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Summary and Information
Takes place after 2019 Stone Raid
Vincent returned from the city going on, gloating about the spree of killings he had accounted too. Narreth not being impressed with Vincent's complete disregard of a life, makes a flip comment about before leaving camp. Unknown to Narreth however, Vincent choose to follow him.

The tiger's paws carried him away from Stone's called home, every time that lion showed his face. It only boiled the tiger's blood. It was ridiculous with how many of the Empire enjoyed that constrictors company, they all not knowing just how quickly he'd turn on every one of them. If Vincent was in camp. Narreth made sure he wasn't. Interaction was minimal to none. At most it was a grunt. There was no secret the two loathed the other. Narreth knew eventually Vincent would try something. This given moment though, he really didn't think the lion was going to, being so enthralled in his tales. So a walk the male took.
A few hours had rolled by, the terrain was covered over with trees, but the terrain was far from smooth. Rough rocks, easily a place to get injured. But the male trekked this area many times, so didn't pay much mind of it. There were more worn paths in it, one of which the male was on. Aiming to go to an overlook he had gone to on more than one occasion. The only thing that was left to get there was go along a large ledge, where a chasm sat between it and the smoother terrain that was Stone Empire.
Narreth's path at the time had him walking a bit slowly under a denser pack of trees, a set of pines that never lost their leaves throughout the year. Having given a partial glance up, he had made his second mistake of that day.

The leopards red eyes watched the tiger breed wander closer. His claws silently secured their hold on the branch he crouched hidden on. Any Empire cat should know it was foolish to go anywhere alone. Tigers were large enough to get cocky. A winter bird chirped several trees over, having not seen Jasper yet either. Good. The hunter was living up to his breeds name. Like a ghost.
His tail twitched ever so slightly, the only part of his body to reveal the tension in his muscles as Jasper prepared to spring.
He would need to land hard. Despite cats thinking the head was where you wanted to hit for a knock out... the back of the neck if hit hard enough would cause the damage to the nerves long enough to stun bigger cats for Jasper to get them under control. step, step, step, twitch, glance. Now.
The branch of pine needles bowed and rushed back up in a thrush of clattering branches, breaking the silence as its occupant was ejected out of the tree.
Two heavy paws came down on the tiger's neck, to both knock him down and possibly stun him.

Within a step after the tiger's glance, the sound of sudden movement from above, cause him to stop his tracks, and turn his head for a second take at the tree he just glanced up at. His body turned slightly at the second-take, but he never reached the second take. Something coming down with aimed, targeted force smacked downward on the tiger's frame, causing him both to buckle and in the same instance attempt to move away from whatever it was. This resulted in the weight that hit him to both send a nearly crippling wave down his spine, but his hind leg to fold under him, making the tiger hit the rough terrain with a firm impact. Additional spikes of sharp stinging throughout his right side. He didn't have a clue what just hit him. But knew he was in trouble all the same, his body despite the two flashes of trauma, reacted, kicking a hind leg up, instinctively to throw off whatever just hit him.

Jasper received a lucky kick from the tiger’s hind leg that struck him in the side but was warded off damage wise from the armor around him. Still, it was enough force to put some distance between them as Jasper's fangs had been only a few inches from biting down into that striped pelt.
Jasper caught himself and adjusted coming in for another whack at the tigers head with a side swipe of his paw. The longer he could keep his prey disoriented the better.

With the kick managing to throw whatever it was off. Narreth instantly forced himself to try and rise to his feet. It was only then a third sharded blade tore up the leg he folded over... he knew the pain of a broken bone from Alukard too well. The likelihood his back leg was broken was higher than it wasn't. But that wasn't enough to prevent him from getting onto his dazed feet again. That itself ended with blurred vision from the initial hit to be jarred back and forth from another hit, this one striking the side of his head. The male now knew he was under attack from something at least his own size.
However responding to the hit, Narreth let the hit move him sideways a bit. That hit had to be from a front paw. the starry thought jumbled in his head. The tiger gave a short, but firm burst forward, aiming to slam back into his opponent, hoping the retaliation was enough to throw it over long for him to recompose himself, even just hair to really know what the hell was after him.

