[The Blood Pits] Where Blood Flows...

by **Garret Sawyer** on December 14th, 2013, 7:28 pm

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Timestamp - Evening, 21st Bell, 10th of Winter, AV 513

The dirt felt rough and damp as the hand reached out to take a handful. It had been stained by decades of hatred, vengeance and desperation, things only blood could solve. The hand pulled up a large chunk of the ground, clumps of hair held it together in a single lump while strange stones of white, yellow and black dotted its surface. Another hand reached down and pulled the lump apart, revealing the stones to be teeth that had no doubt become detached unwillingly from their owners.

Garret stood back up, still holding the lump of dirt in his hand as he looked around at his surroundings. He was trapped in the dirt pit stained by blood. Damp, mouldy stone walls towered above him as spectators began to fill the seats that surrounded the pit. They talked eagerly amongst themselves, discussing everything from the weather to money and even about the fight they were about to witness. Garret felt nothing as gamblers eyed him up, trying work out what he was capable of, the odds of him winning, he knew what he could do and soon so would they.

He felt strangely exposed without his morningstar, like a part of him had been removed without his permission. He didn't have much of a say in it, he agreed to this fight after all. About half a bell earlier he had stepped into the blood pits, not for money or glory but one simple thing.

Blood.

Bloodlust his dad used to call it, when all a man can think about is when next he might shed blood. And there was only one thing you could do when that happened, seek it out. It was not something that would waver, it could not be cured, and once you got it you couldn't lose it till you gave into it. That was why he sought out The Blood Pits and that was why he was here now. As soon as he had stepped into this place he sought out the one they called The Pit Bull. Though no-one told him he was a behemoth of a man with all the charm of a drunk tramp and manners to match.

The Pit Bull made him an offer "You want to fight in my pits? Sure, it's a free city" Garret couldn't help but remember how the Pit Bull laughed at that last comment, Sunberth was far from a free city, it was one big lie "The thing is..." he continued after his laughing subsided "I have a crowd to please and while the gamblers might like it when your type come in a smash the shit out of some whelp who never learnt to use a sword the rest of the crowd don't that much. So I'll give you this offer, you step into that ring without your weapon and show 'em how brutal you can be with just your fists"
"I ain't a fist fighter" he replied bluntly
"Neither is your opponent, and I bet he hasn't been in as many fights as you. Take your top off as well, they like to see the fact you are just a man who'll bleed just as easily as any other without your armour protecting you and give them a good show, and if you survive I'll let you fight here again"

Garret had agreed, he wanted blood and his seemed as good as any other. So now he stood at the edge of the pit, topless and unarmed as he awaited his opponent. He rubbed the dirt he still held in between his hands, caking them in the thick, dark mud while he stepped out into the pit. Behind him he heard the squeak of the rust metal door close behind him and lock with a resounding thud.

by **Garret Sawyer** on December 14th, 2013, 7:33 pm

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Slowly the crowd began to shout and cheer, eager for the fight to commence. Alcohol fuelled chants echoed throughout the stadium as the Pit Bull stepped up to the balcony edged, his booming voice silencing the crowd as he announced the combatants.

"We are here today to witness two combatants fight for their very lives until their opponent's body lays sprawled out on the grounds, bloody and bruised while they walked away to see the sunset one more time. On the right side we have a brutal mercenary, he has no honour, no morals and no sense of mercy. Names mean nothing to this man. He is a foreigner, and we will give him a Sunberthian welcome, won't we now?”

Garret stepped further into the ring warily as his appearance was met with cheers of support and cries of derision, with the latter more common amongst this xenophobic crowd. Garret cared not for their insults "I came for blood" he thought "Not their approval". He stopped midway between the centre of the ring and the entrance he had just come through, staring intensely at the opposite gate where his opponent would spring from, eager for the blood to flow.

The Pit Bull's voice continued to echo throughout the room, his deep tone resonating within each and every spectator "And on the left side we have a local lad. He was born on these streets, he grew up on these streets, he became a man on these streets and now he will shed blood for these streets. Give it up for a man of the people, Jack TannerI am unsure if I have to list his skills but I am writing under the impression that pretty much like Garret he has no real skill that would assist him in this fight!"

