And the fight was on!

He tasted blood and grunted his appreciation, though in the interest of not actually maiming the man he released his hold almost immediately. Jerking his head back he narrowly missed the fangs of the other, feeling them scrape along the flesh on the right side of his face. He hissed at the faint sting but paid it little mind otherwise -- he had lived through far worse than mere scrapes. The lines drawn by the other's teeth seeped blood, but Alaric knew that only the top layers of skin had been removed.

Shoulder to shoulder as they were he aimed to shoved forward with his chest, pressing his bulk in to the other male's in an attempt to throw him off balance. It would please him immensely to see Rielus fall beneath him, even if he did not wish to hurt the man too much (and only because he planned to join the man's pride, and did not wish to burn any bridges).

With a wicked grin his left paw lifted from the ground and struck out, snake-like, in an attempt to drag his unsheathed claws along the right side of the other male. His aim was over the ribs, though he had really did not care if it was true. Any part of the other would do - Alaric really just wanted to prove a point.

Aware that their faces were closer than he would like he pressed his ears against his head and kept his chin tucked, ensuring his life would not be easily threatened in this battle of wills.
Alaric vs. @Rielus for Dominance
Round 2 / 3
Hits:

Rolling 7d20: 3 + 16 + 15 + 1 + 18 + 13 + 4

Dodges:

Rolling 4d20: 7 + 6 + 2 + 9

Luck:

Rolling 5d20: 6 + 17 + 16 + 3 + 11

Puncture marks from where the other lion's fangs had intruded beneath his eye welled with blood, spilling it down the side of his face like a crimson tear. Teeth clenched together momentarily after he had failed to find purchase on the other's face and through the pain caused by the puncture wounds, though he was appreciative to have not lost an eye to a simple dominance match.

As the other had pushed against him Rielus would shift his body to anchor himself lower on pistons. This required a bend to his legs so that he stood lower than usual. A couple paw steps backwards indicated he had stumbled from the push of the other's shoulder grinding against his. Tail whipped behind him in an attempt to help him keep his balance as he had felt claws rake across his back, just under the shoulder, and across the shoulder itself.

With a low growl he had lowered his head with ears pinned in the hopes to use the space his stumble had caused to headbutt the other lion in the chest with a forward surge of his weight, while at the same time raising his right paw enough to reach forward and try to grapple Alaric's left foreleg in his claws. This an attempt to knock his opponent off balance and perhaps create leverage if he could control the other male's foreleg.

Rielus vs @Alaric
Dominance match
Move 2/3
Hits:

Rolling 6d20: 9 + 8 + 20 + 7 + 13 + 6

Dodges:

Rolling 4d20: 17 + 14 + 12 + 10

Luck:

Rolling 5d20: 11 + 15 + 18 + 5 + 4

"

Oh look, he wanted to hold hands!

Again he succeeded, forcing the other back a step and sinking his claws in to flesh. Alaric pulled his punches just a bit, again reminding himself that he was not out for death. Sure he wanted to prove his place, but he had little mind to annihilate the other in the process.

In the time before he could lower his paw to the ground Rielus surged forward again in an attempt to headbutt him. Alaric had no problem with that, and while the collision of his opponents head would bruise it also left him presumably open for retaliation. Alaric's jaws snapped open and he dove, seeking to grasp the other behind the ears, at the back of the neck, and force him down and in to submission. No doubt there was mane enough to protect Rielus from much injury but Alaric did not seek to maim, but only grab hold and try to push him down. Bonus points if he drew more blood.

At the same time he felt the hook of his left leg and checked his balance - he had already spread his weight to accommodate for his attack and so it was only a minor adjustment. Alaric's bulk would not be so easily knocked off center, but he felt the other's claws dig in to the flesh of his left leg. That would leave a mark. Focused as he was on his own attack he did not retaliate, but sought to slam his leg back to the ground to further back the force behind his push.


