Chapter 14: Get up.

I was woken up by a pillow being dropped on my face.

"GAH!"

I flailed wildly as I found myself unable to sit up, something was holding me down by my stomach.

I threw the pillow off my face, and looked around to see Nara's head keeping me on the ground. In the same place as it had been last night.

After about twenty minutes of pleading, demanding, whining, and bargaining, I had yielded to my fate. It wasn't long before Nara had fallen asleep on my stomach, I assumed I had followed soon after.

"Good morning."

I looked to my left to see Harrah standing next to me, two bowls in her hand.

"Morning." I replied groggily. "Is it that time?"

"Almost... " She replied. "A few minutes remain."

I took notice of the bowls and the smell coming off of them immediately.

"Is that breakfast?" I said, my stomach growled with the promise of a meal, waking up Nara.

"Mhm, wha?" The dragoness raised her head groggily, "Oh, Morning, Harrah, s'that breakfast?"

Harrah chuckled, shaking her head, "two bodies, one mind."

Taking the opportunity given to me, I rolled out from under her, the shoddy wooden floor creaking beneath me as I got to my knees and stretched.

"Noooooo…" Nara feebly stretched a claw out at me, scratching at the wood, "My pillow!"

"No more pillow for you." I sighed happily, getting to my feet and taking the offered bowl. A mixture of meat, eggs, and potatoes still steamed within.

I eagerly tucked into my food as Nara took the other bowl, which contained a large amount of venison.

"Thank you." I said to Harrah once I had cleared my mouth of food.

Nara simply hummed her thanks as she greedily ate her own breakfast, Harrah looked at her with a distasteful expression before turning to me.

"At least one of you has some manners."

We both looked back at Nara, who paid us no mind as she continued eating.

With a small chuckle, I shook my head and continued eating.

"Human, you understand what you are up against, yes?" The healer looked at me intently, "Fennah told to me about what happened last evening, Claude will not go easy on you."

"I'm aware."

Harrah stared at me for a moment as I took a seat on I nearby bed and continued to eat, watching as the two of us finished our meals.

"You remember our agreement?" She said once I had finished eating.

"Yup."

"Good, because I have decided to change it."

I looked up at her, concern pulling the corners of my mouth into a slight frown.

"How so?"

"There is clearly no need for me to say anything for Prowlus to allow you outside of the walls, he seems to now treat you with some amount of trust, especially after what you have done for his son. So, as my end of the bargain has been nulled, I am willing to offer payment for both the healing herbs and materials, as well as any healing crystals you can bring me."

Nara looked up from her meal, "what's the rate?" She said through a mouthful of venison.

"I am speaking to Aran, Narania, not you." Harrah replied without looking at her, "Do not speak with your mouth full, and this is not a task for you to undertake in your current state."

Nara growled lazily, but quickly chewed the rest of her venison and swallowed before speaking again.

"Doesn't matter, I'm the head of our company, I get to decide the rates!"

Harrah looked between the two of us in surprise.

"Your...company?"

She looked to me with a quizzical expression on her face, I shrugged and nodded, finishing off the rest of my breakfast as I did so.

"You? Took a partner?" Harrah looked to be in disbelief as she stared at the dragoness.

Nara looked from side to side, the scales under her eyes darkening once again.

"Well...considering that he saved my life, is being trained by Hunter himself, and has the balls to punch Claude in the face. It seems only fair that I at least offer him a future, seeing he has nowhere else to go after our business in Warfang has concluded."

Harrah suddenly broke into laughter standing and slapping her knees as she took my bowl from me.

"Uh...thanks?" I said, looking at her with a question in my eyes.

Harrah did not simply continued laughing, much to the visual discomfort of my new boss

"Agrotora strike me down! Narainia Stonescale has taken a partner!"

The embarrassment on Nara's face made me curious enough to move my questioning gaze in her direction. Nara refused to make eye contact with me, instead taking interest in her venison as she picked out another piece of meat and gnawed on it.

Harrah shook her head, still chuckling as she turned to Nara.

"What happened to 'working better alone?'"