Jasper's shoulder was clipped as the tiger made a charging run for it. Jasper grinned, noticing the state of his prey’s leg. Well, that was a bonus. Luck was apparently on his side.
Jasper made no move to stop the tiger, letting the stone cat run. He could wear himself out, do more damage on that leg of his and Jasper would simply follow. Keeping pace wouldn't be hard and when the tiger was worn out he would finish him off.

Getting a few more paces, knowing me made contact with what was attacking him. But it was not enough to really call impact worthy. Narreth pushed himself forward, shaking his head, trying to force the disorientation out of his head. Some of it was reluctantly enough to subside. But that resulted with the tiger looking back, part of him thinking it was Vincent... only it was not. It was a jaguar, and not just any jaguar... it was Jasper... a hunter. Oh... that's still better odds than Vincent... still... of all hunters... azazel mazato... The tiger knew if he didn't have the injury he was carrying from the jaguar, he would pose a chance at fending him off. But right now, attempting to flee was his option. And attempt was strongly emphasized. He knew this jaguar's record from the city.
On that, the tiger ran, with that being his only real option. If he could make to the overlook, he posed a small chance at getting away. And was either him knocking the hunter over it, or jumping off himself, and praying he could roll out of it.

Jasper calculated the tiger's heading and spotted a tree that would get him up onto the overlook without risking the uneven rocks. Or steep drop. It would be a jump but not one a leopard couldn't make. Definitely a jump an unskilled climber wouldn't dare. For now, he would wait at the bottom, watch the stone cat struggle and if he fell collect him at the bottom.

Every step the tiger took sent a wave of disorientating pain throughout his body. He knew the jaguar got a single, well aimed blow to his neck... but that was something he now knew himself to aim for later, should he need too. With the luck of things as of this second. He would not get that opportunity. The tiger in more than one way felt like for the mistake he had just made, he had more training from hunters themselves than from any Empire, yet something so simple he skipped right over. The adrenaline that ran through his body was fading just as a fast as it entered, with the male getting himself to the overlook. Where his third mistake was made, not looking back to see if the jaguar was perusing him... another round of proving just how well of a blow Jasper delivered... the tiger wasn't thinking straight... if at all. The instinct to flee, with vague comprehension he was being hunted.
Part of Narreth doubted this was an accidental encounter, perhaps he was directly the target for taking out a hunter himself. Guess I shouldn't... be surprised...
Once at the overlook, he dropped from the hit. He had to stop to try and straighten his senses out... but he had already struck out.

When, to Jasper's disappointment, he saw the tiger wasn't about to make a deadly tumble down, Jasper backtracked a little and climbed that tree. From there it was a prickly climb and a jump to the overlook and he sat to patiently await for the tiger to make his final few steps.
"It's amazing how much we are willing to suffer to delay the inevitable isn't it?" Jasper mumbled to the tiger, and his paw came down on his prey's throat to slowly suffocate him into unconsciousness. "Sweet dreams."

The tiger heard claws contact the ground... the jaguar had taken the trees, hearing the jaguar speak about delaying the inevitable, going as far to callously wish sweet dreams, and pushing his paw down on the tiger's throat.
Narreth was weak and had few options, but he wasn't down yet. This jaguar had that cockiness behind him.
"--I've, still got an-- --option." the tiger remarked, despite being choked.
With what little energy to get up again he carried, he heaved and threw his hind legs, aiming to kick the jaguar over the cliff at this point.

