Ma'in, the Imperial city-state along the coast of the Arabian Sea
Despite the fact that he was seconds away from fighting someone twice his size, Lo'gan watched Mari fidget from were she sat above the crowd with something akin to cheerfulness. Usually before a fight this up close and personal, Lo'gan tried to concentrate on studying his challenger, gathering as much information from his movements as possible beforehand, except he was too preoccupied this time.
Smiling coyly, Mari had just raised her hand to wave at him. They were very small gestures on their own, but to Lo'gan they meant the world. He felt an unexplainable connection to the girl in the cage and his only hope was that she felt it too. Feeling his own lips curl into a slight semblance of a smile in response, Lo'gan watched her try not to look directly at him, while ignoring his preening opponent completely. His body still buzzed with adrenaline, but it was for the girl in green and not the enormous man cursing at him. It was only when the captain of the guard bowed at the Sultan that Lo'gan snapped out of his appreciation of how nicely Mari's pale skin flushed and tuned into what was being said.
"…and whoever is left standing will be the victor…"
Looking to see that his opponent was still bowing, Lo'gan opted to ignore the Sultan's grandstanding completely and address the only people that mattered to him. Catching Harabi's worried face in the crowd, Lo'gan tapped his bare chest twice with his closed fist like the Dawasir custom dictated and mouthed the words, `strength and honor' to him. Harabi's face lightened considerably in response. Casting one last glance at Mari's direction, Lo'gan did the same motion to her and repeated his words. That earned him another shy smile and knowing he had to do his best for her, Lo'gan then finally turned to face the captain, just as the Sultan concluded with a simple command.
"Begin!"
The Sultan's words were still echoing in the cavernous, dome topped hall when Lo'gan immediately lunged forward to jab at the captain's mouth. Neither he nor anyone else watching had anticipated such a frighteningly fast move and the crowd roared and cheered as it became clear that Lo'gan would most definitely be a worthy opponent and this would be a most interesting fight. Immediately backing into a safe zone, Lo'gan watched with a satisfied smirk as the huge man staggered back in pain and tried to regroup himself.
The captain stopped his boasting straight away and stepped forward with fists ready. Knowing he was eager to get in a hit of his own to save face, Lo'gan lowered his fists for a half second to bait him. The captain reacted exactly like Lo'gan expected and went for the opening. He lunged forward with a fist aimed to Lo'gan's face, but Lo'gan quickly ducked to the other side and delivered one to the captain's side instead. The giant man tucked his elbow into his ribs in pain and squeezed his eyes shut for a split second. Lo'gan knew he could get in another blow close up and tucked in low to bring his left fist up on the captain's chin with an upper cut. The punch was devastating and the captain's head snapped back as he teetered backwards. The crowd moved to give them space, reshaping the ring as needed. Knowing exactly when to withdraw from an inside attack, Lo'gan leaped back as clumsy fists reached out for him.
The crowd cheered in a near frenzy and the Sultan looked at his mother glumly. There had been no doubt in his mind that Lo'gan would not defeat his best fighter, but in less than a minute, the smaller man had delivered three crushing blows, while the captain had landed none. Disappointed at the turn of events, Queen Zainab turned her gaze upwards to Mari. She didn't know how, but she was sure the girl was in league with the desert dweller. Remembering how Mari spoke to her earlier that day, the old queen gripped her cane tightly and making sure no one noticed, quietly slipped away.
Mari meanwhile, marveled in wide-eyed awe at Lo'gan's ability to run circles around the captain. With few blows and well thought out movements, he was quick and very effective, making each strike an important one. Gripping her cage bars tightly, Mari thought back to her first impression of the dark Bedouin. She knew instinctively that Lo'gan was a fighter and she had not been mistaken.
The captain on his part, was already seeing double. He had yet to touch his adversary and knew that if he didn't soon, it would all be over. Casting a darting glance at the Sultan's disappointed face and hearing the crowd chanting `Jabir', he decided to change his technique and wait until Lo'gan came to him. Wiping the trickle of blood from his busted lip off his chin, the captain circled slowly, knowing only that he had to win or suffer badly at the hands of the queen.
