The Spider

I could feel the tingle of the fine hairs on the back of my neck as they stiffened and stood on end. The feeling was so familiar, but I had yet to take it for granted. My senses were heightened every time. I could smell the blood, the sweat, the stench of infectious puss, the acrid smell of mildew from the rag mop used to clean the platform after every duel. I could hear the roar of the crowd in the next room, as well as the sound of my own blood pumping in my ears, and money-sacks being shaken furiously in anticipation of the outcome of the game.
The game. But, it was so much more. I stood there, awaiting what was next to come, adrenaline coursing through my nervous system. The first few times, I would be shaking, dripping in a cold sweat brought on by pure fear. Back then, especially the very first time, I was never sure if I would walk away afterward, but each time, no matter what injuries I sustained, no matter what horrible concoctions I had to stomach afterwards to heal the damage, no matter if I won or lost, I always felt stronger. I was stronger...and richer.
The money was the reason I had decided to venture into this underground world in the first place. Now, my growing wealth seemed almost trivial compared to the sheer raw power I had awakened within myself. I was fearless, empowered, and unstoppable. That was what kept me coming back, more than the money.
I heard my name. The crowd had began to chant my name as if it were a feverent prayer, as if the power of my name would make all their problems melt into oblivion. I took a few deep breaths, and I stepped out into the second room. I pushed my way through the sea of shoulder to shoulder people as they groped at me, pat me on the back, or tried to shake my hand.
I stepped onto my side of the platform, my opponent on the other end. His face was dark, his eyes and jaw set. He was shorter than I, with broader shoulders and sturdier legs. He sized me up as I did the same for him. The referee, and my business partner, Kalvin Reesor announced the rules. I wasn’t listening, I was taking this time to plan my attack. After all, I knew the rules by heart.
Rule number one, No illegal curses. Rule number two, If your opponent taps out, calls forfeit, or faints, you must release him. Rule number three, Make sure you do not accidentally wound a bystander, if you do, you will automatically loose the duel.
This was the most perfect place to be. Everything else in my mind was erased. I was a man, a man with power, pitted against another at the peak of his abilities, man and magic. Nothing else mattered except my will. I would fight him until I was no longer capable to do so. I brought my wand up to salute before standing at the ready.
Our eyes met, before his eyelash had a chance to flicker, before a pupil could dialate into focus, I threw him a full body bind. My opponent had a clear and commanding voice, I could tell as he cried,"Defendo Deleo", then thrust his wand in my direction. "Eragorn Incompositus!" I heard his words as if he were screaming them in my ear, still, I had little time to react before the platform beneath me exploded in a forceful shower of splintering debris and I was sent soaring into the air. With a hard, loud thunk, I landed on my back and side. For a split second, my ribs felt like rubber, then I felt the sharp throbbing heat that told me one had cracked. I felt the surge of adrenaline that always follows the pain, the way my body tensed up to allow it to pass..."Accendo Ebullio!" I just barely heard my opponent cry as flames hit the floor at my left shoulder and I rolled to safety.
In the blink of an eye, I had my wand pointed, and my nouth moistened, primed to demand, "Decumbamitto!" My opponent was thrust into the air at least twenty feet. I directed him, spinning in the air, quite aware of the white-hot stabbing pain in my side, before thrusting him mercelicly down onto the platform. For a few fleeting moments, it seemed as if I was to be the winner. My delight and relief were boundless as I watched my opponent stagger to his feet. There was little more that I enjoyed more than a good long duel...Before I knew how well off he was, my very resiliant opponent shot his wand in my direction, and used my most recent spell to hurl me in the opposite direction of himself, and head-on with the wall. The breath was sucked from my lungs, and I heard something snap. There was a dull ringing in my ears as my back connected with the stone wall and a stiff, heavy pounding assulted my spine. I slid to the floor with a thud and a violent jolt to my tailbone, which forced a throaty gravely sound from my stomache and out through my lips. I tried to moisten my parched mouth as I felt cold cords wrapping around my entire body. Punishment I could take; pain, I craved and thrived apon, but making myself fight tooth and nail with an injured spin was immpossible. As a fresh wave of euphoria washed over me, owing to my body's natural morphiene, I felt the vines entrapping me tightening dangerously. "Defaeco Animus. Defaeco Animus..." I murmured over and over, feeling my fingers go numb as the vines became tighter still, and tighter, my blood pumping thunderously in my head.