Nara continued to look at her bowl, "he has promise."

Harrah looked at me pointedly before turning back to the dragoness.

"You've had other dragons, cheetahs, rabbitfolk, some of the best mercenary companies in Avalar ask you to join their ranks, and you refused them all."

"I don't like taking orders."

"That much is true..." the healer replied snarkily.

"Harrah…" Nara looked at the healer pleadingly. "Please, just drop it."

The healer raised her hands in surrender, but kept a rather apparent grin on her face.

"Fine, fine, I'll speak to you later about the rates, after the duel has concluded."

Nara nodded solemnly as Harrah turned and disappeared into a side room.

I looked between the two and stood, not exactly knowing what the two were talking about but reading the context easily enough.

"I'll, uh, be outside."

"No, no, it's fine." Nara said, finishing her venison, "I want to come with you, Harrah?"

"Just a moment." The healer's voice came from the room.

The healer reappeared carrying a jar of orange-colored herbs, she approached Nara and uncapped the lid.

"Say 'ah.'"

Nara did as she was told, and the healer withdrew one of the herbs and placed it in the dragon's mouth.

"What is that?"

"Vigoroot," replied Harrah, "numbs pain, gives energy, quite good as a treat, try one."

Before I could say anything she had jammed one in my mouth, I was about to spit it out when the taste of it stopped me. It reminded me of cinnamon candy, it was sweet, with a slight bitter twinge to it and had the consistency of licorice.

"Not bad." I said after chewing on it for a few moments.

"Bleah!" Nara scrunched up her nose. "Tastes awful to me!"

"That is because you eat too many of those sweets you purchase in Freefield." Harrah said idly, screwing the cap back onto the jar and returning to the storeroom to replace it. Once she had reappeared, she began checking over Nara's injuries, after what seemed like a cursory checkup, the healer nodded.

"You will be sore, but you should be able to move around to a limited degree, just don't do anything strenuous."

"Got it," Nara said,

My friends winced as she slowly stood and began stretching her legs, rolling her head on her neck as a series of pops emanated from the bones.

"Ah! It's about time."

Harrah said she had to take inventory but promised to be there for the duel, and after we said our goodbyes we finally exited the hut.

Nara hummed in contentment as she stepped into the light, the day was mostly cloudy, with the promise of more rain on the horizon, but the sun still shone through cracks in clouds, enough so that patches of light traveled across the interior portion of the town as the wind blew the rain ever closer.

"Feels great to be out of that hut." Sighed Nara, looking over the town and stretching her wings, "feels great to be on my feet again."

"I'd bet," I said, looking down the hill to the sound of a whistle.

Fennah was ascending the hill, she waved to us as she continued up towards us, we met her halfway.

"Your hunt go well?" Nara asked her.

"Two deer." She smiled, "almost had a third but I heard shadow apes nearby and had to abandon it."

"Not bad," Nara nodded, smiling mischievously, "though I could do better."

"You can fly." Replied Fennah, rolling onto the heels of her feet, "stick to the ground and I could out-hunt you any day."

"Looks like someone struck a nerve," I said, smiling as Fennah joined us on the walk towards the town.

Fennah kicked my shin, still smiling, "One of us is about to be struck a lot more than in just the nerves."

I frowned, "Yeah, can't wait for that."

Fennah shrugged, "It cannot be avoided, no one here expects you to win, the arrangement was made to set the odds against you."

Nara sighed and nodded, "Most of the Cheetahs here were never ok with my presence, they see me as the Dragons sending someone to keep an eye on a 'bastion of rebellious and uncooperative individuals." She shook her head.

"The cheetahs think you're a spy just because you're a dragon?" I said, my frown deepening.

Nara suddenly got an uncomfortable look again, "well, that's not the only reason."

Fennah looked intently at the dragon, "you have to tell him sooner or later Nara, might as well do it now."

"Tell me what?"

The dragoness growled irritably, "Damn it, fine, guess it's only fair you know the truth, I have familial ties to the council in Warfang."

I looked at Nara, surprised.

