Down By the Docks
The moon had risen high over the bay, the sounds of the ocean were fading away as Poe weaved through the docks. The exhaustion from her day with the Padjals was still heavy on her mind but she was doing her best to keep it at bay. She had stopped in the inn moments before to leave her items in a room for the evening. She had carefully removed the jade ring gifted to her from Relan and her necklace, the one piece that meant more than anything to her, that Daevien had given her. She tucked them into her satchel and stuck it into the top drawer of her desk.Removing her usual vest and skirt, the female slipped into a light linen shirt and thicker cotton pants. Stretching, she considered if the garments gave her enough room to move. Am I being as foolish as Lan-I-Mata has suggested? Poe paused to look down at her hands, the bruises fading into a dull grey. Her fingers gently traced over the sensitive flesh, the achy bones. I really should have consulted with Rose… Poe sighed, dropping her hands to rest comfortably on her hips as she glanced around the room. She already knew she would probably not return that evening, she feared if she were bleeding of having to pay for the clean up. How level-headed of me, to be considerate of the staff here and cleaning up…
And now the female was weaving her way down the crowded and dirty alleys just along the docks. The stench filled her nostrils, the torches causing the shadows to dance along the dingy streets. Trash was pushed along the walls, half-broken boxes were stacked, some filled with trash, other with world possessions of those who had no place to put them. She could hear the ruckus as she dipped her head, stepping down two steps into the lower floor of a building.
Thankful for her eyesight, Poe blinked a moment, adjusting to the dimly lit room. It was packed. She tried to move past the crowds of bodies, pressing closely against each other. The smell of sweat and blood was overwhelming and the female could feel the bile in her stomach start to churn. But she pressed on, pushing deeper through the crowds until she stood at the edge, where it thinned and she saw two men unmercifully hitting each other. The sounds of skin connecting to skin, the grunts of the men and the cheers and jeers of the crowd. It was almost too much. Poe grabbed her head, trying to steady herself.
Finally one of the men collapsed and a small Lalafell entered the ring to name the man standing victorious. Victorious? He looks like he needs medical attention… Poe swallowed nervously as she watched them cart the unconscious man through the crowd and disappear. The crowd roared again and her sensitive ears twitched as she heard the bellowing of masses, frenzied to see more blood spill. Now or never…
She pushed her frame hard against the last layer of the crowd and burst into the open space. The Lalafell turned, giving her an inquisitive stare, “Are you lost, miss?†She could hear the laughter in the air. They are laughing at you… Poe quickly shook her head and took a step toward the Lalafell and knelt down to stare him intensely in the eyes.
“I am here to fight.â€
The crowd roared but Poe refused to break the stare with the small male. His lips curved into a sinister smile and he turned to the crowd, “Did you hear that? She wants to fight? What do we think?â€
The noise rose in the room and Poe stood up, hesitantly looking around the crowd. She did not recognize any faces. Her eyes glossed over and she suddenly realized the Lalafell had been asking her a question.
“What?†She asked and the crowd burst into laughter again.
“I asked,†he snapped, appearing annoyed, “Were you planning on fighting a male or female? We have rules around this.â€
Poe shook her head, confused. What does it matter? The Lalafell crooked a finger for her to come closer and the Miqo’te stepped closer and knelt down. The Lalafell suddenly grabbed her linen shirt by the shoulder and ripped it, the fabric hanging precariously by her shoulders now. Poe’s gasp was lost in cheer of the crowd.
“No shirts…period,†he told her, smiling widely. “The crowd likes to see a good show.†With that, he snapped his fingers in the air and two shadows now loomed over him.
Poe had still been kneeling, stunned, her face flushed with embarrassment as the scraps of her shirt hung, her simple cotton bra exposed. Anxiety swelled in her, glancing up to see the two that had created the shadows.
A highland male and female stood, arms crossed with snide smiles as she looked down upon her. The female was barely clad, her outfit looking like it was made up with simple strips of cloth, barely covering anything. The male had a pair of loose shorts hanging from his hips and nothing more. The Lalafell barked into her face again, “Which one will it be, missy?â€
She swallowed, looking for a way to get out of this. But it was too late, the crowd wanted to see another fight. When Poe did not respond, the Lalafell stepped closer, screaming into her face.
“The…the female…†She finally mumbled. I will not fight a male, I don’t want him touching me.
The male laughed and stepped back to the edge of the circle and the Lalafell smiled, turning suddenly and a large ding sound could be heard. Poe had not anticipated any of this, the female rushed her and knocked her flat out on her back, unmercifully grabbing her ripped shirt and pulling the remainder of her shirt off of her frame. Trying to curl into a protective ball, Poe felt the first blow to her jaw before she had a chance to tuck her chin. Her pronounced canines came down hard on her tongue and the taste of blood filled her mouth.
Her vision rolled, stunning her for a moment as she felt the woman fist her hair and slam her head hard against the dirt floor. Fear boiled up and forced Poe into motion, her knee rising up and causing the female to loose her balance. A quick twist of her hips and she was able to bring her other foot up and firmly kick the woman into the gut. Poe heard her groan and stumble back, the crowd cheering loudly. They clearly cared little for who won, they just wanted to see blood.
Staggering to her feet, Poe spit out a mouthful of blood and lowered her center of gravity, crouched and ready to spring. The blow to her head was now a throbbing pain, pulsing from her head down. The highlander snarled and smiled, charging Poe again.
But the Miqo’te was prepared, staying low and lunging in return, aiming for the woman’s knees. The woman stumbled and Poe pounced, her knees pressed down onto the woman’s torso as the Miqo’te’s fists clenched. She did not recognize her own ragged breathing in her ears, as she swung as hard as she could down upon the woman. Wildly, not even aiming. The impact against her fists would have hurt if she had time to stop and realize. And then suddenly, she was face down in the dirt, the highlander had her right arm twisted and extended behind her. The crowd was chanting and Poe was still trying to process how the woman had even managed to upend her. And then the pain…the sound of the snap was audible and Poe felt something in her shoulder give way. Blackness threatened to fill her vision, the pain almost unbearable. Attempting to wiggle from the highlander’s grip, the sound of her shoulder grinding could be heard. The highlander released her, standing up and encouraging the crowd.
Poe spat out another mouthful of blood as she got to her knees, shaky now. She turned to face the woman, but clearly untrained, had not anticipated another attack. A punch square to her face. The Miqo’te felt the pain in her nose, the blood starting to flow. Her lower lip split and started to swell immediately. Poe staggered and dropped to her feet. The sounds of the crowd swirling in her head, her vision tunneling again as she almost lost consciousness. Fight as she may, she had been doomed from the start. The highlander strutted around a few moments as Poe knelt on the ground, supporting herself up with her left arm, her right arm hanging from the socket in a way that showed the damage done.
A final kick to her head was all it took and blackness stole the Miqo’te from awareness. Perhaps it was better she was not awake to see, as her body lay on the bloody dirt floor. Her ripped shirt long gone, her face starting to swell from the attacks, blood still seeping from her nose and her split lip.
The Lalafell entered the circle, acknowledging the highlander as the clear winner. The male highlander entered the circle and grabbed Poe by her left arm, unceremoniously dragging her along the floor, the crowd parting as they jeered down upon her form. The highlander exited out a back door, dragging Poe to a large pile of trash in the back alley. He dumped her there, tossing her ripped shirt on top of her form, throwing her out like the rest of the trash.
