Freedom and Betrayal

"Hey Coal," Ron said suddenly, looking up from his tail that he was combing with his clawed fingers. "Have you ever thought of life outside of the fighting arena?" Ron was small for his age, but he suspected that he would hit a growth spurt soon. 

He was a timber werewolf with tan skin, pale orange eyes, and russet brown hair that he kept pulled back in a small ponytail. His ears and tail were the same color as his hair with a dusting of light brown on his brown ears. His left ear was torn and had been for about a year now, after a rather nasty fight. 

"No." The larger werewolf replied simply. "I dare not to, I know I'm never getting out of here, so why should I even bother hoping?" Coal was bigger that Ron and generally just large for his age. In fact he was the biggest werebeast in the arena, and because of this a formidable fighter. He had dark skin, and long, raven black hair that reached the small of his back and blunt bangs. His eyes were the prettiest yellow and stood out in the darkness of the cage he and the other werebeast sat. 

"I guess you're right," Ron said. "But it's nice to think we will, anyway." He and Coal had been fighting in the arena since they were pups. Both from different packs, they had met shortly after they had been taken from the smoldering ashes of their homes and thrown into the large cage where they now sat. 

The cage was quite large and built into a cave wall, or something of the sort, and was circular in shape. It had a smooth dirt floor and a bumpy wall in the back. In a circle from wall to wall were iron bars and a locked door. Usually there were about thirty other werebeast in this cage, but with the amount of fights, there were only ten at the moment. 

There were other werebeast there as well, all from similar situations, but Ron had never bothered getting to know them.

Not really. 

Ron didn't mind though, he preferred Coal's company over them. He and Coal had been friends ever since they were both brought here, and only recently had become lovers. That brought some semblance of happiness to the two, and provided a light in the darkness that was their life. Neither knew what they were doing in the slightest, and neither cared. 

Having finished combing what grit and grime he could from his tail, Ron scooted over to Coal and rubbed his head against the other boy's. Coal returned the gesture. 

"Want me to braid your hair?" Ron asked. Coal nodded, turning so his back was to Ron. 

Ron reached his hands up to pull the black curtain back over Coal's shoulders and his fingers brushed against the rudimentary collar around his neck. 

Ron had one just like it. They didn't shock like a normal werebeast collar would, and were only meant to be something a chain could connect to or be used to pull them around by. 

Ron parted his hair and got to work braiding it. It was greasy and a little knotted, as they didn't bathe often, but Ron didn't mind. He had always thought Coal's hair to be very pretty regardless. 

After a few more minutes, Ron tore a bit of his shirt off and used the strip to fasten the end of the braid. Even braided Coal's hair was still long, and reached the middle of his back. 

"There," Ron said admiring his handy work. Coal pulled the braid over his shoulder and smiled. He knew Ron wouldn't be able to see it. 

"Thank you, Ron." He said softly. Coal turned around and moved so he was leaning against the back of the rock wall. He blinked in the dark, listening to the distant sound of fighting. 

"Do you think we'll be fighting soon?" Ron asked, leaning against the wall too. 

"Probably." Coal responded. "If not tonight; I think it's night, tomorrow probably." Ron nodded in agreement. 

Having nothing better to do, they two decided to sleep, saving what energy they had for a potential arena fight down the line.

Ron woke up to the cage door being opened and the still living werebeast from the last batch of fights being thrown inside. Intent on ignoring it, Ron closed his eyes and tried to go back to sleep. 

"Hey," a voice closest to him said sharply. "Hey you! Wolf with the torn ear!" 

Ron sat up and slowly pointed at himself. The source of the voice, a portly man with a bald head, nodded. 

"Yes, you, come here." 

Ron stood slowly, careful not to wake Coal and padded over to the side of the cage the man stood at. "What do you want?" Ron growled. 

"I have a proposition for you, kid." The man said. Ron's ears perked at that. That usually meant a bath or extra food. 

"Oh? And what is this proposition?" 

"Freedom." The mad replied. Ron's orange eyes widened and he gripped the cage's bars. 

"Freedom? Like...freedom freedom?" Ron repeated. 

"Yeah. I'll let you go." The man said growing impatient. 

"Ok, I'll agree, but only if you let me take my friend Coal with me. 

"I didn't even tell you what I wanted." The man said. 

"I don't care, I'll do anything!" Ron said quickly, desperately. A chance of freedom was dangling right in his face! And he intended to catch it. 

"Ok then," the main said. "You and Coal are set to fight tomorrow afternoon. I bet against you, so you're going to throw the fight. Make sure your friend doesn't win." He held his hand out to the boy. 

Ron's ears flattened a little and he bit his lip. Coal would fight like hell, so that would make it difficult, but Ron wanted to get him and Coal out. 

"Deal." Ron said nodding, taking the man's hand. 

"Then it's a deal." The man grinned and shook Ron's hand. 

"Remember, boy," the man sad letting go of his hand and turning to leave. "You throw the fight. Or no deal." 

Ron padded back to where Coal was sleepin and settled down next to him. Coal mumbled something softly in his sleep before cuddling into Ron's side. He sighed and closed his eyes. But Ron couldn't shake the feeling that he had made a deal with the devil. 

