Battle of the Heart

Hey guys sorry for the incredably long lasp in updates. I wanted to get through a certain seane, but it was just too long for one chapter. I had college on top of that too. Anyways, long chapter as a reward for the wait. I promise the next part won't take so long. ^_^

Enjoy,

Ethereal

PS, thanks so much to Raven for responding, I really appreciate the support.

Chapter 4

The next few days passed without consequence. The only real excitement they had was when Lamar freed Gabe. The boy broke down crying, clinging to Rias and begging Lamar to let him stay. Both Lamar and Rias had been surprised by the boy's plea, and when Rias had asked the boy why he didn't want to go back to his sire and dame the child had broken down in tears. Rias had let it rest after that, and had advised Lamar to do the same. After they had assured the boy he could stay Gabe had perked up, though he seemed a bit more on edge. Lamar had changed as well. He seemed oddly subdued over the past few days, he had been withdrawn and had a nervous politeness that seemed so fake to Rias. The fox was starting to miss the confident human that had dared to command him even when he didn't have any way to control him. Sense putting the collar on him, Lamar had not given him a single order. He had barely even spoke to him. Rias became so unnerved by it that he finally sought him out on the forth night of their journey after Gabe was asleep.

Food was already cooking on the fire, and Lamar was busy trying stretch the skin of the slain animal over a wooden frame. Rias chuckled as he watched him struggle. The human was not by any means a natural woodsman. Without Rias there he would have starved. "You're never going to get that on there if you hold it like that."

Lamar looked up in surprise at seeing the fox over him, "I wish you won't sneak up on me like that," he grumbled. "You dam near gave me a heart attack. I'm doing the best I can, I've never done this before okay?"

Rias smiled leaning over Lamar and guiding a corner of the wooden frame sat between the human's legs. He then rested his hands on Lamar's and showed him how to stretch the hide. Lamar sat three with his eyes wide and his hands trembling, and Rias quickly realized how it looked with his chest pressed against the human's back and his chin resting on his shoulder as he guided the other's hands. He pulled back fast his face reddening, "ah sorry, anyways that's who you do it."

"Um, thanks I think I got it from here." Rias noticed a blush on the human's cheeks as well, and he found himself smirking. Well at least he had managed to flabbergast the human as well.

"Rias, why do you think Gabe decided to stay with us?" Lamar asked clearly trying to change the subject. Rias sat down beside the human, "I don't think he had anywhere to go. Maybe he likes it here with us."

"Do you?" Lamar had looked at him with questioning eyes.

"Do I what?" Rias had a bit more of a defensive tone then he had intended.

"Do you like it here?" The question was so quite that if Rias hadn't heard it the first time he wouldn't have understood it.

Rias averted his eyes from the human fingering the collar around his neck. "I can't say that Lamar, not when I'm not here of my own choice. I'm glade that I'm going to do some good, and I don't think I'd mind it if I was free, but as things are now I can't be happy."

Lamar nodded rubbing his temple before looking at Rias with pain filled eyes. "I guess I can't blame you for feeling that way. No matter how I treat you you're still not free. You know when I first met you I thought you were a monster Rias. I thought all foxes were. Maybe on day I will be able to free you. I really don't think you'd hurt me, at least not anymore. I need a fox to fight for me though, I know it's selfish of me but I don't have anything else that I can do. My father has made it clear I am not welcome in his home, and you saw how skilled I am when it comes to surviving in the wild, and if we don't win fights I won't have money for food and supplies."

Rias was silent for a moment then he turned to Lamar with hope in his eyes, "I want to stay Lamar. I want to fight so I can free the foxes that aren't as lucky as me. What if I tell you I'll stay with you, and I won't hurt anyone? Then would you take this damned collar off of me?"

Lamar considered this for a moment, but than shook his head. "Let's see how we do in our first fight. Then I'll think about it okay? I've just got too much on my mind knowing we'll reach our first arena tomorrow."

Rias sighed, knowing that this was about the same as a no. He hadn't expected the human to say yes, and after the number of times he had threatened to kill him Rias couldn't blame him. The odd thing was that Rias wouldn't have hurt him. He liked the human, perhaps even more then he would admit to himself. "I'm going to go get some sleep. Wake me when it's time for me to take watch."

Lamar nodded, apparently willing to let this sensitive subject drop. His own heart was filled with remorse. "Good night Rias, and good luck tomorrow.

