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Kimaria generated a random number between
1 and 3 ...
2!
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 Posted: Sat Jan 12, 2013 3:39 pm
Move 3: Bide
As Sia watched on she was secretly glad that they had come across a male and female Firekin and not two males. It would be bad enough fighting against the lioness but watching as the duel progressed she was infinitely more glad that it was not her pitted up against the big brute. She wouldn't have stood a chance.
The lioness did not get to her paws when Niu did, flinching instead and letting her head sink a little lower. "I'm from the Pridelands." She replied, her eyes fixed on the two males now. "But he's from the swamps." The name of which she could not quite recall. It had been longer and more complicated than that of her homeland. "Duels don't..." She paused, struggling for words. "My friend isn't going to get hurt, is he?" She rather liked her friend in one piece, thank you.
But this time Aza'bijan pulled back a little, circling. "You're not ready for this." He growled. "I don't think you'll ever be ready." He snorted, annoyed. "You're a mess."
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Hopefolly generated a random number between
1 and 3 ...
3!
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Posted: Sat Jan 12, 2013 3:41 pm
((I SUCK AT LIFE SO SEE NEXT POST.))
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Posted: Sat Jan 12, 2013 3:58 pm
Move 3: Hit
Multi-tasking was not something Niu was good at unless the tasks were very trivial, mind-numbing things. Heti had been a great help to her and her training, but to change the core of her personality and the quirks that comprised it would take more than a few weeks of wishing away her shortcomings. She tried to listen to Sia, and she heard most of it.
Pridelands.
Swamps.
And --
"No, Azar won't hurt him." Niu sounded like a mother whose talkative cub was on her last nerve and she'd say whatever it took to shut them up. She couldn't keep up with social courteous and this at the same time.
Watch the paws, she thought. Niu herself didn't know if the message was intended to encourage this rogue or scold Azar. Somehow, it had to be both.
Coincidentally, Sagua had his eyes just where Niu would have. And, same as her, he didn't respond to the goading. Actions did in fact speak louder than words.
The sand kicked up behind him as Sagua suddenly launched forward to tackle the Firekin.
Niu felt both pleased and frustrated watching it all unfold.
"Paws," she mumbled. She just couldn't help herself.
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Kimaria generated a random number between
1 and 3 ...
2!
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Posted: Sat Jan 12, 2013 4:04 pm
Move 4: Glancing hit
Too confident. Always too confident. The trash talking had bounced harmlessly off of Sagua's shield and the momentary lapse in concentration had led to a mistake. A big mistake. Sagua's tackle hit true, the rogue's weight landing on him in such a way that his hindquarters twisted and went down, sprawling his back legs against the sand. In this position - balanced on his front legs - he was in danger of being pushed right over and that would be quite the opposite of good.
He gave an angry roar in an attempt at giving the rogue reason to pause and then - balancing his weight fully on one front limb, thrust out his other paw to keep the other lion at bay. It was not a good hit but he hoped it would be enough to get the rogue to back up - and give him room to find his paws and strengthen his position again.
Dammit, he could not lose again. Not again. He'd lost to Niu not too long ago and if he lost again - in front of her, no less - what would that make him look like? Word might get around. Maybe he'd get demoted...
No. No. Focus. Focus.
And meanwhile, on the sidelines, Sia was practically bouncing for joy. Sagua was getting back into the fight and even had that big grumpy lion on the ground now. He had quite the fight in him, her friend! How had she ever doubted him?
Niu was mumbling something but the lioness hadn't quite caught it. Perhaps she was sad that her companion had been knocked off balance? Maybe being knocked down meant that Sagua was the winner? Although...Azar didn't quite look ready to give up just yet.
"Who's winning?" She asked, drawing a step closer.
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Hopefolly generated a random number between
1 and 3 ...
3!
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Posted: Sat Jan 12, 2013 4:18 pm
Move 4: Hit
Niu meant to answer Sia. She could have sworn for a second that she did. Nothing came out of her mouth except a growl that hissed past her teeth from low in her gut. Her tail swatted the air like a zebra's would smack at a pesky fly. Question was, who was the figurative fly?
