Night Stalker (Kevin) POV

Its been only a few hours since I talked to the elders, things progressed quickly and I find myself stumbling down a tunnel with a group of thirty one other goblins. The light at the end was much too rapidly approaching, bringing with it a certain end to my life that had only just so recently begun. Looking down at my right hand I clinched the gladius tightly. As a group we would be fighting seven other units of thirty two in a brutal death match for the sport and humor of this Ice queen and her barbaric people. Yet as the horror of this settles on me I cant help but smile for I known that in my world something like this couldn't ever happen and yet in my boyish mind I acknowledged that at some point being a gladiator in ancient Rome had held a deep fascination for a much more violent darkness resting beneath the surface of my mind.

With a new perspective I looked around as we moved out onto the sand forming the last cluster of combatants in what will soon be an all out war for survival. My group had a mismatch of weapons: spears, swords, javelins, axes, and shields. A bit less than half had chosen the axes and shields, four of use including myself have swords (gladius) ten have spears and only six have javelins which leaves us at twelve shield bearers. Objectively speaking as a gamer these creatures around me were most likely superior in single combat than myself, however speaking from what I have witnessed thus far and from my experience with the goblins in many fictional references I have a sinking feeling that their ability to work as a single cohesive formation is nonexistent, they have about the same chance to win as the Gauls did fighting Caesar. Yet I have to try because if I don't I know that I will regret it.

Pulling myself together I realized that the roaring of the crowd had gone to dead silence and the most beautiful women I had ever seen was standing in the podium two heavily armed and armored trolls flanking her sides a step back behind her.

Khione – but a short time ago a unit of our bravest fought a through a crucible the likes of which has never been witnessed in this great city. With their very lives they stood before a force vastly superior in

numbers like a inexorable horde the goblins rushed their lines again and again and yet they held. They held not for themselves no they knew the moment that they stayed that fateful day that their fates had been sealed. They stayed for the people, they fought so that you will not have to, they gave their lives for you, with their sacrifice they brought the enemy force to a standstill allowing for our forces to descend upon them and dispense a righteous justice. Today I have gathered the survivors of captured after the battle and today their blood will drench these sands in commemoration of those who gave their lives for our great nation.

So saying she stepped back and sank into her seat as the crowd surged roaring from their seats, their voices demanded blood.

shouting so that my group could hear me

Night Stalker – stay close and move back to the wall, shield bearers to the front spearmen move one step behind and to the right of the shield bears javelins move to the left of the spearmen, swords men move to the center.

Whether it was the confidence in my voice or just that they wanted to be told to move I don't know but they fallowed my orders forming a loose half moon with the points close to the Colosseum wall.

The arena turned chaotic as the drums began to beat and the battle started around us. The clash of weapons and wailing cries of the dying washed out the sounds of the mob above. Two complete groups

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

who saw our formation turned on us they where the ones closest to us about fifty meters away on both the right and left for a an assault of sixty four people, my chances were getting slimmer by the moment.

Raising my voice so that my group could hear

Night Stalker – swordsmen your duty is not to fight the enemy it is to keep the others fighting from their assigned positions, if they deviate from it we will all die, and if we are going to die then it is only proper to first kill those who made it impossible to survive. Shield bearers your duty is to block the enemy you need not even strike with your weapon just block the enemy, spearmen stab over the shield bearers into the enemy, javelins throw only when the enemy exposes themselves as a target you are guaranteed to hit.

I barely finished when the fastest among our opponents throw themselves at us. My plan worked fine for all of fifteen seconds. In the first five seconds they hit the shields and were repulsed several receiving vicious stab wounds to their throats and faces, sending a short lived jolt of elation through me. We had taken about eleven from the fight almost instantly. In the next five seconds the next wave hit forcing the front line back and we lost three shield bearers but left another eight of the enemy, in the last five the main bodies of the enemy forces hit us from both sides like a hammer striking hot iron on an anvil, and accordingly my formation warped and disintegrated rapidly as everyone tried to find someway out, myself included.

Zigzagging through the remain of my force I stumbled out into the open and turned just in time to receive a shield bash to the face with enough force to knock me on my back the goblin standing over me hacked down with his ax, barely avoiding by rolling to his right. Lurching to a crouch I gathered a handful of sand in my left hand as we eyed each other. Blood ran freely from my smashed nose and lips.

spitting out the blood filling my mouth I stood up fully. My opponent didn't have his shield raised and his ax was gripped close to the head. Flexing my grip on my weapon I started circling him after three steps with him half turning to face me but trying to keep an eye on what was happening behind him

( my group appears to be annihilated and the other two are now having a free for all) taking my chance with him distracted I dashed forward fling my sand towards his face while at the same time throwing myself into a baseball slide right past him swinging my sword over my left slashing into his tendon, rolling with it I spun to my right and used my left hand to push myself backup, my opponent turned rapidly to face me or at least tried to, his attempt caused his left leg to spasm ending his maneuvers with him stumbling over his now useless leg and into the ground. Walking carefully over to him I placed my blade at the base of his spine and pushed it through severing his connection to his legs, his blood welled out of the wound as I pulled my blade free, which required a bit of wiggling as his muscles had closed around it tightly. The pungent smell of urine filled my nostrils as he lost control of his bowls. He dropped his weapons trying to move himself away from me with his hands digging into the sand and dragging his useless legs. Walking in front of him he turned and looked up at me blood spilling from his grimy mouth, I drew my sword back and unceremoniously plunged the point through his mouth and out the back of his neck, pulling my blade free I received a spray of warm blood as his heart kept beating as if it were unwilling to accept its own pitiful end.