It seemed they were at a bit of an impasse, their targets chosen and both relatively vital to existence. Not that Nero necessarily needed his eye, but.. it was his. His parents had given him that eye. It was sentimental!

The strain on his back began to weaken him. Not only were the claws digging further in, but the sheer weight of the limb was enough to tucker him out. He can't help but give the man kudos for managing to stay upright for so long on three legs, though he supposed using Nero as a prop helped a bit.

Nero attempted to maintain his hold on the man's leg even as he allowed it to go slack, still trying his hardest to break the bone beneath. He wanted to leave him with as much damage as he could regardless of the outcome. He wants his teeth deeper, deeper, deeper still. The albino lion attempted to lash out with his claws like before, attempting to slash down the lion's face while trying to throttle his limb as well. His eye was throbbing and in extreme pain, but he was far too drunk on adrenaline to really notice at the moment.

Nero vs. @Apollinaire
Major maim (tbd)
Round 4 / 4
Hits:

Rolling 3d20: 6 + 12 + 19

Dodges:

Rolling 8d20: 3 + 1 + 5 + 4 + 13 + 12 + 10 + 6

Luck:

Rolling 5d20: 12 + 13 + 2 + 1 + 14

code by corvus

They seem surprised by the addition of @Dragos near them. But they're not put off by the company, there's not a sign upon the dark lion's form that suggests she's worried about his presence. They don't know his name, in fact their only interaction so far has been that tense moment at the challenge where Naz had jumped upon the chance Dragos's actions had given them to face Tripfire. But he is Savante, of some relation to Alexander that was abundantly clear. These days that was enough. Tripfire is the father you faced down. Apollinarie is the one who did the damage to your family. They doubted the details mattered a ton. Surely they both fell under a similar umbrella.

Unexpectedly @Nero breaks away from their group and Nazonal's vision chases after his shadow. Across the path he cut until they came to clashing bodies, to that hideously familiar form of Apollinarie. Naz nudges @Asteria with her shoulder and juts their chin towards the blooming fight and the Wolfbron lions around. Body craving to move in after Nero, ready to jump in and assist an escape or to even the playing field for an uneven fight.

Come on Nero. Come on. They said under their breath, heart absolutely trying to race out of their chest with how fast it was pounding. Their blood may as well have been pure adrenaline for how high they began to surge watching the small pale lion tear into the familiar and dangerous foe. And oh what a memory it brought back. Nothing too detailed visually but a feeling. A feeling of joy in the heat of the moment. That rush of power, the tides of a battle. Entrenched in the Mire they had watched him fight, at his side they'd watched him fight. And every time it gave them that same urge and high. And now it came with the relief of nostalgia, of easier times.

ART BY KIM, CODE BY LARS

5years, no bonus.

Teeth would scrape against teeth, jarring his mouth painfully. As the teeth slid along one another, they would roughly scratch against his gums, causing minor bleeding. Ronin did not miss the declaration of the man he fought, a declaration the same as he had made. Enemies. Rivals. Forever pitted against one another, and all over the red woman nearby. The irony of the situation was not lost on the warmonger, was this not the very outcome he had pictured after he had been told of Slaine and Alaric? Was this not the same blood fight that he had wanted with Alaric? But now the roles were reversed and while there were distinctdifferences between Ronin and Bhaskar and Ronin and Alaric, the Oasis King was beginning to blur those lines, lost in the idea of blood and vengeance. Perhaps @Nephthys was right…perhaps…it was time for him to let it all go. As the man that he fought should.

Such things would not happen today, however, there was too much rage for peace to happen today. Bhaskar retracted his skull, tipping it so that Ronins claws sliced into the flesh of his chin instead and then just as quickly he would reach forward again. It was clear the target was his eye…or both eyes. He would not get it. Large skull would arch at the last second and lean forward in an attempt to headbutt the man in the mouth. To give him a far too big mouthful of the top of his skull/forehead. It was a painful arch, one that strained his neck muscles, forcing him to attempt a half step back, to give him more leverage to move. Ronin felt as claws hooked around his right armpit, pulling at his limb. The King would oblige, shoving his clawed paw forward in an attempt to dig in and brace against Bhaskar, using the man’s own body to help support his own weight. Blood would warm his armpit, reminding him of the wound that he had, but he could feel none of it. Lost as he was in this battle, his adrenaline served to numb him…for now. Later, he would feel it and curse himself for being so foolish in battle.



Ronin vs. @Bhaskar
Major Maim (eye removal?)
Round 2 / 4
Hits:

Rolling 8d20: 3 + 19 + 14 + 9 + 20 + 1 + 2 + 6

Dodges:

Rolling 5d20: 1 + 17 + 20 + 16 + 10

Luck:

Rolling 5d20: 6 + 20 + 14 + 2 + 7

Nero's teeth dug deeper and deeper. Gnashing. Tooth grinding against bone. The pain became unbearable, the limb moving limply along with the foe's thrashing, blood pouring down on the sandy ground. Muscle tore, and Apollinaire was certain to have a slight limp for the following week. Hopefully, it won't be a permanent thing.

