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Andranis rolled 5 4-sided dice:
1, 2, 2, 1, 2
Total: 8 (5-20)
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 Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2013 12:43 pm
The instructions had been simple - Meet at dawn by the border to fight your way in. Azi furrowed his brow, frowning as he started up at the cliffs before him. Border had managed to translate into beach... It was close enough, as far as he was concerned. He didn't want to have to do this again, though, and was hoping for the best. He was old, he didn't think his body could TAKE more than one try... But he was willing to do this as many times as he needed to.
Azi Dahaka drew back a breath, letting out a roar. He was feeling impatient, even given his age, for his sparring partner to get there. He felt he'd waited long enough for this moment.
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Princess_Feylin rolled 5 4-sided dice:
4, 4, 4, 2, 4
Total: 18 (5-20)
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Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2013 12:53 pm
 Vol wasn't feeling at his best either, although he would never admit that to anyone. The closest he would come would be to have his thrall, Kvinna, rub his muscles until the ache receded and maybe chew some mint to dull things a bit further. There weren't many reavers of his age, and Vol could see why. The near-perpetual cold and damp of the Myrsky Syntynyt stronghold kept his bones in a constant state of protest.
He had been hoping that his time on patrol would yield no challengers, but a roar from the beach below dashed that hope. With a huff the big lion stood up and stretched, not quite wincing as a few bones popped. Then he made his way down the narrow, hidden path from his perch to the sandy shore. The idea of fighting on loose sand with the cold water to one side of him all the time wasn't particularly appealing to him either, so he would have to hope that this fight would go quickly.
On seeing his opponent, he decided that it might just do that. The other lion was at least as old as Vol was, but he looked as though he knew a thing or two about fighting. Clearly this fight would be more about brains than muscle. Vol wasn't concerned. He was still a damn good fighter, capable of defeating reavers half his age. Cleverness and experience could make a great deal of difference, as could familiarity with the terrain.
"You seek to join the Stormborn?" he asked. "To do that you must defeat me in combat. We fight to a draw."
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Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2013 1:48 pm
That would eventually be his downfall this duel - Azi didn't know the terrain. He didn't know the area in the least.... At least, not yet. He was determined that he would learn it one day.
The lion that answered his call looked as old as he was. Well, this felt like a fair fight already... They both bore scars of past fights, old battles, lives well lived. Azi Dahaka lifted his head, brow still furrowed and jaw set. "I do." He gave a nod. "And I accept the terms of joining."
The brown-eyed male took up a combat-ready pose, something he was admittedly very rusty at, before he charged. There was going to be no more warning. Regretfully... He found his first attack a miss as his back twinged, the old scars pulling uncomfortably. They weren't going to make this easy, were they?
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Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2013 1:59 pm
Well, good. He was at least dealing with a somewhat civilized challenger. Increasingly the lions he fought were too impatient even to wait while he told them what was required of them. How they even learned that they had to fight a reaver was a mystery to him. He wasn't surprised that his pride was famous, but the exact details of how to join weren't typically things that people talked about with outlanders before they joined. At least Vol didn't, and he felt firmly that others ought to emulate his behavior.
In true battle a Stormborn warrior did not wait for an opponent to attack. The element of surprise could not be overvalued and it was as much a part of Stormborn battle tactics as the actual bloodshed, but Vol's bones ached and he was content to conserve his energy for the time being and allow his opponent to tire himself. That was something Vol's younger opponents all hoped he would do when they fought, but he rarely accommodated them.
Careful of his footing on the sand Vol angled his body to present a smaller target as he took a few long strides after his opponent missed him, bringing him within a comfortable distance for jumping onto his opponent, if his aim was true and his opponent slow. A lion could hope.
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Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2013 2:19 pm
Azi let out a grunt as Voldemaras hit him, scowling more to himself. He was sloppy... He'd become horribly sloppy. Perhaps he'd have to start actually practicing more... He gave a swing, feeling his claws just brush the other male's mane. That wasn't going to get him anywhere, was it?
As he stepped to keep out of the way, Azi regarded the blue-hued gray male. "It seems that though we appear around the same age... Time has been far kinder to your body than mine..." There was a touch of jealousy in his words, but respect was heavily present as well. Clearly, the other male had done everything right in his life to maintain a good body.
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Posted: Wed Mar 06, 2013 5:20 am
Vol didn't flinch as claws flew past his mane. They weren't close enough to give him any cause for real concern. His return attack was a bit perfunctory however: a lunge with snapping teeth, mostly intended as a feint, but something he'd be able to turn into a true attack if he got lucky and his teeth met with resistance. Of course they didn't, so he pulled back and moved sideways, which was something of an automatic reaction for him by this point in his life.
"I'm not sure time has much to do with it. Stormborn are just bred hardy."
When his opponent spoke, Vol had just been observing that he looked a lot like him, and not just because he was greying around the edges like Vol was. There were enough differences that an observant lion would not mistake one for the other, but the old reaver couldn't help wondering what instances of mistaken identity would occur before someone found out that there were now two old grey lions in the pride. Assuming his opponent was able to defeat him, of course. While Vol was sympathetic to the outlander in a way few reavers would be, he wasn't going to just let him in.
