Jay crouched low behind a cluster of tattered tents at the outskirts of the slave encampment, the cool earth pressing against his palms.
His heart raced as he watched a band of soldiers enter the camp his heart raced as he watched a group of soldiers enter the encampment, their armor glinting dully in the morning light, a stark reminder of the power imbalance that weighed heavily on all their soldiers.
The soldiers staggered with a cruel confidence, laughter bouncing off the wooden walls of the makeshift structures.
At the center of their taunts stood a pair of siblings Aryn and Arys newly captured, Jay wondered if the girl could even survive with her scrawny body.
Just as the thought passed his mind, a commotion arose behind him, Jay turned to see another slave, a burly man by the name of Geno, advancing towards him, eyes glinting with malice. Geno was known for bullying whoever he wanted and today, he had set his sights on Jay.
"I hear you've been hoarding food, rat".
Geno sneered stepping closer, his shadow engulfing Jay.
"You think you can keep it all to yourself? hand it over, or I'll take it from you"
Jay's heart pounded in his chest adrenaline flooding his veins as he met Geno's gaze.
"I'm not giving you anything" he replied, he could feel a pulsing heat in his chest, as if a fire had been lit there. he knew he was going to enjoy this.
Without warning Geno lunged forward aiming a punch at Jay's gut. But jay was ready, sidestepping just in time. The burly man stumbled, and Jay exploited the opening, swinging a quick uppercut that connected to Geo's jaw. The exhilaration surged through him as Geo stumbled backwards, surprise etched on his face.
With a primal roar, Geo recovered quickly, rushing at Jay again. He swung wildly, fists flying and Jay ducked and weaved, feeling the rush of danger and the thrill of the fight invigorate him. The crowd that had begun to gather around them could sense the tension in the air, their shouts of encouragement and jeers mixing into a cacophony of noise.
Jay retaliated, landing another solid punch to Geo's stomach the force of it sending the man into a nearby tent. In the moment Jay felt empowered the anger he held inside transformed into electricity coursing through his body. The humiliation of the soldiers taunts toward the pair of slaves he had seen earlier fueling his fury, and he refused to back down.
Geo shook off the impact, charging again, refusing to back down.
The world around jay faded into the background with every strike he landed on Geo but even then, he could feel the crowd's energy feeding him, their shouts and cheers filled with encouragement and a need for violence penetrating his mind and giving him purpose
With a deep breath Jay centered himself focusing on Geo's movements When Geo lunged forward, Jay lowered himself ready to strike Geo and end the fight.
With a sudden rush of energy Jay swung his fist, feeling the crack of bone against his knuckles as his fist connected with Geo's jaw. The impact sent a shockwave of excitement coursing through him a momentary taste of power usually not felt by people in his position.
The crowd erupted into a cacophony of cheers and shouts, their breaths hitching as they witnessed the fierce exchange. Jay staggered back, Geo staggered back, his eyes wide with fear and fury, on the other hand, Jay felt Free every cell in his body igniting as he closed the distance between them.
The sweat moved down Jay's face, but every strike gave him vigor, he could hear his own breath heavy and dragging intertwining with the noise of the crowd the weight of his status in the world lifted off him for only a minute.
With one last blow Jay landed a punch that sent Geo sprawling to the ground, grasping for breath. the thrill of victory ran through him, an adrenaline rush that left him breathless in his victory he found an escape from the life that he felt was gnawing away at him from the insides.
his spirit couldn't be broken
HIs spirit, wouldn't be broken