by Lucy Kelly
Jett stepped forward. “As arbiter, a delay was called to prevent an infraction of the rules. If Justyn Rephaim or any of his followers had delayed the rite, they would be deemed cowards, forfeit the battle, and be executed as the former councilman has ordered. One wonders at his eagerness not to fight,” he added, before going on. “In this instance, it was necessary to decide between two conflicting rules. My decision as arbiter is final and inarguable. Do you challenge me, Armus Hend?” he asked in a harsh voice.
“I demand to know which rule caused this delay. The battle must begin at dawn. This is the first rule of Mok-Tar and must not be put aside. Justyn is your brother, you are biased and should not be arbiter of this rite,” he shouted again.
“I shall allow your insult to pass, as it delays us further and I have no desire to do so,” he said with a cocked brow and a cool look. “The Nam-Nin told us she was once again growing new life within her body. It was necessary to have a medical test her to ensure impartiality and adherence to one of the most important rules of Mok-Tar. The chief medical officer has confirmed her pregnancy. As such, Mok-Tar must be fought without weapons. Further, you must defeat your opponents, without spilling blood, using other means. The battle will commence at the sound of the gong and will continue until either one of the major combatants has died or until all the combatants on either side have died. If an opponent is vanquished, you may assist your allies—except for Justyn and Armus, they must battle without aid to the end,”
Jett finished talking, and stepped back from the edge of the wall.
How the hell did I miss that? It must be part of the alternate battle rules, if the Nam-Nin were pregnant. Thank God—and go, Justyn! Maybe I won’t have to kill anyone if he’s fast, thought Grace
Grace looked over at Jo briefly and raised an eyebrow. She wanted to know how Jo missed that part as well. It was a pretty big deal. Jo gave her a slight shrug and then returned her entire attention to analyzing her opponent. Seconds later, the gong sounded, and Morna ran forward to attack.
Jo balanced her weight evenly on both her feet so she could move in any direction quickly. She wished she were wearing her shit-kickers. She couldn’t do as much damage with her bare feet. In seconds, she had reviewed and discarded several moves. She took into account the probable thickness of Morna’s bones and the best place to land a blow to dislocate a knee. She needed to take the woman down. Jo felt the best option was to get her in a chokehold. The whole neck-snapping thing was fiction for movies and novels. In real life, the best she could hope for was suffocation.
Right now, she wouldn’t have enough leverage; the other woman was too tall. So she put her strategic efforts into making the woman come down to her level.
Margan’s attention was split between his opponent and his mate. As a result, Farkan almost landed a killing blow to his temple. Instead, his fist glanced off his ear. Margan could not help Jo until he defeated Farkan. He gave the man his full attention.
Grace was dealing with her own troubles. Both she and Addie had advance training in Aikido. She was a sixth level black belt and Addie was a fourth level. So far, she’d gotten in some good kicks, keeping out of range of Larna’s fists. Unfortunately, she didn’t think she’d done much more than inflict some heavy bruising. Justyn inadvertently helped her by landing a blow to Armus, which pushed him into Larna’s back.
Grace saw it coming. Grabbing Larna’s arm in both her hands, she used Larna’s own momentum against her to pull her forward and off her feet. Larna landed on her face. Quickly, before she could roll over, Grace jumped. Larna was starting to roll, so instead of landing on her spine and breaking it, Grace struck her ribcage. She felt one or two break before she jumped out of the way of Larna’s swinging arms. Ducking down and rolling forward, she ended up hitting Margan’s opponent in the back of the legs, tripping him. Margan leapt over her and landed on top of Farkan, landing blow after blow.
Jumping up, Grace turned to see Larna stumbling to her feet, Farkan must have knocked her down. Taking a quick look around, Grace wondered if she could take advantage of any of the others, the way she ended up doing. She briefly saw Jo running away from Morna before she turned back to Larna.
Justyn and Armus were evenly matched. Armus had almost succeeded in faking him out, looking as if there were a vulnerability Justyn could exploit. The kick to his hip woke him. When he had an opportunity to help Grace, he took it—even though it didn’t help his own fight. He would not allow his mate to be harmed. He did not try to keep track of Margan and Trake. The three of them had trained often enough, he was able to predict their moves.