"So, does that mean you're a noble or something?"

Nara swatted me over the head with a wing, sending me stumbling forward and causing Fennah to give a short laugh.

"Call me a noble again and I send an earth-spike so far up your ass you'll taste dirt." She said irritably.

Rubbing the back of my head, I gave a short, annoyed huff.

"So, one of your parents is a member of the council?"

"No, my uncle is… he's.. well…"

"Say it, Nara," I smile at her, "not like I have any right to judge."

"He's a member of the military branch of the council, the guardians, a war hero, let's just keep it at that."

"Sounds like you two don't get along very well."

Nara grunted in reply, "It's a long story, I'll tell you more later."

So, Nara's uncle was one of the heads of Warfang's military? For someone who didn't like taking orders, it was a hell of a relative to have. I could only imagine how the two had fallen out, but it wasn't the time to be thinking about things like that.

I had a duel to prepare for.

Fennah followed us into the town-proper, and it took mere moments for a horde of children to swarm Nara. They squealed with glee as the dragoness smiled and called them each by name, allowing a few to ride on her back and hang from her wings.

The children stared up at me in curious excitement, they saw me walk through the town for the past two weeks, but were often ushered away by parents or mentors to do something or another. At least they weren't calling me "Mr. Monster," anymore, now it was just "hooman."

Ren was the only one who actually called me by my actual name, the kid had taken to me in an unusual manner. When I was training with Hunter, I would often see him watching us, sometimes he even brought me a drink from the well and would often walk with me back to the healer's hut.

Ren was among the tide of children swarming the dragon, who laughed and played with the "fuzzball brigade," as she called them.

They followed us through the town, soon followed by several other townsfolk, it appeared that news of the duel had spread through the town.

"Looks like you've drawn a crowd." Fennah bumped my shoulder.

"They're just here to watch me get my ass beaten," I replied, raising an eyebrow at the quickly growing group.

"As am I!" Fennah smiled mischievously at me.

I eyed her with a smile, "What? Got tired of doing it yourself?"

"Yes, as you know, I am quite lazy." Fennah stretched her arms, "honestly I'd prefer to be taking a nap in a tree somewhere."

"That actually sounds quite nice." I say wistfully, "God, I miss sleeping in."

"I suspect you will after today."

As we approached the training fields I caught sight of Hunter leaning against the fence of one of the arenas, he stood with his arms crossed, waiting for us no doubt, and behind him, training in the arena alongside his father, was Claude.

"Here we go," I whispered, clenching my fists.

"Might I suggest a two-handed sword?" Hunter said, leaning against the blacksmith's hut, "long reach, well balanced…."

"... and heavy as hell." I finished, thinking back to my minimal experience training with the larger training weapons. "I'll be exhausted after a few swings, I'm going for a broadsword and shield."

"Unimaginative…" Fennah remarked, "but effective."

"Remember what I taught you about the sword and shield, just because one is meant for defense and the other for attack does not mean they cannot fulfill each others' purposes if need be. Keep the shield between you and him, attack when you find an opening, and let your enemy tire himself out."

I nodded to Hunter as I pulled my desired weapons out of the collection, I clumsily twirled the wooden sword in my hand before dropping it into the dirt to secure the leather bracings of the shield to my arm. Picking the training sword up, a gave a deep sigh, breathing deeply as I descended the hill toward the arena.

"Aran…"

I looked to see Nara, looking anxiously at Claude and the other cheetahs, her eyes scanned them with a sort of angry disappointment.

"I'm never going to be truly welcome here, no matter what I do for them, I'm guessing that demanding the chief's son be punished hasn't done much for my reputation, but at this point...I'm a lot less worried about that and a lot more worried about what needs to be done."

She turned her head to look at me.

"I don't care whether or not it's allowed. If it takes you doing… whatever you did to kill the Shadow Apes, to keep him from hurting you too much, then do it, just… try not to kill him."

"You say that like I even know how to use it."

She shrugged, "All I know is that Claude has a grudge against you as an individual now, not because of what you are, not just because of me, but also because of what you did yesterday, he's not one for mercy, Aran. He will try to hurt you… badly."

