[DUEL] (Majuto/Kat)

[Krysin]

Dueling was not Kat's specialty, no one would deny that her strengths lied elsewhere. But it was those strengths that made it easy for Kat to turn the tide of battle in her favor. It seemed shameful not to join in on the festivities considering her position as the Monarch's Soul. She needed to display her strength to give the pride a renewed sense of confidence in her. So, what better opponent to pick than the lion who currently was on a bit of a winning streak?

He had defeated Ebbe, bested a new lioness twice, and then his own brother. She liked to think that by putting herself against Majuto and winning it meant that she was strong enough to beat Ebbe. Of course, she already possessed the knowledge that she was better than the other Viziers... simply because she chose not to be less than them.

"Oh, Majuto! How pleasant it is to speak with you again. You've grown so much since the last time I saw you - though I daresay it is hard to tell with all of that mane where it ends and the lion begins." The last time she had spoken with the lion was when he was nothing more than a cub, with not an ounce of extra fur upon his head. He had left with the Queen when the lands had fallen ill. It was a testament to how long it had taken for the lands to recover, seeing him fully grown now.  

[Krysin]

Majuto was going to die.

It was as if a sharp claw had pierced his heart - the anxiety he felt was that intense. He had beat the Monarch's Claw, yes, but Ebbe did not unsettle him so much as the Monarch's Soul. He understood Ebbe, could read his motivations and intentions. With Kat he could see none of that. The lioness had no real need to duel, yet here she was now. She had sought him out earlier in the day and requested a duel with him.

Majuto knew better than to say no.

Still, she was an unsettling sight without all of her jewels and bones. She was almost embarrassingly bare in preparation for the fight. He did not even know her well enough to want to see another facet of her personality, and he honestly had no idea how this duel would go.

He could easily beat her, yes... but what would happen to him after that?

"Uh... it's an honor, Monarch's Soul." His words shook a little bit - by the ancestors, was he really so intimidated by her?  

[Krysin]

The red lioness watched her opponent with gleaming blue eyes, and for a while they remained like that. It wasn't a typical duel, because while one lion seemed uncertain of how to make a move, the other was content to just wait. Majuto had ran from her the first chance he had gotten during the initial celebration. It was his brother, rather, that was a member of her clergy and the one that held true interest for her. She was content to stand around for as long as it took for her opponent to come to the decision to strike at her.

"Come, Majuto. I am not so scary, am I?" she crooned, a coy smile gracing her features.

"No, of course not," he objected with a flush to his cheeks.

"Then, come at me already. I am tired of waiting."

As her command bid, Majuto sucked in a deep breath and took a cautious step forward. Kat was still sitting down, as if entirely unprepared for whatever assault he had planned for her. So be it. If she wasn't ready then he would just have to attack her and win this quickly. It would be her mistake then. With a roar, he charged forward and closed the gap between them quickly. His paw reached out, claws extended towards her face.

"You know, I wonder if you've asked yourself why I challenged you?"

He stopped dead in his tracks, his arm awkwardly extended towards her but not quite close enough to touch. His red eyes blinked at her, listening, waiting... and afraid. Majuto knew of her abilities, and his mind immediately jumped to a chilling conclusion.

"I... I don't know," he faltered.

"Because, my dear, I already know the results!" she gasped, as if this was some sort of shocking revelation. She put a paw to her chest, feigning surprise.

Then, as if a switch had been turned on she changed her game. She stepped forward and closed the gap between them. "Now, you can make this fight an honorable attempt to beat a lioness you've already lost to... or you can turn tail and run. But that's clearly too shameful for a lion such as yourself!" Smiling, she lifted her paw to embrace his cheek. The sharp pricks of her claws could be felt against his flesh.

Majuto struggled with himself to react - how could he beat a lioness that had already seen her own victory? What was the point of a duel if he was not going to even come close to winning or learning from this? It wasn't as if he could fight against someone who could see the future. She likely knew what he was going to do next.

He felt pain, red hot against his shoulder. The world came crashing back towards reality, reminding him that he was in the middle of a fight with the Monarch's Soul and he hadn't so much as touched her yet. Her strike was sound enough to knock some sense into him. He came back at her with a growl, claws and teeth bared.

He struck back at her, claws just reaching her flank.

But the fight was brief, and all the sudden he found himself on his back against the ground. Blinking up, vision was clouded by blood and a little bit of shame.

"See, dear? I told you I would win." The red lioness' words chimed sweetly above him.

She had won.

(WC: 1006)