But while such equipment made for an impressive sight, it did nothing to give him an advantage within the circle. If anything, he was at a bit of a disadvantage having his equipment swinging freely, and vulnerable to attack. Ryan was seriously considering exploiting this advantage, since his panga was the right weapon for the job.
“She’d never have you, stupe,” Ryan said. “I either chill you in the circle, or she’ll chill you the moment you two are alone.”
Mog looked up at Krysty, considering Ryan’s words.
At that moment Grundwold entered the circle and approached the two combatants. “If one of you wants to leave the circle now, you can do it, no shame. It’s been a good show.”
“Nobody’s walking out of the circle, Grundwold,” Mog said. “Let’s get it going.”
“My thoughts exactly,” Ryan agreed.
Grundwold nodded and left the circle, climbing onto the stage and calling out, “Fight!”
Ryan was caught momentarily off guard by Mog, who threw a pike at Ryan as if it were a spear, the second after the sec chief gave the call to fight. The long weapon glanced off Ryan’s body, but not before the pointed tip broke the flesh on his right shoulder and blood began to flow freely down his arm.
Ryan countered by picking up the pike and throwing it out of the circle.
The crowd cheered.
Then Ryan gathered the rest of the weapons in the circle and threw them all out, as well.
The crowd roared in delight.
Now all that was left was Ryan’s panga, which he picked up and moved just outside the circle, as well, next to the pile of his clothes.
“You think you can chill me with your bare hands, One-eye?” Mog laughed.
“No,” Ryan said, running toward Mog and leaping into the air. He hit the giant in the chest with the balls of both feet. There was a loud whoosh as the air came out of Mog’s chest.
After delivering the kick, Ryan fell heavily to the ground, landing hard on his side.
Mog stumbled backward a few steps, tripped over his own feet and landed heavily on his ass.
There was laughter from the crowd.
“Shut up!” he roared. “All of you.”
The laughter died down, but not completely.
Ryan circled the big man, looking for another weakness. He was big and powerful, likely able to crush Ryan’s ribs with a bear hug or able to suffocate him. Ryan had been lucky to knock him over by hitting him so high up and knew that the next blow would have to be different, since Mog would never fall victim to the same attack twice.
“You move fast, One-eye. But is it fast enough?”
Ryan didn’t waste his breath answering.
He had moved to the right, looking to take Mog down once more. He darted in close and tried to sweep his right leg around to take out one of the big man’s giant tree-trunk legs. He struck him in the calf with his foot, but the leg didn’t give way.
Mog reached down and managed to catch Ryan’s leg in his hands.
Ryan desperately tried to scramble away out of his reach, but Mog was able to reel him in, and in seconds he had his huge arms around Ryan’s body and was pulling him ever closer.
The one-eyed man gasped for breath as Mog began to squeeze the life out of him. Ryan struggled to free himself, but his efforts only used up more air and tightened the grip the giant had on his body.
Mog continued to squeeze.
Something snapped in Ryan’s torso, and a lance of pain shot through his chest. And then the world seemed to be getting dark around the edges.
He thought of Krysty and Dean first, almost simultaneously, and after that came thoughts of J.B. and Doc and Jak, and then images of the chilling he’d done over the years. Trader came next, as if the man were waiting for him somewhere up the road. Lush green fields, a home that was his and a family…Krysty and Dean out on the porch of their home, looking for him. Looking, looking, looking.