Jordan, The Crusher

Anger washed over me, as I saw the ritualist scream loud enough for the barrier to dampen it. Shepard fell back, stunned, for good reason. There was no mistaking what just happened, the bastard somehow managed to scream like a Banshee, destroying Shepard's sense of balance, and throwing him off. I didn't need to watch the rest, to know that Jordan wasn't likely to recover fast enough, after the second scream came.

"Let's go." The other two champions looked at me, before nodding quietly. They knew better than to say a single thing when I was angry. We marched to the cell, the other two behind me. I was going to mutilate that ritual bastard, for daring to kill one of us. "Issac, stop the bleeding when we get there. Gerald, I want you to work your magic if we need it." The other two nodded, keeping just behind me.

The gate opened, and we ran towards the two. I saw the bird monster, and Firefist Ace calmly walking. My eyes met his, and I knew this might end in a fight. This bastard was also on my shit list, after he humiliated Kyle like that. He stopped, letting his monster go ahead and pick up their ritualist. The creature looked in Isaac's direction when he stopped Shepard from bleeding anymore. I couldn't nullify any magic, without risking Shepard's true death. Especially when Isaac was probably using magic to force his heart to beat.

Gerald reached into his robes, as the creature turned towards him. It let out a low chirp, as if more than ready to fight all three of us. Then the ground shook. We turned towards Kobe as he sauntered over. The massive Minotaur stomping towards us with his hooved feet, our boss coming to back us up. The bird monster was slim and tall, while Kobe was simply full of bulging muscles.

Kobe himself grinned, before laughing. "It seems you killed one of my champions!" He flexed his muscles, as Firefist moved between him and the monster. The guy was the shortest of the bunch, making Kobe have to look down to properly look at the guy. I would have thought he was a kid, if not for the way he carried himself.

Ace crossed his arms, "Yeah? Well your guy announced how he was going to kill our guy. The fight could have been stopped at any time, but no body did that. Besides if your champions are so weak that we need to try not to kill them, then maybe this Arena is just for show?"

My blood boiled at those words, to think that this bastard, who barely came up to Kobe's waist, was able to talk like that. "Boss, give me the word." I wanted to flay him right then and there.

Kobe snorted, before laughing again. "Why? He's right. It was clear in his fight that he was holding back." Kobe tugged on the hair under his chin. "That said, I will expect compensation. How about twenty gold coins?" The boss grinned down at the punk, as I gave Isaac the go ahead to take Shepard away.

Ace shrugged, "No thanks, how about something better? We let you use this guy here for a couple weeks." He patted the ritualist on the back.

Kobe tilted his head, "He's got black blood in him, he'll be useless to me."

Ace grinned, "What if we have him up and walking by the end of the day? We have to take him back, to heal him, but I guess you don't need the information he might have on how we do that." He shrugged, "I can still give you twenty gold coins, if you really want it. It'll have to wait until the prize pool is ours though."

Kobe grinned, "No, that's fine. I'll take him in a week if you can get him back on his feet by the end of the day. If he isn't up by the end of the week, I'll want sixty gold coins, got it?"

Ace smirked, "Sure thing, you're a generous guy when you get down to it. I look forward to working with you in the future."

Kobe let out a bellowing laugh, "You certainly can talk the talk twerp. It's not everyday that I see a runt half my size even willing to stand up to me. I'm going to want you to keep entertaining my customers while you're here. Don't let me down." He poked Ace in the chest, causing the guy to take a step back.

Ace nodded, "Yep, if nothing else, I can entertain a crowd. See ya around Kobe."

We turned our backs on each other, going our separate ways. I followed behind the boss, walking through the gate, while the slaves worked on fixing the Arena. "Do you know that guy boss?"

Kobe kept walking, "I don't know much, but I do know the Princess is keeping an eye on him and his pet. I arranged the matches so that Cheshire's group, and Ace's would fight and wear each other out enough for you to mop the floor with them. Now I have suffered two losses, because the people under you are not keeping up. Do I need to remind you what happens when I'm disappointed Jordan?"

I shook my head, my hair standing on end. "No boss, but why did you send Kyle after Ace?"

"I wanted to see how strong his pet was, but now I'm more curious about the man behind it. I told Kyle he could stay, or he could work under Ace, as the man suggested. Though I doubt he'd get any useful information. Ace himself, seems to care deeply for the people working under him. Which makes him respectable enough to let me take one of his men for a couple weeks. More so, if they really can get Carter back on his feet."

"You remember his name, boss?" I asked, and his response had him stopping to snort.

"Yes, and you'd do well to remember the name of anyone that says they're going to be somebody. When they tell that to the world, it means they are committed. It's why I gave you a chance, despite your magic not stopping talents. You said you wanted to stand at the top, and stop even talents. If Shepard dies, I don't have any plans to go after their gang. That would just make us look weak, and unable to handle it when they use our rules against us. Remember that even we can't stand up to the entire Underground if they all banded together against us. It's why we're slowly working our way into other gangs, and taking them under us."