"I'll do what needs to be done."

"Just… don't get yourself messed up again on my behalf."

I looked her dead in the eyes.

"This fight is for me as much as it for you, Nara, Claude nearly killed me, left me bleeding in that hole for a week with nothing but a bucket to piss in and no idea whether or not you were even alive, this has to end here, I have to do this, or I won't stand a chance against Klein."

She stared at me for a moment, before smiling and chuckling.

"Alright then, show him what the Shields of Avalar are made of, monkey boy."

I gave her a half-smile, " I'll do my best to kick his ass for ya."

She chuckled, looking back to me and thumping my armor with a claw, "I'll be rooting for you."

Nara strode off, giving me one more glance before taking a place next to Fennah in the crowd.

The leather armor I wore creaked as I rolled my shoulders, soreness burned in my muscles in protest to the movement, but I did my best to banish it from my thoughts as I twirled the sword in my hand, finding a strange sort of comfort in gripping the blade.

I strode towards the ring, gritting my teeth as the crowd that had gathered around the ring parted for me.

Overhead, the clouds had gathered, swirling above us and darkening in color, light rain was already sprinkling down, misting all who had gathered here to see us fight.

"I can do this." I whispered.

I caught sight of Claude in his armor, our eyes met, and I could practically feel the malice in them.

"I can do this." I said a little louder.

This is the first step, if I can beat Claude, then maybe one day I can be strong enough to beat Klein, whatever the case, I'm done being a victim.

Prowlus looked in my direction, his expression unreadable as he shares a few final words with his son, before moving to the center of the ring.

I hopped the fence, breathing deeply as my grip tightened on my weapons.

The crowd cheered for Claude, and I could hear jeers and insults being thrown my way, the word "ape" being used more than a few times.

"Block them out." I thought to myself, " focus on the opponent."

Prowlus raised a hand, and the crowd fell silent.

"On this day," the chief said loudly, "the quarrel between Claude of Avalar and Aran Hallanday shall be resolved."

Silenced reigned, my eyes wandered amongst the crowd, falling upon Hunter, Fennah and Nara.

Hunter nodded from his place opposite Nara, making no further movements as he starred at the two of us.

"For the crimes committed against those under the chief's protection as well as personal grievances, both parties have agreed to a trial by combat, victory shall be attained by yielding or inability to continue combat. "

" The terms of victory have been laid…"

Prowlus gestured to his son.

"If Claude of Avalar triumphs, both his opponent and Narania Stonescale shall be banished from this village, never to return and honor-bound to maintain our independence from the council of Warfang!"

Prowlus gestured to me.

"Should Aran Hallanday succeed, Claude of Avalar must enter his service for a period of two years."

The crown murmured in surprise, disquiet spreading among them at the prospect of their chief's heir becoming a servant. But it was in confidence that their chief agreed to these terms because he knows his son will win. He has the training, the strength, and the confidence he needs to put someone like me down in seconds. All I have is a week's worth of training, anger, and a really, really strong need to see that overconfident prick taken down a step.

"May Agrotora guide their blades, and may she be with he who is meant to triumph this day!"

Claude smirked as he drew his training blade, not even bothering with a shield, I grip my own in a white-knuckled grip as the rain fell heavier on us both.

"Claude of Avalar, are you prepared?" Prowlus, gestured to his son.

"I am!" He called in response.

"Aran Hallanday," Prowlus gestures to me; "are you prepared?"

"I am!" I reply, trying my best to hide the tremor in my voice.

"Warriors!" Prowlus called, "Cross your blades!"

Claude strode forward, as did I, following the movements Hunter had shown me, the two of us extended our weapons out to each other, the flat of the wooden blades coming into contact.

Claude stared at me with the same malicious fire in his eyes that he had last night, the kind that promised pain. I returned his stare, not knowing what my eyes carried in them, but praying it wasn't fear.

Prowlus stepped backward as we withdrew our weapons, Claude took a stance, standing with his sword angled toward me in one hand.