The next morning Ron awoke tangled with Coal like he had the last few months. He sighed happily, Coal's company was comforting. He untangled himself and sat up, almost forgetting his deal from the night before. His eyes widened as he remembered and he steeled his will. He was going to get him and Coal out of here, and they were going to finally be free from the Arena. 

When the afternoon rolled around and he and Coal were pulled from the cage by their collars and thrown into a room where they would shift. Both boys shifted quickly, and standing in their place was a large black wolf and a smaller timber wolf. 

The door to the arena opened, allowing Ron and Coal out to the Arena where they would be fighting...

"Five werecoyotes?!" Ron scoffed. Five against two, that was hardly fair. 

"Doesn't matter," Coal growled, his hackles raising. "We got this. I know we do, with you by my side." 

Ron reminded himself that freedom awaited them and he had to hold up his end of the bargain. Coal would be angry with him, but at least they'd be free. 

The two wolves loped out into the arena and waited for the gunshot that signaled the start of the fight. 

Two coyotes immediately cut Ron off and began to fight him, while the other three charged at Coal. Ron fought them to keep up appearances, but no matter how he tried to hide it, it would be clear to Coal he wasn't trying. 

Coal snarled and snapped at the three coyotes, he sank his fangs into one's hind leg. he was holding his own the best that he could, but three against one was proving difficult. Another coyote bit into Coal's ruff and shook him, Coal spun around and snapped his jaws shut on the coyote's ear and pulled. The coyote shrieked and let him go. 

"Ron, help!" Coal barked. Before he was besieged by the other two coyotes. Every time he started to take one down, the other two would pull him off and gang up on him. 

Ron watched as he nipped at the coyote's heels who had cornered him. He did nothing to respond to Coal's cry for help, though he wanted to. But he had to throw the match, he had to. 

"RON!" Coal barked again. The four were a mound of snarling fur as they tussled. 

Ron whined as he thought of what to do. He didn't want to lose this deal, but Coal's cries for help made his instincts run wild.

He had to help! 

NO! His mind screamed. Suddenly a shrill yelp made Ron look up, the three coyotes had parted, showing that Coal had somehow shifted into human form. Why Ron wasn't sure, but he was doubled over screaming in pain. His hands were clutched over his right eye as blood poured from between his fingers like a fountain, dying the dirt of the floor crimson. The other coyotes took their chance and tore at his soft human body. 

"Coal!" Ron yelped. Screw the deal, they'd kill Coal if he didn't do something! Ron snapped at the two coyotes cornering him and and quickly subdued them and sprinted to Coal. He collided with one coyote that had a hold of Coal's right ear. The force of Ron tackling him made the coyote's teeth tear a notch through Coal's ear. 

"Coal? Coal!" Ron whined, nudging his friend with his snout. Coal didn't move. The gunshot sounded again marking the end of the match as a forfeit. 

The men dragged Ron by the scruff and Coal by an arm back to the cage. The two men threw them inside and locked the cage door behind them. Ron quickly shifted and rushed over to Coal's side. 

"Coal, are you ok?" He asked looking at the right side of his face and the nasty wound over his eye. It was bad enough that Ron was sure that eye was useless now, and with no medical help it wouldn't heal right at all.

"No, I'm not ok!" Coal snapped. Tears rolled down his cheeks and stung his right eye. "What the fuck was that? Why were you trying to throw the match?!" 

"I-I made a deal! I was told if I did, me and you would be set free! I couldn't pass it up!" Ron said quickly helping Coal sit up. 

Coal slapped Ron's hand away and bared his teeth at him. "And you believed him? Ron, I needed you! And you just stood there! Now I can't see out of my right eye at all! I'm vulnerable like this!" 

"Is there water?" Ron asked frantically looking around. There was a bucket of drinking water to the side. He rushed over and grabbed it, not minding spilling some. He undid his hair, pulling the small strip of shirt he tied it back with away. He wet it and moved to wipe his face clean of blood, but Coal slapped his had away again. 

He looked up at Ron, betrayal and pain visible in his good eye. 

"Ron I needed you and you just stood there!" He snapped, his voice cracking with a sob. "I don't care what you were offered, I needed you!" 

"Coal I-" Ron started but Coal cut him off. 

"I don't care," he said. "We're done. I don't want to see you anymore." 

Ron's heart stopped and time seemed to slow. "Y-you're breaking up with me...?" 

"I'm doing more than that." Coal spat. "I don't want to talk to you again, period! I can't trust you now, what if you pull this again? I needed my other eye, Ron!" 

Coal stood up, stumbling over to the opposite side of the cage and sat with his back to Ron. He then laid down and curled into a ball and cried. Mostly from pain but also from cutting Ron off. But trust was the most important commodity here, and how could Coal every trust Ron again after this?

Ron sat in stunned silence, his eyes wide. Tears began to roll down his face when he realized he had ruined the one good thing in his life. All because a man promised something and he was dumb enough to believe it. 

"Coal, I'm sorry!" Ron sobbed. Coal said nothing and made no move to even acknowledge Ron's apology. There was no sound in the cage save for the sounds of Ron and Coal crying.