Chapter Eight- The Circle Center

Ry'us has a unique introduction to a girl named Ari'bel, then sets out once more into the Settlements with the hope of discovering some truth about his real parents.

When Ry'us awoke the next day, it was to the sound of someone banging on his door. For a moment, he thought he was back home. It was probably his mom, angry that he was late for classes. But he slowly remembered where he was at. The events of the day before came back to him. He rolled onto his back, opening his eyes and staring up at the ceiling. The banging continued on the door and he let out a low sigh, sitting up slowly and walking towards it with a long yawn. He'd taken off the jacket and shirt before falling asleep, but he was still dressed in the pair of black pants. 
           

BANG! BANG! BANG! 
           

The knocking continued, and he could hear voices now coming from the hallway. What the hell was going on? Someone was calling from down the stairs. 
            "Please, wait Ari'bel!" The voice called. Ry'us opened the sliding door, just as another curled fist was getting ready to pound on it. Without the door there, the fist kept moving. Ry'us stumbled back as he was suddenly popped right in the mouth. 
           

"What the hell-?!" He brought a hand up to his lip, feeling it almost instantly swell up. He looked down at the tiny speck of blood on his fingers, then at the person who had just decided to clip him in the mouth. A girl, looking to be about his own age, stood there wide eyed. 
           

"I...you're not..." She mumbled, taking a quick step back. Ms. Lainer came up the stairs at just that moment. The girl was still wide eyed, turning to look at Ms. Lainer as she arrived. 
           

"What's going on, Ari'bel?" Ms. Lainer instantly said. But the girl looked just as confused as the rest of them, looking from Ms. Lainer to Ry'us and back again. She was almost trembling. 
           

"I wake up to this girl pounding on my door, and when I open it, she punches me right in the mouth!" He touched his swollen lip once more. It was bleeding a bit more now. Ari'bel turned and looked at Ms. Lainer. She wasn't a red-head, nor did she have the dark black hair that also seemed common in this side of town. No, her hair was a light honey color that fell just above the middle of her back. She was dressed in a short, white and green summer dress. 
           

"I...someone told me Mika's older brother was here. I thought..." Ari'bel turned to look at Ry'us, who was still holding a finger to his lip. He noticed for a moment the beginning of tears in her eyes. But before she could say any more, Ms. Lainer wrapped her arm around the girl and led her down the stairs. Ry'us just stood there in the hallway in complete confusion. He turned, noticing the old grandmother standing at the end of the hallway. 
           

"What the hell was that about?" He asked. The old woman shook her head, letting out a little sigh. 
           

"Go put a shirt on, boy. We'll talk when you're decent." Nan said. He realized he was still standing there, completely shirtless. Ry'us walked back into the bedroom. He put on a new, though still kind of dirty, white shirt, but he kept the jacket he had worn the day before. He rather liked it. When he walked out into the hallway, Nan was standing at the very end, now with her cane in her hands and her pipe in the other. She didn't say anything, turning and walking through the door to her left. He followed after her. It was another bedroom, this one slightly larger then his own, and with a few more things in it. There was a larger dresser, with a mirror on it, and a few chairs by an open window that faced the alley in the back. She sat in one of the chairs and he did the same. When she had the pipe lit, she finally spoke. 
           

"That's Ari'bel. She used to come here quite often." She let out a soft stream of smoke, which snaked its way around her head before drifting out the window. Looking out the window he realized it was midday and that without meaning to he'd slept for quite some time. It wasn’t that surprising after everything he’d been through yesterday. He turned his attention to Nan, who was watching him silently.

The old woman seemed to be considering her words carefully. "My daughter has two children now. Mika, you have met, is now the oldest. Nelva is still very young, only six. But she once had three. Luca. He'd be twenty now." Ry'us swallowed. He noticed all too well the past tense. 
           

"When did he die?" Ry'us asked, his voice low. 
           

