Authors Notes: Hi lads and lasses. Thank you thank you thank you for not killing me. I've been putting in extra volunteer hours this month and last week was insane. I am truly truly sorry. I know if I were you I would have my head on a silver platter served up with gravy and biscuits. And I'm not a fan of either one so see how ticked I would be?

Now the more important notes. I know this chapter is the shortest I've done since chapter one and two, I think. But I couldn't keep you waiting for goodness knows how long. But there's one or two things that for those of us who don't live in or study cultures outside the western ones might not understand. Excuse me I forgot you Starwars fans. Unforgivable don't you think? I'm talking about the "I own your life" part. No it isn't slavery it's the practice of life debt. (Starwars fans think about Episode 1- The Phantom Menace and Jar Jar Binks. You know in the beginng where he says "Yousa saved me!" He then says that he owes the Jedi his life and he sticks to them like glue? Or for those of you who know Han and Chewie's background, Han saves Chewie from death at the hands of imperial slave drivers and looses all of his recognition as the hotshot Corellian Pilot, see the red stripes on his pants, because of it and Chewie stays with Han and the Solos until Chewie dies. Same principle.) Cultures all across our beautiful planet have the belief that if someone saves your life or has your life in their hands and gives it back to you then you owe them your life. I needed a way to keep Lurak around and have respect for Rayne so yes I used the life debt practice shamelessly. Basically Rayne allowed Lurak to live when no one could have blamed her for letting the knife "slip." So until he saves her life and repays that debt he is honor bound to basically be her bodyguard.

Now I know some will say how cool is that! It isn't. It is a responsibility. Not just for the one who owes but also for the one who is owed. Because if they do it correctly, the one who is owed has to feed, protect and shelter the one who owes. They are responsible for the one who owes that life debt. Did everyone get that? It's like having a spouse or child. You are RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR WELLBEING! As I said, not all peaches and cream. Get it? Got it? Good!

Second point is for any of you martial artists. Props by the way. I am not currently studying any form of Martial Arts so I apologize profusely if you really want to strangle me for this chapter. I wouldn't mind hearing how I could make it better (Hint! I really want to know! Help!) Rayne's fighting style is more Kali and Capoeira (think Riddick mixed with, well I don't know of a Capoeira fighter everyone would know. Sorry.) than anything else, but she uses anything to get the job done. She looks likes shes doing break dancing with knives. Very beautiful and very deadly. Lurak is more of a bar brawler, no real style only hit and hit hard and pray that's enough, which most of the time it is but she's a quick little chica.

I love Jake and Rai'uk in this chapter. I mean they react the way my brothers would. Uh oh J's in a fight, let's break out the beer and popcorn. Only if I actually was in trouble would they do anything.

Tsu'tey will have his revenge for not being allowed to kick butt and take names in this chapter in the next one. He's very creative. Did anyone other than me know that? OOPS! Spoiler! Wish I was Rayne in the next chapter. Cold shower please!

Disclaimer: I own nothing. I make NO money off the characters. I'm only borrowing them. I will return them as squeaky clean as I found them.

I advise reading this chapter while listening to Breaking Benjamin or Three Days Grace, or something along those lines. Powerman 5000 works too. To each his own but that's what I wrote this chapter to. Now on to the show.

Chapter 12 Fighting to Submission

Se'la looked at Rayne, still struggling until Rayne began chuckling darkly. At that point it wasn't a struggle just to get away but now to get out of the way. Most of the clan had never seen Rayne fight and mean it, but they knew that laugh. She had only used it when hand to hand fight training, something that most had giving up on with her after receiving blows that strained muscle and bone nearly to the breaking point. So far only Tsu'tey and Jake had trained with her when no holds were barred. And they always hid in the trees. She had never wanted to put someone out of commission and the clan wondered what would happen now when she did.

Se'la knew that laugh. She heard it when Rayne was teaching her and Hataak or when she trained with the Olo'eyktan and Tsu'tey. It was the only sound that she made when fighting. And Se'la knew she had to get out of the way, fast.

Tsu'tey heard the laugh and saw his daughter, maybe not in blood but that didn't matter. And she was in the way of his very angry and blood thirsty soon-to-be mate and her target. His heart leap into his throat, because Rayne burst into motion and he wasn't close enough to pull Se'la from danger. "Se'la! Drop!" The words tore from his mouth before he knew his lips had moved.

Se'la's eyes went wide as she heard Tsu'tey yell and Rayne begin her charge. The male behind her shifted his hold as Rayne roared, distracting him. His arm and hand were within reach of her mouth, she thought clamping down on the tender skin between his forefinger and thumb. The taste of blood flooded her mouth as the skin broke.

