Disclaimer - I don't own any of LJ's characters and I don't make any money
blah blah blah. However, I do own Tar, Dain, Zarach and Bono, but
unfortunately, they haven't been paying their rent so I don't make any
money out of them either. Damn. Reviews are really appreciated.
CHAPTER NINE - FIGHT
Dain was astounded, it had just been one thing after another today. First he had made out with Xanna, the love of his life, subsequently the intrusion of the intruders had prevented him binding her to him. Then she had decided to fight for a claim to the prisoners. Afterwards he had been chosen to be the champion for the enclave. He honestly loved Xanna. He loved her fiery hair and the temper that came with it; he loved her strength and power, and the weakness and emotion that drew him to her.
He didn't want to fight her and stood dumbfounded as the entire enclave looked at him with pride. They wanted him to kill her, he could tell. He approached the judge and spoke in hushed tones. Did he have to fight her? Did the judge know he was in love with her, and if so, how could he be expected to fight her? Could he fight to first blood instead?
The judge waited patiently Dain to finish, then placed a bony finger on his forehead.
"You have been chosen. You will fight in the ancient way. You will kill her or she will kill you. It is as it has been for centuries and will not change for the lust of brother. You will find someone else when she is gone."
The judge placed slight pressure on his finger and pushed Dain into the central area of the hall. A rope was being laid out in a circle, roughly twenty metres in diameter. The crowds moved back to the edge, but were not squashed due to the sheer size of the hall.
Xanna stepped into the circle and he followed her movements. She seemed so calm about this whole experience, about the prospect of one of their eminent deaths. She strapped two short knives to her thighs and memories of what those thighs had felt like hours before threatened to overwhelm. She had always favoured the short knives in practise, preferring to slash and swipe rather than to punch and kick. She choose a light quarterstaff from the wall and prepared herself.
Dain found he had unconsciously chosen a similar pair of knives to Xanna's, but longer and thinner in comparison. He picked up a heavy quarterstaff, liking the weight and texture of the wood in his hands. He could still see the remnants of blood from the last time this staff had delivered a killing blow. He just hoped he could convince her to yield before that happened.
*** Mary Lynette tried to remain calm. After the recovery of her life's memories with Ash the previous night, she had forgotten many of the skills she used when she was known as Xanna. Dain was an experienced hunter, a cold blooded killer with centuries of practise at combat. She was a post high school student, recently made vampire, with about as much ferocity as Jade's kitten. She hadn't been able to distract Dain long enough for Ash to pass by undetected, and if she had to pay for it in her own blood, then so be it.
They began circling, slowly at first then with increasing speed. She could see the conflict in his eyes and was surprised at the depth of his feelings for her. She'd only been involved with him for a short time, and several hours ago, but she was already feeling the repercussions. She struck out impulsively at his feet, thinking knocking him off his feet would be a good thing, a very good thing.
He blocked easily, knowing her style of fighting before she did from hours of training in the previous days. He snapped his quarterstaff down hard on hers, using it's superior weight and length to hit her knuckles squarely. She recoiled from the pain, and he used her distraction to knock her off her feet.
She grounded her quarterstaff in the dirt to balance herself, and used it as a board to jump from, delivering an unexpected high kick to Dain's chest. She was breathing hard now, and as Dain stumbled backwards in disbelief, she retrieved her staff. She readied herself in a fighting stance, looking up at him between stray strands of her hair.
"Again."
He rushed at her, blows flowing between them like water. Where one struck, the other blocked and visa versa, recalling steps to a dance only they remembered. Always she seemed distracted, as if something was going on just beyond her peripheral vision that was more important, something she should be paying attention to. Dain took advantage of her confusion and knocked the quarterstaff out of her hands. She rolled backwards to try to reclaim it, but Dain was already there holding it down with his foot. He smacked her across the jaw with the quarterstaff and the pain of the wood flooded down her jaw like fire.
Mary Lynette watched the quarterstaff coming down towards her skull and rolled out of the way at the last moment. She leapt to her feet and drew her long knives, holding them at the ready. Dain threw the quarterstaff down, drawing his own knives in reply and they began circling again. The pain in her jaw lessened, turning numb and she looked up into his eyes. He was completely caught up in this fight, his emotions bent on winning this fight; using any and all means necessary.