He thought himself smart, though, for the prize was just there - between his teeth. He was close to getting what he wants, so he gambles his leg, putting it on the line. Nero's claws tear into Apollinaire's right cheek & jawbone. The immediate pain ignites Apollinaire's fire. He attempted to bury his teeth deeper into Nero's eye, to try & end this battle. Fatigue was beginning to settle across his body, his legs tired from supporting his ever-shifting balance.

Apollinaire vs. @Nero
Major Maim
Round 4 / 4
Hits:

Rolling 6d20: 6 + 14 + 8 + 19 + 12 + 9

Dodges:

Rolling 5d20: 15 + 19 + 4 + 17 + 8

Luck:

Rolling 6d20: 1 + 4 + 2 + 19 + 12 + 14

It was strange but not entirely unfamiliar, being pulled in two different directions. While she knew the cubs were safe back in the den, watched over by those who loved them, Asteria could not help but glance in the direction of the jungle every so often. At the same time she couldn't let @Nazonal waltz towards danger without being there to keep them safe, even if it wasn't entirely necessary. She was the protector, wasn't she?

Funny, that, when she was so small.

It would seem she wasn't the only one with the same idea, as @Nero came to stand between them and the chaos. Asteria might have rolled her eyes, but instead she reaches out to playfully nip towards her friend. It is an affectionate gesture, even if the message is clear -- I'm here to help too, you know.

@Beetle slips up to join them with his own questions, though seeing him there she feels a swell of anxiety. Naturally she shifts in to a more protective stance, and when Nazonal confirms that the woman fighting is an enemy she feels her heart kick up a notch.

Nazonal mentions Wolfbron, and instinctively she takes a sweeping look of the crowd. They have not arrived, yet, but she is sure they will be drawn to the chaos like flies to honey. "Ready," she answers, though, when Naz asks if she is ready to knock heads, "always."

An unfamiliar male joins them (@Dragos) and though she does not know him it is clear he knows Nazonal. "We will fight together," she says, wanting him to know that he would not be thrust to the slaughter like a lamb. As much as she appreciated just how many were ready to step to Nazonal's defence she was not about to stand by and let them take all of the heat.

No sooner is that said Nero is taking off, launching himself at the monster that had torn pieces from both her and Nazonal. He didn't seem to be slowed by the damage she had done, and Asteria's lip curls in a snarl at the sight. "Damnit," she muttered, before noting the very pregnant lioness that was so intently focused on the fight that Apollinaire was in.

"That bastard fought me when I was pregnant," she growled, "let's return the favour shall we?" Taking a pointed step towards Louve, her fur bristling along her spine.

Table by Amanda | Reference by Kite | Background

Everything moved so fast, his body galloping ahead of any thought. He didn't notice how Ronin's head subtly inclined until it headbutts his front teeth, rattling the incisors and slowing Bhaskar's attack down. The ache was infuriating, but the pain of his other wounds was enough to distract him from it. After a few seconds, he renewed his efforts to attempt and bite down on Ronin's left eye, angling his jaws so he can account for the foe's new position.

Bhaskar's claws hooked around Ronin's right armpit. As Ronin's claws dug into Bhaskar's chest and braced against him, Bhaskar attempted to release his hold on the opponent's armpit and drag his claws along the length of Ronin's right shin. The claws biting into his breast were breaking the skin and tearing through flesh, red drip-dripping down his russet mane.

Bhaskar vs. @Ronin
Major Maim (Eye)
Round 3 / 4
Hits:

Rolling 8d20: 2 + 8 + 10 + 9 + 13 + 18 + 20 + 6

Dodges:

Rolling 5d20: 13 + 14 + 16 + 1 + 9

Luck:

Rolling 5d20: 4 + 10 + 18 + 6 + 14

He doesn't understand the chaos that lions gravitate towards, but that certainly doesn't mean he's not going to come watch from a safe distance. Hector doesn't care much for the beach, but he hopes that by showing up to such a big crowd, he might spot his mother among the many faces. What he sees instead is his stepfather locked in combat and little else, though it's enough to make him frown as he comes to settle behind a boulder to keep himself safely stashed out of the way. Hector is confused when he spots @Leila among the crowd but says nothing, choosing to keep to himself as always. Maybe he was wrong about Leila? It seems she's sold herself out to the lions after all..

His arrival is not met with displeasure; Dragos’s question is answered quickly, the information and names stored away in his mind to pass on to family and others if need be. Names are important, as well as faces. The black lioness offers her support, and then the smaller white male suddenly darts off - Dragos follows him with his eyes, frowning, and then he realises the path he takes and who it leads him to.

The rabid dog from the Hollows challenge - he has a name now.