It had the desired effect as the grip around her middle loosened and he shook his hand free. Se'la dropped to the ground and covered her head just as the male who held her tried to move out of the way of Rayne's charge. But she knew better than to think she could win as long as he was rooted. In his head he already won. Rayne was going to change that. Before she reached the male and the prone Se'la, Rayne sprang up and used her momentum to pull him to the ground giving Se'la an opening to run to Tsu'tey and her brother.

As soon as she was safe she turned back to the ring at formed around Rayne and Lurak. Jarris was glad she was safe, but if pressed he would admit that he was disappointed she ran to them. He understood but dammit, he wanted her to look at him with one tenth the trust she put in any of her adopted family. He sighed, it would take time. He knew that from the start. But he also knew she would be worth it. But he was scared. Even though he wasn't fond of his brother, Jarris was worried about him. He knew the rumors. He knew what touching Se'la had unleashed. And Jarris was sure that even Mo'at wouldn't be able to put Lurak back together.

Lurak heaved to his feet after loosing his wind when he hit the ground.

Rayne sprang to her feet and rounded on him ready to put him down again.

Jake pushed through the crowd, hearing the chanting and cat calls as he neared the center. Loosing his patients as the crowd grew thicker and tighter, harder to get through with each step. Finally he snapped. "Stop!"

Rayne backed off the moment she heard the yell. Her arms and body relaxing but her mind churning out options and possibilities as her eyes took in everything. She stood and stepped back. Pacing, never showing her back to this male, she stayed watchful. She was momentarily distracted when Jake broke through the masses surrounding them, and Lurak took the opportunity. A balled fist came and connected with her jaw, causing her to bite her tongue. Rayne caught his arm and put him in an elbow lock spinning into him and slamming her own elbow beneath his chin. And kicking him in the side, connecting her heel to his ribs, not hard enough to break the bones but enough that he would feel it for days with every breath.

She held him by his arm even when he tried to double over in pain. "When the Ole'eyktan says stop. We stop. That's the rule." She growled under her breath spitting the blood that seeped from the cut on either side of her tongue onto the ground, twisting his arm a little bit more. Lurak groaned with the sudden pain. "I suggest you follow that rule." She released his arm and he bent over rubbing his arm, restoring the circulation. "Before I really loose my temper."

Jake fought hard not to smile at what he saw. The Tipani Olo'eyktan that had followed him into the crowd didn't feel the same way apparently. He stalked to the pair and back handed Rayne. Rayne spat out more blood but held her ground, forcing herself to keep her hands at her side. Jake caught his hand before the next swing and held it until the Tipani leader began to loose feeling in his fingers. "Hit someone in my clan again and you will loose this hand." Jake snarled feeling rage boil within him. It was like someone hit his sister. And that wasn't going to stand. No one touches family and gets away with it.

