[CHAL] Triumphant return

[Andranis]

The warning before had been taken to heart, and Gabedi had wandered far from the Ithambo lands. He'd grown a bit, easily matching his father in size, an impressive lion in his own right. He hadn't fought a crocodile yet, but then he'd had no need to. Instead, he'd fought other lions. One had been a striped brute that was the color of a deep bruise, his markings practically glowing.

Now, though, he had a different challenge in mind. Getting lost in wandering did nothing to quell his desire to be in the lands of his birth, where he felt he belonged. The closer he got, the more familiar the land became, and he soon tread upon grounds he knew all too well.

This time, he had come back to stay, even for a while. His lip curled, before he let out a roar, a challenged call to Jasiri.

Annchen

 

[Annchen]

Jasiri had been reinforcing the scent markings around the pride's temporary home. If someone had watched him closely they would have noticed that he favored one of his front legs at times. The snake bite was scabbed over, but if he wasn't careful it still split open and hurt. Jasiri had few scars, but he had a feeling this wound would end up giving him one. Healing took longer than it should have, but he didn't want to worry about it right now. Fighting off two challenging males just days apart hadn't exactly helped the process either. But if he couldn't do his part to protect the pride, what god was he? If he became a burden he knew the Abaholi would kick him out.

When the call came, Jasiri turned to face the intruder. He knew that voice. He jogged towards the darker lion, without any trace of a limp. Gabedi. He stopped and answered the challenge with a roar of his own. Backing down was not an option.

"So you decided to do it the proper way this time," he said to himself.

He knew that Nguvu's son was unlikely to back down, and the other lion had filled out a bit since Jasiri last saw him. A wandering rogue could usually be chased away with little to no fighting, but those born in the Bonelands knew the tradition and didn't challenge without being willing to follow through.  

[Andranis]

When he spied Jasiri, Gabedi let out a bit of a snarl. "Hello again, Jasiri. I came back..." He rolled his shoulders, all youthful confidence. The scars from his encounter with the striped b*****d were hidden under his dark mane, in the last reaches for it to grow over since his last visit to the Ithambo land, but he knew they were there. Badges of honor from winning a fight, rogue to rogue.

He looked his opponent over, taking in the scab on Jasiri's foreleg. Something had gotten him, and that would be a weak point. He didn't doubt that the other lion would still be able to pack a punch, though. One didn't remain Inslelo so long without being able to fend off challengers. "Ready to retire?"

Annchen

 

[Annchen]

Andranis

Jasiri didn't have the patience for slinging insults before this fight. When rogues attacked he sometimes did, and inexperienced lions might back down after a bit of verbal abuse. Sometimes all it took was to point out that he was a well fed and fit lion, and the intruder was underfed and would not survive on his own if he sustained any injuries. Others he could annoy to the point of them making mistakes in the fight. That approach was risky, but it had paid off before.

However, he was sure this encounter would come to blows eventually, and he'd rather have it over with. Talking about it would be meaningless. With a furious roar he ran towards the other male. Hopefully his momentum would make up for the fact that Gabedi looked like a heavier built lion. He remembered all too well what had happened when he tried to wrestle the massive Nguvu, and he wasn't going to make the same mistakes with the son. With that fight in mind he attacked, claws out and without holding back.  

[Andranis]

Jasiri was showing no hesitations. Gabedi shifted, bracing his limbs on the ground before counter charging. He put power in every movement, each paw shoving off the ground as hard as he could. As the distance between them fast dwindled, he extended his claws, a growl in his throat as he took a swipe.

In the power and thrill of the moment, he wasn't sure if his paw had connected. What he was aware of was that Jasiri's paw had connected with him, pain blossoming across his side. He skid along the dirt, immediately moving to charge again. He wasn't going to take a moment to breathe, no time to stop and collect himself. He didn't feel this was the time for it. Gabedi had come to win, and he wanted to do it as quickly as possible.

Annchen

 

[Annchen]

Andranis

Jasiri could smell blood, and knew that at least some of it was his own. His mane had absorbed some of the blow, but the claws had connected to his shoulder after that. He quickly turned to face his opponent again since they had ended up dashing past each other during the first attack. It wouldn't do to leave his back turned, and Gabedi wasted no time.

Jasiri met this next attack with a swipe of his paw. He also tried to bite, despite the fact that he would most likely end up biting nothing but fluffy mane. It was the thought that counted, right?