"Three years ago." Ry'us realized then, that it was Luca's clothes that he now wore. How had that seemed for Ms. Lainer, to see him in her son's clothes? Suddenly, he didn't like the jacket quite as much. Nan must have read the thought in his eyes, for she spoke up. "Keep it. I heard about what you did for Mika last night. The boy is a trouble maker, but he has a good heart. I think my daughter would like for you to have that." But he still had one more question. 
           

"I still don't understand how Ari'bel comes into this." The old woman offered him a sad little smile. 
           

"She must have heard about last night, as well. How you claimed yourself as his older brother, wearing his jacket." She took another long puff of the pipe. "Its well known that the two were...romantic. She loved him very much." Once more, Ry'us felt like an idiot. He glanced towards the door. He had the overwhelming feeling that this place was full of those kinds of problems. All of these people, struggling to stay afloat in a city that distrusted them. He wondered if his parents...his real parents...were still doing the same thing. He stood up. 
           

"Don't feel bad, boy." She said, stamping out her pipe. "There's still some breakfast down stairs, I believe. I'm not sure what you have planned in this city, but you shouldn't be doing it with an empty stomach, or a heavy heart." Ry'us left the woman then. He slowly made his way down the stairs, careful to stay quiet. When he came close to the first floor, he could hear the sounds of the two younger women talking in the kitchen. He didn't give himself the opportunity to eavesdrop, stepping out into the room and offering a weak smile. Ari'bel looked up from where she sat across from Ms. Lainer, the older woman holding her hands within her own. There was a moment of awkward silence. The girl's eyes lingered on his jacket for a moment. Though Nan had said he should keep it, he suddenly wished he'd at least left it upstairs until she'd left. 
           

"I'm sorry for your lip. It looks pretty swollen." The girl said. She seemed to have calmed down a bit now. Ry'us tried to smile, but his mouth made it feel a little awkward. 
            "You've got a strong punch." He said. Her smile was even weaker than his own. Once more, he was curious about how different she looked from the other Uhratians he had seen so far. Her name sounded Uhratian, but all the ones he had met since coming to the city had either black hair or red hair. This girl had neither. But her eyes were green. A dazzling green, behind long dark lashes. He couldn't lie. She was very pretty. 
           

"I told Sunei to have you come by the Center later. If you aren't too busy. I'd be happy to help fix that for you. I’d do it now, but Sunei has a thing against magic being used in her home…" She stood up now, looking Ry'us up and down. She seemed timid, like there was something she wanted to say. But she simply turned to Ms. Lainer and nodded with a little smile. "I will see you later, Sunei. I apologize." The red-headed mother simply smiled. 
           

"There is no need, Ari." There was another moment of awkward silence, and then the girl turned and left through the front entrance. Ms. Lainer turned to look at him with a low sigh. "I apologize." Ry'us shook his head instantly. 
           

"Don't. Nan explained. I didn't think I would cause this much trouble." He paused for a moment. "I'm sorry for your son." Ms. Lainer smiled weakly, but she didn't say anything of it, simply pointing towards the stove. 
           

"You missed breakfast, but I managed to save a few rolls for you." She grabbed a few of the small, circular bread things on the stove and put them in a little bag, which she wrapped up neatly. "I was hoping you could do me a favor, actually." She handed him the little bag. He instantly nodded, hoping for something to redeem this little problem that he seemed to have caused. 
           

"Yeah, no problem. What is it?" 
           

"I need you to pick something up for me. There's a Circle Center here in the Settlements. The only one, actually. Ari'bel works there. I have to stay here at the house today, too many things to do, but I was hoping you could go there and pick up something for me. Just see Ari'bel, she'll be able to help you." He wanted to ask what it was she needed, but he felt he'd pried a little too much into their personal lives for one day. He just nodded. She handed him a little piece of paper. "These are the directions you'll need to get there, but if you get lost, just ask for directions. Most people here will be able to tell you. Its close to the bridge Mika and his friend's use to sneak across the river." Once more, Ry'us was reminded of the events of last night. "I was going to send him with you, but he seems to have disappeared once more. I can hardly seem to be able to keep track of that one. He's nearly as bad as his brother was." Ry'us perked up slightly at mention of the deceased older sibling. But she said nothing else and he didn't press. He just nodded his head and gave her a little grin. 
           