If it was Sagua, she had reason to act anxious. The lion did not yield to Azar's roar; on the contrary, he sounded off right back. The Corporal's tactic had successfully distanced him, just not for long. Sagua charged again and the contact from it promised to be a heavy hit should it land.
On the sidelines, Niu huffed, thumping her front paws against the ground.
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Kimaria generated a random number between
1 and 3 ...
3!
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Posted: Sat Jan 12, 2013 4:31 pm
Move 5: Hit
He had just pulled himself up to his paws when Sagua made his charge, barely giving him enough time to adopt the typical 'guard stance' and brace. When they collided it was with bruising force - thankfully cushioned a little by their manes - and Azar'bijan was shoved violently backwards, his front paws lifting from the ground. For a terrifying moment the corporal thought he was going to topple, his tail whipping as he tried to dig in his hind paws and lock his joints before the worst case scenario could start to play out. Thankfully, he managed to do just that and, with a fierce snarl, smacked his opponent about the head and shoulders with some clumsy but somewhat powerful blows from his airborne paws.
Sia, frozen in place, was momentarily speechless, her whole body tense and poised. The rules of the duel might have forbid claws but it still looked as if it hurt and she winced and flinched as if feeling the blows being inflicted on both combatants as they traded back and forth.
Niu's thumping paws had her on edge but, for the first time, the female remained silent. The end was near now, she was sure of it.
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Hopefolly generated a random number between
1 and 3 ...
1!
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Posted: Sat Jan 12, 2013 4:41 pm
Sagua had lots of secrets. He told Sia that he was was from the swamps ("the" swamps as if they were more important than any others by default), but not about the fire that had decimated the lands, or anything about his pride. He couldn't admit to either of them he was frightened out here in the desert, and yet, not near as afraid as he should have been. Of rejection far more than death at that.
As Sagua did not fear death enough anymore, it had been easier than one would think to pretend he drank from that log when he had not. Their water had been limited and with Sia there... He couldn't do it. He'd had a mouthful, barely, and the rest of his supposed drinking had been for show.
Niu did not see or know any of this. Instead, what vision played out for her, fast enough to stir a headache, was one of the future.
In both the vision and the present, Sagua appeared ready to collapse, though he did not. He swung, missed, and --
And in Niu's vision, which sped far ahead of reality, he had carried on. When at last he did fall it was never to rise again.
Niu had taken some hard hits herself in training. An injury, severe or not, was vented with a grunt or a scowl as long as she was in the public eye. That wasn't to say she didn't go hide somewhere and wince and tremble. Likewise, she had screamed into the sand once or twice but had made damn sure she was alone.
This outburst would be her first that had witnesses and it was so crazed and frantic that if the Firekin were going to talk about anyone, perhaps Azar could relax knowing it wouldn't be him.
"Azar, stop!" Niu shouted, shaken. "You're going to kill him!"
Sagua froze in place, turning his head toward her. His chest heaved with each breath and his eyes lacked much focus. Despite the heat, the dehydration, and the hits, he was still standing.
But the fight was over. That was clear.
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Posted: Sat Jan 12, 2013 5:20 pm
The outburst had its desired effect, the words driving between them like a physical wedge that had the red lion leaping backwards. His battle-fury had been slapped from him, leaving him somewhat confused and disorientated. One moment he'd been revelling in his victory and now...now...
Wait. What had she said? Kill him?!
He snorted, looking both offended and taken-aback. He wasn't a murderer and he was pretty sure that the rogue could handle a few punches without shattering into a thousand pieces. He might not have been a skilled warrior but he clearly wasn't fragile either - if he was, he wouldn't have made it here in the first place, surely. Still, the frantic edge to her voice unsettled him more than it should have done - perhaps because it seemed so unlike her. But, when those sorts of unwanted emotions reached up to claw at him, Azar did what he always did. Shoved it away and covered it up with a feeling he was more familiar with. Irritation. Annoyance. Frustration.
