let along stop him. His scars were evidence of that. The weight of his body crashing into her's sent her backwards. But she didn't train constantly for nothing. He might be stronger than her, but she wasn't going to let him get to Ukweli!

She twisted in the air to land on her paws, the shock of the impact vibrating painfully through her limbs. But she was off again as the sensation started, bolting after Kitisho. Out fight her? She wasn't sure, it wasn't something she was thinking about just now. But she was confident he couldn't out run her.

"Kitisho, coward! Fight your real opponant!" she roared at him, springing right across his path before he could track the seer any closer, this time lashing out sidways with both her claws and the snarl of open jaws.  

[Bloody Anubis]

The sting of air on his open wound was sharp, but Kitisho was heedless just as she had suspected, like scratching a mark on the surface of a stone. The chase was afoot, the kill so close he could practically taste it. He wouldn't let such minor distractions trip him up from his objective. Just like Ngao would not let the consequences of her actions marr her sense of duty.

Again she was between he and Ukweli, and again he didn't plan on stopping. He hit her broad-side, trying to launch himself over her back, but her side-swipe would likely hook her into his thick side and shoulder. His weight could probably crush her if he had been actually planning such a move, but as it was he was simply trying to trample over her and keep going. Unfortunately, she would be no easy thing to drag, and too late Kitisho realized that she had succeeded at least in her own initiative. Ukweli was gone.

Coward, did she say? The male detatched himself with a violent jerk, side-stepping away from her body, giving them both room. He was going to let her regain herself, though his patience was rubbed raw with his irritation. "You'll regret it." He promised her in a growl, widening his stance, waiting for her to get up so he could knock her down again. He planned on still killing one today.  

[Ary Keeyara]

In this moment she was grateful she was not a petite lioness. Smaller than a male? Yes. But a small lioness? Not by far. And though she was lean for speed, she was glad she carried enough weight that, as she attatched herself violently to Kitisho's side, she was able to slow him down. It was all she had needed. Ukweli was gone and that had been her goal. Now she could focus, without the worry of protecting another weighing on her mind.

She landed roughly as he toss her away, her body jerking and jolting painfully as she hit the ground. It folded one side of her limbs briefly and she could feel what surely would be painful bruises forming. But she was up again quickly, ignoring the pain and facing him with her mouth still open in a snarl.

Regret it? She didn't think so. This was her duty, her purpose. She would protect the pride and Kitisho would be her first true duty as Captain. It was no time for words. Let him come! She would fight him as long as she must until she was sure the old lion she was responsible for had fled to safty.  

[Bloody Anubis]

She was up, Kitisho was moving. Captain Ngao- he'd put her title to the test! So many of the land's 'strongest' lay in a broken and battered trail behind him, had sloshed in his belly more often than not. Their strength was his strength now. He didn't expect that this would turn out any differently. For all their ferocity, women broke so much easier. How quick would she be when she had no legs in tact on which to carry her?

He lurched forward, striking out with his massive paw in an attempt to merely swat her back to the earth again. Like a cat planning to play with a ball of string, perhaps, testing her, riling her. How long, was the only question he was facing. How long might she last?  

[Ary Keeyara]

Ngao threw her self sideways nimbly, dodging his heavy swipe. Let him fall forward on his own weight! But she did not let such a thought break her stride. There was no room for it, no time for it. Using the momentum she shot towards his hind legs. There she made a quick attempt to not only strike him with her fangs and claws, but to use the weight she had. Her thought was that he'd be off balance, either from the miss or from lifting his paws. If she was wrong or missed she knew she'd have to bolt out of range quickly. T

This fight...it was going to be a dance. Her speed versus his strength.  

[Bloody Anubis]

There one second, gone the next. Yes, she certainly was agile. As soon as air met his paw, Kitisho moved to whip his body around after her. Only in the moment there was a hard weight that suddenly bit into his side, throwing his weight and hers. His jaws snapped bare inches from her head as he was thrown over, a brief shock stealing over him to be tossed over with what seemed such ease. No one had ever tried using Kitisho's balance against him, had tried to gore or trample him one, but not this. He hadn't been tipped since he was a brutish cub!

