image [https://i.imgur.com/8ehwGiS.png]

The two guards pulled Carmen down a long, dimly lit hallway, following close behind Murdoc. With each step taken, the air began smelling more and more musty, ruthlessly attacking Carmen’s sensitive nose. She still had no clue where she was and after turning the corner into another long hallway, Carmen finally spoke up.

“Hey, what is this place!? Will you people give me some answers already!?” She exclaimed.

“You’re in Dead Haven, Kid. My beautiful, yet twisted empire.” Murdoc replied as she looked over her shoulder.

‘Dead Haven? Why does that sound familiar?’

Carmen tried to remember where she heard that name from, but no matter how hard she tried, nothing came to mind. Murdoc noticed the confused expression on her face and so she decided to elaborate further.

“This is the underworld of Alaira, the forbidden black market, the deepest pits of every illegal avenue you can think of. The kind of place a kid like you has no business seeing, but alas, here you are. Any more annoying questions?” Murdoc added, lighting another cigarette and taking a puff.

Carmen shook her head and they continued down the dingy hall, making a few more turns along the way. Eventually they entered into a simple room with a square table and a small trap door on the opposite end. The guards closed the door behind them and Carmen looked around, wondering where they were this time.

Murdoc suddenly grabbed Carmen’s wrist and slapped a peculiar looking bracelet onto it. It was all black with light blue accents and as it squeezed her wrist tightly, Carmen could feel Core Energy leaving her body.

“Alright kid, I’m only going to say this once so pay attention. This is a single elimination style tournament. Only abilities and natural combat skills are allowed. Manifests are prohibited and this bracelet here will prevent you from summoning it, so don’t even try. Tonight, you’ll keep fighting until you win the grand finals or you’re rendered unconscious.” Murdoc said, laying out all the facts while she chewed on the edge of her cigarette.

“This is a ruthless place and most of the fighters will probably try to kill you, so do try your best to survive. But, judging by your looks, I’ll honestly be surprised if you live past the second round.”

Murdoc looked Carmen up and down, prompting her to chuckle. It was abundantly clear she had very little faith in this kid going far.

As soon as she finished explaining the tournament rules, the two burly guards grabbed Carmen’s coat and clothing underneath. They forcibly ripped them off of her, exposing her body to the musty and damp air.

“What!?” She screamed as her fully naked body was laid bare for all to see.

They quickly looked around her body and nodded to Murdoc, as though confirming something.

“Needed to make sure you weren’t hiding any weapons under that cloak. Here, put this on.”

Murdoc tossed Carmen an all black combat suit made from simple leathers. Carmen glared at her as she tried to cover her body, feeling beyond irritated at this situation. She reluctantly put on the tight and uncomfortably small outfit, pulling down the short skirt as far as it could go.

Once dressed, Murdoc pointed towards the small trap door at the back of the room. Carmen looked over with another confused expression.

“In there, now…” She said with cold authority.

Before Carmen could voice her disapproval, the guards quickly pushed her backwards and into the trap, securing the door shut. Carmen glared through the little window on the door, her red eyes peering at Murdoc. Just before Murdoc exited the room, she stopped and turned around as though remembering something.

“Oh and be sure to put on a show. People pay big money to see a newbie rise the ranks and defy the odds. Everyone loves an underdog story. Good luck, Petra…”

Murdoc smirked and the tiny enclosed space began to descend like an elevator, Carmen’s red eyes disappearing into the floor.

“Just how the hell did I end up in a place like this? Damn it, Varric.” Carmen muttered under her breath as she sat there, waiting for the room to stop moving down.

After a few short moments, the room stopped and the trap door swung open to reveal a large caged arena. Carmen squinted her eyes as she stepped through the door, blinded by how bright the lights were.

The crowd around the cage was massive and extremely loud with people yelling from all directions. Carmen had never seen this many people in her life and the atmosphere of it all was absolutely electric. She slowly made her way onto the field, not knowing what to expect.

On the opposite side of the arena, a similar door opened up and out walked her opponent. It was a Siestian male wearing ripped shorts and upon his hands were bandages. His scale-like features decorated his shoulders and bare, muscular chest. He cracked his knuckles as he approached, sending a cheeky smile towards Carmen.

