c37
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I re-wrote my chapter 1 with the feedback I received from many people. This time, I improved a few things, prose-wise and storytelling-wise. Coming to the prologue, I re-vamped it completely, and it is now shorter and is directly connected to the MC. I hope someone might provide me with some feedback.
Prologue.
Hot sand scraped over Aegis’ skin. He could feel the fiery sand under his body as he rolled on it in discomfort. Roars of spectators penetrated his ears as the Arena stands loomed around the battleground, and he coughed. Splatters of blood fell on his torn black leather armour. The crimson blood shone bright as two balls of fire up in the orange sky above the Arena loomed.
His gaze swept the Colossal Arena stands, rose tier by tier until a golden dais crowned the top. The sand covered a huge area between Aegis and the Lowest stand of the Arena.
Aegis’s black eyes stared into the orange sky above, his red pupils shrank as the sunlight penetrated his iris. The four horns on his head had tiny cuts, and his hair looked dirty.
Is this what peace looks like?
His jaw was loosened, and a wheeze escaped his fangs as he exhaled.
However, a growl echoed to this right side. Aegis turned his head to see a Fiend, his crimson skin shone as sweat rolled down. His two long horns glowed red, and a smirk appeared on his scarred face. Matted long hair that dangled in front of his face was swept back as the fiend ran his hand through his hair.
The gladiator straightened his back and spoke, and his rough voice resounded.
“I had fun! You fight just like your father!”
The crowds of horned fiends in the arena stands screamed,
“Kill that Bastard!”
“No cambion should disrespect us again!”
Multiple voices echoed in the Giant Arena as they roared, and the small rocks near Aegis’s head shook as the crowd flocked toward the metal railings. Children, Adults, Men, and women, Nobody stood still.
The fiend in the arena with Aegis moved toward him. He gripped an elegant rapier in his hands. Its tip was coated in blood, Aegis’s blood. The iron boots of the gladiator made a noise when they met the sand.
Thud-Thud-Thud.
With each step, the cheers grew louder. The metal armour clanked as the gladiator moved toward Aegis. A velvet shroud hung on the right side of the gladiator’s armor fluttered in the air.
Soon, the gladiator stood in front of Aegis.
A thought appeared in Aegis’s head as he looked at the rapier in the gladiator’s hand.
Was it worth it?
The rapier then pulled back a few inches and moved. The blade shone as it cut through the air and advanced toward his head. But each second felt like an eternity for Aegis.
Was my gamble worth it?
Even though my stakes were too high, too grave?
Aegis smiled, a bloodied grin was plastered on his face.
Yes!
…
Hot sand scraped over Aegis’ skin. He could feel the fiery sand under his body as he rolled on it in discomfort. Roars of spectators penetrated his ears as the Arena stands loomed around the battleground, and he coughed. Splatters of blood fell on his torn black leather armour. The crimson blood shone bright as two balls of fire up in the orange sky above the Arena loomed.
His gaze swept the Colossal Arena stands, rose tier by tier until a golden dais crowned the top. The sand covered a huge area between Aegis and the Lowest stand of the Arena.
Aegis’s black eyes stared into the orange sky above, his red pupils shrank as the sunlight penetrated his iris. The four horns on his head had tiny cuts, and his hair looked dirty.
Is this what peace looks like?
His jaw was loosened, and a wheeze escaped his fangs as he exhaled.
However, a growl echoed to this right side. Aegis turned his head to see a Fiend, his crimson skin shone as sweat rolled down. His two long horns glowed red, and a smirk appeared on his scarred face. Matted long hair that dangled in front of his face was swept back as the fiend ran his hand through his hair.
The gladiator straightened his back and spoke, and his rough voice resounded.
“I had fun! You fight just like your father!”
The crowds of horned fiends in the arena stands screamed,
“Kill that Bastard!”
“No cambion should disrespect us again!”
Multiple voices echoed in the Giant Arena as they roared, and the small rocks near Aegis’s head shook as the crowd flocked toward the metal railings. Children, Adults, Men, and women, Nobody stood still.
The fiend in the arena with Aegis moved toward him. He gripped an elegant rapier in his hands. Its tip was coated in blood, Aegis’s blood. The iron boots of the gladiator made a noise when they met the sand.
Thud-Thud-Thud.
With each step, the cheers grew louder. The metal armour clanked as the gladiator moved toward Aegis. A velvet shroud hung on the right side of the gladiator’s armor fluttered in the air.
Soon, the gladiator stood in front of Aegis.
