you just can't hide

Natalya knew she would die today.  She knew it but she did not fear it, just as she had been taught.  She had the strength for this battle, but she would use every ounce of strength left in her for this and this alone.  Maybe her children would struggle with her decision, but the rest of her family would understand.  She was a Hesperides and an Olympus, and she could not simply lie down and die.  Return with your shield or on it.  It was a simple phrase but one that had meant everything to the family of her parents.  They were warriors, and they were meant to die fighting.

She smelled her before she heard her and her rage only increased, adrenaline spiking as she moved instinctively into a defensive stance as a growl ripped through her throat and her hackles raised in aggression.  Her knees bent, her body lowering, and her legs spread into a widened stance, her toes splaying for added support.  Her ears fell back against her skull as she moved her tail head in line with her spine and tucked her chin to protect her throat.  She shifted the entire weight of her body forward on her toes ever so slightly so that she would be able to move quicker and her shoulders rolled forward with the movement to give added protection to her neck.  She didn’t bother protecting the beauty of her eyes - they were useless after all, and no one would be looking at them when she was dead and buried.  She would be ready for anything the bitch threw at her, whether she attacked now or later.  

Without dignifying her opponent with a response, she began to move in a semi-circle, stepping slowly at first to her right, then turning and attempting to sprint at Cataleya from an angle (diagram of attempted angle).  Poe landed on her shoulder as she began her prowl so that he could instruct her when to begin her charge.  He stopped her after she had moved only a couple of feet, then flew away and left her to her own devices.  He would remain on the sidelines for the fight itself, as he always did, leaving his mistress to attempt her glory on her own.  From the moment he departed, Natalya began clicking her tongue, using the echo-location-esque technique to gauge the distance between herself and the other.

She aimed to approach her opponent’s shoulder slightly closer to the female’s left side than her front, but still coming at her shoulder.  She hoped that she would be able to close the distance of a few feet between them quickly.  She would maintain her defensive positioning as she moved, keeping her body lowered and her knees bent the entire time.  She would aim to dig her claws into the ground when she made contact with Cataleya - whenever that happened - as she would attempt to extend her neck forward and bite deeply into the side of Cat’s neck.  She hoped that her bottom teeth would find purchase on or near the throat at best, and then would attempt to rip the flesh by abruptly pulling her head back in toward her throat.  Simultaneously with her attempt to latch onto the female, she would attempt to balance her weight on her two right legs and back left leg as she tried to lift her front left leg and slam it down on Cat’s front left paw, hoping to break the foot.

Round 1 of 3  |  for death

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EDIT WITH PERMISSION OF NYX TO ADD DIAGRAM LINK, SHE IS WATCHING ME RIGHT NOW