[JRP Kōri] The Cheetah Army [Mii'zer x New Cheetah Recruits

[Thalion]

Legolas ||
The first of the gathered cheetahs was a youth that had been found somewhere in the woods to the west. He was lithe but strong, swift as an arrow shot from a drawn bow and just about as deadly. He could pick a point on a target from a decent distance away and hone in on it with deadly accuracy. The cheetah standing atop the rock had observed him from a distance. A gazelle herd had broken as the young blonde cheetah shot out, bypassing one after the other. Weak ones, sick ones, slow ones, even lame ones. He had his target and nothing detoured him. He bounded over rocks, around ditches, and caught his target's spine. Before the gazelle had hit the ground, it was dead.

The youth was also eloquent and carried himself with a regal air. His gait was smooth as silk and his quietly accented voice was almost luring. There was an air of confidence about him but typical of a cat his age, he had an attitude and a tongue to back it up. The request seemed to be that each one of them made an account of their skill to prove themselves worthy.

Taking initiative, the cheetah took a step forward and raised his chin. His voice picked up, clear as a bell, for his company to hear. "Legolas. I believe I am more than suited for the tasks you ask of us. Show me a challenge and let me face it. You will not be disappointed."

Faer'aste ||
In stark contrast, a shadow stood black as spilled ink. He stood out beside the fair-pelted cheetahs on each side of him. Shocking white eyes stared out of a grim, black face licked with scars. A mangle of white hung over one side, shaggy and beaten as its bearer. The dark cheetah was thin and covered in scars and hurts. His muscles bulged out from under the ebony coat and shone like raven's feathers against the sunlight. He had met the general miles from his homeland, wandering aimlessly.

He could hunt, and he did so. His kills were often crippled and left alive even while he ate them. In his culture, that was acceptable. Let the weak feel every moment of agony as their life bled away from them to feed the strong. Might was right. Weakness was not tolerated. Why he had hesitated that day... he did not know. Why this cheetah wished to have him fight, he did not know...but he did need a purpose and a direction.

He stared at the commander and narrowed his eyes as the first cheetah spoke up. As Legolas re-joined the ranks, Faer lifted his eyes and stated in a low voice like a stone rolling over gravel. "... show me your enemies. I will show you my reason for being here."

Chirei ||
She was an ivory pelted female with a single tribal sock and a stoney nose. The female had put a few steps between herself and the ebony male and refused to take her eyes off of him. He was dark, dangerous, and smelled like old blood. When he looked her way, feeling her eyes on him, her own eyes snapped forward. The commander was talking? Oh uh....

She sighed as the two males went ahead of her. Not one to be a leader, rather she was a follower, she listened and nodded quietly to herself. An introduction, then, though the dark male hadn't given a name. In fact, he only gave a threat. Or a promise? She shuddered to think which one.

"Chirei, sir." She said when the black male fell silent. "I'm...not sure I'm ready yet, but I will be! Teach me and test me as you see fit. I'm willing."

Basira ||
The final female was a green and white female with a sharp look in her eyes. She stood at attention with her proud head held high and her shoulders thrown back. One after the other, the cheetahs to her left introduced themselves...sort of, and fell back into line. She was quietly glad to know that she wasn't the only female here but the white female seemed timid, meek, and inexperienced. She lacked confidence and discipline. Likely a female from a rogue family. No structure. No discipline.

"Basira sir." She answered sharply. "I can't say a thing the others have not said. Let's not waste any more time."

Alpaca Chobi

 

[Thalion]

Legolas ||
The challenge was given and Legolas was quick to accept. He turned his head, his sharp eyes roaming over the nearby herd of preybeasts. Without so much as a glance to the others in the recruitment party, the cheetah slank forward, his shoulders hunched up over his spine and his ears laid flat agianst his back. He took a step, a silent breath, then moved once more. The herd didn't sense him until his silent paws came within a few strides of one of the otter members of the herd.