Apollinaire.

Something icy and cold slides down the Savante’s throat. His scarred paw throbs with phantom pain as he shifts to face the Bluffs group noting the way the dark male is pressed to another familiar Wolfbron lion. As Nero attacks the slightly bigger lion, coward that he is becoming, Dragos is nearly glad he didn’t see the bastard first. He wouldn’t have been able to stop himself. There’s a dull, thudding ache in his head. He forces himself to look over the rest of the Wolfbron lions to make sure they aren’t going to launch a counter attack on them unawares -

He spies familiar brown stripes among the group.

His heart stops.

The black lioness is beside him now, speaking, but Dragos can hardly hear her over the pounding in his head. It grows louder.

"I wouldn't have allied myself with them if I had known."

It’s been weeks since he saw the tiger last, and she is so cosy and familiar with the Bluffs lions. Still one of them, safe - some selfish part of him had hoped she’d leave them, turn up on the Oasis doorstep, for him. But he finds her here. What drew her to the Cove? So close to the water that she fears? Her loyalty to her pride.

"I could talk to them... tell them - make them see you're not bad." Leila had told him.

The pounding in his head gets louder, building pressure until he can’t stand it, and then something snaps like a rubber-band pulled too tight.

"No." He finds himself saying, as if it’s not his mouth moving at all. He cuts in front of @Asteria, blocking her from moving toward the pregnant woman. "She’s mine." His mouth is dry. "The tigress is… she’s off limits. Harmless. Leave her." This, to Asteria - and @Nazonal and @Beetle if they are listening. For that bargain, he’ll be their dog for the day. "The black one with the spots next to her - she called an attack on my family." He nods to Amara, near Louve, but defending only one side now. Not good enough. "Go for her. It’ll keep her off me." The young, battle-worn soldier he had been in another world, the man he didn’t want to be, emerges.

"Your heart is good."

She's wrong. He doesn’t want to be good. He wants to be a monster. He was born into war, and it will follow him to his grave. He wants blood, and pain. Anyone’s. His own. @Leila’s. Apollinaire’s. But if he can’t have them, it suddenly doesn’t matter who suffers, as long as someone hurts with him. Apollinaire's woman seems like a fine choice.

Without another word, Dragos barrels across the space between himself and his target - for a second, it looks as if his eyes are on Leila and his focus entirely on her, but that second ends when he is close enough to divert his path hard and fast, and his open jaws seek to wrap around Louve’s throat.

Dragos vs @Louve ♔
For Major Maim
I / V
Hits:

Rolling 7d20: 20 + 7 + 11 + 8 + 4 + 15 + 12

Dodges:

Rolling 3d20: 18 + 2 + 10

Luck:

Rolling 5d20: 7 + 9 + 1 + 18 + 14

The chaos is already erupting by the time Anthonius arrives.

There is a lot to take in - so much to focus on and her his eyes hardly make sense of the scene before him. A challenge for land, multiple other fights breaking out, and then… @Dragos . Angelo was right, they should have definitely gotten out of here when they could.

He watched in disbelief as his nephew attacks at the pregnant Wolfbron lioness, and for a moment Anthonius freezes. What could be done? What could he do? The scent of the enemy wafted heavily and he looked at @Alaric and @Amara , two individuals he had a rather strong distaste for. However his beef with another was more important, and he couldn’t let Dragos succumb to the fate of chaos by himself…

Within a flashing second does he charge after his Nephew, and his large body aims to try and lunge on top of him, looking to tackle him to the ground - or at least alter his direction from the pregnant female. Family was family.. it cubs were innocent.

Edit permed by senior staff.

The female counterpart to the companion she chose to sit beside sidled in, making a point to express that the challenger had a name but also had a title. Special lady friend. Zelda couldn't exactly pinpoint why this made her angry inside or why it irritated her, but it did ruffle some tiny bit of feathers in her distant heart. Whether that was romantic or platonic jealousy she wasn't sure but it did make her a bit irritated to know that he was playing games with someone else. As were obvious, "relationships" often began but others ended with that one beginning -- @Ambrose knew that from his experience with Violarum.

Zelda did not even get a true moment to relax in the bask of the sandy cove and is immediately disgruntled into side-stepping away from another who attempts to attack said companion. This was enough to ruffle even more feathers as she attempted to stand near to @Uma. Fighting was her skillset but she would if she had to, if she was forced into which she hoped to not be. After all it was a little late to scope the situation from the trees.

However, it was the arrival of @Alaric that garnered her attention and she is able to see his gaze if only for a second. The satisfaction in seeing him present - and healthy - was nice but it is quickly replaced by confusion. Was that.. disappointment on his face? Zelda does not understand - she joined Ronin who had been a trusted individual when she had joined Ecrosia and for a long time after and yet, he seemed unhappy at her choice.

^{ART BY NOVI, CODE BY CALA}