Born of Defiance

Laughing, Felicia led them into the formal dining room that overlooked the city, where the catering company had already set everything up.

Talyn was grateful that she put her brother at the opposite end of the table and took a seat to his right. Times like this, he was acutely aware of just how socially awkward and reclusive he was. He seriously hated interacting with others.

The only thing that made this bearable was the sexy red dress Felicia wore. One that made him curse their company and wish for five minutes alone to take care of the heavy need in his groin.

“I still can’t believe that I’m actually sitting here with the Iron Hammer. This is just…” Lorens swept his gaze over his sons before he chose what must be a more appropriate word. “Incredible. So Hammer, how’s it looking for your next match? I was reading that it’s with Death Warrant?”

A caterer brought out the first course. Talyn thanked the female server before he answered. “It is. While I respect Dalun’s abilities, and in particular his right hook, I expect to mop the floor with him in three to four rounds.”

“Aren’t you scared he might kill you?” Gavarian asked.

Talyn shook his head. “I couldn’t do what I do, if I was.”

Brach’s eyes widened. “How is it that you’ve never been defeated?”

Talyn passed an amused glance to Felicia. “Want to know the secret?”

He nodded eagerly.

Talyn sat back in all earnestness. “Every morning before a fight, I sacrifice two goats to the gods.”

“For real?”

He laughed. “No. I just train hard, study my opponents, and eat right.”

“I want to Ring fight.” Gavarian glared at his father. “But I’m not allowed to.”

“I keep telling him how dangerous it is. He equates it to schoolyard fights and his wrestling matches.”

Talyn choked at that. “Listen to your paka, Gavarian. It’s not like any fight you’ve ever had. I promise you.”

Gavarian snorted. “How can it be different?”

Talyn bit back a snort of derision. How he wished he could have been that arrogant and foolish at that age. But the gods had never allowed him such naivete. “When we step into that Ring, it’s not over a girl or hurt feelings, or with school referees who want to protect us from harm, and make sure we follow game rules. It’s for honor and glory. With only one law. Two warriors walk in. Only one walks out. You’re not facing a bully or former friend who’s ticked off. It’s cold-blooded ruthlessness. All-out war. Every punch or kick is one from someone who is trained to put every ounce of their strength and weight behind the blow. You’ve never been really hit until you take a punch with a ton of weight behind it. The first time you receive a pro hit, you have this moment where you think, did I just lose a kidney? Or control of my bladder? No, wait, it’s my mind. Definitely every brain cell I possess… I have to be crazy to be in here. What the heck was I thinking? Where’s the exit? Medic! Help!”

They laughed.

“I don’t believe that for an instant. Not the way you fight.” Gavarian reached for his drink.

“It’s the truth. I swear. It’s not as glamorous as you think it is. There’s a big difference between sitting in the stands, watching the fight, and being the idiot in the Ring looking out at the crowd with blood streaming into your eyes. Take my word for it, you’d much rather be tasting snack foods and soda than your own blood, sweat, and bile.”

“Yeah, but the cheers from the crowd —”

“Don’t register through the roar in your ears from your heartbeat and the sound of blood rushing through your body.”

“Really?”

“Really. The only thing I hear in a Ring is the sound of my trainer calling drill moves from practice. That and the voice in my head saying I’m an absolute moron for being there, and telling me to run while I still have all my body parts attached.”

Her nephews looked at him suspiciously.

“You don’t believe me?” Talyn asked. “After dinner, we’ll go to the gym in back and I’ll show you.”

Brach’s eyes widened with joy. “Seriously?”

“Seriously.”

“That’s going to be awesome!” Gavarian dug into his food. “So how do you prepare for a fight, Hammer?”

Talyn shrugged. “It’s no different than what your paka does. You drill, every day. Study your enemy. Carefully. You have to know what you’re getting into before you accept the challenge. And recognize that some fights aren’t worth it. The real skill lies in deciding which fights to take, and which to walk away from.”

Lorens reached for his wine. “How do you mean?”

Talyn gently declined the wine when the server tried to pour some for him. “There are a lot of fighters who are out for blood. Like Death Warrant. I know going in that he’s there to kill me if he can. Normally, I’d have passed on the fight.”