#fighting ring

They were one of the few beacons of hope in that hellhole, the duo always finding ways to make others smile, laugh, and feel as though their lives weren’t truly over yet; that there was a light at the end of the tunnel and they would fight for them rather than each other. It was better to focus on them rather than pay attention to the telltale sound of chains rattling as the winner returns, though they don’t look like a winner.

Cassiel licked his lips and rubbed the back of his neck while he hummed a soft tune, knowing that he should probably wake up his partner considering he knew what was about to happen to them both. He looked down at Acacius, admiring the beautiful white hair he was playing with and smiled gently before poking his cheek. He rolled his eyes when Acacius mumbled something about napping being important and curling up more.

Cas could still remember the day he first met Acacius. Funnily enough, they had met in the same place that sorted them into their designations. He and Cas both were sent to the fighting rings and as time went on, both of them ended up bonding with each other to the point that they decided to do something unheard of in the world of the fighting ring; they imprinted on one another.

It was unheard of because if a shifter loses their imprinted partner, then they feel their pain, even until death. It would be a miserable way to lose someone, considering there is usually a death once a week. Cas didn’t want to think about it and he was more than happy to live every second with Acacius, no matter how much time they both had left.

Cas poked his cheek one more time and his partner opened his bright green eyes, looking up. “Well good mornin' to ye. Ye seemed to have a good dream, no?” Cas asked with his iconic Scottish accent, receiving a lazy grin from the fox shifter.

“As good as I can get here, babe. Did another fight just happen?” Acacius asked, glancing around and seeing the overall downtrodden mood of the cages. “I don’t think I need an answer for that one? Who’s next?”

Cas smiled sadly and looked away, rubbing the back of his neck, a usual tick he has when he is hiding something.

“Cas… Who is fighting next? They should have said something.”

“Well, ye know who hasn’t fought dis week. It’s de last fight of de day and de weekend. Dey saved it for last…”

That made Acacius’ eyes widen, his beautiful eyes marred by the fear so evident in them. “No, you can’t mean that we would be fighting…”

His heart wanted to shatter at those words, not wanting to believe it, not wanting to accept the fate that would be handed down to them by the very people that wanted to make an example out of them. “Aye, dey want us to fight.”

“I won’t fight you, Cas. I refuse. I won’t fight you!” Acacius shouted, holding his face and kissing him deeply until he pulled away. “I love you.”

“I love ye too, but dey’ll hurt ye if ye don’t do what they say. Especially in a fight with me. Ye know I earn dem de most…” He trailed off. Being a dire wolf shifter was so rare, people have sent their life savings to at least catch a glimpse of the mystical animal that he can become.

Acacius shook his head and crossed his arms, pouting. “No, I don’t care. I love you too much to even think of having to hurt you.” He stood up and held onto the bars of their cell. “You hear me?! I AM NOT FIGHTING IN YOUR STUPID GAMES!”

Cas jumped up and held Acacius to him, kissing his head. “Ye know better dan to shout at dem. Now dey are goin' to take me away from ye. Promise me somethin'?”

“What? What do you want me to promise you, Cas? I promised you I wouldn’t hurt you. Not just because we are bonded together, but because I love you. They can hurt me all they want, but I won’t hurt you.”

“Promise me ye’ll love me, no matter what happens?”

“...”

“Acaius please…”

“Cassiel Ohazia Belanger, I will always love you. No matter what. I don’t care if they call you a beast. I know you aren’t one. I know the real you.”

“Thank ye, Acacius Reijo Bolstad. When dis is all over, we can cuddle, and I can sing ye yer favorite song.”

Acacius pressed his face into Cas’ chest as Cas began to sing so softly, his voice melodic as always, carrying and lifting the spirits of not only his partner, but of the other fighters in the vicinity. It was almost as though time stopped just long enough for Cas to bear his soul out.

Acacius smirked and raised an eyebrow. “Well what is stopping you from singing to me now, hmmm?”

Cas laughed and rubbed his partner’s cheeks so lovingly, getting lost in his eyes and remembering the day they spoke about going and running in the meadow, free from the bonds of their captivity. “I can sing for ye, me love.”

But life wasn’t kind to worthless shifters like him and the others.

“Hey! Both of you let go of each other! We have shit to do today!” One of the guards shouted, banging on the bars with his baton and stopping the singing.

Cas looked down at his Acacius, kissing his forehead and stepping back, knowing the protocol. He dropped to his knees, his hands behind him while another guard attached the leash and manacles. “I’ll see ye after de fight.”

Of course, things were never so easy when it came to his partner.

Acacius growled and crossed his arms. “I am not fighting him. You can’t make me!” He shouted before shifting and growling at the guards who now had their weapons aimed at him.

“Acacius please! Don’t-” he was cut off abruptly by the muzzle placed on him as a precaution. Can’t have an animal of his caliber roaming the facility, especially when his jaw strength was powerful enough to break a metal muzzle.

It was horrifying to see it and Cas struggled as he was being dragged away, hearing a guard say, “No, we won’t make you… We can just make him.”

Please don’t make me hurt him!

Shots were fired.

Please stop hurting him!

Yipping and cries of pain were heard.

Make it stop!

Cas saw his partner’s white fur have flecks of red in it.

He cried out when the pain reached his brain, his bonded, his imprinted partner hurting as they now writhed on the floor to fight the sedatives. The last thing he saw before he was shoved around the corner was Acacius’ eyes making contact with his own.

There was nothing he could do now. He was taken to the room they put all the shifters in before they went out to fight, the guards shoving him down to his knees and removing the muzzle and manacles.

