Deliverance [malexmale]

Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

"Worthless piece of shit!"

Pain exploded in my skull a second later, blood filling my mouth as I collapsed to my knees in the dirt, breathing raggedly as red oozed past my lips to the ground. I blinked rapidly at the darkening edges of my vision, pain throbbing in my left eye as it began to swell.

"On your feet, boy!" His foot slammed into my back and smashed me into the dirt, making me yelp in pain. Through the blood rushing in my ears, I could hear Atlas laughing and smacking the wooden bench he occupied, Epimetheus snickering and covering his mouth. Prometheus watched in disappointed silence, and sitting with his knees drawn to his chest, Hannibal sat by the bench beside him, watching us with blank clear blue eyes.

"Up, boy! Up! You think the Atlanteans will stop to let you up? They'll take your woman ass on the ground without a second thought! Get up!" Iapetus's voice rang in my ears and I pushed myself up off the ground, spitting blood on the ground as I waved my hands in the dirt to find my sword. I had just barely gripped the handle when Iapetus stomped down on my wrist, pain crackling up my arm as my wrist snapped and a scream tore my throat. He stomped harder before stepping back as I snatched my wrist back to cradle it to my chest, glaring up at him past my hair. Iapetus cocked his head, curling his lip.

"Wipe that pathetic look off your face. If you cry, I will have you whipped," he sneered, then turned to the others, causing Atlas and Epimetheus to abruptly stop laughing to straighten, "And you, Atlas, quit giggling like a damned nymph. You're no better than Menoetius, and Epimetheus." Atlas clenched his teeth, but wisely remained silent and Epimetheus dropped his eyes to the ground. Iapetus's sights went to Hannibal, and he came forward, snatching Hannibal by his arm and hauling him out into the arena, throwing him on the ground at my feet where he rolled for a split second before shooting back to his feet.

"Sit out," Iapetus ordered me. I snatched my sword up from the ground with my good hand, slamming my shoulder into Hannibal's on the way to the bench, where I shoved Atlas aside to make room. Atlas shoved me back, but I was too exhausted to start a fight with him, so I rolled my eyes and watched as Iapetus turned to Hannibal, who eyed him nervously.

"Should I fetch him a training sword?" Prometheus asked, moving to get up, but Iapetus shot him a glare that froze him in place.

"Monsters fight with claws," he told him coldly. Prometheus looked surprisingly hesitant, then safely sat back down and Epimetheus smirked. A grin of excitement tore across Atlas's face as he giddily sat forward on his seat. I turned back to look at Hannibal, watching fear flash across his eyes for a split second before he hid it when Iapetus turned to glare at him. He slashed, and Hannibal fell back in an attempt to avoid it. Iapetus attacked him ferociously and Hannibal scrambled through the dirt, ducking and dodging desperately. A few times, he wasn't so lucky as Iapetus's sword swept cut after cut across Hannibal's skin, drawing blood that stained his tunic.

My fists locked tight against my knees, wrist healed already from the damage, but still throbbing in pain. I sucked in my bottom lip, sinking my teeth into it as I watched Hannibal slam into the ground once again, knocking the breath from his lungs, giving Iapetus enough time to stomp his foot down on Hannibal's stomach. He cried out in pain and rolled over onto his side, gasping for breath and clawing at the dirt. Drool dribbled past his lips to the ground, his eyes blurred with unshed tears.

"Pathetic," Iapetus snarled down at him, then reached down to sink his hand into Hannibal's hair, yanking his head up from the ground with a fierce shake, "On your feet, hybrid bitch! Enough fleeing! Face me!" He threw Hannibal at the ground again. Hannibal stumbled, managed to catch himself on his feet and turned to face Iapetus, shaking. Iapetus curled his lip and went to slam the butt of his sword into Hannibal's face, but Hannibal managed to duck backwards before latching onto Iapetus's arm.