Slowly, though, I began to feel as if the vines were falling away as my incantation worked it's magic. The vines were splitting, I could hear them breaking. My eyes were closed, I was focusing on the pain, again, and it was invigorating and motivating. Through my spell and my pain, I was driven harder.In a surge of adrenaline and aggression, my long, sinewy leg came up and my hard heel connected with my opponent's stomach. I hopped to my feet and threw a right cross that sent a small tooth flying from my opponent's mouth. Before my left fist connected with his nose, his wand was in my ribs, and I could feel a strange strangled feeling in my very marrow.
The sensation started in my chest and shot to my arms and hands. I felt as if my fingerbones would stretch right through my skin. It was strange to feel as if I was being threatened with a dull blade from the inside out. I laughed. It was just a small, slightly amused chuckle. My opponent's eyes went wild, and he growled,"Stone Undique!" I cried out as I was pelted with an abundance of small rocks. They came at me from all sides. I could feel every future bruise as the stones hurled themselves at my arms and stomache and legs. The longer the curse went on, though, the more numb I became. I could still hear the screaming crowd, and I forced my self to keep my eyes closed so that my opponent could not guess my intent.
As quick as I could, I raised my wand and shouted, "Electrify!" My nameless opponent released his curse apon me under the assult of my incantation, his body convulsing with the small lightening shocks surgeing through his nervous system. "Decumbamitto! I commanded, again sending him spinning into the air, and slammed back onto the platform. He lay motionless. I waited, my breathing so heavy my lungs hurt, my muscles so worn they didn't even feel attached anymore. I knew he wasn't through, but I turned and began to walk away. The screams from the crowd were still ringing in my ears, but I heard it. I heard him behind me stretching out his arm in a last ditch effort. Quicker than a bird in flight, I spun around to face him, wand pointed. "Stupify!" I cried, my voice louder than the by standers.
He was down. I had won, I had conquered. I walked to my fallen opponent, and knelt before him. His breathing was regular, and his pulse was normal, considering. I stood again, and looked around at the energetic crowd, exchanging shouts and sacks of money. From their side of things, it was a game of winners and losers. Soon, Kalvin would be corralling them all outside, and locking up.
I put my wand back in my robes and ran an unsteady hand over my head. My hair was drenched with sweat, and I was sure that it now stuck up in small carrot-colored peaks all over. “The winner!” Kalvin cried, as loud as he could over the frenzied crowd, “The Spider!” The room exploded with screams of both delight and dismay. I had made some men very rich tonight, and others, very poor. I left the platform as quickly and covertly as I could manage, and I went back into the first room. I found my robe and cloak, and slipped it on over my dueling pants. I pulled a small bottle of wicked tasting green liquid and downed about half of it. It was just for the rib I had cracked, and the snap I had heard in my back. I wanted to be reminded by the rest.
I had only a few minutes before Kalvin would be joining me, to split our night’s profit. It was time for me to bring myself down, now. The indescribable feeling before, during, and after a duel would have to be pushed aside, so that I could go out into the real world, and pretend that none of this ever happened.
I could never really pretend that this world didn’t exist. This was my haven, my sanctuary. Not a minute went by that I didn’t think of what I had done and who I had become. These thoughts were safe within my own psyche, and through them, I was reborne, fresh and renewed; strong enough to deal with all the crap that was dished out to me every day of my life. In this moment, I was whole again.
Kalvin walked through the door and up to me. “Almost nine hundred galleons tonight.” He grinned, wide. “Here’s your cut.” He tossed a sack of coins into my waiting hands. “Thanks,” I said, “It was a pretty good turn-out tonight, eh?” “Indeed.” Kalvin nodded, “Thanks to you, Spider.” I gave a half-grin. “In about five minutes, when I walk out of this building, I won’t be ‘The Spider’ anymore.” “That’s right. Kalvin smiled, “How did you come up with that name, anyway?”
I shrugged. “Remember when you suggested that I use a name that incited a riot of fear within to whomever heard it?” We were now shutting out the lights and locking the doors as we talked. “Yeah?” Kalvin replied. I turned to re-lock the last door behind us. “Well,” I tried to smile, “I’m arachnephobic.” “No kidding?!” Kalvin grinned. “That’s funny. You’re the most well-known underground duelist in the country, and you’re afraid of your own name.” We were out in the cool, night air, exposed to the moon and all of the world that it kept bright.
“Nothing funny about it.” I frowned. “We all have our quirks. Good night, Kal.” “Good night, Spider-Oh!” He caught himself, “I mean, mild-mannered Ron Weasly. See you next week!” With a wink and a grin, he dissaparated, as did I.