So far I haven't gotten any useful piece of research that I wanted. Let alone a decent opponent... Besides the fact that every age, race and gender has idiots. The incident with Star showed me that much.

“I want to go the Underground Arena.” I announce. Silence.

“No.”

“Why!”

“I'm not asking for permission. I'm telling you - I'm going.”

“I was afraid of this.” Crile covers his face.

“Then I'm going too!”

“Oh hell no. You are staying put. I can only babysit one of you at a time.” Crile glares at me.

“I'm her healer! She needs me!” Star slams her palm across her chest.

“There's not gonna be enough time for it anyways. Besides. It's not the kind of a place for you, Star.”

“How do you know!”

“You went there. Didn't you?” I glare back. He doesn't answer. Star persists.

“I see no reason why I shouldn't be there!”

“Amana, I said no! The Arena is no place for you! You step one foot in there with us next to you and the entire city will know who she is.” Crile puts his foot down. “All she has to do;” he points at me; “is change her clothes. But we can’t hide you.”

“But I'm the healer...”

“She won’t need a healer if she takes them out fast enough.” Crile says and sighs, heavy. “Frankly I don't even want to take her there, but I know that if I refuse she'll just go alone and that pisses me off more.” He slaps his both hands on his knees and pushes himself off the bed. “Give me a few days.”

“Deal.” I answer.

“Right. Night then.” He dives under.

“What?”

“Why?” Star asks again.

“Because I want to know.”

“Can't you just ask someone!”

“It's not the same.” I see the look on her face and add quickly. “Star. Please.” She exhales and pouts silently.

“Fine.” She shuts her eyes closed. “Promise one thing.”

“What?”

“Don’t die.”

I smile. “That. I promise.”

    “Before we go any further I have to ask. Are you sure? Is there anything I can say that would change your mind?”

“No.” I look Crile right in the eyes. He opens his mouth to say something and closes it shut again, tightening his fists. Fighting his urge to hit me, huh?

“Well?” I ask.

“After you.” He steps aside and we enter the dark corridor.

“Not much security here. I imagined there'd be at least one someone...”

“Only the dead enter this place and only the dead leave it.” Right. I heard stories of this place. A pit of Hell where Lost Noxian Souls gather to end their suffering.

“How did you find out about the Arena?” Crile asks from behind me. I slip a little in the dark. The path slopes downward. It really is underground...

“Rumors. You?”

“Ira.” I stop and turn. He exhales. “So you really didn’t know?” I keep quiet. “Better make sure he doesn't find out about this then. Or he'll really bury me alive...”

“You?” I let Crile pass me. “I'm the one who wants this.”

“Unfortunately, I am the one who's taking you... Besides...” He dies down. Noise picks up some more.

“Besides what?”

“Nothing. We're here.” Crile steps aside for me again and I finish the last few steps. Dim lighting comes into view with a mass of Noxians yelling and fighting.

“It used to be only one cage.” Crile explains with a whisper right into my ear. “They switched it up to two rings and one Death-cage. Nowadays it’s more profit based rather than simple bloodshed.”

“So what? There's no longer a Champion?”

“Oh there is one. In the cage.” Crile points to the middle of the Arena where a metal cage covered with all sorts of weapons, top to bottom, stands.”

“The bets made there are the highest. Usually you have to earn your way into the cage, but occasionally there is also the "Challenger" option.”

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

“Meaning?” I look to Crile.

“Anyone from the crowd can challenge the champ. If you can survive 3 minutes you get half of the bets. 5 minutes and over you better kill the champ...”

“Some "Deathcage" is that...”

“Fitting for a Deathbreeze.” Crile says it and I can’t help but crack a smile.

“So? Is it happening tonight?”

“We'll know soon...”

“So?”

“So what?” Crile looks at me a tad confused.

“When where you here last and did you fight?”

“Nope.”

“Nope what?”

“I didn’t fight. I went purely for scouting reasons.”

I take a good look at him. “You knew I'd end up here sooner or later.”

“Sadly so. I do know you, Breeze. Quite so.” Crile holds my gaze with ease.

“Laaaaaadieeeees aaaaaaand gentelmeeeeeeen!”

“It's starting.”

“Iiiiiiiiit's tiiiiiime for the CHALLENGEEEEER EVENT!!!! IS THERE ANYONE HERE TONIGHT THAT IS STUPID, I mean BRAVE ENOUGH TO TAKE ON OUR CHAMPIIIIIIOOON ROOOXUUUUUS!!! The crowd roars and a shirtless male Noxian steps up with his fists thrown into the air. Look at those scars... Cuts and bites and claws and holes...

“Wow.” I let it slip.

“Yeah. Well?”

I grin. “This is gonna be fun.” I shift my legs and arms and jump up to the ceiling. I crawl across it and jump down on the steps to the cage.

“I'll take him on.” I speak loud enough.

“Well now! Our first challenger of the night!!!” The Announcer mocks me.

“Your last one too.” I throw him my deranged smile. He laughs loud and opens the cage for me.

