The cheetah moved with an air of dignity around him, though it was undeserved. Shambe was anything but a gentleman, and recent excursions had only reinforced the mentality that lead his lifestyle. Sure, he had had a momentary lapse over a very gullible leopardess and he may have even found himself pitying for a short time, but that time was over. He was strong, he was confident, and he would come out on top. As always.
Always, it seemed, had not predicated itself on the size of the opponent life was about to throw. Mkhai was in a rare sour mood, torn up with himself for his unintentional bullying of a small lioness just a few days ago. He hadn’t been purposeful in his actions, surely no one would hold it against him. No, no one would even have to know. He resolved himself to this hidden agenda as he loped on through the desert, pushing the event out of his mind.
Shambe had never been the best at picking targets, he had a nasty case of underestimating others, especially those that were not cheetahs. This was the unfortunate thought that reached his mind as he noticed the dark lion coming into sight ahead of him. They were not walking parallel paths, rather the lion seemed to be listless, unsure of where his destination lay. Excellent. He sped up, reaching a good proximity with little effort. “Why you must be just sweltering under all that fluff and fur!” he laughed, tossing his mane back with as much charm as he could muster. It was all about the first impression, and he wished this big wall of meat to think him a friend, for now at any rate.
Mkhai raised a brow curiously, taking in the appearance of his new companion. “Doubtful as much as you are beneath that silly bit of metal,” he snapped back, gesturing to the cheetah’s tail cuff, “I’ve grown accustomed to my own.” He belly swayed as he walked, a teasing reminder that he was indeed a good hunter, if not a good fighter as well.
The cheetah was not discouraged and took the insult in stride, keeping step now to make sure he did not get too close. “I’d say it’s made you quite… Bloated perhaps?” he teased, darting in for a moment to poke at the lion’s belly with a paw, “Or maybe I’ve simply come to late to hunt in this area.”
Mkhai growled low, keeping one eye turned to the sly beast, “It’s unwise to be a nuisance to one you do not know.” He was careful to add a bit of aggression to this, more so than he usually would have offered for a nonlion. For the most part he viewed them as a nonthreat, but there was something about this male that got under his skin, irritated him at his very core.
Shambe backed off for a moment to consider the warning before he darted back in to begin again, “True, true, I do not know you,” he admitted, a jokester’s tone in his voice, “But I do know I could outrun you two steps to one.” He laughed high at this, tossing his head back. It was always so fun to mess with lions, particularly those who, like this one, had let themselves go in their smug satisfaction.
It was hard to provoke Mkhai, but this seemed to have done the trick. In his homeland it was a great insult to belittle another male, particularly if you had never gone toe to toe with him. He snarled now, stopping abruptly in his tracks. “Watch yourself cheetah, you’ve gone further than my patience allows,” he rumbled, blue eyes blazing with an uncommon anger.
Shambe took a step back, gauging his chances. He could run, certainly, unquestionably. It was worth it, he needed the entertainment and he sure wasn’t going to find a better target any time soon in this blasted desert. “You know, I don’t think it’s a question of your patience,” he argued, “But mine, since I believe I’m the one leading the conversation here. I beg a question of you then,” he paused, wiggling his brows, “Do you find it worth expending all that dragging fat energy to chase me? Or will you simply lay down like the lazy bum you are and whine about it?” The cheetah enjoyed pushing his limits, particularly in situations where he felt he had nothing to lose.
If there was one problem that others had with the males of the Ongo, it was to underestimate them. Mkhai lunged forward, clipping the cheetah with one massive paw. He stood his ground then, huffing more from his emotions than from the physical exertion. “I whine about nothing. I am lazy about nothing,” he spat, “I am strong as my father was strong, and you won’t be leaving here until you know that through and through.”
Shambe panicked as the paw came down on his shoulder. The pain was something new for him, the sheer force of it outmatching many of the small scuffles he had endured in his lifetime of being a pest. His smile vanished, replaced my a raw grimace as he began to back away. “It was only a joke, surely you’ve the brains to understand a joke.”
Mkhai offered a wry smile in return, realizing that the cheetah had caught on to the reality of the situation. He did not often fight outside of pridal matches, and perhaps he was a little out of shape now, but the thrill had returned all the same. “Perhaps I don’t,” he scoffed, taking a few slow steps toward Shambe, “Perhaps I’m just a lazy idiot all full of anger and wanting somewhere to throw it all.”
The cheetah swallowed roughly, glancing over his shoulder for the path of least resistance. “Well then,” he said in a wavering voice as he turned to run, “Best of luck in finding somewhere.” With that he took off in a full sprint, hoping he could sustain it until the beast had dropped off.
Mkhai was not that easy to lose. He followed Shambe at a steady, though a bit slower, pace for a long time, ignoring the burn in his chest that began only minutes after they had taken off. He couldn’t keep this up forever but then, neither could the cheetah. “Oh I’ve found it,” he called back, pushing himself to a final sprint before he leapt into the air claws bared.
It was only quick thinking that allowed Shambe to spin and escape the full force of the blow. The claws raked down against his haunches, deeper on the left than on the right but painful on both nonetheless. He whimpered as he collapsed in the dirt, staring up at the dark lion’s blue eyes, now filled with an odd sort of pity. “I… I,” he fumbled for the words, covering his face as best he could, “I apologize.”
“What’s that?” Mkhai asked snidely, pausing with a paw midair over the cheetah’s face. He had no outward desire to disfigure him, an apology was all he required to know that the fight was won. “Say it again, with heart this time.”
“I apologize,” Shambe begged sincerely, shivering as the dirt dug itself into his wounded side, “I apologize, leave me be.” His voice quaked and a newfound fear was visible in his eyes. This fat old lion had beaten him, beaten him! Not simply out paced him but beat him about the side like a buffalo.
Mkhai offered a nod of acknowledgment, backing off. “When you get up, if you can, turn the other way and do not look back,” he barked as he turned back to face the direction from which they had come. This was enough of a diversion from his journey home, he certainly didn’t need to have this irritating brat come up on him again.
Shambe watched as the lion walked away. So casual, as if fights were an every day occurrence! His heart thumped in his throat. Should keep better company, definitely better company. Perhaps he’d find a female that would bear him a few strong cubs. Then at least he’d have something else to throw at brutes like this.
