[DUEL] Show me what you've got!

[Light Atago]

Aquila was not overly fond of long breaks between her scheduled training sessions with her fellow soldiers. She relished in the battle, and every moment spent on these sands she could feel her claws yearning for more and more. The pain of her muscles, bruises and cuts earned during spars, even the pangs of hunger felt after expending so much energy proved to her that she was vibrantly alive. Alive and powerful, becoming more and more unstoppable by the day. Times spent between trainings were usually spent refueling and recharging, just in time for more.

This was not the case today. She had had a scheduled training this morning at dawn, and she would not have another until dusk! She had had her water, she had eaten her share… And now that the heat of the day was coming, she found shade cast by a rock in the sand and plopped down fairly ungracefully.

Her mind turned to her time here, as it so often did in her wiling hours. She had absolutely made the right decision. This lifestyle suited her best, and the best part of it was that there were no negative reactions from her fellow Firekin for living this way. In fact, many admired her dedication to the battle. She appreciated that more than she could say.

She had accomplished much since she had arrived, she had grown immensely… But there was one thing she had not done that many others had. She had to find herself a worthwhile male first, so thoughts of the end result would need to wait until after she had met that milestone… Yes, that would be a successful venture if she was involved, and it couldn't be too hard to find a free male who would be willing to help her reach the goal.

Andranis

 

[Andranis]

Luut's mind was on other things. The rains had been some time ago, and the water had begun to dry up. It was predictable, after all, in a desert. The bone-marked lion let out a breath as he walked, pale eyes glancing at this and that. They passed over multiple lionesses, and while his mind DID go to such places, he knew they wouldn't have a thing to do with him. After all... Who wanted to be with a mute lion? He did his best to be good at everything he could, to make up for it, but nobody outside his cousins gave him the time of day... And they usually had those abhorant reptiles with them. A shudder ran up his dark-tinged spine as he made a face thinking about them.

At the lion's paws was a jackal. While most lions didn't give the 'lesser creatures' of the desert a second thought, the canid had attached to the lion because of his muteness. Where Luut didn't speak, Moesashi certainly DID, and the jackal's seer abilities were a silent help for the water seeker. Not that the jackal would TELL anybody... Not that anybody'd listen, either.

His ears flicked back a moment, before he noticed a group of lionesses passing.. And the very clear snub they gave Luut. "You need a girlfriend, buddy.." He looked at the silent lion, who scowled at him and gave him a look that spoke volumes. "Or at least a night with a lioness... SOMETHING to make up for... Everything..." He stopped and pointed toward Aquila. "What about her? She's a new-blood, maybe SHE'LL give you a chance!"

The red lion snorted, then prepared to swat the jackal... When it ran off.. He hurried after it, a look of horror on his face. Though he couldn't actually say the words, his mouth made the motions of 'no no no no no!' while he ran.

"Hey, you! Um... Aquila! What would it take, to spend some quality time with my buddy, Luut here?" He prepared to ask more, only for a massive paw to come down and shove his face into the sand.

Light Atago

I'm so sorry about that! ;; Have a text wall to make up for it?

 

[Light Atago]

Aquila's ear twitched as she swatted off a fly, her mind wandering as her muscles yearned for yet more action. She had almost not noticed the small black canine heading her way… Or rather, she had noticed, but decided he had not been worth much of her attention. Until he reached her, that was.

She turned her sky-blue eyes to meet the canine's rubies, and gave him her typical eagle-like stare as he spoke to her. The pale lioness did not answer him with anything more than that. She began to rise as his face was shoved into the ground. Without a change in her demeanor, Aquila raised her eyes quickly and looked over the lion before her. Luut… She was quite sure she had seen him around, though she would not have been able to place his name with his face without the jackal's help. She did not know much about him, other than what the others said of him… That he was mute, and the jackal was his tongue. Her mind was still lingering lightly on her previous thoughts on a potential father for her cubs. Luut, a mute? Hmmm… Not so much, perhaps.

However, she was reminded by the tension in her muscles of her… other desire. A call to action, to arms.

She spoke not to the jackal, but to the lion, her face suddenly ablaze with the excitement of friendly competition. It was clear her sudden change was not from a desire to drive him away. "I do not have training until sunset, yet it's still early in the day. Duel with me, show me what kind of fire's in you!"

Aquila launched herself forward with a large initial boost of energy towards the red lion, ignoring now the little jackal who may be underfoot. Her paws slid a little into the sand- an unintended side effect from her practice this morning. Her attack would be weaker than it should have been, but it was too late to change it. She closed the gap and tried to give him a blow to the shoulder with her right paw.

Andranis

Tag! I don't know if editing quotes gives you a notification. XDDDD

 

[Andranis]

The jackal let out a surprised yip, ducking out of the way. After a quick scan, he found a spot to sit down and watch, red eyes ablaze and dancing as he focused on the two lions, ears erect and pointed while his tail curled around his dark body. Hopefully, his companion lion would do well! Whatever her goal was, Luut had to prove himself worthy despite his disability.

