xx. D A N G E R O U S -- x.game.x

[[R].ebel]

xx-You Stand Before Me-xx
xx-Now We Stare Eye to Eye-xx
xx-Before Another Second Ticks A w a y, One of Us Will D I E-xx

Eye to eye they stood, fierce gazes never breaking. Ivory teeth revealed themselves from each maw as thier lips curled up menacingly. The cougar had been taken completely off guard during his hunt and now he was the hunted by his very own prey; a colt. His tawny hide could not keep him hidden long enough to launch his attack; one moment the pinto foal was there and the next, gone, only to reappear from behind, startling the big cat. Now the two stood at a stand off, a desire to kill in both thier eyes. One of them was not walking away today, and by the look in the colt's eyes it wasn't going to be him; a look of no fear and no chances of him losing. The air was tense and stale in the badlands, nearly making it feel as if the air was taking breath away instead of giving it. Every muscle tensed on each side, thier gaze never broke, but all knew, something was going to give.

xx-You Reach for Your m e d a l as I Reach for m i n e-xx
xx-The Sound of B - U - L - L - E - T - S Flying Through the Air is Followed by a c r y-xx
xx-And They Cry-xx

Like an explosion in the air, the two forms burst to life. The cougar, with claws extending, leapt with a fierce roar at the paint colt, but Danuwa had played this game before; this oh-so-dangerous game. At the last second, Danuwa leaped to the side, kicking one back hoof back to knock the cougar in the shoulder, sending the big cat to the ground with a yowl of pain. But Danuwa was no fool; cats where quick on their feet and, just as suspected, the cougar leapt to his feet and leaped for the back of the paint. Danuwa leaped a small leap ahead, planting his front hooves in the ground and sent his back hooves smashing into the face of the cat. The cougar fell to the ground, dazed. One eye could not stay open, his brow having been crushed by the force of the kick. Blood trickled in his mouth, but it was not the satisfying taste of hitting his mark; it was his very own blood. The colt's other hoof had managed to hit one of his large canines, knocking it clear out of his jaw. The cougar knew if he stayed, it would be the end of his life, but as he prepared to stand to leave, a crushing weight hit the back of his head and then, darkness...

xx-What Will We Do, What Will We Say When its the End of this Game that We Play-xx
xx-Will We c / r / u / m / b / l / e into the Dust, My Friend-xx
xx-Or Will We Start this Game Over Again?-xx

Danuwa stood over the crumpled body of the cougar, a chilling look in his eyes as a triumph glrin crossed his maw. He seemed quite proud of himself and his deed and sneered at the weakness of the cougar. Spitting on the cougar in disrespect, the colt trotted off a few feet before resuming his grazing that had been interrupted with this game as if nothing had happened.

[[esperanza]]

From a long way's off, the stallion could see the cougar. He stood on the edge of the forest, where the trees were relatively thin, looking out across the plains. Smirking, he watched the battle between colt and cat, a silent observor, glad to watch the colt prove victorious.

Such was life in the Darksun herd. They had no use for weaklings; only the strong survived.

The bay stallion started to walk again, his pace slow. His shoulders were matted with blood, as if from a recent battle, but it was his hips that were hurting him the most. The area right above his tail had been hit, and hit hard, and while his legs were fine, it hurt to move. Still, he carried his head high, black forelock draping across his face, a proud glimmer in green eyes.

"Well done," he said as he neared the colt, nodding at the limp carcass of the cat.

[[R].ebel]

'Well done'

The painted colt lifted his head to look upon a familiar bay stallion; Alasdi, the leader. Instinct as a Darksun told the colt to be respectful and he bowed his head in greeting to his leader, a mischievious gleam in his eyes and a pride-filled grin on his muzzle. Danuwa looked to the dead cougar and then back to Alasdi, standing high and proud.

"Wasn't much of a fair fight in my opinion... It's a shame though; his death came too quickly for my game. No fun."

