Lonesome and {{B L O O D Y}} - [Redd]

Kayden drops his staff and lunges at my feet. What is this kid doing? I stumble backwards and let my staff fall to the floor to keep my balance. He manages to get his hand around my left ankle in the ordeal and I fall to the floor too. I kick my legs in the most dignified way I know how to get him off of me. I think one of my feet may have hit something while I kicked because now my foot hurts. This is how I like to fight. No weapons, just people. A freeform dance of punches and kicks. I give Kayden a chance to get up and then I begin. I let him do most of the work. He punches at me a few times and manages to get my cheek pretty hard. But now it is my turn. I strike like an animal, taking advantage of my long arms and his open body whenever he lashes at me. “Do you fight unarmed often?” I ask. I know that the answer is probably no. Very few careers do. I think about what is left of my ear and about how much more damage someone can do with a knife or a spear than with a fist. Then I stop thinking. And let my rabid dancer come back as I let three sharp punches fly in Kayden’s direction.

Kayden admits that he is not used to bareknuckle fighting in training sessions. I smile again. “You should. It is the best way to train for the games.” I strike his side. “Not to mention it is fun too.” I kick at his other side. He punches at me and I duck to dodge as the clock chimes 5:00. Training is over which is fine by me. My real training happens at night with low lights and the smell of whiskey in the air. Tonight, I will prove to District one that I am our best chance to have another victor. I figure Kayden probably has never even seen a bareknuckle fight—a real bareknuckle fight with money riding on the fighters and no trainers watching to make sure we don’t get hurt too badly. “Hey Kayden, come to the tavern tonight to bet on the games.” I wink as I speak and wonder if Kayden understands what I mean. I am not scheduled for a hard fight tonight, so I grin as I think of the prospect of both of us bringing home a tidy sum from my handiwork.