His body, thankfully, reacted despite his muddled mind. If he could afford to be embarrassed smacking the ground like a green fighter, he would have. But instead he was simply noting his mistake- he'd left himself open, he'd been careless about his guard. It wouldn't happen again. The minute he smacked the ground, he was rolling, not about to leave his belly exposed to her. He felt more tears in his skin from her strikes, but he didn't think they would be a hinderance to him unless she managed to catch hold again and widen them.

From the ground he could launch at her, twisting his upper body up and around while his lower body kept him grounded. He was reaching to grab her, his claws ready to take hold of whatever he could get and drag her down. He did it quite blindly as far as knowing how close or far she was from him, but he had assumed she had come in to take advantage of the fall.  

[Ary Keeyara]

Never drop your guard. Never let the enemy catch you. This is what she had been taught over and over. It had never seemed difficult in training. But now she realized that in a sparring match...she had all the time and patience in the world. Here the pounding of her heart wasn't only from physical action; it was worry and fear. She knew this feeling was desperation and she tried not to let it cloud her mind. But it was very hard. She had little hope of beating Kitisho completely, she knew, and not only that she had to keep him busy long enough for an old lion to get to safty.

She was the one at the disadvantage, so when it seemed she had an opening when he fell she went to take it. It was only when his claws lashed out at her again that she realized her mistake...and was glad she had come from the backside. His claws sliced through her flank, splattering her blood across the ground. But even as he pain struck her, leaving her nearly breathless, she was moving again. She had to stay moving. It was her only protection against such a giant.

Vaguely she attempted to continue her assault, racing along towards his back again, though this time her steps were off balance. How long before he shock wore off and she would't be able to run like this? She didn't want to think about it. Instead she launched fiercely at his back, ready to try and latch on with any of her natural weapons.  

[Bloody Anubis]

There was a vicious surge of pleasure feeling her skin give way beneath his paws, and he was nearly feuled to rise to his feet completely when he realized she had made it behind him. Worse yet, she had jumped on his back and taken ahold of him. The move could be a fatal one, he knew that from experience.

As pain shot through his spin, Kitisho roared his anger. And instead of trying to shake her off he rolled. Onto his back, yes, it'd sink her claws deeper into him. But it'd also bash her against the hard ground and sandwich her under his great weight as well. Luckily, it wouldn't last long. After the first roll he tried to get up. If she was still attached, he was going to go right back to the ground.  

[Ary Keeyara]

Ngao didn't have enough time to think about whether or not she was glad she had managed to hook onto his back. Her mind was racing, barely keeping up with her twittering heart as her teeth lunged down with her claws. Could she take him down, even with this advantage of position? She might have thought so before he flipped over and the groud came crashing towards her face.

Pain jolted all across her back, but more importantly, it shot through her skull. In an instant she felt rocks slash her flesh and grind against her body. Rashes, bruises, cuts...it seemed like there was nothing she was missing at this point. She shock caused her to detatch her mouth, though her claws still clung to her opponant half-heartedly. With the second drop of his weight, however, she was off, unable to stand the compression of her lungs and the crush of her body any longer.  

[Bloody Anubis]

Feeling the claws detach from him, the brute rolled onto his feet. He quickly skirted away from her immediate reach, turned to face her momentarily prone form. "Get up." He ground out, his eyes intense upon her, his great form developing just a fine tremble. They were just getting started! But from the looks of her, she wasn't going to last much longer. He wouldn't attack her while she was down, no matter how much it appealed to the side that would like to paint the ground with her and leave her open to the buzzards. He had standards, and he was incredibly stubborn about them.

"Is that all, Ngao?" The disappointment was probably apparent in how momentarily soft the tone had become, more of a hiss. He didn't seem to realize he was sporting quite a few gashes himself burbling with blood or clotted with grit. No, he was ready to keep on fighting. Fighting, he had decided long ago, was all he wanted to do with his existence. It showed, though most mistook that lust in his eyes for an anger barely stored. And that was true too, sometimes. When he really was irritated. But things like this- they brought a peace to him that was like his cub days. A mother's warmth was the usual comfort, a father's soft advice. And this was his. It was his milk and honey.

The results were just far too often disappointing. She'd incited him successfully now, though. He could barely wait for her to stand. While not quite an attack, he was bold enough to reach out and nudge her roughly with his paw, trying to speed her, even goad her. Get up and fight until you can't any more, that was his message.