Something is going to give.

They’re all but locked together, barely able to move. Almost a stalemate. Scorpius’s paw returns to the ground after hitting Ronin in the eye. Claws dig into his throat, a threat - maybe giving him an out to surrender. But Scorpius can’t - he won’t. The male’s weight is heavy upon him, and the boy holds himself up, but his bent legs begin to shake with the effort. With the brute bearing down on him, Scorpius attempts to lift his foreleg and throw it around Ronin’s neck and shove upward at the same time. He wants to try to force the man to tumble over and follow, but it’s a risky move and one likely to fail.

But it's all he has left - any longer in this fight, and he won't be able to stand.

Scorpius vs @Ronin
For Andal Oasis
Five of Five
Hits:

Rolling 6d20: 3 + 4 + 20 + 1 + 16 + 12

Dodges:

Rolling 2d20: 8 + 6

Luck:

Rolling 5d20: 19 + 1 + 17 + 14 + 18

All the blood that we're bleeding

Could fill up a broken heart

code by corvus; image by yumpy

Right when Iofiel had thought his place secure the Oasis had been lost again. Clearly others didn't know how to weather a sandstorm and so had fled. Iofiel had remained though. He had taken shelter within his den until it had subsided. But as soon as it had other had come and called claims for the desert.

Why did everyone want to live here but then not manage to actually show that they could survive here? It made no sense at all to the pale male. It was just another case of having to sit and wait and watch to see who would come out victorious so he would know whom to approach about having to join all over again. It really was becoming tiresome at this point.

Perhaps she should have talked more to her mother upon finding her, perhaps she would then know the land she now stood upon was that of her former families. Yet, Aideen's only interest in the place was the call for a battle and the desire to watch, learn, and perhaps participate. She didn't deny, the Oasis around her was quite beautiful, and as she arrived- the fight was well on it's way- she stopped to watch the two males battle it out- eyes lingering on them. Watching the one who appeared older versus the younger, and inwardly- she almost cheered for the younger guy- not even knowing their familial relation. Yet, she remained silent, watchful and observant- to see what fighting moves she could learn from them, and what she could take home from all of this.

halla never saw so many lions in one place - nor had she seen a place so full of sand before. the jungle had its warm temperatures, but during the night it was cooler. here, she couldn't tell if that was the case, and why lions would be fighting over it in the first place. halla made sure to keep to the dark corners while forcing herself to keep moving. littered throughout the land were a series of smaller mounds, not enough to be considered sand dunes, but large enough to encompass the size of a small child like herself. while halla wanted to see the fight, she didn't want to be amongst the crowd of onlookers lest she is swept into the chaos. her only chance to satisfy her curiosity and exploratory nature was to use the mounds as a partial shield. no matter what happened, the two in the center of the arena would come out with fresh injuries. though, halla wasn't quite sure if she wanted to be the one who will look after them.

+5 (10) Use the terrain to your advantage

She had seen @Ronin fight once before for a throne. It had been a sort of spectacle for some, a fascination for others. At the time, Tinúviel had wished for her acquaintance's ascension but had fallen just short. The woman he had fought against, though small, was ferocious and aggressive in her tactics, battle-weary and war-forged. The younger man he stood against now seemed different. Ambitious, intent, just as Alizabeth was; but there was an air of youth about him, something that was both a hindrance and a drive.

She arrived quietly, her gaze swiftly finding @Tiamat and slinking over toward her sister-Queen as she conversed with @Carina, catching the last few words of their brief conversation. He is a friend of mine, she replied softly, hastily placing a few herbs down before their lead medic's paws. They still both had much to learn, and Tinúviel was keen on making friendly with Tiamat's ward. And he is often injured, she continues, offering a small smile toward the other woman. She can see, even now, the very same wounds she and Camellia had struggled to heal those weeks ago. It was lucky his opponent seemed to be wounded, as well.

His name is Murik, she continues, her hazel gaze flitting toward the sandy Queen. And though she wants to say he would make a good ally if he wins, but she knows the brute had some contentions with Alaric, and she is not keen on giving her husband (if he still allowed such a thing) another reason to be upset with her.

---

+5 Collect herbs (1/2)
+5 Attend a spar or challenge to assess the wounds (1/2)

Art by AleTie, table by cala

Carina sat in gentle silence until @Tiamat showed up and took a seat next to her. It was a comfort to know that her friend had come all this way to view and spectate, too. That should anything happen like it did at the last, at least she would have someone with her. The Lagoon leader suggests that she has seen the older combatant by addressing his familiarity though Carina isn't quite sure she feels the same. Where? she asks quietly, not sure how to else she could ask the question without it being blatantly obvious that she wasn't sure how to form the entire sentence with proper English attached.

The two attacked with great ferocity. Their offense was immaculate, for sure, as they were both rather large in their statures but age would surely be the deciding factor, she thought. Even she, should she go against someone of an older age, would be met with inexperience and lack of know-how. So she assumed the same of the young brute. The older one seemingly had the youth crushed beneath him, claws pressing tightly down upon the other -- a bold move, addressing and aggressive move that there was no victory here aside from his own.