I squared myself, bringing my shield up and my sword at a ready position, low enough to where any movement will be obscured by my shield. I grit my teeth, breathing through them as I try my best to summon the feelings of anger I had felt last night.

He threw me in a hole.

He tried to kill me.

Insulted me.

Everything that has happened to me this far, all the suffering, all the trials, Claude stands as a testament to that, and the source of a good bit of it. I've rolled with the punches, made every compromise I could and then some, but

No more.

"No more." I whisper, feeling anger spark in my gut. It burned though me, making my muscles tense and my eyes burn back at Claude with the force of all I have endured.

No more being useless, no more being weak, no more, no more, no more.

"Begin!"

Roaring, we charged each other.

I kept my shield up as he closed on me, expecting his charge to end with him slamming bodily into me.

Instead, I almost lost sight of him as he darted around my shield, flanking me, I could barely bring the shield around as suddenly his sword grazed the edge of it.

The wooden weapon jabbed into my hip, instead of my gut where he aimed it, I grunted as the point smacked against the bone where I knew it would bruise. I stumbled, but keep my stance as I retaliated by thrusting my sword forward at him.

I might as well have been trying to skewer a fly, he flows around me, and suddenly his weapon rapped against my shoulder blades.

I tried to turn and face him, but by the time I brought it around, he was already swinging to attack my exposed right flank. I would have to bring my shield across my chest to block his attack.

I try regardless, but it is like he knows my movements before I make them.

I raise my shield to defend against his attack, he attacks my legs, smashing his sword against my knee so hard I feel it pop.

I collapsed, falling with a shout as I try to roll with the fall, the shield prevented that, weighing me down as I try to regain my feet. Claude gives me no time to recover, bringing his weapon down on me again and again as I scramble backward.

I kick out at my opponent's legs from under the shield, making contact with his shin, it does little more than set him off balance, but as he stumbles, I regain my footing, and once I am on my feet again I bring my shield up and push forward, hard, slamming into him and driving him back.

A hand on my shield rips it downward, and Claude's fist smashes into my face, rocking me backward, I bite my tongue and taste blood.

He brings the weapon back around, cracking it across the other side of my face.

I spin, falling to my stomach and losing my grip on my sword, it lands not two feet away from where I lay.

I scramble for it, but Claude stomps down on my back.

I yell as I feel the bones creak, pain from my old wounds flaring back up again.

He kicks me in the face, spinning me over to my back before pointing his weapon at my face.

The rain falls heavily around us as he smirks down at me, knowing he has won this, all that is left is to rub it in my face.

He kneels down, pressing his wooden weapon against my throat, as he does so.

"Did you truly think you would have ever stood a chance against me?" He says to me, quietly so that his voice is masked by the rain to the crowd. "You are a naught but a child, stupid, arrogant, and clinging to what strength you can find so that you may lash out at those who have taken what you love."

I struggle against his weight as he presses his weapon further against my larynx. I choke, pawing at the weapon.

"Ape or not, enemy or not, you humiliated me when you struck me, and I will not let that humiliation stand. Warfang is not worth saving, the dragons are not worth saving, but even if they were, it would not be within your power to do so. Without Narania, you are nothing, and when she can no longer protect you, you will die."

He stands once more.

"But that will not matter to me, for clan Avalar will survive regardless."

He whips his sword at my head, and I see nothing but darkness.

Nara was being held back, because if she was not, she would have torn Claude's throat out.

As Aran was struck across the face, Nara strode forward to stop the duel, but found herself stopped.

Hunter's hand held her firmly by her sternum as the low growl that been building in her throat was now audible to those around her. Those cheetahs nearest the dragoness, with the exception of Fennah and Hunter, began moving away from the angry dragon as her growl only grew louder.

"Steady, Narania." Hunter whispered to her.

"Remind me why I ever agreed to this, Hunter." Nara seethed.

"Because it was the only chance to sate your need for retribution and preserve my clan's independence from warfang," came the hushed reply.

