Faith, Hope, and Charity

Fight for Freedom

Once the rajika has been filled with the encouragement of his compatriots, he takes a step forward: my invitation to start. I wait as he gradually begins to come towards me. He's going to try and tackle me. I match his last few steps with a sprint. He grabs me and I feel his immense weight tug at me. I feel him loose his footing. I swing around and fall on top of him. I reverse my grip on the knife and quickly press it against his throat.

"Out." I growl.

His eyes are wide and rivulets of sweat drip down his face. I smile wickedly and slip the knife back into my dress pocket. I stand up and walk back to where I was standing. Tress gives me a smile from behind her trunk. It's rolling up on the dorsal side. Beside her, Hope clutches Tress's cloak and looks at me with fearful eyes. She's afraid they'll kill me. Words bubble up in my throat and wish to comfort her. But the slavers cannot see that side of me. The words settle with a smile, the only comfort that I can give her now. Beside her, Faith looks on with a bit lip. I nod to her and turn back to face the chieftain.

"I'm free." I say, "Bring on the next one."

The smile has left his face, replaced by a straight line. He's going to give the next fighter a weapon if I do nothing.

"Surely it was a fluke. Your next best man should easily be able to avoid being tackled by a girl."

I hear a snort from Tress. My spine jerks, but I keep myself from jumping. She's laughing? That's new.

He barks another name and this time the encouragement is more ferocious.

"Come on!"

"Show her who has the real power here!"

"Put her in her place!"

"Beat her!"

This fight is for Hope. I might not be able to wrestle her nightmares, but I can win her freedom.

This slaver drops into his fighting stance without as much fanfare as the last. We're standing about fifteen paces away. His face is slightly bent with indignation. He's going to wait for me to come to him. That's fine by me.

I pick my target. Right shoulder. I tense my body so that I'm ready to pounce. I flip the knife so that I'm holding it by the blade. Before he can do anything about the movement, I hurl the knife at the target and sprint at him. The slavers cry as the knife flies through the air. He tries to move, to catch it with his arm instead, but he can't. He swings his shoulder into the blade. It plunges into his skin and gives me the opening I'm looking for. I run and grab the knife, pushing it down. The rajika screams and collapses to the ground. I put my knee on his chest and pull the knife out. I watch the chieftain as the vanquished screams in agony.

"Out."

His lips are drawn tight and his eyes are filled with rage.

"Drop the knife or the next man gets a sword."

"So easily admitting you need a bigger weapon to best me? You all have horns. Perhaps you would like to see what a ma can do with those before you start handing out weapons."

His lips tighten a touch more. His hand clutches the hilt of the sword at his side. He barks and another slaver steps forward. His horns are large and form a battering ram sprouting from the sides of his head.

I walk back towards where I was standing before. Tress's smile has widened and she nods at me. Faith looks in shock and Hope is still frozen in terror. She still doesn't think that we're going to make it out.

I guess she'll believe it when she sees it. I can't blame her.

I turn back around and the rajika is ready. His mouth is screwed, his eyebrows peaked. There's a fury in his eyes that's dangerous, like a rampaging animal.