Jasper's eyes flashed and he saw the legs kick out against him. It was credit to Jasper's experience that he was able to move in time. Snarling an angered hiss at the tiger Jasper's body twisted in a way that saved him from going over the side and in reflexive retaliation swatted the tigers hind legs along with their own momentum to roll the stone cats lower legs off the edge, sending the tigers tail about to tumble right off the side till Jasper's powerful jaws grabbed his prey's throat the last second, half dangling him over the steep overlook.
"You want to play games filth, how about I slit your throat and watch you bleed out like a suckling pig?" Jasper growled into the tiger’s neck fur.

With the ditch effort kick missing, but only just, the tiger flipped with the move, however, wasn't expecting Jasper to follow that kick to push Narreth himself over the edge. The tiger twisted, feeling his spine screech in a sharp pain, starting at his neck, but his front legs managed to grab the ground, the rocks. But they didn't grab, and he kept going. Narreth was certain he was about to fall over the edge and possibly lose his life with the move. But the momentum suddenly jarred to a halt, with teeth sinking into the back of his fur and neck. The hunter had just stopped him from falling off. He was mildly relieved he was grabbed. But now, he did know, he was for the second time, caught by Hunters. Jasper then going as far to threaten to kill him where he was... In the literal position he was in. Making a response at all was a wasted effort, ribs pinned into pointed rocks, his neck and throat being grabbed and pinned against the rocks. There was nothing beyond killing himself that he could do... and getting lugged back to Massilia to fight for his life, his odds of getting out of that were higher than pressing his luck any further. But before anything else happened, a voice spoke up, which was the tiger's first mistake.

He had been tracking him since his prey had left the camp near moon rise. Something which rather irked the lion as he padded through silent shadows in the light of the sickle moon. Teeth bared he remembered the day's events.
His raid had been so successful. The deaths so easy... so.... satisfying. Those with him had even praised his glorious victory to the point Vincent had started imagining greater plans than he had originally been thinking. Ones involving more activity and less of the pathetic friendships so many of the empire had become dependent on. So when he had arrived and began whispering those plots among those interested the whispers had grown to full on talks. And then, the voices started.
And he had had quite enough of those voices. Which was why he had set out tonight to end at least one of those voices that irritated his very soul.
However. The sight of a red eyed nightmare hovering above the neck of his prey was not the way to satisfy his irritation. Slipping from the cover of the shadows the lion called down in an almost jovial voice.
"I'm afraid I'll have to end your fun, friend." He called down to the leopard, his eyes focused on Narreth's prone neck. "But his death is a right that I do not intend to give up." For a second the moon shone brighter and twin sets of red eyes met.
However, one was accompanied by gleaming fangs painted a red hue from the rising moon.

Jaspers whiskers twitched at the sight and sound of the lion’s arrival. He growled and with a careful movement pulled Narreth up, half passed out anyway to be half draped over the edge instead of hanging, where Jasper's claws could hold him in place and free up his mouth.
"Empire cats have no rights, and you take me for a fool if you expect me to believe you intend this cats death, friend." Jasper spat the last word, mocking the term.
He wasn't thrilled at the idea of fighting this lion, there was something offset about him. Jasper had faced in the ring a few times before. The battle with the tiger hadn't exerted too much energy so the leopard hunter wasn't worried about being overtaken so much as inconvenienced.
"Go back to your pathetic friends."

Vincent's eyes flashed and with lazy movements, he moved forward.
"Who said I was an empire cat. They simply took me in and allowed me to do as I wish. And tonight I wished to kill him." His eyes became almost manic with an obsessive light as they lit upon the half conscious tiger. "He's ruined one too many of my enjoyments and frankly I have no interest in allowing him to live past the night." His eyes flickered up to Jasper's again and his mouth stretched into a grin so wide each canine was outlined in the moonlight.
His claws kneaded the ground and his body almost hummed with the repressed urge to bodily remove the leopard from his prey.
That was his.
He earned it.
And yet... one wrong move.
And it would be stolen from him.
His hackles rose again as he eyed Narreth with a predatory gleam.
"You just need his hide right. Give me an hour and you can take that back to the city."

