More curious than the adults leaving was her brother doing the same. Dio would have been less interested in the trails of adults heading south (it was part of usual business after all) and staying home in that case was preferable. But when she spied @Lucan trailing after them Diomedeidae was hot on his heels. Scampering along as fast as her little legs would take her. Down into that dark, into the belly of Obsidian and to the siren's call of fighting and things sinister she had not yet been introduced to. Luckily it wasn't long before she spotted Lucan's bronze body ducking behind some rocks, peering out at the intense scene. She couldn't make sense of it herself but in her gut she knew she should be by her brother. More slowly and sneakily the dark pelted daughter aimed to nestle up on Lucan's free side, cloaking away his more bright visage with her darker. What's that red stuff on them? She innocently asked in hushed whispers.

Dio is hiding w/ Lucan _{CODE | BACKGROUND | ART BY MUULAND}

Quickly he is alerted to the presence of his sister alongside him. The young cub tenses for only a moment before settling next to her; after all he had to protect her at all costs. This was dangerous them being here, but thankfully no one had noticed them thus far. 'What's that red stuff on them?' @Diomedeidae asks and Lucan cannot help the frown that crosses his face before answering, "It's blood Dio.. They are fighting for.. probably this place I guess?" He answers her, taking a look around them at all of the strangers gathered. Lucan had learned enough over time that other lions had a tendency of fighting over land, it seemed to be a constant theme. He wasn't sure why they did it, he just knew it was a thing that happened. "We aren't the only cubs here though.." He motions towards the form of Leonie in the crowd before his gaze would settle back on the fighters. That would be him one day, protecting the brook, he just knew it.

Lucan is attempting to hide with Dio!

@Vághan vs. @Roan FOR Obsidian Hollow
— DEFAULT —

Due to Vághan not meeting posting leadership requirements, this fight has defaulted.

Roan HAS WON THE CHALLENGE FOR Obsidian Hollow!

Please allow the challengers to respond to the fight results first. As per the site rules, if 3 days go by without a post from the challenger(s), they can be skipped. Whichever comes first! Any posts made before this will be removed.

His heart raced as his mind struggled to catch up with the reality of his situation, having hardly expected this fight. Naivety expected a prolonged banter – perhaps even a conversation, to learn more about this rocky hole Tai called home. Bruno should have known by then that there was not a soft landing place in the world. He should have expected the barbs, for how relentlessly he was pricked.

He allowed his rage to motivate him, riled by the perceived injustice of the attack. He was satisfied only momentarily as he bit down upon the boy's face, though Tai ripped it back with a glare down his nose. Bruno felt his warm breath against his face, droplets flying as he screamed at him to get out. His expression hardened as he mirrored the glare, unable to find a verbal retort in that moment.

The boy yelped at the sudden pain of claws jabbing into his armpit, instinctively trying to return his left paw to the ground to close the window of opportunity as the cuts left there simmered with blood. The sudden snap of Tai's head battered gracelessly into his teeth, causing a sharp pain to throb acutely from his mouth. Wincing with pain, Bruno reared his head back and puckered his lips to spit out the few baby teeth that he had knocked loose. Oh, he would make Tai pay for that.

"Run to Mommy!" He snarled, the sharp taste of iron filling his mouth until it dizzied him. He wrinkled his nose as he spat the word, Mommy. Some part of him hated the boy simply for having one. Bruno did not even have a spare moment to assess her, locked in the throes of their tussle, but her frenzied words said plenty about her. At the very least, they said that she cared. She wanted her son safe, in a way that no one had ever wanted for him.

Wanting to be finished with the panging of his heart, Bruno lunged his jaws forward again, this time attempting to snap a bite at Tai's right paw before it could hit the ground. He jutted his left shoulder forward, attempting to knock it swiftly against the younger boy's chest. I'm not leaving.

