An arena stood in the heart of the bustling city. Its black stone was carved with Infernus letters glowing red: "GLORY TO THE STRONG." A gigantic gray skull was placed in front of the arena. Its giant maw opened into the entrance.
Inside, two fiends stood facing one another, one with wings and four twisted horns joined at the root, the other with hooves and two prominent horns jutting from his temples.
The arena erupted as the head struck the sand.
Aegis, a young cambion with four horns— two on his head and two above his ears— slammed his fist against the metal railing. His red pupils, lost in black eyes, burned bright as the blood soaked the sand. His smile widened. His black hair fell onto his ears, with a few strands brushing his nose. A faded black tunic clung to his lean frame, partially tucked into brown trousers.
For a moment, he forgot his bet was against Norkhon.
His voice dissolved into the roar.
The arena descended into multiple levels.
The crowd thundered rhythmically.
"NORKHON!"
"NORKHON!"
"NORKHON!"
Norkhon brandished his battle axe, covered in blood, and roared.
"YGREAHHHH!"
The metal railings around the arena shook as thousands of spectators screamed.
The ground trembled beneath their cheers.
The fiend nobles sat on top of an elevated black obsidian dais. They clapped as Norkhon brandished his axe.
Aegis rolled his eyes as he heard the claps.
Pompous idiots, he thought.
"There he is!"
As soon as the words reached his ears, realization struck Aegis.
The blood wager pit collectors, he thought.
He forgot he lost the bet and now owed money. Without looking back, Aegis shoved his way into the crowd.
All he hoped was to escape, his pouch was empty.
Aegis rammed into someone as the crowd surged forward. His hand shot forward and caught something heavy, but before he could leave, the stranger shoved him into the wall beside him.
He let out a sharp grunt and looked up. It was a young fiend, maybe two or three years older than him. He had a gold ring on his index finger.
He kicked Aegis in the face, bruising his cheek, and spat on him.
"Watch where you are going, you bastard."
The fiend kicked him again, this time in his ribs.
Aegis held his ribs and watched him leave.
He took out a pouch full of coins and shook it.
The coins inside clanked.
Fool, he thought.
He felt the taste of blood in his mouth.
As he made his way toward the Blood Wager Pit, he kept eavesdropping. It had earned him quite a few coins before.
"A necromancer!"
Necromancer? Aegis halted and directed his attention.
"What do you mean?"
"Don't you know? A corrupted Eldari arrived in Inanitas a few months ago."
"He made quite a name in other Dominions. Some say they saw wraiths around him while he was fighting."
"If what you said is true, he should be dead by now."
An Eldari fighter, huh? It will be fun to see, he thought.
Aegis reached the Blood Wager Pit. Dozens of fiends poured into counters, each holding their hands out to collect their bets. Since Aegis was still a teenager, he crouched and made his way to the counter.
Inside the counter stood a slender fiend with a single horn on his forehead, dressed in red robes with a purple floral design. He looked at Aegis through gold-framed glasses with a neutral face.
Aegis reached into his pouch and placed some coins on the counter.
The slender fiend took the coins and sent Aegis away.
It took a while for Aegis to crawl out of the crowd.
He sighed heavily.
Aegis straightened his back and let out a small grunt.
Just when he was about to leave, a voice spoke loudly—
"The champion of Mistress Vakharath!"
Aegis's eyes burned bright with anticipation.
"A MILLENNIUM OLD CHAMPION, BUTCHER OF ELDARI!"
Aegis ran back into the arena and climbed the railing.
"KHRANE IS HERE!"
Aegis roared along with the crowd.
The spectators began repeating his name.
"KHRANE"
"KHRANE"
"KHRANE"
Aegis was beyond excited to see his idol.
Khrane stepped forward onto the dais, dressed in a crimson coat over a black tunic tucked into a gold belt engraved with Infernus letters. Black trousers with crimson designs near the hems completed the look.
His matted, swept-back hair fell below his shoulders, threaded with a few gold studs.
His arms were exposed, gold bracers clasped around his wrists.
Khrane waved his hand, a faint smile on his face, and looked in Aegis's direction.
Aegis froze in excitement.
Had his idol noticed him, or was he going crazy?
Below the dais, in the sand, twenty fighters stood.
