it's heaven or hell

The wind that blew off the sea was laced with the deep chill of winter and Zander was more than a little over it. It bit at his large, ungainly form, slicing through his fur and trying to burrow right into his very bones. His face twisted in a silent, irritated snarl and at the same time his ears were pinned flat against his skull. He was a cub on a mission, his paws pounding the rocky path in a heavy tempo as he moved with purpose, his strides eating the distance up like it was the air he needed to breathe.

His sisters and brother had already come through here and he had no idea where they had ended up. He'd taken his time and lost out because of it. Now he had to make up for lost time. Why were they here? Supposedly their father was here and now, without their mother, it was time to set about finding him. Easier said than done, especially when they were already scattered in all directions. He scoffed, his eyes narrowing. Stupid girls running on ahead, and stupid vrother following them like an idiot. No doubt they were into all sorts of trouble here. Of course, he was just angry that he hadn't thought of it first or gotten to go along.

He reached the end of the passage and stopped, his eyes studying the spreading land before him. Where should he go from here? He honestly had no clue. He growled a little, swiping at a rock with his paw in frustration. Their scents had long since faded so he had no idea where they might have gotten to.

like it's do or die

She had not been at the passage since she had been in the latter stages of her pregnancy, but now that her cubs could be left at home longer without her- she thought to try her paw out at some recruiting again. With a renewed sense of purpose, she strolled through the passage, wandering along following the shoreline, until, of course she spied another figure alone. A small figure.

With a soft sigh, Ghyslaine veered towards the figure- noting a cub, as she neared and she let out a soft chuff of greeting. "Hello. Are you... lost?" She asks, offering a kind smile, as she stops a few feet away, unsure whether to expect a scared cub or a spitfire as she's encountered both in the passage at this point... and has no idea what she may encounter at this point. "Welcome to Amarllis. My name is Ghyslaine, High Sovreign of Lorien Plains.... can I help you any?"

@Zander

ART COPYRIGHT RABBIT / CODE COPYRIGHT ANALESE

[[i...think i've done this right lol]]

His previous trips had worked out well enough for him, so he had reasonable hopes for this one. There was slight disappointment in seeing he wasn't the first to arrive, and more when he found it was a child, but...Well, there was an interesting resemblance to an old enemy and it got him wondering.

Ryker would approach with his usual easy confidence, shifting himself out of the typically more predatory stance into something a little more approachable before he got close enough to really be noticed. He'd pause a comfortable distance from the cub, but well out of immediate reach of the lioness (he thought he'd seen her around here before?), gaze flicking between the child and the adult. "He'll come to Andal. It's closer." A slight smile was offered to the woman, though it didn't come anywhere close to reaching his eyes. Actually, he had no idea if the oasis was truly closer, as far as travel time went, and he didn't much care.

While he kept the lioness in view, he glanced to the boy, "It's a place for the strong," a brow arched, a silent challenge, a dangling of bait, "You are strong, aren't you?"

Ryker vs ??
Claim of Zander
0/3

@Zander @Ghyslaine

I'm a friend of the devil I'm a dangerous rebel

Fighting my way through the sins of the street I'm feeling psycho, psycho Where did my mind go? Biting my tongue and I'm loading my gun Back to the wind, better run, better run I'm feeling crazy, crazy Go 'head and make me It's the life that I can't escape, can't walk away There's blood in the ocean And I'm losing focus I'm a friend of the devil I'm a dangerous rebel

code by corvus

she's a mess of gorgeous chaos

He will do no such thing. Maia remarks with a sharp tongue, entering just at the right moment to hear @Ryker's claim. She could tolerate a suggestive invitation, but a claim... it made her stomach churn. To know that the individual being claimed had no rights, no ability to make a decision - for Maia, it was simply not acceptable.

Fiery eyes look at the Andal King and a snarl is bared as she rolls her shoulders forward and pulls her ears back against her crown. If she wins this claim against the boy, she would offer him the choice between her home and the Plains with @Ghyslaine - but not to go with Ryker to Andal. Standing dead center to the male, Maia bolted forward and attempted to close the gap between the pair. Forcing her claws out of their sheath, Maia attempted to lunge forward and barge her left shoulder into the center of Ryker's chest, whilst simultaneously attempting to force her claws from her right paw into Ryker's left flank, attempting to puncture the flesh there and drag downward.

Maia vs. Ryker
for @Zander
Round 1 of 3

Hits:

Rolling 6d20: 19 + 12 + 15 + 9 + 10 + 1

Dodges:

Rolling 5d20: 19 + 2 + 6 + 8 + 11

Luck:

Rolling 5d20: 15 + 18 + 14 + 13 + 2

and you can see it in her eyes _{BG — ART — CODE}

it's heaven or hell

Before he could pick a direction the soft sound of greeting reached him on the breeze and he turned to see a woman approaching him. His eyes hardened, determined to not show any weakness here. The woman seemed soft, her smile kind and inviting. Her words were friendly, offering assistance if he needed it.