Jaspers snarl softened and he turned calculating. Whether the tiger lived or died mattered not to Jasper that was true. It was usually encouraged to bring them in alive but... this cat intrigued Jasper.
The lion really wanted the tiger's death, Jasper wondered what he would do to see that realized.
"Surely a skilled lion such as yourself knows the law of the hunter. My skill and energy has gone into this catch, it is mine to do with it as I please. You say you care not for this Empire you live in, but they trust You? I will give you the tiger alive... but only as a trade, what do you have to make it worth it for me?"

"Indeed I do." Vincent purred out. "The hunters rejected me after seeing my skills. Saying I wasn't capable of bringing in enough cats alive." The edge of his smile curved dangerously. "And yet, I've put just as much effort into pursuing him and tracking him down as you have. I could argue even that I put more effort into it then you did." His eyes flicked down to the prone body and he rumbled. "Most trust me. Especially with their young. They believe me harmless to the empire as I have yet to kill any of them. In plain sight that is. There are some like him who do not." his eyes dragged almost reluctantly from the tiger to the leopard. "Is there something in particular you want? I can't say this empire has much to offer in the way of formidably. The leaders are all small and young. The gladiators weak and soft-hearted."

Jasper grinned now. It was rare when the leopard hunter smiled, usually a chilling view to Empire cats.
"I do not make the same mistake with you previous hunters have made. You have till sunrise to bring me the weight of the tigers flesh in exchange for his. Alive, dead, doesn't matter to me. You know what his pelt is worth to you, I trust you to make it adequate in payment the idiots you bring me."
His tail twitched behind him. Jasper hadn't had this much fun in a while.
"From one killer to another, let's not bother with tricks or lies. A deal ending in blood. Win win."

Vincent eyed the sorry state of the tiger and his smile flickered with repressed rage.
"I'll have to deduct a few for the damage. I don't enjoy playing with a broken toy." He smirked out before facing the leopard again. "And where shall I bring your toys. As much fun as it would be to watch you drag them all back by their tails, I doubt you could handle that many without help." Vincent's head cocked and the light shone off the bloody gaze. "But from one killer to the other. A deal in blood." Vincent laughed. "I like the sound of that."

Jasper refrained from rolling his eyes. The lion had an interesting way of complaining and yet still playing into Jasper's desires willingly.
"He broke his own leg, but fair enough. I passed a pit just south of here. I'll meet you there at sunrise. If there is any whiff you decide to play the good guy and call for help against me, well I trust that won't happen."
Jasper didn't appreciate being lectured about his limitations as a hunter, especially by an arrogant wannabe. But details were something that were none of the lion's business.

Consciousness was there... but the tiger's movement wasn't existent. He was internally still baffled at the result of Jasper's hit. If not impressed, despite being in the situation he was in. Some things you had to be the fool to really learn. However, the male's hearing was clearer as his eyes were shut. Every word the hunter and traitor threw back and forth. Great... the tiger thought.
He knew at the moment given, he couldn't do anything, but he also knew Vincent well enough to know Vincent would want him awake before he tried anything. Furthermore proof the lion was loose in the head, but that also would give Narreth is only opportunity to get himself and whomever else Vincent was trying to drag into this mess... that is if-- most likely they will-- listen to the lion and go on an adventure with him, as he would assume... Narreth strangely enough, found little to no surprise with that just aspired over him... he was a trading tool... again between Vincent and Hunters...

To be Continued...

Word Count: 3301
Narreth || FeatheredSeclude
Vincent || WingsandFeathers
Jasper || CCWashi
+5EP for Active Role Play
+6EP for Word Count
+11EP to Narreth, Vincent, Jasper

Well here have it, another lovely, wrenching plot... this time the Narwhale is the culprit. One does not turn their blind eye on Vincent, just don't... seriously... just don't. He is e-v-i-l, evil.