She struck out with both knives simultaneously, trying to unbalance him with tactics she didn't remember him teaching her. This must be one of Tar's tricks and she silently thanked him. His unbalance led her to give him a small gash across the shoulder and immediately he drew back.
"You have drawn first blood." Dain looked up to the Judge, hoping for a motion, a word, anything that could indicate this fight was over. There was none.
"Yes. Yes I have." Mary Lynette felt strange, a familiar sheen coating her body and wrapping her in pleasure. She was enjoying this.
*** Ash was as close to the bars as he could possibly get without touching them, although every time she received a blow he winced, drawing nearer to the bars every time. She'd started off slow, but she'd warmed up now. He wondered how much of her was Xanna and how much was Mary Lynette.
When the quarterstaff came for her skull, he went to grab the bars with fury and if Quinn hadn't grabbed his hands with lightning reflexes, he probably would have been unconscious for the rest of the fight.
He saw her draw first blood with the long knives, they really were her weapon, like they were an extension of her arms. He nearly whooped with joy, but remembered where he was. He sat down as they circled again, watching silently.
*** Rashel had heard Quinn's voice in her head,
Run Rashel! Get back to the jeep and drive to the safehouse. Get Thierry. GO NOW!!
She hadn't wanted to leave, but she'd seen her advantage and slipped into the shadows. She crawled back down the passage at double speed, her elbows bruised and bloody. She was in such a panic; she hadn't seen the cliff edge coming. Leaving Quinn in that enclave with Ash. Leaving Quinn.
She was falling, grasping for anything, anything to stop the weightless feeling of falling for hundreds of feet through the air. She managed to right herself and grabbed onto the cliff, but her velocity made her hands slide down the rock, taking much of the skin with it. She cried out and felt a large handhold. She grabbed it frantically with both hands and groaned as her shoulder dislocated. She let that hand fall to her side, and she was dangling precariously by one hand, possibly hundreds of feet from the ground. Her hand was slick with blood and it was slipping. She had a last thought of Quinn and let go.
*****************
Sorry, going away for the weekend, so no updates till at least Monday *hides in the corner.* Hope you enjoy the double helping to tide you over!!
CHAPTER NINE - FIGHT
Dain was astounded, it had just been one thing after another today. First he had made out with Xanna, the love of his life, subsequently the intrusion of the intruders had prevented him binding her to him. Then she had decided to fight for a claim to the prisoners. Afterwards he had been chosen to be the champion for the enclave. He honestly loved Xanna. He loved her fiery hair and the temper that came with it; he loved her strength and power, and the weakness and emotion that drew him to her.
He didn't want to fight her and stood dumbfounded as the entire enclave looked at him with pride. They wanted him to kill her, he could tell. He approached the judge and spoke in hushed tones. Did he have to fight her? Did the judge know he was in love with her, and if so, how could he be expected to fight her? Could he fight to first blood instead?
The judge waited patiently Dain to finish, then placed a bony finger on his forehead.
"You have been chosen. You will fight in the ancient way. You will kill her or she will kill you. It is as it has been for centuries and will not change for the lust of brother. You will find someone else when she is gone."
The judge placed slight pressure on his finger and pushed Dain into the central area of the hall. A rope was being laid out in a circle, roughly twenty metres in diameter. The crowds moved back to the edge, but were not squashed due to the sheer size of the hall.
Xanna stepped into the circle and he followed her movements. She seemed so calm about this whole experience, about the prospect of one of their eminent deaths. She strapped two short knives to her thighs and memories of what those thighs had felt like hours before threatened to overwhelm. She had always favoured the short knives in practise, preferring to slash and swipe rather than to punch and kick. She choose a light quarterstaff from the wall and prepared herself.
Dain found he had unconsciously chosen a similar pair of knives to Xanna's, but longer and thinner in comparison. He picked up a heavy quarterstaff, liking the weight and texture of the wood in his hands. He could still see the remnants of blood from the last time this staff had delivered a killing blow. He just hoped he could convince her to yield before that happened.
