Redtail Rise cutting

The game would continue- and Lilia was a ravenous fan, watching as Avicus coached the boys to spar and establish themselves with the power of their strength. Her teeth chattered with anticipation; spittle gathered at the edges of her lips as Augur drew out of the way, and the boys faced off.

No longer boys, then, though she’d known them first as children. But these weren’t the boys who she’d met when she’d been a starving waif; these were warriors.

She watched, wide-eyed, for every snap and shove, her own stance a crouch as though prepared to enter the fray herself. In part, she wanted to- but she sensed as well that she was already at the centre of the battle.

She did not show a bias. Lilia wanted what was best for her- and that, in her eyes, was the winner. 

Still- she couldn’t deny the light disappointment she felt when Ancelin was vanquished. She would have felt the same for Relic, had he been defeated. 

Ancelin’s worth shone when he hunted- and Relic proved himself as a warrior. Both valued roles, the roles that should have brought them together in some form of brotherhood. They’d played in Relic’s arena, and he’d emerged as the victor. 

When Relic’s gaze found her, she rumbled a growl of approval. She took note of his skill- and weighed that against the skill Ancelin showed when he hunted. She looked upon them both, and found herself consoled to know she would not be left wanting when the time came for her to pick her match.