Pride before Fall [Amadeus]

[Kina]

She was well aware of the initial disappointment that flashed through the battle-hungry rogue's eyes when she'd started to pass, as well as the shock at her underhanded tactic. But he didn't seem to be one to talk. A hint of a smile twitched her muzzle at the rogue's grin; not mirroring his crazed desires, but amused that he had underestimated her. Like everyone else. But that hint of a smile died at his jibe.

"And I suppose you've got to compensate for something else as well?" Tifu shot back, ears pinning against her head as her eyes narrowed. Boring through Baya entirely. Apparently the foolish rogue had never made a lioness angry before. Seemed like he was about to get an education. A very painful one.

The small lioness was hardly phased by his growl as he bared his teeth, a soft snarl curling her muzzle in distaste. Suddenly launching into a whirlwind of fangs and claws, darting around the male and striking as she passed. But never staying in one place too long, daring not let herself get pinned. If that happened, the fight was lost. Unless she could manage a heavy blow from the ground.

[Baya]

Baya's smirk did not fade through out the barrage of claws and fangs. His eyes followed the small lioness around, as she struck at his front and hind paws. His sides took a beating as well, but he wasn't about to fall to such a foolish tactic. He had taken on five or six hyenas before, and they used the same method. Fortunately, with them, it was easier to catch because of their stupidity. This female knew what she was doing. It only entertained Baya further.

The only thing Baya could do was try and guess where she was going to go. Though it might be a work of luck, he would have to risk it. His eyes narrowed as he slowly turned to his right. He hissed as he slowly took a blow to the muzzle, but that strike was his sacrifice to headbutt her roughly in the side. He knew he didn't break anything, nor was he really trying to. All he needed to do was disable her for a moment. He took in a deep breath, his vision starting to blur from the blood loss.

"You are small, but quite a thorn in my side. It's fun to fight someone with some experience for once..." Baya commented as he slowly made his way towards her. His eye were dazed, as his body was beginning to fail him. One small lioness became three, then back to one. His steps turned into staggers, and his breaths grew shorter. There was two possibilities that would come from this. Baya would die, or Baya would fall unconscious. Though Baya figured the female would kill him when he fell unconscious anyway. Today was the day the demon returned to the hell that he spawned from.

Baya felt the world spin around him, and he finally fell before he could even reach the lioness. His eyes were still barely open. His claw reached out and gently nudged hers. "Got you..." Baya cackled with a cough as he drifted to unconsciousness.

[Kina]

When the lanky brown lion swung at her, Tifu was already gone. She'd learned to predict her opponents movements from their shoulders, and she wasn't going to slow down for this insane lion. Lashing out in attack as he whirled after her, her claws tearing across his scarred muzzle. Only to get a rough headbutt as he started to catch onto her, knocking the breath out of her. The dust colored lioness stumbling, ears flattening against her head.

Slowly exhaling as the lion suddenly staggered, the heat getting the best of him. She stepped back as he stumbled towards her, his outstretched claws barely grazing her paw when he collapsed. A sigh escaped her muzzle after a moment, shaking her head. The idiot was picking fights when he couldn't even take care of himself.

Turning after a moment, knowing that this waterhole wasn't going to be safe to stay at, Tifu moved around the unconscious lion and back towards the dry stream. Her small paws covering the ground quickly enough, easily scaling the shallow bank. Vanishing into the dead grass once more.

[OOC: Sorry it's short, XD.]

[Baya]

The desert had its toll on many creatures that entered its unforgiving vicinity. Stories told that some went insane, some would simply fall over and die and the rest would just live in loneliness. That was the life of a rogue. One lone rogue in particular was making his way through the scorching desert sands, his blond mane blowing slightly with a gust of wind. His blue eyes squinted through the sand that was kicked up by that same gust that made his mane dance.

Ayari was never a privileged lion. He was born, and his mother was killed when he was but a four month old cub. From there on out, he was on his own. He encountered a variety of different beings in his travels and his quest for purpose in this large and dark world. One of which that was most interesting was Zira and her pride. He stayed there for a short while, and became very good friends with Zira's children. Though the day came that he felt the need to leave, at the age of one. Zira had chosen to train him as well, figuring he would be a good asset to any conflict. How would she have guessed that he would just wake up one morning and leave?

Since then, the blond maned, pale furred, and blue eyed lion had fought, negotiated and even narrowly escaped death multiple times. He never fought to kill. He never fought to steal. He never wanted to lose himself, because he felt that if he kept his own light ongoing, perhaps other would follow in this moral virtue. They would follow him to peace in the desert.

