[Fight] Umut vs Bahra

[Andranis]

She hadn't been imagining it after all - Umut HAD heard other lions. And now she found herself facing off against another lioness. She didn't really want to fight - Fighting, she felt, was pointless. Why couldn't the two prides just... Unite into one? Their cultures, as far as she could tell, were identical. The Qyrhyeshti, though, never came THIS far across the border. Something was up. "Please, I have to know, before we fight... Why are you on our side of the border, this far in? I've never seen your groups come THIS far across..." All Umut wanted, truthfully, was a peaceful end to this whole ordeal.  

[Talencia]

Bahra turned just in time to see the others appear directly before them. Those fools she had as companions had indeed brought the enemy down on them! Snarling with fury and worry, she spun to face the nearest lioness. She dug her claws into the sand to prepare herself, but was astonished to realize that the other lioness was... talking? Asking her a question? What?! She flattened her ears against her skull and swept back her whiskers in a fierce expression. She would not stoop to conversing with her sworn enemy, not when they had shed so much Qyrhyeshti blood, possibly her own brother's!

Without acknowledging the sensible question the Burkuteshti female had posed, she hissed loudly, "What have you done with my brother, you bloodthirsty Burk?" With no more warning than that, she launched herself at Umut, jaws gaping and claws extended, no clear thought except to inflict as much damage as possible.  

[Andranis]

Quote:

HP: 8

Umut let out a startled sound as the other lioness hit her. It wasn't a light hit, either! Fear flashed in her gold eyes, a fear of being killed. Her sons would have no mother, even if they WERE adults, and she'd have no daughters to carry her name.

Her instincts as a Burkuteshti lioness kicked in as it became a fight to defend herself. "We've done nothing with him! I haven't even seen him!" She swiped at the other lioness. "I don't even know what he looks like!"  

[Talencia]

Bahra gave a satisfied grunt as her claws connected, drawing blood. Her ears remained wrapped against her skull, her muzzle crinkled back in an unending, if silent, snarl. She swept past the other female and spun to attack again. Lies, so many lies! She roared her fury, eyes flashing with more than just the normal desire to wipe the earth clean of Burkuteshti. They had her brother, they had to be responsible for his absence! She refused to consider any other option, because that would mean either he was dead of some other cause, or he had run away like a coward. The shame would be too much to bear.

"LIES!" she roared, raking her claws through the sand before her. "You lie! All you know are lies!" She lashed out with claws again, this time without the charge, but aiming for her opponent's face. "You will join him, if he is dead!" It was more than a threat. She meant it whole-heartedly as a promise. A vow she would fulfill without a p***k of conscience.  

[Andranis]

Terror swept across her face again as Umut tried her best to dodge the swipes. "I swear to you that I am not lying!" She rolled in the sand, her loam-colored fur blending for a breath of a moment, before she jumped up and away. "I don't want to fight! I don't want to HAVE to fight! I have no reason to lie to you, when all I've known is the pain of loss! My mate is gone because of this stupid war!" She was scared, for her life and those of others around her. Even this Qyrhyeshti lioness, so full of anger at her.. Umut was scared for her, because she was perpetuating the war. In an act of self-defense, the loam-colored lioness swiped at the other.  

[Talencia]

She growled in frustration as the other lioness dodged and rolled away from her. Most of her babble fell on deaf ears. Bahra was fully invested in this war, and had no sympathy for someone who hadn't the guts for facing off against their bitter enemy. To her mind, it was almost a boon to her enemies to rid them of this cowardly lioness. Whoever heard of trying to debate about whether the war should exist while you were fighting the other side?!

She easily dodged the swipe, lip curling in disdain for the weak fighting skills of the other lioness. "You talk nonsense," she growled between gritted teeth, prowling closer with her tail lashing. "Lies and nonsense. Why should I listen? What reason do I have to believe anything you say?" It was mostly just a screen so she could get in closer as she talked. When she felt she was close enough, she launched herself again at the other lioness, attempting to wrap her forelegs around her in a grapple, jaws open to lock onto throat or shoulder or whatever she could manage to sink her teeth into.  

[Andranis]

"Because what is the point in fighting, when we're all the same?!" She ducked and rolled again, trying her best to not get hit. As she moved to avoid the other lioness, she quietly prayed that the gods smiled on her and she didn't die today. She really didn't want to, didn't want her life to end, not now, not here. She wanted to die an old lioness, at home, surrounded by family.

And instead she was fighting, rising up on her hind paws and swatting at the other lion, own ears back.

Quote:

HP: 7

 

[Talencia]

Ha, she scored another hit on the cowardly lioness! It didn't matter one bit to Bahra that it was a minimal strike. Just managing to do damage was helping to vent her feelings of helplessness, of fury, of needing to strike back at those hated Burks! As she fought, her seething rage was condensing into a simmering anger that allowed her to think clearer and more logically. Even so, she couldn't help snarling a reply to the ridiculous claim the other lioness made. "I am nothing like you!" She had no such fears of death, though her sentimentality over her brother's absence was more akin to the other lioness' worries than she'd have guessed.

