The cheers from the crowd became low as everyone’s eyes were now on Rowan and the man crying in pain inside the cage. Rowan stood in front of the man with a bored look on his face, showing no remorse for what he had done. In everything that had happened, Rowan was glad the message had been sent across. None of them would dare to say a word of disrespect to his woman.
"Rowan, I was going to let you off with just the fist fight, but you went too far," Cazimir started. "That boy’s father was among the first to build the blood pit. Now, everyone will be watching my next move."
Rowan’s eyes moved away from the young man and settled on Cazimir. "What do you want to do then? I can’t fix his hand if that’s what you’re asking for," he shrugged nonchalantly, touching the piece of cloth he used to wrap his hand.
"Well, it appears you have to fight, then. I have to at least give these people a show," Cazimir said, pointing at a huge man standing outside the cage with chains tied around his neck, breathing heavily like a hungry beast.
Rowan frowned when he saw the man, who was twice his own size. "Cazimir, are you trying to get me killed?"
"I’m sorry, Rowan, but you broke the rules. And if I do nothing, these people will start a fight. And I’m sure that’s not something you want her to witness," Cazimir remarked, turning to look at Freya.
Rowan exhaled. "Get your eyes off her," he warned in a low voice, already regretting the decision to come back to his place.
"Easy there, she’s really got you wrapped around her finger. It’s refreshing to see one of us actually in love," Cazimir chuckled, patting Rowan on the shoulder. "Don’t die," he said, going to help the young man who was still crying while others removed the table and chair, preparing the cage for the next fight.
Rowan waited inside the cage for the next fight, and for a brief moment, he turned to look at Freya. He could see the fear in her eyes, so he gave her a small smile.
When the crowd saw the huge man entering the cage, they immediately knew there was going to be another fight. Their loud cheer made a thunderous sound that pierced the air.
"Fight! Fight!" they chanted as the small bell rang.
Rowan stood by the corner. He knew that, by size, the man in front of him could crush him. So, he waited, trying not to exert his strength just yet, but rather to figure out his opponent’s skills. That’s what made Rowan different from his people. He wasn’t a bloodthirsty fighter; serving as a guard in the palace had taught him much.
With the loud cheering from the crowd fueling his opponent, the huge man charged forward with heavy steps that shook the stage. With one swift move, he grabbed Rowan and threw him to the side of the cage, causing the iron bar wires to pierce into his back.
Freya fell to her knees when she saw this. She had thought that after the fist fight, everything would be over, but this man who had just entered the cage wouldn’t let Rowan leave alive. "Please... bring him out, he’s going to kill Rowan," Freya found herself begging and wailing, but the noise from the crowd swallowed her small voice.
Inside the cage, Rowan found himself lifted into the air as the huge man suspended him, delivering heavy blows to the side of Rowan’s stomach until he coughed up blood. Then, he was thrown again to the side.
Rowan struggled to stand, his face now covered in blood. He didn’t need to look up to know that Freya would be bawling her eyes out. When he finally got to his feet, the huge man was waiting. Without giving Rowan time to recover, the man kicked him in the face, then grabbed him by the hair and placed Rowan on his shoulder as if ready to break him in half.
Rowan knew then that his survival depended on his next move. Now covered in both sweat and blood, he slipped down from the man’s back. The man growled, trying to catch Rowan, but before he could turn around, Rowan bent down and, with great strength, dragged the man’s legs out from under him, causing him to fall face-first with a ground-shaking thud.
Rowan didn’t stop there. As the man struggled to turn over, Rowan waited patiently. When the man finally turned, Rowan delivered a strong uppercut to his jaw, enough to knock the giant man out cold.
This time, the crowd erupted in cheers for Rowan. He had proved himself not once, but twice. Some women threw their upper dresses into the cage while the men screamed his name.
Rowan lay flat on the ground, trying to catch his breath, when he remembered Freya was outside. He struggled to his feet, holding the side of his stomach, which had turned red from the earlier punches.
"Rowan, wait for your prize," Cazimir called out, trying to stop Rowan to give him the token he had won from the fight.
Rowan waved him off. "I have her waiting for me," he replied, bending slightly as he left the cage. He scanned the place, looking for Freya. There, in the crowd, he found her, just as he had expected, her face was bowed down, and she was crying.
Rowan limped to where she was and gently touched her back. "Don’t tell me you didn’t watch your man fight so—" Before he could finish, Freya stood up and hugged him tightly.
"I thought... I thought I was going to lose you," Freya stammered through uncontrollable tears, her arms wound tightly around Rowan’s neck as if she’d never let go.
Rowan smiled, feeling all the love and care just from the way she held him. "Ow... don’t hold too tightly."
Freya pulled back, seeing the grimace on Rowan’s face. She frowned. "You knew it would hurt, and you still went ahead and fought..." She raised her hand, hitting Rowan’s shoulder. "What is wrong with you? Who asked you to always hurt yourself?"
"Ow... always?" Rowan asked with his head tilted to the side, and his face contorted with pain as she continued to hit him.
Freya nodded, remembering the blood on Rowan’s hand the night she was leaving Eridor. "Yes, your hands... and why didn’t you come to see me that night? You promised, and then you left to get yourself..." Her voice trailed off as she continued to stare at Rowan with tears in her eyes, her chest rising and falling with heavy breaths.
"These people should be glad you didn’t fight with the strength you’re using now. It would only take seconds," Rowan teased, raising Freya’s tiny hand.
Freya fumed. "It’s funny? You’re smiling! Look at your body!" She raised her hand to hit him again, but Rowan caught it.
"It hurts, not their kicks and punches, but seeing you cry breaks my heart more than anything I felt in that cage," Rowan said, looking into her eyes. Her expression softened at his words. "We’re free now. Let’s go home."
They made their way out of the arena, the crowd parting as they left. Rowan staggered, but Freya quickly caught him, placing his hand over her shoulder. They were almost at the gate when someone threw a stone in their path, causing Rowan to turn.
"You can’t just leave like that, after mocking us in front of an outsider," came the voice of the man whose elbow Rowan had broken during the fist fight. This time, he wasn’t alone, he was with a group of young men, all of them looking ready to fight or, rather, beat Rowan up.
Rowan sighed. "Man, you should be resting while your hand heals. Let’s not do this, okay?"
"Let’s see if you can still talk after we’re done with you and that girl!" the young man threatened as they started advancing.
This time, Freya was really scared. She turned to Rowan. "What are we going to do? There are too many of them, and you’re..."
Rowan chuckled. "You still don’t know what I’m capable of? Let them all come," he said, cracking his knuckles. "I’ll show them all!"
Freya nodded. "Yes! I know you can take them all down," she said, already clapping and glaring at the other men.
"Run!" Rowan ordered.
Freya’s eyes widened in disbelief. "What? You sa—"
Rowan pushed her forward. "Run, or we’re going to die here!" Without looking back, Freya bolted, cursing Rowan under her breath.
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