Unfortunately for @Ghyslaine, Zander was indeed a spitfire.

"No," he scoffed. Because he wasn't lost. Not exactly anyways. To be lost you had to know where you were going and Zander certainly had no idea where the trail of his sisters and brother was going to take him. The word came out with the confidence of a young cub who believed he knew exactly what he was doing, or at least wanted to pass off that impression. "Have you seen my siblings?" he asked, the question nearly coming out as a demand. "The girls are gray with stripes and my brother is black and white with stripes," he explained, because appearance was probably the best way to go.

"I'm Zander," he said, then quickly added "Miroslav," with pride, just as a man approached them. The concept of enemies here didn't occur to him so neither did hiding his name.

This man was far more impressive than the woman. He walked with confidence, approaching them and settling in a spot out of reach from either himself or Ghyslaine. And the words he spoke carried that same confidence, telling rather than asking. Of course, Zander never did so well with authority, so a refusal was already forming on his tongue when the man's eyes turned to him with a challenge. "Fuck yeah, I'm strong," he growled, taking the bait and forgetting all about the words that had been forming before. He was the strongest of his siblings, he was sure. He could take on any challenge that came his way.

And then another woman approaches, plain gray eith a dark mask over her bright eyes. She immediately shot down the man's statement that Zander would go with him, and in a much more polite way than he would have managed. Things had certainly escalated and there was a fire burning in his own veins as the gray woman rushed the man of the Oasis, initiating a battle over...well, him, he supposed. That certainly puffed his ego a good bit.

@Ryker @Maia

like it's do or die

It was always nice when they took the bait. His smirk grew a fraction when the boy responded, meeting his challenge with his own. And, what luck, he'd confirmed the family name, as well. Now...were there any of them left in the valley or had they all chased Seneca's tail to wherever he'd disappeared.

An ear flicked toward a new voice, his attention shifting as smoothly as his posture. While the defiance wasn't exactly a surprise, he'd expected it from the plains leader since she'd already been present. It was privately amusing that the latest arrival took issue with the claim first. Assuming a defensive stance, he retained the smirk, "Oh? That sounded like an agreement, to me." But hey, if she still wanted to fight about it, well, Ryker'd never been one to turn down a quick scuffle.

Their difference in size was obvious, but he'd witnessed smaller opponents defeat larger ones before so he wasn't actually stupid enough to let his guard down. As she charged toward him, he would shift a step to his right, shifting her point of impact to the bony front ridge of his left shoulder. While the telltale sting of a bruise blossomed, followed by that of flesh parting beneath claws just beyond, he couldn't help but find amusement in the situation - as scarred as his right side was from previous fights, at least his left was getting a little attention. May as well balance things out.

He'd deal with the actual injuries later. Jaws twisted, attempting to latch his fangs into the smaller ruler's scruff and grip, trying to get a good hold to yank her off of him. His left paw would lift and twist to point claws upward and attempt to reach under the woman's chest, to rake elongated claws along her sternum toward himself.

Ryker vs. @Maia
Claim of @Zander
Round 1 / 3
Hits:

Rolling 7d20: 3 + 15 + 2 + 10 + 8 + 19 + 6

Dodges:

Rolling 3d20: 19 + 5 + 15

Luck:

Rolling 5d20: 4 + 19 + 17 + 10 + 2

I'm a friend of the devil I'm a dangerous rebel

Fighting my way through the sins of the street I'm feeling psycho, psycho Where did my mind go? Biting my tongue and I'm loading my gun Back to the wind, better run, better run I'm feeling crazy, crazy Go 'head and make me It's the life that I can't escape, can't walk away There's blood in the ocean And I'm losing focus I'm a friend of the devil I'm a dangerous rebel

code by corvus

It is her unfortunate luck, that she only finds spit-fire type cubs in the passage, and she almost sighs. Yet, it is with more of a bemused sort of look that she looks down at the cub, as he speaks. Bold and brash, he seems to her, and he goes on to ask about his siblings. "I have not." She says simply. "Would you like help looking for them?" She begins, only for him to introduce himself as Zander Miroslav.

Oh she could laugh at the irony of his sass and attitude, and she wonders who has fathered this one. "I do know some Miroslav's but-" She's cut off by the arrival of @Ryker - the male who claimed the Oasis.... and watches tersely between them and is just about to butt in when @Maia appears from nowhere and throws herself into battle instead. And so with a sigh, she watches the fight that she would partaken in herself, and wills Maia on to victory.

@Zander

ART COPYRIGHT RABBIT / CODE COPYRIGHT ANALESE

she's a mess of gorgeous chaos

The woman actually enjoyed the thrill of battle and the uncertainty that came with it. Whilst she did not enjoy the injuries that followed, it was exhilarating to know that her claws would do some damage for justice.

