That lifted any nervousness I had felt previously. I was calm, confident and prepared for battle.
The fighting would take place on 3 stages simultaneously. My turn came pretty quickly and ended just as quickly.
My opponent looked at me and my small size ( admittedly he was rather huge around 2 meters and built ) and came to the wrong conclusions.
He spoke to me in a broad southern brawl "A little girl like you should not be fightin. Tell you what forfeit now and save yaself some pain. 'Cause I'm gonna win this thang."
I just raised an eyebrow and immitated Neo from the Matrix. I moved went into position and beckoned him towards me.
The idiot moved towards me with a kick. I simply stepped aside and hit him in the head on a stratgetic spot with my elbow effectively knocking him out.
And then the fight was over not even lasting a whole minute.
I looked from my now defeated opponent to the judge.
He smiled and announced I was the winner as I went by he chuckled.
"Why are you laughing?" I asked curiously.
"Every damn time most of the men underestimate the female contestants. While it is true in the end the prize has only been won by a woman a handful a times, I still see some stupid idiots get their asses handed to them every damn time." he laughed again.
"You get a kick out of it don't you?" I asked him smiling.
"In a way I do. Plus I know better than to mess with women. I have four sisters 2 older and 2 younger. And all four of them own my ass."
I smiled at him and laughed with him. I turned and walked back to the bench. I watched Christa beating her opponent, quite soundly I might add.
My later opponents were a bit more careful but some still underestimated me. Some fought me fairly but nothing I could not handle. Two were a bit trickier and I had to think fast on my feet but in the end I beat them. Experience did have its advantages . I had not even yet even started truly delving into the 'bag of tricks' Methos had taught me. So far I mostly placed my hits at atomically stratgetic points to knock my opponents out. It is good that Methos insisted I needed at least basic medical training and anatomy, if only to know how to pretend injured correctly. Or use my molecular manipulation to heal someone correctly.
It was not until I felt a quickening I did not know approaching me that I was concerned. I tried to search it out and also shield the mind but I could not find the mind. How had I missed it all day?
I turned to see a blond man who looked to be in his mid- to late twenties walk towards me. I still could not find his mind and assumed he had a shield similar to mine. When he came nearer I saw his eyes. Probably the kindest most compassionate eyes I have ever and will ever see.
He sat down beside me and proceeded with usual immortal etiquette.
"Hello I am Lasko."
"Hi Lasko. I am Ella." I paused. "Are you german?"
"Yes, how...?" he trailed off.
"Ich habe es an deiner Aussprache geh rt." I paused. "Ich bin hier einfach nur um zu k mpfen und zu schauen wie gut ich bin. Ich habe kein Interesse an einem Kampf um deine Essenz aber ich werde k mpfen um mich zu verteidgen." ( I heard your pronounciation. I 'm only here to fight and to see how I good I am. I have no interest in your quickening but I will fight to defend myself.)
"Das ist auch der Grund warum ich hier bin. " he paused and seemed thoughtful. "Ich habe noch nie jemandes Essenz gewonnen. Ich bin seit meinen sterblichen Jahren ein M nch und habe mich damit den 10 Geboten verschrieben. Vor allem das 5. Gebot." ( I am here for the same reason. I have never taken anyones quickening. I am a Monk since my mortal years and am therefore dedicated to the 10 commandments. Especially the fifth.)
I smiled. "M chtest du vielleicht heute Abend zum Abendessen bleiben? Oder f r ein Paar Tage? Meine V ter w rden sich bestimmt freuen. ( Would you like to stay for dinner this evening? Or for a couple of days? My fathers would surely be pleased.)
" Ich nehme die Einladung gerne an." he answered. ( I am pleased to accept your invitation.)
I looked at the board and saw that Lasko and I would probably end up fighting in the semifinale and Christa would have to face Ceirdwyn.
Lasko and I just made small talk. Telling each other our 'official stories'. Apparently he was a german monk on a pilgrimage helping out wherever help was needed going from one thing to another never staying long.
The time came, poor Christa. It came just as I thought. Since there were only 8 contestants left, the fights took place one by one in the center stage.
The semifinale was no different. Lasko and me would fight first. Then Ceirdwyn and Christa would.
We walked up to the stage. I bowed my head and so did he. I took position as did he. I was sure none of my usual tatics would work. I had watched him he was good. This would be interesting.
I attacked, not really expecting to hit him. He parried each of my moves and I sprang away from him again.
We circled each other. He attacked and it was my turn to be on the defensive. His kicks and hits came rapidly and I reacted just as quickly. We jumped apart again.
I now knew this would be a very interesting fight. We circled again, two predtors acesseing the other. The kind look having left his face when we bowed.
I imagine I too had 'Tiger-Face' as Richie had called it.
We traded another bought of hits and kicks neither of us gaining an upper hand. We were both still testing the waters and acessing the other.
We breathed in simultaneously and looked each other in the eye. And in that moment both of us agreed silently to let all barriers go and fight with all that we had.
Our kicks and hits were now aimed much more at hurting the other. For we knew the other would recuperate quickly. He was as fast as Adam and as acrobatic as I was. A lethal combination.
He kicked me in the gut and I flew against a collum. I hit it at great felocity and dislocated my right shoulder. I had no time to pay that any attention on the way down I rolled on my left shoulder and stood up again. I was cradleing my right arm. I breathed in deeply. I saw Lasko was hesitateing not wanting to take advantage I assume. I took the moment he gave me I straightened my right arm and turned it so it had the correct angle again and popped it back in. The sickening pop was audible.
The commentator seemed impressed for he said: "People! I thought McCleods time had come. But she just popped her dislocated shoulder right back in. Big round of applause for the toughest chick ever."
There was a big round of applause and many of the crowd (lead by the pack and the cullens probably) had started a chorus of "McCleod, McCleod, McCleod,..."
But I only listed for a moment as I concentrated on Lasko. We were circleing each other again. We went back into position. He attacked first this time.
Neither of us were truly ever gaining the upper hand. I once dislocated his leg from his hip. He got up on the other leg and wrenched the dislocated limb back into place. The crowd went wild.
We fought hard. At one point he kicked me in the upper chest. I flew away and barely managed to twist in the air. After I twisted I landed on all fours in a crouch. I looked up at him and in that moment one of the last barriers inside me fell. And although my mind knew differently nearly everthing else within me regarded this now as matter of kill or be killed. I growled at Lasko. He crouched down in a defensive stand as well and grunted. I just had enough presence of mind left not to use any of my talents.
The fight was now so fierce that the commentator actually felt the need to shout at us: "Remember no killing!"
We paid him no mind. I saw an opening in his defenses and I wanted to use the opportunity to knock him out. But it was a trap. He grabbed my arm and swung me over his shoulder I landed hard on my back I heard something crack the last thing I felt was a fist connecting with my head and everything went black.