The crowd roared with approval, giving the local a much warmer welcome than Garret received, still there were boos but no doubt these taunts came from gamblers backing Garret to win this fight. The gate swung open as a figure was pushed through it before quickly being shut once more, again with a resounding thud that told you that you had made you fate and there was no going back. It revealed a stocky man, a couple of inches than Garret but broader with thicker arms and rough hands though they belonged to a labourer, not a warrior. Short, copper hair adorned his head and his icy blues stared up at Garret sternly but he did not seem eager to step forwards towards him.

Garret had heard stories of men and women being forced to fight in The Blood Pits, usually to settle debts one way or another, and stories like that wouldn't surprise him in a city like this.

The Pit Bull's voice announced the start of the fight suddenly "To the victor life and the loser death. Spill blood for us men, show us what you are made of"

Garret raised his dirty, roughened fists doubtfully as his opponent mirrored him. Slowly Garret started to approach the man, uncertain of how to proceed with the fight, he wasn't a fist fighter and neither was his opponent. They started to circle each other warily, with each step they took they were making their way closer to each other. The crowd was completely silent as they watched eagerly for the men to come to blows. Jack made the first move, catching Garret of guard.

The man lunged forward suddenly, his right fist arced round aiming for the side of Garret's head. It smacked bluntly, sending a wave of pain rippling across his head as he tried to draw back from his opponent. Another fist struck him, this time it sunk deep into his gut, forcing the wind out of him. Garret swung wildly out at him, he hit him weakly in the chest, turning into of more a push than a punch if anything. He did manage to push Jack away from him as he stepped backwards, putting a couple of metres of bloody dirt between them.

But his opponent sensed weakness as he pushed forwards with his attack, closing the gap quickly and attacking before Garret to raise his arms up to shield his face. The fist soared towards his jaw, his head twisted around as a combination of spit and blood sprayed across the pit floor, sending a roar of excitement rippling around the spectator stands. But he wasn't done with Garret yet, as soon as his head turned back round all he saw was the callous skin of his opponent palm before it smashed into his nose, sending Garret stumbling backwards, only just managing to stop himself from falling down into the sand.

by **Garret Sawyer** on December 15th, 2013, 10:04 pm

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He was in a bad way and must have looked it based of the jeers of the crowd. Blood leaked out from his nose, running down his muddy face before dripping onto the dirt ground. His head throbbed agonizingly with each heartbeat, his vision blurred ever so slightly from the pain, and while he wasn't going to check right now but he was sure the last right hook dislodged one of his teeth. His breath was heavy and laboured as he struggled to regain the air that had been knocked out of him.

"By the gods' this has gone badly" he thought as the crowd threw insults at him "He was so nervous when he came in, but now he is cocky but he has good reason to be". Garret was right as well, for every insult that had been directed at him a cheer had been directed at this Jack Tanner, even now he was smiling triumphantly as he began to move in closer to Garret, eager to play to the crowds demands for blood and be rid of his debts once and for all.

Jack approached again, this time with the crowd at his back, cheering him on. Garret knew he had to keep his guard up this time, one more heavy punch to the face and his reactions would be ruined as would his chances of surviving this fight. He saw the pale blues eyes of his opponent narrow as Jack's fist swung out at him. Reacting as quickly as his aching head would allow him, he leant back, his opponents fist so close to his face he could see the cuts on the knuckles where they had smacked against his jaw moments earlier. His opponent no doubt expected his fist to connect to Garret's face, the crowd had made him cocky, so when he just missed the fist swung far and wide, causing Jack to stumble over.

Garret promptly swung low, hitting him hard in the side of his torso. He heard him grunt loudly as he jerked over. Garret struck wildly at the side of his head with the base of his fist as he felt his opponent's hands try to push him away but he did not relent. Hitting him manically, he grab a clump of his hair and yanked him along, throwing him to the side of the pit. With his opponents back to the wall they stared at each other, both of them were bruised and dirty, with a trail of blood staring to trickled down the side of Jack's red, angry skin while the blood that covered Garret's nose has dried and cracked. They both breathed heavily, the look of desperation deep set in their eyes and they thought about their next move in the fight for their survival.