Lo'gan, however, quickly saw the captain's plan and not having any problem with being on the offensive came in close once again. Steadying his fists tight to his body, Lo'gan crouched his frame slightly and made jabbing motions to the captain's face. None were supposed to connect, but they did force the larger man to raise his fists to his face in defense. Not wasting an open opportunity, Lo'gan drove his fist into the captain's unprotected stomach and feeling him folding over, offered one more uppercut to the chin. The captain howled in pain and swung widely as he staggered back. Still having his hands extended, he did finally manage to catch Lo'gan in the left cheek with his massive fist. The crowd gasped and the Sultan stood up from his throne, but Lo'gan just grinned as he shook off the punch.
Regrouping, Lo'gan kept on his assault, accepting the occasional blow in exchange of keeping the captain going backwards. When they finally reached the banquet tables, the desperate captain realized he had no place left to run to and opted for an all out charge. With a scream, the captain rammed into Lo'gan, who instead of bracing or evading, let himself get slammed to the ground under his weight.
Everyone winced and smiling prematurely, the captain pinned Lo'gan's throat with one hand and lifted the other to deck him, but found himself unable to when two powerful calves wrapped around his neck. Lo'gan squeezed with all he had while the captain let go of his throat and clawed at him to be released. Turning a bright red after a few moments, Lo'gan figured he had had enough and slammed his fist into the captain's face. The guard fell back and was now completely laid out and panting for breath on the floor. Righting himself to loud cheering, Lo'gan looked down at his defeated opponent and started to walk away as the crowd exploded in noise. Mari lost sight of him in the crushing throng, but clapped in excitement at Lo'gan's triumph from her place in the corner. Even the animal across from her with the long tail was clapping and Mari temporarily forgot her dire situation as she celebrated the Bedouin's victory over the queen's seemingly indestructible guard.
Lo'gan on the other hand was simply trying to get through to Harabi and leave. He had no desire to stay and be celebrated, rather to claim his girl and leave. But the audience itself was pulsating with excitement and lost in the shuffle, Lo'gan could not hear Harabi's warning. In a move that no one anticipated, the defeated guard scrambled to his feet and withdrew a short, thick blade from his sash and lunged at Lo'gan. The goal was to plunge it deep into Lo'gan's back, but the Jabir warrior had seen everyone's surprised reaction and a flash of metal in his peripheral vision and somehow moved back just in time. The captain managed to scrape it across Lo'gan's right side nevertheless, and gritting his teeth, Lo'gan staggered back and cupped his bleeding wound. The cut itself was not very deep, but with his heartbeat accelerated and panting heavily, the gash did bleed through his fingers. Tightening his fists, Lo'gan snarled at the captain and debated his next move.
Shocked into absolute silence, the crowd looked from the ready Jabir to the captain still holding the blade. Had they been alone, he would have continued, but sensing the audible condemnation of the mob, the captain stood immobile. Mari looked anxiously back and forth between the two. For an infinitely long fifteen seconds, the only sound that could be heard from the hundreds of people in the giant hall was the heavy breathing of the two fighters at the center. It was Harabi who finally stepped forward first and pointed to the Sultan.
"He has broken the rules and forfeited the fight!"
Everyone gasped and turned to look at the other desert dweller. Not knowing what to do with himself, the Sultan looked to his side for guidance, but his mother was gone. On his feet already, he withered under the regard of so many and timidly sat back down again.
"The rules were that……that the winner……wins."
To everyone's even greater shock, Harabi chuckled. Lo'gan did not take his eyes off of the captain and the blade he still held tightly, trusting his partner to do what he did best.
"If I recall, sire, the rules were for an unarmed fight and if al Jabir won, then we walk away. Your `fighter' produced a weapon, so he is automatically the loser."
The Sultan simmered in growing anger, but Harabi did not let up his command of the crowd. They were the most powerful force in that hall and still their best way out alive.
"Am I right, worthy guests?"
The entire audience broke out into cheers at Harabi's logic and Lo'gan snorted as he tried to focus on what his opponent was doing instead of the stinging cut to his side.
"Sire, I think your guests agree with me."
The Sultan threw a panicked look at his captain of the guard and tried to pacify his guests by gesturing for them to quiet down.
"Please, please……we can settle this."
