Luttepor Fairlamor

"No lists up yet," Lee shrugged. "Something's going on."

Grace Simon, a pretty eighteen year old with short black hair from his camp, walked up and stood next to him at the fence. His sister said she was sweet on him, but she would probably never win a Fairlamor because she was too petite. On the other hand, she was exceptionally bright, and sometimes Lee wondered about the wisdom of creating future generations based on brawn alone. Someone like Grace, although not for him, had a lot to contribute to the gene pool.

"Are you entered, Grace?" he asked, giving her a smile. He hated hurting people's feelings so he'd never told her of his sexual preference. Although, if they both won a competition, he wouldn't be put off by her. At least she cared about him.

"Not tonight." She looked up at him with her sad pixie face. "Womanly troubles, so..." She didn't have to finish the statement, and Evie threw her a pitying glance. "I really came over here to ask how long ago you put your names on the books. Virgil Camden has made several boasts about winning your sister this time."

Virgil Camden was a bully from Camp 7. He was huge and very bulked out, with muscles that had muscles, and had been the winner of at least three Fairlamors. He never stayed mated, however, and there were several theories going around the camps about why. First off, he was dumb as a box of rocks with a mean streak that was only surpassed by his ego. He also allegedly liked his sex rough, and one of his proposed mates had to be sent to the infirmary after their night together. The third involved a rumor that he was secretly enamored with Evie Boudreaux and would keep trying for her until he took her to bed.

What Virgil didn't know, or maybe didn't care about, was that Evie despised him. Not only for his pompous King-of-the-World attitude that made the way he treated most people despicable, but especially for taking a fierce dislike to her little brother. It made sense to all but him that if you wanted to impress a woman, one way would be through flattery and making an effort to befriend a beloved sibling. Instead, Virgil had purposely elbowed Lee in the face during his second Fairlamor and left him with bruises that had humiliated the teen and taken forever to heal. She had never forgiven him and was saving every spare credit she earned. If the two of them ever won the same Fairlamor corresponding round, she planned to utilize her right and buy her way out of her mating with him.

"You know what Virgil does shouldn't matter," Evie said lightly. "They pick the names out randomly."

Or so that was the idea. Nobody would have been surprised to discover that a fair amount of bribery went into deciding contestants for the bouts. Evie had found herself in too many corresponding competitions with him for it to be coincidence.

"What is taking them so long tonight?" Lee asked, twisting to gaze at the leaders still bent over what looked like a rulebook. He was keeping his fingers crossed to stay out of the way of the hulking bully.

Grace frowned. "You need to be more careful, Lee, about being so eager to sign up as soon as registration opens. Virgil was standing right behind you at the booth, so of course, he entered immediately. He's probably already greasing the palms of the registration officer to fight for Evie."

"Thanks, little brother," Evie said sarcastically, punching him in the arm. "Maybe I'll lose in the first match-up on purpose."

There was an irritated rustling of droning human bodies as Cecil Peltiere took up a bullhorn. Few liked the short pudgy man and he made Lee think of spoiled milk. His skin was pasty and the irises of his eyes were such a light blue to be nearly white. The arena slowly quieted down.

"Ladies and gentlemen, a moment please of your attention. As I'm sure you have noticed, the Fairlamor lists haven't been posted as yet. We have a small problem we are trying to settle and beg you to be patient."

A problem could only mean one thing. Someone had tried to cheat by entering their name twice or too many people were signed up to participate in the scheduled number of rounds. The rules were clear on the number of applicants allowed in each fight. It was not a huge headache, but with the way that everyone was wandering around eager to get the Fairlamor started, it was plain that the anxiety was at tinderbox level. It would only take one hint of a worker being turned away because the Fairlamor was full, and the whole place would explode.

A full ten minutes went by before Cecil spoke again, explaining that, yes, too many people were signed up to accommodate them in twelve rounds but not enough for fourteen and he asked for more of both male and female volunteers to make up for the loss. You could tell that some of the camp members who had not signed up were considering it, but in the end only two men added their names to the list.

The Camp 12 leader addressed the crowd. "Seeing as that we still don't have the required amount of fighters, the only solution is that for us to hold an extraordinary thirteenth contest, but not under the current confines. Round thirteen will be a mixed-gender round."

