The day had finally come. Long anticipated by Yugdabs and equally dreaded by anybody else, this day would either prove to be Anjaflic's greatest victory or his humiliating defeat. 

Thousands and thousands of Yugdab devotees sat in the stands surrounding a huge, elliptical gladiatorial arena. In the center stood a triangular platform with a bloodstained altar up top. Three stairways led up to the platform, of which Hadigama ascended one in black robes. Once he reached the top, he motioned to the gatekeepers on either side of the arena. 

On Hadigama's cue, the first gatekeeper cranked a tall, segmented metal door open. A team of twelve Yugdab gladiators bearing various weapons marched out proudly. Their battle garments were all in various states of disrepair, but they all had one thing in common. The tattered strips of material they wore all carried bloodstains from each man's previous victims. 

The second gatekeeper cranked his door open a moment later. A group of blank-faced priests shoved Erok, Chris, and Swedo out of the dark chamber forcefully. The three men squinted and blinked at the bright light outside as they were pushed along. 

Erok glanced up into the stands and frowned as a female Yugdab archer subtly nodded at him. Then when he heard Hadigama begin speaking, he rested his eyes on him. 

"Blessed followers of Anjaflic," Hadigama shouted joyously, "we have gathered this day to celebrate the glory of our god of war and lover of destruction together, and to witness a spectacle of strength against strength. Only the mightiest shall survive, and any who die will be offered up in sacrifice to Anjaflic. So, without further ado, here are our first three victims, up against twelve of our skillful gladiators." Hadigama turned to the priests who stood behind Erok, Chris, and Dr. Swedo. "Weapons!" 

With that, the priests stepped up to the trio. The first man handed Erok his sword, shield, and switchblade. The second handed Chris his sword and daggers as well, and the third frowned at Swedo's lack of a weapon. With a shrug, he handed the doctor an old, rusty longsword and stepped away. Swedo wrinkled his nose as he beheld the weapon, drawing a slight chuckle from Erok as they locked eyes. 

With that, the two parties shifted into their desired stances and picked their first targets. While Hadigama prepared to shout out another command, Qwarten, Meg, and Jeng scaled the wall separating the commoners' stands from the arena, rushing to Erok's side immediately after. Qwarten and Erok exchanged a professional nod before the dark-skinned man dropped a stone into his sling pocket. 

Erok grinned as Meg stepped up and stood right beside him. "Hey, Meg. It's ... really great to see you again." 

"I'll bet." Meg replied dryly. 

"Hey, we need to talk. Afterwards." Erok bent down, closed his eyes, and kissed Meg's cheek. 

Meg smiled up at the Kaborian knight as a wave of adrenaline coursed through her veins. She gave Erok a quick pat on the back before shifting into a fighting stance. 

Hadigama slowly nodded as his eyes landed on the newcomers. "Faces old and new, I see." 

"That's right." Qwarten shouted. "This is your only warning to pack up and leave. Or else." 

"Oh my, what a threat." Hadigama taunted. "I will give you sixty seconds to prepare yourselves mentally and offer any last prayers to whatever god you serve." 

After his eyes scanned the ranks of gladiators on the opposing side, Qwarten grunted and turned to Erok. "Six to twelve. I hate odds like these." 

Meg smirked. "I think you mean 'five', Qwarten. Is Swedo really taking part?" 

"Absolutely not!" Swedo cried passionately. "I'm a doctor, for goodness' sake!" 

Qwarten sighed and rolled his eyes. "Fine, five to twelve. Even worse. Stay sharp, everybody." 

Erok widened his eyes. "Alright, now shut up! I'm praying." 

"Oh, right." 

Seconds later, Hadigama barked out the command to begin fighting. Immediately, one of the gladiators rushed up the steps of the triangular platform and thrusted his rapier at the Yugdab champion. Hadigama calmly grabbed the weapon by its shaft and threw it aside. Then he snatched the gladiator up by his collar and ripped his mask off. 

"Oh, Govlo, what did I tell you?" Hadigama taunted, "You certainly are a fool to the bitter end." 

Govlo growled. "Maybe so, but I am Anjaflic's fool no longer!" 

Hadigama sighed dramatically. "I am genuinely sorry for you, Govlo, son of Epollo the Great." 

With that, Hadigama tossed Govlo back down the stairway. Several bounces later, the former Yugdab lay unconscious at the bottom. 

******************** 

Chris gritted his teeth as his steel weapon met the sharpened blade of a vicious opponent. With swift, precise movements, he warded off each attack while his squinted brown eyes searched for opportunities to strike back. As he grappled with the skilled gladiator, he silently cursed himself for not requesting a shield of his own. Finally, a well-timed strike drew blood and screams from the Yugdab brute, giving Chris a moment to catch his breath and wipe his sweaty forehead. His eyes widened as the man recovered quicker than expected. 

Meanwhile, Erok ducked behind his shield as his grinning opponent swung a thick, rusty chain at him. The razor-sharp knife fastened to the end of the implement left a deep scratch in the shield as it swiped past, drawing a grimace from Erok as the offensive sound hit his ears. While the sweaty gladiator prepared for another swing, the Kaborian knight leapt up and stabbed him in the chest, yanking his sword out of the bleeding flesh a second later. 

Meg grinned at Erok as he blocked a throwing knife from hitting her. With a wink, she tossed a boomerang over his head and nodded as a Yugdab's bloodcurdling scream assured her of her accuracy. The bounty hunter sighed and dashed over to the quivering body to finish the kill and retrieve her boomerang. 