A thought appeared in Aegis’s head as he looked at the rapier in the gladiator’s hand.
Was it worth it?
The rapier then pulled back a few inches and moved. The blade shone as it cut through the air and advanced toward his head. But each second felt like an eternity for Aegis.
Was my gamble worth it?
Even though my stakes were too high, too grave?
Aegis smiled, a bloodied grin was plastered on his face.
Yes!
…
Chapter 1 - A brat lost in blood…four years ago.
Ninety-four
In the labyrinth of grey and black stone buildings with jagged tops, A young cambion with four horns walked down the street. Bronze lanterns passed as he moved forward. The two red fireballs in the sky painted it orange.
Aegis’s red pupils were fixed on a small pouch. He weighed it with his hand and sighed.
Not enough,
Six more…and no one would drag me back by the collar tonight.
CLANK.
Coins clanked as Aegis tossed a small brown pouch into the air. The pouch landed neatly in his palm. Lately, his luck has rotted. All he hoped was that whatever scraps remained of it might help him in the gamble today.
As Aegis walked, he could feel a small tremor under his feet. Soon, a roar rolled through the street like distant thunder.
Far ahead, the block stone walls of the arenas rose higher than the surrounding buildings. Runes trapped beneath them glowed orange. Dragon’s Fall — the only place where his pouch could get heavier.
I wonder if I should look for him.
Gambling was not the only reason he was going there. Aegis’s dreams always left no stone unturned to ruin his night. Every single night, a nightmare, too vivid, would greet him.
However, this time, a pale-skinned gladiator appeared in it. He was not a fiend since he lacked horns. Instead, his ears were pointy, and his elongated, sharp jaw indicated his eldari features. In his dream, this Eldari warrior and Aegis stood before a pile of gold coins.
It was just a stupid dream.
He thought, but what if it wasn’t? If the pile of gold coins existed, he would actually be able to buy his freedom forever. Aegis hurried and quickened his steps.
SPLAT.
He could feel something soft under his tattered leather boots instead of the hard stone. He lifted his boot to see what it was—
"Great! A Klucking hound decided to grace me with its filth."
He wiped his boots against the stone.
“Hopefully it’s a lucky sign.”
…
Soon, before him, metal stairs rose, stretching upward toward the colossal black gates. A giant dragon’s skull guarded the entrance, its jaw forever screaming. Its Hollow eyes pierced the crowd. Many fiends moved past him and climbed the stairs. Aegis joined them.
Step after step carried him higher, to the entrance. The smell hit him as he entered the arena hall. Blood, sweat, Ale. Dragon’s fall welcomed him. Many fiends stood inside, their horns glowed with anticipation. Claws snapped as a few laughed.
Just like Aegis anticipated, the arena hall was crowded today. Of course it was, as the most anticipated tournament was being announced today. But Aegis only cared about the stench of sweat he had to endure.
Inside the arena hall, A black compartment with multiple counters stood on his right, in contrast to the velvet carpet and silver tables arranged in the hall, the blood wager pit. Claws slammed metal counters as a few fiends argued.
Aegis didn’t delay, and his feet carried him toward it. The board on top of the counters read,
“Norkhon challenges Zigor.”
He turned toward a wooden board hanging beside a slender fiend, his single horn rose high.
The odds of Zigor surviving were bad. But only odds worth taking were bad odds.
“One gold and eighty-eight silver on Zigor,” the fiend’s purple robe shifted slightly as he entered his name in a brown ledger.
For a moment, he remembered the coin he was wagering was not his. A feeling crept into his mind. Was it guilt? But Aegis knew if he won, it wouldn’t matter.
He shrugged it off and walked toward the spectators’ attic, the lowest level. Cambions and poor fiends surrounded him as he looked for a spot.
This spot looks good.
He approached a spot beside an obsidian pillar. Various runes written in Infernus beneath the pillar glowed, and a faint heat brushed Aegis’s cheeks. Beside him, an old fiend stood, his sleeves torn off. Soon, he lifted his arms in excitement.
Aegis grimaced as the stench of sweat invaded his nostrils. An old fiend beside him had waved his arms, shouting at the fighters.
An involuntary gag followed.
The fiend’s eyes turned toward him. With haste, Aegis covered his mouth and ignored the smell.
If he wanted to leave the arena without new bruises and cuts, he had to ignore the stench.
Soon, the champions’ names resounded, and the spectators beside him roared.
Both of the champions, with their weapons drawn, stepped into the Sand. Sand beneath their feet shifted as the two fiends began the duel.