She ducked low as the Burk went high, avoiding the swipes of vicious claws. The lioness herself might not be so into fighting, but that didn't dull the sharpness of her teeth or claws, not one whit, and Bahra wasn't about to forget that. With the other still up high, she rammed towards the exposed belly with her spine ram-rod straight, head lowered to ram with as much force as possible. Her hope was to knock her enemy off balance, perhaps leading to that vital moment of weakness that she could take advantage of.

Quote:

HP - 9

 

[Andranis]

Umut just barely dodged the attack, feeling the other lioness brush past her leg. Moving on instinct, she gave a kick, before rolling away. Her words were not getting through to this lion! Then again, she often found the same problem with her fellow Burkuteshti. She crouched down, trying to make herself harder to hit. "Please, if we work together, we can find your brother!" It would be her final plea. If it didn't work, she'd have to give in.  

[Talencia]

It was bound to happen. She was likely to get distracted, or too enthusiastic, or something. Would she blame herself later for her mistakes, if they didn't find her brother? She refused to even consider such a possibility. For now, she focused on keeping her paws as she staggered past the swiftly dodging lioness. Man, this old lady could move faster than she had any right to! Already staggering from not ramming her opponent as she'd intended, the light score on her side by hind claws tipped her just a little too far. She staggered and stumbled off-balance, and her shoulder soon hit sand.

She was up in a flash, though, not even looking at the faint scratches in her hide. So now they'd both scored a bit, it was time to get serious. She didn't dignify the Burk's words with any response this time. She was done talking! She began to circle the older lioness, baring her fangs and hissing softly, death in her eyes. It was clear. If she could, she would leave Umut's corpse for the sand to scour away. She flicked her tail, then darted in close, claws raking for neck and chest.  

[Andranis]

There would be no more words, now. Reason had failed, and only war and chaos persisted. She'd heard, once, long ago, from a bird, that Chaos was red and War blue. She wasn't sure she believed it, and took the story with a grain of salt. Was there order, or peace? Who knew. She only knew that she HAD to fight. The loam-colored lioness' ears flattened back as she hissed, "You're as stupid as the rest of them! If you insist on being so stupid, then so be it!" She let out an angry roar, giving in and swatting repeatedly at the other lioness.  

[Talencia]

It became an odd, macabre sort of dance. Claws flashing in the night, snarls and growls exchanged, grunts of effort, sand flying as paws spun, darted, lunged. Around them two other battles raged. And yet somehow, these two still managed to avoid each other's strikes! It infuriated the princess, her eyes burning with senseless but unceasing hatred. This other lioness called her stupid. How did intelligence work out to be lacking in someone determined, driven to find her brother, their Bey?!

Viciously she snarled and swiped for the other lioness' hind legs. If she could manage to inflict enough damage back there, she might incapacitate the Burkuteshti female, allowing her to finish her off at her leisure. It wasn't likely to work quite that simply, but it seemed a good plan. The other option, of course, was to tear out her throat so she would stop talking! But that would have to wait until later. For now, she focused her attack on those hind legs!

Quote:

HP - 7

 

[Andranis]

She could see what the other lioness was doing, and did her best to avoid it. At the same time, she swiped at the Qyrhyeshti lioness, determined now to not lose. Claws flashed and sand flew. Umut could hear the snarls, grunts, and roars of the other four lions as they, too, fought. Who was winning? Who was losing? As far as Umut was otherwise concerned, they were all losing. But she, herself, now wanted to win, just so that she could shove this other lioness' face in the sand. She lunged, claws and teeth bared as she roared at this lioness who was, here, her enemy, but would have been a pride sister in any other place.  

[Talencia]

Her own swipe swung wide as the other lioness sliced into her flank. She sucked a breath and skittered her hindquarters away hurriedly. it had been a calculated risk, and one she'd clearly lost. She did glance at this wound, for it stung and bled red against her tan fur. A quick survey revealed that it was nothing to sneeze at, but it also wouldn't prevent her from continuing to fight at all. Still, it rankled that this sissy of a lioness had scored such a deep hit on her. She snapped her head back towards Umut as her throat vibrated with a growl.

This time she circled more slowly, keeping her opponent pivoting with her. Hmm, time to try something different. She feinted to the left, but instead of darting close, she flung a pawful of sand at Umut's face, then dove in on the right, aiming to ram her shoulder to shoulder and perhaps rake her claws along the more sensitive underside of her chest.  

[Andranis]

Umut watched the other lioness circle, satisfied that she'd at least landed some sort of blow. She gave a hiss, ears still pressed back, hackles up. She so wished the other had seen sense, but like many others... There was none. As she crouched low, trying to keep her undersides from being vulnerable, she was hit in the face with sand. The loam-colored lioness wheeled back, letting out a yowl as she blindly swatted, only to fee claws rake her. The other lioness had made a tactical move, blinding her temporarily and hitting while she couldn't see. She tumbled back, then tried to get the sand from her eyes.

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HP: 5