At last the tournament was to begin. Aarik was seated on a hard wooden bench located in an underground tunnel below the packed stadium. Even through the ground he could hear the thunderous roar of the crowds. Today was the day his future would be decided. Outside of this tunnel was Tahnsa, no doubt sitting regally in his Emperor's exclusive pavilion on one side of the stadium. Also in the building was the person who might very well be his future master. Aarik frowned and tried to shake that notion away. He would be his own master by the time this tournament ended. He'd seen the list of warriors he must face, and he already knew he could best the majority of them simply from the rumors of their skill he'd heard during his time as Torth's house servant.

Torth! When Aarik had seen that name on the list, a sense of dread had filled him. During his two weeks of intensive training, Aarik had actually forgotten about the ominous presence of his former master. Now he knew with startling clarity exactly why Torth had returned to the capital city and had claimed he would own him soon. Torth was going to participate in the tournament. They were going to have to fight.

That thought chilled his blood. From his year spent as Torth's slave, Aarik knew very well the full strength of Torth's fighting skills. Aarik had spent many days serving his master after he'd returned home from some brawl or battle. That man was like an iron block. Scars riddled his body and his bulky muscles were tight and strong.

Aarik kept telling himself he was going to be okay, but ever since realizing Torth's intentions, his previous confidence had slipped a little. Now sitting in the stadium with the crowds cheering above him, the full weight of what was about to transpire was beginning to sink in.

Aarik did not have much time to suffer the weight of his worries as three of Tahnsa's soldiers entered the room to escort him out of the tunnel and into the arena.

The roar of the crowd grew louder as Aarik and the guards approached the brilliant light of the stadium entrance. They stood at the edge of the tunnel for a few moments, allowing their eyes to adjust to the light. The crowd had caught sight of Aarik and their cheers swelled even louder. Aarik's senses were assaulted by the sheer mass of LIFE that surrounded him. He could feel the cheers of the crowd rattle his bones. The pungent odor of the hordes of bodies pressed together in the arena bleachers permeated the air, relieved only by the occasional tickle of breeze that would whisper across his tense face. His hair practically rose on end in response to the feelings of anticipation and expectation that everyone in that throng was directing his way.

Moments later, the guards escorted Aarik to his side of the arena, where they removed his cloak to reveal to the crowd Aarik's combat armor, a new set furnished to him by Tahnsa. When he'd arrived at the arena earlier, he'd been directed to remove his mismatched armor and had been given this new set. It was extremely comfortable. The armor was silver with green accents. Aarik really liked his new armor, but knew it was going to get trashed during the tournament anyway so he'd best not get too attached to it. The guards also handed him a new weapon and showed him were spares were stored. All set for combat, they retreated, leaving Aarik alone in the stadium to face the first of his opponents.

Tahnsa shaded his eyes from the glare of the sun and looked out across the huge arena. The crowds were dense in the bleachers. He could spot the colors of several of his guard units over in the reserved block of seating to the left of his pavilion, while his nobles and courtiers filled the section to his right with their gaudy, silk-clad bodies. Mak sat just behind and to the left of Tahnsa. The rest of the crowd here was made up of those who wished to see the spectacle about to unfold this warm day.

Tahnsa could hear the excitement of the crowd around him. He could practically feel the high spirits vibrate against his skin. He couldn't help but be swept up into the pulsing emotion of the audience and feel excited as well. He wondered if Aarik felt it too. ::Aarik probably feels it even more strongly than I do. So much is being expected of him, I hope he is strong enough to handle the strain!::: Tahnsa was very nervous. He felt his body shift from being cold and clammy to hot and dizzy. He forced himself to sit in his seat and look unconcerned, but inside he was a writhing mass of conflicted emotion. Tahnsa wanted Aarik to win so badly, he was certain Aarik must be able to feel his will all the way down in the waiting tunnels.

Just then the roars of the crowds picked up. Tahnsa leaned forward in his chair and directed his gaze to the spot where everyone else in the arena was looking. Aarik! Tahnsa's breath rushed from his lungs so quickly at the sight of his lover emerging from the tunnel surrounded by guards. A large cloak was wrapped around Aarik's shoulders, but Tahnsa knew that it covered the new armor that Tahnsa had selected for Aarik himself. Tahnsa's eyes were wide and unblinking as they watched Aarik pause at the stadium entrance and get his bearings. Then the guards took him to his place on one side of the arena, where they removed the cloak and gave him some instructions.

Tahnsa took a deep, steadying breath. It was his turn. Slowly he stood. With his motion, a section of musicians played a brief musical fanfare, drawing everyone's attention to Tahnsa. Tahnsa stepped forward to the edge of the balcony of his pavilion that overlooked the arena floor. Then the music stopped, he stood silent for a moment, waiting for the crowd to settle down. When all was relatively calm, Tahnsa began his speech to open the tournament.