The sound of steel rang across the arena as they began the duel. Growls rose behind him. Claws scraped railings. Blood sprayed into the air as the steel met flesh.
A wide smile spread across Aegis’s face, exposing two fangs.
“Yes, kill him!” he muttered as he felt his pouch getting heavier with each blow. He could feel it getting closer as the fiend he wagered on rained slashes.
Six more silver!
The fiends beside him surged forward as the two-horned head struck the sand. His pouch suddenly felt lighter than it should have.
What the kluck? His palm covered his face as he spoke.
“No, no, not today!”
His voice vanished into the cheers, howling for more blood beside him.
“Norkhon-Norkhon-Norkhon!”
Norkhon brandished his battle axe, covered in blood.
“Ygreahhhh!”
Aegis cursed and sighed.
“Kluck!”
He held his head and looked around. His gaze looked for the crowded areas, as he could easily slip into them and avoid the collectors. But, everyone who wanted to leave was stopped and checked if they had wagered or not. So, Aegis had to find ninety-four silver coins, as he only had half of his wager.
“There he is!” The words hit him instantly, the wager collectors. Even though they were not here for him, Aegis shoved through the crowd like prey escaping. He quickly shoved through the crowd, and his skin brushed against cloth and skin.
Aegis’s gaze still scanned the crowd, and he kept evaluating everyone. But since this was the lowest level of the Arena, no spectators wore decent garments. Everyone was covered in torn rags.
However, like a drop of water in a desert. A lone fiend with a decent plain coloured shirt stood near the railings. Naturally, there were no cambions around him. But fiends in rags stood near him, maintaining some distance.
Aegis looked at the crowd near the decent fiend and stepped on a fiend’s foot that stood closer. The fiend turned around, his horns glowed as his ugly face tightened in anger. Before he would be pushed by the ugly one, Aegis positioned himself in front of the decent fiend.
The ugly fiend knocked Aegis, and he crashed into the decent fiend. But as he rammed into the decent one. His hand shot forward and caught something heavy. The decently dressed fiend stranger shoved him into the wall beside him.
Aegis let out a sharp grunt and looked up.
A boot smashed into his face, and pain burst across his cheek.
“You bastard!” The fiend snarled, “A filthy, low-life cambion dared to touch me? I’ll behead you.”
The fiend kicked him a few more times, his horns glowed as he showed his jagged fangs. After he was done kicking Aegis, he spat on him and left. Aegis held his ribs and watched him leave.
One day…
But for now, he took out a pouch full of coins and shook it. The coins inside clanked.
Fool.
He swallowed iron and kept moving. The gambling failed, but he was not disappointed with his bet for his coin. It was fair, and the bad odds were bad for a reason. He was disappointed because the coins belonged to Zerra and Kaelran, his friends.
Well, I can at least pay them a small amount back.
Aegis weighed the pouch, even though he could feel the coins as he opened he spotted only silver coins. Meaning there won’t be much left after he paid his wager.
The Second reason he came for also did not appear.
I guess it was just a dream after all.
As he made his way toward the Blood Wager Pit, he heard something that drew his attention.
“A necromancer!”
The brazier beside him flickered. Necromancer? Aegis froze mid-step.
“What do you mean?”
“Don’t you know? A corrupted Eldari arrived in the Inanitas a few months ago.”
“He made quite a name in other Dominions.” The voice paused for a moment before continuing, “I will be the one to disembowel him!” A snarl followed.
“Hold your claws, some say they saw wraiths around him while he was fighting.” Another fiend joined in.
An Eldari necromancer, huh?
That sounded like the gladiator in his dreams, but he could only confirm it after he saw him. Since many rumours he heard were proven false by someone or the other.
He reached the Blood Wager Pit after walking through the crowd. Growls rippled across the hall as fiends argued over payouts. Aegis crouched and made his way to the counter. Inside the counter stood a slender fiend with a single horn on his forehead. He looked at Aegis as he reached into his pouch and placed some coins on the counter.
“I see you brought the coins. I was afraid I’d have to dissect you and display your body parts as a warning.”
The slender fiend took the coins and shooed him away. It took a while for Aegis to crawl out of the crowd. He grimaced as the smell of sweat hit his nose again, this time harder. At last, he crawled out. He looked down and shook his head.
Tsk, a low smack escaped his lips.
I guess, only scraps are written in my fate.
He was about to leave in disappointment when a voice spoke loudly, “The champion of Mistress Vakharath.”Aegis stopped. He sharpened his gaze.
