Lore Post - Reaper
Vashkartzen’s first ever Championships win! Also the reveal of his battle “alter ego”. Vashkartzen is an adolescent in this, and V’kai is a young cub, probably just recently weaned.
I know we made the decision to kill Vashti off but I missed writing her already and she’s only been gone for like. Two posts. So there’s a lot more Vashti than Viskar in this one.
He stands at the entrance of the field, before looking back to his mother. “Mom, are you sure?”
Vashti’s prideful smile is almost easy to miss as she keeps her younger son in place with a large paw. “I’m positive,” She grins, “Remember, there’s no shame in losing. You’ve made it to the finals, but don’t take it hard if you lose now.”
Her eldest scoffs. “Like you’ve ever lost a fight. Remember, you’re the Undefeated Valkyrie.” It’s easy to take the sarcasm to heart, but instead, Vashti’s smile grows wider.
“Maybe so,” She whispers, “But you are not me. You, Vashkartzen, are not bound to the legend of the Undefeated Valkyrie. You get to create your own.”
With that, Viskar rounds the corner, staring at his family with pride. “Vati, we need to go get our seats. They said it’s about to start.”
She nods, but her eyes spot a flyaway gift of hair in her son’s mane. She releases V’kai just long enough for Viskar to pick him up by the scruff, keeping the cub from running off and terrorizing anyone else other than his parents. Her tongue goes over her son’s forehead, and instead of fighting, he chirps happily, going in for a nuzzle against his mother.
“Go get them, cubbin.” Her voice is so soft that it almost brings tears to Viskar’s eyes. They turn around, slumping off to find the area that they had reserved with a handsome sum of beetles. It leaves Vashkartzen utterly alone, and he takes a deep breath, before turning his eyes to the paint his mother had gotten him.
The fight goes by in a blur. Vashkartzen remembers claws in his side, some new scars, but he manages to close his jaws around the opponent's neck, signaling the end of the match. He releases when he hears the familiar blow of a whistle, one he grew up hearing. The lioness referee stands beside him, roaring to quiet the crowd, but then, she shakes her mane out of her face, and grins wildly. “The winner is Vashkartzen, the Reaper!”
Reaper, he thinks, it has a nice ring to it. He can hear his mother’s cheers, her usually stoic façade broken into a million pieces by her pride. His father is shouting too, tears in his eyes at his baby boy’s first real Championships victory. And of course, V’kai sat between their parents, an awestruck expression on his face, complete with his mouth gaping open.
“Have any words you’d like to say?” The referee asks, and the crowd goes quiet again.
Vashkartzen looks up, meeting his mother’s eyes. “I want to thank my family,” He speaks, “I couldn’t have done this without them. I… I love you guys.”
He half expects his parents to charge into the field, but Vashti simply looks at him with a warm smile, and gently mouths her reply.
“We love you too.”