"What are you talking about, woman?! I was not going to kill him. Have you gone insane?" And, throwing Sagua another glance, he gave an angry huff and stomped towards her. The duel was done but he'd been given no opportunity to revel in his success. Honestly, why did everyone like to think the worst of him? Just because he could be a bully didn't mean he was about to take it a step further into 'evil'. "I swear." He grumbled, mostly to himself but loud enough for others to here. "You are not worth the hassle."
And, as he stepped up to recline on the sand and swap from combatant to audience, Sia dashed past him to where Sagua stood. "Sagua! Are you okay?" She fussed, giving him a few careful nudges with the flat of her nose. She was certainly concerned, but perhaps she was also hoping that they might just forget that she had to duel and part ways now...
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Posted: Sat Jan 12, 2013 5:45 pm
Sia might get her wish at the rate things were going.
"I have a name," Niu reminded him. She didn't sound anything like she had a moment ago. Now she was unruffled with a voice to match. "I know you wouldn't on purpose, but you have to pay attention."
Azar could have stared at Sagua until talk of him giving up on females bruited through the Firekin. Nothing his eyes could see would have suggested Sagua's heart was fit to give out. The body could be weaker than the soul, or without the religious undertones, weaker than one's willpower.
Niu would not have known he was so sickly if not for her extra sense. It wasn't fair to accuse Azar without explanation or solid evidence but what choice did she have? "You were too distracted by the duel to notice," she submitted, but her eyes flickered suspiciously away from his. That was not like her either.
She felt less guilty and embarrassed when Sagua responded to one of Sia's nudges by swaying to the side. His legs bent and he came to lay in the sand where he dry heaved twice before he caught his breath. He did begin to look worse as the adrenaline stopped holding him upright.
"I'm fine, Sia." He glanced up at her, then at Niu. "Don't let this distract you."
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Posted: Sat Jan 12, 2013 5:54 pm
Azar, for the time-being, was content to sulk silently, sinking to the ground and refusing to look their way. If one had been glancing in his direction when Sagua showed the signs of wear and tear, they might have seen the muscles in his shoulders tensing in what was his version of concern. He probably had to come to term with the fact that his good luck had long gone and it wasn't coming back. Ever.
Sia, on the other hand, was being rather generous with her concern, hovering close at her friend's side. He really did not look good at all. Had the travel done this? Or was there something else? Had he been sick? In pain? And if so, how long had he been like that? Why hadn't he said something? If he hadn't wanted to worry her than that was silly and pointless. She was definitely worried now.
And then he said the one thing that she hadn't wanted him to say: bringing the topic back to her duel. Her pending duel.
Crap. She was so dead. So, so dead.
"I, uh..." She swallowed, her expression going through a number of different emotions. Damn. Maybe she should have gone first. Been naive to what was coming. Maybe she would have felt more confident. "Well..." Pausing again, she glanced across at Niu and asked: "What do you think? Will he be okay?" Since the female had been the one to note his 'sickness' perhaps she was some sort of health specialist.
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Posted: Sat Jan 12, 2013 6:18 pm
Niu wasn't going to give Azar's ego the satisfaction of hearing she found his fighting prowess impressive. She felt his only fault was he could stand to think as hard as he hit.
"I think we should talk later," Niu said softly. Why couldn't he have just gotten angry and stormed off and made it easy on them both? She didn't want to out herself as a seer but she couldn't walk around with this on her conscience. He was sulking for goodness sake!
No sooner had Niu started to speak again than she heard Sia.
She had a good look at Sagua (who, being male, stubbornly averted his eyes) before she replied: "I... think so. He can go to the outpost and train there to try again later. They'll also show him to water." Or so Niu had heard. She had won her first duel and not had to go through all that. "I suppose we forgot to mention that."
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Kimaria generated a random number between
1 and 3 ...
3!