Growing bolder, Harabi squeezed past the ring of blue turbaned guards and walked to Lo'gan, who was still clutching his side and staring down his opponent in a surreal stalemate. He handed Lo'gan the ghutra they had bought from Miznih, so that he could press it onto his wound
"We have all seen the same fight and I think we can agree that Lo'gan al Jabir is the unquestionable winner!"
The crowd cheered again and giving Lo'gan an expectant look, Harabi raised his partner's free hand high above their heads. The audience grew even louder and chants of `free them' pervaded the room. Positive that the gesture meant he was still the winner, Mari breathed a long held sigh of relief for the dark Bedouin from her place by the ceiling dome. As if sensing her thoughts, Lo'gan glanced up at her direction and Mari felt herself grow transparent again. The noise and even the pain at his side faded as Lo'gan focused on the girl in the cage. He did not exactly anticipate the fight ending how it did, but he knew she would be his, and in a short time, his dream would be realized. Lo'gan continued to look at Mari in a near vacuum of his senses, until Harabi pulled him out of it with a tug towards the Sultan.
"So what do you say, sire? Can all these noble guests be wrong?"
Harabi flashed his wide smile and the crowd cheered and clapped in approval. The Sultan bore into Harabi and Lo'gan with sheer hatred written across his features as his loyal subjects proved to be not so loyal. It was only then that it occurred to Lo'gan that he had lost track of the captain. Lo'gan looked around frantically to locate him and when he spotted him in the exit that he and Harabi had been chased down on, his heart stopped. Too wrapped up in talking circles around the Sultan or looking at Mari, neither Harabi nor Lo'gan had noticed the captain sneak back to his men.
Practically growling in rage that he had snuck away without being noticed, Lo'gan locked eyes with the enormous man from across the room. Over the years, he had made many enemies and Lo'gan was not afraid of any, but seeing the captain slowly wipe his blood off his short blade and tuck it back into his sash while yelling orders at his men alarmed him. Swinging in her cage, his girl was an easy target and there was no doubt in his mind that the Sultan had ordered the captain to be ready outside for them when they left. The fact that she was already a slave, dressed like a concubine troubled him beyond words, and Lo'gan did not even want to think what would happen to her if they were caught. Khalaf had taught Lo'gan that there was always a way out of anything. His fighting for her had been a major impulse on his part and now he had to find a way to take her and Harabi quickly out of Ma'in and still keep them safe from those that wanted to get to him. Wrenching his hand from Harabi, Lo'gan grabbed his Khanjar from him, sheathed it on his sash and spoke out again. The crowd immediately silenced to hear the champion's words.
"Enough debate!"
Everybody turned to look at Mari again and whispered to themselves. Having thought everyone had forgotten her; Mari blanched and faintly wondered what the Bedouin would possibly have to say about her. Without taking his eyes off the captain, Lo'gan continued.
"You have given your word to reduce the burden on my people, let us go unharmed and give me the girl. Is your word good or not?"
The Sultan gritted his teeth and spit out his agreement. The fact that his mother was gone attested to the fact that she was as desperate to see the desert dwellers dead as he was. He was sure she was already taking care of things as they spoke. They might walk away now, but the desert dwellers were already living on borrowed time. Managing his most diplomatic smile, the Sultan gave what he hoped was the final word on the matter.
"Yes, Lo'gan al Jabir and Harabi al Dawasir, you may take the girl and go inform your people that their righteous Sultan has heard their plea. Go in peace and let our celebration continue. We still have much entertainment and feasting for our honored guests."
Lo'gan snorted and turned from the Sultan's presence before he even finished. Harabi followed and the crowd cheered as the two strangers walked away, essentially drowning out the last things the Sultan was saying. Mari blinked in confusion, as everything seemed suddenly to jump back to how they were earlier. The guests formed animated clusters as they finally got their wish and the musicians, servants and performers descended on the crowd once again to resume their work as the makeshift ring at the center of the room dissolved. Baffled by the change of events, Mari searched out the quickly moving Bedouins with her gaze when a noise from behind her caught her attention. She look fixedly at the curtained balcony the cage came from, but seeing nothing, turned again to follow the Bedouins, only they were already gone. Mari searched the crowd desperately, wondering how the two, one being a shirtless man, could be lost in a shuffle so quickly, when a sudden lurch forward caused her to bang her head against the cage bars.
