SKILL warrior 2/5

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it didn't take much questioning before ghelan was pushed into the dirt, nose deep in it. his aunt's voice rings out, and the leering gazes of the crowd closed in, picked at him like vultures.

he wouldn't win. there was no way he could ever win against his father. but he didn't want to.
ghelan didn't dignify kusaxasaa or meleys with a response. instead he'd lunged for the man having accepted the challenge with a tail kept low. the boy's features twisted, his incisors looked to pierce through the ink black of kusaxasaa's neck or jaw. unlike the chiefton, his son was not measured with his strokes but flighty and erratic snaps of his teeth. pure rage burst through his veins as adrenaline.

---

not sure if we should roll for damage? what do u wanna do?

[toward him the son came, and kusaxasaa would use this moment as lesson. still healing, he moved to guard the pinked scar and took the teeth to his jawline. a powerful snarl rippled from the chieftain, and a lash of his head split the skin of his mouth and perhaps that of ghelan as well. he tasted it, shoving shoulder hard into the young wolf's ribcage. despite this! he was proud, proud for the at-last showing of the boy, of his abilities. the leg had not deterred the challenge, and though their paths must now diverge, he knew this show of strength meant more could be offered. kusaxasaa planted his legs, keeping their bodies on rough collision.]

toward him the son came, and kusaxasaa would use this moment as lesson. still healing, he moved to guard the pinked scar and took the teeth to his jawline. a powerful snarl rippled from the chieftain, and a lash of his head split the skin of his mouth and perhaps that of ghelan as well. he tasted it, shoving shoulder hard into the young wolf's ribcage.

despite this! he was proud, proud for the at-last showing of the boy, of his abilities. the leg had not deterred the challenge, and though their paths must now diverge, he knew this show of strength meant more could be offered.

kusaxasaa planted his legs, keeping their bodies on rough collision.

SKILL warrior 3/5

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he had missed the man's neck. instead his teeth rake along father's jawline, tearing a stripe across it. and as punishment, the chief's bottom incissors rip across the boy's pale lip and just halfway across his dark nose bridge. his first taste of wolf blood, and it sends ghelan foaming. it's a vile, putrid taste. quickly it's spat onto the ground in between panting breath like poison. there was no pride nor victory to be found for him.

but he fights on. the boy glared the man down before he answered the brutish snarl of kusaxasaa with one of his own. quickly he's punished for it with a shove, grunting as he hits the ground. each action either men take is a blur to ghelan. pain is fogged by vigor and adrenaline. scrambling onto his feet, ghelan gnashes his teeth again. his aim was wild, reaching for whatever he could and that happened to be an ankle. his flailing kicks to stand push and drag the dirt, plumes of dust starting to envelope the battlefield. the large body of the boy wriggled and twisted before he could be pinned again. but teeth still came after him, and this time ghelan lets out a roar. pressure only climbs, wishing to burst through his head.

when the world is comprehensible to ghelan, he is pacing around the mountain that is the chieftain — littered in scars and yet indominable. kusaxasaa anchors himself to the earth but ghelan keeps himself light and moving. the tension of standing still and waiting for the next strike would kill him.

["my son, the sharadoii man. born to a valley-woman and a saatsine father." kusaxasaa's tongue cleaned the yellowed ridges of his teeth, the single eye never leaving ghelan. there was no fear and maybe more mockery than was needed; an interest burned in the lanzadoii man to see his son stand against him. "do you fight for traitors?" kusaxasaa roared, tail lashing. "you fight only because my blood gives you power." he burned; his teeth gleamed in the jesting, in the goading. a challenger must keep his challenge. kusaxasaa waited, understanding that they were unmatched and yet inviting all the same this youthful hatred which ghelan at last exemplified. a shame to the saatsine man that his son fought on the side of traitors. a reason to disown.]

"my son, the sharadoii man. born to a valley-woman and a saatsine father." kusaxasaa's tongue cleaned the yellowed ridges of his teeth, the single eye never leaving ghelan. there was no fear and maybe more mockery than was needed; an interest burned in the lanzadoii man to see his son stand against him. "do you fight for traitors?" kusaxasaa roared, tail lashing. "you fight only because my blood gives you power."

he burned; his teeth gleamed in the jesting, in the goading.

a challenger must keep his challenge. kusaxasaa waited, understanding that they were unmatched and yet inviting all the same this youthful hatred which ghelan at last exemplified.

a shame to the saatsine man that his son fought on the side of traitors. a reason to disown.

SKILL warrior 4/5
feel free to scar him up btw, i dont mind adding them to his design afterwards.