Two seconds after addressing, the other "Sovereign" lady (@Tinúviel) came up and expressed it was a friend. Was this how Tiamat knew the guy? Carina might have given the strange previously-drunken woman a hardy, judgmental stare but the herbs being set down in front of were helpful to her cause. Lingering upon them with a fervent stare, realizing that she and this lioness had something in common and things they could share knowledge over. Not simply what plants would make you the weirdest in a social setting.

Murik. The name was put to her mind with ease as she looked to the brute, matching the name to face and saw no discrepancies. He looked like a Murik. Often injured good or bad? she asks, her english a little broken yet thanks to her thick russian accent beating down on each syllable but she has tried her best to put Tiamat's teachings to better use.

+5 - collect herbs
+5 - attend a challenge to assess the wounds 2/2

ART BY YUMPY, CODE BY LARS

(1/2) +5 Observe a fight (ronin vs scorpius)
It appeared to her that she was arriving at the tail end of the show.

Isla had heard the challenging call while traveling to the badlands. Her wounds were healing nicely and she wanted to test her strength and endurance, to see if she could travel farther distances without feeling pain or fatigue. But her little exercises would be cut short when the roar caught her attention, curiosity getting the better of her, and so she would head in the direction it had come from, leading her all the way to Andal's doorstep.

A couple sniffs would give the Princess all the information she needed: the previous pompous ass had deserted his seat at the throne and now there were contenders salivating to sit their rumps in it in his place. A snort of amusement would come from flared nostrils as Isla pushed forward, now scenting the air to see if any from her pride had come. The Summit's scent did stick out, but it wasn't as strong as if there were several gathered - more like one. And it was the one who had issued the initial claim.

Dual color eyes would watch the two men fight, tail flicking behind her as she strode into a more clearer view. A quick glance around would confirm her assumptions, not seeing any real familiar faces in the crowd. With a quick roll of her shoulders her attention would refocus, awaiting to see who would be the new Oasis King - and hopefully a better one than that zebra scheiße.

ART BY NAVARRE, CODE BY LARS

ooc: Another challenge? The gods were sure having fun stirring chaos into their lives. The scars across his right eye were healing, he was able to open his eye now, but it gave him a rather ... cruel appearance. Assisted by his stoic expression. Slipping through the Oasis he kept his body low, his red hued actually helped him blend in with the sand beneath him. He had done one better and rolled in the sand at the borders to smell of the territory he was sneaking through. carefully he crawled to be able to see the group gathering and the fighters. Tucking himself beneath some ferns that grew beneath a palm tree. Yellow eyes narrowed taking note of the age difference of the pair and that, so far, no other fights had broken out. He wouldn't break cover unless his kin decided to throw their lot in, then he would join the fray. Maybe break someones jaw in honor of his cousin Apollinaire. He sneered at the thought and briefly pictured it to be Dragos, and a shiver of delight ran down his spine at the idea. One day. Tripfire is attempting stay hidden and he had disguised his scent

Art and Code by Cloudy

Wandering towards the desert and making her plans to come here anyways, she was surprised to find that neither of the individuals that were fighting were even remotely the zebra-looking dude. Huh.. she murmured as her eyes grew all the more skeptical as she stretched her front half into the sandy dunes and yawned. Situating herself carefully into the warmth of the terrain before settling into a lay. Basking in the warmth of the sunny sands now while she had the opportunity. After all, since this land was apparently not stripe-boy's anymore it meant that she was free to do whatever she pleased. Which meant sunbathe! Wrapping her front paws close to her chest and lifting her muzzle upwards a little so that her eyes were peering to the sky, closing gently she took a deep breath. Too good.

Perhaps Zelda supposed to the oasis wasn't all that bad -- warmth whenever she needed it and shade whenever that warmth felt like it was burning her internal organs. At the very least, this would prove beneficial for her friends and she was all the happier to join a pride that was likely going to be desperate for numbers. Though, the longer she sat lazing away in the sunny sandy dunes with her eyes slowly opening and gazing at the challengers, she realized that she actually knew one of them. Small fuckin' world. Truly, the last time she felt she had seen Ronin was when he was recruiting her into Ecrosia. That was nearly two years ago now... and so they come full circle.

+5 - Sunbathe or take a nap

table by ferus, art by cootie

No claiming please!

+5 Observe a fight (Scorpious vs. Ronin) 1/2

Well, what was this? The call echoes out throughout Amaryllis, and Cirilla wonders just what had happened to Andal's former leader. Challenges seemed to be reverberating throughout her home, and the rogue lioness wondered if a time of unrest and uncertainty was on the horizon. The woman had always loved the water and the sense of serenity it seemed to bring here, but combine that with the desert and Cirilla found herself grimacing at the thought of living here. Who would want that?

That thought raced through her mind with every step as the sand seemed to grind between her pads and irritate the delicate skin that resided there. Descending into the belly of the sandy pride, Cirilla slipped into the shadows and observed the fight taking place between Ronin and Era. She observed how they fought viciously for a chance to be crowned King of the Andals. Lowering herself down to her haunches and wrapping her tail neatly around her paws, the Sigrún watches quietly without a sound.