I swallowed hard, "Yes sir, what do you need me to do?"

Kobe slumped a little, "I'll be honest with you, I don't expect the champions to beat the two groups we have here today. It's why I have the last three fights between nobodies that aren't associated with any gangs. If any of you three lose, you will be kicked out for failing to pass the first round. Just like always, and I expect a good second round from you all as well. If you can win, then do win, but if you plan on killing someone, you better wait until I give the thumb for it. Do you understand me." He turned around, the weight of his presence baring down on me.

I struggled to breathe, as I saw how angry he was. I nodded, then he started speaking again. "I have let you make the calls of who lives and dies recently. I'm afraid it is my own fault for letting you get complacent. I trusted you guys for entertaining fights, now I'm going to make you wait for my call if your opponent lives or dies. Now get ready, since your fight is starting soon." His eyes moved to Gerald, "Make sure you tell Isaac what I just said. If any of you die in the Arena, you will be replaced by the one that killed you."

We both quickly nodded, as Kobe went back to his platform. I swallowed hard, sweat dripping down my neck. It was rare to see the boss this upset. I needed to remind him why he keeps us around. I turned to Gerald, "You heard the boss, tell Isaac, and I'm going to put on a show. Call some slaves over to help me get dressed."

Gerald smiled a little, before heading off. I went back to the cell, as the slaves came in a few minutes later. I had the armor and weapons I wanted strapped and secured where I needed them. Kobe put me against a Tamer, so I couldn't sever their bond. I could stop them from doing magic depending on if either of them could use such. All I had to do was live up to my title, and crush my opponent.

The gate opened, as the announcer started to talk about me. "A CROWD FAVORITE, AND A MAN THAT HAS CONSISTANTLY WON THE ARENA TIME AND TIME AGAIN! JORDAN THE CRUSHER IS HERE!" The crowd chanted my name, while I adjusted my bracers again. A pair of curved daggers in my hands after I finished. "IN THE OTHER CORNER, WE HAVE A MAN THAT SURVIVED HIS FIRST ROUND BY SIMPLY STAYING BACK AND WATCHING. SOMEONE WE DON'T HAVE HIGH EXPECTATIONS FOR! ANOTHER TAMER BY THE NAME MARK! I SWEAR, THEY'RE JUST MULTIPLYING THIS WEEK!"

The crowd laughed, as the man in question came out from his corner. He wore a sky blue shawl, on top of his robes. They were clearly dried or tanned recently, the bottom of the thing shifting to gold. It reminded me of one of the few imports we got from the Fire Kingdom, and the 'majestic' creatures they had there. The fabric would change colors as the man moved, taking on the hues of dawn that I heard from above ground. The thing artists down here adored painting to capture the feeling.

I eyed him over, to see his pet was a baby cloud runner, no longer than a forearm, with those same scales as the shawl. It moved along the man's back, gliding over his arm and up into the air. A beautiful snake, with shimmering scales, and brilliant fluffy feathers where it's head and body connected. It changed colors and moved as it slithered through the air itself, completely free of gravity. The man finally took his spot, his voice tired, but calm. "Sorry about this, but I'd rather not have them fight. Are you okay with leaving them out of this?"

The crowd watched the snake above, as I understood why such a creature from the Fire Kingdom could be called majestic. "I don't give two shits really, if it attacks, I will kill it."

The gong sounded, as the man pulled out two long fangs from his sleeves. "You're a pretty reasonable man, I appreciate it." The thing happily slithered above us, until I activated my null magic. The area around me became devoid, and the thing fell in front of us. The man jumped to catch his snake, while I lunged at him. His smile was gone, and turned into a deep frown when he felt my dagger scrape one of his ribs.

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He caught the snake, before rolling back his hood falling off to reveal a pale face with his hair tied back in a ponytail. He glared at me, "You bastard! You said you wouldn't involve them!"

I tilted my head, "I didn't, I stop magic in an area around me, I can't really control it. You just decided to catch your pet, instead of letting it fall. Guys like you are the first ones to die. So let me give you a bit of advice; the people here would much rather turn that Cloud Runner into an accessory, than watch it slither around for the fun of it." I grinned at him, while he seemed to order his pet to slither to safety. The dirt dulling it's vibrant scales.

Mark felt the wound I gave him, frowning at his own blood. "For a place so civilized, you guys really don't know how to appreciate the beauty of life." He got up, the two long fangs shifted in his hands, to a more dangerous stance. They were more for ceremony than anything, judging by all the drawings on them. They looked recently etched, but I had better things to do than wonder what this guy has been through. I needed to crush this man.