Han had started to show signs of pregnancy, so Jasiri had every reason to give everything in this fight. Ex-Bonelander or not, he did not want other males nearby when cubs were on the way.  

[Andranis]

He met Jasiri head-on, a snarl on his maw as his paws came up. In the prime of his life, Gabedi had a full mane, thick and guarding against bites. His neck wasn't as easily a target as it would have been when he first left, and there were at least a few scars hidden under the dark hair.

He let out a growl, twisting to bite at the other lion's shoulder. He aimed to disable, but not to kill. If Jasiri were to die, he wouldn't have it directly at his own paws in the pride's lands. There was no sense in having the lionesses and any cubs see another lion's body. He didn't want to start his term with quite that much unease, after all.

Annchen

 

[Annchen]

Andranis

Jasiri's jaws closed on nothing but mane, and he hissed as his clawed up shoulder received a far from loving bite. It was painful and he could feel his fur get sticky with blood. Suddenly the leg with the snake bite was his good one, and his chances to move out of the way and dodge attacks was not looking good. Evasive movement was not an option at the moment, not until the pain in his shoulder subdued some. While waiting for adrenaline to push away the pain Jasiri placed his hind legs further apart, trying to find the balance to hold most of his body weight. He made an attempt at slashing Gabedi's legs with his claws, using his sort of good front leg.  

[Andranis]

He let go of the shoulder, growling and swatting at the paw. Stepping back, still on his hind legs himself, Gabedi took a swipe at Jasiri's face, ears back and hidden in his mane. His balance couldn't be maintained forever, though, and he quickly dropped back to his front paws, lunging for a front leg with his mouth slightly open. The fight would be over soon, he was sure, and was now resorting to nips and swats instead of full-blown bites and strikes.

Annchen

 

[Annchen]

Andranis

So busy weekend... Sorry! We should be able to finish it up in one post each I think

Jasiri was taking a beating but he wasn't willing to admit he was losing so he kept fighting, more and more desperately. Blood trickled into his eyes from a hit to his face, making it very hard to focus and see the attacks coming. While he had got some hits in, more often than not his claws and teeth found nothing but air or at best a cushion of protective mane. It wasn't good enough, but with two injured front legs Gabedi had him more or less cornered. Jasiri knew he could take down a larger lion, but he needed speed for that. And since speed wasn't an option he needed a new plan. Time was running out.

He couldn't keep back a roar as Gabedi landed a bite on his leg with the half way healed snake bite. When the other lion released his leg he shuffled backwards awkwardly, unable to use his crippled front legs much at all. Jasiri was losing, and he knew it. Unable to do much more he glared at his opponent. If looks could kill he'd have this fight in the bag, but they couldn't and he didn't.  

[Andranis]

The attacks ceased. Gabedi stepped back, then paced around Jasiri. He could see the other lion was in far less of a shape to fight than before, and he decided it wasn't worth it to keep expending the energy on the fight. Pointedly and strategically, he placed himself between Jasiri and the main pride's lands, returning the glare. He didn't even spare words, his expression conveying it all. The fight was over, and he had won.

Annchen

Last post for me, then ~

 

[Annchen]

Andranis

Done!

The pain in his bitten leg was slowly subsiding, but he knew it was all over. Gabedi didn't have to say anything to make it painfully clear that Jasiri wasn't going back to the pride. After silently weighing his options he realized there was nothing he could do about it. This was the way it ended. An inselelo wasn't supposed to die of old age.

"Remember what happened to you when Nguvu was defeated," he said before turning away. Nothing. Nothing had happened. Andhaka had ignored them, and none of the other males had tried to harm them. Gabedi was still treated like any other lusizi. His sisters had been "demoted" to lusizi so to speak, but they had still reached adult age and were now fully accepted in the pride. Jasiri knew he was leaving the pregnant Han in the pride, and he wanted the other male to remember this when she had her cubs. He couldn't protect her and the cubs in any other way.

With that he walked away, doing his best to walk with pride despite the fact that he only had good use of three of his legs. He knew this was probably his Ukufahamba, his death walk. No one beside Gabedi would see him off, and there would be no party to celebrate. But at least he was allowed to keep his dignity and didn't have to die like a weakling in the pride. He kept his head high and looked towards the horizon as he walked.

-fin-