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Princess_Feylin rolled 5 4-sided dice:
1, 2, 3, 2, 2
Total: 10 (5-20)
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 Posted: Fri Jan 17, 2014 10:24 am
It had not been a quick journey to reach the warrior pride that had spawned the lion who had robbed him of his merchandise. Clearly the lion had wandered far afield in search of legitimate businesslions to victimize. Sky was still convinced that had the fight been fair, things would have gone differently. He was a clever fighter, able to use his surroundings as part of the fight. Both he and his brother possessed that ability, although Kar had always been a little slow on his paws.
Still, Sky had found the homeland of the pride known as the Myrsky Syntynyt and then spent a few days lurking and watching to see how things were handled. He figured out quickly that barging in and demanding redress for his losses would not be successful, but the idea formed in his mind that it could be delightful to have that brute from before return home and find him an accepted member of the pride.
He knew there were patrols that took place on the border and wondered if they were timed to overlap with patrols further within, since avoiding a patrol wasn't that difficult if a lion waited around to learn the schedule, as Sky was patient enough to do. But how did one join the pride? He had not been able to witness any askorun, and the ignorance bothered him.
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Talencia rolled 5 4-sided dice:
4, 2, 2, 1, 4
Total: 13 (5-20)
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Posted: Fri Jan 17, 2014 10:37 am
Damu was having a pleasant stroll. That generally was how he perceived being on guard duty. Compared to the chaos and excitement of battle and raiding, patrolling the borders was boring work. In fact, he probably could have rightfully been accused of being outright lazy on his patrols. He lagged behind, dawdled to gossip and boast with any other Reaver he met, and ragged on any thrall that happened to cross his path. The most fun, though, was when he happened to meet a rogue.
Now he knew that those who approached were supposed to be met with at least a little respect, and given the chance of a duel before being chased off, captured, or allowed in. Damu didn't always play by the rules, though, and often chased and harried strangers just for the fun of it. How his mother would have been horrified to see her son now! But such thoughts never crossed his mind, not these days. Now he lived for the moment, and lived for himself.
Today he was feeling more lazy than aggressive when he stumbled upon the stranger hesitating and lingering at the border. Ah, time for some enjoyment! "You there! Quit loitering and move along. If you want a fight to join, then get a move on. I haven't got all day." He made his voice rough and callous, though his eyes sparked with mocking amusement. He continued strolling up to the other male, his whole demeanor relaxed and unconcerned. They were about the same size, but Damu bore many, many scars on his body at this point. Fighting clearly was something he did often.
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Posted: Fri Jan 17, 2014 10:43 am
Sky looked up sharply. The stealth from members of this pride surprised him. The last lion had been larger than this, but even this one was still large. Or maybe that was just the way he carried himself. As he drew closer, Sky decided they were not so different in size. How he managed to move so quietly was a mystery. Sky planned to learn the trick for himself. It would be so useful to be able to simply appear like that.
"I'll fight you," Sky said, relieved to have gotten an idea about how to join. Presumably he had to win a battle. "But first tell me the rules. I would hate to maim you and find myself branded a criminal."
Covering his a** was something Sky was usually careful to do, and it did occur to him that being forced to fight for entry was a good way to have potential warriors injured, maybe seriously. If there was a penalty for maiming a fellow pride member, he wanted to know about it. He looked over the brightly colored lion. All those scars could be interpreted as the sign of a great warrior, or else as a lion who got struck a lot.
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Posted: Fri Jan 17, 2014 10:54 am
Damu grinned ferally at the acceptance of the challenge, and it only grew toothier when asked what the rules are. "No rules," he answered with narrowed eyes, sharp fangs exposed in what was less a smile and more a show of dominance. "This isn't a fight to the death, more's the pity," he continued, padding forward still, though now angling so that he'd begin to circle the stranger. "Maiming happens," he added with a careless shrug, "but that isn't really the goal here." Ah, such a new blood! He wasn't even familiar with the tenants of an entry duel. It wasn't that uncommon a practice, was it?
"The idea is, you fight me to prove you are worthy. If you best me, or even force me into a draw," his tone indicated his opinion of the likelihood of that, "then you are allowed into the pride as either a reaver or a freeborn." He gave the other male a raking look over his entire body, a slight sneer indicating which rank he felt was suitable for him. "If you lose, but lose well, I'll leave you here on the border. You could leave or stay and fight again to join. Up to you." He kept pacing around Sky, the movement slow and loose. "However, if you lose badly," he broke into a rough laugh, eyes gleaming, "then you can consider yourself mine." His eyes narrowed further in a smirk. "You would become my thrall, to do with as I please." Whether this was an 'official' rule or not, if Damu thought he could get away with it, he would.
"Are you ready?" he asked, then lunged for the challenger with gaping jaws.
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Posted: Fri Jan 17, 2014 11:03 am
Really? None? Sky's alarm at that revelation was there to be read in the way his low-held tail twitched and his nostrils flared. His posture relaxed when he learned that it was not a fight to the death, which made a great deal of sense, but when he first heard that there were no rules he had been concerned. But the goal is not to maim or kill. That was reassuring.
"I think I can do that," Sky replied with an easy grin. The grin didn't completely mask his nerves, but it went a good way to actually settling them. Sky was a lion who could believe his own lies. "And I'll not end this day as your thrall."
