The first thing Sayuri'd noticed about the plains was how infernally dry they were. Did it never RAIN here? She'd grown up her whole life in a lush rainforest, filled at least weekly with the sound of rain hitting leaves, water, the ground, stones.. Out here, she felt exposed, and the dry heat was getting to her. Letting out a bit of a growl, the leopard went to the nearest watering hole, lapping at the water. Even the water was different out here...
As the wind tugged at his tuft of a mane, Mkuki stalked towards the water. How overprotective of his mother... He was a big boy, he could take care of himself! Or so he told himself. Then again, he'd still go running home to her at night, safe and sound. For the moment, though, in his mind, he was an adult, a rogue stalking the plains. And what he saw, as the wind whipped around him(Or at least, he imagined it was whipping around him, when it was nothing more than a breeze), was a leopard at the water. Dropping down as he'd seen others do from a distance, he moved towards it.
Looking up from the water, Sayuri flicked an ear about. Slowly sitting up, she moved both ears, listening. The winds carried so many sounds to her, unfamiliar in these wide open plains. With so many sounds to filter out, it was frustrating. She looked around, not spotting something right away. A huff escaped, before she started walking again.
Licking his lips a bit, Mkuki krept along the ground. It was a simple persuit, the yearning to sneak up on a leopard. After all, it was by THEIR watering hole, it was not HERS to drink from. With only a few feet to go, he wiggled, just waiting for the right moment to pounce. How it would make his mother fret to know he was 'hunting' a leopard, let alone an adult leopard!
Slowly turning, the leopardess barely let a smile grace her maw. In one swift move, she lunged, smacking the cub out of his hinding place before pinning him. "Do you dare to sneak up on ME, lion filth?" Claws out, she leaned down, right in his face. "What do you seek to accomplish by going after a denezin of the jungle? There is no rain here to muffle the sounds of your movements..."
A flicker of fear moved through Mkuki, but he hid it, struggling to get free from the leopard's paw. "Get your ugly face away from me!" Digging his pitiful claws into her leg, he glared at her. "I was only playing, you mean old leopard! How many cubs can say they snuck up on an adult leopard?!" Letting out a growl, he kicked at her, trying to get free.
Letting out a laugh, Sayuri grinned. "That may be your fatal mistake, boy... You picked the wrong leopard to be sneaking up on." Leaning close again, she grinned, teeth bared. "I and my colony... We hate your kind... I hate your kind... And for being a lion.. I hate you..." Licking her lips, she smiled. "I will enjoy picking my teeth with your bones..."
Letting out a snarl, Mkuki flexed his paws before reaching up with both, raking his claws across the leopardess' face. As pitiful as they were for cub claws, he'd at least been working on sharpening them, and now dug them into the soft flesh of her face, raking downward. Feeling blood trickle onto his paws, he was silently glad to not have touched her eyes. Wounding her to get her off was one thing... Blinding was another that he didn't want to do.
Rearing back, the leopardess let out a roar, smacking the blue lion aside. Shaking her head, she pawed her face, growling at the blood dribbling down. When she looked, the cub was gone, having fled to hide. Looking around, she snarled. "Little lion, I will kill you if I see you again... I will not forget this day..." Ears back, she hurried away, fur on end.
Peeking out from where he hid, Mkuki watched the leopard hurry away. When she was out of sight, he grinned, stepping out. He'd defeated a leopard... This was far better than just surprising one! Walking with his head high, he hurried home. Oh, how he was rubbing this in his brother's face! The way he saw it, Kyoku would be SO jealous!