As she charged forward, Ryker stepped out to his right (her left) which meant that her original attack was already off centre. That was the disadvantage, she thinks, of being an obvious attacker. Her own left shoulder makes contact with Ryker’s to form a bruise underneath his own left shoulder ridge. The impact would cause a bruise to emerge underneath Maua’s own skin, but the mild discomfort was not enough to stop her.

Claws also seem to hit their mark and the distant feeling of warm crimson blood begins to litter her paw as they cut through tender flesh. Maia, satisfied with the damage, returns her paw to the ground to steady her balance and momentum.

There isn’t much the High Sovereign can do about Ryker’s jaws. She tucks her chin into her chest as best as she could as his teeth sink into her nape. Her reaction is jerk forward, attempting to pull his grip away from her despite the pain that seared through tender flesh. Her jolting forward meant that Ryker’s claws did not meet their original target, but instead slash against her right tricep which creates a rather beautiful blossom of blood to trickle down her leg.

A growl erupts from the pits of her stomach as she attempts to reach forward with her own right paw, releasing her claws and attempting to slash the man’s rear leg, aiming specifically for the tender creases in between his leg and stomach. Simultaneously, her jaws, which were already parted, would aim to twist (despite Ryker’s grip), and attempt to reach his left shoulder, attempting to clamp down on the muscle-rich flesh that lived there.

Maia vs. @Ryker
For Zander
Round 2/3

Hits:

Rolling 6d20: 13 + 15 + 9 + 3 + 1 + 20

Dodges:

Rolling 5d20: 9 + 4 + 5 + 12 + 13

Luck:

Rolling 5d20: 4 + 9 + 19 + 14 + 17

and you can see it in her eyes _{BG — ART — CODE}

Success came in the form of a grip on the smaller woman's scruff and Ryker would try to pivot his rear another wide step toward his own right, both attempting to increase the angle between them and in reaction to her own push forward in order to negate any potential strain to his neck. His lifted paw would find the ground once again as his jaws sought to tighten and further secure his grip.

His pivot would leave her claws raking along the outer-left side of his ribs, a flare of red staining the edge of where darkest chartreux met brilliant white. It might have been a growl, or it might have been a laugh that rumbled through his chest; battle had always been a thrill and a game. Her searching fangs would only clip the outermost edge of his left shoulder, just deep enough to give her a little taste and leave a short pair of cuts to stain the fur.

Right paw would lift this time, and he'd attempt to plant it firmly between her shoulders before trying to hook his claws into her and grip. His full intent was to try and yank her toward him and press down, an effort to bring her down on her left side in the sand.

Ryker vs. @Maia
Claim of @Zander
Round 2 / 3
Hits:

Rolling 7d20: 10 + 17 + 13 + 12 + 19 + 5 + 2

Dodges:

Rolling 3d20: 10 + 4 + 17

Luck:

Rolling 5d20: 18 + 8 + 12 + 9 + 10

I'm a friend of the devil I'm a dangerous rebel

Fighting my way through the sins of the street I'm feeling psycho, psycho Where did my mind go? Biting my tongue and I'm loading my gun Back to the wind, better run, better run I'm feeling crazy, crazy Go 'head and make me It's the life that I can't escape, can't walk away There's blood in the ocean And I'm losing focus I'm a friend of the devil I'm a dangerous rebel

code by corvus

she's a mess of gorgeous chaos

OOC: I need to figure out why this table is being eaten by the board, smh

Pain seemed to surge through her body but the High Sovereign would push on, fighting for what she believed was morally right. Ryker's teeth seem to grip harder on her neck as he takes a step to his right and her own teeth do not sink in as hard as what she wanted. They only seem to leave mere lacerations against his shoulder, which seemed to irritate the woman further. Maia would attempt once more, once her teeth had come away from his shoulder, to pull his grip from her neck, despite causing more injury to herself.

Her claws, however, do find purchase on the outer-left side of his ribs, leaving behind a flare of red staining in her wake. The warmth of his blood that she could feel against her claws was adrenaline-waking, and she pushed on further. Her movement was restricted, but the woman would sure as hell try her best. She was learning, quite quickly, that Ryker was an animal to fight against and he was dirty in battle. As his right paw lifted up, Maia attempted to retaliate and push upward with the strength she had in her rear legs, this time her left front paw raising itself and with claws unsheathed, attempted to grab hold of Ryker's face by curving round and reaching at an angle. She attempted to aim for his eyes, his nose - anything that would get him to release his grip upon her neck. His own claws would sink into the centre part of her shoulders and the pain seems to course through her as she's pulled closer to him, her strength seemingly holding her up, but the tension was beginning to build, and the small High Sovereign was not sure just how long she could hold this position before she would buckle.

Maia vs. @Ryker
For Zander
Round 3/3

Hits:

Rolling 6d20: 9 + 7 + 3 + 10 + 13 + 19

Dodges:

Rolling 5d20: 13 + 17 + 2 + 1 + 10

Luck:

Rolling 5d20: 11 + 18 + 16 + 7 + 14

and you can see it in her eyes _{BG — ART — CODE}