Ayari noticed an odd, but attractive odor lingering in the air as he made his way through the desert. It wasn't necessarily a bad odor. In fact, it was quite sweet and had the force to make him follow it. He wasn't a stranger to this odor. This was the odor of a female when it was her time. Ayari had followed it before, only to arrive to...very obscene material. Though he witnessed it many times, he could never use his reason to overcome the odor's strong pull.

It didn't take him long to follow the scent, as it was already pretty strong. All he could see though was a dried up stream, with just a narrow line of water and cracked earth all around. "Uh. Hello?" Ayari called looking around. He really hoped he didn't see what he thought he would. It was an image far too often burned into his mind. He noticed a female make her way out of the dead grass on the other side of the stream. He let out a sigh of relief.

"Hey there." Ayari said with a slight grin. He wasn't much of a charmer. Actually, he was quite a dork when it came to things like this. "What's a desert flower like you doing in a ...uhm...dead place like this?" Ayari said looking around. He should've thought that through ALOT better. He sighed. What a dork.

[Kina]

As the petite lioness waded through the thinning but brittle grass, only to come almost nose-to-nose with another male. The blonde maned lion wasn't particularly tense or aggressive in his stance, although when he opened his mouth she was once again convinced looks traveled faster than intelligence. Rolling her eyes, the lioness flicked her tail in mild annoyance. "You might've been better to not open your mouth at all," the dust colored female returned coolly, twitching her ears.

Far from impressed with the lion's greeting, needless to say. And the slight knot of cramping in her stomach was only growing, and it was not helping her already tested good temper for the day. But Tifu was starting to notice a vaguely metallic scent as well, even being unwounded. And judging from what her mother had told her ... Lovely.

Her ears flattened as she started to walk off, although the lioness' dark claws peeping out of her slender paws once more were more than enough warning that she wasn't interested.

[Baya]

[>_> Go into more detail why don't you. I JUST ATE! T_T]

"Woah Woah! Hey! I was just trying to be nice!" Ayari called after her, his own ears flattened against his head. He sighed. He wished he hadn't opened his mouth, per her request. Though she was one of the more calm and collected lionesses in this new dead land, and that is honestly what Ayari needed. A companion. Someone he could talk to, or protect or even die for. He had been alone so long, that even hearing someone else talk to him without murder in their eyes was something of a drug to him.

"Hold on!" Ayari said as he trotted after her. He knew this was probably not a good move as he had easily angered other lionesses in this same...point of their life. He was lucky he could out run them. Then again, this female already proved herself different from the others. Perhaps if he explained himself.

"Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you." He said trotting along side her now. "I mean, I don't really talk like that. You must think I'm some kind of big headed idiot, huh?" Ayari asked with a slight chuckle. In all truth, he kinda was. A lion trying to make a difference in a land so dead and filled with hate. That really did make him an idiot. After a moment of silence, Ayari decided to speak again.

"My name is Ayari." He said to break the silence, not really looking at her. She was probably beyond annoyed that he was tagging along, but he was already having the time of his life.

[Kina]

The lioness sighed when the male came trotting after her, glancing back at him. One ear idly flicked as she observed him, pale amber gaze noting his somewhat sheepishly drooping ears. A wry chuckle escaping her muzzle at his admittance of acting stupid. "Well, it wasn't exactly the most endearing greeting, I'll put it that way," Tifu said, glancing back ahead.

Nodding after a moment when he introduced himself. "Call me Tifu," the slender lioness said, before her gaze flicked back to him after a moment. "Do you know of any other water sources around here, per chance?"

[Baya]

Ayari smiled when she gave her name to him. When she asked for another source of water, Ayari pondered for a moment. He thought and thought until a simple logical idea came to him. "Well, the stream we were at wasn't entirely dead. We could follow it up wards to see what the source of the small trickle is. You never know, it could just be jammed with something." Ayari suggested. He knew that it wasn't so likely, but if there was they wouldn't need to keep looking for it.

"I'm not 100% on this. I'm as new to this land as you are. I came here from the desert not too long ago, because there was few rabbits jumping around. Though, even they are gone now..." Ayari muttered.

[Kina]

The dust colored lioness offered a nod, ears twitching. "Well, I suppose that could be true. Seeing as we're both looking for water, though, would you care to come with me?" Tifu queried after a moment, inclining her head politely. While his attempt at an 'impressive' greeting was less than stellar, when he stopped trying to impress, he did seem at least intelligent. And civil. That was certainly a bonus, considering the last two males she had just met.