Hey everyone! I really can't believe it's chapter six already… and I've still got about seven years to kill before Ralon can go back to Cores. Alright, this chapter's quite different to the previous ones, and the ones I will write, because it's mainly a fight scene, hardly any speech. Bear with me, as it might not be great because it's the first fight scene I've written, and because I'm not very good with the visuals. Basically here, there's pain, yelling and a lot of blood – from both sides.
I don't own the characters. I own the depressing story I put them in.
Chapter Six: A Noble's pride
Ralon looked all around him and glared. He was completely surrounded. It was too embarrassing – it was bad enough being caught by this group of commoners, but also being the 'hunter' in the first place made it unbearable for Ralon's pride.
Bleid had taken the purse out of his belt and tossed it up into the air, catching it deftly as it came down. Ralon felt another wave of anger as Bleid smiled.
"Lookin' for THIS, Zen?" he asked, smirking.
"Give it back, Bleid," said Ralon through gritted teeth.
Bleid ignored him completely. "I don't even think that's yer real name. How 'bout we all sit down and you can tell us the story of yer past. Who you really are? Were you a thief? But then, where would you 'ave gotten yer money? Did you steal it?" he thought for a while. "No, not likely, a thief wouldn't be 'alf as stupid as you."
Ralon gripped the reins of his horse so tightly that his knuckles turned white. It was obvious that Bleid knew of his real identity.
"Or," continued Bleid, walking up closer to Ralon, "Are you a noble?" His gaze never left Ralon's. "What was in that life for you, lad? Money? A nice bed? A woman? Why don' you tell us what it was like, ZEN, what was it like being a stinkin', cheatin', lyin' NOBLE?"
Wham! Ralon had driven his fist hard into Bleid's face. His ears were ringing and he was angry, extremely angry. He could still hear Bleid's words in his head. The cold, sneering way he had said the word 'noble'…
"Ye'll pay for that, Zen!" Bleid yelled from the ground, both hands over his face. His nose was bloody and it looked broken. Ralon noted with satisfaction that Bleid was clearly in a lot of pain.
Bleid stood up, and slowly took his hands off his face. It was a bloody mess.
"Was that FUN, Zen?" he asked, voice even colder than before. "Did you enjoy it?" Suddenly, the youth gave a laugh. "It surprised me, though. Ain't your lot supposed to be 'honourable'? don't hit an unprepared opponent and all that? Is that why you stopped being a noble? You kept breaking the rules? And did you – "
But what Bleid wanted to say about him Ralon never heard, because at that moment he threw himself at Bleid, knocking him to the ground of the clearing once again. Ralon didn't care where he was punching, as long as they hit Bleid, and Belid's blows were equally wild. Ralon still felt the chill that Bleid had said so much about him so unwittingly.
Locked together, they rolled over and over until some of Bleid's friends pulled Ralon off him. Ralon struggled as they pulled him upright none too gently. He tried to wriggle out of their grasp but they were too strong.
Ralon glared at Bleid, who was getting up himself, with hatred. He expected Bleid to be sneering at him again but he was actually looking at Ralon thoughtfully. This frightened him. Was Bleid insane?
"Let me go," Ralon told his capturers who took no notice of him at all. "Let me go!" He ordered again, with more conviction this time.
They grasped him more tightly. "Shut yer mouth, you impertinent little –"
"Let him go." Everyone in the clearing turned to look at Bleid. A smile crept up into the youth's face as he commanded the release of Ralon. "I want to see if these nobles are what they're cracked up to be. How about that, Zen? A little 'dueling'?"
As if this was a signal, all of Bleid's friends stepped away from the two of them, forming a ring around Bleid and Ralon. Someone led Ralon's horse away and tied her to a tree.
Ralon watched as Bleid took off his knife from his belt and threw it aside. He was now unarmed. Ralon knew he expected him to do the same. He swallowed, and obliged, telling himself over and over that he will win this. But he couldn't deny himself that he was afraid.
Bleid circled, watching Ralon. His lips were curved upwards in a sort of grin, and he was still grinning when he lunged at Ralon. Ralon stepped aside but Bleid's blow still landed on his arm.
