[SRP - Duel] Sunset [Sokoni, Zara & Kuku]

[Quaji]

Maybe he wouldn't show. Maybe he got cold paws and ran off to wherever he was from. The corners of Zara's mouth quirked upward to form a smug grin just at the thought. Her, a tiny little lioness, hurt his ego to the point that he just left. Or was a no-show. Desertion was far worse then just backing down from a duel but she wasn't the only one who had heard her issue the challenge. There were a couple of huntresses who stuck around the training ground even though the sun was nearly gone. Silver eyes flashed in their direction. Hopefully the aspiring Battlemaster wouldn't leave them disappointed.

Above here a vulture circled, normally a bad sign, this one was a known companion of Zara's. Kuku dipped his wings down, landing in the cooling sand with a few hops before finally stopping. "He's coming." One wing went out in the direction of the dens and he watched Zara's eyes follow it and her grin grow wider.  

[Quaji]

Sand...

Sokoni growled down at the grains that stuck themselves between his toes and irritated his paws. How the hell did all these lions deal with it?! Maybe there was some technique that he just hadn't learned yet. While lost in thought one of his paws slipped on his way back towards the training grounds. Nearly taking a tumble, just that one slip up had caused him to sit and wait. During this downtime he reevaluated the situation. Why was he doing this again? Oh right, he was new and wanted to show off to a lioness he kind of liked...based on her appearance. Wow, no wonder she wanted to beat him. Still, he was new and if he didn't show, could they kick him out? He needed a home and hopefully this would be his.

Getting himself back up onto his paws, Sokoni made his way to the designated duel spot.  

[Quaji]

Zara

Ahh, there he was. In the light of the setting sun, even his black pelt and mane stuck out. It wouldn't be until it was dark, with only the moon illuminating the sands and rocks that he may be able to hide.

"You made it~" Zara purred out in greeting, her paws shifting on the sand to keep her center. "I was beginning to think you got lost." She was not mocking, but she was pulling at his tail so-to-speak. He had approached her thinking himself so high and mighty with his rogue blood that the little lioness figured it would be good to take him down a notch and deflate his ego a little before he pissed off someone with a little more power in the pride. Like ending up picking a fight with Chaka, or worse yet flirting with No. What a sight either of those would be.

"Kuku, you know the drill."

Kuku

He did know the drill. He had accompanied Zara to numerous duels so he knew the procedure and specifically how Zara liked her duels to go: first move to the one being challenged. The large vulture nodded before taking to the air again, circling low above the two lions. "Challenger, the first move is yours. Begin when ready."  

[Quaji]

Sokoni - hit!

The sands shifted under his heavy paws but the large black lion as he pushed himself into a charge. It would be interesting to see how these Firekin fought as he had only dueled one so far. His weight at the front, he threw himself up and against the body of the considerably smaller feline. This is how he won battles before so perhaps it would win him the day again. Paws, no claws, pushed against the red and gray body, trying to get her on the ground where he would better be able to ensure his victory. Once she was on the ground, her neck and belly exposed, perhaps she would forfeit out of shame of failing to defeat a rogue.  

[Quaji]

Zara - hit!

This tactic was nothing new but she rose on her back legs to meet him. Mouth open, she snarled but kept her teeth from ripping into him like her instincts told her to do. She was defending herself, she needed to make sure she was safe. Just a duel, she had to remind herself. There were no teeth and no claws, at least on purpose, involved in a duel. Still, she couldn't help the raising of her lips as their faces were no that far apart.

Her tail swayed wildly in the wind as she took steps back only to take another few forwards within seconds of losing ground. In one move, when she had the advantage, she raised a hind paw, losing her own balance but put it against Sokoni's belly. She pushed.

Kuku

The vulture flew in the air, circling the battle beneath. It would not surprise him if this duel garnered more attention due to his presence but he needed to keep an eye on Zara and not get in the way at the same time. There would be no cheerleading from Kuku that day. No, he knew that Zara needed her full concentration to win this one. He was so much larger then her, but she had proved that her small stature didn't matter much. No, it was the fact this had been her first duel in quite some time that worried the feathered companion of Zara's.  

[Quaji]

Sokoni - hit!

His lumbering form stumbled. His weight would have normally been a good thing, but when his paws slipped it didn't help him at all. Now his weight was his enemy. Sokoni's body came down but he managed to keep fall onto his paws instead of his back with quite a bit of effort in keeping his weight forward instead of backward. "That was a cheap move." Came out as a hiss as he closed the gap between them again, his paw aiming for Zara's shoulder instead of his previous tactic. Maybe he could knock her down still, just not the way he had originally planned.  

