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 Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2012 3:24 pm
Yareha smiledly thinly in satisfaction as his strategy bore fruit. A pity that the black lion seemed to have learned from his earlier mistakes and now focused on keeping Yareha before him, and not allowing the white lion to get to one or the other of his flanks again.
He could feel the black male's rage in the fury the other unleashed upon him. But for all the other's anger, Yareha kept his head. He was hit, yes, and repeatedly, but the white lion was able to move just enough to make many of those blows glancing ones. Or deflect them with a canny foreleg. He wondered if the pain had affected the other's ability to fight with his head...but then reminded himself that the other male hadn't fought intelligently even at first.
The white lion bared his fangs and pushed himself off from the ground so that he could catch the next two blows with his paws, balancing between the black male and his own hind legs.
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Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2012 3:34 pm
Intelligent fighting had never been a strong point of his, though to be fair there had never been any need. His bullish demeanour had - more often than not - seen him through fights relatively successfully. However, as the fight progressed, it became more and more apparent that he had much to learn, particularly when fighting against a lion cool enough to take advantage of his mistakes.
And with every block that Yareha made, the more frustrated Hssiss became, his face screwing up in fury at how, no matter how many punches he threw, they seemed to be knocked aside without too much damage.
Teeth then?
Trading his claws for his fangs, he lunged forwards with his jaws this time, intending to close his teeth around a forearm. If he got a good hold he'd twist and tear flesh. The thought of it brought a gleam of joy to his eyes.
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Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2012 3:37 pm
He could almost see the thoughts flickering through the black lion's head. Dropping his paws to the ground, Yareha crouched low enough that not only could the other lion not get at his forearm, it abruptly became a battle of the fangs. The white lion continually snapped, not necessarily hoping for a hit (though scoring one on the tender snout would help), but to keep the other lion distracted.
Of course, this meant that the black lion's fangs were in easy reach of his face, and Yareha could feel new scratches being added to his catalog of pains.
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Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2012 3:43 pm
There was a sharp flash of pain in the sensitive skin just beneath his nose and Hssiss saw red. Digging in his hind paws, he pushed against the white male with all of his strength, trying to find purchase on the other's mane with his jaws in some mad attempt to drag him to the ground. It was a risky move, leaving him vulnerable if it failed - his weight thrown so far forwards that it would be all too easy to lose his balance and topple.
But there was no victory without risk and Hssiss lived for dangerous moments like this. He was not one to hold back, even if it was the smarter thing to do, as was being proved at that very moment.
Growling between clenched teeth, he shoved forwards again.
Just fall already. His mind screamed. Why wouldn't the lion just fall?
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Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2012 3:46 pm
It was almost a parody of love, the way that the black lion was desperately throwing his head around Yareha's neck to find a place to injure him. The white lion almost laughed aloud at the mistake his oppent had just made. Truly, this rogue was a fool!
The white lion pushed off from the ground once more, twisting his torso around so that he could bring his paws, with claws still outstretched, down heavily upon the other's shoulders. Hopefully that would make enough of an impression on the foolish male!
Yareha's lips were twisted into a savage parody of a smile as he scented victory.
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Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2012 4:03 pm
Light flashed in his vision, practically blinding him as he went down. The ground hit him hard and the jagged, stony surface grated against the side of his face. Agony exploded inside of his skull and even as he tried to battle to get to his paws he could do nothing but frantically thrash around, trying to get his bearings and utterly failing. The ground might have been solid beneath him but he felt as if he were spinning. Falling.
He gave a loud cry of anger and confusion as he tried to race back to the fight and as he lunged up, the pain in his head only increased--
--And then he was somewhere else. In a location he didn't recognise and Yareha was lunging for him again, except that it wasn't him. Not really. It was someone else. Someone he didn't know.
Are you insane?
The question echoed again and again in his head until he snapped from his trance, panting and dazed. His eyes - fully dilated - looked up at the white lion standing above him. "You b*****d!" He hissed when he had - at last - found his voice. "You're no pacifist."
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Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2012 4:10 pm
Yareha didn't do anything to increase the amount of damage to the fallen lion, simply continued leaning his full weight on the other to keep him in place. Really, the black lion was just using far too much of his energy in all of his movements and actions.
Then the black lion spoke, the first time in several long minutes that had been filled with snarls, grunts, blood and anger. Yareha was taken aback by the words.
"What the hell are you talking about?" he retorted. "And it's not like I ever claimed to be a pacifist, this has just been a waste of time and energy!"
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Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2012 10:41 am
A low growl, reverberating deep in his chest, grew thunderously loud for a moment or two. And then the response burst from him. "You! All your talk about not wanting to fight! I saw it. I saw you attacking that other lion. You were trying to kill him!" He spat, growing furious again. "You're just like me. Only worse." At least he was open about his joy of fighting. This one liked to pretend he was a lion of diplomacy. Pretend he was something he was not. It was disgusting.