"No problem, Ms. Lainer. I'll have it back in no time." With that she left up the stairs. He didn't even wait. Within seconds he was out the front door and into the streets. Circle Centers were common throughout the country. They were medical centers, healing centers. Most of the people that worked there were Circle Disciple's, but it wasn't uncommon for others to volunteer. And while he was happy to help Ms. Lainer out, there was another reason for his eagerness. Often times, Center's helped with childbirths. And if he was born here in the Settlements, there was a strong chance that it happened there...

::

            There weren't any street names in the Settlements, so the directions she had given him consisted mainly of landmarks. He'd been walking around for nearly an hour and a half before he decided that he was completely...and absolutely...lost. Ry'us glanced back down at the paper in his hands. He hadn't seen any of the things she'd described on this paper. Every building in this part of the city looked the same to him, and since almost none of them had any signs on them, he was stuck guessing at which shops were what. It didn't help that everything was built up in layers, either, leaving him to wonder if the shops he was looking for were on the first level, the second, or sometimes even the third. 
            "This is ridiculous. Has no one here ever heard of street signs?" He grumbled, crumbling the little piece of paper up in his hand and shoving it in his jacket pocket. He was standing on the second level of a street that was probably a little too far into the Settlements, considering he was supposed to be looking for something nearby the river. But this damn city was built up like a maze, and though he'd been attempting to make his way back to the river for some time now, he kept getting rerouted further and further away. 
            A little sigh of defeat escaped his lips and he leaned forward on the upper railing, staring down at the ground street below him. People walked by in packs, pairs, and singles, everyone in a rush. Everyone busy. How was he supposed to ask for directions when no one stayed still long enough to even get a real response? He closed his eyes, shaking his head. The worst part was, he'd finally come to realize just how many people were in the Settlements. How could he ever hope to find his birth parents amongst all of them? When he'd decided to leave for Euromeian, he hadn't expected there to be this many people. And he hadn't expected so many of them to have the same red hair as him. It was all starting to look to be harder than he'd first imagined. 
           

Suddenly his ears perked up slightly, as the sound of metal crashing against metal rang through his ears. He opened his eyes, looking around him for the source of the ringing noise. A constant, steady rhythm of clanging metal. A sound anyone should be able to recognize. He quickly pulled out the piece of paper in his pocket and read over it again. Hed's Forge was written as one of the places. Though it was likely this could be a totally different forge, it was the first sign of anything on the list that was recognizable. He started out on a quick path, taking a ramp down to the ground level and weaving through the crowds. The clanging noise got louder and louder. 
           

He'd been right. The forge itself was open to the outside, unlike most of the other places around it. It looked to him like a store where the builders had decided not to put the front wall, or any sort of floor. Two people stood over a round, iron bowl on a pedestal. The youngest of the two, who looked to only be around sixteen or so, with bright red hair, held onto the ends of a piece of metal which they'd placed over the top of the iron bowl. The other one, who was probably in his early twenties, with short red hair that was nearly shaved on the sides, was hitting down on the piece with a rounded hammer. He drove into it from the shoulder, each hit shaping it more and more to the roundness of the iron bowl beneath it. Ry'us watched for some time, until finally the oldest one stopped swinging. 
           

He glanced at Ry'us, noticing him for the first time. The blacksmith wiped his brow with the back of his hand, nodding over to the younger boy who took the piece of metal and rushed off to a different tool in the forge. 
           

"What can I do for ya'?" The young man asked, taking off his gloves and tucking them into belt. Ry'us glanced around the forge, a little smile on his face. 
           