In one moment they both charged, their bodies colliding as their arms rushed to grab each other's throats. With his heavier weight Garret came of best from this collision, he felt a sudden thud as he rammed Jack's body back into the wall, his hands reach up to grabs Jack's face, slamming it backwards into the stonework as he felt fists pummel against his back. He felt another rush of blood pour down his face as he felt Jack's forehead smash into his own nose, using the distraction push him away.

Suddenly the dirt beneath disappeared as he was tackled to the ground, he felt his back smack sharply against the ground, knocking what little air remained of him. Cold hands wrapped themselves around his neck, the thumbs pushing down on his throats as he struggled for air. He thrashed wildly on the ground, clawing at Jack's wrists as the pressed tighter. Slowly the edges of his vision started to blur, his heartbeat quicken, and his lungs seemed to burn. The noise of the roaring crowd was drowned out by sound of blood pounding in his ears. "Is this how I die?" He thought.

by **Garret Sawyer** on December 15th, 2013, 11:19 pm

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Garret summoned up what little strength he had left in his bones and smashed Jack on the side of his head, crying out as he felt a couple of his fingers break against his thick skull. He felt the air rush into his body as Jack was flung off his body, he drunk the air in like it was the sweetest thing in the world, savouring each breath. He turned his head as his vision begun to return and the sounds of crowd became clear, Jack lay sprawled out the ground, perhaps Garret had more strength than he thought as Jack struggled to make sense of the situation he was in.

"Time to end this" Garret thought solemnly.

He struggled to drag himself over to Jack, slipping and tripping, much to the amusement of the crowd. He positioned himself over Jack, and grabbed the side of his head, forcing Jack to look at him "You tried to kill me" He whispered over as the crowd roared for blood, all ties of loyalty had been cut as far as they were concerned "You would have. But you lost and now you will pay" He saw the fear in Jack's eyes as his hands hovered down toward his face, he raised his hands to try and push Garret away but he didn't have the strength.
"Please..." he begged "I have a pregnant wife, and a younger brother to look after"
It could have been true, it might well have been but it mattered not to Garret, the years had shaped him into a man who wanted blood at that was what he would get as he lined his thumbs with the man's pale blue eyes.

Garret wanted blood and by the gods he got it. As soon as he pushed the tips of his dirty thumbs into the corner of each eyes blood poured out, he clenched his teeth as the screams of anguish and pain filled the pits. The crowd was completely silent as they watched the sheer brutality unfold before their very eyes. The blood streamed out as he dug deeper, it poured down his face, flowing like tears as in ran into his open mouth, sending a spray of blood into the air, splattering across Garret's face. He could feel the hot blood on his skin, he could taste it in his mouth, and he could hear it choke the screams. Slowly the screams faltered as bloodloss set in, he yanked his thumbs out, tearing out the remnants of his eyes with it, sending a final wave of blood pouring out before it settled into a bloody stream.

He pulled himself to his feet as the crowds started to applaud, bar one woman who waddled tearfully from the stands. And Garret stood there in his blood glory, emblazoned by the blood of his enemy that covered his face and torso in its victory.

The Pit Bull's booming voice echoed once again from the balcony "Ladies and gentleman, I think we have ourselves a winner!" The crowd roared in approval "He has fought to the bitter end to walk out of here alive and who are we to deny him that honour. Leave valiant warrior, and know you are always welcome in our humble arena"

The Pit Bull had approached him later on after he had cleared himself up "Here's your weapon and the rest of your clothes. Bloody brilliant out there, it was a real treat for the eyes" He roared with laughter at his own joke before contuining "In all seriousness it was a great warm up for the crowd even if a few of the crowd were put off by the screams. You free to fight here again, next time I'll even let you use your weapon"
Garret simply nodded, he didn't know when he would be back but he knew he would, he would always need to shed blood, it was a curse he would never be rid of until Dira claimed him.