Turning around in wide-eyed alarm, Mari watched as the ropes that kept her cage suspended in place, started moving. Quickly turning to see if any of the other cages were too, Mari felt dread at knowing that the fight delay was over and that she was finally going to meet the Sultan personally. Clutching tightly at the bars as the gilded contraption pitched forward and back without anyone noticing, she decided to scream in hopes that the Bedouin warriors were still around and that they might hear her.
["Please, someone, anyone, please help me!! Please, someone!!"]
Nothing. To Mari's amazement, not one person heard her rattling. Turning and seeing that she was almost to the balcony and that no one could hear her screaming, Mari opted for what worked once before. Wrenching two golden cuffs off her unbound ankles, Mari flung them to the great room below. One landed by a group of people too wrapped up in discussing the mysterious desert dwellers to notice it, the other in a giant silver bowl of creamy butter. Looking back to see that she was just feet away from the balcony ledge, Mari continued to scream and shake her cage in it's place, preferring that the ropes snap and she land below than have to face her sadistic keepers once again.
["Please!! Someone, help!! Help me!!"]
With a drag of fabric, the gilded cage eventually brushed past the heavy curtains of the balcony entrance and Mari landed with a thud on the floor of the tiny room she was first led into. Her screams died in her throat as she was met with Queen Zainab's menacing expression. The curtained balcony was dark compared to the grand hall outside, but Mari could make out her hard features anywhere. With a sharp bark of an order, the old queen dispatched two guards to step forward and unlatch the cage door. Mari stared at the vindictiveness in the old woman's eyes and felt her own resentment rise in hers. Her promise of the previous night to escape or die trying resurfaced in her mind and she snapped out of her shock. If they were going to take her, she would not make it easy on them.
["Let me go, thief!"]
Mari shook the cage, making it hard for the guards to do as they were told. She watched with satisfaction as the blue lady tightened her hold on her cane and ordered the remaining two guards to hold the cage still while the first two worked the lock. They eventually were able to and reached inside for Mari. Still screaming at the top of her voice and trying to bite at the hands grabbing her, Mari felt her legs give out when she was finally pulled from the contraption. Having been kneeling for an entire day, her knees buckled easily under her weight and she had to be held up. The old lady chuckled at seeing that and deciding whether or not she would break Mari's legs before or after she blinded her, did not see when Mari gathered enough saliva to spit in her face. The guards visibly recoiled at the daring move and the old queen stared at Mari with nothing but pure shock before her features twisted up again.
"You disgusting whore!!! I will kill you myself!!!"
Mari continued to buck and struggle at the hands of the guards and watched with satisfaction as the old woman turned ashen and clutched her cane tighter.
["You're not taking me! Let go!"]
Bracing herself for the inevitable blow, Mari bucked wildly and actually succeeded in bringing one guard to the floor with her as the old woman took aim. But having squeezing her eyes tight, she did get to see the look of utter shock on everyone's face as Lo'gan and Harabi burst through the heavy curtains of the balcony.
Knowing that the captain and a squad of men were waiting at the palace steps for them and that Mari was most likely going to be taken before they even reached her, Lo'gan and Harabi had opted for the more direct route and climbed up the hanging ropes from the grand hall itself. Lo'gan leaped over the metal railing, just as the old woman poised to strike Mari. Frozen in place at the unexpected ambush, neither Queen Zainab nor the guards were quick enough to prepare for what rushed them.
The next thing Mari felt was the second guard that was still holding her, go down as well. Opening her eyes to see nothing but alarm on the old queen's face as she held her cane unmoving over her head, Mari whirled around and gasped at the sight of her two rescuers. They moved in a blur around the guards, Khanjars quickly intercepting any saber that was swung at them.
Not able to stop the grin on her face, Mari turned triumphantly back to the old woman, who giving her a last venomous look, turned and retreated for the door. Mari could not let that happen and thankful that her ankles were unbound, scrambled to her feet and ran after her. She brought her arms over the queen, essentially trapping her in an embrace and swung her around. They slammed into the cage, still perched in the middle of the tiny room. Taking advantage of her superior strength, Mari shoved her in unceremoniously. Not to be underestimated, the older woman brought the cane she was still clutching down on Mari's left hand, fracturing two of her fingers.