“A millennium-old champion, butcher of Eldari,”
Aegis ran back into the arena and gripped the railing along with hundreds of spectators beside him as the host screamed.
“The Khrane is here!”
The arena was filled with snarls.
Aegis chanted the champion’s name along with the crowd.
“Khrane-Khrane-Khrane.”
His red eyes brightened as a crimson-skinned fiend stepped forward to speak.
The burning red suns in the sky made his gold belt shine bright, and the crimson coat over his black tunic fluttered in the wind. His matted, swept-back hair fell below his shoulders, threaded with a few gold studs.
Khrane waved his hand, a faint smile on his face exposed sharp, jagged fangs. Khrane looked in his direction. Aegis forgot to blink.
Had his idol noticed him, or was he going crazy? Below the dais, in the sand, twenty fighters stood. Khrane looked down.
Soon, twenty gladiators stepped into the sand and stood right below the golden dias, which crowned the top level
“Champions of the Dominions!”
“I was told you were strong. I was told you were feared. I was told you were undefeated.”
Khrane let the silence stretch… a low grumble escaped as he spoke.
“So were the last hundred. Do not bore me.”
His mouth parted without permission. Below the golden dias, a long figure, his ears were pointy, and his skin was pale red. Even though he ran back to see his favourite gladiator, he found his target among the twenty champions.
The floor beneath Aegis’s feet carried a faint tremor. Everyone around him surged forward and screamed as they witnessed Khrane’s speech.
Aegis could feel himself being shoved as the crowd moved. The railings shook as many spectators held the railings. But Aegis did not show any reaction.
He looks the same.
The gladiator from his dream. A bead of sweat rolled down Aegis’s forehead.
The cheers in the arena still echoed. However, the roars slowly faded, the growls and tremors waned as time went on. Soon, they all stood in silence like Aegis did.
Coins hung suspended between wagers. Cheers withered into murmurs. Braziers around the battle pit dimmed. The warmth against Aegis’s skin faded. Everyone in the Arena rubbed their skin, except a hooded figure among the champions, his blackened plate armour clanking as he lifted his hands and removed his hood.
Ananke revealed his face. He had a few purple veins on his forehead, his eyes were emerald green and glowed like a lantern, and his long brown hair fluttered in the air. His gaze swept the arena, emerald-green eyes scanning every face before halting on Aegis.
The railing felt colder under his grip.
“…Mistake.”
The cold breath of air brushed Aegis’s ears again.
Ninety-four
In the labyrinth of grey and black stone buildings with jagged tops, A young cambion with four horns walked down the street. Bronze lanterns passed as he moved forward. The two red fireballs in the sky painted it orange.
Aegis’s red pupils were fixed on a small pouch. He weighed it with his hand and sighed.
Not enough,
Six more…and no one would drag me back by the collar tonight.
CLANK.
Coins clanked as Aegis tossed a small brown pouch into the air. The pouch landed neatly in his palm. Lately, his luck has rotted. All he hoped was that whatever scraps remained of it might help him in the gamble today.
As Aegis walked, he could feel a small tremor under his feet. Soon, a roar rolled through the street like distant thunder.
Far ahead, the block stone walls of the arenas rose higher than the surrounding buildings. Runes trapped beneath them glowed orange. Dragon’s Fall — the only place where his pouch could get heavier.
I wonder if I should look for him.
Gambling was not the only reason he was going there. Aegis’s dreams always left no stone unturned to ruin his night. Every single night, a nightmare, too vivid, would greet him.
However, this time, a pale-skinned gladiator appeared in it. He was not a fiend since he lacked horns. Instead, his ears were pointy, and his elongated, sharp jaw indicated his eldari features. In his dream, this Eldari warrior and Aegis stood before a pile of gold coins.
It was just a stupid dream.
He thought, but what if it wasn’t? If the pile of gold coins existed, he would actually be able to buy his freedom forever. Aegis hurried and quickened his steps.
SPLAT.
He could feel something soft under his tattered leather boots instead of the hard stone. He lifted his boot to see what it was—
"Great! A Klucking hound decided to grace me with its filth."
He wiped his boots against the stone.
“Hopefully it’s a lucky sign.”
…
Soon, before him, metal stairs rose, stretching upward toward the colossal black gates. A giant dragon’s skull guarded the entrance, its jaw forever screaming. Its Hollow eyes pierced the crowd. Many fiends moved past him and climbed the stairs. Aegis joined them.
