Sitaki's habit of wandering carelessly onto the territories of various prides was something that she enjoyed. There was something thrilling about recognizing the scent-marks of a strange lion and flirting with danger, so to speak. When her silvery tongue failed to get her out of trouble, Sitaki-hii was not afraid to use her claws and teeth to avoid capture or punishment. She lived the life of a rogue through and through, cherished the danger and unpredictability that came with said life.
Today was no different. Sitaki knew she was on territory that belonged to a pride, she just didn't care. She could smell the various lions that had walked here, and she hoped that she might run into one of them. Preferably a female that she could beat senseless, but Sitaki wasn't picky. No, she would take what she could get.
Someone was hee. Someone's scent that didn't mingle was in the air and the hair on the back of his neck stood up straight, and went down his spine. The urge to protect the pride was really, very strong. Red eyes narrowed as the blindingly bright male stalked through the grasses. Someone else was moving in the grasses; he could feel it. The other was radiating annoyance, anger, and it made his blood boil. No one had ever came up to the pride feeling that way. He'd never felt this wave of pure.... well, he didn't know what it was. but it made him want to beat the intruder away from the pride.
So he growled and gave a warning roar, snarling, teeth showing as his eyes looked around almost frantic. "You come up on pride lands. I can smell you, hear you. Come on out and we could talk this out."
Belly to the ground, Sitaki's eyes widened. Her whole body stilled. Someone was close. A male? Yes, his voice confirmed that. This was getting even better. He was still a fair distance away. Sitaki was something of a pro at this game of cat and mouse. It thrilled her. His anger, his frantic roar, all of it excited Sitaki-hii. What was he afraid of? Why did he want her to show her face? Talk this out? Heh. She felt excitement pool in her stomach as she ever-so-slowly crept through the tall grasses. She would make her presence visibly known when she wanted to, and no sooner.
He was a pretty boy, wasn't he? That nice mane, so bright and stark against his even brighter fur. Sitaki liked pretty boys, but she didn't fancy submissive ones. Slipping through the grass she drew closer to the male, those icy eyes of hers never leaving his body. He was bigger than she was, but Sitaki liked that too. She wasn't sure what she enjoyed so much about this game she played. Hide and seek, seduce and break. It thrilled her.
Tired of skulking through the grass, Sitaki broke through the tops of the foliage. An entrance, that's how she liked to think of it. What happened next depended solely on how he reacted. She could talk sweetly, blink those big blue eyes, or she could attack and claw his pretty pelt. It depended on him.
She wasn't wanting to talk right now, it seemed. growling at that, his ears flicked with every sound of grass moving. Not knowing where she ws coming from put Jagat on edge. He might have been a pretty boy, but he was not a push over. Just because he was the only male in his family, besides his old father, did not mean he acted like a girl. His body was muscular and tall. Ruby red eyes continued to look out at everything, trying to pin point which movement of grass was the other lion. The scent was female. It tantalized his nose and made another instinct pique in interest. No, he couldn't think that way.
"You come up on my pride lands, ready to attack. I can sense it, smell it in the air. Come on out and we can ...discuss whatever it is that's annoying out." But that's when she decided to show herself, to his left, and really close to him. He turned, fighting instinct kicking, claws out. But he saw the girl and faltered, missing her on purpose. No, he wouldn't attack. Not yet. He wrinkled his nose as he forced himself away and growled.
"Gods above, woman! Sneaking up on a male!" He bit it out, growling and all but roared at her.
Ooh, his eyes flashed when he was excited and furious. Sitaki-hii crouched, her tail lashing about behind her in excitement. She wouldn't speak to him, no, she would let her next action speak for her. She did not wish to do him harm, not really, and so she flew from that crouched position into a leaping attack. She wouldn't hit hard, not at all -- to mar that pretty orange fur would be a shame, now, wouldn't it? No, she just wanted to shock him, to see those pretty eyes flash with fire. It was a game to her, a game of predator and prey, cat and mouse. She could smell the adrenaline in the air.
Yes.
She did not bare her claws, instead using the weight of her body to push him down. With inherent feline grace, Sitaki used the momentum to thrust herself away from him like a living springboard, landing a few feet away from him. Her hard landing shot stinging pain up each of her legs but she did not acknowledge this. Crazed glee glinted in those icy purple eyes. Yes, this was fun. A game, truthfully.
She had somehow managed to push him down and she wasn't so strong that it did much damage. The rocks beneath him did more damage than her little charge attack. It seemed she didn't want to talk. No, that was fine. His eyes did flash, with anger, embarrassment. No way in hell was he going to have this girl beat him at fighting. It would mean he wasn't manly enough. It would reflect back on his childhood. He learned everything he knew from other males, and sometimes, his father. Things weren't easy for a guy with an old dad.