Rayne gritted her teeth, red icor leaving a trail from the corner of her mouth. It was now or never. "I challenge the Tipani clan."

~~~ Moments later ~~~

The silence was deafening in the moments that followed. The Tipani Olo'eyktan was stunned. Minutes passed and still no one spoke. Jaws hadn't been picked up off the ground. Well all but Rai'uk's jaw. He had been expecting it. She was after all his daughter. And he had never been more proud. Rayne wasn't finished yet though. "I challenge the Tipani clan's right to choose and take any mate. Within the Omaticaya or another clan." She took a deep breath before plunging on. "I challenge the Tipani's strongest and most skilled fighter to a submission battle. I loose Tipani has the right to take mates. I win and females have the right to refuse mating offers. We fight until someone submits."

Jake snapped out of his stunned state first. "Weapons?" He was beginning to like this idea.

"Tipani's choice." She chuckled.

The Tipani Olo'eyktan came out of it with a snap of his open jaw. "No! This is not allowed! Eywa's laws forbid it!" He was furious. This was supposed to be so simple. The Omaticaya were not a warrior clan. It had been such a simple plan. Go in, take females, leave. See? Simple plan. But she was making this difficult. And that human bred half breed of an Omaticaya Olo'eyktan was helping her!

Rai'uk struggled not to smile as he walked quietly toward them. "Actually the law of Eywa regarding Kawea says she can." He chuckled darkly and to those who knew that he was Rayne's father it became obvious where that laugh came from. "Or are you scared of a young female who has just passed her Iknimaya and Uniltaron?"

The infuriated Olo'eyktan spun to face Rai'uk who stood with his arms crossed and a grin tugging at his lips. "And what is your interest in this Anurai?" He snarled, nearly foaming at the mouth.

"Me?" Rai'uk smiled. "I'm just here to watch someone get beat. And I think the female can handle it. My question is, can your male? Cause the only damage I see so far on her in a split lip." He turned to Lurak and watched him heave in ragged breaths. "And is this your son?" Rai'uk's smile turned indulgent. "It looks like he has bruised ribs, sprained shoulder, maybe even a bruised larynx. He wouldn't last much longer. I hope you have better." His tone didn't betray the child within taunting another, but the words did. "I am unimpressed."

The Tipani leader stared up at the sky hoping against hope that some how some way there was a way out of this. But Eywa spoke in her own soft way when a tiny wood sprite floated down from the skies. It danced between the members of the small group, landing momentarily on Rai'uk and Jake before pulsing through the warm and sticky air to land on Rayne's nose. She smiled warmly at the tiny seed and blew air up at it with a laugh. But the tenacious seed stayed until it was good and ready to leave. Rayne chuckled happily as the little seed floated away.

Jarris moved through the crowd trying to get to Se'la and gain a better angle to watch his father. He didn't like what he saw before but hoped that his father would see reason, or at least his lack of options. But his father never responded well to being backed into a corner.

After a moments contemplation Jarris' father looked back at Rayne, sizing her up. Now that Lurak knew better what kind of fighter Rayne was, could he handle her? Could he afford not to? If he lost would he ever be able to hold his head up in his own clan again? "Lurak." He was pleased when the bent Lurak straightened. His face now clouded with anger and determination. "You will end what you started."

"I look forward to it." He hissed.

Rayne cocked an eyebrow. Did he think that hissing would make her quake in her bare feet? Time for one more dig, she thought, he'll crack and fight in anger. Easy win. "Does the Tipani think he needs a weapon? Surely a knife isn't enough." But the anger she had hoped for only compressed itself into cold, calculating rage. Oh this is going to be fun, Rayne thought nearly purring at the idea. Finally, a decent challenge. And she didn't have to worry about hurting him, as long as he didn't die. No reason to start a war over this.

"Banta rods." Lurak growled after a moment. The rods he was referring to were about five feet long and were used in most tribes. They were approximately four inches wide and made out of hard and straight wood, making them useful both for training and hunting. He wants to beat her into submission, Jake realized when he heard the request. He has no idea that she's Anurai? When the rods where brought and the combatants chose one and drew their knives he had his answer. Where was popcorn when you need it?

The weapons felt as natural as breathing in her hands. She took a step away giving Jake and the Tipani leader time to walk away. Within her hand the wooden rod nearly vibrated with the tension of her muscles. Her heart sped but the beats remained even, flooding her veins with adrenaline. Her senses heightened making the slightest sound reverberate like a bomb in her ears and each motion of the crowd that she faced happened in slow motion. She didn't even bother turning around as Jake allowed the fight to begin.

Lurak thought he was silent as he advanced over the packed earth to her. But each time he moved it sounded as if a landslide was within inches of her. He raised his Banta for a quick downward sweep that would have left her shoulder numb and unusable. Her own rod came up above her head, parallel to the ground beneath her feet, meeting his with resounding crack. Her knife hand came up and caught his rod a second after, holding it in place across her own as she rolled forward, taking the rod and Lurak into the roll.

She continued the roll landing on her feet standing over him and wrenching the rod from his fingers, hurling it toward Jake who caught in midair and calmly leaned on the piece of wood. Lurak wasn't going to give up simply because he was down a weapon. His knife came into play and slashed over the skin of her foot, or would have if she didn't jump, falling to her shoulders on the hard ground, her feet held off the ground for the strike and then she pushed off the ground and landed on her feet again this time in a crouch with the now standing Lurak over her.