Rias grinned fire flashing in his eyes. "I won't need luck. You just wait till tomorrow, I'll give you a blow out fight the likes of which you have never seen."

~~**~~

The arena area was very quite when the trio walked into it that afternoon. Rias had been to many different arenas, and he knew that the quietness of the place would not last. By nightfall the arena would be full of people looking to place bets on the fights. Right now the only people here were a few foxes and their trainers who were practicing in the arena. Rias walked up to the edge of the arena looking out over it. Lamar came up behind him with Gabe clinging to his arm.

"Why don't you guys go get us signed in? I'm going to go look around. See if I can't pick out a fox to fight." Rias sounded almost board, but in truth he was quite nervous. The last time he had been this he had wanted nothing to do with it. He had been forced to fight one fox after another, and he had lost most of his fights. Now he was almost excited about the upcoming fight. He was fit and uninjured, and he would be fighting to help his people, not hurt them.

"Get up you worthless piece of shit!" Rias jumped his heart in his throat when he heard the all to familiar voice boring into his mind. He turned and looked down at the arena and was shocked to see the man that had haunted his dreams for years. Rias had never even known the man's name. He only knew him as 'the master.' This was the man who had first out a collar on his neck, and who had made him fight to within an inch of his life. Rias had never dreamed he would lay eyes on this retched creature again. Rias gulped as he moved away from the ring and out of view of the human. He tried to stifle the illogical terror that he felt growing in his heart. His old master couldn't do anything to him. Not while his stone rested around Lamar's neck. The usually confident fox suddenly wished the young human was there beside him instead of off registering.

"Get up you pathetic mutt, we're done when I say we're done. You're going to fight tonight, and you'd have better win you hear? I'm not gonna keep feeding you for nothing." Rias dared a glance when he heard his previous master's voice. It was only then that he noticed the small silver fox that was lying of the ground beside the human. It was this fox that the man had been yelling at. Seeing the creature curled up in a ball shacking uncontrollable gave Rias a burst of rage that overrode his fear and he stormed out into the arena.

"Stop!" Rias' cry caught the attention of everyone in the arena, including his former master. The man frowned when he saw Rias, "You talking to me fox? What the fuck do you think you're doing? Where's your master? You need a lesson in how to keep your filthy mouth shut when you’re in the presence of your betters."

Rias fought back old fears as he stared in shook at the man. It seemed his old master didn't even recognize him. "When I am in the presence of my betters I'll be sure to remember that." He said in a scornful voice. "I want to challenge you to a battle, if I win I get that fox."

The human blinked before bursting into a fit of laughter. "You're challenging me fox? Who the hell do you think you are? You're a slave, you have no right to challenge me."

"No but I do." Rias blinked when he heard Lamar's voice behind him. He looked to see his new partner, and a nervous looking Gabe coming up behind him. Had he been so focused on the human that he hadn't heard Lamar coming? "Rias what's going on here?"

Rias' eyes widened and he shrunk back as realization dawned on his old master's face. He could have killed his human partner just then.

"Rias? As in that scrawny little nothing I sold off five years ago. I thought that piece of garbage was dead. You sure don't look like 'em fox, he was a week skinny little bastard." The human chuckled as he casually approached Rias, grasping his chin and forcing him to meet appraising eyes. The human's voice took on a new tone when he continued. "It's you though, damn you look good! I wouldn't forget those shiny blue eyes of yours. I always knew it was a waste giving you up. Even if you couldn't fight you were always good for something. You got a lot better looking too, no denying that. " Rias shivered as he felt the human's hands travel down his chest, going lower and lower. Every fibber of his being screamed at him to blot, but his body just wouldn't move. He was trapped in the deadly enchantment of the man that held his will in human hands for so long. Unable to tell his body that it could resist, that this man no longer owned him. It was Lamar that finally broke the spell, stepping in between the human and the fox and pulling Rias behind him.

"Keep your hands off my fox!" Rias was surprised by the anger he heard in Lamar's voice, and even more surprised at the possessive air in Lamar's being. Somehow Rias didn't mind it as much as he should have. "Who the hell do you think you are, treating him like that?"

The man raised an eyebrow, as he looked Lamar up and down. Apparently he wasn't impressed with what he saw because he snorted shaking his head. "So you're Rias' master now ah? Can't say you made a bad choice. Rias is obedient as hell, problem is he can't fight worth anything. I'm feeling generous today kid so I'll make you a deal. I'll trade you this little nothing for one of my foxes. They're obedient, and they can fight. You're lucky you know, I'm one of the top trainers in this region, you fight with a fox I give you, you won't lose."