An exciting buzz broke out amid the crowd. There was a flurry of activity as questions were asked about the differences in a bout where women would compete against men and how it would be governed. The explanation was simple; eighteen young people, spread equally between the sexes, would compete on a voluntary basis. Everyone agreed that this was unique. To make it more balanced since the genders weren't only battling their own, the male's dominant hand would be tied to his belt behind his back and a patch was taped over his right eye. All combatants knew the guidelines for the fight before signing up so the results would be final and binding.

For something so drastic, there had to be an explanation for this ruling apart from the desire to accommodate all who wanted to fight. The answer was provided by a tall, dark-skinned woman from their camp named Florence when she joined them to share the gossip she'd learned from a friend.

"Rumor has it that a Camp 9 Fairlamor couple was exiled yesterday and two other non-sanctioned couples wanting to be mated apart from the games went with them," she said of the reasons behind the heightened belligerence. "The rest of the camp workers are angry, saying the offense wasn't great enough to deserve exile. A lot of the leaders are afraid because they think they're losing the power to control the camps and we workers will begin making decisions for ourselves."

"So what will they do?" As sweet and reserved as Grace was, the young woman also had issues with the injustice of the Fairlamor system, one in which she would never be a champion because of her size.

"Oh, you know our leaders," Evie quipped. "They will bury their heads in the sand and bend the rules on the competition to make us believe they're doing this for our good."

"Well, I don't know about y'all," Florence stated, "but I like the idea of the thirteenth round."

Lee saw also an exceptional opportunity arising and he jumped at it. Instead of fighting nineteen other strong men, he'd only have to battle eight to be champion of the round. Let the females take care of themselves. It was a win-win situation, and he immediately raised his hand to volunteer.

Other hands went up more slowly as the officials counted and waited. Once nine men agreed to the terms, the round was closed to the males. Florence joined in immediately, but most of the women were slower to come forward, naturally leery of fighting in the same bout as the men. They were assured that the round would be closely monitored for their safety and overly menacing behavior would not be tolerated. The bargaining went back and forth until they had all eighteen recruits.

Soon the men and women in the first two rounds were preparing themselves by kicking off their shoes and presenting themselves to the officials, two leaders from each camp. The object of the fight was to trip or knock people down, thereby eliminating him or her. You were not allowed to grab clothing or pick up an opponent to throw them to the ground. No weapons of any kind were permitted, no kicking, hitting or punching, but sometimes people were injured if they were stepped on or stumbled over. Aggression, from the standpoint of intentionally harming another, especially if an established player hurt someone smaller or less experienced, was not tolerated and resulted in penalties or, in the worst cases, ejection. Strength and agility were needed, and knowing some defensive wrestling moves helped.

Grace accompanied Evie as she made her way up to the arena booth to check which fight she was assigned to, and they returned soon after in high spirits. "Number six," she said smugly, and Lee could see her self-confidence rising. "I've fought and beaten every single experienced woman I'll be going up against. And Virgil is entered in the eleventh, so I'm spared."

"Lee," Grace said quietly in a curious voice. "Did you know that someone else was paying attention to your entry too? As soon as you raised your hand to volunteer for the final round he did the same. It looks like Virgil isn't your only worry."

She discreetly pointed to a tall, blonde man with neatly trimmed facial hair around a pouty mouth standing some twenty-five feet away from them. Even though he could've sworn a pair of kind, blue eyes was watching them keenly a few seconds before, the newcomer was now trying to appear nonchalant, and Lee groaned. As he recalled, the man had first shown up at the Fairlamors half a year ago, although he wasn't a teenager. He looked to be in his mid-twenties and Lee thought his name was Will or Bill... something like that. The stranger was a good-looking guy with a broad chest and wide shoulders and a strong muscle structure in his core. He acted full of self-confidence and was observant and quick. Lee noticed those kinds of things in anyone who was competition. Well, maybe not the good-looking part, but that was just how he was made. He couldn't help being interested in handsome men with that kind of body type and a rugged appeal. It was eye-catching and sexy.