Once they both were on the field, a loud and screechy voice could be heard throughout the pavilion. Carmen looked up to see a short, elderly man with dark green hair and multiple piercings on his face flying above the crowds. The spotlights followed his every movement as he amped up the sea of people.

“Ladies and gentlemen, the third match will commence shortly!!! Once again, I, Koga, you’re gracious and ever so humble host, will give you the hot and heavy play by play you all love and adore so soooo muuuuch!!” Koga jeered, pumping his fist into the air as everyone cheered.

“For this fight, we’ve got Simeon the pursuer versus Petra!! Simeon has been a mainstay here at the Dead Haven Combat League, boasting an impressive record of twenty-eight and fifteen. He unfortunately fumbled in the last tourney, losing in the round of sixteen. Simeon is definitely looking to bounce back and get more wins under his belt!!!”

Koga continued to fly around the arena with elegant swiftness, his red jacket fluttering in the wind behind him.

The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

“As for his opponent, well.. There’s not much to say!! Folks, we’ve got an absolute rookie on the field!! Let’s give it up for the newbie!!” He yelled, wanting everyone to give Petra a warm welcome. However, to his surprise, the crowd began to boo and curse at her.

“OOF!! Seems like there’s no more love to go around, that is unfortunateeee! Well, anyways, who’s ready for the next match!?!? My body can’t take anymore waiting!!!”

Koga pointed up towards a screen hanging above the arena and suddenly a countdown began, starting at ten. Once it hit zero, a loud ringing noise occurred, prompting the crowd to go absolutely ballistic.

Simeon dashed forward with his first move, wasting no time. Carmen, not prepared at all for this fight, dodged his kick at the very last second. She fell to the ground and rolled away from his next flurry of stomps aimed at her.

Carmen quickly got to her feet, but Simeon was already in her face, not giving her any room to think or react. His fist became engulfed in flames as he punched her in the chest, sending Carmen careening into the caged walls of the arena. Her body bounced off of the loose shackles before landing onto the ground. The crowd continued to boo at her, finding their fight to be boring and not worth their time.

Carmen looked up while clutching her chest and glared at Simeon as he slowly approached her. He exerted his Core Energy and his fists engulfed into flames once again.

At that same moment, Carmen remembered what Murdoc said and realized that she could also use her abilities. She slowly got to her feet and forced out her Core Energy, getting herself ready for the next assault. Simeon began to sprint towards her and once he got close, he leapt into the air and prepared to dive kick in her direction.

He got within a meter of Carmen before he was suddenly frozen in the air, unable to move an inch. Confusion crossed his face as Carmen looked up at him with a cheeky smirk. With a simple thought, Simeon was sent flying back to the opposite side of the arena. He crashed into the ground with incredible force, crumbling the floor around him.

As Simenon got to his feet, wiping the blood from his lip, he was immediately forced down to his knees. The amount of gravitational force on his body was absurd, causing veins to pop out of his neck as he struggled to lift his head. The moment he had enough strength to look forward, Carmen was sprinting towards him with great speed.

Within a second, she leapt up and spun her body as she kicked him in the head, strategically targeting his temple. Simeon’s head aggressively spun from the force, knocking him out cold. His body dropped to the ground and not a single movement could be seen as he laid there.

Moments later, a loud buzz could be heard, signaling the conclusion of this fight. On the screen above the arena, Petra’s name lit up and the crowd exploded in cheers.

“Petra, the rookie, wins!!! She started shaky, but finished strong with a decisive victory!!!” Koga exclaimed, wiping the sweat from his brow as he continued to amp up the crowd.

The doors shot open and multiple guards came rushing out, picking up Simeon and taking him away. Another guard motioned for Carmen to follow, escorting her out of the arena and into a large waiting room.

The room was filled with fighters from all over, many that looked way stronger than she was. It was clear that these people had participated in these fights for a long time, absolute seasoned veterans at this point.