Though his face pulled into a fierce snarl, no sound came from the bright red lion as he dodged the swat. He shot an angry look after the jackal, then looked back at Aquila. She wanted to know what kind of fire was in him? So be it! He couldn't talk, but fire didn't always crackle as it danced and ate the land. Sometimes it was silent in its deadly march.

As he moved, a large, dark-red-tipped paw shot up, smacking at the pale lioness' shoulder. He would prove himself, not try, but he WOULD. For a lion with any kind of disability, there was no TRYING, there was only DOING.

Light Atago

(Ahahaha... Finally rolling tagging! iFail)

 

[Light Atago]

Aquila's blow missed, but not entirely. She may have scraped a few strands of fur off Luut's shoulder. She scoffed at herself in her head, knowing that she would need to analyze how he had managed to predict that attack later. She knew immediately though, that she should not have charged as quickly and powerfully as she did. She had too much momentum for these sands, attempting to turn or dodge his oncoming attack would result in her paws sweeping out from under her, and in the end her on her side in the sand, at best.

Not a good position. She had no other options. Aquila mentally braced as she skidded in the sands trying to stop herself, but she could do nothing to physically brace herself from the impact of his blow. He hit her shoulder hard, with impressive power that sent her stumbling off at a diagonal away from him. She grimaced as a result, but it was more than that. If one looked closely, you could see a grin of satisfaction hidden, underlying that grimace.

She had never known he had this sort of power, though she had seen him about and knew his reputation. Aquila had discounted the fire-toned lion because she knew he was mute. Could she… Perhaps she had been wrong? She could not decide on one blow alone, but the small question had popped up in the back of her mind.

She took a moment to regain her footing before she came at him again. Because of the blow, she had a deal of distance between her and him. Aquila moved in again with speed, but not as much as last time. A manageable amount was much better; she stopped in front of him and gave a quick small hop sideways, hopefully it had been unexpected. If he had been planning a blow, she hoped he would have targeted where her charge ended, not slightly off to the side. She lifted a paw from here and gave the most powerful stationary swat she could muster, aimed at his shoulder once more. She didn't have the momentum of her body behind the blow to add power, but maybe that was a good thing.

Andranis

Tag! :3

 

[Andranis]

There was, to his notice, power enough in her blow. When her paw hit his shoulder, there was a visible recoil to the male's step, before he rose up on his hind paws like he'd seen the prey beasts do many times in their spars. When out looking for water, he'd often stop and watch their battles, spending hours in the burning sun just to see it. To Luut, it was a spectacle to behold. Now he applied some of their actions, as he brought both front paws down.

And missed gloriously. While the lioness was quick enough to have avoided him, the sand hadn't been so lucky, and the momentum and force of impact sent sand flying in all directions. When the particles settled, he looked around, letting out a huff of air as he looked for - There she was!

On the sides, Moesashi stood up, tail up as he cheered, "That was amazing, Luut! Did you SEE that sand FLY?!" His companion lion hadn't hit the lioness, but the show was still impressive! When the red lion shot him a hard glare, the black canid sat back down, ears folding back. Words weren't needed for the reprimand to keep his long mouth shut.

Light Atago

Tag!

 

[Light Atago]

It may have been that Aquila was aware of the type of impact his hit had had on the earth, or perhaps the sand, or perhaps even the feeling was genuine- Aquila swore she could feel the earth quake. The red lion had indeed impressed her and surpassed the light lioness' expectations. It would have been a crushing blow had it connected.

She decided now to try to swing around to his side and pull one of her favorite moves, try to get him off balance by striking his side. She decided to immediately imitate him, she reared on her hind legs and found that there was more to this than could meet the eye- she was unpracticed at it for starters, and secondly, she found her movements slow… Too slow. And very easy to dodge. She kicked herself mentally for trying something new in the middle of a sparring match.

Andranis

Tagback! :3

 

[Andranis]

Luut saw the impending attack and rolled out of the way. When he sprang to his paws, albeit slowly, he set to pacing around Aquila, looking for an opening. She was good... She was REALLY good. Of course, any new-blood lions HAD to be, to prove their worth of even getting into the pride. He let out a snort, one of the few sounds the bone-marked male EVER made since it wasn't tied to his vocal capabilities, and picked up the pace of his circling. It was another tactic he'd seen prey beasts use, though mostly the swifter ones. Not the gemsbok of the desert, but the zebras of the plains. Part of its purpose, he'd figured, was to show their muscles off, try and keep their fights from coming to blows, since unlike lions... Zebras didn't have the same structure to their herds that allowed healers to exist.

At the side, Moesashi's ears went forward, as he rose up onto his paws, watching. He didn't provide commentary this time as the lioness tried the same rearing tactic as Luut had used, to far less impressive results. Red eyes danced back and forth, watching one lion and then the other. It was a moment that made him wish he was a lion, big and strong and able to send sand flying with a strong impact. He felt so small, a jackal amid the red giants of the desert, but no less impressed.

