Rivalry
By Bauske Destad

The air perplexed with a smell of heated tension mixed with a mild eastern breeze. Blades of grass, scattered across what seemed like an endless ocean of them, waved lazily with every gust of wind the atmosphere created. 

A vivid yellow faded to deep maroon as the skyline rose from the horizon. The sun, after making its daily round, was preparing to fade into nothing as it lowered across the cloudless sky above. Rays of light created thick beams between the branches of the few trees across the field.

In the middle of the sprawling field, two figures stood tall, facing each other from a distance. Their bodies cast long shadows to the sides that stretched and reached through the bladed grass. Both refused a move, eying one another, trapped in a different plane of reality than anyone else.

To the east stood a lion dressed a pair of dark brown slacks tightened at the waist with a wide black belt. A small strip of torn cloth was tied under his left arm in a knot at the back of his shoulder. A small area of red could be seen through the front of the cloth.  He was in excellent physical condition with a lean medium build, which was covered with a coat of rustic orange fur. His demeanor was serious as he glared towards the other figure from his slightly down turned head, on top of which his long dark brown hair rusted gently through the wind. Unlike most lions, this one did not contain a full mane that is typical of their specie. Instead, his mane reached to the sides of his face, slightly below his eyes on both sides. The hair from atop his head stuck forward in front, somewhat covering his ice-colored eyes, and was tied up in a tail in the back.

He held in his right hand a metal staff of length slightly less than his own height. Its plain appearance was only furthered by its dull gray color. It hung, suspended off the ground in his grip, pointing towards the dirt below. The staff was the lion’s perfect weapon.

The other figure gazed across the grasses at his opponent. A dragon, larger in size than the figure across the field, both in height and body, stood proud with his head high. His golden-tinted eyes squinted slightly from the glaring sun to his left. The orange light created a sharp reflection against his green-scaled body. He wore a pair of baggy, green camouflage pants, which were secured around his ankles. The deep folds flowed slowly in the breeze, likes waves in a murky pond. Two ivory horns, each about a foot in length, protruded directly out of the back of the dragon’s head. Both were anchored in the top corners and angled slightly outward, creating a defined “V” shape to the tip of his broad snout, which also contained one small horn.

His hands, positioned directly at his side, were clad in metallic gloves. The silver materials adorning the dragon’s claws were his only weapons. Bright sunspots illuminated their surfaces. Arm guards were also strapped around the whole of his forearms.

The atmosphere seemed to grow thicker as the tension mounted. Both warriors could feel it, anticipating the battle ahead. Each was awaiting the others signal.

A deep breath passed from the lion’s mouth. He closed his eyes for a moment, then shifted his weight to his left foot in a crouched position. His right arm moved behind him, positioning the staff perpendicular from the ground. The signal had been sent. He was ready to face his opponent. Smiling with anticipation, the dragon crouched slightly as well, bending his knees and bringing his hands upward in front of him in a fighter’s stance.

The lion immediately dashed towards him. His speed was incredible. A trail of dust and torn grass leaves shot through the air behind him as his legs took stride by faster stride. The dragon had seen the lion in action before, and yet his speed still managed to surprise him. As the lion drew nearer, he raised his staff above his head, preparing to strike. The dragon looked forward curiously. A full-out offensive attack? This was unusual.

A yell escaped the lion’s mouth as he thrust the tall staff downwards towards his opponent. The dragon dodged the staff and forced a massive punch in front of him towards his assailant hoping to counter the missed hit, but the lion had left the ground. He vaulted over the dragon’s head with ease, holding onto the staff and carrying it off the ground with him. Stunned and forwarded from his missed punch, the dragon tried to glance upward at the airborne foe before seeing the lion’s feet fall from above and land directly on the top of his back with a swift stomp. A quick shock of pain was sent through the dragon’s back before the lion somersaulted off and landed on the ground directly behind. Flicking his tail, the lion swiftly turned and faced the green backside of his stumbling opponent, placing his staff in front of him.

The dragon was not to be outdone so easily. The lion stood still, waiting for his opponent to catch his feet. With a sly smile and an exerted grunt, the dragon quickly swung his tail upwards, catching the lion off guard and knocking the staff out of his hands, spinning through the air to the left. His tail came swinging back down hard towards the surprised feline who quickly pulled back to avoid the hit. With a mighty twist, the dragon spun to his left, fist outstretched to again catch his foe off guard. The dragon focused all his energy on his attack, creating an aura of pure electric energy that seemed to emanate from his fist. His eyes glazed over as he became bent upon conquering his opponent. But the lion somersaulted backwards, as if in a perfectly choreographed synch, barely avoiding the hit. He felt the fur on his tail singe and crackle.

With finesse and grace, the lion landed squarely on his hands, bringing his knees inward and bending his elbows. Time seemed to come to a crawl as he waited for a split second in his balanced headstand position, his opponent’s body still filled with the momentum of his swing. The timing was perfect. He pushed with all his strength in his arms and came back out of the arc of his somersault, kicking his feet forward as he met the dragon square in the chest with his thick feet. The green giant went reeling backwards, falling towards the dry ground below. Dust and grass spewed into the air as his back collided with the planet, his legs and arms still falling from the attack.

Only a second passed before the dragon began to recover. He shook his head and opened his eyes. The lion crept over his fallen foe and looked him in the face with a sly, playful grin.

“That’s two. You’re getting slow.”