Lurak used the small opening of her distraction to tear the rod from her hand and toss it aside, it landing aimlessly out of reach. Rayne's lips twitched as the rod left her fingers. He had seen an opening before she closed it. That was rare enough that she respected it. If only he wasn't the enemy, they could have been sparring partners if not friends. Again he slashed down ward, this time a knife in his grip. But she snagged his wrist and twisted hard forcing him to a knee with the sudden pain. She broke the hold unwilling to win this easily and danced out of reach.

Lurak stood and rubbed his now very sore arm and switched knife hands. Rayne chuckled again, her dark laugh wriggling into his thoughts, she might win. No, he swore mentally pushing the idea from his synapses.

Now with only a knife in hand she was nearly dancing with joy. Bantas were not her favorite. She would win with anything but it got her blood pumping more with less distance. Lurak growled in anger as she danced out of reach when he closed it.

"Are you going to fight or dance!" Lurak yelled, his patients growing thinner by the second.

Tsu'tey found each breath harder to pull in and release as the seconds ticked by. She was playing with Lurak, Tsu'tey knew, but that didn't make it any easier to watch.

Only nicks, Rayne reminded herself. No kill cuts. Tire him out. Be patient. Watch. Wait. The mantra repeated in her mind. But as he tired his slashes became more erratic, more desperate, more vicious, less planned, less calculated, more dangerous. Still she didn't press him.

The crowd retreated as Rayne backed toward them, eventually finding herself pinned to a tree. Lurak grinned, tasting victory on his lips along with the sweat that dripped to them. But Rayne wasn't finished yet.

Lurak pressed her back into the tree, an arm across her throat cutting off her air supply and the other between her legs, holding her two feet off the ground. Her gaze didn't show the panic he expected as he asked "Do you submit?" He realized that she couldn't say anything with his arm across her windpipe and loosened the hold, just as she expected.

Rayne's lips twisted into a knowing smirk. "You'll have to try harder than that Tipani." Out of his sight her knife wielding fist grew white as it tightened around the knife's hilt. The blade tickled the skin of her forearm as her hold shifted minutely. "Or did you really think I'd be this easy?" Suddenly the tide turned. Rayne went on the offensive as a harden look entered her eyes. Her fist hit his jaw with all the force of a sledge hammer. It stunned him enough that his arm came away from her neck. Rayne dropped to the side and kicked his feet from under him.

She scrambled to her feet as he regained his and swung to hit her in return. Rayne caught one arm and held it tight. Lurak tried to land a hit with the other hand only to have it caught as well, crossing the first at the elbow. His knee connected with her ribs and he smiled in satisfaction as a loud snap echoed in the clearing. Rayne barely grunted as breathing became difficult. No she denied him the pleasure of knowing she was hurt. Instead, using his arms as a fulcrum and the needed lever, she threw him to the ground yet again.

Her foot found his throat in repayment for the lack of air from moments ago. Lurak clutched her foot and threw her off by twisting through the suffocation.

Rayne stumbled back as he pulled away and regained his feet.

Lurak didn't learn his lesson about rushing her. He dug his toes into the dirt and ran at her. Rayne ducked to the side and caught his feet with an outstretched leg sending him tumbling end over end past her .

He landed face first on the dirt. And before he even had time to breathe once more, Rayne yanked his hands behind his back and straddling the wall of muscle used his own neural queue as a restraint. His brain swam in the pain and desperation to end the anguish. He had always heard that having your queue hurt, but this wasn't just hurt. This felt as if his brain was being ripped from his skull, neuron by neuron. He struggled against her hold and against the restraint. And to his credit he didn't wimper and cry at the all consuming agony. He fought until the pain blanketed his mind and made him unable to move or breathe.

The knife in her hand slid between his neck and the earth beneath him carefully. She wasn't looking to end his life. Rayne lent down close to his ear as his muscles quivered with the wracking pain. She twisted the knife so that it's edge kissed the skin of his throat. "Once I have held your life within my hands. Once I will return it to you. Your life is no longer yours but mine to do with as I please. Do you submit?" She asked, her breath warm on his skin. "Or do I release you only to end in taking what is mine?"

Frustrated tears threatened to fall from his eyes as she waited for an answer. Rayne jerked the braid covered neural cord when he took longer than necessary, causing him to yell at the blinding hot stab of hurt. "I submit." He whispered bowing his head in shame as she released his queue. "The Tipani submit."

"Wise choice." She nodded. Rayne stood and turned to Jake and Lurak's father. Now to finish this. She threw the knife embedding it at the Tipani leaders feet, causing him to jump as it sank in only inches from him. "The Omaticaya have won." She stepped over Lurak to stand between him and his father. "Your son fought well and honorably. He lost with that honor in tact. Those who wish to leave with the Tipani will leave in the morning." He looked as if he wanted to object but knew the consequences of doing so and remained silent. "Those who wish to stay," Rayne added looking Jarris in the eye. "Are most welcome."

Author Notes:

Now do you hate me? I happen to like this chapter. Not as gory as I could have taken it but still.

Now comes your turn to make me twist. What did you think? Hit the Review this Chapter button at the bottom of this page and let me know! Did you hate it? Did you love it? Have a suggestion? It only takes a couple minutes and I will love you forever!

Mahalo