He greeted the crowd and thanked them for attending the event. He once again explained the purpose of the tournament, describing it merely as an opportunity to give his slave to a worthy owner who would have more use for him than Tahnsa would, and at the same time providing his people with some enjoyable entertainment. Tahnsa did his best to make his reasons sound harmless and ordinary. He did not want the crowd to realize his feelings for his slave just yet. There were already too many rumors circulating about the secret meeting in the war room between Aarik, Mak, and Tahnsa. The announcement of the tournament featuring that very same slave had stirred up even more curious speculation.

Tahnsa could feel the heat of Aarik's gaze on his face even from a distance. Struggling not to return the look, Tahnsa explained the mechanics of the tournament. Aarik had a set of warriors he had to face. Each opponent was a willing volunteer in the tournament. If Aarik defeated one fighter, he would move on to the next. The fights were not to be to the death. The losing fighter would concede victory to the winner. Aarik did have the option of calling for breaks between battles to rest. Having to face so many opponents was an incredible strain on any warrior. If any of Aarik's opponents defeated him, Aarik would become their slave. If Aarik succeeded in defeating all of them, he would win his freedom.

At last the formalities were over and it was time for the main event. Tahnsa signaled to some of his guards, and they escorted Aarik's first opponent into the arena. The cheering of the crowd was deafening. Tahnsa had a difficult time trying to communicate with his guards over the noise. When Aarik and the first warrior stood at opposite ends of the arena, Tahnsa gave the word for the fight to begin.

Aarik looked over his first opponent carefully, liking what he saw. This man was obviously a slave himself. He wore metal shackles on his wrists and ankles. He looked tough, but lacked the serious muscle bulk that Aarik had. He also handled his sword very clumsily. This was going to be a piece of cake. Slowly Aarik approached the fighter, his sword drawn. They circled each other for a minute or two before Aarik took the offensive and brought his sword crashing down on the shield arm of the other man. The other man gritted his teeth as his arm shook with the impact of Aarik's attack. He tried to bring his sword up to parry Aarik's next strike, but he was too slow. In one swift moment, Aarik knocked the sword out of the opponent's hand. Gasping for air, the man glanced around wildly, trying to find a way to get back to his sword. Unfortunately, Aarik blocked his path towards the weapon. Aarik attacked again, striking blow after blow on the other man's shield. Soon the man could take no more and collapsed to his knees, holding his shield above him, continuing to block the blows.

Aarik could see the man had no chance, and brought a leg up and kicked the shield out of the fighter's hands and brought the point of his sword to the other man's throat, waiting for him to concede victory to Aarik, which he did. The crowd bellowed its approval, but Aarik could not help but frown. What was with this pathetically unskilled opponent? Aarik could not believe someone had actually expected to defeat him by using this slave.

The next several opponents were much the same as the first. Aarik was dumbfounded. He barely had to exert any strength to defeat these weaklings. He got more of a workout in the training yards at the Emperor's palace than he was getting here. His new armor was barely scuffed.

Tahnsa was also wondering at the lack of skill of Aarik's opponents. However, he was glad that Aarik was defeating them all so quickly and with so little effort. As Aarik worked his way through the list of fighters, he came close and closer to being free, which was all Tahnsa cared about.

Hours passed in the arena as Aarik fought. By this time he had faced many opponents, and was beginning to feel the strain of his fighting. Some of his later opponents were more skilled than the first few, so Aarik did have to work hard to defeat them, but defeat them he did. It took more effort, but the outcome of each fight was pretty much assured. Aarik called for a break or two between some of the fights to adjust his armor and clean his sword. He was continually glad for the practice time he'd been given before the tournament. His endurance was strong, and with each man he defeated, he felt more and more in-shape. Aarik knew she should feel fatigued, but instead he felt exhilarated. The thrill of the challenge was carrying him. With each new warrior he faced, he wondered if this would be the one whose strength would bring him low. But in the end, Aarik proved to be stronger.

Resuming the tournament after his second break, Aarik stepped up to face the largest man he had faced so far. Aarik had only to defeat this next opponent before he would have to face his nemesis, Torth. He did not look forward to the confrontation.

Aarik looked over his latest opponent. This guy was a few inches taller than Aarik, who himself was considered to be rather large. He wore armor similar to Aarik's however his was covered with dents and scuffmarks, badges of his fighting experience. His arms were beefy and strong, and criss-crossed with scars. His weapon was a large spiked club. His skin was swarthy, and his teeth glowed white as his lips turned up into a wicked grin. Ice blue eyes gleamed coldly at Aarik. This man was strong and confident. Aarik had a feeling this fellow would be a bit more of a challenge than the others had been. Though this fighter was also a slave, judging by the spiked collar around his neck and wrists, Aarik had the feeling that this man took pleasure in the idea of defeating him. Aarik looked forward to meeting the challenge in the other man's eyes.

