Nobody moved or said anything and we all waited to see if Devlin was going to make a remarkable comeback. He finally stirred at the 00:04:15 mark. He began to lift himself off the ground, but he was barely able to get halfway up before he went back down. It was at the 00:04:50 mark that he finally was able to compose himself enough that he was able to stand. There was still 10 seconds to go. He could’ve stayed down, but he didn’t.
“You are a fool. That should have taken you out, Devlin. I have to give you credit for at least getting up before the 5 minute mark.” Devlin was still a little fuzzy around the edges and I could see that one eye was bloodshot. It probably meant that he had blown something inside his eyeball. Either way, he was really in no shape to continue, but that wasn’t going to stop him.
“Daniel, you do your best…but don’t expect me to just lie down.” Devlin was pigheaded and had he any sense at all, he would’ve stayed down for those extra 10 seconds. It was his ego that was feeding his desire to stay in the fight for as long as possible. “I’ve taken better beatings from my father. Do your worst, Daniel.” Daniel circled him and when his fist came out, Devlin surprised everybody by dodging the attack and rolling back onto his feet. Those 5 minutes or almost 5 minutes had given him that moment to retrieve whatever reserve he had left inside of him.
“Devlin, you know that this can only end one way. I have been undefeated and I don’t plan to make you the first one that’s going to get the best of me.”
Braden said to me “Shannon, the only reason why he is undefeated is because he doesn’t take any prisoners. If a person doesn’t stay down for those 5 minutes, then he continues to pummel them, until there’s nothing left. He killed four competitors and not just in hand to hand combat. He doesn’t know the word lose and failure is never an option. He thinks that his father is doing what’s best for him, but essentially his father is just living vicariously through his son. He wasn’t able to become one of the guardsmen, but his son did and stayed in that position for the next six years.”
“What happened to make him leave the guardsmen, Braden?”
“He recently found that his talents were not being appreciated. He took his expertise and decided to retire from the game permanently. I knew that if ever the Lord wanted him to compete again, he would jump at the chance.” They were now circling each other and I had to admit that Devlin looked like he was ready to take the fight to Daniel.
“Daniel, you have to know that I’ve been training like mad to get into shape for this. Being an alternate guy gave me at least the chance of competing. I had to be in shape and I went through some trials by fire to get where I am today.” He struck like a cobra, smacking the palm of his hand against Daniel’s ear.
It made Daniel stop in his boots. There was a trickle of blood coming from the ear that had been struck. I think he just blew his eardrum with that shot. He was probably hearing an echo effect. I had a previous injury like that, while sparring in the gym for fun. It took a lot of time to heal, but he didn’t have the luxury of waiting around to let nature take its course.
“What the hell….was that?” Apparently, Daniel had never seen anything like it. It was new and something that Devlin had pulled out of his bag of tricks at the last second.
“That’s for me to know and for you to find out. You’re not the only one that has been searching out different techniques when it comes to the Garrock. I actually found it fascinating to combine different techniques. People showed me their variation and I incorporated it into my training regiment.” He went in for yet another attack on that ear, knowing that he smelled blood and was going to strike while the iron was hot.
Daniel moved away at the last second and brought his fist underneath the armpit of Devlin. He must have struck a rib, because Devlin had now pushed back from the attack and was breathing with gasps. I could see that he was having trouble getting oxygen into his lungs. Daniel didn’t stop there and even though he was a little off balance, he still struck fast and hard. He went after that same spot and when that crack was heard, everybody made a collective gasp at the same time. He pummeled that side of the ribs, until Devlin’s legs buckled out from underneath him. He was now on his knees.
In this position Devlin tried a dirty tactic. He brought his hand up quickly towards Daniels crotch, only to have Daniel grab his wrist and twist it in such a way that it broke like it was made of glass.
“AHHHHHHHHH.” I knew that he was in considerable pain. Devlin’s eyes were now fluttering with a need that superseded his body’s desire to fall into a blissful sleep. He forced himself to stay awake and Daniel grabbed his hair and pulled him up, so that they were now looking at each other.
Daniel lost his balance a couple of times, but he still held true. He aimed his fist at Devlin’s nose. He came in and everybody was on their feet, until out of the blue, Devlin moved his hand up and around to deflect the attack. It hit his shoulder and twisted him around. The force of the impact was most likely going to leave a very nasty bruise in the morning. It was his last ditch effort. He rolled onto his back and looked up at the crowd.
Daniel was about to finish him off, but then the clock began to tick. This stopped him from making any kind of advance.
At the 4 minute mark, everybody was almost half expecting Devlin to make another comeback. He had his eyes closed, but he did try to rise up on his elbows. The pain was too severe to do anything, besides blink his eyes.
“I ALWAYS WIN…don’t you ever forget that.” I could tell that Daniel was having a hard time. He was angry and he wanted to kill him. When the clock began to tick, he had to back down or face expulsion. According to the rules, once the clock began, the person had that 5 minute reprieve.
