Fireheart [Fanfiction - Alternate Universe]

I will not be afraid

[Header image of Aedion Ashryver]

NOTE: I know I'm not supposed to update today, but I'm an anxious human so I might be updating this story more often than I said I would! lol Enjoy! :D

He had to admit, Rourke had a strong punch and was decently fast. Sam's head snapped to the side as the fist collided with his jaw. He turned back around to face Rourke, and the fist found him again, hitting the cheekbone right next to his eye.

He noticed the little crowd forming around them, and heard Lysandra's pleading scream, but Rourke didn't let go of his shirt, and his two friends were keeping an eye on both ends of the hall; probably ready to tell them if any teachers were to come around. Sam's senses were on high alert, and he clenched a fist as he tasted blood.

"Not going to fight back?" Rourke growled as he took a quick jab at Sam's stomach.

Sam doubled over, his breath coming out of him in one fast burst. He could so easily break this guy's jaw, but no, he couldn't. The crowd around them had grown too big, and he couldn't risk it. He unclenched his fist as he tried to take a deep breath and steady his mind. My name is Sam Cortland, and I will not be afraid, he thought as he stood back up, his back straight.

With anger flashing in his face and a clenched jaw, Rourke knocked the air out of him again. He punched him on the side, letting go of his shirt. Then again on his chest as Sam looked up. He lifted his knee to Sam's stomach as he pushed him down with both hands, getting him right on the sternum.

Sam could taste the blood coating his mouth and feel it dripping down his chin.

Rourke struck against his ribs again, making Sam tumble down. He curled up as soon as his body touched the floor, protecting his head with his hands, and his vital organs with his knees.

Sam took a kick to the side, and then another one. Everything hurt, and he could imagine the bruises already spreading on his skin. A fist collided against the back of his shoulder, and a boot to his kidneys made him arch back. He had been through worse, he told himself. He could take a beating from a school bully. My name is Sam Cortland, and I will not be afraid, he repeated his mantra inside his head.

As another kick hit his lower back, he looked at the crowd between his fingers. He found a pair of dark eyes staring down at him within a face that almost looked concerned. He must have gotten a blow to the head because there was no way Celaena was worried about him. He managed to wink at her quickly before covering his head again as he saw another kick coming his way.

"Hey!" A voice yelled from somewhere close, and Sam heard a loud metallic bang before the foot hit him.

After a moment of lying still and no more blows coming his way, he assessed his injuries by taking a few deep breaths to make sure nothing was broken. No punctured lungs or broken ribs, he thought as he tried to sit down and looked around.

"What in God's name is going on here?" Principal Allsbrook's voice reached him in between the crowd.

Sam looked perplexed at the four boys holding back Rourke's bulky friends. He didn't know any of them, but he knew they were on the football team. He looked to his side, to the place from where the metallic bang had come from, and he almost gasped as he saw Aedion holding Rourke against the lockers. His forearm was pressed hard against the bully's throat. The skin around Rourke's eye was already turning purple, and he had a cut on his brow.

"Ow, fuck." Sam winced as he stifled a laugh. He couldn't deny it, deep down he was glad someone had made that dickhead bleed.

"Are you okay?" Lysandra sounded so worried as she reached his side and kneeled next to him.