prologue

"Well, That could have gone better!"

His voice quivered in pain as the young fighter laid there on the cold hard stones that made up the coliseum's battleground and blood poured from his gut.

"Yep most definitely!"

He wheezed as his opponent walked ever closer-- slowly as if to drag out the sentence that was most surely about to come upon him.

It felt like an eternity passed before his opponent had reached him.

Dressed in full black armor that gave no point to strike against. The helmet was a pitch-black Galia with a faceguard that was completely featureless except for two eyes and a couple of points to breathe out of The chest plate was just as black and was made out of thick metal. It was connected to the back of the helmet by some stretchy substance that allowed him to move his head freely but was still hard as the rest of the armor. The pair of armor leggings were connected to the chest plate with a belt instead of the stretchy material, and his black boots were covered every inch with spikes covering leaving only part of the leather sole exposed underneath.

"Crud! How am I supposed to beat this guy!"

He yelled as he looked up at the faceless being that was standing over him now raising a red blade overhead. He was poised to fling it down at any time.

"This is your sentence for defying The Council!" the Executioner stated with an emotionless and cold-hearted voice. "Your demise is on your head alone."

"Oh is that what this is about? Well now I'm just pissed!" the fighter sputtered as his blood steadily filled his lungs.

"Well get on with it then!" he growled as the black armor hovered, blade the air.

The suit of armor retorted.

"I want you to suffer. Sit and think about what you have done. Repent of what you have done and pledge your allegiance to The Council once again, or lose your head."

"Wait a second. A moment ago you wanted to finish me off for good. Now you're giving me a second chance, shield!"

He uttered the Athi curse with a barely functional voice, spitting at the armor's feet. He had no single regret for anything he had done until this point.