Narreth and Art [c] FeatheredSeclude 2019
Jasper [c] CCWashi 2019
Vincent [c] WingsandFeathers 2019

Description

Summary and Information
Takes place after 2019 Stone Raid
Vincent returned from the city going on, gloating about the spree of killings he had accounted too. Narreth not being impressed with Vincent's complete disregard of a life, makes a flip comment about before leaving camp. Unknown to Narreth however, Vincent choose to follow him.

The tiger's paws carried him away from Stone's called home, every time that lion showed his face. It only boiled the tiger's blood. It was ridiculous with how many of the Empire enjoyed that constrictors company, they all not knowing just how quickly he'd turn on every one of them. If Vincent was in camp. Narreth made sure he wasn't. Interaction was minimal to none. At most it was a grunt. There was no secret the two loathed the other. Narreth knew eventually Vincent would try something. This given moment though, he really didn't think the lion was going to, being so enthralled in his tales. So a walk the male took.
A few hours had rolled by, the terrain was covered over with trees, but the terrain was far from smooth. Rough rocks, easily a place to get injured. But the male trekked this area many times, so didn't pay much mind of it. There were more worn paths in it, one of which the male was on. Aiming to go to an overlook he had gone to on more than one occasion. The only thing that was left to get there was go along a large ledge, where a chasm sat between it and the smoother terrain that was Stone Empire.
Narreth's path at the time had him walking a bit slowly under a denser pack of trees, a set of pines that never lost their leaves throughout the year. Having given a partial glance up, he had made his second mistake of that day.

The leopards red eyes watched the tiger breed wander closer. His claws silently secured their hold on the branch he crouched hidden on. Any Empire cat should know it was foolish to go anywhere alone. Tigers were large enough to get cocky. A winter bird chirped several trees over, having not seen Jasper yet either. Good. The hunter was living up to his breeds name. Like a ghost.
His tail twitched ever so slightly, the only part of his body to reveal the tension in his muscles as Jasper prepared to spring.
He would need to land hard. Despite cats thinking the head was where you wanted to hit for a knock out... the back of the neck if hit hard enough would cause the damage to the nerves long enough to stun bigger cats for Jasper to get them under control. step, step, step, twitch, glance. Now.
The branch of pine needles bowed and rushed back up in a thrush of clattering branches, breaking the silence as its occupant was ejected out of the tree.
Two heavy paws came down on the tiger's neck, to both knock him down and possibly stun him.

Within a step after the tiger's glance, the sound of sudden movement from above, cause him to stop his tracks, and turn his head for a second take at the tree he just glanced up at. His body turned slightly at the second-take, but he never reached the second take. Something coming down with aimed, targeted force smacked downward on the tiger's frame, causing him both to buckle and in the same instance attempt to move away from whatever it was. This resulted in the weight that hit him to both send a nearly crippling wave down his spine, but his hind leg to fold under him, making the tiger hit the rough terrain with a firm impact. Additional spikes of sharp stinging throughout his right side. He didn't have a clue what just hit him. But knew he was in trouble all the same, his body despite the two flashes of trauma, reacted, kicking a hind leg up, instinctively to throw off whatever just hit him.

Jasper received a lucky kick from the tiger’s hind leg that struck him in the side but was warded off damage wise from the armor around him. Still, it was enough force to put some distance between them as Jasper's fangs had been only a few inches from biting down into that striped pelt.
Jasper caught himself and adjusted coming in for another whack at the tigers head with a side swipe of his paw. The longer he could keep his prey disoriented the better.

With the kick managing to throw whatever it was off. Narreth instantly forced himself to try and rise to his feet. It was only then a third sharded blade tore up the leg he folded over... he knew the pain of a broken bone from Alukard too well. The likelihood his back leg was broken was higher than it wasn't. But that wasn't enough to prevent him from getting onto his dazed feet again. That itself ended with blurred vision from the initial hit to be jarred back and forth from another hit, this one striking the side of his head. The male now knew he was under attack from something at least his own size.
However responding to the hit, Narreth let the hit move him sideways a bit. That hit had to be from a front paw. the starry thought jumbled in his head. The tiger gave a short, but firm burst forward, aiming to slam back into his opponent, hoping the retaliation was enough to throw it over long for him to recompose himself, even just hair to really know what the hell was after him.

