Stage 3 Solo 1
It had been years since Ujana had a right and proper fight. She was so used to throwing drunken eyesores out of her tavern that the challenge had all, but evaporated. So when a roving band of performers had come into town claiming that they were the strongest in all of Tendaji and would take any challengers Ujana was among the first to challenge them.
They sat up a monstrously colorful tent high above the jungle floor in shifter territory. It had taken a few days to make a space sturdy enough to house any spectators, let alone the goliaths that would duke it out and their weapons. Sign-ups had been passed around the market for a few days, but once the locals got a look at their competition few were as eager as she to fight them. Most were muscular brutes who reeked of sweat and iron with more scars than the jungle had vines. They were probably the most exciting thing Ujana had seen in weeks! This was exactly what she needed to take her mind off things.
And once she saw the Champion Ujana knew she’d met a worthy match. He was possibly the largest Oban she’d ever seen. His neck alone was thicker than some of her liquor barrels, and his arms, even when loaded with carpentry supplies, barely looked to be struggling. There was a chip on his right ear as if something had bitten it, and his mouth barely moved, most likely due to the massive facial burn he sported. He towered over the crowd as he passed, walking atop the rope bridges as if he’d been born in Jauhar, but when he passed her he paused.
There was a fire there, one she thought had been quelled within herself, but Ujana couldn’t help it. Having those feral red eyes trained on her burned straight through to her core. Spirits if Ariya wasn’t so possessive. What she wouldn’t do to go a few rounds with him, inside and out of the bedroom. Ujana herself had never been opposed to adding a little spice now and then, but out of respect for her partner she’d only brought it up in jest. Now, though…
“Are you coming?” His voice was as deep as the sea itself and as rough as grinding stone. It sent chills down her spine. It looked as if it were painful for him to speak, for the skin around his mouth to pull like that, but he did so anyway. “To the fight.”
“If it means putting you under my heel then I wouldn’t miss it.” Ujana quipped with an almost too excited grin. Her heart was practically leaping in her chance at the thought. Even if she wasn’t allowed to touch him in other ways, getting thrown around the ring by such a monster of a man would be thrilling enough! He could pin her, bruise her, come at her with all he had and she would just be so happy.
His smile was more of a limp grin, but she knew it was genuine. After that he walked away, presumably to help with set up, and Ujana knew what she had to do. The match wouldn’t happen for five days which meant she had five days to undergo some extensive training. It would all be rushed, but since she’d never really stopped her physical exertions it would do just fine.
It was all she thought about for days. Every time she swung her hammer she imagined it catching that Oban’s side and his muscle providing such a solid shield that his ribs wouldn’t so much as crack. Ujana went from practicing with her family to outright splitting stones and seeking out Menzuri in the jungle. The larger the predator the more challenge they provided which meant the stronger she could become. He wouldn’t take it easy on her simply because she was a woman which meant for once that Ujana could go all out on an opponent.
In her spars against Ariya she always held back. No matter how hard they fought she just couldn’t bring herself to actually harm her lover for fear of doing irrefutable damage. It might have been different if their relationship were more violent, but it just wasn’t. The only time they were rough was during play which usually always ended in some kind of safe word. She loved that, she really did, but the prospect of actually maiming someone brought out a harsher side to Ujana that she thought had passed.
The day of the match Ujana was led to a special section where she would wait out her turn. There would be several sets of exhibition matches between the fighters themselves and whoever came out on top would challenge the local warriors. Of course there would be no contest as to who it would be. Among the six presented he was clearly the most battle worn and strong. Although, truth be told, Ujana wouldn’t have minded going up against any of them. Each had their own weapon that looked perfectly seasoned over a plethora of matches and not one looked weak.
Looking around her Ujana noticed that only one other had bothered to show. It was the baker of all people; Devyn. He was a thick man with a hearty appetite and a kind heart. Still, many assumed his stout frame was the result of a lazy attitude, but true warriors knew the truth. His frame was perfectly built to deadlift heavy loads so a match with him might very well be hard to win.