Mari shrieked and Lo'gan looked away from his sword fight, earning him a nearly fatal swipe of a blade to his neck. Spurred on by Mari's scream, Lo'gan quickly launched his Khanjar at the guard engaging him. It penetrated the man's sternum with a sickening crack and withdrawing his short dagger, looked to see how best to handle the remaining two guards. But Mari did not take long in recovering from the blow. Clutching it before the queen brought it down on her again, Mari wrenched it out of Queen Zainab's hands and flung it to the side. Without any further preamble, she shoved the queen back into the tiny enclosure and swung the door shut. Hearing the lock click, the old woman screamed in indignation and satisfied that she was right where she needed to be, Mari was about to turn to help her rescuers when a gleam caught her eye. Dropping her jaw in surprise, Mari reached between the bars. The queen recoiled with a snarl and swiped at Mari's hand, but the cage was too small for her to weasel away. Stretching out a little more, Mari reached to the queen's arm and yanked off the cuff she had stolen from her the day before.
"Give it back, you insolent whore!"
Mari looked at the woman she knew was cursing her and grinned, unable to stop herself from childish gloating.
["Thief! You deserve to be in there!"]
Turning around, Mari bent over to take the queen's beloved brass cane and dispose of it once and for all, when she saw Harabi step over his unconscious opponent just a few feet away. Not knowing what to expect, Mari stood perfectly straight and blinked at him uncomprehendingly as the Dawasir looked her up and down, both forgetting the fact that Lo'gan was still clanging swords with the last remaining guard on the other side of the room. Still not fully processing what he was seeing, Harabi took a step closer to Mari wearing a goofy grin. He really hadn't thought it was possible, but there she was, a green-eyed girl. Feeling very exposed, Mari swallowed and was about to try communication when a sudden yank backwards took her breath away.
It was the dark one, still shirtless and having just fought three men, very sweaty. He had pulled her away from Harabi's regard and straight into his powerful grasp. Intimidated by Lo'gan's proximity, Mari took a small step away from him, not enough to get out of his hold, but enough so that their bodies weren't touching. She did it mostly out of a reaction to her attire, but instantly regretted doing so. His look was a mixture of hurt and confusion and it finally dawned on her that they were there for her. He had understood her plea and had come for her. Overwhelmed by the thought and not knowing how to correct her seemingly ungrateful gesture, Mari swallowed nervously and looking straight into the dark, serious eyes she had been following all evening, spoke out in a small voice.
["Thank you."]
If Lo'gan's eyes were intense from afar, they were a hundred times more so now. Caught up in their intensity, Mari did not hear Harabi chuckle at her strange sounding words or Queen Zainab snort in disgust at the awkward show of emotions. The old queen was positively livid, but at the mercy of the desert dwellers, she sunk back into her cage and wisely kept shut while she studied the three in their self-conscious silence. Still alert and in fight mode, Lo'gan heard them both, but didn't care as he searched his mind to decipher what Mari could have said. It hadn't really occurred to him that she would speak a whole other language, but her eyes said all they had to. They were wide and scared and a deep, haunting green that surpassed anything in his dreams. He leaned a tiny bit closer to her, wanting desperately to taste the breathtaking beauty like he practiced every night, but he couldn't very well do so now. The fear in her eyes was overwhelming and they were all in very real danger if they were found there. Ignoring the ache in his hands to touch her pale skin and the stirring in his groin to bury himself deep inside her, Lo'gan answered in a low and deliberate voice so that the other two in the room couldn't hear him above the noise of the party below.
"You're welcome."
Mari blinked at having gotten a response. Almost everyone had made efforts to talk to her the past few months, but no one really answered her back when she spoke. This was a first and she even understood what it had meant. The garbled words made sense, because they matched his expression so perfectly. An expression that held other things as well, one being the desire to kiss her. Mari had never been kissed before, not even by her betrothed, but she recognized Lo'gan's desire, strangely enough, because she had it herself. When he leaned closer to herself, she had almost leaned forward herself. Realizing that she was blushing, Mari looked down at Lo'gan's thick fingers still tightly clutching hers and wondered why the dark Bedouin would ever go through so much trouble for her.
Lo'gan smiled at Mari's coy way of avoiding his gaze. She was blushing again and this time he could clearly see how it tainted her cheeks and more interestingly, down her chest. Repressed his urge to touch the heat of her blush into her wispy clothing, Lo'gan looked away too and consciously made an effort to return back to the business of keeping them alive. Still not letting go of Mari, he motioned to Harabi with a look that warned him to stop looking so much at `his' girl and asked in intentionally gruff tone.