---

Bruno vs. @Tai
for dominance
Round 2 / 3
Hits:

Rolling 2d20: 14 + 12

Dodges:

Rolling 2d20: 2 + 16

Luck:

Rolling 5d20: 17 + 18 + 10 + 3 + 4

image by moogle/code by saph

Roan Hodari

i wanna taste love and pain wanna feel pride and shame

ooc: please excuse the vagueness

With a hard thud on his own stony floor, the Hodari's shoulder collided with the ground as he threw himself to his side. The dragging of teeth against his leg sent a steady stream of blood down his limb before his opponent released the grip. Pain seared, even while dulled beneath the adrenaline that coursed through the male's veins. A few sturdy kicks of his hind legs had been issued against the stranger's face, landing a hit or two, but it still didn't feel like enough. Disengaging and resetting was the only option to get back into the action at this point.

Both males scrambled back to their feet, Roan standing just a second or two after his opponent before a meaty paw came soaring for his throat. The mauve man shifted just in time to allow the claws to strike his already-mauled shoulder instead. Teeth scraped the top of his brow in the process. As the fight wore on, fatigue was rising on the horizon. This could not last forever, and certainly both males knew that fact. The time finally came that left the Hodari standing victorious while the Mire lion was unable to continue. The sides of his rib cage heaved with each breath. It had not been an easy win, nor a tidy fight. The battle had been messy, to say the least, more difficult than Roan had ever experienced before. Never before had he gone against someone so ruthless in their pursuit of a crown, but it was over now.

Roan spared a long, hard look at his fallen opponent, the stench of blood and swamp filling his nostrils. "Go," the mauve man rumbled, voice dangerously low as his gaze narrowed upon Vaghan. When it came to fights, the Hodari didn't care to waste his breath. A challenge had been issued, answered, and thwarted. What need was there to discuss it with the one who sought to rip his family's home away from them? Granting no further attention to the striped lion, then, the Obsidian king turned away from him, finally casting his gaze upon all those who had gathered to watch the fight. It was of no surprise that there were spectators, many of them faces he knew, but they were not welcomed here any longer. "Obsidian will see no new king rise here today," the mauve lion bellowed to the masses as he stood on bloodied land. "I highly suggest all Ecrosia lions and their allies leave these lands immediately." Perhaps it was just poor luck that the opponent had come from the Mire, but the masked lion would take no chances in letting them linger any longer than they already had. He didn't want a war, and really didn't have a problem with Ecrosia as a whole, but the masked man's blood was still boiling. Roan would rather not risk an eruption of chaos at his doorstep. His minty gaze fell on @Alaric for a moment, picking the wheat lion out of the crowd. A silent, steely stare was plastered on Roan's face, one that he would hold for a moment more should he catch the Mire king's attention. Leave. An unspoken threat. Even if Alaric had nothing to do with his member challenging for the Hollow, the Hodari was in no mood to entertain excuses at the moment. Maybe they could talk later, but all he wanted right now was to get these strangers away from his home.

Roan would make no movements towards his family just yet as he remained standing on the battlefield. It was probably a good thing, though, considering that the crowd seemed to obscure and distract him away from his son's fight with another cub, and a Mire cub at that. No, he would keep his distance if only on the off chance anyone else sought to take advantage of his state and attack again. He wouldn't want to be too close to any of his family if anyone else approached him. To call the man unamused at being challenge would be an understatement, but then again, when was anyone ever amused at such a thing? Maybe when Whopper tried to challenge Aquila.... Yeah, that was was kinda funny. Speaking of which, the presence of the Vermeda king was not missed, nor were the other members of the Brook who seemed to rally around the Hodari's family. Roan appreciated this tremendously as he continued to watch the crowd in wait for them to disperse.

code | art | background

Everything happened so quickly. His eyes were solely on his father and in the end, Roan came out victorious. However, the panic had already set in and Jai was having a hard time calming it down. Slowly moving backwards, away from the crowd of family that had came to support their father ( uncle, cousin, nephew ) Jai found himself breathing heavily. He wanted to rush to his father and hug him. Say that he was proud of him. To congratulate him but that was just not on his mind currently and so Jai turned and took off. Where was he going? The albino had no idea he just wanted some fresh air.


exit!Speech.

