That Sea is just a Gambler at Heart

Dómari trotted along the gorgeous landscape. The rich stripes of orange and gold and red were stunning though it wasn't the sort of place he'd care to live in. The land was far to dry. He was out scouting with Cairo. His feelings regarding the upcoming raid were mixed but ultimately he was feeling more comfortable and excited with the idea of it. This one wouldn't be nearly the bloody nightmare the Talis raid had been.

His fur stood on end and he froze. Something seemed off. His nostrils flared as he caught the scent of lion. Surely, no predator would claim such a land? His question was answered immediately as a thin lion with a deep black mane rushed out at him. Dómari scrambled to the side, the lion's claws just scraping his right shoulder as he instinctively turned his head to snag it's right hind leg.

He padded along amiably, fathomless eyes scanning the red stone and the formations it had made. He was looking for good spots that the healing camp might set up, but as his nose caught the scent of lion, he snapped to the present and darted to the side as the big cat bounded into the middle of them. He was immediately relieved for his armor when the cat clubbed a paw down on his shoulders, trying to snag him and drag him down. He grunted, but the leather held true as he twisted and slashed for the lion’s belly. He tasted blood and the lion let go with a squall of indignant fury. Cai leapt free and ran, whirling to snap at the cat and draw him forward, giving Dom and opening to come in from behind. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

That Sea is just a Gambler at Heart

Dómari thrashed his head as the big cat flailed and writhed and he lost his grip as a paw swept back for his face. The lion's attention was then drawn to Cairo who leapt forward and the lion instinctively gave chase. Dómari charged after the duo, his head rotating to the side as he snagged the back of the lion's right leg, fangs sinking partially in to his initial wound. With a violent thrash of his head muscle ripped and the cat twisted around roaring in fury.

Dómari leapt aside, one of the great cat's claws grazing his left cheek. The cat got up but it was clear it was severely limping. He bared his fangs. "Go on! Beat it!" The lion wasn't quite ready to give up as he dove at Dómari once more.

It was teamwork like this that made him love Valhalla so much. When he drew the lion’s attention, Domari tagged it on the back end, and as the lion twisted around to swing a right hook at the other wolf, Cairo took his turn and leapt forward to sink his teeth into the cat’s lower neck, mouth stuffed full of rank black mane. He remembered, belatedly, his clawed bracers and raised both forelegs to rake his front paws down over the cat’s chest, toes flexed to deal as much damage with the bear claws as he could, feeling the leather loops under his toes strain under the abuse. He thrashed his head as he leapt free, sending the lion staggering onto its injured back leg with a primal groan before it swiped for the armored young male who leapt out of reach. Cairo was doing his best to think clearly, and he knew that Aurielle would dispatch this cat, with how close it was to Valhalla and Lirim. What wasn’t to stop the cat from running into either pack? Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

That Sea is just a Gambler at Heart

Cairo was swiftly retaliated, dealing damage to the front of the lion. Dómari pushed forward and using the new shoulder spikes he had created some time ago he rammed his left shoulder into the back of the lion's good hind leg, twisting his head so that his fangs could latch onto the base of the lion's spine in front of it's tail. He pushed his weight forward and the lion's hind legs crumbled beneath him. There was something wrong with it for sure. He could smell it on the creature.

His eyes flicked up as he looked to Cairo. It was time to put the poor bastard out of its misery. Unbeknownst to him though, the lions brother had heard the cries and was moving swiftly toward them.

As the lion crumpled in the hind end, twisting in the front in an attempt to reach Domari, Cairo lunged forward and slammed the curved breast of his armor into the front of the cat and sent it sprawling flat on its side. His jaws dove for the lion’s throat, clamping just under the jaw and puncturing the jugular. He felt his mouth fill and ripped free, opening the fatal wound and leaping free, though the cat cast a final defiant swipe of the claws and nailed him on the muzzle. It was a solid club and he worked his jaw for a few rotations until his eyes quit watering, just in time to see a bigger, much angrier lion bearing down on Domari from behind with intent to kill written on its blunt muzzled face. “Whoa!” Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

That Sea is just a Gambler at Heart

Dómari held fast until at lasted the lion stopped struggling and fell prey to Cairo's fangs. He released his grip and stumbled back, assessing his wounds for a moment before a statement from Cairo caught his attention. He looked behind him and saw a much bigger lion headed right towards them. This one didn't seem to be outwardly sick like the scrawnier lion but there was something cruel about its gaze, something twisted that made his veins feel like they were full of ice. This was the sort of lion that would take the bulk of a meal while his ailing brother starved, this was the sort of lion who would happily kill a lionesses cubs so she'd breed with them. This was the sort of lion who was going to murder him and Cairo with barely a thought spared for the deed.

