This is an independent story but some characters that make appearances were in my last story Ravenous For Revenge. It's not necessary but if you want a lot of inside information on some characters than you might read that first. Please review with comments or complaints. Thanks a lot.
The smell of beer and sweat mixed in the smoke in the air to create a tangible, thick fog. Light filtered out of rows of archaic lights hanging from the basement of the ancient bar. Layers of dirt and grime grew and twisted all over the ground as dozens of drunken men yelled and screamed over the sound of pounding flesh. Fists wet with sweat and blood slammed into innocent men and it was all that the people watching cared for in this little world. This world where everything about their sad and broken lives was left behind in the decaying outer world.
Inside a small metal cage resided everyone's hopes and dreams of making it big or making a buck as another two competitors stepped inside and another body was dragged out of the cage leaving a streak of crimson on the stained canvas below. A man just barely twenty kneeled down in the corner of the cage and wrapped his hands in thin strips of cloth as he made a silent note of prayer to all that he had in his life. Not to his past or to any mythical figure that demanded his obedience but to everything that mattered to him. He slowly rose up and turned around as the announce shouted out his fighting name of "Harbinger" and the crowd roared in approval and raced to place last minute bets.
Another man stood in the other corner and merely glared down at Harbinger. He was nearly four inches taller and bulged with muscles all over his body. This was his third fight this week which gave him two deaths. In this world there was no law because those who enforced it were just as eager to see it broken. The larger man took his time after the bell rang as he paced his foe who stood completely calm and serene near his corner.
The man rushed forward landing a strong fist into Harbinger's chest that sent him reeling into the barbed wire fencing. He nearly yelped in pain as he pulled himself free of the clutches of the wire and hurled himself at his foe. The stronger man quickly gained the upper hand again and was soon pummeling Harbinger towards the barbed wire. At the very edge of the cage the bruiser pushed Harbinger into the wire with all his strength which sent a roar of approval from the crowd. He stepped back and raised his hands in the air as he reveled in his power and fame.
Achingly and slowly Harbinger pulled himself off and dragged himself bleeding back to the center of the ring. The larger man turned to him with a smile on his face and a look of respect for the smaller man's temerity, "Fall down now kid. You ain't got what it takes to be here with me. I know you still gots some bloods in you somewhere."
Harbinger was doubled over as he clutched a gash across his stomach. He looked up into his opponents face and smiled just very briefly like he held a secret that the other fighter wasn't aware of. It startled the man briefly but he quickly decided to finish the fight here. He sent a quick jab into Harbinger's stomach who nearly fell over in pain. To the older man it was all over here as he held his right fist high in the air causing the drunken mob surrounding them to scream even louder both in praise and in insults. The force that was trailing behind his fist was enough to kill Harbinger before he even slammed into the ground.
With all of his body weight in his fist it sent the man tumbling forward as Harbinger slid out of the way. Harbinger quickly laid several punches into his mid section and landed a brutal kick into his face. The man stood up as he tasted his own blood and he yelled in rage before throwing himself at Harbinger. Again he was too quick but this time he slammed his entire leg across the larger man's stomach before using his elbow to strike deep into his back. The man fell to the ground and struggled to bring himself up as he tried to regain himself from shock more than his injuries.
Harbinger kneeled down next to him and whispered into his ear, "Let's see how much you bleed, old man." With this he grabbed the back of the mans hair and threw him in a tumbling manner into the barbed wire. The way he was moving caused him to get tangled into the barbed wire as it sent cuts and gashes up and down his body. His pain and anger caused him to lash out and fight more fiercely creating even more cuts. The crowd watched in mortified silence as the man bled himself to death through his own fear and stupidity. No one spoke as Harbinger stepped out of the cage and two men rushed to remove the corpse from the cage.
It took only moments before they were rushing to place their next bets.
The smell of beer and sweat mixed in the smoke in the air to create a tangible, thick fog. Light filtered out of rows of archaic lights hanging from the basement of the ancient bar. Layers of dirt and grime grew and twisted all over the ground as dozens of drunken men yelled and screamed over the sound of pounding flesh. Fists wet with sweat and blood slammed into innocent men and it was all that the people watching cared for in this little world. This world where everything about their sad and broken lives was left behind in the decaying outer world.
Inside a small metal cage resided everyone's hopes and dreams of making it big or making a buck as another two competitors stepped inside and another body was dragged out of the cage leaving a streak of crimson on the stained canvas below. A man just barely twenty kneeled down in the corner of the cage and wrapped his hands in thin strips of cloth as he made a silent note of prayer to all that he had in his life. Not to his past or to any mythical figure that demanded his obedience but to everything that mattered to him. He slowly rose up and turned around as the announce shouted out his fighting name of "Harbinger" and the crowd roared in approval and raced to place last minute bets.
Another man stood in the other corner and merely glared down at Harbinger. He was nearly four inches taller and bulged with muscles all over his body. This was his third fight this week which gave him two deaths. In this world there was no law because those who enforced it were just as eager to see it broken. The larger man took his time after the bell rang as he paced his foe who stood completely calm and serene near his corner.
The man rushed forward landing a strong fist into Harbinger's chest that sent him reeling into the barbed wire fencing. He nearly yelped in pain as he pulled himself free of the clutches of the wire and hurled himself at his foe. The stronger man quickly gained the upper hand again and was soon pummeling Harbinger towards the barbed wire. At the very edge of the cage the bruiser pushed Harbinger into the wire with all his strength which sent a roar of approval from the crowd. He stepped back and raised his hands in the air as he reveled in his power and fame.
Achingly and slowly Harbinger pulled himself off and dragged himself bleeding back to the center of the ring. The larger man turned to him with a smile on his face and a look of respect for the smaller man's temerity, "Fall down now kid. You ain't got what it takes to be here with me. I know you still gots some bloods in you somewhere."
Harbinger was doubled over as he clutched a gash across his stomach. He looked up into his opponents face and smiled just very briefly like he held a secret that the other fighter wasn't aware of. It startled the man briefly but he quickly decided to finish the fight here. He sent a quick jab into Harbinger's stomach who nearly fell over in pain. To the older man it was all over here as he held his right fist high in the air causing the drunken mob surrounding them to scream even louder both in praise and in insults. The force that was trailing behind his fist was enough to kill Harbinger before he even slammed into the ground.
With all of his body weight in his fist it sent the man tumbling forward as Harbinger slid out of the way. Harbinger quickly laid several punches into his mid section and landed a brutal kick into his face. The man stood up as he tasted his own blood and he yelled in rage before throwing himself at Harbinger. Again he was too quick but this time he slammed his entire leg across the larger man's stomach before using his elbow to strike deep into his back. The man fell to the ground and struggled to bring himself up as he tried to regain himself from shock more than his injuries.
Harbinger kneeled down next to him and whispered into his ear, "Let's see how much you bleed, old man." With this he grabbed the back of the mans hair and threw him in a tumbling manner into the barbed wire. The way he was moving caused him to get tangled into the barbed wire as it sent cuts and gashes up and down his body. His pain and anger caused him to lash out and fight more fiercely creating even more cuts. The crowd watched in mortified silence as the man bled himself to death through his own fear and stupidity. No one spoke as Harbinger stepped out of the cage and two men rushed to remove the corpse from the cage.
It took only moments before they were rushing to place their next bets.