“Please make sure he’s ok- agh!” He yelled when he was bashed in the face, falling over and crying.

Another kick was driven into his chest, knocking out the air from the gentle shifter before a voice spat back, “You don’t get to talk. You just stay still or I will have that stupid ass fox get killed. Got it?”

The collar around Cas’ neck was removed, his sensitive neck feeling the cool air around it before they placed a heavy titanium collar around him. It was the collar they had specially made for him since he grew to an abnormal size.

A guard approached him with a syringe and that made Cas jump up and press his back to the wall, tears in his eyes. “Please no.. no no no no no no! I’ll be good! I don’t want de needle! I’ll be a good lad!” But the guard only got closer to the shifter.

Until the needle was jabbed into his arm and the plunger pressed down, the black substance going right into him. “What did ye give me?” He asked, so lost as to what could have been in the concoction.

“Something to make this fight more interesting. Nice vitamins for the shifter you are. Don’t worry about it. We’re gonna go now. Also… Have fun. We’re betting on you,” the other guard answered with a smirk, all the guards walking out and locking the door.

This is not good… they usually don’t leave since they force me out of the room. I wonder why they did th-

The room turned still, the sound of the drums- no, his heart- pounding violently in his chest, and his eyes focusing on the gate that will soon open. Something wasn’t right and Cas pressed himself against the wall, beads of sweat now running down the back of his neck and down his muscular body that was still covered in scars from previous battles.

He had an unquenchable thirst which rocked his world, but it wasn’t for water. It was for something thicker, something warm, something that can give him sustainment, and something he can bite into. It was rage that now turned his vision red, Cas holding his head and trembling, grinding his teeth, now fangs, and he looked deep into himself, trying to patch up anything that he could mentally. “No… No no no no! I can’t be a beast!” He bellowed in his most angered voice while fear made it almost crack.

His mind was betraying him and the humanity he wished to hold close to his soul. Facing his inner beast was a battle between the benevolent Scottish shifter and this… monster that was held back by the chains forged by a deep magic. He stared into the blood red eyes of what seemed to be a demon in the form of a wolf, the fur on its hide shimmering with shadows and fangs that already seemed ready to sink into its prey.

“No, don’t make me a beast. Please… I can’t… I can’t control meself. I don’t want to hurt anyone,” he whispered to himself, to which he was returned with a demonic laugh, an overwhelming feeling of dread washing over him.

Oh? You wish to not be a beast? Cassiel… You cannot change what you are simply because you refuse to be one. You will heed to my command.

“It’s Acacius! I can’t hurt him! I love him and he’s me love!” He screamed, the sounds of chains rattling filling his head. He could feel the world slowly slipping out of his grasp, the Beast inside of him taking over.

You are an idiot. A fool to ever think you can love someone. Do you know what you are? Well? You want to sniffle and cry like a pathetic mutt or do you want to show the world what you are?

“I want to run in de meadows and be free. Play music… I-” he choked on the air, falling to his hands and knees, his back arched, his fist pounding into the ground as the sound of the gate in front of him started to open.

The light of the arena seeped in, the white fur of his companion, tinted red due to his vision, visible. They were chained to the wall by a long chain, just like he was, both prepared to fight. He opened his mouth to scream, but the voice in his head was louder.

Beasts can not love anyone. I will teach you this lesson, Cassiel. Face it. You will thank me one day.

Cas last remembered feeling himself turn into something far more larger than he could ever hope to become. He wasn’t in control anymore. The Beast was and it was going to make an example out of Acacius.

All he could do is wade in the darkness, looking for any way to fight his way back into control. That was the thing with the Beast; Cas could never remember what happened during it all, but when he woke up, it was never a good thing.

After what could be described as eons of being in the dark, a voice rang out loud.

Don’t ever forget my lesson to you, Cassiel.

Blood.

That was all he could tell there was when his eyes opened. Cas' heart was going faster than he had ever thought possible, almost painful in nature. The metallic taste was wretched in his mouth... dripping from his fangs and maw as he slowly came to. He was standing over something that seemed to be devoid of life.

What's going on? He thought to himself, finally having control over his mind, the Beast gone.

The red haze slowly disappeared and there before him was Acacius, the arctic wolf shifter. There was no white fur... only red fur that was now matted up. He wasn’t moving. There was no rise or fall of his chest, no light in his eyes, and so much blood outside of his body. There was a stench in the air that he could tell without a doubt what it was…

Death.

Cas backed up slowly, his tail in between his legs as he had realized the horrors he had committed. The Beast… no… He killed his best friend, his one and only, his imprinted partner. A pain was now radiating all over his body, his heart threatening to stop to atone for his sin.

The world turned grey for him, not a single thing in existence holding any sort of meaning to him. The clapping and cheering that he was the winner was not heard by him, but rather the last few words he could remember Acacius telling him.

“Cassiel Ohazia Belanger, I will always love you. No matter what. I don’t care if they call you a beast. I know you aren’t one. I know the real you… Well what is stopping you from singing to me now, hmmm?”

Cas tilted his head back, his ears low as he howled in a lamentful tune, knowing the others in the back would be able to hear. Memories of the man he once loved now filled his mind and he couldn’t stop himself from tearing up, the tears running down his fur.

The booing around him caused him to stop and when he saw Acacius’ body being dragged back by the chain, he leapt forward in an attempt to be close to his love once more. That was when his own chain was being pulled back and no matter how hard he fought, he was being pulled away and soon the arena was gone.

Once he shifted back, he curled up in the now lonely cell and screamed to the high heavens to forgive him of his mistakes while the words he heard earlier continued to torment him.