"Nice setup. Are you Hed?" Ry'us asked. The blacksmith smiled, shaking his head. 
           

"Nah. That's Hed." He pointed over to a corner, where an older man sat smoking a pipe. He had graying hair and a short gray beard, though he didn't seem to be much older then his mid-fifties. He was watching the two of them talk. Ry'us hadn't even noticed the old man until just now, how silently he sat there. "I'm his nephew. The name's Sten'ra. Most just call me Sten. He started the shop, but I do most of the day to day things. Is there something I can help you with? You don't look to be a tradesman, so I doubt you need any tools fixed or made." 
           

"Actually, I'm lost. I'm trying to find my way to the Circle Center?" Ry'us said. Maybe this guy could give him some clearer directions. At least he knew he was close, since this was the right place. Sten raised an eyebrow at him. 
           

"You new around here?" He asked. Ry'us didn't say anything and the man just nodded in understanding, stepping out slightly into the street and pointing to his right. "You're not that far off. Take this street down to the very end and you'll be at the river. Take a left and follow it up to the first bridge you see, but don't cross it. Take a left and it'll lead you right to the Circle Center. The only building that's not connected to any other ones." Ry'us nodded, committing the directions to memory. So he hadn't been too far off, after all. 
           

"So, since you're not from around here, what brings you to the Settlements?" Sten asked. 
           

"I never said I wasn't from around here." Ry'us said. Sten just grinned at him. 
           

"You didn't have to. So what brings you to this hellhole? Not a lot of Uhratians that live outside of the Settlements. You looking for someone?" Sten pressed. Ry'us didn't like how many questions this guy was asking him, but its not like he was trying to keep it a secret. He just didn't like it being so obvious that he wasn't from around here. But the guy had been nice enough to give him directions, and maybe he'd have some of the answers he wanted. Who knew?
           

"My parents. I was adopted, and I came here looking for my birth parents." Sten raised his eyebrow once more, this time even higher then the last. He opened his mouth, probably to ask another question, when the old man called for him from within the forge. Sten glanced behind him, where Hed was still watching the two of them, with extreme concentration on his face. The man was chewing on the end of his pipe, letting out occasional puffs of smoke. 
           

"Coming, Uncle." Sten gave one last look at Ry'us, before turning around and rushing back into the forge. The two men were talking about something, and Ry'us decided to take this as his opportunity to get back on his way, before the young blacksmith had the opportunity to hold him up with more questions. Within seconds he was well on his way down the street, Hed's Forge far behind him. 
           

Sten had at least given him good directions. He followed the road and ended up right by the river once more. He could see the bridge he'd jumped off of just yesterday, not too far up the road. Finally feeling he was closer to his goal, his pace picked up tremendously. He could just see the faint line of the rope under the bridge, when he felt someone brush right against him. Instantly his hand shot out, grabbing a tiny wrist. 
           

"Hey! Let me go!" Mika struggled in his grasp as Ry'us turned to face the little red-headed boy. "Okay, okay, I was just playing. I wasn't going to keep it." Ry'us rolled his eyes, letting the kid go. Mika rubbed his wrist, looking up at Ry'us with a grin. He dropped the two coins back into Ry'us' hand, which he instantly shoved back into his pocket, before turning and continuing to walk without saying a word. Mika started walking next to him, struggling to keep up with the much taller boy.
           

"I saw Ty'dal and Daftra today. All bandaged up and everything. They didn't even look at me." Mika said with an excited gleam in his eyes. "I still can't get over how you beat those guys up. All three of them at the same time. You've got to be the best fighter in the Settlements." Ry'us just shook his head, trying not to smile. 
           

"Yeah, well I wouldn't go pushing it. They weren't very good." Mika looked at him curiously when he said that, but didn't say anything. "Your mom was looking for you this morning. You were supposed to be helping me find the Circle Center. I spent the last two hours wandering aimlessly around this place." Mika just rolled his eyes. 
           