Danuwa seemed to pity that the cougar had died so quickly; something the colt logged away in his mind for the future: he would prolong his game as long as he could by keeping the player alive. A thin smile came across the colt pleased with the thought and then he noticed his leader, blood on several places on the stallion's pelt.

"So you where playing a game too. Did you win?"

[[esperanza]]

{OOC// That colt is evil. o.o Lulz.}

"Wasn't much of a fair fight in my opinion... It's a shame though; his death came too quickly for my game. No fun."

Alasdi smirked. If only this colt were a little order...he would be perfect in battle. "Sometimes it's more...amusing to let them live," he said, a malicious gleam in his eyes.


"So you where playing a game too. Did you win?"

The bay stallion chuckled at the word 'game'. Yes, that was exactly what it was --just a game, and he was in control. He was the one pulling the strings, the powerful one who would get his way. "Yes, I did win," he answered. "Although...at a price. It seems a dastardly Cimarron stallion has turned one of our own members against us...him and Coldheart attacked me in the forest. I drove them away." He smirked again, remembering the mad feeling of victory he had had when Coldheart, defeated, ran off. "They won't dare to set hoof on this territory again...at least, that's the plan. Those Cimarron horses can be...rather dense." He didn't mention Thor's or Thunder's help in the battle. It wasn't important right now.

[[R].ebel]

((ooc:: Hehe... I luffs my evil Danuwa. XD))

'Sometimes it's more...amusing to let them live'

Danuwa couldn't help but give a grin; how queer was it that the two thought so alike! The paint colt had never really met Alasdi, but this first encounter was making Danuwa like and respect his leader more.

"Heh... my thoughts exactly..."

'Yes, I did win. Although...at a price. It seems a dastardly Cimarron stallion has turned one of our own members against us...him and Coldheart attacked me in the forest. I drove them away. They won't dare to set hoof on this territory again...at least, that's the plan. Those Cimarron horses can be...rather dense.'

The colt's eyes narrowed at the stallions' words, 'Traitor' screaming in his mind. Although having to put it with the mare, Coldheart, seemed a bit hard. Even he at his young age knew there was one loyal and proud member of the Darksun... but Danuwa put it as a learning lesson: even in the Darksun, you can't trust anyone. The Cimarron was a herd Danuwa only knew little about and that little bit was what he heard around the Darksun; mostly negative comments such as the one Alasdi said, 'rather dense' horses. But Danuwa's thoughts where mainly focused on 'the game', as he so much loved to call it. With a mischievious gleam in his eyes, the colt replied to the leader.

"But this game isn't over. The pawns are still alive and before you can be the glorious victor, they must be crushed."

To hear such words from a colt would put most adults in a state of shock, especially ones parents, but Danuwa had the pleasure of having no parents and had learned all he knew from watching and doing; all his words where his own learnings and teachings and by no means was he meaning no disrespect to his leader; Danuwa just spoke the truth he knew.

[[esperanza]]

"Heh... my thoughts exactly..."

Alasdi nodded. Who had raised this colt? He was almost giddy at the fact that there was a young fighter in his herd who was already so much like him.

"But this game isn't over. The pawns are still alive and before you can be the glorious victor, they must be crushed."

The stallion, who had been gazing north, glanced back at the colt. "Indeed, the game has just begun," he said with a chuckle. "And the pawns--one of them at least--already is crushed. There's more ways to ruin someone than murder. As for the other, well...we'll see how well Spirit takes the news that one of his trusted horses attacked the leader of the Darksun without provocation." That was a lie, of course, but who would dare say otherwise? It was their word against his.

[[R].ebel]

'Indeed, the game has just begun, and the pawns--one of them at least--already is crushed. There's more ways to ruin someone than murder. As for the other, well...we'll see how well Spirit takes the news that one of his trusted horses attacked the leader of the Darksun without provocation.'

Danuwa, like most young, soaked in the information like a sponge. It seemed there were big plans ahead for the Darksun, and colt or not, Danuwa would want to be a part of this game. A deadly game between two herds; this would prove to be interesting.

"It sounds like they've started the game... but we will finish it, won't we?"

