The lion he chose to call out today was... older. Older than Father for sure, but that was not enough for the young prince to write him off. The scars are what changed his mind. A lion of that ages which such scars was surely battle-minded, else he would have been consumed by the stronger. That was how the world worked. The strong ruled and the weak served. He was one of the strong, naturally, but his own born talents would not be enough in the battles to come.

We are going to battle, he said, demanding as always. And you are going to teach me new techniques.

So it was settled then.

Drauhir vs @Seraphiel
For Dominance
0/3

ART BY SCARF, CODE BY DEE

He didn't descend from the Summit very often these days, but when he did he often gravitated towards the Pit. Not to fight himself, but to watch others do so. He was getting a bit up in years to be fighting himself, and he knew it, though he wouldn't hesitate to do so should his family be in danger. It seemed, though, that others didn't think he was past his fighting prime, if the young male that approached was anything to go by. Good lord, that made him feel older somehow.

Seraphiel raised an eyebrow in pointed silence at the boy's demand. He was lucky that age and experience and love had tempered his... well, temper, and training. Had he made that same demand of Seraphiel when he was also two... Oof.

Instead, a chuckle left him as he rose from where he was lounging in the shade, drawing himself to his full and still imposing height. Perhaps he would have been more enthusiastic had he realized the boy's lineage, of distant relation to the king and queen he had once so dutifully served.

You will learn, he agreed in a low rumble, though just what he would learn remained to be seen. Perhaps it would be some skill in battle, or a particular move, or even not to make demands of those older and bigger than him. Perhaps not that last, though, as Seraphiel knew his own victory was no certain thing.

He came at the boy quickly, attempting to turn slightly at the last moment and ram his right shoulder into him, entirely willing to use the hundred odd pounds he had over him in an effort to test his balance and stance.

Seraphiel vs. @Drauhir ♔
for Dominance
Round 1 / 3
Hits:

Rolling 7d20: 2 + 20 + 6 + 19 + 8 + 13 + 11

Dodges:

Rolling 4d20: 14 + 16 + 13 + 17

Luck:

Rolling 5d20: 10 + 8 + 16 + 15 + 17

ART BY IRISH / CODING BY SENTINEL

lila knew that he went often to the pit. on her part she had avoided it so far, preferring to focus her skills elsewhere. fighting had never much appealed to her, no matter the training she'd had in her youth, born to a family that valued it so highly. dalila had learned much of the other ways to harm, and trusted that those skills could be honed to a point that they would be... useful.

for whom there was no question, even if they had not yet spoken of such things.

she waits until he is out of sight and then she follows him. his scent is more known to her than any others (barring, perhaps, her long lost family) and she tracks it easily enough, pausing frequently to rid her thick coat of her own lingering smell. her plants she has left behind, tucked carefully away where she sleeps, in a hidden hollow, and she instead wears the scent of her surroundings. the dirt from the ground or small plants that dot the landscape tucked in to her fur. she steps carefully, ensuring no twigs crack under her toes, staying silent in the hopes of keeping his attention away from his follower.

and when they reach the pit she finds a bush that presses up against a large boulder and she tucks herself neatly in to it's shadow, hiding behind the branches and keeping her breaths slow and shallow as she watches the fight erupt.


+10 Successfully stay hidden for the duration of a thread
+5 Practice speed or stealth
+5 Practice covering your scent

Art by Pretty Bloopa || Code by Zay

The man was not as obdurate as some of the others had been, agreeing to teach as had been demanded. It was expected, of course, for he was determined to always get his way. The man charged and the prince braced himself, digging his claws into the ground, certain it would be enough for him to maintain his balance.

He was wrong.

The weight of the other sends him staggering, though he was quick to catch his footing in spite of how winded he was. Pivoting quickly, he dug his hind paws into the ground and charged, attempting to target the lion's shoulder by snapping his teeth.

Drauhir vs @Seraphiel
For Dominance
I / III
Hits:

Rolling 4d20: 8 + 7 + 6 + 17

Dodges:

Rolling 3d20: 3 + 11 + 12

Luck:

Rolling 5d20: 5 + 10 + 16 + 15 + 2

ART BY SCARF, CODE BY DEE

He knew that wasn't going to go well for the yearling as soon as he saw him bracing for impact. Sure enough, back he went. If you cannot dodge, then move with the attack to lessen its impact, he said as the boy caught himself. Retaliation was swift, his teeth sinking into Seraphiel's shoulder. It hurt, but not as badly as other things had before. This wasn't as serious as those fights, of course.