"Its not that hard. You don't know how to ask for directions?" Ry'us just shook his head. 
           

"What were you doing over here anyways? Sneaking across the river again?" He wasn't going to criticize the kid on his little side job. He did what he had to do. Even if Ty wasn't going to be a problem anymore, it didn't mean there weren't plenty of others just like him. Mika chose not to say anything, which Ry'us chose to take as a 'yes'. 
           

"Where did you learn to fight, anyways? You're not a soldier, are you?" Ry'us almost laughed at that one. He shook his head, glancing over at the kid. 
           

"My Uncle taught me how to fight with my fists. He says if you can fight with your body, you can fight with anything." Ry'us thought back to his home in Lidne Falls. His daily brawling lessons with his Uncle, which his mom had made him stop giving him, after he kept getting in fights at school. Even if they were for good reasons. Even after his Uncle had stopped giving the lessons, Ry'us had continued practicing. He found it calming. 
           

Just at that moment they reached the building. It was a little bit bigger than most of the buildings here in the Settlements, and built better, as well. It stood out from the others, not connected or packed close. Almost as if they didn't want to build too close to it. There were few windows, and they were all built up too high to be able to see through them. Ry'us stopped by the front entrance, turning to look at Mika. 
           

"I'm going to be a little while. Think you could wait here, so I don't get lost on the way back?" Mika just nodded his head, looking over at where a little group of people had gathered around an elderly woman. It looked like a class set up, with all the children gathered there. A few of them waved at Mika, who quickly turned and grinned at Ry'us.
           

"Sure thing." And then he rushed off to see the other kids. Ry'us shook his head, wondering how likely it was that Mika would still be there when he came out. He could only hope. He looked back at the front door to the Circle Center, taking a deep breath. He opened the door and entered. 
           

Inside, the building consisted of several hallways. People were lined up outside of rooms on either side, waiting their turns to go in. He walked by each of them, peeking his head in to try and find who he was looking for. He'd get the medicine first, and then see about asking for any of the midwifes there. Hopefully, one of them would remember a baby being born eighteen years ago. He took several turns. The building was a lot larger inside then he'd first imagined. 
           

"...I don't know what to make of it, Ari'bel." He paused as he heard the familiar name coming from a room just ahead. He walked slowly, pausing just outside the door.
           

"You tell me the Light cures all, Martyn, but what do you say of this?" The voice of Ari'bel replied. 
           

"You may not be a follower, Ari'bel, but you still work in my Center. I'll not have you speaking such things while you are here. I may not have the answers now, but I will. It may not be as bad as you imagine. Give it time." 
           

"Time she does not have. Tell her that it is nothing." Suddenly Ari'bel burst right out into the hallway. Ry'us took a quick step back and her eyes widened as she saw him standing there. "Ry'us...I...so you came." She glanced back into the room behind her, and then at him, as if wondering just how much he had been listening to. He just smiled at her. 
           

"Ms. Lainer asked me to drop by and pick up something for her. Said I should talk to you." Ari'bel nodded. She looked once more into the room behind her, and then lowered her head in a simple nod. 
           

"Just...follow me." He watched as she turned and started to head down towards where he'd just come. She moved with a sort of strange grace, like at any moment she might spring forward into a dance, and for a moment he was stuck watching her. Then he caught himself and quickly rushed to walk beside her. "Sunei tells me you're not from the Settlements. That you're new to your people. It must be strange, learning about all of this for the first time." 
           

"Its...different. I wasn't expecting all of this. I was adopted, you see." She glanced over at him, her dazzling green eyes meeting his. 
           

"So...you came here to find your real parents. Is that it?" He nodded and she looked forward once more, her lips pressed together as if there was something she had been about to say, but had considered otherwise. She gestured to a small room on their right and they entered. The room was simple. There were cabinets lining three of the walls, with a bed placed against the one without. There was also a chair, though no desk. Ari'bel walked over to one of the cabinets, opening it and pulling out a little bottle, which she placed in a little paper bag and handed to him. "Take this to Sunei. Now let me look at that lip." 
           