[Quaji]

Zara - hit!

Her shoulder stung as the black lion's paw his her shoulder, but she preferred that as opposed to her face or lower down on her leg. She could still stand, but it did hurt. There would be a nice bruise there eventually. He was close though. Close enough for his scent to infiltrate her nose, to see the passion in his eyes and hear the wind as he moved. It was exhilarating to be dueling again. A grin appeared on Zara's face as her paw pushed against his, turning it away from her as she almost danced away. She was in her zone now. Her paws touched the sand lightly as she circled around her competition.

"Come on boy, impress me."

Kuku

This shift in her fighting style was...odd. Was this something she had been working on while he had been away tending to his children? Kuku landed on a rock, his long neck craning to watch the duel continue. They always seemed to start and end so fast. Maybe this was a tactic to wear them down... Regardless, Zara now had the vulture's full attention, even more-so then before.  

[Quaji]

Sokoni - hit!

His head turned and snapped back to try and follow the movement of the circling lioness. It was hard. He wasn't used to this, even his father hadn't fought like this and he was a cheap b*****d who fought with absolutely no honor. What the hell was she doing? Sokoni's lips raised as he took a step in one direction but now she was in another and his steps changed direction. How...how was he supposed to fight her? Timing. It was all in the timing. Waiting until the right moment...he coiled himself and struck, with the intention of pouncing on her.  

[Quaji]

Zara - hit!

She had been expecting some kind of retaliation but not one that worked. Zara's silver eyes widened as the black mass approached her. His counter caught her in mid-stride and send the pair tumbling into the sand. With mouth open, she roared back, her paws swiping at him at any chance she got. "Get off!" She hissed into the wind, her back legs pushing against his stomach as the two tumbled, sand flying into the air as the two lions wrestled for the upperhand in their duel.

Kuku

Once again he took to the sky, flying low and circling tightly around the dueling lions. His dark grey eyes darted over the sight, from the red to the black bodies as he attempted to understand just who was winning so far. Zara had her losses and wins when it came to duels, but he really wasn't sure where she stood. Would she be able to pull through and manage to claim victory or would he prove her that his rogue blood and time out of the pride made him strong? This was by far one of the most exciting duels Kuku had watched in some time.  

[Quaji]

Sokoni - hit!

The tumbling was not something that Sokoni had originally planned for to happen, but he wasn't complaining. It gave him a chance to gain the upperhand but the other side of the coin was that so did she. The two wrestled, the smaller trying to get away. She slipped away and the 'butcher' gave chase. His body was heavier then hers and she was much faster then he. One paw went out, trying to hit one of her hind legs. Maybe he could bring her down again.  

[Quaji]

Zara - hit!

Her body fell, her back leg losing any grip on the sand beneath her paws as his paw pushed it out from underneath her. Just as quickly as she went down, the upper half of her body spun around, her right paw gunning to keep him away from her. It slipped her mind for a moment about her overgrown claws.  

[Quaji]

Sokoni - bide!

Stumbling back, Sokoni raised one of his white tipped paws to his face. Slowly he removed it. Blood. The red was a familiar sight for him, but by the look on Zara's face, it wasn't something that was supposed to happen. These duels were supposed to not result in injuries but here he was with a bleeding face after their first duel together.

"Know anyone who can patch me up?" He asked, trying to lighten to the darkening mood. He didn't exactly care about having a few new scars over his nose but he didn't want to risk them getting infected around here.  

[Quaji]

Zara - bide!

Somehow that had been a duel that had pushed Zara's comfort zone. She had lost before, but she was nearly evenly matched with him. Did she win with the wound? Was it a tie? Did it matter? She nodded though as a bit of wind caught her white tuft on her head, causing the mohawk to sway in the wind while she stared at him and his mane that flowed with it as well.

"I do." Words were hard, but maybe walking would be easier. The duel was over, it seemed as thought it was a tie. "My son. He's a medic." He had patched her up one or two times already since he finished his apprenticeship. "Come on..I'll take you to him."

Kuku

The white vulture took to the air, his large wings flapping slowly as he flew low over the two lions on the way to the medical ward. He would question Zara later about her sudden breakdown and lashing out at the black lion. That was characteristically unlike her. He had seen her duel before and for the most part that one had looked right but still, something seemed off.