Fight...Fight...Fight...Fight...Fight
1466 Words
It was a sudden turn of events as the scroll that meant to be the King's decree turned out to be bogus and the leader named Faceless had been named and shamed in public before his very own peers.
Right now, those citizens who were surrounding the courtyard were silently watching and listening to the whole scenario as it was peeled layer by layer like an onion skin.
When Andy suddenly emerged from the Old Jack's Blacksmith and was wielding a nocked concussive arrowhead on his own personal bow, everyone was awed at the sudden development.
They were discussing in whispers and they speculated that the leader and Andy were both related to one another, even blood brothers and tonight, they would be watching a showdown between them...!
Some were eager and filled with anticipation while others were clenching their fists as they softly chant, "Fight... Fight... Fight... Fight... Fight..."
Frankly, it was quite audible from my side here as the chants suddenly got a bit louder and I have to raise my hands to calm the community.
"Andy... Do you recognise the person before you named Aaron or Faceless as what he was called before his identity was exposed?"
"Aye, Your Majesty. He WAS my blood brother... A lowly old sickly dog whom I had disowned ever since he attacked me with an accomplice so that he would have all the attention from MY parents."
"So it was all due to jealousy and also to be loved by parents. You are not twins, am I right?" I asked and Andy shook his head and replied that Aaron was the elder one.
"Aaron... Since you had gotten what you had ever wanted since that day when you had thrown Andy over the ravine, so how does it feel, eh? Having the love of both parents and what else? So you get fame and wealth along with it? That's why you had a mask over your head and called yourself Faceless?"
"You ought to name yourself as Shameless...!"
*Pfft*
Someone tried to stifle the laughter but somehow couldn't manage to while the crowd soon had spattering laughter ringing around the courtyard which soon became a thunderous and boisterous one.
I had to raise my hands once again as the 7 men had picked up their matchlocks and had aimed their pistols at my direction.
Each of their hands was shaking as they held their pistols steady and everyone could see that the lighted cords of their matchlocks were smouldering.
I had read about matchlocks before and it was a disadvantage to use when it was raining as the lighted cords that ignite the gunpowder would get snuffed and render the pistol as useless.
It was also used as part of the garrison that guards the watchtowers in Darlington.
"You have what... 7 matchlocks pistols that would shoot 7 round projectiles, puncturing my body from a distance of 25 feet? You need to be a c***k shot to be able to kill me off right here and then. But don't forget..."
I pointed to the direction of Andy who was aiming his nocked concussion arrowhead and was ready to let loose if any of the 7 makes a move, especially on Aaron...!
"Andy is holding to an arrow that could blast you sky-high. See how weird that arrowhead is? It's going to blast you and your momma and poppa would not recognise your faces when you return home to them...!"
"You royals always think and talk as if you all are high and mighty. Do you think we would be swayed by your words and also that weird-looking arrow that the skinny kid there is holding, eh?"
"Besides, there's 7 of us and only one of you and one od that skinny kid. What army do you have to fight against us?"
Someone from the group taunted me to show my upper hand but I remained seated and I do not wish to show any trump cards since I don't have any up my sleeve...!
"No... That's where you are wrong... You have 7 but we have 70. Once you fire the pistol of yours, it would take some 15 seconds at least to reload and fire once again. Do you think we would be standing here and watch you reload your matchlock pistol and for us to do nothing?"
Old Mann, the seasoned war veteran emerges from the crowd and was holding to a pike as he places it on the pike holder and angled it at a 45° and wielded an aspis shield on his left arm.
He stood before me, blocking any possible shots that the 7 of them might want to take fire upon. As the 7 men were smacked right in the centre of the courtyard, they were exposed to the elements of surprise from their rear and sides. Without realising, these 7 men were trapped in a very disadvantaged position...!
"I want to take on Aaron or Faceless or whatever his name be in a fair and square fight, right here, right now. A choice of 3 weapons, a dagger, a sword and a blunt weapon." Andy hollered out as he withdrew his arrow from the drawstring.
Gwen shook her head as a rule for the hunters were, "Once you nook, there no turning back and to kill the hut before you." Somehow Andy had gone against the taboo and crossed her fingers that nothing would happen to Andy tonight, especially when he had offered a square circle fight on the courtyard.
"Awooooo... Fight... Fight... Fight... Fight... Fight..." someone started the chant once more and our community was truly riled up.
"If you lose the fight with Andy, all 7 of you would walk out of here and never to return. And take this pathetic piece of the scroll with you and trick any other settlement rather than here...!" I suggested and Aaron glared at me with murderous intent.
"If I win, I walk out with his head on a stick and 500 silvers...!" Aaron pointed his crooked forefinger at Andy as the latter soon find it hard to gulp his saliva down.
"Why don't I just give you 200 silvers and you could walk out of here without Andy's head?" I suggested but was rudely turned down as Aaron screamed back a rounding "No!"
"Insolence...!" Old Mann retorted back but I stay his hand as the chants of "Fight... Fight... Fight... Fight... Fight..." resonated around the courtyard as everyone wanted to see a live brawl match tonight. A free for all deathmatch between Andy and Aaron Cole...!
I stood up from my two-seater bamboo throne and walked towards them. "Hear ye, community of Gracehaven. This will be a deathmatch between Andy and Aaron in this courtyard. No one is to lay a hand to help them or to bring them to the ground."
"These two will fight until one admits submission or knocked out consciousness or even in death...! No matter what... The show must go on. The winner walks away with the mead of the loser and loser walks away butt naked...!
"YEAY... BUTT NAKED... BUTT NAKED... BUTT NAKED..." the crowd chorused the last two sentences and cleared away the table and benches, leaving the 7 stranded as someone stripped the weapons off Aaron while the other 6 were bundled and huddled up in a corner.
"On the ground, 3 sets of weapons were placed and the rule of the match was to turn into each other's territory after being spun around with their heads on a stick for 10 revolutions."
"There's a curved shirt dagger, a short sword and a flail or a Warhammer for them to choose from."
"Once they had lost a single weapon from their hands, they would pick the other one until they wrestle with their bare hands and feet."
After announcing the rules of the match, the two of them were placed in the centre, a short stick in hand and were spinning around on it with the stock to their foreheads.
Everyone counted off and by 10 revolutions, the two men were staggering and finding it hard to balance in their feet and fell to the ground several times before their eyes and head stopped spinning.
This riled up the crowd and cheered for Andy to recover and rush over to grab the weapons from the other's territory.
As the two of them staggered and half running sideways like a drunken crab, the two happened to meet dead centre that was marked with a circle marked out by a stick and it so happens that both must entangle themselves in a fistfight or a rumble...!
And so... The first no holds barred and free for all wrestling match was born in Gracehaven.
- Writer
