Hero's Journey

Regulus hadn’t long to wait before a huge, feline-looking and smelling creature stalked into view. He heard a faint mew from the trees as Cinder spotted the tiger. He wasn’t going to deny that he felt a bit of fear trickle into his stomach. It felt like a thread of ice had snaked into his belly and wrapped around his heart. As the tiger greeted him, he could only nod in agreement at the statement; no, he had definitely not been expecting-- What? The big cat had just said-- BAM!

Okay, so his first spar wasn’t going at all like he’d hoped. But exactly how he’d expected. In fact, over the top of his expectations. He’d been so puzzled by the big cat, that he’d forgotten that he was there for a spar. That lapse in memory hadn’t lasted long, but long enough. The cat had sprung, and silly Regulus hadn’t braced for impact, or tried to dodge the six-hundred pound battering ram tiger. A large, heavy bruise flowered across his chest as the big cats breast smashed into his, and, as the cat had intended, his breath whoofed out of his lungs in a startled grunt. In all honestly, he was lucky that he hadn’t braced for impact, because the power of the cats weight hitting him squarely sent him rolling backward.

Claws sliced through his left shoulder, leaving four moderate slashes in his flesh, the other set ( thankfully missing their mark, though taking blood red clumps of fur with them in place of blood or flesh, as Regulus skidded backward a few feet, having been bowled onto his back by the force of the big cats attack. The teeth that had been aimed to subdue him missed their grip, instead ripping a mild tear in his left eartip, and a mild slash along his left lower cheek.

Regulus lay on his back, winded; and as clear as spring water, a thought popped into his head; I am not ready for this caliber. And there is no dishonor in backing down, now. It’s just a spar. Aloud, he called out, once his wind had returned enough, ”I submit!” His voice even had the decency not to crack, or squeak. His shoulder burned, as did his cheek and his eartip. Except for the boar, and crashing against the shore of the southern continent, this was the only time he could say he felt real pain. Stubbing his toes on the den floor, or falling nose first to the ground after missing his sisters in a pounce didn’t really count.

-::-

Regulus vs Skaelingr for Spar

Submitted.