Step after step carried him higher, to the entrance. The smell hit him as he entered the arena hall. Blood, sweat, Ale. Dragon’s fall welcomed him. Many fiends stood inside, their horns glowed with anticipation. Claws snapped as a few laughed.
Just like Aegis anticipated, the arena hall was crowded today. Of course it was, as the most anticipated tournament was being announced today. But Aegis only cared about the stench of sweat he had to endure.
Inside the arena hall, A black compartment with multiple counters stood on his right, in contrast to the velvet carpet and silver tables arranged in the hall, the blood wager pit. Claws slammed metal counters as a few fiends argued.
Aegis didn’t delay, and his feet carried him toward it. The board on top of the counters read,
“Norkhon challenges Zigor.”
He turned toward a wooden board hanging beside a slender fiend, his single horn rose high.
The odds of Zigor surviving were bad. But only odds worth taking were bad odds.
“One gold and eighty-eight silver on Zigor,” the fiend’s purple robe shifted slightly as he entered his name in a brown ledger.
For a moment, he remembered the coin he was wagering was not his. A feeling crept into his mind. Was it guilt? But Aegis knew if he won, it wouldn’t matter.
He shrugged it off and walked toward the spectators’ attic, the lowest level. Cambions and poor fiends surrounded him as he looked for a spot.
This spot looks good.
He approached a spot beside an obsidian pillar. Various runes written in Infernus beneath the pillar glowed, and a faint heat brushed Aegis’s cheeks. Beside him, an old fiend stood, his sleeves torn off. Soon, he lifted his arms in excitement.
Aegis grimaced as the stench of sweat invaded his nostrils. An old fiend beside him had waved his arms, shouting at the fighters.
An involuntary gag followed.
The fiend’s eyes turned toward him. With haste, Aegis covered his mouth and ignored the smell.
If he wanted to leave the arena without new bruises and cuts, he had to ignore the stench.
Soon, the champions’ names resounded, and the spectators beside him roared.
Both of the champions, with their weapons drawn, stepped into the Sand. Sand beneath their feet shifted as the two fiends began the duel.
The sound of steel rang across the arena as they began the duel. Growls rose behind him. Claws scraped railings. Blood sprayed into the air as the steel met flesh.
A wide smile spread across Aegis’s face, exposing two fangs.
“Yes, kill him!” he muttered as he felt his pouch getting heavier with each blow. He could feel it getting closer as the fiend he wagered on rained slashes.
Six more silver!
The fiends beside him surged forward as the two-horned head struck the sand. His pouch suddenly felt lighter than it should have.
What the kluck? His palm covered his face as he spoke.
“No, no, not today!”
His voice vanished into the cheers, howling for more blood beside him.
“Norkhon-Norkhon-Norkhon!”
Norkhon brandished his battle axe, covered in blood.
“Ygreahhhh!”
Aegis cursed and sighed.
“Kluck!”
He held his head and looked around. His gaze looked for the crowded areas, as he could easily slip into them and avoid the collectors. But, everyone who wanted to leave was stopped and checked if they had wagered or not. So, Aegis had to find ninety-four silver coins, as he only had half of his wager.
“There he is!” The words hit him instantly, the wager collectors. Even though they were not here for him, Aegis shoved through the crowd like prey escaping. He quickly shoved through the crowd, and his skin brushed against cloth and skin.
Aegis’s gaze still scanned the crowd, and he kept evaluating everyone. But since this was the lowest level of the Arena, no spectators wore decent garments. Everyone was covered in torn rags.
However, like a drop of water in a desert. A lone fiend with a decent plain coloured shirt stood near the railings. Naturally, there were no cambions around him. But fiends in rags stood near him, maintaining some distance.
Aegis looked at the crowd near the decent fiend and stepped on a fiend’s foot that stood closer. The fiend turned around, his horns glowed as his ugly face tightened in anger. Before he would be pushed by the ugly one, Aegis positioned himself in front of the decent fiend.
The ugly fiend knocked Aegis, and he crashed into the decent fiend. But as he rammed into the decent one. His hand shot forward and caught something heavy. The decently dressed fiend stranger shoved him into the wall beside him.
Aegis let out a sharp grunt and looked up.
A boot smashed into his face, and pain burst across his cheek.
“You bastard!” The fiend snarled, “A filthy, low-life cambion dared to touch me? I’ll behead you.”
The fiend kicked him a few more times, his horns glowed as he showed his jagged fangs. After he was done kicking Aegis, he spat on him and left. Aegis held his ribs and watched him leave.
