⚜Overdoing it⚜
Dirt sprayed upwards, flung into the air so easily. Paws thudded against the ground and uneven rhythm of footsteps and labored inhales of breath. Front legs reached out, the claws at the ends of each one gripping and ripping as they continued. Forward. Body curving, the lion rounded a corner, skidding on the loose stones momentarily before pushing forward once more. His mane whipped behind him, stinging his shoulders, slashing the back of his neck. Quickly giving a jerk of the head, he brought it back to the front of his face, only to have it retreat in a flutter. Another turn. He stopped this time, letting the friction burn his paws while he slid, glided, around to the other stretch. This allowed him to capture a few small breaths, lungs screaming softened into a slighter, but still lively, shriek. Then he was off again, pushing and pulling his muscles, bending them to his will. His legs obeyed him, his entire body obeyed him. It was his lungs that did not.

Wheezing, Zeliesh came to a halt, halfway through the stretch, neck arched and head bowed, supported by shaky limbs. His eyes were closed tightly, the skin surrounding each one stretched, looking like the skin of an old wildebeest. With each newly-taken breath, he squeezed them tighter still, threatening to shove them straight into his brain. A shadow fell over the small feline, a vibe of pity. Zeliesh paid it no mind; He welcomed the coolness that accompanied it, the shadow’s owner a shield against the flaring sun with its rays of glitter. His relief didn’t last long, however; He found himself pressed down to the earth, familiar large paws pinning him there. Zeliesh smirked.

“Valeric…this is extre-“ A wheeze squeezed its way into the conversation, desperately begging to be heard. “-mely unprofessional.” He finished, squinting up at his mentor with slitted teal eyes. The lion above him simply stared back, expression unreadable. A fly landed on his nose. It stayed there. Now it was annoying. The smaller, and younger, lion kicked his back legs at his mentor, managing to miss his stomach by at least three feet. “Let me go, you one-ton baboon!” Zeliesh bit out, baring his teeth for further emphasis. The result was the same, with Valeric towering above and Zeliesh bound to the ground, nostrils squealing, chest heaving as his lungs greedily absorbed the air like a sponge, the pain in his chest growing less and less until it subdued nearly completely.

The birds soared overhead, chirping quietly to one another, passing over the land in just a few wingbeats. They vanished into the purple sky, the dying sun merging into the pinks and violets. By this time the juvenile had quieted, yet still glowered at his superior with unrestrained fury. Without a sound, Valeric suddenly stepped off his apprentice, sitting and curling his tail around his paws. For a moment, Zeliesh still lay where he was, blinking. Then he shot up, ramming into his mentor’s chest with his head. The rumors were not a lie: Zeliesh definitely was a hard-head. Nonetheless, Valeric did not double-over, or even stumble. The only reward for Zeliesh was a startled grunt. Apparently that was enough, for he sat opposite from Valeric, face pulled into a sneer, tongue pressed between a pair of teeth.

“That’s what you get, Valeric-sama! Hindering me like that! It’s a true miracle that you didn’t crush me.” His ears laid back, yet not against his skull like they always were when he was angry, Zeliesh complained about his mentor’s lack of manners when it came to “personal space.” “Hey!” He cried ponderously when a specific mentor’s sigh pierced his words. “I was talking, you rude overgrown-“ Teal met green once more, the later glaring threateningly at the former, which were wide in shock. Valeric was standing over him, peering down into his eyes. Zeliesh frowned, eyebrows creasing, opening his mouth- “Why do you always do this?” Valeric demanded, ears twitching in visible irritation. The youth blinked again, then smirked, raising a paw to cover his muzzle in mock-embarrassment. “Oh, you’re right! How foolish of me!” He let it smack back to the ground, huffing through his nose, swishing his tail indignantly. “If only I knew what ‘this’ was.” Gingerly, his mentor leaned towards him. Zeliesh responded by lunging forward himself, jabbing his own nose into his mentor’s. It was aching, throbbing, but Valeric was the one who pulled back, rubbing at his nose, glaring at his apprentice. “Immature brat.” Zeliesh cocked his head, ears falling to the side. “Me? I’m not the one who pinned his own apprentice to the ground without an explanation!”

“Why do you push yourself beyond what you know are your limits?! You know that you’ll continue to get weaker if you continue this ridiculous behavior; your lungs cannot handle it, Zeliesh. You may always want to something to brag about, but even the arrogant know when they’ve been bested.” Valeric spit out, his own breath becoming deep, eyes burning with anger and..confusion. It was concealed, but beneath the layers, it still existed. For the first time, Zeliesh was quiet, face wiped clean of all emotion. Gradually, his gaze softened, and he smiled lightly, turning to the setting sun. “Because, Valeric-sama.” Valeric’s eyes bore into his back, he could feel them. Pressure…suffocating. Zeliesh took a deep breath, the air whistling through his nostrils. His eyes sharpened. The lion inclined his neck over his shoulder, looking back at his mentor with a wide grin. “Haven’t I always broken the rules?”