[Zero]

Originally Posted by Lilly

The feeling of her claws hitting their mark, with scarlet liquid dripping from the cut, a rush of satisfaction flowed through Ayla. She let a tiny smirk twist her expression a bit, watching with narrowed eyes as Ferox stumbled backwards. She examined the tiny cut along his cheek, right underneath his eye, and for a moment a little part of her was concerned. Had she really done that? Would it caught him to go blind? Sure, she wanted to win, but if the first thing she did while apart of the Dusk Syndicate was injure one of their members, she was sure that she’d be back alone in the daunting forest once more. It only lasted a couple heartbeats before her eyes narrowed once more, her amber gaze melting into a liquid fire.

“I hope that scratch doesn’t throw you off your gameplan,” she called, her tone slightly teasing as she yelled across to Ferox, her taunt sailng through the air towards the tom’s ears. Despite the size difference, she was starting to prove herself as a worthy opponent. It was obvious to see that with a little training and guidance in the right direction, Ayla would become a force to be reckoned with. Already was it apparent that she had a natural born talent for fighting, something that little did she know would come into play later. But for right now, her sides just heaved as she fought to catch her breath, her gaze locked and never leaving Ferox’s own. Even though right now they were “fighting”, something about the tom interested her, and she hoped that after this they could become good friends, built on respect for each other due to her proving her fighting ability. After all, she was already beginning to grasp the fact that violence might be the first past time picked by the cats who resided here.

Ferox let out a bark of laughter at her taunt, lifting a paw and rubbing at the wound; smearing the blood across the side of his face. A strange smile twisted the young tom kit's expression as he realized he was actually enjoying this. The blood on his face only made him look a little bit more crazy. He realized that he was no longer afraid, he was actually... excited to go onto offense now, excited to feel his claws pierce her skin. Maybe it's her turn to be frightened. He thought darkly, his pupils narrowing into tiny slits; only adding to his look. There was a small part of him, a part of him that would speak up louder as he aged, that was scared of this feeling; a part of him that wanted nothing to do with this violence. It spoke out against this, not wanting to hurt her, but it was quiet and quickly silenced. The excitement of the fight took a hold of him. He could almost taste the blood, though that could easily be him tasting his own.

Ferox watched his opponent like a hawk, disecting her. She had natural skill and speed, but he had to have some kind of advantage. Think, Ferox... Time moved in slow motion as he thought up his next game plan, and that was when he realized it. She may be quick... but she doesn't have the muscles of a fighter yet. I'm stronger than her. He gave up his sneaky tactics and bolted straight toward her, ready to plow into her with every ounce of strength he had; every bit of muscle he had been building during practice everyday with Cassius. His anger that she had wounded him only added fuel to the fire. He kept his gaze trained on Ayla, knowing that she would probably try to jump out of the way. However, she didn't know that he actually had quite the agility, and that, under his watchful gaze, any movement she made would give him plenty of time to adjust course.