The other man was nimble on his feet with the kind of self-protective moves that kept one alive in the competition and, judging by his strength, agility and size, he should have been a winner in at least one Fairlamor. Ultimately, he always managed to get tossed out around the middle of the rounds, much to Lee's surprise, so maybe he didn't have the fortitude he needed to fight through to the end. It was rather a disappointment that such a fine competitor couldn't finish as a champion and yet it would make him easier to take down since they were entered in the same round.

Evie smirked at Lee. "You certainly seem to bring out the beast in others," she said, using her shoulder to indicate the intriguing man. "These guys look at your rippling muscles and go in for the kill? Way to work it, Lee."

Grace shook her head with a laugh. "At least I haven't heard anything negative about Will. He's supposed to be a fair fighter and rather quiet. Nobody seems to know much about him, not even his fellow workers at Camp 10."

Ah, so that was his name, Lee thought to himself. Will from Camp 10.

The Fairlamor began and Lee joined Florence, Grace and Evie to watch the opening rounds. The fights themselves were held on a raised platform seventeen feet in diameter and surrounded by a fence that was similar to what was used to corral the horses. The floor and rails were padded to prevent injury.

With the absence of Camp 8's contestants the competition seemed to flow somewhat smoother with fewer challenges and winners spread more through the rest of the camps. He cheered with the girls when their fellow Camp 12 laborers took winning spots in a third of the early rounds.

"Round Six contestants, report," an official walking amongst the spectators announced.

Grace and Lee sauntered up closer to the arena as Evie and the other women bared their feet and in their time entered the enclosure. Ten officials took their places among the contestants to judge the matchups, looking for those who violated the rules and took unfair advantage. The leader of Camp 12, Cecil Peltiere, walked up to the ring and signaled for quiet. "Lutte vous," he shouted, and the Fairlamor was on.

Evie stood at the nine o'clock position flanked by two teenagers Lee had never seen before so it was likely they were new to the Fairlamors. She wanted to be champion as much as the next competitor, but often the newbies were overwhelmed and flat out scared and she avoided taking them on if possible. Ah, she needn't have worried because two Camp 11 girls rushed in and flung the teens to the mat before they even could catch a breath. Evie retaliated by taking down their taller, more fit camp mate and made it look easy.

By the middle of the round she was struggling somewhat. Evie had launched herself at an unidentified girl who looked weak, but she was caught off guard and was almost thrown to the deck. With what appeared to be a painful twist of her back, she shifted sideways, and Lee indulged in a quick glance at her to make sure she wasn't injured before calling out to watch a girl coming at her from across the circle. Minutes later, five losers left the ring, and suddenly Evie wasn't doing too badly, going through two muscular girls who thought she'd be easy prey. She looked up and found herself the only one standing.

Lee jumped over the rail and rushed her, catching his sister in his arms and lifting her high. "Evie, you won, you won," he shouted in glee, his face glowing as he hugged her hard. That six months from now she would probably wed and leave him at the camp alone shot through him bleakly and his silver eyes flashed with pain, but for now he'd be happy for her. This was the ultimate goal and Evie deserved it. Even better, her intended mate was James Falgout, another Camp 12 worker who was a good-natured man that everyone admired because of his quirky sense of humor, common sense and gentle disposition. He would make a fine spouse for her.

James joined them with a huge grin, and Lee clasped him on the shoulder in welcome. They would wait until the Fairlamor competition was complete before meeting with an official and setting up plans for their night together. Already the leaders were clearing out the ring for the next round, and Lee looked up to see Virgil Camden glaring at the happy couple. His angry gaze fixed on Lee and he smiled malevolently, causing the smaller man to shudder.

The rounds progressed, and Lee was happy for some of the winners, booing under his breath at others who didn't fight fair. Bout eleven started, and Virgil wasn't one of the contestants. He was standing at the railing looking like thunder.

"That's not good." Evie flicked her eyes between the bully and her brother, reading his mind. "Let me go check the board."

She and James were back in less than a minute, and Evie was sputtering angrily. "Virgil cheated... again. I don't know how he did it, but he isn't on the list for this round. He's fighting against you in the thirteenth."

