Penance ↠ Volturi Kings {2} ✓

011

"Win!" Caesar bellowed over the roar of the ring, he and one other stepping in to separate the fighting pair. The ring was like nothing I had ever seen or experienced. I remember what Afton had said, that they were absolutely savage. In the ring, brute force was what usually won the battle. My eyes widened.

With no defensive knowledge, they would have no way to escape once pinned. Caesar was teaching them how to fight, but not how to defend themselves.

That clever bastard.

"Xander! Graham!" Caesar yelled. The two men in question stepped forward. "You know the rules. Set! Begin!"

Xander smirked and darted forward. Graham swung wildly, his fist glancing off Xander's arm. Something was odd about the action, and the ring roared with laughter. Graham stood still, looking wildly in every direction.

"Sight deprivation," said my neighbor, noticing my confusion. "Don't want to get caught in the ring with him, that's for sure. He's never lost."

Xander sprang forward, trapping Graham in a headlock. "Win!" Caesar said. Xander released Graham, who was blinking hard. They both returned to their places.

"Hugo!" A vampire in the ring shouted as Caesar scanned the crowd, looking for the next pair.

"Alright, Ryan," Caesar said. "You. And Hugo."

The ring shouted its approval as the vampire who spoke swaggered forward, eyes pinned dangerously on Hugo, who was shoved out of his place in the ring to tumble into the middle. "No gifts, Caesar, right?" The nameless vampire said when he saw the look of drawn concentration on Hugo's face.

"Very well," Caesar said. "No gifts this round. Set. Begin!"

Hugo tensed, propelling himself out of the way of Ryan's first attack, scrambling back to his feet. He dodged the next two as well, never trying to launch his own attack.

"Enough messing around," Ryan snarled, grabbing Hugo around the leg and flinging him away. Ryan was on him before Hugo even had a chance to stand, twisting Hugo's arm off with savage enjoyment.

I realized suddenly what Ryan was doing. As long as Hugo wasn't taken by the neck, Caesar couldn't call a win. My lip curled and anger simmered in my veins.

"At least try to fight!" Ryan shouted, throwing Hugo to the other end of the ring. Hugo looked close to tears, ducking under a punch and darting away. "Not so fast," Ryan snarled, grabbing him by the other arm.

My fists clenched, and my eyes flicked to Caesar. To my surprise, he was looking straight at me. I raised my eyebrows in question. He gave me a tiny nod in response.

"Fight back!" Ryan roared, lunging towards Hugo, who cowered away.

I snarled and darted forward, grabbing his fist before he could land the hit. I twisted it in my grip. "Why don't you pick on someone your own size?"

Ryan's eyes flickered to Caesar, who folded his arms. "Did I call the fight? You fight until I declare a win. You must be prepared for the unexpected in battle."

I acted even as Caesar was still speaking, kicking Ryan in the chest and sending him flying backwards. I rolled my shoulders and started forward as he regained his footing, ducking under the first punch and grabbing his arm when he struck again, chopping down on the crease of his elbow so hard that his forearm detached. I flung it away.

"You bitch," Ryan snarled.

"Wrong thing to say," I snarled back, gaining the upper hand now that he was down an appendage. I didn't wait for him to attack, instead slamming so hard into him that he stumbled backwards. I used his loss of balance to my advantage, knocking him down to his knees and grabbing his scalp and chin, forcing his head upwards.