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While I was in this position, he tried to take advantage of it by bringing his paws crashing down, seeking to tear my flesh apart. They were like two hammers coming down to crush me, and I only just managed to roll out of the way. I got to my feet again and charged once more, knowing that we couldn’t fight forever, knowing that if I was going to beat him then I was going to have to open myself up to an attack. It wasn’t in my nature to be stealthy or sly. I ran towards him ready to clash with him, knowing it was likely that only one of us was going to emerge from the cloud of dust that was going to be kicked up, but this was the way it was always going to be. This was the way it had to be. I had fought all my life, and if this was how it was meant to end then so be it. I would rather die here, like this, than by feeling the strength being sapped away from me by a cruel world. I cast a last, longing look towards Lanas before I charged into oblivion, knowing that my pride now relied on him.
I roared as I made this final attack, ready to reunite with my ancestors in the afterlife, where I’m sure there would be more fighting to be done.
Chapter Twenty
Mika
I couldn’t take my eyes off the battle. She was such a magnificent woman. From the first moment she stepped into the arena all through the fight she showed the true beauty of her spirit, this fierce determination she possessed that was so rare. It must have been forged by the cruel world she had grown up in, but even then, I doubted that I would display the same characteristics if I had been put in the same position.
The crowd had rallied behind her as well. We had all assumed that this would be over swiftly, but she was making father work here. I could see the signs of straining strength in his eyes. I could see the way pain flowed across his face. He was giving her everything he had, and that was a testament to her prowess. In hand to hand combat she had almost felled father, and now as lions they were giving it their all. I imagined this was how things used to be in ancient times when lions gave in to their instincts and listened to their hearts rather than their minds. It would have been a cruel world to live in, but cruelty was all Ava had known. She had been quick to turn to violence because those were the lessons she had been taught, and I pitied her for this.
There were murmurs in the crowd as they debated who was going to win. Ava had shown such grit that a lot of people were swayed by her and wanted her to win, even though it was still unlikely. A warrior always had to have a last fight, and perhaps this was Naaro’s. I didn’t think it would be though. Father always won, as though it was a constant in the universe. Ava had pushed him hard, but soon it would be over. He would stand over her broken body just as he had stood over so many others over the years, and the flame of her life would have been snuffed out. It was such a shame, as well. I had only just begun to scratch the surface of her. I’m sure there was more to know about her, more to learn, but that wasn’t going to happen now.
She charged into the whirling cloud of dust that the two lions had kicked up in their fury and their anger. My throat tightened as I held my breath and bowed my head, waiting for the dust to clear so the outcome could be settled. I glanced across at the man near me, Lanas. He had started the fight by chanting for his champion, but the longer it had gone on, the more silent he had become, now wearing a pensive look on his face as he realized the battle was reaching its endgame.
Make no mistake about it, this was a battle. No matter what happened next Ava had proven herself to be a titan and this day would live long in the memory of our pride, being told again and again over the years. I somehow felt less resentful of her stealing my chance to get a trophy from Gargann after seeing her in battle. If anyone deserved it then she certainly did, and I would have liked to have seen her fight against the other great beasts of Orestes.
Instead, her song was going to end here, but I would help see that it echoed through the ages.
I heard snarling and grunts and gnashing of teeth. There were yelps of pain and through the dust I could see the silhouettes of these two beasts challenging each other, pushing each other, testing each other’s limits. Time seemed to slow as they fought each other, as the inexorable end came to its conclusion. It was almost as though fate did not wish them to stop fighting, as though destiny did not think either of them deserved to lose this battle.
But there could only ever be one standing at the end.
There was a final crash and then everything was silent. The crowd waited with bated breath for the air to clear. The haze was murky, but it soon became apparent that one was standing over the other. I exhaled deeply, only realizing at this moment that I had been holding my breath.
Father had survived.
They had returned to their human forms now. Ava was prostrate on the ground, a bloodied mess. Father did not look much different. He looked to the heavens and drew his hand across his face, wiping away a layer of sweat and blood that gathered on his skin. I had never seen him pushed so hard before.
“No…” Lanas choked beside me. I wish there had been something I could say, but my words were empty. I allowed him the respect of silence.
Naaro bowed his head towards Ava and then turned away. But then something happened that sent a jolt of electricity shooting through the crowd. I wasn’t looking at Ava so I didn’t see it at first, but my attention was drawn and then I saw it. It was almost imperceptible to begin with, but soon enough it became clear as day.
Her foot was twitching.
I couldn’t believe it. How could she have survived this?
Even though she was fighting against Naaro and the pride, the crowd were on her side. They cheered to try and help her up. At first Naaro thought the cheers were for him, until someone gestured that he should look over his shoulder. He turned slowly and then tilted his head, surprised as anyone that Ava still had enough strength in her to get to her feet. Her limbs trembled as she pushed herself up.
Naaro walked back to her. “Yield,” he said.
She looked up at him and smiled a bloody smile. Then she spat a mouthful of blood and swung a weak arm at him again. The limp strike barely brushed him. Naaro reached down and pushed her to the ground. He took one stride away, but again Ava rose. The cheering and the chanting became a frenzy as we all rallied around this impossible woman, this lion who defied the odds and fought against everything.
Naaro stood over her. Tradition dictated that he take her life no matter what. He could wring her neck and snap it, but such a victory would be hollow.
He stared at her as she crawled after him, stepping backwards to see if she would continue to follow.
She did.
He then held up his hand and the crowd grew silent. He waited for Ava to reach him. She placed a hand around his ankle, and he looked down at her.
“I know tradition says that this is a fight to the death, but I would only be able to kill this lion, I would not be able to defeat her. Her death would serve no purpose. I have seen many people die during my lifetime. I am not going to allow a lion like her to die like this. She deserves more than that.”
He walked away from the arena as Ava’s strength left her and she passed out, finally allowing herself to fall into unconsciousness as the fight was declared over. She had kept her life, and although Naaro was the one who had walked away, in many ways she had won.
*
Things had still not grown calm in the hours that occurred after the fight. The talk among the tower was dominated by the events we had witnessed. I had not seen Naaro yet. After a fight like that he always took time to recover, centering himself by meditating and healing slowly. Ava had been taken for medical attention to rest as well. Lanas had gone with her. I had witnessed people speaking with effusive praised about her efforts, and many of them considered her to be the victor as they weren’t aware of anyone who had pushed Naaro as hard as that. I saw children reenacting the battle. It was clear that she had gained the respect of the lions of Orestes.
