Blazing Glory Ch. 10

Biting his tongue a moment from giving a scathing retort at such foolishness, Blaze thought things over for a moment. These men didn't know his friends like he did and he had to show them otherwise.

Without looking up, his eyes glanced warily to the tribal leader, "What's to become of them once I am 'free'?"

Chief Ubara's eyes turned as cold as stone as he looked towards the females in the cage. "They shall be destroyed and removed from our existence. We've already held counsel on how these monsters shall die."

"You," the big dark chief said as he looked to Nadine, "monstrous animal demon taking human-like form. You will be skinned of your fur alive and your remains burned in offering to our gods for protection."

Nadine sniffed and shrank back against the bars behind her in sheer terror, tears beginning to roll down her cheeks. But those tears did not move the chieftain as he looked to Tyra. "Monster that guards hordes of treasures, you shall become what you pretend. Our priest will turn you into living stone before our warriors smash you into pieces."

Even the normally calm gargoyle seemed shaken to her core at such a terrible death sentence. She would experience agony beyond belief as she was smashed to pieces before finally dying from the pain. Her wings trembling were the only sign of her fear. His gaze moved onwards to the dark elf who seemed unworried, always knowing that someday she would finally meet Death as its victim in the end.

"Creature of the dark from under the soil on which we tread, you will be stripped bare and tied to a rock in the savanna. There you will be exposed to the sun to burn and blister until you die," he growled.

Her red eyes inside her cloak grew wide with every passing word as her uncaring demeanor soon vanished. Blaze knew she was tolerable to the sun's rays but not to that far extent! The drowess seemed to try and draw within the darkness of the piwafwi in hiding. Blaze's anger was growing hotter by the moment. How could they deal out such savage deaths to people he cared about that they only saw as monsters in their ignorance?!

"And demon of seduction and death," Blaze froze as he heard the chief speak now. "We know of your kind, too. Think you free from harm? You will be caged in there by spell and allowed no sexual pleasure of any form to sustain yourself. However long it takes, you will be in that cage until you starve to death."

Kendra's beautiful green eyes looked straight ahead in true disbelief. They had found a loophole. If the spells were indeed strong enough to hold her and Blaze was taken from her, she would truly starve to death in a terrible lonely fashion. And it was a long horrible death for a succubus. Rarely had it ever been seen in history and when those instances were remembered, chills of horror clawed up every succubus' spine.

"Now hold on one bloody moment here!" Blaze shouted angrily. The sudden outburst broke the pall of silence that had fallen over them. "I tell you now that I am no slave nor have I ever been a slave to these women. They are not evil like you think but good people helping to try and save the world, including yours."

Chief Ubara looked utterly caught off guard and uncomfortable with this revelation by one already deemed innocent. "How? How can this be true? Perhaps your tongue is being manipulated by a wicked spell or is it the fear of them that drives you?"

Blaze seized the bar as he did the opportunity he saw open before him, "Chief Ubara, you are clearly a warrior are you not?"

When the big man nodded in affirming pride, Blaze continued, "Then you know as I do what makes a warrior strong. Fear does not. It makes a warrior weak and rash in judgment. What truly makes a warrior strong is the honor in with which he or she fights and to protect the ones they love as well as their home. Defending those held dear makes a man as strong as ten! You know this to be true!"

The massively muscled man stared directly into Blaze's eyes. The two warriors remained silent as they shared understanding together even though they were from completely different worlds. But that did not matter. Blaze's master had always told him that a true fighter understood the code of the warrior and what it meant to be one, no matter whether they fight for good or evil ends.

"Yes," the big chief said with a swelling of his chest and great big smile, "I do. It is good to know such warriors like myself exist elsewhere in the world. But I cannot ignore the whispers of our forefathers either. What is it then that you propose with that idea I see burning in your eyes?"

"Let me fight for them," Blaze immediately answered. "I will prove their worth and value by fighting and winning against your best warrior. If I fail, then you were right all along."

And I won't lose, Blaze thought with confidence. The chief sighed deeply as he considered this before sharing a look with his comrade beside him. The other nodded before Ubara looked back. "As you desire then. But understand that if they are guilty, you shall suffer the same fate as they do. This will be a battle to the death. Your failure in proving their evil will result in your end as well. Am I clear about this?"

