Side-by-side with his team, Nick stepped through the gate and set foot onto the arena floor. He knew that a fight for his life would begin at any moment. That his world would soon narrow to the desperate struggle of kill or be killed. He treasured this final moment of calm, perhaps the last that he would ever know. Raising a hand to shield his eyes from the glare, he looked up and took it all in, casting his gaze across the grand arena of Papillon.
The sun was high in the azure sky, but there was something off about it. Its hue was a shade too green. Its face larger and dimmer than the cheerful yellow sun he had known all his life. Despite the warmth of its light, the sun looked fake. Nick knew the effect was merely a byproduct of his brain struggling to adjust to the reality that he was standing on his second alien world in a little over a month. That he had traveled distances that boggled the mind, journeying between the stars in the blink of an eye.
Although his situation was deadly serious, he found himself grinning, for he was taking part in history in the making. Nick and the brave women and men standing beside him were the first people from Earth to tread upon this world. The first to gaze upon these limitless heavens. To take in the sights of an alien culture and countless beings from another planet. As they crossed the arena floor, he lowered his gaze, examining the edifice in which he and the ten brave souls walking with him would fight to determine the fate of humanity.
As he ran his eyes across the arena, the first detail that Nick absorbed was the sheer scale of the place. Behind his back rose a great white wall, at least a hundred feet tall. It stretched out into the distance before curving around to enclose an arena floor the size of several city blocks. The wall was carved from blocks of flawless white marble, striated with bold streaks of black and green that reminded Nick of bolts of lightning. The floor was carved from the same type of stone, textured to keep the fighters from slipping once the blood began to flow.
Watching the tawny sunlight sparkle against its surface, he realized that there were thousands of scratches marring the stone. He intuited that if he were to study them closely, a story of countless battles would come to life. Tales of agony and exhilaration. Of triumph and tragedy. Staring down at the legacy of a million melees, Nick wondered how his own story would be remembered. If this contest would mark the end of his tale or was only the beginning.
Eyes drawn to motion above, Nick raised his head to take in the stands. The endless rows of seats and the floor below them were hewn from the same material as the inner wall. Unbroken bands of color were woven throughout, as if the entire arena had been carved from a single block of marble, which for all Nick knew, it had. It was hard to tell from where he stood, but he was certain that the space was hundreds of times larger than the most ambitious stadiums on Earth.
The terraced stands rose for hundreds of feet, where they were backed by another great marble wall. Ringing the top of the towering facade were eight colossal statues, set at even intervals like the spokes of a wheel. Even from this distance, Nick could tell that the craftsmanship was incredible. Each figure was so lifelike, it looked like they might walk off the platform at any moment. It was as if a convoy of giants had stopped to peek inside the arena before going about their business.
Each statue represented a different humanoid species, displaying a range of features and forms as varied as the arms they bore. More than just their grandeur, something about the statues called to Nick. Their weapons radiated palpable auras of power, hinting at secrets that tickled something deep inside his core. He was especially drawn to a swordsman clad in flowing white robes. Unlike the other statues, the curved sword he wielded was simple and unadorned, yet seemed to convey such sharpness that he was forced to look away, lest the sight of it slice his retinas.
Nick would have stared up at the statues for days under other circumstances. Pondering their radiant auras. Absorbing the reality that aliens were real and learning all that he could by examining their features and adornments. But he wasn’t fated to be granted such an opportunity, because his match would begin at any moment. As he lowered his gaze from the towering figures that would frequent his dreams for many nights to come, he realized that the stands were full.
If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
More people than he had seen in his entire life were packed into the endless marble rows. Nick’s jaw dropped as he took in the sight of millions upon millions of beings taking their seats and arguing with their neighbors. Smoking from long pipes that emitted a pale blue smoke. Many were in the middle of buying steaming bowls and chilled flasks, delivered by diminutive creatures driving wheeled concession stands.
What the fuck is going on? he turned to speak with his team, who looked just as confused as he felt. Before Nick could open his mouth, a voice resounded from all sides, washing over the arena in a rising tide of sound. “Thank you for your patience, esteemed patrons of the labyrinth. Finish your business and find your seats. The main event will begin in just a few minutes.”
Nick looked around before spotting a person draped in jet black robes standing upon a raised dais, the announcer who was addressing the crowd. While the robed being encouraged the crowd to settle, his team came to a stop near the middle of the arena floor. Nick opened his bag and started piling up the extra weapons he had brought from the ready room while the others began preparing themselves for the ordeal to come.
“It’s been a long day and some of the exhibition matches were a bit tepid. But I promise you, this is a show worth waiting for,” the announcer’s voice rose with exuberant enthusiasm. “Yes, my friends, we have something special in store for you today. Only minutes have passed since they completed their survival tutorial, and they’re already leaping headfirst into another challenge. For your viewing pleasure, standing before you are the, let me check my notes, humans from planet Earth! This is truly a special event, because the stakes for our virgin contestants could not be higher.
“Today, team Earth is putting their lives on the line for a chance to improve the class selection for their entire species. They are pitifully weak and appallingly ignorant, but no one can fault their courage. Because these humans have accepted a direct challenge from Taltos himself, our host and the sponsor of today’s event.
“Ladies and gentlemen, as well as everything outside and in between, let’s have a big round of applause for Taltos. He is always watching. Always listening. And that’s just the way we like it. Please put your hands, paws, flippers, and pseudopods together for the lord of the labyrinth, the master of the maze, the emperor of entertainment, Taltos the Mad God!” With those words, a formless roar broke over Nick like a cresting wave. The ceaseless rumble of millions of voices cheering in excitement. Thrilled that they would soon watch Nick and his team fight for their lives. “Thanks to Taltos’s masterful sniping during the mentorship bidding process, the blood is really going to fly today.
“Esteemed patrons, I urge you to take advantage of this final opportunity to place your bets, while I introduce today’s lineup. Earth is a backwater planet on the fringes of known space, but that’s not what makes this event so exciting. Thanks to a rare oversight by the System, the Earth managed to reach level one without being scouted beforehand. Thus, humanity was not on anyone’s radar, so no pre-vetting or reconnaissance was able to take place before today’s match. Humanity’s last-minute incorporation into the System was a complete surprise, thus their history and abilities are still a mystery. All we know for certain is that their species had absolutely no affinity for magic until the System awakened them. Their powers are as untested as a freshly whelped Zerzex.”
This was a lot to take in, but Nick shoved everything he was feeling to one side, steeling himself for the battle ahead. “Although these humans have fought to survive their tutorial, facing animals, beasts, and the elements, they have yet to encounter the true horror of the labyrinth. Well, today we are going to watch them get their first... Oops, I almost gave away the big surprise. Just know that you have something to look forward to during the main event.
“But first, we have a preliminary match to whet your appetite for the spectacle to come. Today, we have a special treat for our opening round. Let’s move the angry fellows up here so you can witness their strength with your own eyes. For your viewing pleasure, we bring you eleven frostfury wasps!”
As the announcer’s words reverberated across the arena’s immensity, a trapdoor opened in the floor in front of Nick. From it arose a crystal box that was nearly as large as the arena’s ready room, accompanied by an ominous buzz.