Light Atago

 

[Light Atago]

Aquila watched him pacing around her, altering his pacing. She, however, decided to stand still, only turning on the spot, her face staying in his direction. While he had snorted, Aqui was not as quiet- the lioness snarled a great snarl before letting out a roar. Both were posturing for the moment, she in response to his muscled form, pacing with a particular sense of confidence, it seemed, around her. She, responding to that, trying to show that she had what it took to match him. No. Best him. It would be a well earned victory if she pulled it off, he was a strong specimen. She had forgotten in the most instinctual part of her mind that she was thinking about the mute lion, Luut. Who she would not have had the time of day for. Instead, she was thinking of the crimson lion before her, who she had never heard of before and who had no reputation but that which he was earning for himself right now.

Enough waiting, and enough posturing. Aquila feigned a quick motion to pace with him, heading incidentally right towards Moesashi before kicking off more directly to Luut. She had given the little jackal a glance before she made her move- it was he who had brought this worthy opponent to her. Maybe the small amount of gratitude that she had allowed to show in her eyes had transferred to him. If he had not caught it, though… His loss.

She blazed across the sands towards Luut and lunged to bite his shoulder. She would need to hold back her fangs, but she would not give up the entire effectiveness to the blow. She needed to show her power while keeping in mind that this was a fellow Firekin she was dueling, not some rogue.

Andranis

Le tag!

 

[Andranis]

The two were circling... The black canid lay down, letting out a wide yawn before continuing to watch. This was already taking forever... It felt like they'd been dueling for months, neither one budging or giving up... Or moving. Especially... "Luut, will you make your MOVE already?! There's lions dying of old age over the next dune waiting for you to do something, I'm sure of it!"

He shot the jackal a particularly nasty look, before looking back at Aquila. The bone-marked red lion stopped his pacing, crouching down for a moment. His next move had to be calculated... Carefully planned... Carefully timed... He saw what he perceived to be his opportunity and jumped forward, charging and taking a swipe... Only to miss. The lion let out a frustrated sound, one of the few sounds he made, before shooting his companion a glare.

"Bravo, Luut, just AMAZING skill there!" The dog sat up, then leaned back, lifting his front legs up and clapping his paws. "I think I felt the wind from here, too!"

Light Atago

Holy wow I am horrible ;; I kept staring at this going "I need to reply" and my muse would scamper off somewhere else gonk

 

[Light Atago]

Aquila felt a breeze too- he had moved with such power that anyone could. Whether the jackal actually had or not she did not know, nor did she care right now. He put a massive amount of power behind his blows. She focused more on a balance between speed and power, closer to the speedy side. She was not as strong as some males, she could not put pure strength into every blow. She could do a fair amount, however.

The lioness darted quickly along the sands and redoubled her efforts; Aqui leapt at him from an angle to give the crimson lion a shove- the kind of push that had so much power in the two small spaces her paws occupied that it would have hurt- perhaps bruised. And certainly knock off balance.

With all of her might, and the full weight of her body behind it, Aquila aimed to show this lion her own strength. This was more than training- it was speaking the basest, most deep language of the Firekin. A language that she, having been born a rogue, finally came to understand. Sometimes words were not needed to communicate...

Andranis

Still up for this? Just checking :3

 

[Andranis]

With as much of a snarl as he could muster, one of the few sounds Luut made, he tumbled in the sand. His paws were quickly under his body, pushing him back up to stand. Shifting, he rolled his shoulder, a twinge of pain passing over his face. Not that he could actually speak to admit it, the impact had hurt, and in his tumble he was sure he'd hurt something else. He wouldn't let it stop him, though, as he shifted and charged at her, taking a swipe. He missed spectacularly as he placed his weight on the leg with the painful shoulder and he collapsed, sliding through the sand a couple feet.

On the sidelines, the jackal began laughing, rolling onto his back and holding his stomach with his hind paws in the air. "Oh, that was GREAT! Great job, Luut! REALLY great job!" He got up, wiping a paw to brush a tear away. "But I think the fine lady has beaten you." Lifting his front paws and sitting back, Moesashi began clapping. "You put on a great fight!"

Light Atago

Ahahaha... Finally rolling tagging! iFail Though now to see how the whole "Firekin failed the purge" thing plays out :c

 

[Light Atago]

Aquila padded up to Luut once the sands had settled, looking down at him with a softened expression on her face. "I might have won this one, but I had to earn it. You're pretty good," she said, with even a smile! Yes, if it suited him, she had needed to put enough work into this fight, Luut could definitely hold his own. And though he was a mute, he seemed to have great characteristics beyond this one flaw. Nobody was perfect, but he was pretty close.

The steely nature of the lioness was still softened as she spoke, "I hope to see you around, Luut." She moved to pass them on her way to her dens. "Jackal," she said with a courteous nod to Moesashi as she passed. She didn't know his name, but perhaps she would learn it in the near future.

Andranis