Once he spotted her his eyes brightened and he waved her closer. “Here here, come sit with me. They brought over some crates for us to sit on.” His voice was a whisper, as if he didn’t want anyone to hear them, but he needn’t worry. The loud ruckus of the crowd was enough to drown out their voices. She joined him and watched as the carnage began.
If Devyn had plans on being quiet then Ujana ruined them. As soon as the first fighter threw a punch so hard his opponent was flung to the other side of the ring she jumped up with a scream. Every time a particularly stunning blow was tossed Ujana got so into it that she couldn’t help jumping and shouting. At one point the two of them started picking who would win and when her fighter lost the first round Ujana slumped back onto the crate. Devyn just laughed and put his arm around her shoulder, motioning back out to the ring when another match started.
Each fight was more brutal than the last. There was a reason why children weren’t allowed to come to these matches. No punches were held back, and blades weren’t safety tipped. Bones were broken, skin was gorred, and if your opponent just so happened to be a mage then there was a high chance you would be burned. That bit never failed to make Ujana queasy. Despite her bloodlust she could never get the image of a woman’s arm being set on fire out of her mind. The skin bubbled underneath the flame and her screams….it was just lucky for her that they had a healer on staff. The other fights helped to carry her out of the arena and the mage responsible looked positively sick. It was unfortunate, but his magic was as much a weapon as any sword. If they had all agreed to take damage then she’d signed up knowing what could happen. Still, when they brought the sobbing woman past Ujana and she was able to smell the burnt flesh first hand….it was gag inducing.
“I hope he isn’t the winner,” Devyn commented. “I’ve never fought a mage before. I don’t think I’m fast enough to get away.”
“My father and sister use magic so I’ve got some experience, but not like this.” It was never like this. Her father had always used his magic for protective and restorative purposes. And Padma....she just couldn’t see her sister unleashing that sort of raw fury.
It was easy to forget the atrocity that happened only moments before when he came out. Compared to the Zenan he was fighting the Oban was an absolute god of a man. His spear was double headed and with a twist he could separate it into two seperate blades. Anytime his opponent came in close for a knife attack he would twist at impossible speeds to bring a large, meaty fist down onto that pale blue skin. Within moments the battle was over and he stood victorious. The crowd cheered his name, and Ujana learned in that moment this man, this absolute vision was named Amaru.
He won the next match with ease, and against the mage he looked like something out of a story. At times she thought for sure he would be even more scared than he already was only to emerge from the fire and land a blow of his own. He struggled more against magic than with any other match because it was harder to avoid, but Amaru eventually came out on top. By the end of his match Ujana was on her feet, bouncing and screaming just as loud as anyone else in the crowd. She was absolutely ecstatic to see such an amazing fight! He hadn’t come out unscatched, but the way he moved was something entirely inhuman! If she could learn to twist like that when avoiding a flame….she’d be unstoppable!
Then it was finally time for the challengers. Ujana was practically vibrating in her seat, but much to her dismay Devyn was picked first. The calm baker placed his hand atop her shoulder, murmured his apologies, and stepped into the ring. If at all possible Devyn’s physique was thicker than Amaru’s, which was more easily noticeable once the shifter took off his shirt. He was a little shorter, with a little more of a curve to him, but that didn’t make him any weaker. By the time he brought up his shield he was practically an immovable wall. No matter how many times Amaru landed a hit Devyn barely moved. He would bring up his shield at just the right moment, angle it just right, and slide the lances blade right off the surface. Once Amaru was distracted Devyn would bash him with the shield forcing the Oban back.
Unfortunately for Devyn the act didn’t last for long. Eventually Amaru caught onto his strategy, and came up with one of his own. The Oban attacked from multiple angles, exposing weaknesses in Devyn’s defense and moments later the shifter was defeated.
“A noble effort from your own local baker, Devyn!” The announcer was a good sport, and once the fallen shifter was on his feet he held his hand up high so that the crowd could cheer for him. Devyn’s face, already flushed from the fight, darkened all the more. Once a hearty round of applause was had he walked out of the arena and returned to his crate.
