false confidence - injured, joining

[Stryker]

[align=center][div style="width: 60%; text-align: justify; font-size: 11pt; font-family: georgia;"]☣ — As Esklav arrived, the male listened with intent. With every word, Stryker’s eyes began to narrow and a low growl began to arise from the back of his throat in frustration. While he knew he should go with his leader’s word, this was not the lion’s first time disobeying and it had only caused him dismay to stay under lock and key, so he impulsively disagreed. With a heavy paw gesturing, he’d aim to shoo Esklav’s face away from Rigel. If he’d resist, the male would push harder. Narrow neon orbs aimed to stare into Esklav’s own with a furious intent. ”Don’t you think it would be easier to gain another guardsman rather than another slave?” he inquired curiously. ”While he is weak, the canine is the only one to survive.” His head craned towards the male’s side, challenging the leader to disagree. ”Ultimately, his brothers could not defend themselves but he managed to fight off whatever evil came upon them.” Even so, he was wounded in the fight.

To see that he was still walking on two feet, even with support, was quite the feat for the stranger. Surely some damage had been done. Stryker could admit that Rigel may have died also with the wounds he inflicted... but he didn’t. Shouldn’t that count as something? ”Truly, he must be strong and the best out of the bunch,” he admitted. ”Don’t we thrive on the survival of the fittest here in the Pitt, sire?” Truthfully, he was mocking him. That was not evident in his tone either, but if he was to be demoted to a worthless slave because of it, then he might change. ”We are a clan of outsiders and this man just wandered on our doorstep hoping to be apart of the freak show-“ Maaaybe he didn’t say that, as he’d been mute this whole time, but the lion was trying to strike a chord. ”His feat of dignity and strength must be worth something.”