"It’s really not that bad, anymore." He said. But she reached up and touched his lip and instantly he winced. It was still kind of swollen, though not as badly. She smiled, tsking lightly.
            "Just keep still." She kept her hand on his lip, locking eyes with him for a moment. She didn't look away for the longest time, and he suddenly felt very uncomfortable under the intensity of her stare. And then she took a deep breath and closed her eyes. He watched her for a moment. Luca must have been one hell of a guy to get a girl like this. Suddenly, he felt a tingling sensation rush across his lips. His eyes shot down, noticing that her other hand had suddenly made a strange motion. And then she pulled her hand away from him, opening her eyes and smiling at him. He reached up and touched his lips. It was no longer swollen or cut. He stared at her for a moment in amazement.
           

"Neat trick." He said, lowering his hand slowly. He glanced at a small mirror on the wall. His lip looked perfectly normal. It had only been a small injury, nothing even that bad, but it was amazing all the same. He had never seen magic actually performed in front of him. 
           

"Healing magic comes almost naturally in my family." She said. She still had that little smile on her face, and he realized he probably seemed a little too astonished. He smirked slightly, shrugging his shoulders. But at the mention of her family, he had a question of his own. 
           

"Most Uhratians seem to have either red or black hair..." Ari'bel nodded her head, already seeing where he was going with his question.
           

"And you wonder why I have neither. I am Uhratian, yes. There are some families that are different, but those differences matter very little now. We are all still Uhratian." He wondered what she meant by 'differences'. But she changed the subject before he had a chance to ask. "How do you expect to find your birth parents?" He was silent for a moment.
           

"I figured that if I was born here, there's a pretty decent chance it happened at this Center. Is there anyone here who might have worked as midwife eighteen years ago?" Ry'us asked. 
           

"Only one. Sister Carlot. A Disciple of the Light. I could show you to her, if you want. Though the chance that she'll have the answers you want are very little. Not all births happen here. Many Uhratians prefer to handle childbirth in their own homes." Ari'bel said. 
           

"Its worth a try," he said. Ari'bel just nodded. She walked over to the door, gesturing for him to follow. He quickly grabbed up the bag of medicine he needed to bring to Ms. Lainer. He felt a sudden electric feeling in him. For the first time since he'd arrived in this city, he had a feeling of hope. That he might actually get the answers he was looking for. Ari'bel couldn't walk fast enough, but he made sure not to rush her, though he often felt like yelling at her to move faster. They were nearing the front of the building now, when suddenly he recognized a familiar red-headed boy rushing up to him. 
            "Ry! Ry!" He shouted. Several of the people in the hallways glanced at the loud-mouthed boy, who rushed right up to Ry'us.
           

"What is it now, pip-squeak? Can't you see I'm busy?" Mika glanced over at Ari'bel for the first time, who had one eyebrow raised. He closed his mouth for a second.
            "Oh, hey Ari." She started to say 'hi' back, but Mika already had his attention back on Ry'us. "There's a guy outside who keeps saying he wants to fight you. He looks really mean, Ry." Ry'us looked over at Ari'bel, then right back to Mika.
           

"What are you going on about? Who is it?" Mika shrugged his shoulders. 
            "I don't know. But he's pretty mean looking. He's been shouting and everything." Ry'us looked back at Ari'bel. He was completely torn. 
           

"Just...I'll be right back." Mika gave a little shout of excitement and instantly rushed on ahead of him. Ry'us paused several steps ahead, turning to look back at Ari'bel. She just rolled her eyes and walked in the opposite direction. Great... 
           

Ry'us understood what Mika had meant by the guy looking mean. He wasn't a terribly large man, but he definitely had a rough look to him. His jet black hair was shaved on the sides of his head in three stripes, with the traditional Uhratian green eyes. He was sitting at a bench right across the street, his arms crossed and staring right at the door, so that when Ry'us walked out, they instantly locked eyes. The man wasn't even wearing a shirt, which revealed every single one of the thick scars that covered most of his body. To Ry'us, all that proved was that he got hit too much. 
           