Up in her seat, Addie forced herself to watch the fight. She tried pretending it was just a movie; it wasn’t working. Her hands were clenched together so tightly, she’d cut off her own circulation, and tried not to throw up. The battle had started about ten minutes ago and, so far, there were no serious injuries. She could see Grace and Jo weren’t breathing too heavily yet, but she was worried if they had to keep this up. Soon, they would start to slow down a little.
Arjun reached over and pried Addie’s hands apart. He began to rub one, while Rune took the other. Kylan stood behind her, flanked by Jalen and Jett. Neither of them had been able to sit calmly, though they stood firmly, legs braced apart and arms crossed.
Oh, God, what was Jo doing? Was she in trouble? Addie wondered, watching Jo run away from her opponent straight toward the wall. It looked as if she had lost her nerve, the way she was screaming and waving her arms.
Jo wasn’t having any luck wearing down Larna, even though she’d landed several good blows.
My face paint and growling did seem to help, who knew?
Jo realized she was going to have to come up with a new strategy, if they were going to have a chance of winning. She and Grace were their Ankida’s Achilles heels. The others were more single-minded, not looking out for each other at all.
As Morna made another rush at her, she got an idea—if only she didn’t negatively distract Margan and Trake! Gauging the distance between them—the timing would be crucial— she took a deep breath. She tried looking scared and then took off running and screaming right into the wall. One step before she hit, she pushed off. Taking two running steps off the wall, she did a back flip, up and over Morna. Quickly reaching down, she wrapped her arms around Morna’s head.
Morna’s head snapped back. Jo quickly got her in a chokehold, wrapping her legs around her waist, and held on for dear life.
Jo started counting in her head. She needed to cut off Morna’s air for at least eight seconds.
One Mississippi. Morna raised her arms and tried to push Jo off.
Two Mississippi. Morna turned and slammed Jo into the wall to try to dislodge her.
Three Mississippi. Bang, bang, into the wall over and over; Jo could feel something in her back crack, but she held on, straining, her muscles shaking and sweat pouring down her face, burning her eyes.
Four Mississippi. Morna turned and twisted, trying to pull Jo around to the front. Jo grunted from the strain. Her arms were screaming, and her back was on fire.
Five Mississippi. Morna grabbed Jo’s ankles and, pulling them to the side, started to push them back.
Six Mississippi. Morna fell to her knees, and rolled on to her back, still struggling to remove Jo. She was trying to yell and could not. Jo could no longer feel her legs, they fell to the side. She was hanging from Morna’s neck.
Seven Mississippi. Morna’s struggles started to slow down; she dropped her hands to her sides.
Eight Mississippi. Morna stopped moving. She didn’t seem to be breathing, but Jo couldn’t tell over her own harsh breaths. She dared not release her hold.
Jo kept the chokeold on for a few more seconds. She was fairly certain her own back was broken. If Morna were faking, as soon as Jo let go, she’d be defenseless. In fact, by keeping Morna in front of her, she had some protection from the other fighters. They were also close to the wall, but out of the way. Shouting out as her s
trength gave out, she used the last ounces of it to pull the chokehold tighter before she let go. Her arms went slack; her fingers were numb. She had pulled so hard, her own circulation had been compromised.
She took a couple of deep breaths. Wiping the sweat from her eyes with her left hand, she raised her right and attempted to see if Morna still had a pulse. Was she dead or just unconscious?
Watching from above, Addie was worried. Jo hadn’t gotten up. She leaned to the side and said, “Rune, do you think Jo’s okay? Do you have a better angle? I can barely see her under Morna and the others fighting in front of her.”
Hearing her, Kylan leaned over to speak in her ear. “Jo is alive. She has defeated Morna. If Morna doesn’t move for another minute, the gong will sound. A medical will check and make a pronouncement.”
“Will Jo have to keep fighting?” she wanted to know.
“She has defeated her opponent. She can help the others or she can stand near the guards. She must remain in the arena until the end,” he said.