"I am not sated," she bared her teeth, "In fact, as I witness my friend and charge being beaten, I find myself with a renewed need for retribution."

"This was what you agreed to, Nara, it is Claude who beats him, but you who sent him to this fate."

Nara turned her head to face Hunter, her eyes fierce. Hunter returned her gaze cooly, she wanted to tell him he was full of shit. But Hunter was a cheetah of logic, and she had fought by his side long enough to know that his words held nothing but truth.

As Aran was struck to the ground, she remembered his words; "It's the least I can do, you were the first friendly face I saw when I ended up on Artisan, without you, I would be dead."

Would he still be of that state of mind now, as Claude pressed his weapon to his throat, digging the wood in and reveling in the pain he causes him.

"Aran was a fool for striking him yesterday." Fennah spoke up, "to be struck in such a manner, he humiliated him,and it was not the first time, this is Claude's way of informing Aran that he is someone to be feared."

As Claude struck the final blow and Aran fell, Nara shook her head.

"We expected too much from him." Fennah sighed, "A novice against a born warrior, was there ever truly a chance?"

Hunter closed his eyes in contemplation, "not likely, but this was the way it must be, Aran will learn from this, and be better for it."

Prowlus observed the arena slowly, before raising a hand to call the match.

"Claude of Avalar has…!"

"Wait!"

Nara's eyes widened as she looked to see Aran rising, a defiant, determined look in his eyes that could only mean one thing.

"No…." She whispered.

In the dark void of unconsciousness, I damned myself.

I damned my weakness, my foolishness, my inability to fight for myself, my friends, my family.

Claude was right, I am a child, a boy who was under the delusion that he could be a hero, anything more than the same fool who watched as his family was killed and the very same monster who I now so desperately want to kill but know I do not have the power to.

What am I without Nara?

She protected me, she was my advocate, and the one time she needed me, all I could bring was a few minutes of flailing.

Damn it. Damn it!

What is it I need to do, through all of this I have compromised, I have taken every obstacle in stride in the name of keeping my promise, but I fear now I am not strong enough to see that promise through.

What am I supposed to do?

The power I have abandoned me, and I don't know how make it come back.

What am I supposed to do?

"Get up."

"What?"

"Get. Up."

"But-"

"You are right about one thing, and that is that you are a child, a whiny, stinking baby who cries when things do not go his way. The worlds are cruel, both this one and the one you left behind, and that is nothing but a fact of life. So, you can lay here and sleep, and when you and Klein finally meet, that is also what you will do, or, you can get up, and every time you are knocked down you get up again, no matter how many times this world deigns to break you you will rage against it. No matter the obstacle or enemy, until the life leaves your body you get back up each and every time you are laid low, and when Klein comes against you he will not find the child he killed that night, he will find you, and his blood will wet the ground.

I feel the darkness break as the words echo throughout the void, I do not know who speaks them, but I find the sound of the voice familiar.

"So, do you choose to remain down, boy?"

"Who are you?" I say to the void.

"Does it matter?"

"I think it does."

"I do not."

"You aren't Klein."

"I am not."

"Then-"

"What do you choose?"

The void silently waited for my answer, and in that silence, I found my reply.

I grit my teeth as I wake back into the mud and rain.

My thoughts are clouded, and as my eyes scan my surroundings, my memories of my situation quickly return to me.

A voice, I can hardly make it out, but I can tell well enough who it is.

I clench my fingers, digging them into the mud as the pain returns, I growl wordlessly, grinding my teeth before shouting.

"Wait!"

I push myself up to my knees, grabbing my weapon and using it to push myself to my feet, I wobble slightly, but raise my head and stare defiantly up at Claude, who stared back at me in surprise.

"Claude of Avalar!" I shout over the rain. "The terms of this duel were to yielding or inability to continue combat. I have neither yielded, nor am I unable to continue fighting."

Both Claude's and my eyes flick to Prowlus, who looks at me neutrally with his arms folded, his face unreadable. Slowly, he looks to his son and nods.

Claude turns back and scowls at me, but strides forward confidently, expecting another easy win, maybe it would be for him, but I wasn't going down easy.