The first gazelle's head shot up and the herd broke, their tails snapping up as a warning to their herdmates. Legolas shot from the grass like a bolt of lightning from a storm cloud. A blur of green and gold rushed through the herd, bypassing the sick, bypassing the wounded, bypassing the old and the young.

Opening his maw, he sprang forward. As he had before, the cheetah seized the spine of the gazelle and flipped it from its hooves. The gazelle made a strangled cry but it was short-lived. Before he hit the ground, he was dead.

Legolas wiped the blood from his maw, placed his bloodied paw on the body of his kill, and turned to face his commander.  

[Thalion]

Fa'er ||
The dark cheetah observed the others as they each took their turns. The blonde one brought down his kill with a lethal sense of focus and accuracy, the others were clearly less experienced but no less determined. Their performance mattered very little. He had his own test to focus on. It was, however, nice to see how well the others performed so he could see for himself the sort of competition he was up against.

Crouching low as his turn came around, the cheetah's shoulders rose up over his spine and shifted back and forth with his long, purposeful gaits. Of course, by now the herd was scattered to the four winds with the majority of the gazelles bouncing on the horizon, their white tails barely specks against the golden horizon. He moved into the grass, shifting silently through, moving only with the wind. It took some time, but he found himself a section of the herd that had settled to rest, much of them well winded by now.

Unlike the blonde, he took what opportunity he could. Let the weak and the old fall at the paws of the strong, let the young crumble early if they could not find the power to survive. Like a shadow he shot from the grass, swift and silent. His paws flew over the grasslands, his powerful legs coiling and loosing like a pair of springs. Claws tore into the turf and launched him further outwards. A few precise strides, one startled cry, and a splash of blood later, a young gazelle fell to the ground with its neck twisted at an awkward angle. The dark cheetah lowered himself beside the kill, still gripping the creature's throat in his now bloodstained maw. Sweet victory...  

[Thalion]

Chirei ||
"Okay! Okay my turn. Okay." The pale cheetah perked up and glanced around. Of course... the black cheetah's display was a little... uncomfortable. He was still laying by his kill, his fangs deep in the little creature's flesh and his eyes threatening violence to any that came close. Well....he was on the skinny side. maybe he just really wanted to keep his food to himself? Fair was fair. She then realized that Faer had startled the nearest herd.

"....oh man... I have to... track too? Oh I should have gone first. I knew it! I knew it."

Trudging forward, she followed the little bouncing white tails for quite a ways. The herd eventually tired again and stopped beside the river. She perked her head up, then dropped down to her belly. Okay. She had seen her mother do this a million times. Maybe less than that. Twice. But she was smart right? She could figure this out...

Stalking a little closer she waited half a second then launched herself out. The already winded herd broke again, some kicking out of the mud in order to tear away. She reached a paw out, stretching, straining, and managed only to slap the hind quarters of one of the gazelles. Tumbling to a stop, she turned and lifted her head. Not one dropped- and now they were way too far off.

".......I meant to slap him. That'll teach him! Yeah. ....did I fail?"  

[Thalion]

Basira ||

The female watched each hunter take their turn. She had drawn lots for the second to last position. By then the herds had scattered into smaller, now very alert groups. It wasn't an ideal situation but she could see the sense in the task. Many of those who had first gone were already resting themselves after their sprint. Legolas was laying neatly by his kill, quietly observing the others with a clever set of blue eyes. Faer was still hunched defensively over his own kill, licking the blood from his maw every now and again. The others were either sitting or loping back from the field.

With a simple gesture from their commander, Basira set out, brushing through the grass as she picked out a small collection of prey on a small, open flat. She tensed as the heads of the game shot up. The haunches of one of them twitched and the herd bolted. Swearing under her breath, she launched outwards, pushing herself forward, tearing up the ground in logn, powerful strides. The young adult she had focused on bobbed one way, she followed, whipping her long tail around behind her. It bobbed again, she swiped out for it but didn't so much as glance it. She felt the wind rush past where hoof should have been.

After a few more turns, she was spent and loped to a stop, her ribs heaving. Damnit.