{Gana's POV}
I stood inside the circular ring. My bare feet felt warm while touching the scorching ground. My eyes closed as I felt all around me. Sweat trickled down my shirtless body.
My nose smelled the soil, my ears heard the footsteps.
In front of me is one of the strongmen of the Daya Tribe.
"Zarr!"
"Zarr!"
"Zarr!"
The crowd of the Dayas chanted and cheered. I remain unfazed, for I know I'm not physically imposing and blind. I always wondered why God took away my sight. Yet, my other senses were honed sharper in the dismissal of my eyes. For thirteen years I survived blind. Thirteen years, I craved to not be helpless.
This shall be my proving ground.
"Don't get hit, Gana!"
"Pick your spots!"
Ah. My two best friends in the tribe. Durman and Darman. I have no idea how I manage to befriend these sons of the Daya chieftain. Well, that's a story for another time.
The referee in the middle raised his right hand up.
"Fighters, on my mark!"
He let it fall. "Go!"
Based from what I heard from the twins, he likes to use his humongous figure to crush all of his opponents. Yeah, he will definitely charge at me like a raging bull. I'm thankful that my super sensitive nerves are what allow me to learn to fight. I took a stance with both my arms near my chest. My chest heaved heavily as I feel immense pressure.
I could sense the air in between me contracts, indicating that Zarr is trying grab a hold of me. My frame slipped below his arms as they missed. I jumped towards his back while I wrapped my arms around his waist. My knees pressed against his calfs, as I lifted him over my head all the way towards my back. Since Zarr is taller than me, his head slammed first as his neck bent downwards.
The roaring crowd that rooted for Zarr fell silent. I let him go as I went back into my stance, not realizing he was out of cold. The silence ensues for some moments before the referee went declared my victory.
"Victor! Gana!"
I relaxed myself after being tensed the whole time. I breathe as much as I could before pumping my fist towards the sky. "Hell, yeah." I cheered internally.
Durman and Darman clapped their hands vibrantly.
"Would you believe it, bro!? This guy actually pulled off a suplex on that motherfucker."
Darman just shook his head trying to absorb what actually happened during the match. The crowd also followed the twins' action, appreciating the underdog's win. Several Daya tribesmen rushed towards Zarr to conduct a medical check-up alongside the referee.
To the north of the match ring, Chief Apparu, sat on a fur-wrapped wooden chair that was placed on a high platform, stroked his chin after witnessing the outcome of his first-born son being knocked out in one move. Towards his left, was his primary wife, Shala, the chieftess of Daya. Two other concubines of his are sat below them, Leha and Nawar. Shala frowned as she cursed her son for being so useless to lose to a blind child. Nawar seems almost disinterested in this fighting festival of Daya while Leha is struggling to hold back her grin.
Every two years, a fighting festival known as Pencak was held for all the minor and major tribes to participate as part of their tradition. Those who lived in the southern part of the Gerta Continent, has always practiced unarmed martial arts as part of their ancestor's legacy even with the invention of swords and armor.
Once I stepped out of the ring, the twins simultaneously slapped my back. "Good job, Gana!" I rubbed my back in pain before replying,
"Yeah, thanks, just don't hit me too hard"
Durman laughed, "What are you saying? We thought you are dead when you are facing that brick wall in the first round but look at you!"
Darman nodded, "Hm, hm. Tell us, how in the heavens you are able to lift up that muscle head?"
"What you mean? You two were telling me that he muscular, strong and yadda yadda but like he's not even that heavy." I groaned. The two froze and I felt like being stared like I'm some sort of a monster. Did I say something wrong for them to act this way?
Soon, the twins quickly assumed a formal manner as they greeted, " Mother, you shouldn't really have come," they said in-sync. I rushed to put my hand on chest and bowed, " L-Lady Leha, for what reason you grace me with your presence?"
She chuckled, "Oh, you do not have to be so formal with me, dear Gana. We knew each other for so long, you know." She paused before continuing in her melodious voice that I recognized easily, " Your performance is really impressive to the point I have to start looking at you more like a man rather than a kid. Shala's scowling face was really satisfying to look at. "
I blushed a bit, " My lady, I was just fighting to win regardless of who's who in front of me."
"Admirable. I hope you will go easy on my two sons here, still I wouldn't mind you winning Pencak this time around." She walked away. I looked at her direction as I so often remembered the sound of her footsteps from the day I first met Lady Leha.
"See you, Gana. Me and Darman are going to fight our rounds as well. Let's meet at the final." Durman hastened up towards the other ring. Darman just nodded at me. Well, knowing him that's what he usually do anyways as he wasn't as noisy as his twin brother.
After they're both gone, I stared at my hands while clenching them into fists. This feeling of victory, of power, of strength... It is addicting. I defeated, Zarr, a favorite to be a champion this year, who was two years older than me in one move. Then, my head realizes something. Crap. I just knocked out Apparu's favourite son and heir of the Daya Great Tribe. Here comes the unwanted attention.