"Yes," Blaze nodded.

"Free him then," the massive man ordered gruffly before barking orders to other spear carrying warriors in their native tongue. As the door to the cage was opened, he gave Kendra a brief assuring hug with one arm about her waist before stepping out. The guards watched his friends like hawks to make sure no attempts of escape were made.

Blaze rolled his neck to work the kinks out as he listened to Chief Ubara speak to his people of what was about to occur. Excited whispers soon spread out among them while Blaze continued to stretch his muscles. Chief Ubara came over to pat him on the shoulder as he towered over the younger man.

"Forgive me, but I cannot allow you any weapons. While I trust you as a fellow warrior, my peers would not have it for fear you would begin an escape attempt."

Blaze sighed and nodded in understanding, "Hand to hand combat then, huh?"

The big chief nodded as he stepped away. Blaze noticed that others were beginning to back away and form a large half-circle of open space. The only one that didn't move was a taller dark man in nothing more than loose leggings. Tattoos covered his body in all sorts of tribal designs. Clearly this was one of their best and who had been chosen to fight Blaze. Looking back to the cage, the women were all at the bars with anxious faces as they looked to him. He simply smiled back to them in assurance.

That smile nearly disappeared as he almost jumped out of his skin as a drum beat split the quiet air. Looking back, he noticed the band had once again begun to play. But this was different from the music he had heard with the Amazons. This one was entirely played with drums that gave it a primal feel of bloody battle to it. It made a cold shiver run up and down his spine. What the hell had he gotten himself into?

Looking back to the tribal warrior before him, he stepped back with his left foot into his fighting stance as he raised his fists in preparation for the assault to come. He was fully ready for any attack and lash out with an immediate counter with blazing speed that had earned him his name. That is, he was ready until he saw the first move the warrior made.

The tribal warrior stepped aside and then back again before spinning about with his arms. The man then dropped to his hands to the ground as his legs spun up into the air and over to land him back on his feet from the awkward flip. This guy.... was dancing? He had to be joking about this. There was no reason for him to be dancing but he continued to spin and flip about in time to the drum beats. As the speed of the tempo increased so did his movements. Irritated at not being taken seriously and, worse it seemed, mocked, Blaze grit his teeth and moved forward with swift steps and thrust a solid punch to connect with the man's chest.

He blinked and saw white as pain exploded through his skull. In that brief instant, he saw his fist connect with nothing but air where the dark warrior had been only a second before. Dazed as he staggered back, Blaze saw the warrior was now instead balanced perfectly on one hand as his feet completed the turn in front of him after landing a solid kick. Luck. It had to be sheer bad luck that Blaze just stepped in at an inopportune time in this dance.

But he didn't have time to think about it as his adversary was suddenly nearer to him as he continued his strange dance. With an angry growl, Blaze swiftly swung around a fierce roundhouse kick. To no avail once more as his shocked eyes watched as it seemed like time slowed down for him to witness. The man easily ducked the kick in time to the beat as if he never once broke the dance before he continued the motion to bring his back leg swinging around to sweep Blaze's prone balancing leg from beneath him. In an instant, Blaze was on his back and wheezing from the impact having driven the air from his lungs. Eyes staring up to the stars in disbelief, the warrior suddenly flipped into his view.

With a hoarse cry of fright, Blaze rolled aside just in time. The solid thud of the knee slamming into dirt where his head had been just moments before was heard by him as well as everyone else. Gasping for air, he staggered to his knees then feet before backing away as fast as he could. The young warrior knew then that this man wasn't just dancing. The dance was the fighting!

In a near panic at this unexpected fighting style, Blaze swiftly began backing away to regain his composure. The warrior would have none of it though and was after him in swift pursuit. Blaze gasped as he dropped back defensively as the man hopped before landing and launching himself into an impossible spinning kick that momentarily stunned Blaze. Gathering his wits barely in time, Blaze managed to bring his arms up to block. He grunted in pain with the harsh impact. The sure killing blow felt like it would almost break his left arm instead. Pain lancing through his arm, he could only stagger back as the bigger warrior landed upon his hands and spun about in a whirlwind kick. Multiple blows connected within mere moments that made Blaze's vision tunnel.

