Guardians of Enthia I - Chapter IV
In which Yui, guided by Alistair, has his bout at the docks.
A motley assembly of sailors and soldiers gathered around a makeshift ring in the middle of Kathara's harbor warehouse. The scent of salt, sweat, and ale mingled in the damp air, as Yui Staav hesitantly stepped onto the wooden planks that formed the arena. His eyes locked on his opponent, Reuben, a burly sailor with a tangled beard and arms like twisted ropes.
"Ready to dance, lad?" Reuben sneered, bouncing on his feet in preparation of the bout.
"Ready as I'll ever be," Yui replied quietly, flexing his hands inside the worn leather boxing gloves. He was no stranger to fighting, but this wasn't his preferred arena. The roar of the crowd unnerved him, but he could feel his brother's eyes on him, urging him to victory.
"Alright, lads! Let's give 'em a show!" cried out Alistair from the sidelines, his voice cutting through the din. Yui glanced at him, nodding slightly, before turning his attention back to the fight.
As the bell rang, Reuben charged forward, fists swinging. Yui's mind raced, calculating angles and strategies, while his body moved with practiced grace. He dodged a particularly vicious hook, landing a blow on Reuben's ribs. The sailor grunted in pain but continued his relentless assault.
"Come on, Yui! You've got this!" Alistair's encouragement echoed in his brother's ears, spurring him to press on.
As the fight raged, each landed blow seemed to carry more weight than Yui expected. He attributed it to adrenaline, focusing instead on exploiting Reuben's weaknesses. With one final strike, Yui sent the sailor crashing to the ground, the crowd erupting in cheers and jeers.
"Never doubted you for a moment!" Alistair exclaimed, slapping Yui's back with a broad grin.
But as Yui reached to remove his gloves, something caught his eye. Small plates of weighted metal gleamed within the lining, their polished surfaces glistening in the moonlight.
"Alistair... What is this?" Yui asked, barely audible over the clamor of the crowd.
"What's what?"
Yui, being careful of the others around, peeped the gloves to his brother.
"Ah, that..." Alistair said, coughing nervously. "Just a little bit of, um, insurance! That's right, insurance."
"Insurance!" Yui shouted in protest. "Alistair, you're going to get us both kill-"
Yui was cut short as one of Reuben's crewmates suddenly snatched the glove from his hand, his face contorting in rage.
"I knew it! You cheated!" the sailor roared, hurling the glove into the angry mob. In an instant, the air grew thick with tension, the cheers replaced by cries for blood.
"Time to go, Yui!" Alistair shouted, grabbing his brother's arm and pulling him towards the edge of the docks.
The sound of angry sailors and splintering wood grew louder behind them. They had no time to argue further, as they sprinted into the night, hoping to find an escape. The brothers ran as fast as they could, the sound of angry sailors and their pounding footsteps echoing through the deserted streets of Kathara. Adrenaline coursed through their veins, their hearts beating so hard they thought they'd burst. They needed to find a way out, and fast.
"Up ahead, there's an alleyway!" Alistair shouted, pointing towards a narrow gap between two buildings. "Let's go!"
Yui nodded, his breaths coming in ragged gasps. They darted into the alleyway, their footsteps echoing off the walls. The darkness swallowed them whole, and they stumbled blindly forward, hoping they wouldn't run into a dead end.
Fortunately it worked, and the sailors rushed off in the opposite direction. Finally given a chance to breathe, Yui looked up disappointingly at his brother.
"You were a fool to do that, you know," he said.
Alistair looked down, sweat dripping from his temple. "You know those sailors. Damned if you do, damned if you don't. Figure it was safer if I could make sure you could win."
"It was your idea to take the bout in the first place. And to have me be the fighter."
Alistair shook his head, giving a nervous chuckle. "Not my best idea of an escapade, alright? But at least it's a story to tell the other guards. Now come on, let's go home."
Yui did not bother arguing further, and the two began their late night walk back to the barracks.