"Hand me your robe and go check if someone's coming."
The Dawasir shrugged off his outer robe and quickly complied with a quiet smirk on his face, pleased at finally having found something that rattled the obdurate Jabir. Lo'gan took the garment quickly and trying not to really notice what Mari was wearing, pulled her close and draped it over her shoulders. Mari's hands were still attached so that she couldn't put her arms in the sleeves, so Lo'gan silently turned her around and tied the drawstring at her neck. Mari stood still, pleased that he recognized that she needed to be covered, but stunned that his fingers moved so delicately to tie the robe in place. Looking down in embarrassment when Lo'gan's eyes flickered up to meet hers, Mari held her breath and ignored the warm feel of his on her forehead until he was done. Hovering over Mari an endless second after he was done, Lo'gan shook his head to rid it of his straying thoughts and moved to where Harabi was, still clutching Mari's hand tightly.
Mari on her part just scurried alongside him silently. She did not know what to expect from the desert dwellers, but anything was better than the cage and nothing was safer than the dark Bedouin. Remembering the queen, she turned and looked at her while Lo'gan and Harabi spoke in hushed tones. The old woman was silent, self-preservation taking priority over revenge, but her cold eyes easily gave away her intentions. She had assumed there was something between the slave and the desert dweller, and she was right, just not how she had imagined. Adding that bit of information to her plan of torturing and killing them, the queen smiled at Mari in an effort to rattle the girl's nerves. But Mari saw right through her and eased a hand to her recovered cuff on her upper arm. The queen's smirk vanished instantly and she angrily kicked the cage. More interested in how they were going to escape the palace than a crazy old witch, Mari looked back to her rescuers with a smug smile.
The two men were coming to some sort of plan that Mari wished she understood. Mari watched Lo'gan from the corner of her eye, wondering if the gash at his side hurt. Going through the dozen or so Bedouin words she knew, Mari was working to formulate a sentence to ask if he was all right, when the men suddenly broke apart. Lo'gan walked her to a side of the room where he placed a finger on his lips and made a motion for her to stay. Mari nodded to show she understood the order to stay quiet and watched with concern as Lo'gan went to join Harabi, who had started undressing the fallen guards. The Dawasir was trying to match up articles of clothing that were not stained with blood to make two complete outfits.
Suddenly understanding what the escape plan was, Mari snapped her gaze back to Lo'gan who was quickly unwinding his sash, all the while carefully avoiding the hasty bandage made from his headpiece for the slash that the captain had given him. Mari absently stared as the fabric peeled away to reveal dark skin pulled tight over defined muscles on his abdomen. Only when Lo'gan reached for the drawstring on his baggy pants and paused did Mari realize that she was watching him undress. Too embarrassed to see what his reaction was, Mari quickly turned her face to look at the wall, missing the smirk on Lo'gan's lips. He continued to watch her try and disappear into the curtained wall while he dressed in the blue robes. Absorbed with thoughts of Mari, Lo'gan almost didn't catch Harabi's words.
"They're almost here. I can hear them coming up the stairs. Let's go."
Pulling on the rest of his borrowed uniform, Lo'gan finished hiding his Khanjar under it and snapped back into the urgency of the situation. He ran to get Mari, catching the chain that connected her hands and again signaling her to be silent while leading her out to where Harabi was already waiting in the corridor. When Mari saw them start walking on either side of her, she understood what her role would be. Walking quickly with her head down to avert the gaze of the occasional servant, the three were almost to the end of the corridor when a scream rang out.
It was the queen and hearing her, the guards that were coming up the stairs to see where the desert dwellers had gone to, ran into the balcony to see what was happening. Knowing their cover was almost blown; Lo'gan, Mari, and Harabi hurried down the rest of the corridor and made a left into another room. Five seconds later, the captain of the guard ran out of where the queen was being let out of her cage in the direction of the two guards he saw with a prisoner just moments before. The chase was on again and feeling the throbbing of the black eye Lo'gan gave him, the captain quickly dispatched his men in several directions with commands that they capture and detain the intruders until he got to them.
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