War and death was all this colt seemed to bleed, and even though Alasdi had said nothing yet to him of a battle, Danuwa could feel it in his bones. It was coming no doubt, and the colt couldn't help but give a sly grin at the thought of a war; it gave him great pleasure to think about: the death, the blood, the pain. Far more fun than taking down a lone cougar. Itching to fight just thinking about it, Danuwa pawed at the ground, eyes searching the horizon where the Cimarron herd lived.

[[esperanza]]

"It sounds like they've started the game... but we will finish it, won't we?"

The bay's eyes glittered. "Yes. And we will win," he said with a smile. He glanced at the colt out of the corner of his eyes, flicking his tail to drive away some pesky flies. The colt looked eager for something, pawing the ground. Alasdi was sure he would make a good warrior one day, but even he was unsure about the idea of letting mere foals go into battle. But on the other hand, it would sure be surprising to the enemy. Imagine the look on their faces! Alasdi chuckled to himself, enjoying the mental image.

What was the colt's name, by the way? He searched his memory. He couldn't remember directly to speaking to him, but some of the other members may have mentioned him. "It's Danuwa, right?" he asked, with an attempt at a friendly tone. In fact it was almost genuine, but there were darker motives behind the words than mere friendship.

[/color]

[[R].ebel]

'Yes. And we will win'

Winning was like a high for the colt; it was an addiction, and each win brought pleasure to him, and the simple thought of winning a war was thrilling. Alasdi seemed so confident, Danuwa felt the Darksun would be invincible. Greedy eyes continued to soak in the land of the Cimarron, eyes searching every corner, but then his ears pricked to Alasdi's next words.

'It's Danuwa, right?'

Looking to Alasdi, Danuwa's innocence as a colt, despite his dark heart, fooled him and the colt slipped into the lasso of his leader, whatever motives there were. Besides, to a colt, being friends with an adult, and the leader of the herd at that, was too much to pass by. Nodding his head in answer to the leader, Danuwa replied.

"Yes, Alasdi, sir. I am Danuwa. Of the Darksun and for the Darksun."

[[esperanza]]

"Yes, Alasdi, sir. I am Danuwa. Of the Darksun and for the Darksun."

Alasdi smiled. Yes, this colt was perfect: battle-ready yet impressionable. "That's good to hear," he said, nodding at the colt's enthusiasm. "Tell me, Danuwa, have you fought off cougars before?" He inquired, tilting his head and gazing at the colt with interest, awaiting his answer.

[[R].ebel]

'That's good to hear. Tell me, Danuwa, have you fought off cougars before?'

Danuwa's eyes glittered with pride that the leader of the Darksun was actually asking him questions and talking with him; not only that, the colt had a chance to talk of his many victorious battles with cougars.

"Fought them off? Only once; the first time I was attacked. I still came out victorious but I never made the mistake again of letting them attack me. Ever since, I have been the one to attack them... One moment they are stalking me ready to pounce and the next, I come from behind, giving them quite a startle. Hehe... you should see thier face. For one minute they are a predator and then all of sudden they turn into the prey..."

Just speaking of the cougar-wars gave Danuwa a sickening, blood-thirst in his eye, like the need for a drug, a high off of the addiction. It gave him a chill thinking of all the cougars he had slain, which really wasn't many; 4 in all. The first one had attacked him first, but the second had been tracked down by the colt and killed; the third victim and the latter were slain in the way Danuwa had spoke of.

"It's quite the experience..."

[[esperanza]]

"Fought them off? Only once; the first time I was attacked. I still came out victorious but I never made the mistake again of letting them attack me. Ever since, I have been the one to attack them... One moment they are stalking me ready to pounce and the next, I come from behind, giving them quite a startle. Hehe... you should see thier face. For one minute they are a predator and then all of sudden they turn into the prey..."

To hear words like that coming out of the mouth of a young colt would be enough to send shivers down anyone's spine, and Alasdi was no exception. But with the slight tremor of fear came a sort of sick satisfaction. Horses weren't meant to be the predator. They were prey, meant to run at the sign of danger, only fighting at a last resort, but to Alasdi's mind, that was cowardice. The only way to survive in this rugged world was to rise above that, to take control. It was time for the horse to become master of the plains.