I adjusted my stance, keeping my grin. "Maybe worry about yourself a bit more? We know beauty, and how to appreciate it. It's all worthless if your neighbor is going to steal it when you aren't looking though." He just steadied himself, not giving me any attention, or taking my bait. He only took a calming breath, before completely focusing on me. This type was so much worse to deal with, other the people that got super pissed at not being able to use magic anymore.

We stood opposite of each other, sizing the other up. The fangs he had were sharp at the tips, and had been filed down to a curved weapon similar to a sickle. He had more range than my own curved daggers, but the fangs likely relied on runes hidden within the carvings. He was clearly a somebody, before coming here. With the magic locked down, I only had to worry about a bew shit talent. We both moved, as his snake began to float outside of my range.

The way Mark carried himself, and how he flexed his muscles under his shawl and robes. I knew he wasn't a stranger to fighting with those weapons. How the callouses on his fingers were formed, and the bone itself knotted to better grip it. Even the grip had more than a few bloodstains he likely couldn't clean. I just needed to know if he was the type that relied on instinct, or form. Judging by the way he eyed me, he understood what I was thinking. He probably saw the same thing in me.

I inched forward, as he began to do the same. I waited for the lull of him slowly breathing out, where he was about to blink. Then I lunged, as he gasped a little. His fang tracing forward to redirect mine. He was an instinct fighter, since he positioned his on the inside to deflect my blade outwards without thinking. These were more of a pain to deal with, since they'd happily break their forms if it meant getting a few good hits in. I twisted my other blade towards his exposed wrist, while his other fang went to push me back from doing so.

Dagger fights were fast, and had a flow to them. It was less about killing your opponent, and more about inflicting cuts and scrapes to diminish them. To slowly work your way way towards a decisive blow. To the spectators that could keep up, it was more like an art form, as blades danced in front of them. The light glinting off my daggers as I made my move, and he made his to counter me. I'd press forward, as he moved back. I'd press forward again, and he'd meet me at an angle, to catch my blade off and push me back.

The main goal was to weaken one of his arms so he couldn't fight. I could afford to take more risks, as his fangs scraped my bracers. In return, I would cut into his arm, or slash his chest. He had truly practiced his fighting style, and while his clothing helped, they weren't treated properly. If I still had the other weapons laying around, I'd have switched to a spear or lance by this point. A sword and shield would have ended this quicker, but it was about that time.

Mark was so focused on my arms, that he didn't expect me to kick him between the legs. His face contorting, as his arms twitched to move towards the source of his pain. That mistake would be fatal, as I cut into his bicep with a well placed jab, slashing the other arm's wrist and forcing him to drop one of his fangs, before twisting the dagger buried in his flesh. He cried out again, as I flipped the blade in my other hand, and rammed the hilt into his sternum. The wind was knocked out of him, as I jumped back as the cloud runner hissed at me.

Mark held his chest, coughing and unable to properly close his hand. The blood was dripping from his fingers as the snake started to slither towards me. It was slower on the dirt, and hardly a threat. Even still, I already told him what I'd do if it involved itself. I kicked it with my boot, launching the thing towards him. It let out a pitiful sound as the man moved to catch his pet as best he could. The thing was still alive, but it was coiling on itself in pain.

I narrowed my eyes at Mark, "Yield and beg me to spare you." I looked to Kobe, who stood from his spot with a smirk. He held his thumb out sideways, before giving the thumb's up. Mark was to be spared after all, which judging by the crowd was likely because of his pet. I felt nothing towards kicking it, because the man was an idiot who allowed it to enter a life or death fight with him. Still some people just wanted to learn about it, while others probably just wanted to see if it would grow to make a full set of clothes like the guy was wearing. Pure greed, and that was how things worked down here.

Mark put his head to the ground, begging properly. He was a decent fighter, but he didn't have nearly enough experience. He didn't understand how the body worked, or how you had to keep an eye on everything around you. I put the sole of my boot on the back of his head with a smirk, "When you get home, tell them who you were crushed by!" I raised my hands, as the crowd cheered for the show. It wasn't as flashy as when Jacky fought, but the people adored my lines at least.

Mark was teary eyed when he ran, clearly worried more about his pet than any shred of dignity. He ran from me, cradling the cloud runner as best he could. He was just lucky I decided against killing the thing, and pulled my kick. I returned to the cell, to see the last two remaining champions from the other Arena battles. I remembered how we fought and trained together, the blood we spilled just honing our skills.

To enter Kobe's gang, you either had to be acknowledged by him or a recruiter personally, or you had to win in the Arena. The three of us had all done that, and instead of doing odd work, or going out to do dirty jobs, we chose to stay here. Any champion that lost their first round would immediately be kicked out, and would have to fight their way to get back in. We had already lost Kyle, and Shepard.

Now that I blew off some of my anger on Mark, I could think a bit better. I looked to Gerald and Isaac both, "You better win your fights, got it?" They both nodded, Gerald even smiling.

