~ Power ~

Chapter 7 - Into The Ring

Lena turned to Freya. ‘You wanted to know more. Well here it is.’

‘What is this exactly?’ Freya said, still shocked by the man’s appearance.

‘Round one.’

‘Round one?’

‘Yes. You will go into that cage there with that man and whomever of you is the victor shall pass through to round two.’

‘Wait what? I-I’m supposed to fight him? Me?’

‘Yes, you.’

‘But, I don’t know how to fight…’

‘Maybe not, but you sure know how to destroy a cellar.’

Freya frowned. ‘What if I refuse?’

Lena smiled. ‘You can’t refuse. I’m much stronger and faster and smarter than you. So save yourself the time and effort.’

She has a point, Freya thought to herself, I don’t like this one bit, but if it truly is my only option and my only way to get Smokey back…well then so be it.

Freya stepped inside the cage. Lena bent down and loosened the cuffs on the man. Freya’s heartbeat quickened as the cuffs hit the ground. The man looked up at her and said, ‘I’m sorry missy, but they’ve got my wife. If I don’t beat you up real good like, they said they is gonna kill her.’ Freya nodded grimly.

‘So what are the rules?’ she asked.

‘Rules?’ he snorted. ‘Knock out…or kill the other person before they do so to you. That’s it. All depends how blood thirsty ye are.’

‘And when do we start?’

‘We already have,’ then man paused with his hands on the ground. ‘Sorry lass,’ he said as he scooped up a handful of dirt and threw it at Freya’s face. A good portion of it went in her eyes and she stumbled around, blinking furiously to try and get it out. While this was happening she felt the blows from the old man landing on her torso, one after the other, bruising and battering her soft skin. She swung back at him blindly, but hit nothing. She tried blinking again, and finally, after much effort, she cleared them of the remaining dirt. But by this time she was already pinned to the ground. The old man aimed punch after punch at Freya’s face, who was quick enough to doge each one. He got sick of hitting dirt, so he starting hitting her torso instead. Freya grimaced in pain and let out a cry of anguish. ‘Stop,’ she said. ‘Stop!’

But he didn’t stop. He kept on going, one hit after the other. Freya clamped her eyes shut and began to scream. She felt so hot with anger and indignity, she felt like she was burning up with a fever. A fever of rage. Suddenly, another scream drowned out her own, it was the old man’s. She opened her eyes to find him running around the cage, his clothes on fire. He eventually dropped to the ground and began rolling about, finally extinguishing the flames. He lay there panting, whimpering from time to time. Freya put her hand to her bra and felt the two gemstones pressed against her breast and smiled. The Amethyst had healed her bruising already. Her first instinct was to use to stone to help the old man, but when she remembered his ruthless attack on her, she decided against it.

Freya got up and walked over to the side of the cage Lena was watching from.

‘Impressive,’ Lena said, ‘now finish him.’

‘What? That’s not enough?’

‘Victorious, unconscious, or dead. That’s the only way you leave the cage.’

‘I’ve escaped one of your cages before…’

‘Not this time little rabbit. If you want to see your scaly friend again you will play the game.’

Freya scowled at Lena and then slowly turned back to the man, who was still lying in the dirt. She walked over to him and said, ‘I’m sorry mister, but they’re got my dragon,’ she raised her foot as she was talking, ‘and I haven’t even taught him how to fly yet.’

Freya dropped her foot.

‘Congratulations. You’ve made it through to round two.’

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What’s in store for Freya in round two?

1.      A younger man with a weapon.

2.      A woman with power stones.

3.      A monster of some sort.

4.      Someone from Freya’s past.