He was losing! Dear spirits he couldn't win this fight. He couldn't beat such unorthodox fighting if he didn't know any way to use a counter that worked. In a non-ceasing attack, Blaze could only watch in a daze as the dark warrior coiled his legs all in a fluid movement before thrusting them outwards. Blaze felt the impact into his chest. It was bad enough that he felt the air leave his lungs, but he also felt there a sickening snap within his chest as he flew backwards. His back slammed brutally into the bars before his head snapped back to rap against them.

Blaze crashed to the ground as the whole world spun about him and pain exploded everywhere through his body. So nauseous from the head blow he'd received Blaze now coughed and vomited violently. Fighting the bodily defense to black out, he focused on the ground in front of him. Soon everything stopped spinning and he saw what he already could feel. Blood mixed with his vomit as the sign of the internal bleeding he felt painfully. He could also feel blood seep out of his nose, lip, and the back of his head down his neck. He was in bad shape, especially with at least one rib broken.

Staggering to his feet, somewhat surprised that he could, Blaze frustratingly looked up to the dancing warrior whom was moving away for a brief reprieve before another onslaught. He was losing. Not only would his life be forfeit, but theirs as well. He could feel their panicked eyes upon his back so close behind. How many times? He bit his lip in frustration and inner shame. How many times, he asked himself, had they saved his life? How many times had he been the one to rely upon his friends? He had helped them a few times but their assistance still outnumbered that. He was indebted to them in so many ways. And here, when they needed him most, he was failing! Damn him!

Blaze swore he'd never lose a battle again and he intended to keep that vow. How wouldn't fail himself. He wouldn't fail his friends. He would NOT fail Kendra! Feeling the inner rage boiling inside him, Blaze took a rattled bloody breathe as he observed the warrior with a cool studying gaze. There was nothing other than he had already seen about this dark warrior dancing about. He continued to bob about in perfect time to the beat of the drums.

Blaze stopped himself on that thought. The beat. Just like Kendra. Every time he had seen her dance, she had lost herself to the rhythm of the song. Her head bobbed along before her body followed suit. It had seemed as if she was lost to the world except for the beat and, obviously, him. That was why he was being to beaten badly. He wasn't in sync with the rhythm. If he was to get on the same playing field as this dancing warrior, he had to do it through song.

Quieting all doubts about how hard this would be with his martial arts not being fluid for song dance, Blaze took in a deep breath and closed his eyes. Listen to the beat. Lose yourself to it, he thought. In the darkness from his closed eyes, the beat heard by his ears soon became the only world to him. Every harsh sounding impact from large drum to small bongos was absorbed until he began to sense the timing. He soon began to understand the rhythm of the music. Quickly enough, he began to feel it pulse throughout his body and being.

He could feel the beat!

*******************

Her hands gripped the bars tightly so much that they began to bend from her demonic strength. Kendra didn't notice as her beautiful emerald eyes were focused solely on Richard. By the Abyss she wanted to be out there by his side and fight. But she had seen the look in his eyes. Richard was doing this for them and it was his battle alone. To interfere, even to prevent his death, would hurt his feelings and sense of honor.

The gorgeous succubus had to keep reminding herself that more and more as he was soundly getting beaten to a pulp by the warrior he faced. When he crashed back against the bars next her and vomited, panic welled up within her with such force. Nadine next to her sobbed at seeing Blaze in such pain and turned into Tyra's comforting embrace as she wept. Tyra looked on with concern with Rae next to her poised like a tense spider, wanting to leap into the fray and help Blaze desperately.

Get up, Richard, Kendra silently begged in her mind. As if he truly could hear her, the young man rose to his feet staggering, bloodied heavily. Now fight! She silently cheered, still believing in him. She would never cease believing in him. She remembered that day in which he had fought the tree monster to save her when he hadn't needed to. He'd found the will and strength to persevere then and she knew he would now.