"How many have you killed?" he asked, pleased that Danuwa was so eager to speak about his battles.

[[R].ebel]

'How many have you killed?'

Danuwa tilted his head in thought as he counted and recounted just to be sure. He wanted to be sure he got it right. Counting the one laying before him, Danuwa successfully recounted the 3 slain over the past few months. With a nod of his head, the painted colt replied to his leader.

"Four in all, sir, over about a season. Counting this one. One in defense; one was tracked; and two were prey."

The colt couldn't help but smile at his accomplishments, but even now he knew killing more cougars would most likely run them off Darksun lands. Which wouldn't really be bad thing, for others that is; for Danuwa it would be terrible; his game would be over! Unless he took on wolves... The thought crossed his mind with a smile; wolves would prove to be tricker as they hunt in packs. A satisfying shudder went through Danuwa at the thought of killing a whole pack, his war-fantasy filled mind surging with the thought. Although he quickly pushed it aside to ask his leader a question of curiosity.

"What about you, Alasdi? Have you fought your fair share of cougars?"

[[esperanza]]

"Four in all, sir, over about a season. Counting this one. One in defense; one was tracked; and two were prey."

Alasdi nodded, taking in the information. By the stars in heaven above, this colt was more vicious than some of the adult herd members! The bay stallion studied the colt with a satisfied look. Any qualms he may have had about sending the colt into battle had vanished quickly.

The pinto colt seemed to shudder with some heinous thought; what it was Alasdi could only guess.

"What about you, Alasdi? Have you fought your fair share of cougars?"

The stallion tilted his head, thinking. He didn't want the colt to think of him as weak or somehow inferior. Though of course, he thought, it wouldn't be too hard to put the colt in his place if he managed to say anything wrong. It was true that Alasdi had never hunted the cougar; in fact, until recently he had never given much thought to hunting at all. Well, he was more of a plotter than a hunter after all. Alasdi liked to toy with the minds of his enemies; he would study them, noting what pushed their buttons, and then use that knowledge to destroy them. It worked best when all he had to do was mention a phrase, a sentance, that triggered their downfall, because then he could walk away blameless.

So he had never hunted the cougar, but he had fought them off before, defending himself and his herd. He flicked his tail, then nodded.

"Yes, I've fought many cougars over my life," he answered the colt, letting a smirk slip up his face. If it weren't for self control, he'd be absolutely giddy with the plans of war. It wouldn't be long now, no, it wouldn't be long at all. He could almost smell it in the air. The stallion lifted his head into the wind, closing eyes to breathe it in, but instead of the sweet scent of carnage, the distinctive smell of the Cimarron herd blew into his nostrils. He pinned his ears flat, sending a glare of pure malice toward the direction from where the offending smell came before the smirk returned to his face.

It wouldn't be long now.

[[R].ebel]

'Yes, I've fought many cougars over my life'

Danuwa cocked his head at the answer. It wasn't a direct answer, which brought question to the colt; suspicion even. The colt knew he was different from others; most mustangs ran from a cougar when faced with them, and would only fight when cornered. Danuwa wasn't that way. Not only did he fight back, he turned the tables on cougars, and attacked them. Still, the colt subsided any questions, knowing better than to speak out against the leader.

Alasdi seemed to soak in the scents; the wind currently carrying from the Cimarron, Danuwa getting the sense of something big to come. The game... Danuwa wished to be a part of it, but he wondered if Alasdi would allow it, for his age. Either way, Danuwa would go into battle, whether Alasdi cared or not. Still, it seemed fair enough to ask. Soaking in the area in the direction of Cimarron with hardened eyes, the colt asked.

"The game, Alasdi... Would you allow me to be a part of it? ...Or need I prove my worth more?"

Danuwa looked to Alasdi with cold eyes, taking a hoof and placing it on the motionless head of the cougar slain earlier. What an evil soul this child was...