Cursing, Ralon stepped aside again just in time as Bleid's fist came down on him. Grabbing Bleid's arm, he twisted it around until it was behind Bleid and twisted harder, causing Bleid to yell in pain until his free hand scrabbled back over his shoulder and gouged Ralon's eye. Ralon let him go with a cry, and fell back as Bleid kicked him.
He rolled over, just in time as his opponent struck the ground where his head was a moment with his fist. Quickly, Ralon scrambled to his feet and aimed a kick at Bleid's groin. Bleid howled, staggering backwards, and Ralon too the chance to take a breath.
Hw wasn't counting on Bleid recovering so fast. He raised his hand, slamming it into Ralon's face then kicking his shin. Ralon, one hand over his bleeding nose, looked up to see Bleid looming on him and sneering.
"Oh save me, Lord Zen," he said in a mocking voice, "Please, have mercy on me! Spare me a noble's pride!"
Ralon growled as he launched himself at Bleid. Bleid was ready for him and they were locked together, body-to-body, both grimly trying to push the other over backwards.
Unexpectedly, Bleid suddenly let go and stepped away so that Ralon stumbled and fell on his face. Bleid wiped a hand over his brow and pounced on top of Ralon, pinning him to the ground just as he was about to get up.
And they were rolling again, punching, kicking, scrabbling with each other, both trying to gain the advantage. Vaguely, Ralon could hear Bleid's friends cheering him on in the background.
Bleid had his teeth gritted together, face scrunched up in concentration, drops of blood falling from his face onto Ralon's. Ralon managed to catch Bleid's shin with his boot and rolled over again while he was in pain.
But as they did so, Bleid had gotten his legs free and drove them hard into Ralon's abdomen. The younger boy, not having gotten a firm hold, went flying off him. He landed on the hard ground with a 'thump' , and tried to use his arms to push himself back up.
He couldn't do it. His back burned with the scars from his whipping so badly he could feel tears prickling at the corner of his eyes. He looked up then, to see Bleid standing over him, the hint of a smile just visible under all the blood on his face.
Ralon panted. "Bleid – " he began.
Bleid shook his head, still grinning. "No," he replied. Then he threw himself on top of Ralon, grabbing the boy around the throat.
Ralon realised with horror that this insane youth was going to kill him by strangling him – the worst way to die – and he could do nothing about it. He struggled, choked and spluttered, but to no avail. Bleid was stronger than him.
Then he remembered a something under his belt.
It was a small dagger, Raven Armoury, that his uncle had given him two years ago. He never went without it. Now it was the only sign of the wealth he had – and he needed it.
As Ralon removed on hand that was trying to stop Bleid from killing him from his throat, the older youth saw this as a sign on his getting weaker and squeezed harder, making him see stars. The boy grappled wildly around his belt, and wasn't entirely sure how he had gotten the knife out.
But he had, and, gasping for breath, he plunged the blade into Bleid's chest. At first it was like he didn't realise, but slowly, as if coming out of a trance, Bleid looked towards is chest and saw the bloody dagger hilt coming out of his chest.
"You –" the dying youth rasped, "broke – rules – " and Ralon could not forget that look of hatred Bleid gave him as he died, collapsing completely on top of Ralon.
Ralon freed the hands that were still grasping his neck and rolled Bleid's body over and away from him. Then he stood slowly, and looked upon the first human life he had taken. He smiled.
And not once did it occur the his non-existent conscience that he had broken the only rule for the duel to get this far.
And so the story continues. I actually shuddered, myself, when I thought up the idea of Ralon killing Bleid. Thanks for reading this and I hope you liked it… I think it's a little repetitive, and I really want your feedback (hint, hint), so if you could kindly press review…
I'm thinking of doing one more chapter in 'the present', then traveling forward in time, because if I try to write seven years at this pace it's going to kill me. I'd like to thank Cassandra Claire, author of Draco Dormiens/Sinister/Veritas for inspiring me to write flashback things with meaning, and so you'll be seeing them more often soon. And for the time being, chapter seven hopefully won't take long.