I move forward, shield forgotten.

"You are a fool." Claude says to me.

"And, you're a dick." I reply. "Anything else you got to say?"

His frown deepens as we ready our weapons once again, staring each other down.

"Begin!" Calls Prowlus.

He lunges forward, wasting no time, I twist to avoid it, but one of my ribs burned with pain as the wooden weapon grazes it.

I growl and ignored the pain, swinging my sword in an upward diagonal arc to create space before following with a downward swing.

Claude brings his weapon up to block it, before maneuvering close to his body to lash out at my stomach again.

I hop back and manage to completely avoid the strike, but not the kick that follows, it winds me and sends me flying back a few feet.

I roll backwards with the momentum, but I'm gasping for air, trying to regain my feet and keep my sword up but Claude is on me fast. His upward swing catches me on my chin and sends me flying onto my back.

Stars swim in my vision, and as I struggle for breath I can see darkness begin to creep in.

"Get up."

Suddenly my oxygen floods my lungs and the darkness disappears.

I tighten the grip on my sword and stand once again, Claude doesn't even bother waiting on me, by the time I've recovered he's already swinging at my head.

I duck, and his sword flies over my head, scraping over my hair.

I jab my sword forward faster than even I expected to move, he's surprised by my sudden burst of speed, and as he twisted to avoid my strike I felt my sword just barely come into contact with him.

Claude spins with the strike, and I feel wood strike the back of my head as he slips behind me.

I pitch forward into the mud, and as I get to my knees to rise another strike to the back of my head sent me back down.

"Get up."

Grabbing an handful of mud, I turn from my place on the ground and hurl it into Claude's face, he gives a yell of surprise and stumbles back, trying to clean the mud away from his eyes with one hand and holding his sword towards me with the other.

Getting to my feet, I charge him, swinging my sword at his head.

As he clears the mud from his eyes, he sees my weapon coming at him, he's too late to do anything, and I feel a solid thud as I smack him across the face.

He stumbles even further back, crashing against the fence and falling to a knee, he puts a hand to where I hit him, then looks up at me, rage in his eyes.

Roaring, he stands and charges me, and in my anger, I do the same, but I am outclassed in skill, he strikes my legs, my arms, my chest, punches me in the face once again, and kicks me back down into the mud. Then he's got another foot on my chest, bringing his weapon down on me again and again. I hold my weapon up to block his sword, but he's relentless.

"Stay down, damn you!"

I lift my legs up, bringing one to my chest so that it's positioned right between his legs.

His eyes go wide as he realizes what I'm doing.

I kick him in the balls.

He groans, letting off my chest, hunched over with pain, he drops his weapon, from my hands and knees I throw myself at him, screaming.

I tackle him, slamming into his chest and driving him to the ground.

I crawl forward, grab onto his armor, and slam my fist into his face once, twice, three times before he grabs my armor and slams his head into my nose. Blood spurts out from it and I fall back, he's on my chest, hammering punches into my face, I hold my arms up but I'm still struck several times.

"Get up, GET UP, GET! UP!"

I scream like a madman, grab his armor, yank him down into a headbutt of my own, he growls in pain, but remains on my chest, and then I feel his hands on my throat, squeezing like a vise and choking me, I try to grab his chest piece again, try to pull him down into another headbutt, but he sits up, putting it out of my reach.

I reach out, feeling the mud for my training weapon, but one of his hands pins my arm, his other remaining on my throat.

My mind races for another way out, I still have a hand prying at Claude's iron grip, desperate, I jab my closed fist at his elbow joint. My knuckle bones pop and pain burns in my hand, but Cheetah's sharp intake of breath is all the encouragement I need.

I punch his elbow again, harder, and this time her growls, bending his arm and easing the pressure on my throat. I bring my arm up and then down on his inner elbow, bending it fully and causing him to lose his grip.

Oxygen floods my lungs, I gasp for air, but as he reaches down to choke me again, I grab one of his four fingers, and jerk it hard backward.