Jasper's shoulder was clipped as the tiger made a charging run for it. Jasper grinned, noticing the state of his prey’s leg. Well, that was a bonus. Luck was apparently on his side.
Jasper made no move to stop the tiger, letting the stone cat run. He could wear himself out, do more damage on that leg of his and Jasper would simply follow. Keeping pace wouldn't be hard and when the tiger was worn out he would finish him off.

Getting a few more paces, knowing me made contact with what was attacking him. But it was not enough to really call impact worthy. Narreth pushed himself forward, shaking his head, trying to force the disorientation out of his head. Some of it was reluctantly enough to subside. But that resulted with the tiger looking back, part of him thinking it was Vincent... only it was not. It was a jaguar, and not just any jaguar... it was Jasper... a hunter. Oh... that's still better odds than Vincent... still... of all hunters... azazel mazato... The tiger knew if he didn't have the injury he was carrying from the jaguar, he would pose a chance at fending him off. But right now, attempting to flee was his option. And attempt was strongly emphasized. He knew this jaguar's record from the city.
On that, the tiger ran, with that being his only real option. If he could make to the overlook, he posed a small chance at getting away. And was either him knocking the hunter over it, or jumping off himself, and praying he could roll out of it.

Jasper calculated the tiger's heading and spotted a tree that would get him up onto the overlook without risking the uneven rocks. Or steep drop. It would be a jump but not one a leopard couldn't make. Definitely a jump an unskilled climber wouldn't dare. For now, he would wait at the bottom, watch the stone cat struggle and if he fell collect him at the bottom.

Every step the tiger took sent a wave of disorientating pain throughout his body. He knew the jaguar got a single, well aimed blow to his neck... but that was something he now knew himself to aim for later, should he need too. With the luck of things as of this second. He would not get that opportunity. The tiger in more than one way felt like for the mistake he had just made, he had more training from hunters themselves than from any Empire, yet something so simple he skipped right over. The adrenaline that ran through his body was fading just as a fast as it entered, with the male getting himself to the overlook. Where his third mistake was made, not looking back to see if the jaguar was perusing him... another round of proving just how well of a blow Jasper delivered... the tiger wasn't thinking straight... if at all. The instinct to flee, with vague comprehension he was being hunted.
Part of Narreth doubted this was an accidental encounter, perhaps he was directly the target for taking out a hunter himself. Guess I shouldn't... be surprised...
Once at the overlook, he dropped from the hit. He had to stop to try and straighten his senses out... but he had already struck out.

When, to Jasper's disappointment, he saw the tiger wasn't about to make a deadly tumble down, Jasper backtracked a little and climbed that tree. From there it was a prickly climb and a jump to the overlook and he sat to patiently await for the tiger to make his final few steps.
"It's amazing how much we are willing to suffer to delay the inevitable isn't it?" Jasper mumbled to the tiger, and his paw came down on his prey's throat to slowly suffocate him into unconsciousness. "Sweet dreams."

The tiger heard claws contact the ground... the jaguar had taken the trees, hearing the jaguar speak about delaying the inevitable, going as far to callously wish sweet dreams, and pushing his paw down on the tiger's throat.
Narreth was weak and had few options, but he wasn't down yet. This jaguar had that cockiness behind him.
"--I've, still got an-- --option." the tiger remarked, despite being choked.
With what little energy to get up again he carried, he heaved and threw his hind legs, aiming to kick the jaguar over the cliff at this point.