Dómari dove to the side, managing to avoid the lions fangs but not his paws. A mighty swipe struck his left hind leg leaving punctures and sending him tumbling to the side.

As the bigger lion barreled into their midst, Cai readied himself swiftly. The lion had snagged a hit on Domari, and went after the male, which gave Cai a fresh opening to leap in and rake both sets of bear claws down its side. He was ready for the swipe the lion aimed at him, catching the paw in his jaws and thrashing his head to sink his canines as deep as they’d go before tearing himself free and side-jumping the thoroughly infuriated charge of the lion. The claw rakes across his muzzle stung and sought to distract him, but he forced himself to stay attentive as he backpedaled and snapped at the lion, giving Domari time to collect himself to sally an attack on their much larger foe. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

That Sea is just a Gambler at Heart

Dómari scrambled to get back to his feet, wincing at the pain in his hind leg as he regained his balance. His heart was hammering but he forced himself to focus on the task at hand. This was not going to be a 'scare them off' sort of fight. He had to go all in. Cairo was distracting the lion, leaving its hind end open and vulnerable. Dómari burst forward and slammed into the lion's hindquarters. His head latched onto the lion's left ankle, lower fangs shredding into the achilles tendon while his shoulder spikes punctured the flesh on the back of the lions thighs. It yowled and thrashed, tearing away from him but it stumbled and struggled to support its weight.

He spared a glance from time to time as he ducked lunges and danced out of reach of the swipes the lion pursued him with, spotting the moment Domari got himself together. The lion buckled as the other male crashed back into the battle in a big way. Cairo spotted the weakening in the big cat’s hind leg and shifted his movements from defense to offense as the lion turned its attention to the other wolf that had just crippled its hind leg. Its attention was quickly retrieved when Cairo’s teeth ripped into its shoulder, followed shortly by his bear clawed paws shredding down the lion’s shoulder and foreleg, sending blood spattering onto the red stone ground. The lion slapped at him with its good front paw, clubbing his shoulder hard enough to draw a grunt from his lungs as he released the cat from his teeth and bounded free, rolling the offended shoulder under his armor. Just bruises, he thought, but didn’t have much time to do more than think before the lion was after him again, determined to end these infuriatingly difficult to kill canines. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

That Sea is just a Gambler at Heart

Dómari quickly got back to his feet, panting with the effort of the fight and the heat of the day. His dark pelt was doing him no favors in this arid landscape. The lion went after Cairo again and as the pair tussled Dómari's legs coiled beneath him and he barreled forward this time leaping right onto the lions back. His fangs latched onto the lions scruff, right at the top of his head. Dómari wrapped his arms around the lions neck as he yanked his head back. In doing so he forced the lion to expose its throat and he hoped Cairo would take the shot as the lion spazzed and shook the claws reaching up and raking down the underside of his left arm as it tried to dislodge him from its back.

Domari’s leap coincided with the moment the lion pushed off in its own leap and managed to knock Cairo over, rolling him backward and belly up under a momentarily triumphant cat. The splotched Adravendi let out a yelp of “Shit!" before Domari saved his skin by landing on the lion’s back and grappling him. As the lion gave Domari its attention, Cairo launched himself upward with a monumental effort, jaws opening and slamming shut over the cat’s windpipe, eliciting a muffled ‘gurk’ of surprise from the cat before Cairo quickly readjusted and got a better bite on the cat, letting his weight hang and sink his teeth into the throat. He thrashed slightly as soon as he felt his teeth break through, reaching up with his paws a final time and flexing it toes to latch the bear claws into the cat’s shoulders and drag it down. And then quite suddenly, he had all the cat’s weight on him as the lion gave out. It took a little effort to disengage his jaws, and way more to squirm free of a limp lion. With a final kick, he heaved free and stood on legs that were suddenly shaky from the adrenaline, before he remembered himself and looked in all directions for anything else that wanted to come out and be a dick today. “You okay, Dom?” Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think