"And you have no idea who this guy is?" Ry'us said the second they entered the streets. Mika just shook his head, glancing nervously over at the other man. 
           

"You can beat him, right?" Ry'us didn't answer. The man had a s**t-faced grin on his lips, standing up and rolling his shoulders as Ry'us walked towards him. They both stopped several feet away from each other. 
           

"So you're the one this kid's been saying is the best fighter in the Settlements, eh?" Ry'us instantly shot a glare at Mika, who was conveniently avoiding his gaze. He looked back up at the man.
           

"The name's Ry'us. I'm guessing you have one, too. Unless your mother decided a face that ugly shouldn't have a name tied to it." Some might have thought it stupid to insult someone in a situation like that. But the guy already had plans to fight him, so there wasn't really any sense in trying to act nice. Either way, the man didn't seem to care about his insult, still grinning at him. 
           

"Leta. My name's Leta." He looked around him at that point, as if wanting to make sure that the people who were watching from a distance had taken note of his name. It was pretty clear what this was about. The man didn't have any personal problem with Ry'us. He had a problem with the reputation that Mika had decided to start making for him. "I'm guessin' you already know why I'm here." Ry'us nodded, looking back over at Mika, who had walked a couple paces away. 
           

"Yeah, Mika told me. Something about wanting to fight me." Ry'us had a smirk of his own on his face now. He was analyzing this man from head to toe. He definitely looked like he got in a lot of fights. He still had a pretty recent looking bruise across his ribs, though he didn't appear to be showing any signs of it bothering him. Ry'us shook his head at that moment. This wasn't worth his time. He wasn't here to prove himself a good fighter. He was here to find his parents. Let this guy prove himself to someone else. "Listen, I don't claim to be the best fighter in the Settlements. Just go home." And with that he turned around and started back towards the Center building. He sensed it before it even happened. A growling noise from behind him as Leta's smirk turned into a snarl. And within seconds an iron grip on his shoulder, pulling him backwards. He didn't have time to do anything. He hit the ground flat, slamming into the dirt road with a dull thud. Ry'us felt his brain get rattled and the air escape his lungs. Not good...
           

His vision straightened just in time to see a large boot coming right down towards his chest. Instinctively, he reached up and grabbed it, twisting the leg and sending Leta sprawling upon the ground. Ry'us rolled over, scrambling to his feet and backing up several paces. He watched as the man slowly stood up from the dirt, brushing off his pants with a smirk on his face. He now stood between him and the Circle Center. There was no stopping this fight now. Ry'us shook his head, regaining his composure. He wasn't smiling anymore. Mika stood several paces to his left, and when Ry'us took off the leather jacket, he tossed it right towards the kid. This man wants a fight. Fine...I'll give him a fight.

            Leta's smirk was one of the most irritating things that Ry'us had ever seen. His s**t-faced grin never seemed to leave his face, and Ry'us had the very strong urge to break his teeth. Moments ago he was happy to walk away from this whole thing. He didn't even want to fight the guy. But this man had decided to lay hands on him, which was something that Ry'us never took lightly. He noticed out of the corner of his eye as a woman ushered the children into the building, even to the point of grabbing Mika and dragging him away. Good. He didn't like the idea of a bunch of kids being nearby as it was. In case things got out of hand. With any luck, it would never get that far. 
            "You're pretty springy." Leta said through his grin. Ry'us just smirked, though there was no sign of a smile in his eyes. Every moment he stood there, with that stupid grin on his face, was another moment that Ry'us was picking out weaknesses. Leta was rolling his shoulders, cracking his neck. 
           