Sky didn't know the exact word, thrall, but he could guess at its meaning. Slavery was not uncommon among prides. He had done business in slaves once or twice himself, but it had been a difficult business, even with his brother Kar helping keep them fed and in line.
He had no time to reply to Damu's question, but that didn't surprise him. He already knew that it was the practice in this pride to attack quickly, without giving warning or the opportunity to do anything. He had fallen victim to that tactic once, while burdened with a great weight. He was no longer weighted down so, and thus he was able to jerk his body to the right, lashing out with his nearer claws
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Posted: Fri Jan 17, 2014 11:11 am
Damu angled his face away from the extended claws, pleased at least at the stranger's quick reaction. "Good!" he snarled, even as he kept after the blue blur. Being still on all four paws gave him an advantage of not just speed but agility. He didn't entirely veer away, accepting wherever those claws happened to catch in favor of getting in close himself. He darted in, trying once more to sink his fangs into flesh, aiming for his back. However, that was not the only attack! He swung low and upwards with his far paw, raking claws reaching for belly or hind leg, whatever he could reach.
Gone was the lethargic, indifferent body language. Damu's blood was pumping now, hot and fierce in his veins. He was made for this! Made for fighting, for triumphing, for the glory and thrill of battle! His tail lashed eagerly, his claws flexed even when not being used as weapons. This was truly living, and the thrived upon it!
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Posted: Fri Jan 17, 2014 11:26 am
Sky's lip curled in a sneer. He despised when another fighter complimented him as if he were an earnest young thing first learning to use his claws. It was so condescending, and Sky liked to have the corner on the market when it came to scorn and condescension in any situation, even ones where it was an utterly unnecessary commodity, like now. As it was, his claws only caught mane, so it was hardly as if the praise was even warranted.
Claws slashed his side leaving shallow but stinging gouges in Sky's dark fur. It would be difficult later to see the dark, dried blood, but he would have no need to see it. The pain would surely guide his tongue. Or perhaps the tongue of a lovely lioness. He had no doubt this pride had its share of those. It would be a pleasant reward for when he won. Of course, he had to win first, and that meant getting his head in the fight and not on future pleasures. Those would come, or not, depending on how he fared here and now.
Sky growled as he dug into the ground with his hind paws and threw himself at Damu with all his might, hoping to bring his opponent to the ground.
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Posted: Fri Jan 17, 2014 2:11 pm
Damu saw him coming, could see the anger in his eyes. Ah, good, he'd stirred the new blood up! He flashed another fanged grin, rooted himself to the ground, then lowered his head. He met sky's charge literally head-on. Rather than dodge or counter-attack, he lined himself up to let the other male slam himself against Damu's very hard skull. It wasn't fair fighting, it wasn't an honorable tactic, but it tended to get results. It also tended to get him stars in his eyes, but the more he did it, the less that seemed to happen. Go figure.
The rogue's clear dislike for Damu's method of handling things didn't faze him a bit. He wasn't doing this for the approval of some sniveling youngster from the savanna! He did this for the glory, for the fun! And since he was still having fun himself, he didn't give a care what Sky thought of him for it.
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Posted: Sat Jan 18, 2014 6:45 am
When Damu didn't make any attempt to dodge Sky's really very telegraphed attack it was Sky, to his embarrassment, who found himself re-thinking this whole collision thing. He was much too close to stop himself from slamming into his opponent's ridiculously thick skull, but he had tried to alter his course to minimize the impact. All that managed to accomplish, however, was an unexpected and wholly undesirable outcome wherein Sky's skull connected with Damu's and the lion with the celestial coat went down hard, seeing stars and creeping blackness around the edges of his vision.
He stumbled to his feet, where he swayed unsteadily and tried to force his eyes to focus on his opponent, but he was actually seeing about two and a half opponents, which made the task more difficult. At this point he knew - he knew - he ought to forfeit the fight or risk serious damage being done to his person, but he was fairly certain that a challenger who gave up would end up dismissed at best and enslaved at worst. Sky would not be a slave.
"Bring it on," he slurred.Talencia I'm sorry I wasn't around to finish this yesterday. My mum came home and then dinner and then movies and... stuff. But At least we can wrap this up soon!
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Posted: Fri Jan 31, 2014 12:58 pm
The red-maned lion absorbed the shock down the whole of his spine, his body rocking with the impact. Even Damu saw double for a few moments, causing him to shake his head fiercely to set his vision aright. When the world came back into focus, he grinned at the staggering male before him. He had to admire the spirit the cool-colored male showed, inviting further combat even when the fight was clearly over. He padded over and clapped a comradely paw on Sky's shoulder, enough to send him sprawling if he was still too dizzy to stand upright.
"You fought well, newcomer," he said loudly in praise. "You did me honor. Not enough to get your sorry hide into the pride," he added with a harsh chuckle, "but still well. You'll get in. You'll make a fine reaver," he declared, then paused. "Or... Freeborn, I suppose. Whatever you choose." His tone said volumes about what he thought of Freeborn. Freeloading loafers! He had little use for such wimps. But Sky had proven himself worthy of being a fighter instead of a lazybones, and that pleased Damu. "Go, practice. Perhaps we will meet after you have won your place among us!" He slapped a paw on Sky's back, blind to however Sky might feel about such treatment, and swaggered off to find a thrall to go hunting for him. Time for dinner!
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