Table & Ref by Amanda | Background | Lineart

code & bg-credit

The prince’s head had made contact with Bruno’s mouth and where it had met his teeth, pain sparked under his mauve skin. Yes, he had wanted to hurt Bruno, but he’d caused himself some discomfort too in the process. But it had caused his rival to pull back and he watched through a pained grimace as the other boy spat out the teeth he’d dislodged. No wonder his head hurt …

Bruno responded by taunting him, as he always did. Naturally, Tai answered by mocking him in turn, “Go crack back into your mud puddle!” The Hollow would not tolerate the presence of rats, as Bruno would soon learn.

He would’ve happily kept his paw lodged in Bruno’s armpit, but his movement pushed Tai to try and pull it back. However, before he could fully recover it, his enemy’s teeth had bitten down onto his toes and captured it, blood beading from fresh puncture wounds. Tai snarled and opened his mouth to shout at him, yet a sudden shoulder to the chest knocked the retort out of him. A bruise was sure to bloom under his fur in the hours that followed.

Annoyed, the young eagle moved to respond. He immediately tried to throw his weight into Bruno, attempting to shove his chest into Bruno’s head while it was stretched out and biting his paw. His teeth aimed to snap down on the back of his rival’s neck, close to the shoulders, to try and shake him by the scruff. Tai’s ultimate intent was to try and knock the boy off balance and pin him.

@Tai vs. @Bruno ♔
Dominance, again!
3/3
Hits:

Rolling 3d20: 4 + 18 + 17

Dodges:

Rolling 1d20: 6

Luck:

Rolling 5d20: 16 + 8 + 13 + 5 + 12

That quiet part of fatherhood that nestled deep in his chest was thrilled by @Ansel's face as he gazed upon him. Happy to be of some comfort to someone no matter what their age. He couldn't recall currently if @Heloise was one to fight, not even if she was one to fight and enjoy it. Gareth only did so to protect and so being by the two's side was enough for him.

A strong nod given to the black and white faced lioness, however, knowing that should anything happen he would do his best to watch over her child as well as the others. If anything, this was what he was here for and he planned on making good use of his own defensive skills. Regardless of how much or how little he talked to anyone in Vermeda, they were still family without doubt.

Returning his attention to the ongoing fight of an ally, he was pleased to see when the mauve lion stood proudly. Ordering his challenger to leave and get out, and never return. This prompted Gareth to stand up tall as though he were a soldier being ordered. Posing himself vigilantly and eyeing those that he presumed to be of Ecrosian scent. Prepared to help assist Roan and vanquishing the Ecrosian's from the Hollow's soil if the need arose. Vermeda would continue to have an ally and that meant that today was one of the best victory's that they had had in a while.

+5 - Observe a fight (Roan vs. Vaghan for OH)

Amara watched as Roan managed to overtake the male and keep his pride from changing paws. She wasn't really sure what that would mean but for now it would keep the peace between them. She would need to figure things out with Roan soon and see, what, if anything would keep them tied together now that Zoticus seems to have left again. The male was as flaky and unloyal as any she had seen before. He should be eaten just on that fact alone and maybe in time, that could happen but for now, she was stuck dreaming about it. Her own focus needed to shift to the Oasis and the threat they brought to her own family. She would do what she needed so they would remain safe and alive. With a final look toward Roan and his lingering family, she turned to head home. exit

code // art // do not use without permission

"You could stand on my shoulders." Sedona shriveled at the suggestion, shooting the boy a piercing glare as she made her way closer to the battle within. She did not even entertain the notion with a no. With fewer bodies in the way of her vision, she was able to see the true horrors of the battle with perhaps more clarity than she would have liked. She pulled the wrinkled corners of her mouth up with disgust, unable to stop the way she cringed each time Roan was hit.

"Yeah, a freak," she echoed. As it raged on, Sedona found that she was only able to breathe easily once the beast finally fell, leaving her king victorious. Good. Scorpius's promise to free her buzzed around in her mind, unsure why the sentiment felt so poignant – why it made her stomach flip over on itself.

"Glad that's avoided," she sighed casually, lifting herself back to her paws as the others began to disperse. "Come on – I will walk you out," Sedona offered with a flick of her bobbed tail. Hell would have to wait for another day to swallow them up.

---

-exit- @Scorpius
+5 - BWP-related exp
+5 - Attend a spar or challenge to assess the wounds

image by moogle/code by saph