The 5 minute mark struck and Daniel was the victor. He did not raise his hand, but he did smile, even though he was most likely feeling the effect of that blow to his ear.
“I told you that he rarely gives up. I will admit that’s the first time that I’ve seen him a little off his mark. I guess he wasn’t expecting that shot to his ear. Remind me to remember how Devlin did that. I think that you should do the same thing, Shana.” Daniel had barely made it out of the battle zone, when he collapsed and had to be taken to the medicine man by two of the guardsmen. He would survive, but he was going to need some medical assistance. I’d no idea what kind of medicines they had here. What came to mind was leech’s that would be placed on the wound to draw out the infection.
“Your brother took a bit of abuse. That smile on your face tells that you’re not going to lose sleep over it. Braden, you really should try to mend fences with your family. He may be only your half brother, but there has to be something to say for being blood.” I wanted him to be happy and if at some Point I wasn’t around, then I wanted him to turn to people that would at least understand him. I wasn’t sure if Daniel was the right fit for something like that. He didn’t seem to be all that compassionate to other people’s plights. He really didn’t look like he gave a damn about anybody, but himself and maybe his father.
“I have thought about trying to talk to them, but I just don’t think that they are the family for me. They don’t care about anything. Daniel is the worst of them. He was constantly bullying me and making me feel like I was weak. It was the reason why I left home. I didn’t want anything to do with them. My mother got together with a red warrior. He taught me everything that I needed to know about being a good man. My mother was the one that taught me how to fight, but I think I already told you that.”
It was time to move on to Braden vs. Xavier. This guy didn’t show any kind of emotion and he stayed there with his hands to his side waiting for his opponent to step in and take their best shot. Braden was quite proficient and I had to give him all the credit for learning how to defend himself. He was going to need everything he could find to fight this battle to the end.
Chapter six
“Braden, just between you and me, I really don’t like the look in his eyes. He looks like
he has something up his sleeve. If I were you, I wouldn’t take this guy lightly.” Braden was preparing with a little shadowboxing to get him ready for the battle ahead. “He’s not even showing any signs of nervousness. That itself makes me a little suspicious about why he might be, so confident.”
Braden took off his shirt and began to do some stretches just to limber up his muscles. I’d shown him a few different ways to do that from my own world. He was moving his arm across his chest and then doing the exact same thing to the other one. He moved his knee with two hands cupping it up to his chest.
“Shana, the reason why he’s so confident is because he thinks he knows me. He might’ve last year, but this year is a different story. I think that he has become complacent in his own abilities. He hasn’t even begun to assume that I was training diligently all this year. He has no idea that I’ve searched for other techniques that I can use. Let’s say for argument’s sake that he does know that I’ve been researching other techniques. He certainly wouldn’t know the ones that you showed me. That one move should help me defeat him soundly and with conviction.”
“As your Lord, I am now asking for the next two competitors to enter into the arena. Stand at your ready. When I give the signal, you are both going to come out fighting. May the best warrior stay true.” I knew that Lord Vadam would not want Braden to win. I also knew that he probably was counting on the fact that Nicholas could beat me in a fair fight.
The signal was made and I had to wait and watch as Braden hopefully became one of the three left standing. If we could become two of the three, then we would be in the perfect position to give the Red castle a fighting chance at power. To me, it was not as important as the competition. To prove to these people that a woman could stand alongside a man would be worth a lot more than the Red castle getting its hooks into the Black castle. It kind of made me a little bit happy that we would usurp Lord Vadam and bring him down a peg.
“Braden, you are looking well today. I’ve heard of everything that you put yourself through this past year to get ready for this moment. To be honest, I really didn’t think that I would have to dispose of you. I guess it’s all a matter of the odds. I could’ve easily gone against your girlfriend or even Nicholas. If I had my choice, you would be the one that I would want to go against.”
“Let me guess, because you don’t think that I’m not much competition. Just, because you and I tangled last year and things didn’t go exactly well for me, doesn’t mean that there’s going to be a repeat performance.” This was all part of the game. Getting inside an opponent’s head was psychological warfare. They probably didn’t have a name for it here, but essentially they were trying to make the other one make a mistake.
“I’m not saying that you’re not competition, Braden. I’m just saying that you’re not competition for me.” They circled one another, gauging each other’s responses and seeing who was going to strike first. I didn’t like the way Xavier was smiling. It really did put people at an uneasy disadvantage. I just hoped that Braden wasn’t getting caught up in his mind games. If he did, he would feel overwhelmed and would do something that he would most likely regret later.
“I think that you should stop talking. There is something to say for being overconfident, Xavier.” I saw a blur of motion and Xavier was practically in the air with both feet over his head. He stepped forward and caught Braden underneath the chin. It was only a glancing blow, but I think he was just proving a point.
“I’ve been training all of my life. It’s not just for becoming one of the guardsmen. Last year, I came this close to finding that coveted spot. I will not be denied again. This is my destiny and whether you like it or not, you’re just an obstacle in my way.” Xavier had these huge hands and his reach was about 3 inches more than what Braden had.