Alaric vs. @Rielus for Dominance
Round 3 / 3
Hits:

Rolling 7d20: 9 + 3 + 15 + 10 + 4 + 11 + 1

Dodges:

Rolling 4d20: 9 + 20 + 13 + 5

Luck:

Rolling 5d20: 3 + 19 + 17 + 14 + 10

code by corvus

If Rielus could read thoughts he might not have been impartial to Alaric. Despite his faults, he liked to think he was a just man, a man of honor. The same might not be able to be said about Alaric; although Rielus could tell that the other held back on some of the punches thrown his way.

Lines of blood now trickled across his shoulders in moderate lacerations, nothing overly deep than would leave nasty scars. He had felt his head connect with Alaric's chest and his claws sink into the male's leg, but the bulk of his opponent had gone unmoved even with his momentum.

With a final effort to best the other male he would pull ackward with his right foreleg that had hooked into Alaric's left foreleg, his rear legs had coiled at the same time as he heaved backward to try and pull the other male off balance and also brought his tucked head upward in a sharp upward arc trying to bash Alaric in the chin or jawline. At the same time of this movment he had felt teeth slip through his mane, tangling in a few of the hairs and pulling them out with a needling sensation just before they dragged shallow markes against his crown. This pain was more tolerable than the puncture marks beneath his right eye that still throbbed and wept.

It would be his last attempt to best the male as his three paws churned against the sand; the rear ones had become semi-buried due to the momentum from his pull backwards from Alaric. Even so, their few minutes of struggle had felt much longer, each second a testament to each other's skill and strength.

Rielus vs @Alaric
Dominance match
Move 3/3
Hits:

Rolling 6d20: 4 + 13 + 15 + 11 + 14 + 5

Dodges:

Rolling 4d20: 9 + 10 + 8 + 20

Luck:

Rolling 5d20: 20 + 1 + 13 + 12 + 5

"

ALARICS VS. RIELUS FOR DOMINANCE
— RESULTS —

Alaric Hits: 3 + 4 + 2 = 9
Alaric Dodges: 2 + 0 + 2 = 4

Rielus Hits: 2 + 2 + 4 + 1 luck = 9
Rielus Dodges: 1 + 3 + 1 = 5

Alaric Successful Hits: 4
Rielus Successful Hits: 5

RIELUS HAS WON THE CHALLENGE FOR DOMINANCE!

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.

he was certain he had it. he was sure this fight was his. he drew blood more than once and had emerged mostly unscathed and he could hear the trumpet of victory.

it was his cockiness that would turn the tide.

distracted by his own successes he felt the sudden jerk of the other's paw and he stumbled. alaric went down abruptly, losing his balance in the sand despite his familiarity with the terrain. a snarl slipped past his lips as he found himself in a compromising position - the bitter sting of defeat a hard feeling to handle.

"You win this one," he growled as he scrambled to his feet and took a step back, "but I look forward to the rematch." A wicked grin on his lips, evidently pleased with the battle regardless of the outcome. "If you don't mind pointing me in the direction of the pride, hmm?" Of course he'd be off to find it on his own if the information wasn't given, determined creature that he was.

@Rielus

code by corvus

There were moments where Rielus had felt half-panicked by the position he had found himself in during the fight, though as a true soldier he had pressed on. It was at the last moment that he realized he had triumphed over the paler male. Since gloating was not his way there would be only the acknowledgement of a step back from the other, cool eyes pressed into Alaric's form as he waited a response to the defeat.

'You win this one.' Rielus had offered a nod of his dark head in return. Perhaps this was the strength @Alaric looked for. Of course, the desert pride had not been forgotten, as the other asked for directions promptly after the loss.

It is beyond the dunes that way, he motioned at the same in the direction he meant with one paw. That should be enough to get the male started on a journey. I'm sure we will see each other there. At this point he moved to walk around the other, headed an opposite direction of the pride.

Exit

Of course he had wanted to win, but the man was old and wise enough to recognize a worthy fight when he had one. There would be plenty of time to prove himself - notably after a good rest and meal. Much as he was capable of providing for himself when necessary he missed the creature comforts of pride life, and the full strength afforded to him by it. The man does not hold back, and Alaric gives him a brief nod of respect. “I’m sure we will,” he agreed, as he turned to set off in the indicated direction. -exit-

image by moogle, code by koi