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Posted: Sat Jan 12, 2013 6:31 pm
Niu vs Sia
Move 1: Hit
---
Azar's only response was a grunt. Yes. He was definitely sulking and he was pretty practised at it, too. He could probably do this for the next few hours or so. Days even, if he really wanted to. Still, when the conversation turned to duelling, he did shift just enough that he could turn his head and peek across to watch.
He was a little curious, okay. That wasn't a crime!
Sia - looking a little wobbly - gave a short nod. Now that he was resting perhaps he'd be back on his paws in no time. She just hoped the outpost wasn't too far to go. It felt like they had been walking for years and after duelling she doubted either of them would have the energy for another huge trek. "Okay." She wasn't sure whether to be relieved or disappointed that they'd get a chance to try again. Putting themselves through this again seemed really....horrible.
"Let's get this over with, then." She continued, giving her friend one last nudge before skittering over the sand to take her place on some nice unstirred sand. Her paws sank a little, making her feel rooted. Safe.
Okay, so...go!
Trying to copy something she had seen Sagua do successfully earlier, she threw herself into a rush, attempting to barrel into her opponent. She didn't lash out with paws at the last moment or really throw her weight forwards, but the speed enough enabled her to get a hit, even if it wasn't the strongest of attempts ever made.
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Hopefolly generated a random number between
1 and 3 ...
3!
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Posted: Sat Jan 12, 2013 6:40 pm
Move 1: 3 - Hit
Get it over with?
Niu's expression hardened and all that sympathy she'd had a moment ago fluttered away. Standing next to Azar had the same effect as an ugly lioness standing next to a warthog: just as that lioness would look beautiful in comparison, at the Corporal's side, Niu seemed nice. Really nice.
She really wasn't, though.
(In fact, she had a theory, deep down, he was the nice one. Shhh.)
Niu might not have been one to spew insults in battle, but if she didn't stop trying to reason with lions, it was going to get her killed one day. She stumbled back when Sia hit her.
No. This had to be said.
Niu threw her paw out -- much in the same motion Azar had earlier, interestingly -- and struck the Sia across the face. There was an undertone of personal insult in the hit.
"Do not come at me with that attitude," she demanded. "You are not a Pridelander anymore. You're a rogue now. You want us to insult you for it or prove it makes you no lesser than us?"
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Kimaria generated a random number between
1 and 3 ...
2!
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Posted: Sun Jan 13, 2013 3:31 am
Move 2: Bide
The 'ouch' that threatened to burst from her when Niu caught her across the face was hard to stop from being audible. It came out - in the end - as a strangled whimper as she back-peddled away from the lioness as quickly as she possibly could.
Yep. She was going to die.
"I'm sorry." She replied. "I just--" Was...maybe a bit afraid? But the words stuck in her throat, maybe due to her own self-pride, and refused to make themselves known. Still, it was probably clear from how she was dithering now, hesitating to leap in as she had just done. "I've...not really done this before. Duelling, I mean." She admitted. She'd won her fair share of play fights but they'd been when she was younger and less bothered about her own health. Now, she was all too aware of pain, and the clash that had gone before their's was still painfully vibrant in her memory.
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Hopefolly generated a random number between
1 and 3 ...
2!
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Posted: Sun Jan 13, 2013 12:50 pm
Move 2: Bide
Niu rooted her paws into the sand as firmly as she could. Logically, this rogue had nothing to do with Niu's own shortcomings or victories. Logically, she shouldn't care what Azar thought of them -- or her, since that's what this really boiled down to.
Much of it was what Niu thought of herself. She'd been training and training and felt like it wasn't doing any good. She often felt like she couldn't keep up, like she didn't belong here after all.
But she did. She belonged here and any other rogue did too if it was what they truly wanted.
Her inspiration had been fleeing her family. What motivated this lioness?
Niu was pretty confident she knew. She turned toward Sagua for a few seconds, assessing the damage. "I think he does look bad... But you can't get him to water until this is over, so if your 'friend' dies, that's for you to live with."
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