Braden brushed his hand across the spot where Xavier had hit him with his foot. Xavier had done it with such grace and style that it was almost like it was second nature. That was a very difficult move to perform and yet he had done it like it was child’s play.
“That was just my way of announcing my intention. The next few shots are going to be quick and very painful. I know parts on the body that will make you scream, either out loud or inside your head. I’ll see it in your eyes and I’ll know that victory is at hand.” He did not have a normal stance. He basically stood there with his hands clasped in front of him with his head bowed and his eyes forward to look at Braden with a fixed stare.
Braden came in with five shots, including an elbow that briefly ruffled Xavier’s hair. Xavier had no wasted motion. He drove his fist into Braden’s stomach, but didn’t stop there. He continued to press forward, while putting his hand on the back of Braden to get more leverage. He followed that up with a right cross and then two knife edges to his throat. That attack made Braden stumble back and almost fall onto his ass. This guy was deadly and the worst part of it all was that he knew it.
“That was pretty…good. Let’s see what you can do it against…this.” Braden came after him with strike after strike and knee after knee. Xavier was smiling during the whole thing. He deflected each and every one of them. He struck Braden underneath the elbow and I could see the discoloration of his skin and the way that he was constantly rubbing that spot. It was causing him a lot of discomfort.
“It’s funny, Braden. You’ve given me your best shots and I haven’t even begun to show you what I can do.” I think it was about time that Braden tried that move, but maybe he was waiting patiently for that right moment. He couldn’t rush these things and if he did, he would throw his cards out there, before he was ready to.
Xavier moved like he was made of smoke, almost in slow motion, but it was only with a speed that seemed that way. He hit Braden on the jaw and face, while bringing his knees up to strike against his ribs.
He backed away, but Braden was feeling it. I could see the blood trickling from his mouth and one of his eyes had now closed over. It had this black and blue color that made him look like he had gone a few rounds with Mohammed Ali.
“If you don’t mind me saying so, you don’t look too good. It might be time to concede defeat. I would hate to have to kill you, but I will if I have to. I just finished telling you that this is my destiny and not…” He did not get a chance to say anything else. Braden had attacked and made a move that I wasn’t expecting. He leaped with both feet and even though Xavier moved, he did not go far enough.
He got struck on the shoulder and you could see from the way that his arm was hanging that his shoulder was dislocated. He grimaced slightly, but he narrowed his eyes and decided to improvise with the one arm that he did have.
“I told you that you should have shut up.” Braden looked a little too conceited. If he wasn’t careful, he was going to lose the edge that he had just gotten. “You really should know your opponent better than that. Those first couple of years was the perfect training tool to become better than I was. I don’t just use regular moves, I become unpredictable, so that not even you will know what’s coming.” He slapped Xavier across the face. It was not meant to do any harm, but it did throw Xavier off his game or so it seemed.
“Well, it appears that you have been honing your skills. It’s just too bad it’s not gonna make a damn bit of difference.” You would’ve thought with the damage that had been inflicted by Braden that Xavier would’ve been feeling like doing something reckless and careless. I would’ve thought that he would have attacked with anger in his heart, but he didn’t do that.
He once again showed his agility and even with the dislocated shoulder, he stood on one hand and used his feet, as his weapon of choice. It surprised Braden enough that he wasn’t expecting the move to come. He was slammed in the face twice and made to back away before he could do any more damage. His nose was bleeding and that one eye that had been given a shiner was now bleeding underneath the lid.
Braden kicked out in a sweeping motion down on the ground to go against Xavier’s vulnerable wrist
. I heard the cracking of the bone and for the first time there was an anguished cry. Xavier crumpled with his head making contact with the ground. It compacted his spine and he would be lucky if he could walk after something like that.
Xavier struggled to his feet, but Braden was on him and then he was Airborne. He could only see through one eye, but it was more than enough for what he wanted to do. He was able to mimic the same move that I had done on him. He had his ankles locked behind Xavier's ears, as he attempted to use his weight and momentum to throw him over top of him. Unfortunately, Xavier grabbed onto his ankles, held him in the air and then planted him into the ground with such force that it actually blew the wind out of Braden.
Since he was on the ground and not moving the clock began ticking. It was a very tense moment, but after the 2 minute mark, he finally stood back on his feet. Xavier had not recovered sufficient enough to amount any sort of attack. He was still nursing his wrist. He was essentially only able to use his feet, because both of his arms were practically out of commission. He showed that that wasn’t going to deter him, as he began to kick straight out over and over again.
He did it for shock value and hopefully to catch Braden off guard. Braden for his part saw it coming and at first, I thought that he was going to be too stunned to do anything about it.
“Not so fast, Xavier.” Braden put both hands up underneath the one leg that was in the air. He pushed up into the air, taking Xavier off his feet. He landed with a terrible thud that everybody could hear. There wasn’t one person that wasn’t standing and taking in this spectacle.
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