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ghelan staggers to his feet, white belly sullied by dirt and blood — his own or fathers, it didn't matter. the black of his back, now closer to his father's own pelt, did not need any dirt to be sullied. he stops his pacing, stealing breaths before his or kusaxasaa's next move. the dark silhouette of the saatsine chieftan is nothing more than blurred after images, his voice ringing through ghelan's head. but he rings loud, and he rings clear.

his father mocks him. he mocks him. he finds amusement in the boy's protest — all of them did. birds of a feather stick together.
kusaxasaa goads him on and ghelan is none the wiser to remain calm. -i don't fight for traitors, i fight against your injustice. your cruelty.- he snarls, snorting before his next lunge at kusaxasaa. -if you still think this war was not your fault, then you've learned nothing from the moon tribes!-

["cruelty kept you alive. your mother wanted to throw you away. i did not allow it. that is why i punished her." a cruel lie, a barb made stolid by the jut of kusaxasaa's chin toward his son's withered leg. it had not been so, but he heard what he felt was wavering, and pressed forward first with words. "your sharadoii grandfather traded your mother to me with no thought of what children might be born. he was willing to let her die. that is the rot in your blood." the moon tribes. another mistake. kusaxasaa backhanded ghelan with a mass of filthied claws; "i will show you what the moon tribes taught!" in sharadoii, the first time that sun eater had spoken such in many months. ghelan bore the sin of his mother with the beating. and when the lanzadoii hunter rose again, it was with the glint of his son's leftmost eye in his jaws. into the dust. "i exile you, akiak of the sharadoii. leave this land. you have fought upon the side of those who maimed your brother and turned against your father. you are no longer lanzadoii."]

tw: gore, maiming

"cruelty kept you alive. your mother wanted to throw you away. i did not allow it. that is why i punished her." a cruel lie, a barb made stolid by the jut of kusaxasaa's chin toward his son's withered leg. it had not been so, but he heard what he felt was wavering, and pressed forward first with words. "your sharadoii grandfather traded your mother to me with no thought of what children might be born. he was willing to let her die. that is the rot in your blood."

the moon tribes.

another mistake.

kusaxasaa backhanded ghelan with a mass of filthied claws; "i will show you what the moon tribes taught!"

in sharadoii, the first time that sun eater had spoken such in many months.

ghelan bore the sin of his mother with the beating.

and when the lanzadoii hunter rose again, it was with the glint of his son's leftmost eye in his jaws.

into the dust.

"i exile you, akiak of the sharadoii. leave this land. you have fought upon the side of those who maimed your brother and turned against your father. you are no longer lanzadoii."

---

now, one of the most pivotal moments in his adolescence unfurls.

a great, black stag reprimanding and pushing from the herd an unruly son that challenges his rule. c'ede' sits among his muradoii siblings, watching with quiet breath, quiet eyes. eyes of ice that drink in the sight with too much eagerness. pale iceblock fur bristling with each growl, each blow of violence.

and when an eye is dislodged and done away with, c'ede' rises. he did not know ghelan. the sharadoii had never bothered to come and know him. and the white raven feels nothing as he is maimed, punished, and exiled.

a traitor.

c'ede' howls his agreement.

---

cw for gore, maiming

SKILL warrior 5/5

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he misses his lunge, searing pain instead ripples from his leg and he's forced onto the ground again. -you're lying!- ghelan warbled, but he'd spoken too soon and too boldly.
he's stricken across the face, blood spurting from ghelan's nose. biting his ankles or forearm could not stop the rage of his father — a rage older than ghelan, perhaps even ghaden. he could hear the roar of father. but he was too slow, too stupid, to stop what came next.

cen's teeth reached close. ghelan couldn't understand at first, until breath brushed eyelid and snagged on the delicate, flimsy skin. teeth pried it open, by tearing it. his voice rasps in his scream, kicking and flailing only tears at him further. the tugging goes on for an eternity, pain collapsing all throughout his body. until with one, final tug, cen is off of him.

the aching of exposed flesh means nothing anymore. its a relief in comparison. ghelan swallows, tears mixing with blood as his right eye watches. the boy laid slack-jawed, breathless and wearied as he stared up at father. the chieftain tosses it to the ground. ghelan wriggled towards it, dragging what felt like the weight of the world to pick it up, lips soiled with snot and blood.

and father abandons him. once and for all.
akiak trembled to stand half of his height, eye still clutched gently in his jaw like a jewel, and he hobbled away aimlessly.

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big sad. but feel free for more cameos :'D

A punishment given. A son abandoned. The Sun Eater had learned his lesson well on betrayal. Do not continue to offer chances, do not assume the best in others, to not give chances to those which show disrespect.

Ghelan now to me marked as the traitorous son of the Saatsine for the rest of his life among the caribou hunters.

Meleys comes to stand along C'ede', head lowering to her young nephew. Remember this day. She would hate to see another son of their blood fail.

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(late) cameo!

Ceti finds a spot between her sister and lanzadoii brother to quietly observe the bloodsport. Her gaze travelled between them as they traded blows and words one after another.

She knew little of the complexities of the Chieftain and his first son, and she certainly didn't care to learn more; this display was enough, lanzadoii made weak-bodied sharadoii, An eye the price of this—Ceti couldn't find another word aside from stupid to describe the whole challenge. What, You came back to prove that you're pathetic?

She can't help but be a little grateful regardless, this was after all, an opportunity to watch a birds wings get clipped, or rather, it's eye. If he comes back, she thinks Kusax̱asaa should take the other.

Cetseni's voice joins the haunting ballad that banishes Akiak from their lands. Not because she is terribly swayed by it all, but because it would further shame him. Know no peace.