"I'm more than just springy. Come over here and find out." Ry'us said, that little smirk still on his lips. Leta seemed to consider his words for a moment, his grin slipping as he appeared to be thinking about something. For a moment Ry'us wondered if he was reconsidering the fight. And then he simply shrugged his shoulders and grinned once more, closing the distance between the two and sending a foot towards Ry'us' chest. The guy was quicker than he looked, but Ry'us was ready for him to make the first move. He stepped to the side and lifted Leta's foot up. The man was slammed against the ground with a dull thud. But he didn't lay there, like Ry'us thought he would. He reacted quickly, the sudden fall barely seeming to phase him. Ry'us' eyes widened as he felt his feet being swept out from under him. He hit the ground right next to Leta. 
           

The scarred fighter was on him in a second, sitting on his stomach. Ry'us threw his arms up as Leta threw punch after punch, his fists slamming against his forearms. He couldn't stay in this position or he'd be out in seconds. He kicked up suddenly, flinging the older fighter off of him and rolling quickly to the side. The two were on their feet in seconds, but this time Ry'us didn't wait for a pause in the fight. He was up just moments before Leta and instantly sent a kick towards the man's gut. Leta hit the ground hard this time. 
            Ry'us didn't drop down after him, though. He took a moment to catch his breath. This guy was clearly better when it came to fighting on the ground and he wasn't going to let him have that opportunity. Leta slowly rose to his feet, wiping his lip and staring across at Ry'us. Ry'us had his hands up already, the adrenaline rushing through his body, smothering the pain he'd probably be feeling later on.

            The scarred warrior, at least, wasn't grinning any more. Ry'us slowly started towards him, his fists still up. Leta took a step back, hands up as well. Ry'us kept moving towards him, not stopping his advance. He moved him closer and closer to the wall behind him. And then he rushed in on him, throwing a punch. Leta tried to raise his hands, but he wasn't quick enough for the heavy jab that came right towards his jaw.

            Punch after punch, Ry'us threw several quick swings, knocking the man against the wooden railing. He threw one last punch, pushing the entire weight of his body, flowing from his shoulder to the end of his fist. It landed square against the fresh bruise across his ribs. There was a loud cracking noise and the man crashed through the railing, wood splintering as he hit the ground hard. 
           

He didn't move. 
           

Ry'us took a few steps back, letting out a heavy sigh. He felt a weight rush through his whole body and he turned away from the man, shaking his head. The guy had hit him pretty hard and there was a sudden throbbing pain through his forearms. His eyes locked in on the girl who had ushered all the kids into the building, noticing the look of disappointment in her eyes. It was a look he'd seen a couple of times in the past, when his mom had heard about him fighting at school. He started to walk towards her, when he heard movement from behind him. But the adrenaline had worn off, and his reaction was slow. Before he even had time to register the sound, the guy had him. 
           

Leta had picked up one of the broken wooden posts from the railing, and now had it held across Ry'us throat from behind, squeezing tightly. Ry'us struggled, hands gripping at the wooden post and trying to push it away from him. He felt the strength already failing in his body, his arms feeling heavy as his vision started to fade away. If he kept pulling this hard, he would crush his throat!

            Ry'us felt a sudden moment of panic. He couldn't let this happen! He buried the rising feeling of panic. Digging deep, he found the last reserves of strength he had and pushed against the piece of wood, slamming his head back. 
           

The back of his skull slammed against the man's nose and his grip instantly slackened. Feeling the sudden release of pressure on his lungs, he gritted his teeth and sent an elbow back against the man's already broken ribs. Ry'us fell forward, landing on hands and knees. Behind him, Leta lay on the ground.

            This time, he didn't get up. 
           

Ry'us struggled to regain his bearing, each gasping breath like fire in his lungs. He turned his head, still on his hands and knees and looked at Leta laying on the ground. He wasn't moving. Ry'us looked around him at the people who had been watching. He struggled to speak, but his voice was hoarse and the words painful. "Someone help him." He managed, at barely a whisper.

Author's Note

All criticism is welcome ^^