Soon, Khrane spoke loudly—
"Champions of the Dominions!"
"I was told you were strong."
"I was told you were feared."
"I was told you were undefeated."
He let the silence stretch… then laughed.
"So were the last hundred."
"Do not bore me."
Aegis's jaw dropped.
He is glorious, he thought.
Soon, a voice beside him spoke.
"He is glorious, right?"
It was different. Almost as if a girl spoke—
As Aegis turned his head, he found a young fiend girl standing to his right, locking her burning red eyes with his.
As Aegis was about to speak—
She punched him.
Aegis bent and held his stomach and looked at her. She was dressed in a leather tunic with black trousers. Her braided hair reached her collarbone. Her two horns curved backward.
"You promised not to go without us!" she growled.
"Yeah, you keep doing this," another voice spoke.
This time it was a young fiend boy dressed in a faded green tunic and brown trousers.
Aegis stood there in silence for a moment.
Both of his friends looked at him, expecting an apology.
Zerra and Kaelran, he thought.
"Sorry?" Aegis said awkwardly.
"We were waiting for you, you dumbgrog," Zerra hissed.
"Also your master was looking for you, and he is not looking happy," Kaelran added.
Aegis waved his hand dismissively.
"Ignore that grog."
"Did you hear? There is an Eldari necromancer among the twenty champions," Zerra said.
"I thought necromancers died early?" Kaelran replied.
"Eh. Eldari die easily," Aegis said.
"Look," Kaelran pointed toward the dais.
The elegantly dressed fiend atop the dais was about to speak.
Soon, a voice thundered—
"CITIZENS OF INANITAS!"
Aegis, Zerra, and Kaelran turned their heads toward the host.
"I KNOW YOUR BLOOD IS BOILING!"
"YOUR EYES ARE BURNING!"
"SOON YOUR THIRST WILL BE QUENCHED!"
"THE WAIT FOR THE BATTLE OF THE CENTURY IS OVER!"
"THE TWENTY CHAMPIONS ALL ACROSS INANITAS STAND BEFORE YOU!"
Aegis leaned in, his hand resting over Zerra's shoulder.
"THE BUTCHERS! THE MARAUDERS! THE SLAYERS OF INANITAS ARE HERE TO FIGHT THE LEGENDARY KHRANE!"
"It is happening!" Kaelran said.
"LET US WELCOME THE CHAMPIONS ONE BY ONE!"
The crowd leaned in, patiently waiting.
"ZHERYN OF THE RED CITY!"
A tall, monstrous centaur stepped into the arena. His face resembled a hound more than a mortal, with two sharp horns rising above his head. Smaller spines ran along his back. He moved on six powerful legs.
He had two pairs of arms—one gripping a giant flail that dragged across the sand. A silver pauldron rested on his right shoulder, and dark armor plated his legs.
The crowd cheered as Zheryn lifted his flail.
"DAGON OF THE CRIMSON SKY!"
A corrupted draconic berserker descended into the arena. His horns were twisted grotesquely by corruption, his reptilian skin flushed crimson, and his eyes burned molten orange.
Yet his face remained unnaturally beautiful, sharp and sculpted, drawing both men and women to stare.
A long tail hung behind him, ending in a serrated pincer that swayed lazily.
He was clad in jade armor that appeared fragile as glass yet not a single crack marred its surface.
The crowd fell into stunned awe.
Torches fluttered as the berserker's wings flapped.
Dagon left the arena.
Aegis yawned as the host continued introducing champions.
As Aegis raised his eyes—
The host leaned toward the fiend beside him and whispered something.
Then he turned back to the crowd.
"A CHAMPION BEYOND ABADDON—"
The crowd readied itself to roar.
"…A CORRUPTED ELDARI."
"HIS NAME IS ANANKE!"
The crowd erupted then fell silent.
Footsteps echoed around the arena.
Soon, a hooded Eldari stepped into the arena.
He was clad in light blackened armor, a black cloak hanging over his left shoulder.
As he walked—
A few fiends rubbed their arms.
"Isn't it cold?" Kaelran muttered.
But Aegis paid no attention.
He felt something.
Something unrecognizable.
Ananke removed his hood, revealing dull emerald green eyes and pale red skin.
His gaze swept across the arena-- And finally halted at Aegis