[CHAL] Warrior (Mkhai x Sabia)

[Krysin]

He was here.

Mkhai had managed to make the rest of the way to the Myrsky Syntynyt on his own. It was a small miracle that he did not use his abilities to propel himself forward through space. But, the god had convinced himself that if he were to investigate the pride, he would do it as a mortal. No longer could he use his awe-inspiring presence to get his way. Releasing the illusion of mortality had been enough to convince one lion to take him most of the way to the pride.

He had already forgotten the lion's name, even his features. None of it mattered to Mkhai. Mortals had rarely interested him enough, and rather it was the idea of this pride here that had drawn him in.

In reality, Mkhai had no idea what he was getting himself into. That alone was exiting, but he knew little of the pride and its customs, only that it housed strong, fearless warriors. As the God of Warriors, it was easy to see why Mkhai had decided to check in. Perhaps his previous incarnations had been involved with the pride, but he had no idea.

The pride was situated perfectly with sheer cliffs at its back. A strategic location that Mkhai could appreciate. He stood now too far away to see the rock edge crumble off. No, he didn't dare enter the pride until he had earned the right. The idea was a little distasteful. He was a god, he should not have to exclude himself from any place.

But, he was convinced to follow mortal rules.

So, he roared his challenge, a deep, bellowing rumble of his voice. It was a little larger than life. Everything about Mkhai was just off. His mortal illusion was still too big, and every now and then hints of his godhood would slip free. He was terrible at hiding at who he was, but for now he was holding the illusion masterfully together.  

[Ctrl F Greenie]

The crimson lioness had stepped away from the celebrations and news just to have a moment to herself. Captain. That was her title now as bestowed upon her by Zjarri`fol who had now taken hold of the title Warlord. Sabia`deimos had never know pride in titles for this or that - heck, she had been Queen! But the conversation held so much merit when her blue companion had taken her aside and offered her the role. If it had been anyone else she'd have likely laughed them off, but Zjarri was choosing her knowing everything that she had done. The amount of trust in an act like that was inspiring.

Roar...

A sound like no other echoed throughout the borders and likely much farther passed. Truthfully she hadn't realized just how far she had gone when she first peered about. Then it hit her that she was at the prides borders. And that sound? Likely a challenger waiting to be appeased - it had been several moons since she had done something so simple as to just challenge an opposing rogue. It sparked something in her that put a push on her step towards the sound.

"My, my..." The lioness cooed at the fairly large and unusual male that had been bellowing. "That voice of yours is going places, but are you?" Her tone was pleasant enough, but carried layers of threat. Size hadn't bothered her, not even in her youth as she challenged the lioness the skull and pelt belonged too. A roll of her shoulders flashed the garment and her golden eyes narrowed slightly as she awaited some form of response.

Krysin

 

[Krysin]

"Always." It could seem as a vague answer, but it spoke magnitudes of what Mkhai was about. He was always pushing forward from one challenge to the next, from one indulgence to another. Mkhai was a lion unaccustomed to rest, and that was just one of many reasons why he found himself at this pride's borders.

He matched his gaze to the lioness' own, emerald eyes against amber. She clearly had to be wearing trophies of past victories, but he had to wonder if they had any practical use besides showing off her achievements. It was impressive, however. The way the skull was fastened to her face was a minor marvel and the pelt draped across her pelt clearly had belong to some unfortunate soul. "You must be strong." Mkhai seemed pleased by this. Strength saw no gender - either one was strong or one was weak.

Mortals were inherently weak in comparison to gods, but on a level playing field he was intrigued to see how far these creatures could go. "I would have you receive my challenge. I am interested in this pride, and I will not be turned away." He was trying to be polite, showing her that he was interested in her strength and skill.

But... he also came off as very demanding. His manners were, quite frankly, ******** terrible.

The black and blue lion took a step towards her, keeping his posture low to the ground. The lower his center of gravity was, the better he would be at taking hits and holding his ground. He could not rely on his godhood here.

Ctrl F Greenie

 

[Ctrl F Greenie]

Short and sweet, just the answer she liked to receive. Had her eyes mistaken her? Would this individual simply want to get down to business? Excitement rippled through the lioness fiercely as they babbled on. That ripple ended with her claws unsheathing and burrowing into the soft soil beneath her paws. The excitment flourished as his eyes went from hers and followed the trace of her mask, too the drape of pelt. Pride swelled within her to the point where she couldn't help the smile that grew - though it looked a small amount insane with her furrowed brows.

"I am." She admitted without shame. Even a loss in one of these challenges was a win - there were always tactics to be learned. "I've won a battle or two in my day." She remarked mildly. "I'll receive your challenge gladly." His confidence was impressive and only pushed her further to pursue and enjoy the challenge - though one could argue her head was likely in the clouds.

She followed suit with him in lowering herself, bringing balance to her stance. Feeling her muscles curl in on themselves and adjust to the motion was exhilarating. Sabia breathed in, then out and repeated the process for a moment before her heart slowed. Excitement aside she was a fairly decent fighter - this challenge would get the same attention as others.