“Think you can do any better?” He teased.
“We’ll see.”
Ujana hefted her hammer over his shoulder and walked into the arena. The crowd practically exploded when they saw her. Many of tonight’s patrons were regulars at her tavern, and many more simply knew her from daily interactions at the market. She was just as much a local as any shifter and in such a small community she’d made something of a name for herself. It was heartwarming to hear their praise before she’d even done anything, and the surprised reaction on Amaru’s face was well worth it.
Once the shock wore off the larger Oban let out a laugh. “Didn’t expect to be fighting a local celebrity.” He rotated his shoulders, popped his neck and looked at her with something akin to...excitement? In his eyes. She’d noticed it before in his fights; that almost resigned feeling as if he had gone through the motions so many times that the fights no longer held a challenge for him. When Amaru fought the mage a little spark had been brought up, one that Devyn had stoked, but now….now she wanted to see if that spark could turn into an inferno. “Aren’t you a little glitzy for a fighter?”
“I like to leave an impression.” With every step she took Ujana’s hips would bounce making the jewelry hanging off them ‘clink’. Granted they weren’t the only thing that bounced, and she knew that Amaru had taken notice of that as well. Not that she cared; even topless she would make him hurt. For the most part she walked on the balls of her feet, but with the next step Ujana was flat footed. As soon as her balance shifted she pulled the hammer from her shoulders and swung, dead set on colliding with Amaru’s shoulder, but he didn’t disappoint. The Oban brought his forearm up to deflect the hammer and brought his fist straight up into her ribs.
If he thought the pain would stop her then Amaru was dead wrong. The blow was enough to knock the breath from her lungs, but instead of crumpling Ujana responded by kneeing him in the crotch.
That brought him to his knees.
“That...was...so low.”
“Do I look like I care?” With a smirk she swung her hammer around, but in an instant he was guarding. It became something of a routine with them; almost a dance. While she was on the offensive he would guard and block, occasionally throwing a swing when Ujana came in too close.
When Amaru separated his blades he was on the offensive. He pressed forward aggressively, as if the exhaustion of his previous matches simply didn’t exist and the only thing fueling him was the fire she’d brought to life. It was absolutely exhilarating. Even when he sliced her arms, her ribs and her thighs Ujana couldn’t bring herself to feel it. Every hit he landed on her she reciprocated with just as much vigor. It was only when she started slipping on blood against the wooden floorboards that their situation started to dawn on her.
The two of them looked rough. After a time she could only become aware of her own injuries, but Ujana still couldn’t process the pain. It was only the shaking of her limbs that slowed her down, not the inferno in her soul. She didn’t think she’d ever be able to get enough. Looking at this man across from her with the same level of need in his eyes just made her want to go all out. Amaru was the first person in so long that understood completely what she needed without having to say it. His body just knew and in this madness the two were helping each other to heal.
He was a virtual stranger, but he’d already helped more than those closest to her.
At some point in the fight he’d knocked the hammer out of her hands, and without a weapon it looked like she would lose. Of course the two of them knew better. Even with his opponent ‘helpless’ Amaru went on the defensive, but not fast enough. Ujana ran across the arena and slammed her hardened head straight into his gut, knocking them both to the ground. The surprise attack effectively knocked the blades from his hands, leaving the larger Oban winded and pinned. The two struggled for a time, but eventually Amaru just couldn’t fight anymore. With Ujana’s knee pressing into his diaphragm the beast of a man just couldn’t get any air, and once she pulled his hands above his head there wasn’t much more he could do.
And when he conceded the crowd went insane.
“She’s done it, folks! You saw it here with your own eyes! Your local tavern owner, Ujana, has beaten Champion Amaru! What a fight, what a fight!”