By the time he finished speaking, the gong sounded. Margan and Trake rushed to where Jo was lying. They were unable to help her, the medical had to pronounce Morna dead first.
Rapha rushed out of the arena archway to where Jo and Morna lay on the ground. He passed a medical scanner over both of them.
“Lady Morna of Purgat is defeated,” he announced.
Two guard warriors came and took hold of her arms and legs. Lifting her up, they carried her through the archway out of the arena.
Margan and Trake were bending over Jo. Justyn and Grace were embracing. They parted, and Justyn walked over, as Grace turned to look up at Jalen and Jett to give them a wave and a thumbs-up. She was standing alone in the center of the arena. Armus and his followers were gathered by their archway.
Up above, Rune urged Addie to drink some water. He didn’t like her color. She took the glass and was raising it to her lips when she saw Larna of Assama grab one of the fighting staffs tilted against the wall by the archway. The guards had left their weapons while they removed Morna. Issuing a battle cry, Larna ran with the staff toward Grace.
“No! Grace!” Addie called out, dropping the glass as she stood.
Larna started screaming, the hidden blades of the staff cutting into her hands. She no longer cared. Killing Grace was the only thing on her mind. There wasn’t anyone nearby who could intervene. Justyn, Margan, and Trake started running toward Grace. Grace, seeing the danger, attempted to get away. Justyn had told her she could not use her power of transportation in battle, and she wasn’t risking a break in the rules.
Armus knew if Larna killed Grace with the stolen staff, he would receive a stiff penalty. Larna would be executed along with another of his team. Justyn and his followers would then easily overcome his side. Since he was the closest one to her, he caught up with Larna and knocked her down. He jumped out of the way when she rolled over and swung out with the staff.
This gave the other guards enough time to catch up. They quickly disarmed her. Arjun and Rune stood, stepping in front of Addie, so she couldn’t see. They then nodded to the guards. Moments later, Larna of Assama was also dead.
Once again, Jett stood and approached the edge of the wall. Looking down, he addressed Armus.
“Armus Hend, you have sacrificed your own follower to uphold the honor of the Mok-Tar rite. Since the follower you lost is female, you may call for the removal from the battle of one of the female combatants for Justyn Rephaim of HeVanth.”
Armus considered his choices. Both the women had proven themselves to be excellent fighters. If Lady Grace remained fighting, she would continue to split Justyn’s attention. If Lady Josephine remained fighting, she had already proven her skill by taking first life. Looking over where Josephine still lay on the ground, he saw the medical scanning her. He could see she was either hurt, or pretending to be hurt to trick him.
“You must decide now,” said Jett.
Gambling on Josephine’s injuries being real, he made his choice. “Lady Grace has proven her honor against Lady Larna. She may leave the field.”
Over by the wall, Rapha was explaining Jo’s injuries to the others in a low voice. “You have a broken back at your C6 vertebrae. You’re having trouble breathing. I can’t treat you until the Mok-Tar is completed. Your injuries are seen as part of the ritual of justice. I have to tell you, if you don’t get medical intervention within about twenty minutes, you will stop breathing and die. Already, your lungs are fighting for every breath. I’m sorry,” he said.
Looking at her Ankida, he gave them instructions. “Don’t worry about moving her. We can repair any break or spinal cord damage from the break, if we get to her in time. You need to end this battle, that’s the most important thing.”
“Looks like I blew it, huh,” Jo said in a whisper.
“Don’t try to talk, aksu,” Trake said.
“Just…one…thing. Love…you…both,” she said.
“We love you too. We have plans to live a long life with you. So no more talking, you have to conserve your strength,” said Trake, as he and Margan picked her up, and carried her over to where the guards were stationed.
They sat her up against the wall so she could see. She concentrated on not falling over. Armus had chosen Grace to go off the field. If Josephine had been selected, then she could have left the arena and been taken to medical. As it was, they needed to defeat their opponents in the next fifteen minutes. They were unwilling to push it longer and risk losing Josephine. They had seconds before the gong sounded again. Each of them gave her a fast, hard kiss, and went to join Justyn.