Tahnsa saw the large man facing Aarik , and began to doubt Aarik would defeat his opponent. Why, that man was huge! He looked like he could crush even Aarik between his huge hands. Even from his pavilion, Tahnsa could see the cruel smile on the fighter's lips and the pale blue eyes. Tahnsa felt a chill wrap itself around his spine and reverberate through his body, all the way to his fingertips. The hair on the nape of his neck stood on end. ::Something about this man is familiar! but what?! I can't shake the feeling I have seen him somewhere before. But surely I would have remembered meeting a man so large... What was it about him?:: Tahnsa could not make sense of this strange, unsettling feeling he was having.

Aarik saw the nearest guard signal for this fight to begin, and Aarik immediately raised his defenses and began to analyze his opponent for possible weaknesses he could exploit. The other man appeared to be doing the same thing, letting his cold blue eyes roll over Aarik's muscular body.

Suddenly, the other man attacked, startling Aarik into motion. Aarik leaped away from the whoosh of the man's mace as it sliced through the air where Aarik has been standing moments before. Aarik was astounded by the man's speed. Aarik would not have expected a man of that build to posses suck incredible swiftness. The man was relentless with his attacks, and Aarik found himself on the defensive, bringing up his shield to catch the blows of the spiked club. Aarik swung his sword hard just after one of the man's attacks and managed to give him a good cut on his ribcage, but this only served to make him angrier. Fortunately, Aarik was strong and eventually evaded one of the larger man's swipes and slipped away, putting some much needed distance between the two. Aarik could feel his tired muscles begin to ache from his many battles of the day. Sweat was pouring down his chest and back, slick beneath his armor. Rivulets of sweat also trickled down his temples and neck.

Breathing hard, Aarik leaped forward for an offensive of his own. He brought his sword around and beneath the other man's shield and connected with the large man's chain mail armor of his lower arm. However Aarik's opponent barely seemed to notice Aarik's hit and instead brought his sword around to hit Aarik a jab in his lower ribs. Aarik leaped back again, pressing his hand to his side, where a small pool of blood had begun to form.

::Damn, Damn, Damn, this hurts like hell..:: Aarik struggled to pull his mind away from the pain that was spreading from the wound on his left side to the rest of his body. His opponent was already attacking again, but Aarik managed to lunge below the swing of the club and land a strong kick on the other man's legs, causing him to lose his balance and stumble back. Aarik took this moment to press his advantage and landed another kick to the man's side and then brought the flat of his sword crashing against the man's side. The fighter continued to stumble back, but despite his losing ground, he never lost that cold sneer.

Tahnsa was terribly frightened now. Aarik was hurt! he could see that Aarik was favoring one side, and that there was slow drip of blood from beneath the padded chainmail on that section of Aarik's armor. Tahnsa's knuckles were white as he gripped the arms of his chair and leaned forward. He chewed on his lower lip and forgot all pretense of aloofness towards Aarik. He could lose him! ::How could I have been so stupid to throw Aarik into this tournament! I have sent him to his death!!:: Tahnsa reached for his list of fighters for the tournament but still could not recognize the name of the man Aarik was fighting. ::He seems so familiar to me! Why?! :: Tahnsa stared intently at the fighting below. Aarik was still managing to hold his own against the larger man, but just barely. He was hurt, and the other man seemed intent on killing Aarik, not just defeating him. Tahnsa focused on the man's face, taking in the ugly features, ice blue eyes and contemptuous sneer.

Suddenly Tahnsa realized what it was about that fighter that seemed so familiar. Frantically he turned his gaze to the crowded bleachers and searched them, looking over each person. Suddenly his gaze screeched to a stop as he was locked into the ice blue stare of someone looking directly at him. Tahnsa tried to pull his eyes away from the intense look of the man seated in the bleachers across from him, but he could not.

Coldness swept through Tahnsa's body and he felt faint. He recognized that man. Suddenly it all made sense. Seated across the arena from him, in the bleachers with the rest of the commoners, was a man with silver hair and the coldest blue eyes Tahnsa had ever seen. The last time he had seen those eyes it was in a desert landscape in the Palace. This strange man was the owner of the blond slave boy who had harassed Tahnsa in the Palace! And by the look on that man's face, he recognized Tahnsa as well.

The man grinned evilly and licked his lips, never taking his eyes off of Tahnsa.