*** Mary Lynette tried to remain calm. After the recovery of her life's memories with Ash the previous night, she had forgotten many of the skills she used when she was known as Xanna. Dain was an experienced hunter, a cold blooded killer with centuries of practise at combat. She was a post high school student, recently made vampire, with about as much ferocity as Jade's kitten. She hadn't been able to distract Dain long enough for Ash to pass by undetected, and if she had to pay for it in her own blood, then so be it.
They began circling, slowly at first then with increasing speed. She could see the conflict in his eyes and was surprised at the depth of his feelings for her. She'd only been involved with him for a short time, and several hours ago, but she was already feeling the repercussions. She struck out impulsively at his feet, thinking knocking him off his feet would be a good thing, a very good thing.
He blocked easily, knowing her style of fighting before she did from hours of training in the previous days. He snapped his quarterstaff down hard on hers, using it's superior weight and length to hit her knuckles squarely. She recoiled from the pain, and he used her distraction to knock her off her feet.
She grounded her quarterstaff in the dirt to balance herself, and used it as a board to jump from, delivering an unexpected high kick to Dain's chest. She was breathing hard now, and as Dain stumbled backwards in disbelief, she retrieved her staff. She readied herself in a fighting stance, looking up at him between stray strands of her hair.
"Again."
He rushed at her, blows flowing between them like water. Where one struck, the other blocked and visa versa, recalling steps to a dance only they remembered. Always she seemed distracted, as if something was going on just beyond her peripheral vision that was more important, something she should be paying attention to. Dain took advantage of her confusion and knocked the quarterstaff out of her hands. She rolled backwards to try to reclaim it, but Dain was already there holding it down with his foot. He smacked her across the jaw with the quarterstaff and the pain of the wood flooded down her jaw like fire.
Mary Lynette watched the quarterstaff coming down towards her skull and rolled out of the way at the last moment. She leapt to her feet and drew her long knives, holding them at the ready. Dain threw the quarterstaff down, drawing his own knives in reply and they began circling again. The pain in her jaw lessened, turning numb and she looked up into his eyes. He was completely caught up in this fight, his emotions bent on winning this fight; using any and all means necessary.
She struck out with both knives simultaneously, trying to unbalance him with tactics she didn't remember him teaching her. This must be one of Tar's tricks and she silently thanked him. His unbalance led her to give him a small gash across the shoulder and immediately he drew back.
"You have drawn first blood." Dain looked up to the Judge, hoping for a motion, a word, anything that could indicate this fight was over. There was none.
"Yes. Yes I have." Mary Lynette felt strange, a familiar sheen coating her body and wrapping her in pleasure. She was enjoying this.
*** Ash was as close to the bars as he could possibly get without touching them, although every time she received a blow he winced, drawing nearer to the bars every time. She'd started off slow, but she'd warmed up now. He wondered how much of her was Xanna and how much was Mary Lynette.
When the quarterstaff came for her skull, he went to grab the bars with fury and if Quinn hadn't grabbed his hands with lightning reflexes, he probably would have been unconscious for the rest of the fight.
He saw her draw first blood with the long knives, they really were her weapon, like they were an extension of her arms. He nearly whooped with joy, but remembered where he was. He sat down as they circled again, watching silently.
*** Rashel had heard Quinn's voice in her head,
Run Rashel! Get back to the jeep and drive to the safehouse. Get Thierry. GO NOW!!
She hadn't wanted to leave, but she'd seen her advantage and slipped into the shadows. She crawled back down the passage at double speed, her elbows bruised and bloody. She was in such a panic; she hadn't seen the cliff edge coming. Leaving Quinn in that enclave with Ash. Leaving Quinn.
She was falling, grasping for anything, anything to stop the weightless feeling of falling for hundreds of feet through the air. She managed to right herself and grabbed onto the cliff, but her velocity made her hands slide down the rock, taking much of the skin with it. She cried out and felt a large handhold. She grabbed it frantically with both hands and groaned as her shoulder dislocated. She let that hand fall to her side, and she was dangling precariously by one hand, possibly hundreds of feet from the ground. Her hand was slick with blood and it was slipping. She had a last thought of Quinn and let go.
*****************
Sorry, going away for the weekend, so no updates till at least Monday *hides in the corner.* Hope you enjoy the double helping to tide you over!!