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While Maya awaited Calypso's orders she wandered deeper into the prides territory, her eyes glazed over with a bloodlust. She was a little worked up from the talks of murder and matricide, her mind wasn't in the right place to make rational decisions, not right now.. yet she fumed her way to the closest figure she could, calling out in her own frustration.

"I demand you fight me!" She shouted, the burns on her pelt rippling as she flexed her shoulders from side to side. She knew this pride was full of strong warriors, today was the day she had a taste of a true Stromborn duel. If Maya was going to join the ranks of these revered fighters she would need to learn her way around the battlefield.

His words only seemed to piss the malformed female off, this was shown with a flash of her fangs and eyes filled with fiery rage - intensely gazing at him without speaking a word. Coming here and meeting Calypso had opened her eyes to some personal truths, truths the seer was unwilling to abandon so swiftly now that they had come to light. She wanted to be here with her, to grow strong too. Her body was lean and burned but Maya was not weak, not by a long shot. She would have her pound of flesh and she would earn her way into the pride no matter the cost. She needed to be her equal.

"I am no lady." Her words crossed her maw with a deep hiss as she took toward him with one fast strike, grazing his side as she passed him. She missed, it was hardly a hit.

The lioness spat as she turned herself full circle, standing still for a moment while she eyed him down. This one had a mouth on him.... Maya wanted to rip it off his face.

Lucky for her the male was unaware of the extent of her injuries, so when he took the low-road and aimed for her arm she could only chuckle at his transparency. Going for her obvious weakness, who could have guessed? Sadly for him her burns had left her numb in over half of her body, arm included. So his hit only made her stumble, doing more harm to her footing and less to her physical response to pain. Even if he drew blood Maya could not feel it, it was a shield, her burns.

"I'm having a hard time finding your parts, so at least one of us is sure." As she spoke she turned, paws wide with claws extending into the earth, her smirk turned into more of a frown with her upper lip quivering a little in annoyance, still she found pleasure in denying his advances, words meant very little to her.

The lioness moved herself at him once more, this time her body on the defensive as she rammed full-force into him, her shoulder clipping against him with a loud slap.

"You talk to much." She winced with a soft smirk, her eyes wild and untamed.

"Degenerate."

Maya's body jerked back as she slid to the side, the dusty lioness was barely scathed by his incoming incursion, but she felt claws hit soft skin and her eyes pinned wide for a split second - so he figured out where he could actually deal damage? Clever. Maya, however, was only further enraged and took to using her teeth to bite down on his back, her extended claws digging into his hip as she backed up, dragging him along with her by the jaws. Maya snarled as she sunk her teeth deeper into his flesh, the taste of blood filled her mouth like a sweet release. She felt confidant in her movements, only losing her concentration when she noticed her shoulder bleeding rather profusely. What was this..?

The lioness thrashed violently and removed her jaws from his back, her claws detaching from his hide as well. Something had her spooked.

"You really need to shut your mouth." Her words came followed by another hiss. Maya felt a little unnerved. Why was her confidence starting falter?

Shock danced across her face like lightening against dark clouds. She felt her body fall flat under his, and with a loud yelp the disfigured female swore under her raspy breath.

"s**t..."

Nothing could cure her of this anger, nothing could change the outcome here today. Losing was hard in general, but losing like this felt insulting. Why had she allowed herself to lose face so easily? Was it words that defeated her in the end? Was his boastful chatter enough to keep her mind from focusing on the fight properly? Maya felt shame for the fist time in a long while, and the feeling was as raw as the wound on her arm. Her green eyes, though filled with a deep dislike for this dark male, acknowledged his victory as he ran a claw along the back of her skull.

As he removed himself from his place on top of her she rolled over and stood back up, the blood on her shoulder trickling down her dusty pelt, glazing over her scars like thick mud. Maya sighed.

"I refuse to spend a second beneath anyone, so I will take your advice." This was the first time the male would hear her speak relativity normal, despite her aggression she showed while the two fought, Maya's mood was easily changed when she knew that the loss was her own fault. She wouldn't blame anyone but herself. She needed to learn to drown out the voices, the memories that lay seared across her body seemed to still haunt her even after all this time.

Maya's frown seemed almost permanent, at least around this male it seemed so. She found no amusement in his words and shameless flirting. Perhaps it was because the lioness didn't understand his sort of humor, whatever the case was Maya knew she didn't like it. As he stepped closer she stepped back, her ears pinning against her skull, brows furrowed. He was too forward.

"..." She wouldn't reply to his offer for a second duel, the dusty colored female would call on him again when he would least expect it.

"You wish." Her final words came with a soft chuckle before she turned away from him, heading back to the edge of the pride. Maya never once asked his name, so the next time the two went claw to claw she would make a point to. Remembering him as "the pervert" also worked for now, though.

She would be back.