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 Posted: Wed Jan 13, 2010 1:20 pm
To say Jani was upset was an understatement. Jani was beyond upset, to the point he felt angry, frustrated, and a whole load of other adjectives that didn't even come to mind at the current time. It was chaos, everywhere, everyone, everything... there was nothing that had been left untouched by the war, and no matter how many readings he performed, the message sent back to him was clear.
Patience, it said, Patience - wait, it's not yet the time or place.
He was tired of playing the waiting game, but he'd heeded his own readings, for his firm belief in the will of the spirits prevented him from going against them. He was a practiced Haruspex, and rarely, if ever, had his predictions been wrong.
Thus, he'd waited amidst the chaos. Waiting, waiting, waiting... enduring all, for he had no power to change the course of events. At least, that's what he'd thought anyhow. That is, till his latest reading had revealed a new message. Excitement had filled the dark pelted lion, and he'd reread the entrails of the vermin he'd caught earlier that day, over and over again, just in case he was missing something. But no, the spirits had been clear in their demands. They'd wished for him to move towards the border. He had no idea why, nor what was waiting for him there, but it was imperative that he be there at that time and place.
It was essential.
And the moment he'd spotted the 'king' of the Dhati in the near distance, he'd known the answer; clearly he was meant to bring the traitor to justice. Clearly that was the spirits' will, right? Right. Thus so, with no further thought, the Haruspex had wordlessly launched himself forward towards his opponent.
It never crossed his mind that this might be a bad idea.
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Posted: Sat Jan 16, 2010 11:07 am
War agreed with Magadi. The great king of the Dhati was a warrior, a veteran of battles too gruesome to be told, and after months of planning and plotting it was a relief to finally dig claw and fang into the flesh of his enemies. Older though he might be, he had experience and skill to his name when others simply had bulk and youth on their side. He was a hulk of a lion even now and he used it to his advantage as he bulldozed his way to the Mizimu borders. If he could just get to that b***h, to their queen, he could hit them where it hurt the most.
Unfortunately Magadi also happened to love fighting in a way that bordered on addiction. The smell of blood enticed him, the screams of the Mizimu beneath him uplifted his spirits. He had gone wild with death. Blood stiffened his dark fur and stained the pelt that he had lost carelessly in the first of his skirmishes. He was sporting wounds that he couldn't feel and plowing through wave after wave of Mizimu with wild eyes.
It was with an expression befitting madness that he turned and saw the Haruspex charging towards him. A wicked grin plastered over the maw of the unstable king as he realized he was the intended target. With a wave of adrenaline soaring through his veins, he launched forward into a powerful dash. It meant that the space between the charging enemies dwindled quickly and the pair were on a path that would have them meet head on. With a growl rumbling deep in his chest, the king leaped forward and aimed to swipe a heavy paw against Jani's head. The head was always a good place to start - one good blow could make a foe unstable and muddled.
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Posted: Tue Jan 19, 2010 2:22 pm
Contact came much sooner than he'd expected it, and just as he collided with the dhati 'king', Jani realized that perhaps he was a bit stupid and he hadn't preplanned this much at all.
Not only was it obvious that Magadi was much more experienced in battled by the fact he had managed to speed the collision up and thus catch the Haruspex by surprise, but the other male was larger. Not to mention much stronger, and seemed like he was also faster too.
This was a bad idea. It instantly became clear within Jani's head as he tried his best to push the other male's bulk away from him just long enough to land a few hits. Unfortunately, he was so busy trying (and failing) to avoid his opponent's hits, that he wasn't having much luck at attacking. It was almost as if the other lion were lusting for blood, for violence and thrived off of every hit he landed AND recieved. It was making this fight extremely hard for Jani to handle, and soon enough he was trying desperately to evade as much damage as posible while keeping the male right there.
He was still unsure why this place was significant, or why HIM fighting here was significant, but the message had been clear; it was important, imperative for him to be here. He couldn't let the Dhati king advance any further. Blood tickled down his jaws, his own, he realized, but still he gave it his all, "You won't pass, coward! I won't let you!" over his dead body, he thought grimly.
Sad fact was that... he was going to end up dead if he continued this.
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Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2010 9:12 am
The blood that trickled down the fact of his opponent was a sweet, sweet victory for Magadi. He drew in the scent and let it sit on his senses, relishing it. By this point he had landed more blows than he had received and none of his injuries had yet to draw blood - such was a battle with an inexperienced opponent. It was too easy and almost infuriating in a way. Was this the best defense the Mizi had to offer? He had expected much more of a challenge after all of their boasting for so long.