Qwarten rolled his eyes as he observed Chris' opponent knock him to the ground again. With a quick movement of his sling arm, he buried a stone in the back of the brute's head. Then he rushed over and finished the job with several powerful punches and a stomp to the fallen man's neck. 

The major helped Chris to his feet with a disappointed expression in his eyes. "Fight like a man, Chris." 

Chris' eyes widened passionately. "I am fighting like a man, Major! It's just that Erok gets a shield, and I—" 

"Watch out!" Qwarten shouted as a gladiator holding a club rushed up behind Chris. 

In one swift movement, Chris spun, blocked the attack, and kicked the man in the kneecap. A loud crack preceded the agonized screams of the gladiator as he stumbled to swing back. Chris simply side-stepped to evade the clumsy blow before he stabbed his own weapon into the man's belly. 

With a loud grunt, Jeng took several retreating steps away from his brutish opponent, rubbing his bruised head the whole time. The gladiator raced after his victim with his two clubs raised above his head and murder in his very gaze. Jeng ducked just in time to glance up with widened eyes and watch the two cudgels collide above him. He leapt back a few feet and flinched as he imagined his skull being crushed between the weapons. 

Jeng raised his arms and swung his battle axe down at his muscular opponent. With a quick jerk of his arms, the gladiator crossed his weapons defensively and shoved Jeng back. After flying back several feet, Jeng landed roughly and coughed as the dust stirred around him. His eyes widened as the brute rushed in closer again. 

With distressed eyes, Swedo struggled to ward off two vicious opponents who pummeled him with constant attacks. His rusty longsword chipped with each clumsy block he executed, and his muscles tired more every second as well. Several of the doctor's failed blocks caused him to resort to dodges. His heart-rate skyrocketed each moment the fight continued. 

Swedo uttered a sigh of relief as Meg knocked both gladiators down with a flying kick that knocked one down and merely divided the other's attention. Obeying a nonverbal command from the bounty hunter, Swedo dashed for the triangular platform in the middle of the arena. 

When Swedo reached the top, he glanced around and frowned at Hadigama's absence. His eyes widened as he noticed the Yugdab champion race up the steps in the middle of the audience stands and vanish into the crowd. With a shrug, he took a step forward, only to jam his foot into the altar. In both pain and rage, he flung the altar down one of the stairways, crushing an approaching gladiator in the process. The doctor put a shocked hand to his mouth at the bloody sight. 

******************** 

A few minutes later, only four Yugdab gladiators remained. Jeng continued battling the duel-clubbed brute on one end of the arena while Erok dueled a skilled swordsman whose weapon bore a serrated blade. Qwarten fought hand-to-hand with a multi-talented fighter who had emptied his sling pouch onto the ground previously. The rest of the former Tereslars struggled against an acrobatic gladiator who bore a metal staff, complete with spearheads fastened to its ends. 

Qwarten gasped as his opponent shoved him to the ground and immediately leapt on top of him, knees first. The major laid on the ground powerlessly while he watched the man unsheathe a rusty, bloodstained dagger that managed to retain a sharp edge. Qwarten eyed the weapon apprehensively as he struggled to convince his body to move out of harm's way. 

Just as the killer raised his blade for a killing stab, a triad of arrows plunged into his back. Two coughs later, the man toppled over, and Qwarten locked eyes with Kahiri, who donned a well-fitting Yugdab uniform. An uncharacteristically wide grin spread across the major's face as he studied his savior's face. 

With a gracious smile, Kahiri stepped forward and offered Qwarten her hand. Without a word, she helped him to his feet. 

"You don't look too bad in that uniform, Kahiri." Qwarten remarked with a playful smirk. "It's great to see you again." 

"You too, Qwarten. I've missed you." 

Qwarten flinched as a bloodcurdling scream filled the air. He glanced over to the source of the sound and observed the bloody spectacle of Jeng beheading his opponent. With a sigh, he turned to Kahiri again. "We should focus." 

Kahiri laughed slightly. "We really should." 

******************** 

The staff-bearing gladiator knocked Meg and Chris aside with a spinning kick and threw an approaching Jeng aside once he landed. Meg leapt up again, but gained nothing but a contusion as the brutal man hit her with his weapon. When he heard the twang of a bowstring, he shifted his attention just in time to dodge one of Kahiri's arrows. 

Kahiri shot arrows in rapid succession at the acrobatic warrior to no avail. Multiple times, her comrades tried to sneak behind him, but he caught on quickly and evaded while hitting back. With a sigh, Kahiri placed her bow on the ground and unbuttoned her outer coat. Reaching into an inner pocket, she flung her arm, and a second later, the gladiator felt a shuriken bury itself halfway into his chest. A second one followed moments later. 

Having bought herself a moment, Kahiri charged forward, snatched the staff from the gladiator's trembling hands, and ran him through with his own spearhead. Meg reached from behind and pulled the weapon all the way out the other end, leaving blood and more on the ground in seconds. Kahiri stood victoriously over the man's body as his life faded away. 

Kahiri smiled at Meg as she helped her stand. "I'm glad to see you, Meg. How'd Qwarten behave?" 

Meg offered Kahiri a sideways grin. "Taking your place as his babysitter was quite a task, to say the least." 

"I'll bet." 

The two women glanced over to the other end ofthe arena, where Erok battled the last gladiator laboriously. They'd hardlywatched for half a minute before a horrifying sight made their eyes widen andtheir jaws drop. 

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A/N: Since this is really just the first half of a long chapter, I'll try to make this note short and unobtrusive. I really do hope you're enjoying the action so far, and if you are, please remember to vote and leave some comments. I'm gonna get right to posting part two, so I'll see you there!