As she walked around, she felt the leering eyes of some men staring at her, attracted by the tightly fitting outfit she had on. Carmen quickly crossed her arms to cover her chest and walked in the opposite direction, looking for a quiet place to sit.

“First time down here, huh?” Carmen heard as she walked past a table.

She looked over and saw a woman with a peg leg and light brownish hair. The woman seemed to be in her mid thirties and curiously, she also wore a similar outfit to Carmen, only it was not nearly as tight.

“Oh, uh… Yeah. You?” Carmen replied with soft curiosity.

The woman shook her head and took a quick sip of water.

“Nah, I’ve entered many times. Only ever won a few matches though.”

Carmen pulled out a chair and joined the woman at the table.

“So, what’s your name kid?” The woman asked, noticing just how young she was.

“Petra, and yours?”

“You can call me Ray. So uhh, how’d you even end up down here anyways?”

Ray leaned in closer, giving Carmen her undivided attention while she patiently awaited a response.

“To be honest, I have no idea. Someone I know kind of just dragged me here. So annoying…”

Carmen sighed as she looked around the room, wondering who she was going to fight next. Ray simply gave her an understanding nod and continued to sip her water.

“So what exactly is this place? I’ve never seen anything like it.” Carmen added.

“This building is for the Dead Haven Combat League or DHCL for short. It’s pretty much the largest underground cage fighting league in all of Alaira. But, the lack of rules and fighter protections makes the league highly illegal, and not to mention the insane amount of gambling that goes on down here. The DHCL is definitely kept on the hush hush from the outside world and you would never dare talk about it either.” Ray said with a slightly fearful expression.

“But, what about the rest of this place? I saw all kinds of stuff outside this building and none of it was good.”

“Ah, you must’ve gone through the marketplace to get here. Well, it’s exactly what you think it is. The currency you earn in the league can be used to purchase various 'things' at the market.”

Ray paused for a moment before cautiously looking around the room. She then leaned in again and whispered the rest of her reply.

“Need a few slaves or rare animals? Someone to keep you warm at night? Want to put a hit out on someone or want them trafficked? That and many, many more items can be purchased over in the marketplace.” Ray explained with a forced whisper.

“Oh, I see… Scary.”

Carmen was almost afraid to ask more questions as she continued to feel more uneasy about this place.

“Yup. There's a lot of dangerous things down here, but it's really the people you need to worry about. Dead Haven is a cesspool for corruption, a breeding ground for the wicked and immoral." Ray said, taking another sip from her cup.

"Why would anyone ever come to a place like this? It sounds terrible."

"Opportunity. For as much of a shit hole this place is, it's the only place that gives some people a chance. Doesn't matter if you're poorer than dirt or well off on the surface, none of that holds any weight down here. As long as you can show your worth, it'll be a clean slate pretty much... Well.. Not exactly clean, but you catch my drift."

"Is that why you're here? A fresh start?"

When Carmen asked her question, Ray's demeanor completely changed. Her expression became more dejected as she sat her cup down.

"Yeah, at first.. But.. I'm not so sure it's been worth it. Fighting in this league has proven more difficult than I anticipated and now, I'm perpetually stuck in a never ending cycle of fear and survival…”

Ray glanced at her silver peg leg and sighed.

“What do you mean? Surely you don’t have to fight if you don’t want to. Just leave…” Carmen replied, not understanding Ray’s logic.

Ray chuckled as she looked Carmen in her innocent eyes.

“Kid… You haven’t got a clue. We're all just walking corpses down here, waiting to be used for their entertainment. Like I said before, we either show our worth and succeed or we die and make room for the next schmuck looking to grasp hold of a chance.”

Ray stared coldly, causing Carmen to grow incredibly nervous. She wanted to ask more questions, but an announcement was suddenly made across the room. It called Ray’s name as well as another fighter, telling them to come to the arena at once.

“Well, looks like I’m up. See ya around.”

Ray gave a half smile as she quickly stood from her chair. She limped towards the entrance, her peg leg clacking against the floor as she navigated around the crowd. Carmen sat alone for a short while until her name was finally called, inviting her back to the ring so the next round could start.