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Rhyalla appeared and walked into the middle of the space.
“Olkuyrbe!” She screamed, and the audience fell silent. The power of her voice carried through the trees and sent several birds of paradise into a frenzied flight.
“Today, we gather to witness K'alpa-Rhoan, for the first time in over two hundred and forty moons!” The crowd cheered and began to stomp their feet and clap their hands.
“Our Rhoan, Rycon, has returned,” There were more cheers. Shifters that were watching in their panther forms screamed. “Rycon has acknowledged K’yen’s challenge to his throne.”
Many audience members also chanted and clapped for K’yen. Several small children ran to him on his side of the ring. They presented him with small flowers and pebbles. He smiled down at them kindly, accepting each offering, before handing them to another young shifter for safe keeping.
K’yen was clearly well liked here. Which I guess made sense, since he had essentially been acting as Rhoan for the last ten years.
Rycon observed this quietly. I felt him take notice of how loved K’yen was by his people. I could feel the twinge of jealousy in his chest. However, I could feel something else too. Something that felt like respect.
“I will ask that Rycon’s bonded guest block the bond for the duration of the challenge.” She turned to me. “Raven, of The Origin, do we have your word that you will not offer additional support by sharing your power with Rycon during this challenge?’
I nodded. “You have my word,” I said, as loudly as I could manage, and sealed the bond between us. The shifters roared in approval, and I knew they could smell the truth in my words.
“Rycon and K’yen, the ancient and sacred terms of K'alpa-Rhoan forbid the use of weapons. You may use only teeth, claw and the might of your own strength. Do you both give your word that you are unarmed?”
“I do.” They said in unison.
“You may yield at any time, though there is no law that demands a yield be honored. Do you understand?”
“Yes,” they both said again, staring at each other.
“Then, the K'alpa-Rhoan may begin. May the best panther win.” Rhyalla stepped out of the clearing. Immediately, the two males began to slowly circle each other.
Rycon moved like the panther he was. He stalked and slinked. Every muscle in his body seemed somehow loose, but taut at the same time. K’yen’s movements were more measured and precise, though still somehow cat-like. The crowd was dead quiet, as the two shifters continued to prowl around the ring, looking for an opportunity to strike.
“Why did you come back, Rycon?” K’yen asked. Rycon said nothing, he just continued his deadly smooth pace around the ring. “We have been doing well, in your absence. The leap is thriving and has been well cared for. What do you hope to gain by coming here? You do your people a disservice.” K’yen continued.
Rycon’s lips pulled back in a snarl. It should have looked silly on a human face, but it somehow did not.
“I am Rhoan,” he growled, “You have led this leap only because I have allowed you to do so.”
It was K’yen’s turn to snarl. His flesh started to ripple and black fur erupted from beneath his skin. His panther form exploded from his human body, and I took a step back. He was huge. I had only ever seen Rycon’s panther form once, and I was almost certain K’yen was bigger. Suddenly, I felt nervous.
K’yen immediately rushed Rycon, but he leapt out of the way. K’yen had missed him by a hair. The challenger whipped around so quickly, all I saw was a black streak, as he came for Rycon again. Rycon was ready and kicked the large cat in the side of the head, hard enough that K’yen slid to the edge of the ring.
“It was easy for you,” Rycon said, stalking around K’yen, bare feet making no sound on the forest floor as he circled the large cat. “To look down your nose at me, after my parents were murdered.” K’yen attacked again, claws out. Rycon side stepped him and booted the cat in the ribs, sending him several feet back again.
“I had just lost everything, and you had lost nothing.”
K’yen screamed and launched himself at Rycon. This time, Rycon wasn’t quick enough. K’yen took Rycon to the ground, pinning him with his massive paws. Impossibly large claws unsheathed and dug into Rycon’s chest. I gasped as red blood exploded from the deep wounds and poured out into the dirt.
“Shift, Rycon! Fuck him up!” Kasha screamed next to me. The blood had drained from her face, and both her fists were clenched at her side. The wounds on Rycon’s chest healed as K’yen unsheathed his claws, rearing back. K’yen opened his massive mouth, and I knew he would go straight for Rycon’s throat.
I wasn’t sure if Rycon could regenerate from something as serious as having his throat eaten out. Remembering how Amon had killed the shifters in the forest, I shuddered. I grabbed Kasha’s arm. This was it. He was going to kill him. Why wasn’t he shifting?
Rycon glanced back at Kasha, that cocky smirk of his touching his lips.
“I don’t need to shift to beat this fucken prick,” he grunted.
As K’yen came down, jaws wide, Rycon pulled back a fist and threw a punch directly into the panther’s mouth, hitting him so hard in the back of the throat that I heard a sickening crack. K’yen’s body went limp, and he fell. Rycon’s arm, which had shredded on the cat’s teeth, was slick with blood, but the wounds healed quickly as he stood up.
K’yen twitched on the ground, and Rycon circled him. Whatever he had broken in the cat’s neck was likely already healing. K’yen tried to get back up on his paws, but Rycon kicked him in the head again, forcing him back down.
He pressed his foot into K’yen’s throat, looking down at him as blood dripped down his arm into the great cat’s fur.