The dragon let out an ear-shattering roar, commanding that he was not defeated. He began to his feet as the lion darted to the left to recover his lost staff. He spotted its glimmer as it lay in a thick patch of grass, the blades crumpled and torn beneath it. His hand reached out, grabbing his weapon as he dashed, his feet skidding to a halt and leaving a cloud of debris falling slowing through the air. Slowly he turned to face his opponent, who to his surprise was already on his feet and charging at him once more. The distance between them closed as the dragon raised his fists to attack, his feet pounding the ground in his enraged sprint. Without hesitation, the beast roared and thrust his clenched hands towards the lion, leaving him with little time to prepare for the attack. He swiftly attempted to dodge to the side only to get grazed in the muzzle by the edge of a cold steel punch, which was quickly followed by a kick to his abdomen.

The lion stumbled backward to catch his balance. He let out a slight gasp. Sharp pains radiated from his stomach as he tried to comfort them with his left paw. The dragon stared with a satisfied smirk, showing a hint of his teeth.

“Now we’re even.”

Slowly, the feline raised his head and looked the dragon square in the eyes. He positioned his weapon in front of him and ushered a command with his left hand for the dragon to resume his attacks.

Without hesitation, the dragon once again rushed his foe. He knew the secret to the attack was the element of surprise. Raising his fists, he neared the prepared lion, but attempted to fool him by leaping slightly off the ground swinging his tail hard around with a twist. His opponent had seen it however. He jumped backward, barely clearing the mighty swing and began to sprint away from the dragon. Confusion graced the reptile’s face as he turned to see his opponent flee. He once again pursued.

The lion whipped around and took his stance again to face the dragon, who caught up in just the right stride. Aiming for the lion’s chest, the dragon took direct action and thrust his fist. It missed once more as the agile creature somersaulted backwards, landing on his feet and fleeing once more. The dragon was becoming annoyed. He grunted heavily and ran again.

A smile was hid from the dragon as the lion ran away from him. He let the dragon keep a short distance between. With a sudden motion, the lion jammed his staff into the ground as he ran, anchoring it perpendicular with the ground below.  He held tight and made a semi-circle run around it, gaining momentum. As he turned around and came face to face with his enemy, he jumped off the ground still holding the staff and thrust a kick sideways into the dragon’s chest as he came within striking distance. The dragon suspected the attack, and raised his fists to block his body. The blow glanced off and the lion returned to his feet, pulling his staff quickly from the ground.

With each in close proximity, the dragon threw a punch again. His foe held the staff firmly in both hands to counter the attack. A fist collided directly with the bar. The lion paused for a fraction of an instant, then pushed back, shoving the dragon away. The dragon never took his eyes off the lion even as he tilted back, but suddenly noticed the lion’s eyes shift to the left. Instantly the lion darted to the side and whipped his staff around, smacking it into the small of the back. A roar of pain emanated from the dragon’s mouth as his head tilted upward. It seemed as though the dragon was stunned, but instead his hands moved backward and locked onto the staff lodged in his backside.

The dragon pushed with all his effort and quickly spun with the staff still in place, dragging the off-guard lion halfway around before letting go and tumbling to the ground with a resounding thud. He landed face down in the dirt and slowly pushed himself back up to his hands and knees. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw the dragon standing proud with the staff in one hand and rubbing his back with the other. The lion tried to get to his feet, but the dragon tripped him with the staff, knocking him again to the ground. He attempted to catch himself with his paws outstretched backwards. The dragon, however, was soon over top of him, shoving the staff downward at a horizontal angle to the lion’s chest.

He let go of his grip on the ground and grabbed the staff forced upon him. The dragon straddled him and pushed with all his might downward. It was too much for the lion. While he was graced with speed, his strength didn’t match that of the dragon’s, and his arms became pinned down beneath the pressure from his foe. He winced his eyes as he struggled, staring constantly into his opponent’s eyes. They seemed to burn with victory and a fearsome lust for the kill. The lion was helpless.  He knew it, but he never let the determination leave his face.

An evil grin crossed the dragon’s face as he took one hand off the staff and raised it backward in a clenched fist. He paused for a moment. Sweat and frustration covered the lion as the anticipation of the attack settled in.

The dragon let out a laugh as he forced his punch through the air, aimed directly at the lion’s face. The time seemed to last forever as the attack grew nearer. The pinned lion drew a quick breath before the hit.

At the last moment, a mere hair’s length from the feline’s muzzle, the fist stopped. The lion didn’t attempt to blink as he stared at the metallic hand hovering in front of his face. The sun made it’s final rays across the horizon.

The dragon withdrew his fist and looked sternly at the lion. He slowly got up, stepped to the side, and outstretched a hand towards the creature lying on the ground. The lion sighed and took the dragon’s grip to help pull himself to his feet.

“Nice match. I thought you had me for a moment there,” the dragon said in a low tone.

“Thought I did too,” the lion stated in a semi-confused tone as he stretched his arm across his front, “until you pulled out that move and grabbed the staff away from me.  How’d you see that coming? The timing was perfect.”

“It was, but I saw it in your eyes.”

“What?”

“Your eyes. You looked to the side before you attacked. I knew exactly where you were going.”

The lion pondered for a long moment, then looked the dragon in the face with a determined smile.

“You got me this round, Draco, but you won’t be so lucky next time. I can assure you of that.”

“We’ll see about that, Bauske,” the dragon said with a laugh. “We’ll see.”