I feel the pop as his finger dislocates, he shouts, leaning backward to ease the pressure I'm putting on his finger.

I rip my other arm out of his grip and jab my elbow into his inner thigh, poking the point of it into the tendons, enough to push his leg back.

I let go of his finger and twist, curling up and moving the rest of my body through the space the movement created, then kick him in the face.

He falls backward, holding a hand to his nose.

I turn, looking for my weapon, I find either mine or his a few feet away, I grab it and swing wildly behind me as I hear him approach me from behind. I get lucky and catch him in the face. It sends him down again, and I throw myself on top of him.

We wrestle there in the mud, punching and kicking like two kids in a high school stadium during gym class.

I take a hit to my eye, my stomach, my groin, but the pain isn't relevant, I ignore it, focus on driving my fists into the soft parts of his body.

His hand reaches out and closes around something, I feel the rock before I see it, I bite my tongue, taste blood, my jaw feels like it's broken, but I don't go down, I knock the stone from his hand and bring down my entire weight down behind my fist into his face.

The first punch hits him hard, he yells, still grabbing in punching

By the third, he's holding his arms up to block.

By the fifth, his movements loosen.

By the seventh, he falls slack.

By the ninth, I realize he's out cold, I let go of the grip I have on his armor, and let him fall back into the mud. I remain there on my knees for a moment more, breathing heavily before getting up.

The rain pours around me, and as I stand I look around to see the shocked faces of the crowd, of Fennah, of Nara.

I stumble forward, the mud sucking at my feet as I make my to the fence my friends are nearest to, I crash against the post and look up at Nara, who stares back at me, eyes wide.

"Well," say, grunting with the pain. "I kicked his ass."

She nods, still shocked.

"Yeah, you did."

"Crowd got what they came for too."

I slowly climb over the border, falling onto my side with a wheeze upon reaching the other side.

I see an offered hand and take it, Fennah hauls me up and puts my arm over her shoulder.

"What do you mean?" She asks me.

"I got my ass beat too," I reply.

She laughs, "that you did."

She begins helping me back to Harrah's hut, I look back to the arena to see two cheetah guards pulling Claude from the arena by his shoulders.

To my surprise, the crowd parts for us their eyes have changed from the I usually see, now I see a mixture of fear, respect, and in some, admiration?

As we reach the end of the crowd, Prowlus stands in our way, he says nothing, but the anger in his eyes is apparent, we all know what my victory means, and I know he has acid on his tongue, an acid he hides well. But I have just made a servant of his son, and I wonder what he will say once we are alone, but for now all he says is; "well fought," and steps aside.

"That's not gonna end well." Nara whispers, walking beside us.

"He is honor-bound to fulfill his end of the bargain," Fennah says " he wouldn't dare go back on his word."

"We'll see." Is Nara's reply.

Hunter remains silent as he follows us back to the hut, I make I contact with him and receive a nod, one I return.

"Am I gonna have to have more of those smelly bandages put on me?"

"Probably." Replies Nara.

"Great."

As we ascend the hill Prowlus catches up to us.

"Narania, a word."

"Oh, gods here we go," Nara puts a claw on my shoulder, giving me a small grin. "Hell of a job monkey boy, I'll see you at Harrah's."

I smile and give her a salute gesture, as she turns and approaches Prowlus, I give a small laugh.

"Something funny?" Hunter says finally.

"It doesn't feel like I won."

He nods, "a fight like that seldom has a true victor."

"It seems to me Aran is the victor here Hunter," Fennah interjects.

"No, " I say, smiling bitterly, "All I am is the one left standing."

Author's Note:

Here we go, another chapter down, another bout of procrastination conquered, and hopefully another few weeks before the next chapter is out.

Saw a comment about an idea of a "meaningless crossover" between my story and the story "Aimless" by the Silent Insomniac, if you haven't read it yet, I'd highly recommend it.

I have to agree with S.I's opinion that it would be kind of hard to link the narratives, but I'd say I'm up to the challenge as long as he's down with the collab, don't necessarily know how it would work out, but, like I said, I'm down for it.