So why was he just standing there?! His cold eyes stared intently upon the warrior yet he didn't budge in the slightest. Kendra nearly called out to him but stopped herself when she saw it. His head was moving as his eyes closed. Rae gasped in shock from his insane action, but Kendra saw into it more. Richard's head was bobbing. It moved in time with the music. It was just like with her dances. He was losing himself to the beat!

His body soon quivered in what Kendra knew from experience was the shiver running up his spine. It was the adrenaline rush as the music filled his whole body and soul. Excitement, anticipation, rapture, and lust crashed through his body as his body now began to move in slight bouncing motions. The music was all he knew now, not the pain.

The dark warrior had already swung in to attack once more as he dropped down to one hand on the ground and lashed out with a wicked finishing kick. Richard's eyes snapped open and swiftly ducked the kick with ease before spinning away. The dark warrior didn't miss a beat as he rolled forward into a somersault before springing into the air with another outlandish spinning kick. Kendra gasped when Richard turned around in time to block it as if he had already anticipated it. Everyone else, including the tribal warrior, seemed shocked while watching Blaze slam a brutal sidekick into the enemy still in midair. The dark man was sent flying backwards and crashed hard into the dirt. He blinked and looked up to Blaze in disbelief, clearly having thought the battle already won.

Kendra looked back to her lover and saw him bouncing lightly on the balls of his feet in rhythm to the beat of the music. His torso twisted slightly back and forth with his hands beckoning to warrior to get up.

"All right, come on," he said with a dark smirk, blood leaking from the corners of his mouth, "Let's dance."

The dancing warrior flipped up to his feet instantly right into a charging cartwheel. Upon reaching Richard, the warrior spun down low with a sweeping kick. Richard easily scooted backwards while lifting his front over the sweep. Richard slammed that very foot down and used the momentum to carry him into the swift front flip with leg still extended. The tribal warrior was still in his motion down low and unable to react swiftly enough as Richard's foot came crashing down upon the warrior's head.

Kendra's spirits lifted as she watched Richard's opponent once more come crashing into the ground. He was finally going toe-to-toe with the bigger warrior. Blood poured out of the open gash upon the head from Richard's blow. Now both warriors were significantly injured.

Her green eyes watched intently now as both of them were instantly back at it. The demoness watched in amazement as they traded brutal blows to each other while at times it seemed that they were more dancing in tandem as they twisted and spun about with martial arts maneuvers mixed in. Kendra had never before seen such a spectacle of sheer beauty and brutality mixed in.

The smooth flowing grace of the dark warrior using as he spun about in all forms against Richard's bobbing speed and agility combined with the raw power of battle lust. Kendra would never have believed mortals to be capable of such, even in their injured states.

Her breath caught in her throat as Richard caught the foot of the dark warrior. Her lover swiftly slammed a solid kick into the face of the fighter before roaring as he twisted. Rae gasped in shock next her as Richard's muscles bulged to the maximum as he hurled the massive warrior up into the air. The bigger man didn't go up very high and was soon falling back down. Only the warrior met the two feet of Richard, who had half-flipped backwards onto his hands and thrust both kicks upwards.

The crushing blow sent the tribal warrior grunting in pain up higher into the air once more. Impossibly, Richard half-flipped forward back upright before dropping into a crouch and launching himself high into the air after his enemy. Every onlooker present watched in shock and awe as Blaze caught the feet of the hapless warrior and yanked down. That motion sent them spinning forward end over end towards the ground.

With a roar of rage and adrenaline induced madness, Richard timed it perfectly with his arms as he hurled the bigger man at the last second. The tribal warrior couldn't have reacted even if he tried. He impacted the dirt head first with so much savage force that everyone could hear the resounding break of his neck in a sickening crack. Richard crashed into the ground on his side not far off. As it was obvious the tribal warrior wouldn't be getting up, all the music ceased.

Kendra gripped the bars tightly as she watched Blaze get up slowly and barely manage to stand on his own two feet. He glanced about as if looking lost. She realized in that instant he was listening for the beat that was no longer there. His world was coming back to him as his adrenaline rush faded away. She saw the terrible pain suddenly fill his eyes and the full impact of what he had put his broken body through finally hit him.