Ujana slid her knee across his battered chest and planted her rump on top of Amaru’s torso. Her chest heaved with every hasty, exhausted breath she took, but the fighter just couldn’t take her eyes away from his. “This was…”
“...yeah, I know…” He wheezed. Surely she’d broken more than a few of his ribs, and now that the aches were starting to settle in Ujana was sure he’d done the same to her. “I know you said you were going to put me under your heel but I gotta say I like this view better.”
Ujana smirked and leaned down. There was barely a hair's breadth separating them at that point and she could feel his warm breath on her lips. The smell of sweat and blood was absolutely intoxicating. “Soak it in. You earned it.”
When he started to lean up towards her Ujana pulled back and sat up. Amaru furrowed his brows in confusion then he seemed to let it go. What fighters that could stand had to assist the two to their feet, and Ujana was pleasantly surprised to see one of her helper’s was Devyn.
“Did I do a good job?”
“That was insane.” He helped to take most of her weight as she limped out of the arena. Instead of taking her back to the crates the shifter pulled her towards the healing area. “I never would have guessed you had all of that in you! If I didn’t know it was just a sparring match I might have thought you two were at war!”
Maybe they were. She’d certainly met her match in that ring, and he seemed like he’d had a good time as well. When Ujana lifted her head she searched for Amaru and it looked like he was doing the same. They settled him across the space on a larger cot where a healer immediately started checking his torso for internal bleeding. Before they laid him down completely though he tossed up a hand to wave at her and she couldn’t help smiling.
Devyn gingerly helped to settle Ujana down onto her own cot. It was a crude set up meant to be easily taken down once they traveled again, but she didn’t care. The act of laying down made her feel nauseous and it was in that moment that Ujana became keenly aware of just how much blood she’d actually lost. The baker placed a cool rag on her face in an attempt to keep her conscious which seemed to work for the most part. Her head was still swimming, but anytime he asked her how she was doing Ujana could only hold her thumb up. Physically she felt like trash, but for the first time in a long time mentally and emotionally she felt amazing.
All of that worry and frustration? It had finally gotten worked out. Simply going to work just hadn’t done it for her. As it turns out what she needed was the very thing she was addicted to. The feeling of being on the edge of death was such a rush that the aftermath left her rested and satisfied. Ujana had no idea if Amaru could say the same, but she thought he might. His fire was just as calm as her own by the end, though if his actions were anything to go on the man might have wanted a little more if she’d allowed it. As strong as that temptation was she didn’t even want to entertain it more than she already had.
“How is she holding up?”
Ujana turned her head to see that the healer was at her side. How long had he been there? Wasn’t he just working on Amaru?
“She keeps going in and out. It’s a little concerning. I tried wrapping the wounds as best I could, but-”
“It’s alright. You did great. Just keep applying pressure to that one there on her ribs; it keeps bleeding and that’s concerning.” When a cool hand was pressed against the side of her neck Ujana felt like jumping, but she was simply too exhausted to chance it. “Ujana? Are you awake?”
“Mmm-hmm”
“That’s good. You’ve lost a lot of blood so we’re going to work on that first, okay? Once we have that under control I want you to tell me what else hurts.”
“Mmm’kay”
She fell in and out of consciousness the entire time the healer worked on her. All she could think about was how utterly pissed her family would be as soon as she got home. They knew she was coming out to fight tonight, but would they know how hard she’d tried? Surely they expected some kind of wound, right? Ariya is going to be so pissed. That thought made her feel a little guilty. She hadn’t really taken her lover’s concerns into any of this. She had to be worried, but Ujana just plowed ahead without talking any of this out with her. I will when I get home. I’ll tell her everything I couldn’t before.
Like how she couldn’t just go back to being a normal tavern owner after this. It was like an addict who’d relapsed; Ujana tasted something forbidden for the first time in ages and she didn’t want to give it up.
“She’s going down again.” Why did Devyn sound so worried? She was positively floating.
“Ujana?” The healer? “Try to keep her eyes open. Start talking about someone she knows, she can’t go out no-”
That was the last thing she heard before going under.
[3650]
[12]