Getting up, purple clashed with red as he watched her, eyes narrowing. He was angry now, very angry. Jagat didn't even know who this female was that he was fighting. But he'd be damned if she won. He turned around and jumped on her from behind, hoping to mare her pelt. She wasn't even that pretty! Wasn't what he was used too. His claws would sink into the flesh around her ribs, pricking him and cutting into it for a moment before he pulled himself away.
Sitaki laughed. He fought back! And with such passionate fervor. What a way to battle an otherwise boring and drab afternoon. She crouched low through his attack, taking the blunt of his claws across her shoulders and back. She could feel the catch and pull of his claws. It stung, yes, but pain was easily ignored when faced with such an interesting opponent. Her own retribution was just slightly less aggressive. Where he seemed to want to hurt her, she only wished to toy with him. It was exciting, addicting. She would never tire of the adrenaline that rushed through her veins.
She aimed for his hind flank, this time with claws unsheathed. Pretty slashes would give way to pretty blood. It would be so entertaining to watch that pretty orange give way to bright crimson. Yes, pretty.
Jagat was about to swing around to look at her when he felt flesh ripping and tearing as she attacked him from behind. He cried out and pulled his hind quarters away from her. spinning on his back heels, Jagat pivoted and aimed his shoulder for her throat. The blow landed, knocking the wind out of her, even for just a minute, while his feet tangled up. His ankle twisted and made him collapse.
He probably just fractured it or something, but it hurt. Jagat would have to ignore it if he wanted to win this thing. He got up, legs killing him, hind quarters stinging and stared her down. What was she going to do now? "Why don't you just give up?"
Did he think there was a purpose to this fight? There was none. Sitaki didn't fight because she wanted to steal land or overcome prides. She fought for the adrenaline that rushed through her veins, for the scent of blood, for the acute pleasure that tingled in her toes and pooled in her stomach. Fighting was equated with pleasure in Sitaki-hii's mind, and she was not yet ready to stop, not yet.
After she'd regained her composure from his reeling assault against her throat, Sitaki hunched over, front feet splayed and claws still bared. Another bell-like laugh pealed forth from her lips as she grinned at him mirthfully. The sound was hoarse thanks to his damaging blow to her throat but she couldn't help herself. He was just so furious at the prospect of getting hurt by a female!
Sitaki attacked again, this time seeking to score his face with her claws. There was little force behind the attack, and honestly she wasn't really seeking to harm him. This was all in fun, wasn't it?
Claws came at his face and he had to turn. Those claws broke skin across his muzzle and under his eye, luckily not doing any real damage. He got cut, and that was fine. Panting, he jumped away from her and just circled her slowly. He made a move at her legs, wanting to knock her over, but he missed. His ankle made him fall and went chest first into the dirt. Growling, he picked himself up and shook dust out of his pelt. Things weren't going well for him, not in this fight.
His ankle was throbbing again. The adrenaline was going out of his veins with every blow. Still, he was not going to lose this match. He would kick her out of the pride lands if he did it with his last breath. At least then, he could go down a hero for his pride. He would have some self-pride as well as respect for his pride. Clearly this female was insane; attacking a random male who just wanted to talk everything out.
He panted and felt blood trickling into his mouth. Apparently she'd gotten him a bit better with her claws than he thought. Right under his eye felt like it was gushing; even though it wasn't. Just a steady trickle of blood. "s**t..."
He was weak and it showed in the way he missed when he came at her again. She lithely side-stepped his attack and watched him faceplant into the dirt. Poor thing. She spoke now, for the first time since meeting him, and her voice when she did so was raspy -- evidence of his brutal attack on her throat. "You're bleeding," was all she said with a rather petulant tone, head canted to the side and blue eyes locked on his features. Her tongue itched to taste that blood, relish the salty metallic taste of it.
She jumped, aiming to knock him to his side but she faltered, stumbling at the last moment. She skid to the side, eyes locked on him as she prepared for whatever happened next.
He charged. Right after she stumbled, he charged and growled, hoping to knock her back a few feet. With the blow landing, he threw her down into the ground and attacked at her throat, wanting to bite. And he did, but not hard enough to kill. Even he had his limits. So he backed off a little. "I know I'm bleeding. I wonder who's fault it is?" She was a good distance away from him and it was a good thing. He fell to his knees in the back, ankle giving out. He was fixing to have to call it quits, the end of this fight before he couldn't walk anymore.
Pretty soon, the fracture would turn into a break, which would end his life. Practically. OK, so that was a bit dramatic, but it would still suck.
