A soldier from Afrium desperately defends himself as Elias delivers a harsh strike to his side. “You fight well for someone from a place like Krus,” the Afrium soldier covers his wound as he blocks the follow up attacks.

  “And for someone from the honorless Afrium you do a great job at defending,” Elias smiles as he delivers a kick to the soldiers shield leading to his shield ramming into his face. “But don’t forget that defense only gets you so far.”

  “Elias from the unnamed mercenary group wins the round,” the announcer shouts as the soldier lays on the sand unconscious. Slowly Elias throws the soldier’s arm over his soldier and brings him to the side as healers show up. “Our next round will be a fight between Randle, a high ranking soldier of Grasan and Bee, a netrunner, whatever that is, of Nulfond!”

  As the two walk into the arena Godwine, Celina, and Katelyn stand talking amongst each other as Elias takes a seat next to them. “These matches are skewed, I fear,” Godwine speaks calmly as he looks through a large bracket. “At least ours are.”

  “What tells you that Godwine,” Katelyn says sarcastically.

  Godwine looks at Katelyn annoyed but is beaten to respond. “Well what you saying it’s a coincidence, someone I knew was my round one?” Celina glances at Elias as he sits down as the crack of a whip can be heard from the active match. “Actually why did you manage to have such a normal first round?”

  “He entered late so I guess whoever is pulling these strings didn’t notice,” Godwine returns his gaze to the bracket. “I’m against someone that will know too much as well,” Godwine lets out a sigh as flames spurt from the arena. “How do they know you Raff?”

  “That was not some magic fire,” Celina turns to the arena as Bee is launched backwards into a boulder.

  “Nulfond is always so confident aren’t they?” Randle stands holding an axe that has been covered in blood. “Let me remind you that while you may be ions ahead of the rest of us,” Randle’s blood drips from his arms as he runs towards Bee in a display of peer strength as his blood hardens on his axe forming spikes. “With enough power,” Bee swiftly moves to the side as Randle brings his axe down splitting the boulder in two. “And enough deals,” Randle reaches his hand out and is quickly consumed by flames that are launched towards Bee. “Even we who are behind can catch up,” Bee is barely able to dodge getting part of her clothes burned.

  “Good observation my friends,” a man sits down next to Elias as they watch the continuing fight.

  Shortly after he sits down Agnes shows up behind Celina grabbing her hand. “Have you been dancing any since we last met?” Agnes smiles as she lets go of Celina’s hand walking over to sit across from Elias.

  Godwine looks at the man recognizing him almost instantly. “Damian?”

  Damian smiles as Godwine recognizes him. “Glad you recognize me Godwine.”

  “When did you two meet?” Agnes smiles as she glances between the two of them.

  “He wanted to learn about our studies and who am I to say no,” Damian looks at Agnes waving a book in the air.

  “Grasan really will always just spend all their time forcing things,” Bee talks to herself as she eventually is able to slip out of Randle’s view. “Times will never change them,” Bee observes Randle as he walks through the forest searching for the elusive bug.

  The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

  “Netrunner Bee, this is Dynamo. I would like to inform you that you have permission to kill if need be,” Bee groans as she listens to who is presumably a higher up.

  “Can you guys stay out of my head for once,” Bee stalks up behind Randle, her hand staying close to her weapon.

  “You knew what’d we do the day you signed up,” Dynamo speaks like Bee is far beneath her.

  Randle violently pushes through shrubbery as Bee silently stalks him. Eventually she sees an opening. With a practiced hand she chucks a glass cup into the back of Randle’s head that causes him to stumble forward slightly before he turns, yet Bee isn’t there. As Randle’s blood continues to drip from his arms he spins around searching the trees. Randle slams his side into a tree, knocking it away, sending pieces of wood everywhere. “Nulfond bug!?” Randle spins around bashing through trees.

  Bee stares at Randle from the top of a tree. “Grasan a country of beasts no matter the era,” Bee quickly pulls a weapon out, holding it with her left hand aimed towards Randle. “Bet I won’t even need all six bullets,” Bee squeezes her finger and the arena fills with a bang.

  Randle roars as he staggers backwards, blood seeping from his shoulder. “What the hell have you brutes made?” Randle shouts in confusion as a thick wall of hardened blood forms between the two of them. Once again the arena is filled with a bang as the hardened blood shatters, sending shards of Randle’s own blood flying.

  “You dare to call us brutes when you yourself use blood magic?” Bee squeezes once more and Randle collapses as blood begins to flow from his leg. “You use one of the most brutal magic types and want to tell me I am a brute?” Something seems to have ticked in Bee and the arena fills with that sound once more. “To think I was gonna let you live.” Any hardened blood Randle had made has been reduced to nothing but shards as Bee walks closer. “I got two shots left in this,” Bee squeezes once more as the crowd begins to fall silent. Bee looks down at the bloodied Randle as he barely holds his breath together. “One more shot.”

  “And Bee from Nulfond wins the round as Randle of Grasan has been defeated!” the announcer’s voice fills with a hint of desperation as his eyes shake.

  “Little Randle refuses to yield though,” Bee presses the shaft of her weapon against Randle’s temple. The crowd goes completely silent as even the announcer has no words. Several Grasan warriors run towards the entrances to the center only to be blocked by Yena regulators. “The rules state that every fight goes on till one party yields or dies.”

  Randle simply stares Bee down. “What are you gonna do when the demons knock on your doors? Will you slaughter them like you killed me,” Randle smiles as he begins to laugh. “No. You and everyone on this forsaken island will beg them for mercy and plead for their lives,” Randle reaches forward grabbing Bee’s burnt clothing as his blood drenches the grass and ground. “They will offer no remorse as they slau-” as Randle shouts at Bee before he is cut short as the arena fills with the sound of one more bang.

  The announcer lets a gasp out that echoes through the stands. Several Nulfond elites in the stands stand up taking strides through the stands, while others search the stands. Several Grasan warriors begin to talk to one another around Godwine and the others as Yena regulators continue to stop anyone from entering the battlefield.

  “Everyone here knows the risks of competing. This is merely the first year death has become commonplace. We will handle it as we would’ve when they were here,” the regulators finally begin to speak up. What they say is true, when those brothers were here leading these games no one died but even then everyone knew how easy it would be for someone to die in games such as these.

  Randle’s head is almost un recognizeable, his blood spattered onto trees and across the grass. Bee simply scoffs as she walks away. “Never call me or my people brutes again.”