Krysin

 

[Krysin]

Mkhai evaluated his opponent in silence for just a few seconds longer. It wasn't like he had ignored her the moment she had shown up. Rather, he watched her approach with purpose. Once one knew their opponent, it was easier to defeat them. She seemed to be a cunning lioness, and perhaps relied on her wits just as much as her strength. His best bet in this circumstance was just to overwhelm her with brute force. He was a much larger lion, and few others could compare to him in size. The illusion reflected this, even if he was confined to more realistic measurements. Every inch of him was solid muscle. Physically, he had the edge on Sabia.

He just hoped she could prove that brute strength wasn't all that it would take to defeat her. He needed to draw it out of her, all of her potential. He wanted to fight her at her best.

The large lion charged forward with a burst of energy to engage in a head-on clash with the lioness. There was no subtlety about his actions, no cunning machinations. It was just pure strength. If she could not even handle this, he wasn't sure the pride was worth it. He attempted then to collide into her, to use all of his weight and force to push her back and throw her down.

He hoped she could stop him.

Ctrl F Greenie

 

[Ctrl F Greenie]

The silence wasn't taken for anything more than what it was - evaluation. She had never witnessed such a studious opponent and if she were asked she would have said that it took her a moment to adjust. Something about this 'rogue' was different and much more strategic. Color her impressed. Golden eyes widened with surprise as things shifted in an instant and he was charging at her.

This was he rogue she had anticipated.

"Ah." She let out a soft sigh and narrowed her golden eyes. These moments always seemed to slow down for her and if she hadn't been hidden behind a mask he would have seen her smile. Joining the Stormborn had done a number of things for her, but mostly it gave her a chance to fight - she too was strategic. Appreciating the brute strength was something she did quite often, but truthfully her fighting style was more appreciated by females.

The charge was single minded, in her opinion. Typically a charge had one path and it honed in on a single target, true she was a single target and it should have been a methodical attack, but in having previous experiences with them she chose to dodge. The dodge was carried to her left and away from the attack. It was smooth and thoughtless as she took herself out of harms way and pivoted so that she could run at him.

Krysin

 

[Krysin]

Excellent!

For a moment Mkhai allowed his concentration to slip, but it wasn't when Sabia dodged him. Rather it was the moment after she had dodged him. He allowed himself to be mildly impressed by the little show of skill. It was the best course of action she could have taken. She was smaller, and far more nimble than he. There was no way she could withstand a charge especially with his momentum carrying him. The fight could have been over instantly if she hadn't reacted appropriately.

Sabia could very well prove that there was hope for this pride.

For Mkhai, this wasn't so much a test of his own prowess, as it was a test of her's. In this moment, she was the symbol of the pride. Only if she was worthy then could he prove himself the same.

She would be coming at him now, and Mkhai snapped back into focus in time to receive her charge. He could have done anything to dodge it, but instead braced himself for her blow because he could take it. The closer she was to him, the better. His strength would inevitably outlast her own. If she was foolish enough to challenge his strength, he would consider his victory swift.

He twisted to face her in time, outstretching a paw that if she finished her charge, would claw into her shoulder and grab onto her.

Ctrl F Greenie

 

[Ctrl F Greenie]

When she finally caught sight of the movements from her opponent she could swear she had seen a sparkle in his eye suggesting praise? Who was proving their worth to who here? Her curiosity could only last for so long before her forward momentum caused her some trouble.

Her body didn't crumple at striking him persay, but it did react as though she were hitting a fairly fluffy wall. Impressive. Sabia had been so distracted by the form she hit that she barely felt the hot burn of claw contact. Realization hit her a few strides too late of getting out of the range of his grab.

Crap..

In fear of mangling her shoulder she didn't fight that hard for freedom. Being this up close and personal wasn't all bad, but it could mean terrible things for her smaller frame. She was eye to eye with the beast now and found herself glaring, but she still wore a grin beneath her mask. Win or lose she was happiest in battle.

"You're a fast one." She said in a near whisper. "What grip you have." She admired. Recognizing someone's strengths was vital, he would make a valuable member of the pride and her own band if she could convince him. But this was where her skull became useful as she leaned back slightly and then brought her head crashing down to meet his. Just enough to stun a regular lion, but she wasn't sure how well it would work on this one.

Krysin

 

[Krysin]

A smug smirk almost appeared to be a blemish across his normally stern face. The look didn't suit him, but it conveyed everything he felt in the moment he had sunk his claws into Sabia. She was trapped - struggle too hard to escape and her shoulder would be turn. Give in now and it would almost be a shameful loss, a battle ended too soon between two warriors. Mkhai wanted to have more faith in her, that she would make the right decision. Fight on, despite what pain one endured, despite all the losses burdening one's shoulder.

It was the philosophy he wanted to live by, though he had experienced no true loss yet. Mkhai thought he was just too good to lose anything valuable to him. He really possessed nothing of value, and as of now had no attachments to anyone.

He did, however, have a lioness in his grasp who had a decision to make. It was a decision that he hadn't predicted. "Don't let me break you," he had purred confidently, and then the psycopath had knocked her head into his.

