by Jesse Teller
Rachel felt a kick of excitement as the two men met in the middle of the floor. She heard the first blow hit, and was sure her papa had killed Whelter. Her man reeled back, and Gerber rushed in closer. He hit Whelter so many times she could not distinguish one punch from the next. Whelter took it all, backing up as he did. She sobbed out in horror as Whelter’s face pulled back, covered in a mask of blood, and she rushed forward. Brenden held her back.
“No, sister, let them go. This is the only way for Father to find out who you love. We are Beastscowls. This is how we find ourselves,” he said.
Whelter stepped forward and kicked her papa in the chest with the flat of his foot. Gerber flew wide to drop to the ground and slide across the floor. He stopped at Rachel’s feet and Whelter threw his head back, wiped blood from his face, and howled.
“You hit like a hammer.” Whelter turned to the room. “Everything we have heard about Gerber Beastscowl is fact. He is a nightmare, the very picture of power and primal. I see you now, Gerber.” Whelter stepped forward as Gerber got to his feet. Whelter smiled at him with a bloody mouth full of teeth.
“Wanna see me?” Whelter asked. He stomped forward and met Gerber in the middle of the floor again. When the first of Whelter’s blows landed, Gerber pulled back in horror.
The two men that loved her most fought as hard as they could to prove it. Gerber bit off a chunk of Whelter’s ear. Whelter bit off one of Gerber’s fingers. Gerber kicked Whelter in the man parts over and over again, and when he was done, Whelter laughed. Gerber pulled back, horrified.
Whelter kicked and bit. He clawed and punched. He stumbled under the weight of blows that would have killed a lesser man, and cursed with every punch that landed, given or received.
Gerber kicked and bit. He clawed and punched. He staggered and fell and kicked his way back to his feet. He picked Whelter off his feet. Rachel didn’t know that could be done. Gerber hoisted him in the air above his head and dropped Whelter’s back on his knee.
Rachel heard a crack that sounded like the breaking of Whelter’s back. The room went silent, and Whelter rolled over. Gerber stepped back, spat the ground. “Stay down.”
Whelter hopped to his feet and threw his head back in a laugh. “You gotta knock me down first. Then I’ll stay down.”
On and on they fought. Two titans of Tergor pounding on one another for the love of Rachel Beastscowl. When the crowd began to chant Whelter’s name, Rachel started weeping.
Gerber fought a bit longer, but when he could not knock this man to the ground, he finally sagged back and shook his head.
“You’re a stone, boy, a solid piece of rock. I don’t know how you can still be standing. No one has ever beaten me. No man has ever stood before me. You ought to be dead, broken, and crippled for life. What is holding you up?” Gerber asked.
Whelter pointed at Rachel. “She has been holding me up for years now. She will continue to do so for the rest of my life. If you want to stop it, go get your spear. Otherwise, get out of my way.”
Gerber laughed and turned to walk away.
“And Gerber,” Whelter added. “Don’t ever get between me and my Rachel again. If you do, bring a weapon.”
Gerber nodded and walked to the table he had been sitting at.
Whelter was rushed by the city and lifted into the air. They picked her up, too, and carried her to him. Whelter hugged her to his chest and kissed her.
“Marry me, Rachel Beastscowl.”
She kissed his bloody face and clung to him. “Just Rachel. Call me Rachel, wife of Whelter.”
He howled, and she roared.
“Only one more thing to do now,” Whelter said. “One more thing to make you whole and give you peace.”
Rachel looked at him with budding fear and cautious hope. “What is that? Get me pregnant?”
“Find you a bow,” Whelter said.
Rachel smiled and Whelter kissed her.
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