“In you go, miss. The rules are simple. Anything and everything goes. Enjoy.” He whispers the last word.

“How long to I need to stay in there to get paid?”

“3 minutes a minimum.”

“What's the longest anyone has ever made it against Roxus?”

“2 minutes. Or he wouldn't be the champ anymore.” The man answers and grins at me. I grin back.

“Perfect.” I step inside and the cage closes behind me.

“GET READYYYY! TIIIIME!” The Announcer turns an hour glass upside down.

“What's this?” Roxus looks me over.

“Your last fight ever.” I flex my claws. He roars with laughter.

“Interesting. I like strong women. Say. If you survive this - sleep with me later? It'd be a shame to let you go to waste.” He licks his lips.

“If you survive.” I grin more. He laughs again.

“Bring it!” He grabs the nearest axe and swings it at me straight down. I dodge it with ease. It hits the ground hard. It should be difficult to swing it around fast and freely in this cramped space. But of course. He wouldn't be the champ if that would stop him. Another swing. Another slash. I jump around all over the cage. I notice some spaces between the hanging weapons. I wonder if I could fit between them? The crowd begins to rile up from the boring performance. Like I care.

“Hold still you!!! Promise to leave you intact enough for me to enjoy!” Another horizontal slash. I jump up and hammer down right on the blade of the axe. The handle breaks. Silence follows for like a second and the crowd picks up again. Quite enthusiastically, I'd say. Roxus grins again too.

“Not bad.” He throws the broken wood aside and picks up a chain-mace in each hand. He spins them fiercely, turns and thunders down with them, one after another. He could have smashed my skeleton to bits, but unfortunately for him we are in a cage. I grab hold of the bars with my claws and just stupidly begin throwing weapons down on him. Roxus swings every single one aside with his maces.

“Quit your games, lovely! You won’t win this way!” He smacks his maces down to the sides. As good of a defense they are, they do get in the way and lower ones reaction time.

“Who said anything about winning! I just have to last 3 minutes with you, right?” I take my own dagger and launch it at his left leg. It connects.

“Bitch! Get down here and I'll show you just how long I can last!”

“Maybe in another life!” I push myself off the metal and dive straight down. He didn’t have enough time to pick up the speed again. I wrap myself around his neck downward and gripping his head in a headlock with my legs, I flip him over myself and toss him into the cage. Or at least that was the plan. Roxus smashes the cage open with his maces, tossing them first. He grips onto a leaning bar and looks back at me. He hangs there for a second longer.

“Woman. I'll make you mine even if it kills me.” He says picking up a broken chain.

“It just might.” I look for a staff or anything to counter the chain with. Roxus charges in full force. He throws the chain at me and I let it wrap around my arm, but Roxus is faster this time. He pulls me to him and lands a direct hit right in the gut.

“It's been a while since I was riled up this much by a woman.” He whispers and lifts my face up to him. “I'll have crazy fun with you...” He locks his mouth with mine. The sweet taste of iron floads my mouth. Blood. Roxus coughs and lets me go.

“Bastard. Who said you can enter!” He punches someone, pulling a knife out of his side. What is this?

“BREEZE!!!! THE FIGHT IS RIGGED!!! IT'S ALREADY BEEN THREE MINUTES!!!” Crile tries to over-roar the raging crowd. “KILL NOW OR DIE!!!” More fighters enter the cage through the opening. Roxus has trouble with the eager meat pouring in. I punch off one of them too.

“But...” My lips move.. I never intended to...

“JUST MAIM!!! GO WILD!!!” Crile's voice knocks me out of it. I go full shift and charge.

“Damned bastard!!! We had a deal!!!” Roxus roars between the fighting. I claw and bite anyone and anything that comes into range. Crile fights to clear a path for me too. I jump body to body, trying my best to escape. I take one last look at Roxus. Our eyes meet. He winks at me once and...

“BREEZE!!!” I jump down to where Crile is and shift back to my half-form. We make our way fighting amateurs back to back. Now I see what he meant that this place is profit based. The fighting skills of the crowd are nothing impressive individually. It's only the sheer numbers of them that is suffocating.

“THIS WAY!” Crile points up. A hole in the wall. He gives me a boost and I make the jump. I hang my upper half upside down and let Crile climb up. I don’t see Roxus anymore... Crile pulls me in and we crawl away from the madness...

“Satisfied?” He asks me. I feel the disappointment in his voice.

“No.”

“Tch. Of course not!” He slams his hand in the dark. “Hold it.” He says and I stop. He rustles in the dark. I see his eyes flash at me upside down.

“One sec.” He says and a thud follows. Another. And another. Wood breaks. A feint light comes inside. A light breeze too... Crile turns over again and crawls out. I hear more sounds of something breaking. A hand comes into view.

“Well?” I take the hand and get pulled out. “You're bleeding?” The same hand brushes my lip.

“It's not mine.” I brush it off.

“I see...” Crile turns away and begins to walk. I follow him. This was not how I wanted it to be...