The Hyenas {Dreamnotfound AU}

10. Succumb

George's POV

I'm not a fighter. I don't naturally have it in me to hurt other people. Hell, I can barely stand the thought of it. But I need to learn how to survive out here. Clay has sworn to protect me, he's promised to keep me safe, but what if he can't? What if he's injured, and I need to protect him? Then we'd be doomed if I didn't know how to defend us. So Clay has taken it upon himself to teach me self defense, and how to use a variety of weapons. How to use the environment to my advantage, and where to find other people's weak spots. All of this he has learned over the last two years he has been in the outskirts of the city. It seems like an impossible amount of time to survive out here, constantly being seen as a prey, but he's done it. Him and the other survivors, of which some have lived here for even longer.

"No, Geo- no, you don't hold it like that," Clay says, trying to sound patient as he stands behind me, putting his hands over mine to demonstrate how to properly hold a sword. I follow his example and he steps away, walking in front of me to examine. "Yes, more like that. Now swing."

I swing the sword clumsily, with barely enough power to make even a papercut. Clay chuckles as he brings his hand to his forehead, probably wondering how he's ever going to get me to win a fight.

"You need to put your whole body into it, not just your arms. You need to put your weight on it."

"Got it," I say as I nod, getting back into striking position. My next swing turns out to be a little overly excited, as the sword swings around and takes me with it, like a big dog running with a little girl holding the leash behind it. I stumble and fall to the ground, the sword clattering beside me, a hair away from impaling me.

"This isn't going to work," I grunt out as I cross my legs, looking up at Clay who grins from ear to ear.

"Get up soldier, Rome wasn't built in one day either. We're going to practice until either you or the sword breaks," he laughs, reaching out for my hand to help me up. I roll my eyes and let out an audible sigh, but I let him lift me up, and I grab back the sword.

"Try and hit me," he says confidently, standing in front of me with his hands on his hips, puffing out his chest in a way of asserting dominance. I shoot him a puzzled look.

"What? Why would I try and hit you? What if I slice you in half?" My comment makes Clay burst out in laughter.

"You can barely keep standing up while swinging, what makes you think you'll kill me now?" Redness spreads across my face as I look at him. I lower the sword and let my shoulders droop, a slight sadness plastering my face.

"Oh, hey, no, I didn't mean it like that," he says with sorrow as he approaches me, laying his hand on my shoulder as to comfort me. Within the blink of an eye I turn the sword around and stab his stomach with the handle, earning a loud 'oof' as he looks at me in astonishment.

"You'd be dead if I didn't turn it around," I say, regaining my posture as Clay puts his hands to his stomach where I bumped him and bowing forward, dramatically stumbling backwards.

"My friend! You have obliterated my organs, I cannot fathom this betrayal," he cries out, reaching for the sky with one of his hands. "My friend.. my.. enemy," he chokes out, falling to his knees and then in slow motion forward to the ground. I walk over to him and add to the drama by triumphantly setting one of my feet on his back, to which Clay responds with another 'oof'.

"Now that the almighty Dream has been slain, I shall be the ruler of this kingdom," I state, barely able to hold back a giggle.

"Sound the trumpets, a new king has risen," Clay mutters into the ground, raising his fist into the air as to hype up the imaginary crowd. I burst out into a laughing fit as I remove my foot and Clay rolls over, smiling brightly.