Incensed, the black lion thrashed to get free, allowing the fury to drive him on, slashing out with his claws again. It was clear, though, from his movements, that his focus had turned to pulling away and not pressing the attack.
"If you're a monster, just be a monster." He may have been cruel but at least he was honest about it!
Hssiss' logic was an odd, twisted thing indeed...
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Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2012 10:48 am
It was simply for the black lion to win free of Yareha's grip, for his muscles had fallen slack with shock as the other kept talking about what he'd seen. But...how? There was only one moment in all the white lion's life that the other could mean, and Yareha knew for a fact that he hadn't been there! Not when he'd attacked Mazin!
Now the white lion was actually getting angry. That was...private! His past, and hi shame! Nothing to discuss with some random rogue, so how the hell did this damned black lion know of it? Or...wait. Was he some kind of weird visionary like that lioness? That just made Yareha even angrier.
"You judge me from one incident that you know nothing about! And are you going to tell me you're some god's b*****d child too, to have seen what no proper lion can?" the white lion spat.
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Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2012 11:01 am
Oh, he was getting angry now. Good. It was about time. The lion's true colours were showing and this was about to get interesting. Or...maybe not. He still seemed to be in denial but it was no good. Hssiss had seen what he had seen and it hadn't lied to him. It couldn't have - judging from his defensive reaction.
He laughed.
It seemed like the most natural response, though it probably was quite the opposite. And then he took a step back and bowed mockingly over a raised fore paw. "God's b*****d child, at your service." And when he lifted his head again amusement was sprawled all across it. "Come, come, don't be so cruel. We're more alike than you first thought. Practically brothers. I know the rage you felt. The rage you still feel." Well he didn't really know whether the lion was still angry about it or not, but he probably would have been in his position. "There's no need to feel ashamed about it." He exhaled sharply and circled slowly to the left.
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Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2012 11:09 am
Yareha nearly groaned aloud. What, another one? He'd only thrown the god bit out as something of a joke, since that had been the claim of the lioness who'd also been able to know things about his past. He doubted that they were really children of gods though. There was no god but the Great Lion and He reigned supreme. Obviously this lion, like the lioness, simply came from a line of those with this unnatural sight and chalked it up to some fictional god in order to amaze random passer-by.
"What a farce," the white lion sneered. "I am nothing like you, a fool who lives only to fight, and poorly at that! Whatever you think you know, it is nothing!" He said nothing of the anger he'd felt towards his cousin, of the jealousy he still felt. Mazin wasn't here, would never be here, and thus was unimportant here.
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Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2012 11:19 am
His face was wrought with anger at that. How dare this b*****d insult him. He had attacked someone with intent to kill. He was certain of it. How was this any different? Fighting was fighting as far as Hssiss was concerned. He didn't yet know that people might have a reason to fight other than to indulge their own desire for the thrill of battle and dancing with the possibility of death.
He roared, baring his teeth as he prepared to attack again. He wouldn't let this lion get away with it.
But as he lunged another vision struck him with unfortunate timing. This time the pain it brought with it was blinding and the lion collapsed in a heap at Yareha's feet, twitching violently as if experiencing some sort of fit. Later, when he had recovered from it, he wouldn't recall what he had seen - only the horrible, horrible pain. A skull-splitting agony that threatened to bring up the contents of his stomach.
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Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2012 11:25 am
The white lion had braced himself for the furious idiot to attack once more, but was saved from further damage by the black lion's sudden collapse. His first inclination was to prod the other with a paw, to see if he lived or not, but why did he kill whether this stupid rogue lived or died? Yareha sniffed loudly before turning tail and leaving. This had been a total and complete waste of time. Not to mention the injuries he'd taken. The wandering white lion would have to stop somewhere and tend to them, but better that place should be far from here, away from this crazy, deluded black lion.
"Latitare!" he called up to the circling eagle. "We're leaving now!" And good riddance to that fool, lying in a twitching heap. Really, how stupid had the rogue thought Yareha was?
The eagle swooped obediently, unsure of what it was that he'd seen. Yes, there'd been a fight, and yes, Yareha had clearly come out on top. But what exactly was going on with the other lion? The first time he'd had that kind of fit, he'd come surging out of it talking about Yareha attacking Mazin, though the eagle rather thought the black lion hadn't truly understood what he'd seen. Another Seer? How odd, for them to run into two now, since leaving the Mwezi'Johari.
Perhaps Seers were simply more common in the rogue lands? Latitare could come up with no decent explanation. But he would make note of this occurrence, and keep a weather eye out on the future.
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