Seraphiel tucked his chin into his mane in an effort to protect the most vulnerable areas of his throat as he dipped his head enough to attempt to latch his jaws around the side of the boy's own. If he was going to come in close, he had to be prepared to deal with the consequences.

Seraphiel vs. @Drauhir ♔
for Dominance
Round 2 / 3
Hits:

Rolling 7d20: 12 + 4 + 11 + 3 + 14 + 10 + 1

Dodges:

Rolling 4d20: 14 + 11 + 7 + 12

Luck:

Rolling 5d20: 7 + 14 + 8 + 19 + 20

ART BY IRISH / CODING BY SENTINEL

He was perhaps too eager, too hungry to prove himself, for he made careless errors — errors which would cost him in the battle to come. The correction the lion offered was one he felt he should have already known, but no, he grew too singularly-focused, trying to show off his strength.

He would not make the same mistake again.

As his teeth dug into the other's shoulder, he noted how he tucked his chin. To protect his throat? How clever. He did he best to mimic it, given their positions. There was no other time to admire the revelation of his own oversights, however, for he soon felt teeth digging into his muzzle. His reaction was near immediate — attempting to raise his claws to slash at the other's face.

Drauhir vs @Seraphiel
For Dominance
{II} / III
Hits:

Rolling 4d20: 2 + 19 + 6 + 8

Dodges:

Rolling 3d20: 20 + 8 + 3

Luck:

Rolling 5d20: 4 + 14 + 19 + 18 + 3

Good. The boy learned quickly. There was nothing worse than an arrogant youth who was too stubborn to learn. Or too dumb, but Seraphiel didn't think that was the case here.

Claws sank into his face, and Seraphiel narrowed his eye on that side, almost closing it completely but not quite. He didn't mind a few more scars on his face at this point. As long as he didn't actually get poked in the eye, he was fine with it. In fact, he shook his head in an attempt to shake the younger man, and perhaps worsen the clutches of his jaws. Would he pull away, or would he linger within his clutches where they could both draw each other's blood?

Seraphiel vs. @Drauhir ♔
for Dominance
Round 3 / 3
Hits:

Rolling 7d20: 14 + 11 + 12 + 4 + 8 + 6 + 2

Dodges:

Rolling 4d20: 8 + 11 + 17 + 18

Luck:

Rolling 5d20: 5 + 16 + 7 + 18 + 1

ART BY IRISH / CODING BY SENTINEL

He didn't get an eye like he wanted, but then, that was not the point. No, it would not do him well to blind his teachers, much less when they had taught him something useful. He was shook with the force of a grown lion, yet even so he did falter. If there was one thing he would never be taught, it was to relent. Though it would have spared him pain if he chose to pull away, his very blood demanded he hold on and endure.

And so he did.

Rather than release, he attempted to dig his claws in an eek out as much blood as he possibly could.

Drauhir vs @Seraphiel
For Dominance
III / III
Hits:

Rolling 4d20: 16 + 7 + 19 + 5

Dodges:

Rolling 3d20: 14 + 11 + 20

Luck:

Rolling 5d20: 6 + 4 + 12 + 16 + 13

ART BY SCARF, CODE BY DEE

@Drauhir ♔ VS. @Seraphiel FOR WHAT
— RESULTS —

Drauhir Hits: 1 + 1 + 2 + 5 luck = 9
Drauhir Dodges: 2 + 1 + 3 = 6

Seraphiel Hits: 4 + 3 + 3 + 7 luck = 17
Seraphiel Dodges: 4 + 3 + 3 = 10

Drauhir Successful Hits: -1
Seraphiel Successful Hits: 11

Seraphiel HAS WON THE CHALLENGE FOR Dominance!

The results of this fight cannot be acknowledged ICly until either both challengers have responded or 3 days have gone by — whichever comes first. Any posts breaking this rule will be removed.

Experience won out over youth, it seemed, but Seraphiel knew well that wasn't always the case. In the boy's defense, it wasn't much of a fair fight, but Seraphiel thought he had done well regardless and suspected that with more training things would be vastly different in a rematch.

The blood dripped freely from his face as the boy's claws sank in further, something he had expected to happen. Seraphiel attempted to toss his head to gently separate them, not exactly tossing the boy aside but definitely moving his head in that direction before he released him and stepped back, accepting any further clawing to his face that might come if the boy didn't let go.

If you keep training, you will be a formidable opponent, he said to the boy, not one to hold back praise if he had to offer it. Not when he had sought it so long himself in his own training. Time and his mate and children had tempered him, made it easier for him to do so.

@Drauhir ♔

ART BY IRISH / CODING BY SENTINEL