One day…
But for now, he took out a pouch full of coins and shook it. The coins inside clanked.
Fool.
He swallowed iron and kept moving. The gambling failed, but he was not disappointed with his bet for his coin. It was fair, and the bad odds were bad for a reason. He was disappointed because the coins belonged to Zerra and Kaelran, his friends.
Well, I can at least pay them a small amount back.
Aegis weighed the pouch, even though he could feel the coins as he opened he spotted only silver coins. Meaning there won’t be much left after he paid his wager.
The Second reason he came for also did not appear.
I guess it was just a dream after all.
As he made his way toward the Blood Wager Pit, he heard something that drew his attention.
“A necromancer!”
The brazier beside him flickered. Necromancer? Aegis froze mid-step.
“What do you mean?”
“Don’t you know? A corrupted Eldari arrived in the Inanitas a few months ago.”
“He made quite a name in other Dominions.” The voice paused for a moment before continuing, “I will be the one to disembowel him!” A snarl followed.
“Hold your claws, some say they saw wraiths around him while he was fighting.” Another fiend joined in.
An Eldari necromancer, huh?
That sounded like the gladiator in his dreams, but he could only confirm it after he saw him. Since many rumours he heard were proven false by someone or the other.
He reached the Blood Wager Pit after walking through the crowd. Growls rippled across the hall as fiends argued over payouts. Aegis crouched and made his way to the counter. Inside the counter stood a slender fiend with a single horn on his forehead. He looked at Aegis as he reached into his pouch and placed some coins on the counter.
“I see you brought the coins. I was afraid I’d have to dissect you and display your body parts as a warning.”
The slender fiend took the coins and shooed him away. It took a while for Aegis to crawl out of the crowd. He grimaced as the smell of sweat hit his nose again, this time harder. At last, he crawled out. He looked down and shook his head.
Tsk, a low smack escaped his lips.
I guess, only scraps are written in my fate.
He was about to leave in disappointment when a voice spoke loudly, “The champion of Mistress Vakharath.”Aegis stopped. He sharpened his gaze.
“A millennium-old champion, butcher of Eldari,”
Aegis ran back into the arena and gripped the railing along with hundreds of spectators beside him as the host screamed.
“The Khrane is here!”
The arena was filled with snarls.
Aegis chanted the champion’s name along with the crowd.
“Khrane-Khrane-Khrane.”
His red eyes brightened as a crimson-skinned fiend stepped forward to speak.
The burning red suns in the sky made his gold belt shine bright, and the crimson coat over his black tunic fluttered in the wind. His matted, swept-back hair fell below his shoulders, threaded with a few gold studs.
Khrane waved his hand, a faint smile on his face exposed sharp, jagged fangs. Khrane looked in his direction. Aegis forgot to blink.
Had his idol noticed him, or was he going crazy? Below the dais, in the sand, twenty fighters stood. Khrane looked down.
Soon, twenty gladiators stepped into the sand and stood right below the golden dias, which crowned the top level
“Champions of the Dominions!”
“I was told you were strong. I was told you were feared. I was told you were undefeated.”
Khrane let the silence stretch… a low grumble escaped as he spoke.
“So were the last hundred. Do not bore me.”
His mouth parted without permission. Below the golden dias, a long figure, his ears were pointy, and his skin was pale red. Even though he ran back to see his favourite gladiator, he found his target among the twenty champions.
The floor beneath Aegis’s feet carried a faint tremor. Everyone around him surged forward and screamed as they witnessed Khrane’s speech.
Aegis could feel himself being shoved as the crowd moved. The railings shook as many spectators held the railings. But Aegis did not show any reaction.
He looks the same.
The gladiator from his dream. A bead of sweat rolled down Aegis’s forehead.
The cheers in the arena still echoed. However, the roars slowly faded, the growls and tremors waned as time went on. Soon, they all stood in silence like Aegis did.
Coins hung suspended between wagers. Cheers withered into murmurs. Braziers around the battle pit dimmed. The warmth against Aegis’s skin faded. Everyone in the Arena rubbed their skin, except a hooded figure among the champions, his blackened plate armour clanking as he lifted his hands and removed his hood.
Ananke revealed his face. He had a few purple veins on his forehead, his eyes were emerald green and glowed like a lantern, and his long brown hair fluttered in the air. His gaze swept the arena, emerald-green eyes scanning every face before halting on Aegis.
The railing felt colder under his grip.
“…Mistake.”
The cold breath of air brushed Aegis’s ears again.