"Don't worry, I'm fighting an Enchantress, just a step above a ritualist." He kept his hands folded together inside his robes.

I glared at him, "Yeah, that's what Shepard thought too, and look at where he's at now. If either of you lose, I will come after you and beat you within an inch of your lives. No more mistakes, and no more underestimating our enemies. You don't kill, unless Kobe gives you the go ahead. Even then, you do it with a flourish. I want to see the carrion tree, or the bloody fireworks. Understood?"

They both tensed, before grinning. They nodded in sync as they moved aside so I could walk past them. I needed to blow off a bit more steam with a couple of the girls. Being angry would only make me slip up later when it mattered.

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Firefist Ace (AKA Richard Adams)

I knew as soon as I saw that cloud runner. Mimi wanted the guy behind it to join our gang to show us where more of them were when we went to Greg's village. I couldn't exactly tell her no, since she wasn't going to just eat the thing in front of the guy. He also seemed like the okay sort, who just needed a bit of work. His skills were real, but he clearly didn't like to think things through.

I mean really, he was staying away from us the entire time. He didn't like Mimi from what I understood, but well Mimi is probably used to small animals running away from her in fear. I knew the battle was over when the crusher slit the man's wrist. We made our way just outside the gate where the guy couldn't see us as he came running out. Mimi grabbed him, and I moved to make sure the snake didn't fall out of his hands from the sudden stop. "Hey buddy, how are you doing?"

He started to shake, "P-please, I just need to get her healed up. He hurt her bad."

"Yeah, yeah, I get that. If you run outside with those clothes on, people are likely to rob you down here. I wanted to tell you that earlier, but well here we are. You've been avoiding us, haven't you?" I put a hand on his chest, while Mimi set him down. He didn't try to bolt again, as I touched his still seeping wrist, and cauterized it. "A guy like you needs protection, and someone to heal your pet. Judging by how pale you are, and how scrawny you are. Well, let's just say you aren't eating too well, right?"

The man swallowed hard, before slowly nodding. "Please... she's dying." He teared

I grinned at him, "Well lucky for you, I can fix that. Though I don't like doing anything for free, and well I'd hate to see you run off only to get your ass kicked and have her stolen from you." I patted his bicep, cauterizing the wound there. "So I have an idea, you'll work for us, and we'll give you the protection you so desperately need. I'm sure you saw what we're capable of." Mimi bugged me with a longing for answers. I understood what she wanted, and gently stroked his snake. "Why did you fight in the Arena?"

He tried to pull it away from me, and the thing even bit me, but there was nothing the poison could do when I controlled my arms and everything going on with them. I looked down at it, as it pulled back, still spasming and coiling from pain. I snatched it out of his hands, as Mimi took me under her wing. I put it to the hidden stinger, making a bit of fire light up as the man screamed no. The shock turned to surprise and joy as I handed the pest back to him. "Well dude?"

Mark rubbed his face against the thing, as it licked at his tears. "W-we joined hoping someone would scout us out. I heard you needed a gang to survive down here. I didn't want to, but we were hungry."

I rolled my eyes, "Starving more like, at least going by you. You're the kind of guy that fed his last scraps to your friend here."

He looked at me with joy, "You understand then? I mean the one I rode in on died, and well Sky here is probably one of the only one's left of her kind. I don't want her race to die out."

I looked at Mimi, who had her arms crossed. I knew that look, even without seeing her eyes. If there were few, then depending on how one tasted, she might try to get them back to better numbers. Still, I sort of felt the same way as Mark. If we were both starving, I'd probably give Mimi what little bit of food we had. Though that wasn't likely to happen, since I could get rid of my own hunger once I got stronger. I idly nodded my head, as Sky started to fly again.

Mark took both my hands, "It must be fate that brought us together as tamers! I'm sorry for avoiding you earlier! Is there anything I can do to make up for it all?"

The guy was crazy, but that might just be the relief he felt from his cloud runner being healed. Mimi patted my shoulder, after feeling my reluctance. I still trusted her, and she already healed the thing. "Yeah sure, whatever. We're going to have you working for us until you pay off the debt. Don't worry, we won't make you kill people or anything like that. We'll actually work with you, since we want to keep Sky alive. I'll point you in a direction and you run until you find some beetles. They'll guide you somewhere safe until we get everything taken care of."

He grinned even more, "You want to keep Sky safe!? That's amazing! You truly are a good person deep down." He shook my hands, and I started to wonder if I made Cheshire feel this uncomfortable when I did it to him. "I'll do the best I can, I promise to not disappoint you!" I had to drag him outside, and point in a direction before he'd take off running. The guy really didn't want to let go of me. Mimi did get a slight kick out of the little cloud runner trailing behind the guy, but I was just honestly happy to be done with him. Robert would figure something out later.