Jasper's eyes flashed and he saw the legs kick out against him. It was credit to Jasper's experience that he was able to move in time. Snarling an angered hiss at the tiger Jasper's body twisted in a way that saved him from going over the side and in reflexive retaliation swatted the tigers hind legs along with their own momentum to roll the stone cats lower legs off the edge, sending the tigers tail about to tumble right off the side till Jasper's powerful jaws grabbed his prey's throat the last second, half dangling him over the steep overlook.
"You want to play games filth, how about I slit your throat and watch you bleed out like a suckling pig?" Jasper growled into the tiger’s neck fur.

With the ditch effort kick missing, but only just, the tiger flipped with the move, however, wasn't expecting Jasper to follow that kick to push Narreth himself over the edge. The tiger twisted, feeling his spine screech in a sharp pain, starting at his neck, but his front legs managed to grab the ground, the rocks. But they didn't grab, and he kept going. Narreth was certain he was about to fall over the edge and possibly lose his life with the move. But the momentum suddenly jarred to a halt, with teeth sinking into the back of his fur and neck. The hunter had just stopped him from falling off. He was mildly relieved he was grabbed. But now, he did know, he was for the second time, caught by Hunters. Jasper then going as far to threaten to kill him where he was... In the literal position he was in. Making a response at all was a wasted effort, ribs pinned into pointed rocks, his neck and throat being grabbed and pinned against the rocks. There was nothing beyond killing himself that he could do... and getting lugged back to Massilia to fight for his life, his odds of getting out of that were higher than pressing his luck any further. But before anything else happened, a voice spoke up, which was the tiger's first mistake.

He had been tracking him since his prey had left the camp near moon rise. Something which rather irked the lion as he padded through silent shadows in the light of the sickle moon. Teeth bared he remembered the day's events.
His raid had been so successful. The deaths so easy... so.... satisfying. Those with him had even praised his glorious victory to the point Vincent had started imagining greater plans than he had originally been thinking. Ones involving more activity and less of the pathetic friendships so many of the empire had become dependent on. So when he had arrived and began whispering those plots among those interested the whispers had grown to full on talks. And then, the voices started.
And he had had quite enough of those voices. Which was why he had set out tonight to end at least one of those voices that irritated his very soul.
However. The sight of a red eyed nightmare hovering above the neck of his prey was not the way to satisfy his irritation. Slipping from the cover of the shadows the lion called down in an almost jovial voice.
"I'm afraid I'll have to end your fun, friend." He called down to the leopard, his eyes focused on Narreth's prone neck. "But his death is a right that I do not intend to give up." For a second the moon shone brighter and twin sets of red eyes met.
However, one was accompanied by gleaming fangs painted a red hue from the rising moon.

Jaspers whiskers twitched at the sight and sound of the lion’s arrival. He growled and with a careful movement pulled Narreth up, half passed out anyway to be half draped over the edge instead of hanging, where Jasper's claws could hold him in place and free up his mouth.
"Empire cats have no rights, and you take me for a fool if you expect me to believe you intend this cats death, friend." Jasper spat the last word, mocking the term.
He wasn't thrilled at the idea of fighting this lion, there was something offset about him. Jasper had faced in the ring a few times before. The battle with the tiger hadn't exerted too much energy so the leopard hunter wasn't worried about being overtaken so much as inconvenienced.
"Go back to your pathetic friends."

Vincent's eyes flashed and with lazy movements, he moved forward.
"Who said I was an empire cat. They simply took me in and allowed me to do as I wish. And tonight I wished to kill him." His eyes became almost manic with an obsessive light as they lit upon the half conscious tiger. "He's ruined one too many of my enjoyments and frankly I have no interest in allowing him to live past the night." His eyes flickered up to Jasper's again and his mouth stretched into a grin so wide each canine was outlined in the moonlight.
His claws kneaded the ground and his body almost hummed with the repressed urge to bodily remove the leopard from his prey.
That was his.
He earned it.
And yet... one wrong move.
And it would be stolen from him.
His hackles rose again as he eyed Narreth with a predatory gleam.
"You just need his hide right. Give me an hour and you can take that back to the city."