He may be a god, but that didn't mean he was impervious to pain. He didn't experience it to the same degree, simply because he was made of tougher stuff. But he was shocked enough to loosen his grip on her, and it hurt enough to make his head bounce back from the impact and leave a headache.

What was that?

He winced a little bit, and seemed more inconvenienced by her blow than actually hurt. "That was smart," he muttered, and shook his head to help alleviate the discomfort. Mkhai took a step forward then, refusing to back down to her, but he had to admit he was curious now to how she would follow up such an attack.

She had achieved her goal of breaking free, but would she dare to tangle with him again?

Ctrl F Greenie

 

[Ctrl F Greenie]

Holy s**t. That wasn't very clever of me...

Truthfully she had never used such a tactic on anyone before and so the result had been a surprise to both of them. The skull, she had thought, would protect her from some of the blow back but not quite. Her head thrummed with the echos of a headache blooming and she could swear that there were suddenly two lions in front of her, not one. Fortunately the hit wasn't a total loss and she found herself freed from his grasp. In her daze she fought to keep herself standing and focused on her breathing.

She didn't have long to get her bearings straight when her golden hued eyes flicked upwards to see her opponent edging towards her again. "Damn it." She muttered under her breath, he was definitely fierce competition that she hadn't expected from a rogue born individual.

"Where do you hail from?"

Sabia`deimos returned to an appropriately balanced stance and reviewed her opponent once more. He was worth knowing. She'd have to bring him to Zjarri right away before he got scooped up by some other warband. "You've more than proven yourself." Likely to his disappointment she was calling it an end. The point of the challenge was to see a lions worth and she had seen all she needed too, but her curisoity was what brought on the question. Where in all of the roguelands had he had his training? How had he become so tough? Colliding with him had been like running herself to the walls of the cliffside.

Krysin

 

[Krysin]

The question stopped his approach, and the large lion halted mid-step to cast a briefly curious look at Sabia. Crap. He hadn't thought that far ahead. Mkhai could continue to dodge questions like these, but it wouldn't take long before someone was determined enough to get a definitive answer. The silence between them lasted too long, and he somewhat hoped she just chalked it up to him being sensitive about where he had come from.

Lying wasn't his strong suit, and so he stuck as close to the truth as possible for his own sanity. "A small land we commonly refer to as the Haven." Belief in gods was never universal, or even widespread. So he hoped no one could make proper connections to figure out who he actually was. He genuinely wanted to try and play this out as a mortal.

Belatedly, he realized that it didn't sound like a place that a strong lion would be from. Damn.

Even more belatedly, in the time it took to come up with a lie, the fight was over. He felt a little disappointed it had ended so soon, but he was sure there were more battles to win. He wanted to tell her that it hadn't been enough, that he hadn't nearly proven himself yet. But really, he just wanted to see what else she could do. He wanted to keep his adrenaline pumping. "I see." He did sound disappointed. It was as if Sabia had snatched away his only joy and told him he couldn't play with it anymore.

Ctrl F Greenie

 

[Ctrl F Greenie]

Beneath her mask Sabia felt her brows raise in question as a silence took over the pair. Not that they had been particularly chatty during the challenge, but still there was a question looming between them.

"The Haven?"

She relaxed her stance and peered at him curiously. A place by the name of 'Haven' held warriors of this caliper and he had left? Why would he have done something like that? Also why on earth would they call it the Haven. Her mind was a whir withe unanswered questions that she happily kept to herself. There was very little purpose in asking them anyway.

"I would like you to meet the Warlord though, come this way." Non-challantly she brought up meeting Zjarri. "Her name is Zjarri`fol." If she had put some thought into her suggestion she would have actually given him a series of explanations on how to address the situation, but instead she entirely forgot about the formalities. "Don't worry, you'll see more battle soon." She had heard the disappointment and it made her smile, he was in for a treat among the tough members of the pride. Not to mention he would eventually go on his first viking - she was sure of it.

Without another second wasted she turned tail and began heading towards the Warlords den entirely expecting that he would follow.

Krysin

 

[Krysin]

Oh no, she didn't believe him. Mkhai tried not to let the worry slip into his expression. If she didn't believe him now, then looking like he was concerned over his explanation would definitely ensure she called him out on his lie. "Yes?" he replied, as if he was curious why she would even have to ask for clarification.

When she decided to take him to the Warlord, he really was convinced she didn't believe him. He barely managed to keep the stoic expression up. He had to play along, no matter what, and since she hadn't questioned him more closely he had to assume she didn't truthfully care about where he was from. What was more important now for him was to focus on this upcoming meeting. Mkhai had to be absolutely sure of himself so that he wouldn't make stupid mistakes in front of his new pride.

"Okay," he consented to the meeting, though he wasn't really sure he had much of a choice. Sabia was already leading the way even without Mkhai immediately behind her. He hesitated for a moment, and then followed after the red lioness. After all, she had promised him that more fights were on the way. He couldn't say no to her now.

(( fin ))