"I'm no coward, little boy," his voice was filled with a mix of mirth and violence, not helping the image of his mental stability, "and you're certainly not the best guard I've ever seen. Sakata's become a little slack with his troops." He spoke, but all the while was circling slowly around the other, backing him up and looking for a good angle. There was no moment wasted, though if he could trick the Mizimu male into thinking so, all the better for him. With a soft growl, Magadi lunged for the exposed side of the Haruspex (a foolish and unsurprisingly amateur mistake). His jaws were parted and readied for a bite, his claws unsheathed and ready to grab hold. If he could push him over with his weight and pin him down, then this poor excuse for a warrior would be done for.
Fatal wounds really weren't that hard to inflict when one knew what to do.
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Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2010 10:27 am
Perhaps the problem lay within the fact he was no warrior. He'd never been a warrior in his life, and hadn't needed to challenge another lion for anything either. Hunting didn't quite count, for even though he'd done his fair share of that, his prey had been vermin and other smaller creatures he could eviscerate. Certainly the vermin had never turned around to attack him as viciously as this male was.
As soon as the 'king' had pulled away, giving Jani time to just briefly regain his bearings, he spat blood on the ground, "I'm not a guard, you bloody brute. I'm not a warrior either," in his mind, the fact he'd risen to the challenge despite that gave him honor - he was ready to die to protect what lay beyond the border. He'd always been more bark than bite, and he'd not been the most easy to get along with, but he still cared rather deeply for the souls that lay to his back - mothers, children, sacrifices. All of them were important and could hardly defend themselves.
Unfortunately for him, he wasn't going to last much longer. Not like this, and not without help. It soon became rather obvious to him that he was going to die out here, violently, painfully and all alone; he was at the mercy for the blood-lusting brute before him. Still, he refused to give in, though he merely had enough time to snarl and meet Magadi's jump halfheartedly.
"It doesn't matter if you win! You're still a coward!" he stated even as he felt claws dig in, and it was only a matter of time before he was sure he'd feel jaws sink into his flesh.
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Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2010 11:14 am
So Sakata's troops were so depleted at this point that he was sending workers to fill the ranks of warriors? Magadi didn't pass up the chance to show off a rather twisted smile, bemused with the thought. If he had been less preoccupied with the matter at hand then he might have even laughed at such an idea. Oh, but how far the Mizimu seemed to have fallen.
Sadly, even that wouldn't spare Jani. Magadi was too wizened to the ways of war and he'd not let a passing comment distract him from his goal. There was only one word flashing through his thoughts as he propelled himself forward closer and closer to his target. Kill.
When claws connected with flesh, a growl of satisfaction rippled through his body. He used his weight to shove the other body down, aided by claws as they dug into flesh. Then he brought his jaws down, clamped them down with full force into the exposed side of his opponent, and snapped his head backwards to effectively rip away at meat and sinew. He spat out blood and meat, his dark face stained beneath the black.
"Cowards don't start wars, or join their warriors on the battlefield" was all he said, but his voice was low and filled with a darkness that was shining through in his eyes. He'd finish the proud b*****d below him and move on, on to more Mizimu, onto more of those heartless devils.
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Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2010 11:24 am
It hurt.
It hurt like a bloody, ********, goddamned b***h. The pain had managed to practically draw away his breath, and he found that drawing air into his lungs was a burning, horrific experience. He couldn't move, he couldn't talk and he couldn't manage to articulate anything beyond a bloodied cough. Despite that, and with the last ounces of strength he had in him, the Haruspex glared at the false king with hatred. It was true no sound escaped him, the process much too painful for him at the moment (his side burned like nothing had ever burned before, and he wasn't even entirely sure all his insides remain inside him - he was too scared to take a peek, and too distracted by the lion that pinned him mercilessly to the floor), but still he managed a soundless whisper.
"Coward," it said without words, because anyone willing to defy their fate, go against the spirits' will just to live out what they thought might be a better life, was a coward in Jani's eyes, "Coward," it didn't matter how many times the other denied it, and even with death looming over him, the Haruspex remain firmly wedged in his beliefs.
He'd done them right, and even if he was scared, he'd done his part. He'd done what he needed to do and had protected what was dear to him. He would die honorably too.
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Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2010 11:59 am
"You forget," comes the bellowing cry, startlingly close, as the massive Warleader comes to the aid of the downed Haruspex, "that only cowards fight against a weaker foe!" With the advantage of surprise on his side, Sakata barrels into the Dhati's flank and knocks him away from Jani before the killing blow can be landed.
There's nothing he can do for the other lion, and even if there was he wouldn't; it's nothing personal. It's just war. The entire battlefield narrows down to this place, this moment, and with his own roar echoing in his ears Sakata rushes forward to follow up on his attack. Heavy paws strike swiftly and surely, battering Magadi around the head and shoulders, beating him back under his relentless attack.
And then suddenly, he stops. Bright eyes narrow as he evaluates the traitor king, and he growls. "Your turn."--fin--
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