"I'm not interested," Lamar's voice was decisively cold. "I just want to know what you were doing with Rias."

The human laughed apparently not effected by Lamar's refusal, "The little fox wanted to challenge me to a fight. I know you're new at this but surly you know that masters are the owns that arrange fights, not slaves." Rias growled at the insult, even though he knew it was aimed more at Lamar then at him. "Let me take him on Lamar. Look at his fox, the poor thing looks like it's on the edge of death. I want to fight him, and I want to wager that fox. If I win he gives you his fox."

Lamar studied the fox that was lying at the older human's feet. He couldn't believe how bad the creature looked, nor did he like the way the human was looking at Rias. He did not know how the human knew Rias, but he could tell that Rias was nervous, even fearful around him. He wanted to help the poor creature, but he didn't know how. "We don't have enough money to wager against him Rias." Lamar wished there was something he could do for the little fox, but he knew there was nothing. Even if he had been willing to risk it all he didn't have enough to risk.

"We'll wager me. He said he'd trade me for one of his foxes so he can't deny it's a fair wager. If I win we get that fox and 40 pensives. If he wins he gets me."

Lamar was shocked by the fox's words. He didn't honestly think Lamar would do that. He wouldn't put Rias on the line for anything. Not only was Rias his only fox but he was also his friend, or at least Lamar would have liked to think he was.

The other human was quicker to respond, for once addressing Rias on equal grounds. It seemed he was fully willing to change his stand on the fox's position now that it benefited him. "Why 20 pensives?"

Rias met the human's gaze, his fear replaced by determination. "That fox is near death, and you said you would trade Lamar a good fighter for me. Lamar got me for 40 pensives, and the creature is only half my worth at best."

The human nodded in acceptance, "very well, I will agree to this wager. We'll have the fight tonight."

"No, we won't." Lamar stepped in finding his voice at last. "I'm not going to let Rias fight you.”

“What?” Rias’ voice was filled anger, “you can’t do that Lamar. This fight is mine as much as it’s yours. I have to beat this guy, and I’ve got to save that fox. Look at him! He’s barely even alive, you can’t tell me I can’t beat him.”

Lamar sighed as he looked down at the injured fox lying before them. It was true, he could hardly beat Rias, not when he was like that. The money they’d get would help them out a lot too.

“How can you ask me to do that Rias? I just can’t see why you would want to risk falling into that creeps hands again.” Lamar said these words in a quite voice, ignoring said ‘creep’ when he scowled at the pair.

“Lamar please, I need to do this. I’ve got to beat him, so I can leave him behind. If I don’t face him now I don’t think I’ll ever be able to.”

Lamar closed his eyes and tried to keep the pain that was threatening to well up inside of him down. This was just business, it shouldn’t be effecting him this way. Even a fool could see what a great opportunity this was.

“Alright, we except your challenge, but I want to do it now.” I won’t wait until we have hundreds of eyes on us.” This wasn’t Lamar’s real reason. He didn’t think he’d go through with it if he didn’t do it now.

The man smiled and a shiver ran up Lamar’s spine. Something was wrong. “Alright, I’ll go clear the arena and get my fox ready. You can take a seat in the north bleachers, no trainers allowed in a ring during a fight,” the man smiled wickedly, “wouldn’t want you to get hurt now.”

Lamar nodded and walked with Rais over to their gate. The fox looked at Lamar, a bit of fear in his eyes. Lamar swallowed, “we can back out if you want. Once the fight starts I can’t stop it, so now would be the time to tell me if you changed your mind.”

Rias shook his head his voice filled with shaky determination. “No, I can do this, I don’t know why the hell I’m so nervous anyways.”

“It’s alright, I’m nervous to.” The pair stopped in front of the gate. “I’ll be up there watching. You’ll do great Rias, don’t worry.”

Rias nodded, “thanks Lamar, for understanding.” Then stepped through into the arena. Lamar climbed up the steps and didn’t turn around until the other fox arrived in the arena as well. He wouldn’t have even turned except he heard Gabe gasp. The boy had been silent the whole time, and when Lamar looked out to see Rias’ opponent he understood the boy’s reaction. Standing across from Rias wasn’t the weakly silver fox but a strong and fit fox, with hair that showed like liquid gold.

Hope you liked it. Please review, I swear it makes me type faster. ^_^ Ethereal