Post by Azreal on Jun 27, 2006 21:14:15 GMT -5
The crowd's roar dulled to a hum as the next two fighters appeared. The previous match had been short, as one contestant quickly outmatched his opponent, mauling him badly and tearing off an ear. But this final fight matched two highly respected and feared combatants. They eyed each other warily as their handlers finished corner preparations. Spectators came to the edge of their seats, and fathers lifted children to their shoulders for a better view as the judge stepped to the center, called the dogs to their scratch lines and yelled, "Let 'em go!" A cheer arose as the dogs charged across the pit and violently slammed into each other, teeth flashing as they sought a vulnerable target. The dogs came apart once, when Brindle appeared to give up, and turned for a moment. They were returned to their scratch lines and held. Both dogs were breathing hard and bleeding. "Let 'em go," the judge called again. If Brindle failed to attack now, he would lose. But he was a game dog, and responded to an instinct bred into him over generations and nurtured through training. As Brindle charged across his line, his opponent's handler released him with the encouragement, "Finish him, Metallic." Tired and weakened by his wounds, Brindle was slow to meet Metallic's ferocious attacks. Metallica grabbed Brindle's right front leg in powerful jaws, bit and twisted. The "snap" of breaking bone was heard as Brindle was flipped onto his back, while Metallica sought a better grip on his opponent’s throat. Remarkably, as the judge ordered the handlers to break the dogs, Brindle tried to crawl after Metallic, still intent on fighting. His handler gently wrapped him in a blanket, saying, "No more, boy. It's over."
