Featherbound

Chapter 4: Bet

The crowd jeers and shouts at me as I make my way to the ring. My eyes automatically go to the last place I saw Fiona, and my breath catches in my throat when I see a large puddle of blood surrounded by dark red smears. I swallow back the tears and vomit and continue on my way to my inevitable death.
Each step I take is harder than the next. My legs are shaking with fear, my back stings where the whip sliced open my flesh from mid-back to left hip. I can feel the blood soaking my shirt, making it stick to my back. The disgusting brand on my arm throbs with every beat of my heart. My face aches, my lip is torn.
I know when I step into this ring to fight, I will not step back out, but that will not keep me from trying. I will claw and bite and kick. I will not go down easily.
As I crouch down to climb under the ropes of the ring, I can hear onlookers discuss me.
"She's the great fighter we've heard about?"
"That's nothing but a child. There's no way she will win."
"Griffin hustled us!"
No one cares about the fact I'm beaten and broken and probably going to die. They only care about their bets.
I stand in one corner of the ring, barely able to hold myself up. I need adrenaline to kick in. I need a fighting chance. Griffin soon joins me in the ring and shoots me a glare before giving the crowd a fake grin.
"Are everyone's bets in? Yes? Good! Fighting against our little warrior here is Big Donnie 'Dumbo' Wallis!" The crowd erupts into a mixture of jeers and cheers as a monster of a man enters the ring. I can see why they call him Dumbo as he stands at least seven feet tall with shoulders as broad as an oak tree's trunk. He also has a brand on his bicep similar to mine, but his is old and covered in scars. He's been doing this a while and genuinely looks like he enjoys it. Donnie flexes for the crowd before looking at me.
"Sorry, girl, I will not go easy on you," he informs me as we both watch Griffin exit the ring and start talking to the man taking bets, "I receive half of the spoils if I win. It's a new world, Kid. Kill or be killed." Without a second thought, he turns around and returns to his corner. My heart is pounding now, and I can feel the adrenaline beginning to pump through my veins. My pain dulls slightly. I'm still not full strength, but I'm stronger than I was. I might last more than three minutes and maybe blind Donnie while I'm at it.
I rock on the balls of my feet, hoping the slight movement will get my adrenaline going a little quicker. The faces of the crowd are watching me. Some appear worried, some look skeptical. Most, though, look excited to watch me die. The sudden ringing of a cowbell in the distance causes me to flinch.
I realize the fight has begun as Dumbo turns towards me, aiming a right blow towards my face. Luckily for me, since he is so big, he is also slow. I'm lucky enough to avoid his fist by an inch and duck under his arm. Once behind him, I see the muscles in his bicep like thick, coiled vines around a tree. My own muscles are screaming in agony with every movement. There's no way I will be able to keep this fight up for very long. With Dumbo's back to me, I take my chance and, using what little strength is left in my legs, I launch myself onto his back, digging my fingers into his eyes.
My stomach knots up when I think of my newest one-eyed friend. Had someone done this same exact thing to him during a fight? I try not to think too hard on it as Dumbo roars in pain and reaches blindly behind him.
I feel his meaty hand grab my throat, squeezing so hard, my vision immediately goes dark. The next thing I know, I'm being slammed onto the groun with a sickening thud. Through my dim vision, I see blood dripping from Dumbo's eyes, but his large pupils are still aimed at me.
I close my eyes, concentrating on every nerve screaming out at me, every muscle spasming in pain. He's about to finish me off.
Suddenly, the bell rings again, and the crowd is suddenly loud with questions and comments.
"What the hell?!"
"Why did they stop??"
Griffin quickly returns to the ring, and my heart stops at the sight before me.
He is holding four angel feathers in his grubby fist.
"Dumbo has won by default!" Griffin announces with a large grin, raising Dumbo's girthy arm in the air. Dumbo looks just as confused as the crowd, but quickly wipes the blood from his face and smiles before flexing and putting on a show for the onlookers. A win is a win, after all.
I don't have time to listen to the crowd's boos and jeers before two hands are hauling me roughly to my feet.
My vision swims at the sudden movement, causing my head to fall limply to the side. The arms tighten around me, and I feel hot breath against my ear.
"Can you walk?" a familiar, yet annoyed voice asks. My eyes shoot open.
"Gabriel?"