Jaspers snarl softened and he turned calculating. Whether the tiger lived or died mattered not to Jasper that was true. It was usually encouraged to bring them in alive but... this cat intrigued Jasper.
The lion really wanted the tiger's death, Jasper wondered what he would do to see that realized.
"Surely a skilled lion such as yourself knows the law of the hunter. My skill and energy has gone into this catch, it is mine to do with it as I please. You say you care not for this Empire you live in, but they trust You? I will give you the tiger alive... but only as a trade, what do you have to make it worth it for me?"

"Indeed I do." Vincent purred out. "The hunters rejected me after seeing my skills. Saying I wasn't capable of bringing in enough cats alive." The edge of his smile curved dangerously. "And yet, I've put just as much effort into pursuing him and tracking him down as you have. I could argue even that I put more effort into it then you did." His eyes flicked down to the prone body and he rumbled. "Most trust me. Especially with their young. They believe me harmless to the empire as I have yet to kill any of them. In plain sight that is. There are some like him who do not." his eyes dragged almost reluctantly from the tiger to the leopard. "Is there something in particular you want? I can't say this empire has much to offer in the way of formidably. The leaders are all small and young. The gladiators weak and soft-hearted."

Jasper grinned now. It was rare when the leopard hunter smiled, usually a chilling view to Empire cats.
"I do not make the same mistake with you previous hunters have made. You have till sunrise to bring me the weight of the tigers flesh in exchange for his. Alive, dead, doesn't matter to me. You know what his pelt is worth to you, I trust you to make it adequate in payment the idiots you bring me."
His tail twitched behind him. Jasper hadn't had this much fun in a while.
"From one killer to another, let's not bother with tricks or lies. A deal ending in blood. Win win."

Vincent eyed the sorry state of the tiger and his smile flickered with repressed rage.
"I'll have to deduct a few for the damage. I don't enjoy playing with a broken toy." He smirked out before facing the leopard again. "And where shall I bring your toys. As much fun as it would be to watch you drag them all back by their tails, I doubt you could handle that many without help." Vincent's head cocked and the light shone off the bloody gaze. "But from one killer to the other. A deal in blood." Vincent laughed. "I like the sound of that."

Jasper refrained from rolling his eyes. The lion had an interesting way of complaining and yet still playing into Jasper's desires willingly.
"He broke his own leg, but fair enough. I passed a pit just south of here. I'll meet you there at sunrise. If there is any whiff you decide to play the good guy and call for help against me, well I trust that won't happen."
Jasper didn't appreciate being lectured about his limitations as a hunter, especially by an arrogant wannabe. But details were something that were none of the lion's business.

Consciousness was there... but the tiger's movement wasn't existent. He was internally still baffled at the result of Jasper's hit. If not impressed, despite being in the situation he was in. Some things you had to be the fool to really learn. However, the male's hearing was clearer as his eyes were shut. Every word the hunter and traitor threw back and forth. Great... the tiger thought.
He knew at the moment given, he couldn't do anything, but he also knew Vincent well enough to know Vincent would want him awake before he tried anything. Furthermore proof the lion was loose in the head, but that also would give Narreth is only opportunity to get himself and whomever else Vincent was trying to drag into this mess... that is if-- most likely they will-- listen to the lion and go on an adventure with him, as he would assume... Narreth strangely enough, found little to no surprise with that just aspired over him... he was a trading tool... again between Vincent and Hunters...

To be Continued...

Word Count: 3301
Narreth || FeatheredSeclude
Vincent || WingsandFeathers
Jasper || CCWashi
+5EP for Active Role Play
+6EP for Word Count
+11EP to Narreth, Vincent, Jasper

Well here have it, another lovely, wrenching plot... this time the Narwhale is the culprit. One does not turn their blind eye on Vincent, just don't... seriously... just don't. He is e-v-i-l, evil.

Narreth and Art [c] FeatheredSeclude 2019
Jasper [c] CCWashi 2019
Vincent [c] WingsandFeathers 2019