A Court Of Love & Sufferings

ch.7

Standing in front of the mirror i see my lavender eyes staring back at me. I wear my fighting gears, the leather sticks to my skin. Lily braids my hair tying them into a bun. I look at the mark on back of my neck. My birthmark... lines connecting together they form a eight pointed star.

"Your mother had it too" lily says.

"She told us it's an ancient symbol. All the heirs of your family were born with this".

I wonder what it means.

The brawl has began i see men fighting in the ring as i wait for my turn. Jack is waiting in the audience. The king is seated on a chair with Max beside him.

My turns comes . I see jack waving at me mouthing 'crush them' i give him a nod.

This is a combat match, powers are not to be used in the ring as it determines one's physical strength. So all participants are given a shot that cuts off their powers for few hours.

I take my stance, my sword in my right hand. My opponent is a man with red hair. We start fighting, our swords clashing. We thrust at each other, attacking. We fight for a while before i give my final throw, the man stumbles falling on his ass. I win this round.

Second round i fight with a bearded guy, he puts up a good fight but not enough to defeat me as i work through his attacks, i swing my sword at him making his sword collide with the floor as my sword slices his face making a cut, blood starts dripping from the cut.

We take a break. Jack cheers for me from the crowd. The servant bring us water. I drink it one go. I stand in my place. I see Thur entering the ring. Good my next opponent is Thur.

"Let the duel commence" the king says.

We take our stances with swords in our hands. He starts circling around me. I stand alert measuring his moves.

"Finally the day has come when i will Show you your real place. I will teach you a lesson today little rat.

"Stop mumbling start fighting Thur"

I had never sparred with thur before. While Thur was strong i was fast but he had stamina. I'd have to dodge for a while. The sky turned dark.

Thur launches himself at me, going straight for center, i whirl away. I thrust my sword with force he staggers but stays upright as he charges for me again.

I take the blow this time, giving him a upper hand. I slice his side distracting him enough to punch him as my fist meets his nose i savour the crunch of his bones beneath my knuckles. I leap back before he had the chance to strike. Blood trickles from his nose.

"Bitch"

I shove him grunting and spun i whacked the back of his head with top of my sword and he teetered, but regained his footing. He wiped at his bloody nose, eyes gleaming as he panted. His pockmarked face became feral, and he charged, aiming a direct blow to my heart. Too fast, too wild for me to stop. I droop into a crouch, slashing his legs, i swept his feet under him. He did not have any time to raise his sword before i pointed the tip of my sword at his throat.

"My name is Amaya not little rat hope this will make you remember it".

The instructor announced my win.

I stand up walking towards the exit of ring. I hear jack scream before i could comprehend what's happening  i am struck from behind. I turn to see Thur's sword passing through my stomach. He yanks it out going for another strike, i bounce back deflecting the blow. My head spins, nausea starts hitting me.

I strike back at him my movements have become slower. My gaze turns blurry as i force my eyes to focus.
Each time i moved a foot to trip him, each time we came too close, i either became clumsy or he stepped away, as if he knew what i planned all along. I had the infuriating feeling that he was toying with me.

I whipped my sword through the air, hoping to catch him upon his unprotected neck. But he deflected, and though i spun and tried to knock him in his stomach, he blocked me again.

"Not feeling well?" he said, showing his white, gleaming teeth. "Perhaps you shouldn't have been holding back all those—"
WHAM!

I finally manage to slash his leg. He bents over, and my leg lash out  sweeping him off his feet, sending him crashing to the ground. I raised my sword, but a sick feeling rushed through me, so powerful that my muscles slackened. I had no strength.
My arms started shaking. My eyes hazy.
My body is burning, aching.

I have been poisoned. Thur's sword must be contaminated by poison.

Seeing my hesitation Thur throws me aside climbing over me holding me down while he wraps his hands around my throat as he chokes me.

"See little rat i told you, you would die by my hands squeezing the life out of you. Take your last breath now."

I struggle against him thrashing trying to find a way out but his heavy body is holding me still. My efforts fail, my breath turns shallow my eyes on the verge to shut down.

My eyes finds others, no one is moving they all are watching us like a hawk. The king is sitting silently watching me. He must have known that the sword was poisoned or maybe he gave the poison. Max on his side stares at me with an unknown emotion.

I turn sideways to see jack being held by two men while he fights them to come towards me. He is screaming something but i can't hear it. I am loosing my hearing, soon i will start losing my other senses not if thur finishes me off first.

I look up the stars are glowing in the sky begging them to help me. My eyes tear up i realize this is my end. I pray to the stars to end my pain. I could have sworn i saw them shining even more brightly as they twinkle.

A sudden burn courses through my neck i feel something happening in my body. My neck tingles as i see light emitting from my hands. I put my hands on thur's face, light starts flowing from my hands burning his skin. I realize they are flames white hot flames coming out of my hands, it burns his face.
Thur screams his hands unwrapping from my throat. I cough and take panting breaths.

Scrambling on my knees i wrap my hands around his throat as more of flames flows out burning thur in a few seconds and all that remains is his burnt ashes.

I see everybody holding their breaths, horror and fear itched on their faces.
I see a tinge of fear in the king's eyes. Nausea hits me as i hit the ground losing my consciousness.