Lee wrapped his arms around himself, suddenly cold. Tussling with the bigger guy was not how he had envisioned ending the Fairlamor, and all the positive outcomes he'd dreamed of evaporated. Virgil would be ruthless, especially now that he realized his hope of mating with Evie was probably gone forever. He knew Virgil would be gunning for him and he wasn't going to take it easy either. Lee anticipated cuts and bruises, and the man wouldn't even care if he was sanctioned for his brutality. Virgil would consider any punishment he earned worth it.

At the conclusion, Lee couldn't stop time and it came down to the thirteenth and the final round soon enough. Final fight of the night, the official chanted. The spectators were amped up for a bout where women and men would be in the ring together. Lee just closed his eyes and prepared to meet his fate.

Evie caught him up in a loving hug and looked into his eyes. "Take care, little brother," she warned softly, flicking her gaze at Virgil who was rudely pushing past people in his way to get to the arena. "Don't take any chances with him."

"Don't worry, Evie," he replied. "I won't act stupidly. I'm aware of what he can do."

"Good luck." Grace gave Lee's hand a squeeze and beamed at him. Despite the fact that she liked him a lot and would probably never get a chance with him, she wouldn't do anything but wish him the best. He nodded with a smile.

Eighteen fighters formed a knot next to the Fairlamor arena where they removed their shoes and the men allowed themselves to be bound and have one eye taped. Lee kept his good eye fixed on Virgil, knowing he stood the best chance of survival if he stayed far away from him. The previous round ended with a winner from Camp 11 and the circle cleared out. Lee and the other young people stepped up to the platform. He saw Evie and James talking to Grace as he milled around close to the middle waiting for Virgil who took the twelve o'clock position in the circle. He walked directly opposite. Virgil glared at Lee in challenge, and the younger man swallowed nervously.

Cecil stepped inside the fence, waited for the crowd to simmer down and announced, "Lutte vous".

Virgil immediately went to cross the circle, aiming for Lee as expected, but he was intercepted by a teenager with coppery skin to his left who was new to the competition and unwisely tried to take him on. A more experienced brawler from Camp 11 approached the pair from the rear which only delayed the elimination of the greenhorn by minutes. A pack of veteran girls swooped in on three novices and left them crawling off the mat in tears. In the meantime, Lee found himself in the crosshairs of a large and practiced redhead from Camp 10, and he dully caught sight of the man named Will rushing in to take down his teammate, a smaller brown-eyed man who often bragged about the superiority of their camp. By the end of the first match-up, all five inexperienced players were leaving the ring as well as one of the better female combatants from camp 11 who had tripped over her own feet.

Out of the corner of his eye Lee watched Will emerge victorious from his first fight and go after another man who was dispatched right away, and he had to admit the man was a good fighter. Lee was still battling the Camp 10 man, staying tenaciously on his feet despite all attempts to make him stumble. He was only vaguely aware of what the girls were doing but that wasn't important. He caught Virgil making an illegal throw with his elbow into the gut of a blonde kid from Camp 11 seconds after his own opponent hit the floor. Four girls in a group fight, including Florence, managed to eliminate a pair of them, and there were suddenly only six contestants left: Florence, Virgil, Lee, two unknown girls and the Camp 10 brawler, Will, who didn't seem to be targeting him as feared.

The two strange girls almost distracted him when he saw Virgil coming at him and turned his attention back to his own goal. Florence had the misfortune to be in Virgil's way, and he popped another elbow move and nearly took her out. She came up screaming foul with a bloody lip, but Lee and Will were already on it, suddenly allies. With an angry nod to each other, they double-teamed the bully as the other girl approached the three of them to assist. Lee snarled and bumped Virgil hard from the front, and Will caught him with a shoulder thrust. Florence crouched behind him; he tried to back up but she was at his knees, and he had no room to retreat. Over her back the thug flew into the mat and came up spitting in fury.

Florence jumped to her feet, and turned to face him. Even though he was out of the round, she made the mistake of assuming he hadn't fallen and faltered in a misstep while not quite balanced. The Camp 9 woman who had just scored in her previous joust caught her around the waist, and they flew across the ring in a combined heap. The round was over, and two contestants were left standing—Lee and Will.