Grace wanted to sit next to Jo, but the guards made her leave. So she stood in the hallway behind their crossed staffs. Margan and Trake had vowed to do their best to support Justyn. Now they were men on a mission. When they stood to either side of Justyn waiting for the gong, there was nothing but death in their eyes. Justyn was grateful Grace had been spared. He was just as determined to end this.
Watching the three men from where she sat, they reminded Jo of tales her father had told her of the Viking Berserkers. Trake had Wolfen down on the ground on his stomach. He also had a chokehold and, at the same time, he was pulling up, forcing Wolfen to arch his back. There was a large crack, and Wolfen slumped forward.
Trake jumped up and went to Margan’s aid. Neither of them could aid Justyn, but the two of them, together, made short work of Farkan before the gong sounded again. Rapha, understanding the necessity of speed, rushed out and quickly declared both Wolfen and Farkan dead. Additional guards had been called to remove the bodies so the archway guards didn’t have to leave their posts.
Breathing heavily, Justyn looked over to where Margan and Trake were now sitting on the ground. They had pulled Jo into their arms. Her color looked bad, her skin was pasty, and she was barely breathing now.
Justyn took a deep breath. He had to do this. He would never forgive himself if his need for revenge and justice resulted in the death of an innocent. He closed his eyes and said a prayer to the goddess as he waited for the gong to sound.
The gong sounded and the two men came together in a rush. They grappled and Armus wrapped his arms around Justyn in an attempt to break his back. Justyn got an arm free and punched Armus on the side of his neck. Armus stumbled back to evade a second strike, throwing a punch as he did.
Justyn hooked his arm in an arm bar, and punched Armus in the kidneys once and once more, before Armus got out of the hold. Justyn was in a fury, he was counting down the seconds in his head. He had to take Armus out now, so he kept pushing forward. He no longer felt the blows Armus landed in exchange. He kept pushing him back and back toward the wall.
Armus knew he was being backed into the wall, and he couldn’t let that happen. It was then he realized he wasn’t going to win. Justyn seemed to have grown stronger, his blows landing harder and inflicting more damage. Armus’s own rage grew; it was that bitch’s fault! She had come and ruined everything!
See
ing his opening, he tore away from Justyn. Instead of engaging again, he ran to the center of the battleground. The walls were twenty feet high, he could go no closer and maintain his line of sight with the Nam-Nin's box.
“Death to the alien!” he shouted.
Pulling a slim blade from his loincloth, he took aim, and hurled it at Addie. The witnesses gasped and screamed. Justyn slammed into him from behind.
In the blink of an eye, Addie transported herself, her Ankida and Grace’s Ankida, to the floor of the arena. Leaving the men to deal with Armus Hend, she rushed over to where Jo lay next to the wall. Rapha was waiting in the hall just behind the guards.
All was in confusion. No one could believe what they had seen. The guards weren’t letting Grace or Rapha through, the Mok-Tar hadn’t been called to a close by the arbiter. Armus was still living, as he and Justyn continued to grapple in the center of the battlefield. The guards from the other end of the arena ran forward. Armus had acted without honor, and would immediately forfeit his life, the same as Larna.
Would it be in time to save Jo?
A large silver ball of light flashed into existence overhead, and everyone froze, including Armus Hend and Justyn. In the center of the light, Ashnin appeared.
“This is the Arena of Justice. Truth, justice, and righteousness prevail here, always. Armus Hend, you are judged.”
She closed her fist, and Armus dropped to the floor, dead. Floating over to where Jo lay, she held out her hand, palm up.
“Rise, Beleti Josephine Jors and be healed. You are of the House Assama. Your Ankida, Belum Margan and Belum Trake, are of the House Seraph. Which will you lead?” she asked.
Jo took a deep breath, thankful she could. Slowly, with Margan and Trake’s help, she stood. “What is a Beleti and a Belum?” she asked Margan and Trake in a whisper.
“In Earth terms it would be like the governor or president of an area, except the position isn’t elected, it would be hereditary and for life,” said Margan.