"What are you looking for in the Stormborn?" Talking gave both of them a chance to catch their breath. Not that Vol needed that. No, no. He was just being considerate because he didn't want his opponent to have a heart attack or something. Yeah.
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Posted: Thu Mar 07, 2013 10:42 am
His third swipe, as Vol got in close, again just barely missed. This time, the other male's mane raked through his claws. He wasn't having an easy time of this... Which was good. It was time he stopped being SO easy on himself. He'd have to work on everything about himself, physically, if he was going to do better.
As he backed away, he regarded Vol and his question. "I look for a new home." He gave a scoff. "I was born to the Refilwe'Oluchi, but I left when the new king proved to be a half-wit. As I understand it..." He lifted his head, chin high. "The Stormborn have only full-wits as rulers. And..." A slight grin played across his face. "As I understand it, you all have a similar opinion of half-breeds and non-lions..." He could do without the little rats, polluting the lion blood with their mingled genes.
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Posted: Sun Mar 10, 2013 12:41 pm
Vol considered this new information. He had never heard of the pride the other lion named, but that didn't surprise him. Vol didn't bother to learn the names of other prides. They were all simply future marks to him. The only pride he'd ever heard of that he found himself even halfway inclined to respect was some desert-dwelling pride, and he didn't know its name. There was that pride of warrior females, but who could respect a female warrior?
"We try," Vol said dryly. "Any warrior may challenge our leader if he thinks he'll do a better job. It makes sure we always have the fittest leader."
He still wasn't sure that Njal was really more fit to rule than Aesir had been, but Njal had defeated Aesir in battle, and so by the pride's rules he was more worthy. Vol could even understand why Njal had exiled Aesir's family, although it was not often done anymore. It was an extensive family, larger than Njal's, and although challenges during breytast vindar weren't supposed to be allowed to start feuds, Vol would sure as anything want to seek revenge on a lion who put out his eye.
"And if you mean our opinion of half-breeds and non-lions is that they're inferior, I suppose our opinions are similar. Though there are going to be lions with flowers in their blood who want to treat them better than they deserve."
He wasn't sure how this had turned from a battle into a conversation, but he didn't particularly mind that it had done so. They could go back to fighting at any time, after all, and it wasn't so bad to talk to someone who might have new things to say.Andranis Probably we could wrap this up in a post or two.
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Posted: Thu Apr 18, 2013 8:25 am
His lip curled back in something of a snarl. "Flowers, indeed... The little wretches aren't deserving of kindness..." He paused, then folded his ears back. "And the lions who dare to sully their good name by mingling blood with cheetahs or leopards are even less deserving." Maybe someone would sway his opinion one day... A tiny bit... But he highly doubted that. He was an old lion, set in his ways, and he wasn't about to try to change them.
Azi mentally calculated things for a moment, then looked at Vol. "I think, friend, if I may call you that, that I have already lost this fight... But it has been an honorable loss to a worthy opponent." He grinned wryly. "I think we should go ahead and finish this, and if my math is correct, we each will have one more attempt after this." He lifted a paw in a mockery of an attempt at a strike, swinging at Vol in an almost purposeful miss. "I can try again later, after all!"
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Posted: Thu Apr 18, 2013 9:24 am
Vol's own feelings about hybrids and non-lions weren't as strong as Azi's, but he certainly found nothing to disagree with in the other lion's words. Conviction was something Vol respected. Unless of course the other person was flat-out wrong. Then it became stupidity rather than conviction.
"I would not be dishonored to be called friend," Vol said. It sounded more careful and formal than it really was. Vol just wasn't someone who made friends willy-nilly. A lion had to have standards, and while he so far found nothing to dislike in Azi, he was not about to call him a friend until he knew more. And until Azi made it into the Stormborn.
He nodded in response to Azi's suggestion that they each deliver one more strike and then call the battle finished. He watched as the other lion's paw swooshed through the air and missed him. Was that to be the way of it? All right. He mimicked the attack and also made no effort to connect.
"I wish you luck in your next attempt," he said truthfully.
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Posted: Sat Apr 20, 2013 12:09 pm
He felt the paw connect, and it was marginally better than his own light attempt. He reached up, simply swatting the paw. It was his last attack, even if it had little to no effort. "Oh, come now, you can do a better 'finishing blow' than that..." He rolled his shoulders. He DEFINITELY could.... Azi lifted his head high, though, not ashamed of his defeat. "I will return in a week, and be far better prepared." He gave a bow of his head. "I am sorry to say I overestimated my abilities... But I am not ashamed to have lost. Nothing should be easy in life."
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Posted: Wed May 01, 2013 6:56 am
"Good," Vol said. He was only a little surprised to realize that he meant it. He really didn't tend to like people right away like this. "I hope the next time I see you, it will be at your welcome feast."
New members weren't always feasted. In fact, they rarely were nowadays because of how many there were. When he was young challengers had been more rare and so they had been paid more attention. Vol could certainly understand why Njal didn't like how many outlanders were coming to the pride, bringing in all the wrong values and ideas. But Vol didn't think Azi would be like that.
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