"Yrsa, do not be afraid. What just happened is a part of you, just like the claws are a part of the bear, or the talons are part of the hawk. It is a part of who we are."

"But papa, I...I don't know what just happened. I wanted to hurt you. I wanted to hurt anyone," Yrsa sobbed.

"I know. That is also part of what we are. We are members of the Bear clan. Some call us Berserkers. Through our blood flows the strength of the animals of the forest. The only problem is we have to get really mad to make it work."

"But you're not mad papa," Yrsa replied.

"No, I have learned to harness my abilities somewhat. I am not as strong as I could be, but if we were to get that strong, we might hurt others. Our rage can blind us and we are as much a danger to those we care about as the people or animals we would want to hurt."

Those words had echoed in her mind since that day. She must always be on guard against becoming too angry. She had lived by those rules and had forced herself to never get too angry again.

Looking at Latham across the fighters circle she didn't care about not getting mad anymore. She had killed the man she held responsible for the depression and death of her father, and if Latham wasn't going to let it go, then she would send him to meet him.

"I never wanted this to happen, Yrsa," Latham called out over his shoulder. "I am doing the duty of a father." He turned and stepped towards Yrsa, the loose snow crunching under his feet. "I never wanted to kill another member of the Bear clan, but you've left me with recourse." Without another word Latham charged at Yrsa.

The crowd erupted in cheers as Latham charged at the blonde outsider. Yrsa growled and ran forward to meet her attacker. The two collided in the air as they hurled themselves towards each other. They landed entangled in each other's bodies.

There were no yelps, or grunts of pain. It sounded like two animals rolling around in the snow. The white powder covered them and soon it was tough to tell the two combatants apart. The crowd grew silent as the two kicked each other off themselves. The fight was then a blur of the two trying to grip, throw each other to the ground, and tackling each other. The fight resembled that of a sumo wrestling match, with either side trying to get hold and grabs. The two used no finesse, there were no tricks, or anything that could be considered 'martial arts' used. This was a backyard brawl between two beings that relied solely on their strength and endurance.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

Punches were thrown and connected with sickening thuds. Blood flew upon the snow and what sounded like bones cracked. The fight wore on. There were no breaks, there were no 'wrapping up' of opponents. Every time the two separated, they charged right back in on one another, colliding with shoulders, legs, fists, and their heads.

Javier was sure they would knock themselves into oblivion with multiple concussions and several broken bones, but they fought on.

Even the villagers had become quiet. Was this normal? With the innate rage that the Berserkers had seen and lived with their whole lives, surely, they had seen displays like this before? But as Javier looked around at the villagers, their faces showed equal parts, awe, disbelief, concern, and fear.

The two fighter's stamina was without end. Neither looked to be tired or winded. They fought through their pain, and fatigue. Their faces showed nothing but rage and hatred. Javier wondered if Yrsa even saw Latham anymore, or if Latham even knew who or what he was fighting. The two charged at each other from opposite sides of the combatant circle. They rushed forward and collided.

Then just as suddenly as it had started, it was over. No one moved, and the only sound that could be heard was of the wind gently whispering through the trees.

The council members moved forward as one, shrinking the circle they had formed, though none of the villagers moved. Three council members picked up the still body of Yrsa, while the other four picked up Latham's. There were no cheers, no celebrations, as the two were carried away.

Javier looked around as the villagers dispersed. After a few minutes you wouldn't have guessed that anything had happened here at all, except for the blood spattered all over the packed and treaded snow of the combatant circle. Javier turned and found that they hadn't been left completely alone.

"So, what happens now?" Keva asked the two villagers that had stayed behind.

"Eat now, Healers must now begin their work," one of the Berserkers responded.

"Hysminai could easily heal both of…" Michelle began.

"No!" the Berserker barked out. "We know of your kind. You are very strong in body and will. The combat is not over and must continue."

"Wait, what?" Javier asked shocked. "They were both knocked out. Surely the contest must be over."

"It is not, and must be allowed to continue," a voice said from behind them.

They all collectively turned and found an aged man with the black striped face paint cutting down over his cheeks from both of his eyes. Huan Li nodded his head in respect.

"How can a fight continue, when neither of them can fight?" Keva asked. "And if you're going to use Healers anyway, Hysminai could heal both of them very quickly."

The man smiled sadly and shook his head. "Your kind is not unknown to us, but it is my guess that our ways may be completely unknown to you. Let me show you."

He led the group away from the combatant circle. His legs carried him effortlessly through the snow as he guided them through the village while gesturing to the forest which surrounded it.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.